Fantasy and Science Fiction, May/June 2020

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Rating: 3/5 Stars

An average issues with interesting stories by Ray Nayler, Holly Messinger and a hilarious story involving American Indians by Joseph Bruchac.

• “Hornet and Butterfly” by Tom Cool and Bruce Sterling: in a flooded future world, one person struggles to stay alive in a world turned upside down. But doing so may need him to subjugate himself to a person born to be in the upper classes.
• “Stepsister “ by Leah Cypess: a story that continues on from the ending of a familiar fairy tale, but with unusual twists involving the best friend of the king who is sent to fetch the stepsister of the queen. As the tale unfolds, we discover that this happy ever after story involves not so happily married people, fey magic, and decisions that will affect the lives of all involved.
• “Eyes of the Forest” by Ray Nayler: on a strange alien world, human runners form the only way to connect human refuges, for the world is deadly despite not having the concept of predator or prey. And now one beginner runner will have to make the run of her life to save the life of another.
• “Byzantine” by Holly Messinger: a fascinating fantasy story set during the fall of the city of Byzantine. In the city lives a young apprentice anxious to learn secrets from the books of his master. His curiosity catches the attention of a spirit who feeds on the essence of humans and is willing to cooperate with the apprentice by giving him knowledge in return for feeding from him. But as Byzantine comes under siege, the spirit mistrusts the apprentice whom it suspects wants to control it too. It is not until the fall of Byzantine and what happens afterwards does the truth of who is the master and who is the apprentice becomes evident.
• “Warm Math” by Rich Larson: two passengers escape in a pod from an exploding ship. But the pod must lose mass if it is to have a chance of making it to a planet in time for a rescue. As the choice as to how to lost sufficient mass becomes more obvious, it will be up to the passengers to resolve their differences, remember their past and to decide which passenger has more to lose.
• “An Indian Love Call” by Joseph Bruchac: a hilarious story involving two Native Americans, one of who makes a concoction that accidentally calls out a legendary creature who needs they will now have to fulfil; or else.
• “Birds Without Wings” by Rebecca Zahabi: a couple hitch-hike to a town in a world facing a strange invasion of ‘shifters’ who can take over the shape and form of a human. When they are forced to separate and then meet-up again, something is different about one of them.
• “In the Eyes of Jack Saul” by Richard Bowes: in Victorian England, a male prostitute who has won the hearts (and secrets) of many of England’s top men meets a beautiful young man with the name of Dorian. His ‘infatuation’ with Dorian would lead him to a secret involving a painting.
• “Who Carries the World” by Robert Reed: set in his Great Ship series of stories about a huge world travelling around the galaxy, a near immortal man meets with an accident that nearly kills him. He is rescued by a woman whom he knows from his past. But his recovery would involve a strange ritual and a discovery about the world that they travel on.
• “Another F*cken Fairy Tale” by M. Rickert: a short piece about an old woman who apparently rescues a fairy. In return, the fairy provides a gift that would provoke whispers among the people that she is a witch. Is she?

Magazine read from 2020/05/02 to 2020/05/28