The Year in Review 2023 by Charles Payseur

2023 was certainly… a year for short speculative fiction. Another amazing year in terms of the quality and quantity of stories pub­lished, but also a challeng­ing year as many venues have faced increased fi­nancial pressures and de­creasing returns from social media, as well as personal losses and national and international tragedies. While the year might seem like it went out like a lamb, it’s possible that the full impact from the changes driven by corporate greed and incompetence outside the field will be felt for some time to come.

That said, there are plenty of stories that made 2023 one to remember, and a wide range of publications putting out consistently strong work. Of those, I think I recommended the most from Lightspeed, and probably my favorite story of the year there was Brian K. Hudson’s ‘‘Virtually Cherokee’’, a formally daring and memorable read I keep finding new layers in. And while sibling publication Fantasy went back on indefinite hiatus, they went out with style, with the final issue containing the moving ‘‘Fandom for Witches’’ by Ruoxi Chen, which looks at belonging and yearning and the magic of connecting with people and texts.

Strange Horizons and sibling Samovar also had a very good showing over the year, with standouts in ‘‘Brincando Charcos (Jumping Puddles)’’ by Ben Francisco and ‘‘A Short Biography of a Conscious Chair’’ by Renan Bernardo respectively. Of all the publications I read, these two probably have been most at the forefront of pushing boundaries in the genre, and taking chances on works that blend literary and cultural traditions in ways that are pro­found and breathtaking. Especially with their investment in speculative poetry, fans looking for more experimental works can always find things to enjoy.

Of course, pound for pound it’s difficult to find a publication I consistently enjoy more than GigaNotoSaurus, which publishes a single story every month. But what stories they are! From action-adventures set in apocalyptic wastes to deeply personal and messy looks at fear and inti­macy, I’m never quite sure what to expect when I pick up their latest, but I’m probably going to love it. And my favorite from 2023 was Kelly Lagor’s wonderful ‘‘Ghosting’’, which is brash and uncomfortable at times but also beautiful and complex and amazing.

F&SF continues to be part of the beating heart of the field, with each issue full of a wide range of stories and poetry. Especially for fans of longer works, there are plenty of novellas and novel­ettes, though I think my favorite story of the year from there was Tessa Yang’s short story ‘‘Upstairs’’, which shows a sly wit and defiance slowly crushed by systemic and self-replicating corruption.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies also had a great year, bookending the year with favorites of mine, from January’s ‘‘A Sin for Freedom’’ by Eboni J. Dunbar to October’s ‘‘Between Blades’’ by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko. Both introduce stunning and well-realized settings and char­acters and mix action, vulnerability, and hope in amazing ways. Though focused on adventure fantasy, the publication shows just how much room there is in that space for a huge diversity in narratives, voices, and forms.

Zooming around the field, there were so many stories I loved. From Fiyah, Nkone Chaka’s ‘‘Sentience’’ was fantastic and challenging and moving. Fusion Fragment put out an absolute delight with Cynthia Zhang’s ‘‘My Neighbor Mothman.’’ Diabolical Plots’s ‘‘Interstate Mohi­nis’’ by M.L. Krishnan was a sinking and stark look at desire and violence. ‘‘Allies’’ by Monica Gribouski from Hexagon was one of the best alternate reality stories I’ve read recently. And Tessa Fisher’s ‘‘Morning Star Blues’’ was an inspiring, romantic, and phenom­enal part of the anthology Rosalind’s Siblings.

For me, 2023 was personally… diffi­cult. But through it all there has always been stories to keep me going, to allow me to both step outside of the stresses around me and step into myself, inter­rogating my own feelings, fears, and potential. It’s why I love reading and what drew me to reviewing. And despite calls from some quarters that the field is too monolithic (too positive or too grim; too stuck in the past or too unaware of its history), what I continue to find is a field driven by a wide range of pas­sions, interests, and visions. Some that seem in competition with each other, and some that harmonize beautifully, and all forming a gestalt that’s stronger than the sum of its parts.

This review and more like it in the February 2024 issue of Locus.

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