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(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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(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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(Fairy Tale) In South Africa,
nearsighted Héloise has a hopeless job cleaning fish. Things start to change
after she sees a water spirit—or thinks she did
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A Thousand Deaths Through Flesh and Stone
by Brian Trent Time: 24m (ShortStory)
Issue: F&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.
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(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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(SF) Deep in a Kansas winter, Beth
obsesses over the lighthouse of Alexandria, which had had great meaning to
her and her late husband.
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(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.
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(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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(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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(Modern Fantasy) A missing teenage
girl turns up in San Francisco Bay, and now she’s 350 feet tall.
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(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
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(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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(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
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Children of Xanadu by Juan Paulo Rafols1 Time: 49m (Novelette) Issue: F&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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(Detective SF) Emily agrees to help a
gangster find his missing octopus.
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(Modern Fantasy) The narrator
describes his childhood in 1950s Boston, the boys who bullied him, and the
magic he used to defend himself.
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(Near-future SF) Everyone knows
Jacob’s driverless-car company destroyed the world economy, but he wants to
tell his side of the story.
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(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.
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(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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(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.
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(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.
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(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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(Exploration SF) In an age that has
lost interest in exploration, the narrator seeks their lost sister, on an
empty, unexplored world.
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(SF) Porous enjoys being a prison
guard up until a new prisoner arrives who stirs things up.
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(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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(Horror) When the narrator plays his
guitar, people really listen.
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(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.
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(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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(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.
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On the Problem of Replacement Children: Prevention, Coping, and Other
Practical Strategies by Debbie Urbanski Time: 18m (ShortStory)
Issue: F&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.
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(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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(SF Adventure) While racers compete in
the Ring Race at Saturn, other people fight for freedom and the future of the
solar system.
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(Horror) On his way home, Edwin meets
an exotic woman who’s part lion and loves asking riddles.
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(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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(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.
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Still Tomorrow's Going to Be Another Working Day
by Amy Griswold Time: 03m (ShortStory)
Issue: F&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.
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(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.
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Tasting Notes on the Varietals of the Southern Coast
by Gwendolyn Clare Time: 05m (ShortStory)
Issue: F&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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(High Fantasy; Baldemar) Young
Baldemar gets a favor from a moneylender’s hired muscle. The challenge is
paying it back.
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(Modern Fantasy) Jeanne hires Mr.
Warlock because no normal attorney could cope with the problems her late
husband’s crooked relatives are causing her.
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(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.
|
|
(SF Horror) A biotech company sends
investigators after a rogue employee. When they find plants bursting out of
his house, they expect the worst.
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The First Day of Someone Else's Life by John Schoffstall Time: 23m (ShortStory)
Issue: F&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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(SF Epic) The narrator describes his
life in a very different North America, where everyone is male.
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The History of the Invasion Told in Five Dogs
by Kelly Jennings Time: 07m (ShortStory)
Issue: F&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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(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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(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.
|
|
(Sword and Sorcery; Baldemar) Master
Thelerion sends Baldemar and Oldo on a dangerous mission to recover a
powerful magical artifact.
|
|
(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.
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The Toymaker's Daughter by Arundhati Hazra1 Time: 17m (ShortStory) Issue: F&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)
Issue: F&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.
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(Mythic Fantasy) The woman with the
long black hair asks people about Korlova. Woe be to they who give a
displeasing answer.
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(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)
Issue: F&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.
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(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.
|
|
(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.
|
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(Modern African Fantasy) Wura has
miscarried three times, so she decides to make a child from clay and
lightening.
|
|
(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.
|
|
(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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(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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|
(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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Wednesday, January 3, 2018
2017 Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
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