The first time Jesse saw the black Buka was in the park. He was flying a plastic Superman kite, dueling against his step-father’s rainbow box kite.
Jesse yanked the blue nylon string, swooping his kite toward his step-father’s.
Kentaro dodged easily. "Too broad a strike," he called, laughing. "A true fighter [...]

This month’s audio fiction is Gift of the Kites written by Jim C. Hines and read by Cat Rambo.

 

 Gift of the Kites by Jim C. Hines [27:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (84)

Every four months a security program sent Max an e-mail to his work account reminding him to change his password. The first reminder came two weeks before he had to make the shift or lose access to his incoming messages. The second reminder came ten days before the change was [...]

The LED bug kicks feebly, trying to push itself away from the wall. Its wings are rounds of mica, and the hole in its carapace where someone has tacked it to the graying boards reveals cogs and gears, almost microscopic in their dimension. The light from its underside is the cobalt [...]

This month’s audio fiction is Worm Within written and read by Cat Rambo.

 

 Worm Within by Cat Rambo [10:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (271)

Two miles of sea water overhead pretty well filtered out the ill effects of sunlight and mankind. Alone in her hard suit, lights on for safety, Lori’s boots settled and held in the pale, diatomaceous silt cover over the San Bernardino Highway. Helmet speakers trickled distant Vivaldi into her ears, and [...]

This month’s audio fiction is Blue Ink written by Yoon Ha Lee and read by Cat Rambo.

 

 Blue Ink by Yoon Ha Lee [16:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (285)

It’s harder than you thought, walking from the battle at the end of time and down a street that reeks of entropy and fire and spilled lives. Your eyes aren’t dry. Neither is the alien sky. Your shoulders ache and your stomach hurts. Blue woman, blue woman, the chant runs through [...]

Andy kidnaps me at 11:12 PM. I see the time on my microwave. He clamps a hand over my mouth while I’m making a pot of coffee, and I scatter the grounds all over the floor. It’s late, and I have work to do, but that doesn’t matter now. "I have a [...]

Her name is Ilona. The other children at school call her Smellona. She is not me, but I have been her. Here are the things I remember most clearly:

She lives in a townhouse in Washington D.C. with her mother and younger brother, whose bangs are always cut crooked. It [...]