Joiner and Rust by Lavie Tidhar – 4.3
Reactor, January 2026 In this poignant science fiction novelette, an aging robot named Rust journeys through rural China to visit an old friend, Joiner, carrying a watermelon as a symbolic…
The Very Important Case of Rami and the Rainbow Bird by Marlene Jo Baquiran – 4.1
Grist, January 2026 Six-year-old Rami Saleh’s precious multicolored porcelain bird shatters in the school playground, triggering a crisis that mobilizes his entire elementary school. The bird, a cherished gift from…
Donuts from the Daydream Network by Julia Vee – 4.0
The Sunday Morning Transport, January 2026 Araminta “Min” Lee runs her family’s doughnut shop while her father recovers from a stroke in the hospital. The shop has been in the…
“Full Fathom Five” by Gwendolyn Maia Hicks – 4.2
Kaleidotrope, January 2026 Jack Kersey accidentally catches a merrow (a mythical sea creature) in a fishing net while working on a trawler off the coast of his struggling Irish town.…
Confessions of the Little Seer by Emily Linstrom – 4.0
Kaleidotrope, January 2026 This haunting narrative follows a fraudulent spiritualist who, after being exposed as a charlatan, finds herself genuinely haunted by the dead she once pretended to contact. The…
“Stay” by William Preston – 4.5
Asimov’s Science Fiction, January/February 2026 William Preston Larry is dying of cancer and has arranged for a robotic double to replace him as companion to his beloved tri-color hound, Charlie.…
Cinder House – 4.5
Summary of Cinder House by Freya Marske Summary of Cinder House by Freya Marske Tordotcom Publishing, 2025 by Freya Marske This is a Cinderella retelling featuring a ghost, a cursed…
Vanya and the Dog Witch – 4.6
Summary of Vanya and the Dog Witch by Walter J. Wiese Summary of Vanya and the Dog Witch by Walter J. Wiese Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Issue #447, December 11, 2025…
This Story Does Not Exist – 4.3
Summary of This Story Does Not Exist by Kylie Lee Baker ``` Summary of This Story Does Not Exist by Kylie Lee Baker Uncanny #68, January/February 2026 by Kylie Lee…
The Memory Hounds of Bak-Ankham – 4.0
Summary of The Memory Hounds of Bak-Ankham by A. W. Prihandita Summary of The Memory Hounds of Bak-Ankham by A. W. Prihandita (4.0) Uncanny #68, January/February 2026 by A. W.…