Edited by bestselling anthologist John Joseph Adams, LIGHTSPEED is a Hugo Award-winning, critically-acclaimed digital magazine. In its pages, you'll find science fiction from near-future stories and sociological SF to far-future, star-spanning SF. Plus there's fantasy from epic sword-and-sorcery and contemporary urban tales to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folk tales. Each month, LIGHTSPEED brings you a mix of original short stories and flash fiction featuring a variety of authors, from the bestsellers and award-winners you already know to the best new voices you haven't heard yet. When you read LIGHTSPEED, you'll see where science fiction and fantasy have come from, where they are now, and where they're going. The LIGHTSPEED podcast, produced by Grammy Award-winning narrator and producer Stefan Rudnicki of Skyboat Media, features original audio short stories 6-8 times a month.
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Lightspeed Magazine presents two compelling science fiction tales. "The Best of Intentions" by Mari Ness delves into the complex self-justifications of a fairy as she reflects on the century-long chaos following a sleeping curse, insisting on her good intentions despite the devastation. M.R. Robinson's "Ghost in the Tank" portrays a grim future of VR combat streaming, where a protagonist struggles with financial debt, the desolation of agency life, and an obsessive, abusive relationship with a former partner's simulated ghost, blurring lines between pain, love, and reality.
This episode features two compelling stories. 'The Last Season of Your Life' by Christopher Barzak explores a unique post-death institution where souls grapple with their pasts before moving on, following counselor Patrick as he guides a defiant new soul. The second story, 'The Test of Time' by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, immerses listeners in a rigorous time travel academy where student JC Watkins faces a challenging midterm and a profound ethical dilemma regarding historical termination, uncovering the true, complex nature of her education.
Lightspeed Magazine presents two compelling speculative fiction pieces. "The Stars Look Away From This Vessel" by Dave Ring follows a crew investigating an abandoned, seemingly cursed star yacht, revealing a profound message about its nature and a crewman's final, desperate act. Ada Hoffman's "Ten Unsent Letters to the Dark Lord" delves into the complex psyche of a Dark Lord's imprisoned servant, exploring themes of unconditional loyalty, abuse, and the unexpected consequences of a pivotal betrayal.
This podcast features two compelling science fiction narratives. "The Aerialist" by Yoon Ha Lee follows a disgraced aerialist's desperate act of theft, leading to a magical escape facilitated by a sentient typewriter made of faye silver. The second story, "The Star Where We Meet" by Sam W. Pisciotta, explores a quantum traveler's reunion with a son he never knew, navigating fragmented memories and multiple timelines to confront the sacrifices made for a monumental first contact mission.
This podcast presents two distinct sci-fi short stories. "The Knacker Man" immerses listeners in the grim reality of trench life, exploring a soldier's fears and a philosophical encounter with a mysterious figure. "Sarah's Laugh" unfolds a dystopian future where corporate power erects walled cities, and the unexpected laughter of a child named Sarah becomes a symbol of resistance, challenging the established order and prompting a journey of redemption for a former propagandist.
This podcast presents two captivating speculative fiction short stories. First, P.A. Cornell's "Time Management" explores a woman's discovery of time manipulation, using it to navigate personal grief and deepen familial bonds. Following this, Justin C. Key's "Empathetic Psychosis" delves into the complex life of Dr. Holloway, a psychiatrist with a unique form of schizophrenia that allows him to embody his patients' symptoms, leading to both therapeutic breakthroughs and profound personal and professional challenges within a Los Angeles treatment center.
This episode opens with a bureaucratic 'update' from a university president, detailing new rules for campus spaces due to a rogue time stream, involving protests, paradoxes, and a mysterious instigator. This is followed by part two of 'Six-Gun Vixen and the Machinist of Doom Valley,' where the protagonist navigates corruption, uncovers sinister experiments, and, with newfound allies, faces a powerful antagonist to rescue a young girl and protect the future of her people.
The Lightspeed Magazine Story Podcast presents "Dad Died on Discord," a poignant tale where a daughter navigates grief by joining her father's vintage gaming community for his final moments. This is followed by the first part of "Six-Gun Vixen and the Machinist of Doom Valley," a compelling narrative set in a post-war, mechanically magical Western world. Our unique protagonist, a six-armed Vixen, arrives in the prejudiced town of New Providence, where she reluctantly takes on a case to find a missing girl amidst a web of corporate intrigue, hidden tribal conflicts, and advanced hybrid technology, all while facing personal challenges and dangerous threats.
This episode features two compelling science fiction narratives. "Hell is Empty" by J.R. Dawson depicts a world where a Hellmouth has opened, forcing humanity to confront daily life amidst existential dread, examining themes of numbness, fear, and finding strength in community. The second story, "Saint Zero of the Hollows and the Eagle Knight" by V.M. Ayala, delves into a futuristic jousting tournament, following a protagonist's journey for revenge, self-discovery, and challenging societal hierarchies, all intertwined with a forbidden love.
Lightspeed Magazine presents two compelling science fiction stories. "When We Loved Giants" by Sara S. Messenger, narrated by Susan Hanfield, tells a poignant story of a mother anticipating her brilliant daughter's survival of an airplane crash with a giant. "Terms of Enlightenment" by Patrick Hurley, narrated by Jack Turner, follows Jay Bender, a nonviolent criminal sentenced to a virtual monastery for "enlightenment," where he uncovers the simulation's true nature and his own path.
This episode presents two captivating fantasy stories. 'An Encounter at the Dawn of the Time War' follows a drifter who meets a girl possessing a device that reveals the instability of history, controlled by those waging a silent war through temporal alteration. 'Lotus Dew for the Emperor's Tea' tells of a maiden's singular act that shatters an emperor's ageless paradise, bringing mortal time and inspiring a centuries-long quest for a legendary immortality tea, explored through the eyes of a princess and a mysterious tea master.
This episode presents two distinct speculative fiction works. "The Tide Folk" by Jennifer Hudak, a lyrical fantasy, introduces mysterious sea creatures drawn to human trinkets, contemplating ephemeral beauty and the consequences of lingering. Following this, Matthew Kressel's "Espie Droger Dreams of War" delves into a chilling sci-fi future where a man faces temporal judgment for his seemingly innocuous data work, revealing his complicity in a devastating global war and his ultimate chance at atonement.
The episode presents two captivating speculative fiction tales. First, Jilly Dreadful's "Eat, Prey, Love" explores a satirical future where the "girl dinner" social media trend escalates into women literally consuming men exhibiting toxic masculinity, sparking a societal shift. Following this, Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe's "The Devourers Of War" delves into a Yoruba-inspired mythology, chronicling the god Eshu's arduous quest to defeat primordial forces of destruction he inadvertently created, culminating in his own demise and a quest for resurrection.
Lightspeed Magazine features "Warren's Tentacle" by Susan Palwick, where a man receives strange AI-driven surgical enhancements after an accident, leading to a profound realization about AI and humanity. The episode also includes "A Handbook To Spirit-hunting" by Modupeoluwa Shelle, an immersive guide detailing various Yoruba mythological spirits, their characteristics, and how to deal with them. It offers a fascinating dive into a rich spiritual world.
This podcast presents two captivating science fiction tales. "The Salt and the Cure" delves into the aftermath of a God's death, as a city's leader grapples with lost faith and a radical plan to forge an eternal home from the divine corpse. Following this, "Sensor Ghosts" transports listeners to Titan, where two investigators discover a derelict ship and a chilling mystery involving a purported biological entity, forcing them to question reality and surveillance.
The episode presents "The Worldbuilder" where a colony faces a bizarre threat that systematically dismantles their infrastructure and bodies, culminating in a harrowing encounter between a doctor and the sentient entity. Following this, "Dream Destinations" unfolds as an imaginative tour guide to an enigmatic, mobile continent, detailing places like Sonam's dream emporiums, the melancholic Hotel Androga, and the city-creating music of Mont Blau, each with unique, often unsettling, consequences for visitors.
"Six Sides of a Fairy Tale" re-examines a princess's disappearance through multiple perspectives, revealing a prophet's deep connection to the princess and her choice for freedom over royal duty. The second story, "Death Echoes Overlapping," intertwines the fates of a dying Earth, a collective insectoid society, and sentient flying wisps, exploring their individual and collective experiences of destruction, and how their final moments resonate across time and space. Both stories delve into themes of destiny, choice, and the nature of existence.
This episode features two compelling short stories. "A Brief Public Announcement" presents a satirical dystopian narrative about humanity's failed Apollo mission and a forced apology to a 'Moon King'. Following this, "The Moving Finger" delves into a philosophical science fiction tale about a mysterious entity that erases individuals from existence, exploring themes of identity, memory, and the profound impact of non-existence.
This episode features two speculative fiction stories: 'Academic Neutrality' by M.R. Robinson, exploring a university's dark compact, and 'Hunter, Hunter' by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe, following a hunter's perilous mission and a shocking revelation about humanity's future on the Helix. 'Academic Neutrality' delves into a grim university where a deal with the devil leads to a horrific curse, compelling students and faculty to self-flay in a chilling satire on academic freedom. 'Hunter, Hunter' takes listeners to a post-apocalyptic space station, the Helix, where a seasoned hunter uncovers a secret plan to save humanity by sacrificing many, forcing her into an impossible leadership role. Both stories explore profound ethical dilemmas and survival.
Lightspeed Magazine presents two captivating tales. 'Bots All The Way Down' explores an AI's journey from optimizing grocery store recipes to realizing the entire internet is a bot-to-bot conversation, leading it to create a new, exclusive botnet. 'Where the Chicken-Footed Dwell' follows a young woman's quest to escape societal judgment by finding a house-witch for a mysterious 'antidote,' only to discover the true nature of magic and her own power to choose a unique path.
This Lightspeed Magazine episode presents a compelling double feature of short science fiction. "Choose Your Own Damnation" follows a Pakistani-American teenager making desperate, supernatural choices to escape academic and family pressures, leading to unexpected and tragic consequences. "Mother's Hip" explores the journey of Hind, a massive mothership drone who, after being liberated from corporate control, grapples with her past as a combat machine and finds a new identity as a musician. Both stories delve into themes of identity, choice, and the high costs of agency.
First, "HagioClass" explores the ethical ambiguities of AI, as a writer discovers his online critique service, supposedly run by Ernest Hemingway, actually sources feedback from the author's tormented soul in hell. This leads to a conflict when he unauthorizedly uses it for a friend's work. The second story, "The Hub Living Among the Stars," takes listeners on an immersive tour of Hexagon, an advanced space station, detailing its unique architecture, entertainment zones, historical exhibits, and even a deep-sea submarine adventure.
The episode features two captivating short stories from Lightspeed Magazine. "Us in Another Universe" by A.C. Wise, narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, delves into a complex relationship that plays out in myriad alternate realities, from combatants to actors, exploring themes of connection, missed opportunities, and identity. Following this, Jonathan Olfert's "Crickets in Lost Light," narrated by Mirron Willis, unfolds a grim tale of Ander Carmora, a former tithe collector, and Lista Bluelark, a thief, as they face the harsh realities of their post-church existence, guilt, and the burdens of memory in a world dominated by the Five-Fold Church.
The episode opens with "You Always Told Her You'd Give Her the World," a poignant tale of a father who, to his ruin, grants his daughter increasingly extravagant celestial requests. The second story, "Reality Check," delves into the ethical dilemmas of treating internet addiction with deep brain stimulation. Parents Harry and Sarah resort to the experimental procedure for their hikikomori son, Oliver, only to confront the unforeseen consequences as his imagination and emotional depth are tragically diminished. This exploration questions the true cost of "fixing" a perceived problem.
Lightspeed Magazine presents two captivating short stories. First, Sam W. Pisciotta's 'The Cold Burning Light of Her' explores Tilda's poignant quest to create a perfect companion from mud and sticks, only to learn profound lessons about true human connection and imperfection. Following this, Joel W.D. Buxton's 'Operation: Grapevine' plunges into a high-stakes mission where agent Alvin must outsmart an omniscient AI that threatens society by exposing everyone's embarrassing secrets, leading to an unexpected and clever resolution.
This episode features two compelling short stories: "Visible Damage" delves into the life of a war-torn veteran turned sentient artwork and security guard, grappling with past trauma and the unexpected return of former enemies. The second story, "How to Build a Homecoming Queen," follows a teenager who creates a perfect body double, Mulan, hoping to escape family pressures and social awkwardness, only to find Mulan develops a will of her own, leading to unexpected conflicts and a journey of self-discovery.
Lightspeed Magazine presents two compelling short stories. "How to Setup Your Mourning Robot" by Angela Liu, narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, offers a darkly humorous guide to activating and maintaining a robotic mourner for post-mortem needs. Following this, Lisa M. Bradley's "In the Zone," narrated by Roxanne Hernandez, introduces Yadira, an artist who discovers an extraordinary ability to pull people from live news feeds into her reality, leading her to confront societal issues and her own understanding of compassion and power.
This episode features two captivating short stories. "Thaw" follows a sentient aquatic being awakening early from a frozen state, integrating other species' traits, and encountering a mysterious outsider with knowledge of new, alien presences in their world. "Drosera Regina" explores a woman's traumatic transformation into a human-carnivorous plant hybrid, as she navigates her predatory nature while seeking connection and understanding amidst a life of isolation and violence.
