Think of Me Before I Disappear by Raahem Alvi – 3.7
Clarkesworld, February 2026 In a near-future Toronto, Aniqa Khan rushes her girlfriend Maria Shah to the emergency room, only to discover a devastating truth: Maria is an android. For four…
The Iron Piper by Fiona Moore – 3.8
Clarkesworld, February 2026 Morag is a tech salvager living in post-collapse Wales who maintains robots, including her companion walkbot Seamus—a former military killer robot she freed years ago. During Rugby…
Painstaking by Rich Larson -2.9
Clarkesworld, February 2026 Mars is a genetically modified soldier fleeing military pursuit in Windhoek, Namibia. Born with a congenital inability to feel pain, he was selected as a child for…
A Sleeper Ship Is Like a Game of Go by Claire Jia-Wen – 3.7
Clarkesworld, February 2026 This nested science fiction narrative follows Mason (Maxexcelson), son of tech CEO Rembrandt Crow, who becomes the navigational consciousness of the Diviner—a luxury sleeper ship carrying wealthy…
Chip by D.A. Xiaolin Spires – 3.5
Clarkesworld, February 2026 "Chip" is a thoughtful science fiction story about Mengxiang (Meng), a jobless newcomer to a futuristic city, and their unexpected friendship with an AI robocab named Chip.…
Remember Me in the Meat by Sarah Pauling – 3.5
Clarkesworld, February 2026 In a near-future where the "Mindmesh" technology allows humanity to store memories in the cloud rather than biological memory ("lobemeat"), Iris recounts her mission to assassinate billionaire…
Bunny Ears by Kristina Ten – 3.7
Nightmare Magazine, August 2025 Hannah Gessen, a thirteen-year-old only child, arrives at Colden Hills Music Camp feeling out of place and unwanted. The camp is poorly maintained, mosquito-infested, and surprisingly…