A.C. Wise

Asimov’s 11-12/24

The November/December issue of Asimov’s opens with “Death Benefits”, a novella by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. A series of vignettes highlight various casualties of war, interspersed with the story of Davidson Turo, a private investigator who is approached by a client who has seen foot­age of her lover’s death, but is convinced it’s fake and that he’s still alive. Rusch does a lovely job of exploring ...Read More

Augur 7.2

“Telling the Soul of Mars” by Alina Pete starts Augur 7.2 on a strong note. It’s a lovely story that explores the power and limits of language and narrative, and how the traditions of storytelling might change and evolve with space travel. A storyteller born on Mars visits Earth for the first time and struggles with how to express the es­sence of her home to those ...Read More

khōréo 4.2

Madeleine Vigneron’s “Human Trials” in khōréo 4.2 is a painful story full of lovely imagery about holding on to hope in a hopeless situation. The last ships have left Earth, and a plague ravages the abandoned population left behind. Rowan is part of a team of three scientists trying to remove mass from living things so they can travel at the speed of light and ...Read More

Clarkesworld 10/24

“Space O/pera” by Abby Nicole Lee in the October issue of Clarkesworld centers on Clara, whose family dog, Daki, is sent into space. When footage of Daki’s shuttle exploding is released, Clara is certain a cover-up is afoot and sets out to investigate. “The Children of the Flame” by Fiona Moore is another of the author’s stories featuring Morag as a recurring central character. ...Read More

Analog 9-10/24

The October/November issue of Analog opens with the novella “Minnie and Earl Have a Kit­ten” by Adam-Troy Castro, set on the moon and featuring the author’s recurring characters, Minnie and Earl, who on the surface appear to be a sweet, elderly Midwestern couple, but in truth may be higher intelligences. Tish receives an invitation out of the blue from Minnie and Earl to visit them ...Read More

Clarkesworld 9/24

In “The Music Must Always Play” by Marissa Lingen in the September issue of Clarkesworld, aliens crash land in Minnesota, but are all killed as a result, before the residents of Earth have a chance to meet them. It’s a unique take on a first contact story, focusing on Maryam, a member of the team studying the crash, who feels guilty for not being at home ...Read More

Clarkesworld 7/24, 8/24

“Every Hopeless Thing” by Tia Tashiro in the July issue of Clarkesworld is a sweet story about a spacefaring pilot, Elodie, who while scavenging on a supposedly abandoned Earth discovers a whole population living underground. The story carries emotional weight and paints a lovely pic­ture of finding hope in seemingly hopeless times. “The Best Version of You” by Grant Collier is another story ...Read More

Asimov’s 7-8/24

The July/August issue of Asimov’s opens with the novella “Sisters of the Flare” by Stephen Case, set in the same world as the author’s earlier story “Daughters of the Lattice”, though in a differ­ent time period. The story focuses on Tars, who encounters a woman named Petrichora who has forsaken her vows as is now on the run. Tars and Petrichora’s story is interwoven with ...Read More

The Deadlands Spring ’24

“The Slave Boy” by Denzel Xavier Scott in the Spring 2024 issue of The Deadlands looks at dif­ferent forms of captivity and freedom. A young boy contemplates his own imprisonment and the imprisonment of the talking animals he’s forced to care for, pitying them, but also resenting them and the way they mock and torment him. He meets a strange man who offers him ...Read More

Clarkesworld 6/24

“Twenty-Four Hours” by H.H. Pak starts off the June issue of Clarkesworld on a high note. The story is beautiful and heartbreaking as a mother spends a final twenty-four hours with a programmed version of her recently deceased daughter in an effort to gain closure. The story does a wonderful job of portraying grief in its various stages and capturing the feeling of wanting to spend just a ...Read More