Wednesday, January 3, 2018

2017 Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

A Dog's Story by Gardner Dozois  Time: 04m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(Animal Fantasy) Blackie’s getting old, but he still goes out to explore when the moon is full and he can talk to the other animals.
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A Gathering on Gravity's Shore by Gregor Hartmann  Time: 15m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(Far-Future SF; Franden) When Franden’s upper-class friend asks him to speak at his ascension party, he knows he’ll be out of place, but the opportunity to meet the “Upheld” in their own environment is too good to pass up.
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A Green Silk Dress and a Wedding-Death by Cat Hellisen  Time: 25m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 03.04|17
(Fairy Tale) In South Africa, nearsighted HΓ©loise has a hopeless job cleaning fish. Things start to change after she sees a water spirit—or thinks she did
A Thousand Deaths Through Flesh and Stone by Brian Trent  Time: 24m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(SF thriller) The narrator thought he’d retired from Martian covert ops ten years ago, but his bosses resurrected a copy and expect him to do another mission for them.
Afiya's Song by Justin C. Key  Time: 46m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(Alternate History Fantasy) There was magic in Afiya’s songs. Even after they cut out her tongue, she still managed to inspire the rebellion that ended slavery.
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Alexandria by Monica Byrne  Time: 15m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(SF) Deep in a Kansas winter, Beth obsesses over the lighthouse of Alexandria, which had had great meaning to her and her late husband.
An Obstruction to Delivery by Sean Adams1  Time: 25m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(Slipstream Horror) For political reasons, postal workers are required to use the mysterious tunnels underneath the town to deliver mail. Unfortunately, something has started eating them.
An Unearned Death by Marissa Lingen  Time: 14m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(High Fantasy) Osrith helps people near the end of life find a god who’ll take them, for in her world, no matter how old, worn, or broken you are, death must be earned.
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Attachments by Kate Wilhelm  Time: 36m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(Modern Fantasy) On a visit to England to try to forget about her abusive ex-boyfriend, Drew accidentally picks up a couple of ghosts, who follow her home.
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Big Girl by Meg Elison  Time: 14m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(Modern Fantasy) A missing teenage girl turns up in San Francisco Bay, and now she’s 350 feet tall.
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Bodythoughts by Rahul Kanakia  Time: 10m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(SF) Plustwo, A teenage alien born to an immigrant family on Earth develops an unhealthy obsession with Captain George Sai, even though Sai is famous for fighting against the people from Plustwo’s homeworld
By the Red Giant's Light by Larry Niven  Time: 06m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(Hard SF) She’s been on Pluto for a billion years, watching the sun expand. An alien robot has set up camp nearby, and she needs its help with a problem.
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Carbo by Nick Wolven  Time: 36m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(Near-Future SF) The young narrator hacks his self-driving car to get around a few restrictions, but soon it takes on a life of its own: watching porn and chasing girls—making it impossible for him to take people anywhere. He can’t undo his changes, and i
Children of Xanadu by Juan Paulo Rafols1  Time: 49m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(Dystopia) In a China-occupied Philippines, Dr. Garcia engineers superior children for his people’s conquerors. He’s got a plan to turn the tables, if he can execute it before he dies.
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Daisy by Eleanor Arnason  Time: 19m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 03.04|17
(Detective SF) Emily agrees to help a gangster find his missing octopus.
Dirty Old Town by Richard Bowes  Time: 28m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(Modern Fantasy) The narrator describes his childhood in 1950s Boston, the boys who bullied him, and the magic he used to defend himself.
Driverless by Robert Grossbach  Time: 31m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 03.04|17
(Near-future SF) Everyone knows Jacob’s driverless-car company destroyed the world economy, but he wants to tell his side of the story.
Dunnage for the Soul by Robert Reed  Time: 25m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(SF) When scientists find a way to test people and animals for what everyone assumes are souls, the narrator feels left out because he’s one of the people without one.
Evil Opposite by Naomi Kritzer  Time: 16m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(SF Multiverse) A Ph.D. student focusing on alternate universes builds a machine that lets him look at lives he might have lived.
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Hollywood Squid by Oliver Buckram  Time: 17m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(SF Humor) The squids from space haven’t been very popular for a while, but washed-up director Tony Casagrande has a can’t-miss plan for a detective thriller with a human and a squid.
Homecoming by Rachel Pollack  Time: 1h:15m (Novella)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(Urban Fantasy; Jack Shade) Carol has always felt a piece of her was missing, so she hires supernatural investigator Jack Shade, to find it. It seems simple enough, but quickly becomes much more than simple soul retrieval.
I Am Not I by G.V. Anderson2  Time: 33m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(Dystopia) The narrator is a normal human in a world of hostile genetically modified people, and she’s desperate enough to do anything for money to replace the failing body modifications that let her “pass.”
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In a Wide Sky, Hidden by William Ledbetter  Time: 15m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(Exploration SF) In an age that has lost interest in exploration, the narrator seeks their lost sister, on an empty, unexplored world.
Leash on a Man by Robert Reed  Time: 39m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(SF) Porous enjoys being a prison guard up until a new prisoner arrives who stirs things up.
Marley and Marley by J.R. Dawson1  Time: 23m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(Time Travel) At age 12, Marley loses her parents, but instead of getting foster parents, her 28-year-old future self comes to take care of her.
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Miss Cruz by James Sallis  Time: 10m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 03.04|17
(Horror) When the narrator plays his guitar, people really listen.
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My English Name by R.S. Benedict1  Time: 35m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(Horror) The narrator is an alien who takes human form, but periodically has to change it. This is a problem if it falls in love with someone.
Neko Brushes by Leah Cypess  Time: 13m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(Japanese Historical Fantasy) Kenji is just a boy, and a commoner at that, but his extraordinary drawing ability attracts the attention of nobles and draws him into their plots.
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On Highway 18 by Rebecca Campbell  Time: 13m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(Ghost Story) It’s the summer before college—before everything changed. Jen and Petra are best friends, and they’re mildly curious about stories they hear about a ghostly hitchhiker.
On the Problem of Replacement Children: Prevention, Coping, and Other Practical Strategies by Debbie Urbanski  Time: 18m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(Fantasy Humor) Changelings have always been a problem, but in the modern world, we have self-help guides for parents whose children have been replaced with things that just look like children.
One Way by Rick Norwood  Time: 26m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(Hard SF) Harvey’s theory predicts a one-way filter is possible, letting matter through in only one direction. In practice, there are a few really important safety issues he should have worried about.
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Racing the Rings of Saturn by Ingrid Garcia1  Time: 25m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(SF Adventure) While racers compete in the Ring Race at Saturn, other people fight for freedom and the future of the solar system.
Riddle by Lisa Mason  Time: 16m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(Horror) On his way home, Edwin meets an exotic woman who’s part lion and loves asking riddles.
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Rings by Nina Kiriki Hoffman  Time: 20m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(SF Horror) Aris wanted a male slave from off-planet, and she thinks Firen is a fine choice. Young, strong, flawed only because he can’t speak.
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Starlight Express by Michael Swanwick  Time: 12m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(SF) Far in the future, Flaminio meets the love of his life when a woman steps through a matter transmitter that hasn’t worked for centuries.
Still Tomorrow's Going to Be Another Working Day by Amy Griswold  Time: 03m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(Dystopia) A woman has quit paying the bills for her fertility treatment, so a crew turns up to repossess her third-grader.
Stillborne by Marc Laidlaw  Time: 1h:02m (Novella)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(Fantasy Adventure; Gorlen Stories) To find the magician who cursed them, Gorlen and Spar journey to the swarming of the Philosopher Moths, giant, telepathic insects reputed to cure even extreme ailments.
Tasting Notes on the Varietals of the Southern Coast by Gwendolyn Clare  Time: 05m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(Horror) In which a military conquest is described in terms of the wines produced near each of the conquered cities.
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Ten Half-Pennies by Matthew Hughes  Time: 25m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 03.04|17
(High Fantasy; Baldemar) Young Baldemar gets a favor from a moneylender’s hired muscle. The challenge is paying it back.
The Avenger by Albert E. Cowdrey  Time: 34m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 03.04|17
(Modern Fantasy) Jeanne hires Mr. Warlock because no normal attorney could cope with the problems her late husband’s crooked relatives are causing her.
The Bride in Sea-Green Velvet by Robin Furth1  Time: 30m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(Horror) Sir Henry prepares to resurrect a dead murderess as an offering to dark and hungry sea gods who expect something from him on his 49th birthday.
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The Care of House Plants by Jeremy Minton  Time: 23m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(SF Horror) A biotech company sends investigators after a rogue employee. When they find plants bursting out of his house, they expect the worst.
The First Day of Someone Else's Life by John Schoffstall  Time: 23m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(SF Thriller) Your name is Mook Donnel. You’re an important person. You negotiate with governments for your corporation. But you don’t think that’s who you really are at all, and the lady in your head won't stop talking to you.
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The Hermit of Houston by Samuel R. Delany  Time: 40m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(SF Epic) The narrator describes his life in a very different North America, where everyone is male.
The History of the Invasion Told in Five Dogs by Kelly Jennings  Time: 07m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(Alien Invasion) The narrator describes his/her efforts to stay alive over a period of years. Each segment includes a dog who made a difference in the narrator’s life.
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The Man Who Put the Bomp by Richard Chwedyk  Time: 1h:33m (Novella)  IssueF&SF 03.04|17
(Near-Future SF) Danner investigates a problem at the house where little dinosaur toys are housed since they were recalled for being too intelligent.
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The Masochist's Assistant by Auston Habershaw  Time: 26m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(High Fantasy; Saga of the Redeemed) Georges has to help his master torture himself as part of his plan to make himself immune to almost all forms of death.
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The Prognosticant by Matthew Hughes  Time: 43m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(Sword and Sorcery; Baldemar) Master Thelerion sends Baldemar and Oldo on a dangerous mission to recover a powerful magical artifact.
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The Regression Test by Wole Talabi2  Time: 13m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(SF) A society that uses AIs that model great thinkers needs to test them periodically to make sure they haven’t drifted too far from their originals.
The Toymaker's Daughter by Arundhati Hazra1  Time: 17m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 03.04|17
(Fairy Tale) As she paints them, the girl makes up stories about the wooden toys her father carves, unaware that she’s filling them with magic.
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The Two Choice Foxtrot of Chapham County by Tina Connolly  Time: 04m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(Slipstream) When an unmarried girl gets pregnant, she gives birth to a stone baby. At least, that’s one of her choices.
The Woman with the Long Black Hair by Zach Shephard  Time: 02m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(Mythic Fantasy) The woman with the long black hair asks people about Korlova. Woe be to they who give a displeasing answer.
There Used to Be Olive Trees by Rich Larson  Time: 27m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(Post-Apocalypse) Valentin’s implant should let him talk to the machine gods, but he’s failed the test three times, and he decides to run away before facing it again. Of course things outside the town are even worse.
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There Was a Crooked Man, He Flipped a Crooked House by David Erik Nelson  Time: 1h:18m (Novella)  IssueF&SF 07.08|17
(Horror) Glenn’s boss sends him to check out a new house he plans to flip, but just getting inside turns out to be harder than anyone could imagine—never mind getting back out.
Vinegar and Cinnamon by Nina Kiriki Hoffman  Time: 25m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(Rural Fantasy) Sam is a good boy who works hard on the family farm, although he does tease his little sister Maura. She’s not a bad girl, but one time she got mad and turned him into a rat.
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Water God's Dog by R.S. Benedict1  Time: 26m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(High Fantasy) What the water god wants, the water god gets, for the city depends on him utterly. Ur-ena hears his voice and brings him what he wants. No matter how strange.
We Are Born by Dare Segun Falowo  Time: 14m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 09.10|17
(Modern African Fantasy) Wura has miscarried three times, so she decides to make a child from clay and lightening.
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Wetherfell's Reef Runics by Marc Laidlaw  Time: 26m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 01.02|17
(Mystery) Ambrose runs a bookstore on a remote Hawaiian island. He gets tangled up in the mystery of a visitor who chained himself underwater and drowned.
What the Hands Know by Gregor Hartmann  Time: 19m (ShortStory)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(Far-Future SF; Franden) Franden goes to a fight club to get some ideas for characters in his stories. A peaceful sort, despite his size, he has no intention of actually participating.
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Whatever Comes After Calcutta by David Erik Nelson  Time: 26m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 11.12|17
(Horror) Lyle is having a bad day, what with finding his wife in bed with a cop, but not as bad a day as this lady he finds hanging from a tree because her neighbors decided she’s a witch.
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Witch's Hour by Shannon Connor Winward  Time: 34m (Novelette)  IssueF&SF 05.06|17
(High Fantasy) Esmelda really needs to impress the new king with her cooking, but the pesky ghost of the last cook won’t leave her alone.
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