Lightspeed: Edited by John Joseph Adams

Slide 1: in a fun, witchy font: Magic & Mystery, Amazon Original Stories; Slide 2-5: Fantasy Authors Turn to Crime, Curated by John Joseph Adams: Lists authors Travis Baldree, Sarah Beth Durst, Heather Fawcett, Scott Lynch, Tananarive Due, J.M. Miro, and Robert Jackson Bennet. Slide 6: Small renderings of all seven book covers; Slide 7: a magical cat face with paw prints to the left and right, with the words "The Game is Afoot / July 28".

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Editorial

Editorial: March 2026

by John Joseph Adams

Published in Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 190 (March 2026) | 268 words

Welcome to Lightspeed’s 190th issue!

We’ve got some really thought-provoking SF this month. We’re starting off with Matthew Kressel’s “Espie Droger Dreams of War”—a powerful story that feels more timely every day. In his short story “Terms of Enlightenment,” Patrick Hurley brings us a warmhearted tale about becoming a better person. We also have two terrific flash pieces: “Eat, Prey, Love: A Modest Proposal for Ensuring Gender Equality Through Selective Dietary Practices; or, a Geriatric Millennial’s Guide to #GirlDinner” from Jilly Dreadful and “An Encounter at the Dawn of the Time War” by JT Petty.

Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe serves up the latest installment in his series about the Cookbook of the Gods. This time we find Erishu fighting his own creations in “The Devourers of War; or, An Excerpt From The Cookbook Of The Gods.” There’s more deliciousness in Vanessa Fogg’s mythically inspired “Lotus Dew for the Emperor’s Tea,” which will make you very excited about visiting your local teahouse. Our original flash includes a “When We Loved Giants” by Sara S. Messenger and “The Tide Folk” by Jennifer Hudak.

As usual, our spotlight interview team has had a terrific time chatting with our authors. Be sure to check out the author spotlights to learn more about the inspirations behind these great stories—and what our authors are up to next. And if you’re looking for your next great read, our book reviewers have three stellar recommendations.

It’s another terrific issue, and we’re delighted to be sharing it with all of you, our wonderful readers.

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John Joseph Adams

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John Joseph Adams is the editor and publisher of the Hugo Award-winning Lightspeed and publisher of its sibling magazine, Nightmare. He’s also the editor of more than fifty anthologies, including the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy series, Wastelands, A People’s Future of the United States, and the New York Times bestselling Out There Screaming (with Jordan Peele). John is a winner of the Hugo, Stoker, Locus, and British Fantasy awards, and is 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 ran a novel imprint for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Lately, he’s also been working as an editor and game designer on TTRPG projects for Kobold Press, Paizo, and Monte Cook Games. Learn more at johnjosephadams.com.