Thorns That Teach: Mental Health, Magic, and Self-Narration in R.Z. Held’s “Like Thorns on Her Tongue” – 4.1

Introduction R.Z. Held's novelette "Like Thorns on Her Tongue," published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #450 during Science Fantasy Month (February 5, 2026), represents a compelling contribution to the increasingly…

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Souls as Currency: Reincarnation, Disclosure, and the Ethics of Knowledge in Emily C. Skaftun’s “A Dirge for the Mirrorbirds”

Introduction Published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #450 (February 5, 2026) as part of the magazine's Science Fantasy Month, Emily C. Skaftun's novelette "A Dirge for the Mirrorbirds" represents a…

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The Threshold Between Worlds: An Academic Review of Michael Libling’s “The Placemat at Baldy’s Diner” – 4.2

Introduction Michael Libling's novelette "The Placemat at Baldy's Diner," published in the March/April 2026 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction, represents a mature and formally inventive entry in the author's expanding…

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