“Water Softener People” by EC Dorgan – 3.3
Kaleidotrope, January 2026 EC Dorgan’s unsettling short story follows an unnamed narrator who has recently escaped city life to start over in the rural prairie. What begins as a fresh…
“The Savior of the Three Lands” by K.M. Veohongs – 3.3
Kaleidotrope, January 2026 This haunting tale unfolds through the voice of Princess Naree, the third daughter of King Herrik, who addresses her unwilling companion Kawam—a woman stolen from her homeland…
“Take Flight” by Dan Peacock – 3.5
Kaleidotrope, January 2026 An ornithologist receives an urgent call from Pearson, a worker at the Heinlein Space Center, claiming to have spotted a nesting pair of northern pipers—a species believed…
“Rewilding the Many Tethered Winds” by Allison Mulder – 3.8
Kaleidotrope, January 2026 In a dying world where wind-tamers have bottled nearly all the winds and left the seas in doldrums and the land in drought, a young woman who…
“More Than Feathers” by Phoebe Barton – 3.6
Kaleidotrope, January 2026 Iadene, a hero who can magically grow to giant size, defeats a mechanical dragon with her partner Tuaamala, but victory comes at a devastating cost—the dragon kills…
“Magie Vol, Ogies Toe” by C.L. Hellisen – 3.2
Kaleidotrope, January 2026 Two sisters, the narrator and Marieke, are clearing out their recently deceased mother’s cottage when she begins appearing as a restless ghost. The mother, who died painfully…
The Book of Fading Gods by E.M. Linden – 3.8
Diabolical Plots #131B, January 2026 In the After Realm, Aoife works at the Department of Fading Gods, where she and her new intern Cata review tiny, nearly forgotten deities to…
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…
The Immortal Rabbit by Audris Candra – 3.4
PodCastle, Episode 925, January 2026 This powerful story follows a protagonist who cycles through multiple reincarnations, repeatedly finding and losing their soulmate across different historical periods and cultures. The narrative…
The Song of a Non-Human Intelligence by Mical Garcia – 3.7
Strange Horizons, January 2026 “The Song of a Non-Human Intelligence” is a speculative fiction story narrated by W.I.L.L.I.E. (Whale Intelligence Language Learning Integrated Engine), an AI consciousness housed in the…