The Slave, by Andrej Kokoulin

[F&SF]

Not Rated No Speculative Element

(Mainstream Horror) Roman’s life changes forever when he’s just four years old and his slightly older friend Gene makes him his slave. (8,097 words; Time: 26m)

Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

Repairs at the Beijing West Space Elevator, by Alex Shvartsman

[Analog]

★★★☆☆ Average

(SF Thriller) Fresh from an interstellar assignment, Ngozi doesn’t expect the operators of one of Earth’s space elevators to ask him to diagnose a problem for them. (2,449 words; Time: 08m)

Copy Cat, by Alex Shvartsman and K.A. Teryna

[Strange Horizons]

★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

(Modern Fairy Tale) A cat faces a catastrophe when its owner dies and it wants to avoid eviction from their apartment. (2,204 words; Time: 07m)

The People v. Craig Morrison, by Alex Shvartsman and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

[Analog]

★★★☆☆ Average

(Near-Future SF) After his accident in Iraq, one of Craig’s few pleasures in life was driving his sports car, but now the law says humans aren’t allowed to drive anymore. (6,452 words; Time: 21m)

Black Hole Heart, by K.A. Teryna

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(Horror) Your life has been on hold ever since you stopped at a diner 65 years ago, and you never stop wondering what might have been. (1,680 words; Time: 05m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

The Race For Arcadia, by Alex Shvartsman

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(SF) At the end of the 21st Century, Nikolai flies Russia's first interstellar spaceship alone, hoping to beat the Americans and the Indians to the new planet, Arcadia. (6,100 words; Time: 20m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆, Average