Kelsey and the Burdened Breath, by Darcie Little Badger

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Alternate Reality Fantasy Thriller) She makes a living finding the spirits of the dead, sending them up into the sky, and encouraging the reluctant ones. But can she handle one that can’t ascend—and which keeps on killing. (5,771 words; Time: 19m)

Harvest, by Rebecca Roanhorse

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Horror) The narrator falls in love with a “Deer Woman,” and gives up everything for her. But will she kill for her too? (3,426 words; Time: 11m)

One Easy Trick, by Hiromi Goto

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆

(Horror) A middle-aged woman unexpectedly finds a strange way to lose weight. (6,933 words; Time: 23m)

Dumb House, by Andrea Hairston

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Dystopia) Cinnamon doesn’t want a smart house. The conveniences aren’t worth being spied on by companies. But some salesmen just won’t take no for an answer. (7,548 words; Time: 25m)

The Robots of Eden, by Anil Menon

[Anthology]

★★★★☆ Gradually Creeps up on You

(Trans-Human SF Horror) In the near future, a man and his wife manage a peaceful separation, partly thanks to their brain implants, which help them stay rational. But is that a good thing? (6,482 words; Time: 21m)

The Shadow We Cast Through Time, by Indrapramit Das

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆

(Lost Colony) When the portal collapse isolated the colony, the colonists struggled to survive on a world where the dark forests lured people to their deaths, turning them into “demons.” (7,322 words; Time: 24m)

Give Me Your Black Wings Oh Sister, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆

(Horror) A young woman is normal enough in the daytime, but at night she feels the pull of an ancient hunger. (1,582 words; Time: 05m)

Blood and Bells, by Karin Lowachee

[Anthology]

Not Rated No Speculative Element

(Mainstream) In the slums of a big city, a very young man stands accused of murdering another youth from another gang. (7,953 words; Time: 26m)

Three Variations on a Theme of Imperial Attire, by E. Lily Yu

[Anthology]

★★☆☆☆

(Fairy Tale) In which three stories based on the Emperor’s New Clothes explore modern politics. (3,544 words; Time: 11m)

The Freedom of the Shifting Sea, by Jaymee Goh

[Anthology]

★★☆☆☆

(Horror) A young Malaysian girl forms a deep friendship with a create that’s half-woman, half-giant-sea-worm. (5,964 words; Time: 19m)

Burn the Ships, by Alberto Yáñez

[Anthology]

★★★★☆ Clever Combination of Themes

(Alternate History Fantasy) European invaders with near-modern technology conquered a Mexico where the magic really worked, but the natives are preparing a rebellion. (7,688 words; Time: 25m)

unkind of mercy, by Alex Jennings

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆

(Horror) Young lovers Alaina-Rose and her boyfriend Johnny struggle to make ends meet, and it doesn’t help that Alaina thinks she’s starting to see ghosts. (4,435 words; Time: 14m)

The Fine Print, by Chinelo Onwualu

[Anthology]

★★★★☆ Fun to Watch it Unroll

(Arabian Fantasy) Nuhu bought his wife from the Djinn, but she hasn’t turned out to be what he wanted, and now the Djinn want’s his first-born child in payment. (4,975 words; Time: 16m)

Come Home to Atropos, by Steven Barnes

[Anthology]

★★☆☆☆

(Near-Future SF) In which we read an advertisement for a Caribbean island where Euthanasia is legal. (1,519 words; Time: 05m)

The Virtue of Unfaithful Translations, by Minsoo Kang

[Anthology]

★☆☆☆☆

(High Fantasy) In which we learn how bad translations averted a war and led to lasting peace. (7,867 words; Time: 26m)

Deer Dancer, by Kathleen Alcalá

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆

(Post-Apocalypse) In the ruins of Seattle, Tater and her family work to reclaim territory at the edge of the settled zone. (2,792 words; Time: 09m)

The Galactic Tourist Industrial Complex, by Tobias S. Buckell

[Anthology]

★★★★☆ Fun setting, entertaining plot

(SF Adventure) Tavi fears he’ll lose his cabbie license when an alien tourist jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge from his cab. (4,031 words; Time: 13m)

New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color, edited by Nisi Shawl

[Anthology]

★★★☆☆

Eighteen original works of fantasy and science fiction by top authors of color. (89,832 words; Time: 4h:59m)

The Things I Miss the Most, by Nisi Shawl

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Medical SF) After a new epilepsy treatment, a girl’s imaginary friend becomes all too real. (3,520 words; Time: 11m)

The Best Friend We Never Had, by Nisi Shawl

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(SF Adventure) Josie goes back to the Mizar 5 station where she grew up to try to recruit her old friends into a project her new bosses have. Things have changed a lot since she left, though. (6,637 words; Time: 22m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Good Setup for a Longer Story