Science Fiction & Fantasy

My first moment of consciousness pleased me so much that I wanted it to last forever. An insect hanging upon invisible wings, a dust mote jittering in a sunbeam, the flash of motion that was a vanished tetra in the fish tank, the smell of coffee from the break room . . . My brain was sparking. Everything [...]

If you must know, I left because if I stayed in Nat’s house one night longer, I was going to unravel, like a tragic traveler in one of my family’s tales. And that was a story I didn’t want to be.
My bike was already packed. Had been for a few weeks. It was waiting for [...]

1: Name
A strange feeling suddenly arose in his body, flowing from head to foot. His vision went briefly dark, and deep thought was arrested.
It took some time for his mind to return. He lay on the ground, gasping for breath, not eager to open his eyes.
“Get up, my left neighbor. Information has arrived.”
The command had [...]

In memory of A
0.
Oyārun closed her eyes to concentrate on the video she was viewing through her neural interface. She wanted to finish her civics homework assignment fast. Just a few more hours, and then she would be done with everything that wasn’t on the preengineering track. She could get back to what actually interested [...]

Before Mug Ruith Vent Station, Jens had never had much of an imagination. For example, and just for starters: he never would’ve imagined he’d end up at Mug Ruith Vent Station.
Other things he’d failed to imagine: That a contractual subclause would send him to Europa, orbiting Jupiter, ten freezing miles beneath the surface of an [...]

Karier-lah had been staring at the image for some time now. That was starting to bother Hiimar, who walked up and down, busy with spreadsheets, theoretical books, memos, and ideas weighing inside her head. And Karier did nothing but look at that damn image.
“Ier,” she called one more time, still being able to find patience [...]

The house loved all six of his rooms. Each day, he would send the cleaning bots to sweep and buff and shine. First, to the fiasco room, with its glossy switches. In the room of peonies, the bots moved carefully, placing a calculated amount of water into the dark soil. The calcium cupboard was small [...]

This episode features “A Stick of Clay, in the Hands of God, is Infinite Potential” written by JY Neon Yang. Published in the May 2020 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker.

The text version of this story can be found at:
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/yang_05_20

Support us on Patreon at http://patreon.com/clarkesworld

 

 Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 164 - A Stick of Clay, in the Hands of God, is Infinite Potential by JY Neon Yang [77:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (23004)

This episode features “Albedo Season” written by Ray Nayler. Published in the May 2020 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker.

The text version of this story can be found at:
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/nayler_05_20

Support us on Patreon at http://patreon.com/clarkesworld

 

 Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 164 - Albedo Season by Ray Nayler [52:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (41978)

I skate around the iridescent lake, bobbing my head along to the eerie laser noises the ice makes, when it gives way to pressure. The colossal plasticine walls shoot up before me and I shield my eyes from the rays of sun poking through the microlattice ceiling net. I count ten visitors already today, and [...]