Lightspeed: Edited by John Joseph Adams

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Editorial

Editorial: February 2026

Welcome to Lightspeed Magazine’s 189th issue!

Our two full-sized SF stories explore the very nature of reality. We start with Megan Chee’s multi-vocal “Death Echoes Overlapping,” and then we feature the planetary exploration piece “Sensor Ghosts,” by Deborah L. Davitt. We also have two terrific flash pieces: “The Worldbuilder” from Phoenix Alexander and “Warren’s Tentacle” by Susan Palwick.

Alexander Weinstein’s fantasy series From the Lost Travelers’ Tour Guide returns with “Dream Destinations,” which continues his exploration of the mysterious Eighth Continent. Modupeoluwa Shelle brings us “A Handbook to Spirit-Hunting,” a tale packed with mysterious creatures and beings. We also have a flash story (“Six Sides of a Fairy Tale”) from Audrey Zhou, and another (“The Salt and the Cure”) from Rukman Ragas.

As ever, our nonfiction includes author spotlight interviews with our writers, and our book review team has come up with a terrific array of new books for you to check out.

It’s another great issue, and we’re delighted to share it with you!

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John Joseph Adams

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John Joseph Adams is the series editor of Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy and the New York Times bestselling editor of more than forty anthologies, such as Wastelands, A People’s Future of the United States, and Out There Screaming (with Jordan Peele). He is also editor of the Hugo Award-winning magazine Lightspeed and is publisher of both it and its sister-magazine, Nightmare. Called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble, John is a winner of the Hugo, Stoker, Locus, British Fantasy, and ENNIE awards and a ten-time World Fantasy Award finalist. In addition to his short fiction work, he’s the co-creator of The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast, and for five years he was the editor of the John Joseph Adams Books novel imprint. Lately, he’s been working as an editor and game designer on TTRPG projects for Kobold Press, Paizo, and Monte Cook Games. Learn more at johnjosephadams.com.

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