The Million, by Karl Schroeder

[Tor Novella]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(SF Thriller; Lockstep) Earth’s billions live just one month every thirty years. The rest of the time, “The Million” live in luxury on an almost empty planet, and they don’t tolerate unauthorized “visitors” like Gavin. (39,174 words; Time: 2h:10m)

Although this is set in Schroeder’s “Lockstep” universe, this story stands by itself. See related articles on Tor.com.

The Baker of Mars, by Karl Schroeder

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(Near-Future SF) Lots of Earth people are earning money operating drones on Mars to construct habitats for colonists—assuming someone can get around the fact that it’s illegal to own land up there. (7,705 words; Time: 25m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Golden Ring, by Karl Schroeder

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(Far-Future SF) By the time Eos turned her light back on, Sagitta was an iceworld, so she sent an avatar to see if she could atone to any of the survivors. (8,089 words; Time: 26m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Eminence, by Karl Schroeder

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(Near-Future SF) Nathan watches helplessly as the alternate currency he created collapses, taking down his friends and family with it. (6,499 words; Time: 21m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Clever, Plausible, Fun

Recommended By: JStrahan