Lightspeed: Edited by John Joseph Adams

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Fantasy

Not by Wardrobe, Tornado, or Looking Glass

by Jeremiah Tolbert

Author spotlight

The scent of fresh lilacs and the boom of a cannon shot muffled by distance prefaced the arrival of the rabbit hole. Louisa jerked upright in her seat, and her book fell from her lap to slap against the cold pavement of the station floor. Dropping a book would normally cause her to cringe, but instead she allowed herself a spark of excitement as a metal maintenance door creaked open on rusty hinges. Golden light spilled out onto dazed commuters. Was this it? Was this finally it?

In Feb. 2016 (Issue 69)

Science Fiction

Charlotte Incorporated

by Rachael K. Jones

Author spotlight

At night she pores over the corpus catalogues online: Incorporated Incorporated, Modern Anatomy, and Shoulders, Knees, & Toes. She weighs the merits of femur length and belly fat, redundant kidneys, attached earlobes, and pronated feet. Most people buy pre-configured corpi with symmetrical faces and standard organ kits, but she wants a custom build. Something completely unique.

In Feb. 2016 (Issue 69)

Science Fiction

Beyond the Heliopause

by Keith Brooke and Eric Brown

Author spotlight

As soon as the recorded message pinged in her peripheral vision, she accepted and listened to the call on her cochlear implant. “Suzanne, I need to see you. It’s urgent. I . . . well, I’ll tell you when I see you. All my love.”

In Jan. 2016 (Issue 68)

Fantasy

Maiden, Hunter, Beast

by Kat Howard

Author spotlight

She had never intended to be a nineteen-year-old virgin. She wasn’t opposed to the idea of sex, didn’t think the simple act of having sex with someone had to be a big deal, and sure, she went to Mass and knew what the priests taught, but she figured God was actually a lot less concerned about that sort of thing than they were. She just hadn’t ever wanted to badly enough.

In Jan. 2016 (Issue 68)

Fantasy

Gorgonoids

by Leena Krohn
Translated by Hildi Hawkins

Author spotlight

The egg of the gorgonoid is, of course, not smooth. Unlike a hen’s egg, its surface texture is noticeably uneven. Under its reddish, leather skin bulge what look like thick cords, distantly reminiscent of fingers. Flexible, multiply jointed fingers, entwined—or, rather, squeezed into a fist.

In Jan. 2016 (Issue 68)

Science Fiction

Secondhand Bodies

by JY Yang

Author spotlight

“Admit it, the only option left for that body is getting rid of it.” Cousin Aloysius says this as he sprawls uninvited along the length of my bed, and I hate him for that.

In Jan. 2016 (Issue 68)

Fantasy

The Savannah Liars Tour

by Will McIntosh

Author spotlight

My essence, my soul, whatever you wanted to call it, burst into that place beyond places. After dozens of trips, the ecstasy of the reverse-explosion was as intense as the first time.

In Jan. 2016 (Issue 68)

Fantasy

Ex Libris Noctis

by Jay Lake

Beatrice’s heart skipped and skipped again, the tiny pistons clattering in their brassbound prison. Her ribs ached, and there were narrow darts of pain throughout her chest. She was dying.

In Dec. 2015 (Issue 67)

Science Fiction

Beneath the Silent Stars

by Aidan Doyle

Author spotlight

Jean-Paul crawled out of storage and stretched his arms and legs. He avoided going into storage whenever he could help it, but the ship had insisted this time. “Hello, Jean-Paul,” Unattributed Source said. “I woke you as soon as we arrived within visual range of Amala.”

In Dec. 2015 (Issue 67)

Fantasy

Tea Time

by Rachel Swirsky

Author spotlight

Begin at the beginning: His many hats. Felt derbies in charcoal and camel and black. Sporting caps and straw boaters. Gibuses covered in corded silk for nights at the theatre. Domed bowlers with dashingly narrow brims. The ratty purple silk top hat, banded with russet brocade, that he keeps by his bedside.

In Dec. 2015 (Issue 67)

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