Lightspeed: Edited by John Joseph Adams

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Editorial

Editorial: October 2025

Welcome to issue 185 of Lightspeed Magazine!

Our science fiction short stories this month are both set in space, but that’s about all they have in common. “O Mechfighter, O Starsinger,” by Osahon Ize-Iyamu, is a dramatic story about imperialism, human trafficking, and learning to be a mech pilot. Megan Chee’s “Everyone Hates the Auditor” is the story of bureaucracy at its finest. They’re two great flavors of science fiction that are even more fun when paired together. Our flash pieces include the surprising “The Porniest Porn in Porntown” by Stephen Graham Jones and “Thaw” by An Owomoyela.

If you enjoy dark academia, then “Dirge and Gleam” by Micah Dean Hicks is just the short story for you. We also have a story of a dark avenger: “Drosera regina” by A.L. Goldfuss—and if you know anything about biology, you’ll have an idea what kind of creature this story is about. Our flash pieces include “At the Bottom of the Bonfire” by Martin Cahill and “Dating Fortune” from Sean McMullen.

All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with book reviews from our terrific review team.

It’s another great issue packed with speculative goodness.

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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