The Morrigan, by Stewart Horn

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(Modern Fantasy Horror) In the Glasgow slums, the gangs meet a mysterious woman who inspires them to even more violence than usual. Eighteen-year-old Baz watches it happen and struggles to understand it. (5,669 words; Time: 18m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Nice Buildup to an Inevitable Climax

The Garden of Eating, by R. Boyczuk

[Interzone]

★★★★★ Amusing, Chilling, and Mysterious

(Post-Apocalypse) Alone in the ruins, Boy finds an “Amerigun,” and he’s sure she’s up to no good. His failing robot tutor gives him strange instructions, and for the first time, he’s not sure what to believe. (5,192 words; Time: 17m)

The Big So-So, by Erica L. Satifka

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(Post-Apocalypse) Syl thinks people ought to at least try to put civilization back together—not just sit around moping about how great the alien drugs that destroyed it were. And she worries about her friend who wants to break into the aliens’s compound and steal some. (5,200 words; Time: 17m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Strong Characters in an Interesting Setting

Fully Automated Nostalgia Capitalism, by Dan Grace

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(Dystopia) In a future isolationist Britain, most people have meaningless jobs that automation could do better, if the government allowed it. The narrator thinks things could be better and looks for ways to dissent. (1,960 words; Time: 06m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

After the Titans, by Rachael Cupp

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(Greek Mythology Fantasy) Little Flute loves her brother, Beetle, and she loves Vine the mad shepherd. A new god is rising, causing changes that threaten all three of them. (6,251 words; Time: 20m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Looking for Laika, by Laura Mauro

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(Alternate History) In 1988 England, 13-year-old Pete obsesses over the threat of nuclear attack, while his 5-year-old sister obsesses over Laika, the space dog. (11,786 words; Time: 39m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

This story barely has any speculative element at all.

Infinite Stars: Definitive Space Opera and Military Science Fiction, edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt

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(Space Opera) Stories drawn from different space-opera series. Intended to showcase the beauty of space opera and attract new readers to those series. (146,594 words; Time: 8h:08m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Our Sacred Honor, by David Weber

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(Dystopia) Eloise’s little sister is kidnapped and she risks her own life trying to rescue her. (14,791 words; Time: 49m)

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Needs Improvement

Shore Patrol, by Jack Campbell

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(Military SF) Ensign Geary gets stuck with shore patrol at the last minute, and he’s got his hands full. He’s got four of the worst recruits to try to supervise five ships full of sailors, marines, and airmen, and no matter how bad things get, they can always get worse. (7,630 words; Time: 25m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Entertaining, Satisfying, Amusing

Recommended By: RHorton:4

Cadet Cruise, by David Drake

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(Military SF) Against her better judgment, Cadet Pennyroyal accompanies her fellow cadet Leary on liberty in a port where bad things have happened to a few other crewmembers. (7,042 words; Time: 23m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Recommended By: RHorton:4

Taste of Ashes, by Charles E. Gannon

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(Space Opera) Trevor Corcoran was one of the few human survivors of the battle at Barnard’s Star. Now the victorious Arat Kur want him to deliver their surrender demands to the leaders on Earth. But is there any way to turn the situation to Earth’s advantage? (15,486 words; Time: 51m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

This should only be read by someone who has already read at least the first two books in the Terran Republic series. Otherwise, it will spoil the story for you.

Twenty Excellent Reasons, by Bennett R. Coles

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(Military SF) The rebellion on Thor is getting worse, and Jack has to lead a mission from orbit to rescue some hostages. His craft isn’t designed for this, there’s no ground support at all, and he’s got a newbie to nursemaid. (5,976 words; Time: 19m)

Rating: ★★★★★ Tense, exciting, and stirring.

Night Passage, by Alastair Reynolds

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(SF Adventure) Captain Bernsdottir wakes from hibernation with her ship stalled next to a vast alien artifact and a mutiny in progress. (14,142 words; Time: 47m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Great story with lots of tension and twists.

Recommended By: GDozois:4 RHorton:5

Region Five, by Linda Nagata

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(Military SF) To evacuate his unit before the attackers get them, Josh has to get them from the 38th floor to the 88th floor of a damaged skyscraper. And they don’t know what’s above them. (7,444 words; Time: 24m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Tense, Realistic Near-Future Thriller

Recommended By: GDozois:4

Imperium Imposter, by Jody Lynn Nye

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(Space Opera) Young Lord Thomas was supposed to be abducted as part of a ruse to distract attention while his mentor performed a secret mission. When the mentor is abducted by mistake, Lord Thomas has to execute the mission himself. If he can remember it. (8,986 words; Time: 29m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

How To Be A Barbarian in the Late 25th Century, by Jean Johnson

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(Military SF) Mitch Turman files a report on a routine combat mission, but on the side he writes about the same episode, but turns it into an epic battle in a swords &amp sorcery universe. (6,664 words; Time: 22m)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

Recommended By: RHorton:4

The Wages of Honor, by Catherine Asaro

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(SF Adventure) Eldrin and Althor have grown up in the low-tech, honor-based culture of their father’s world, but they are heirs to their mother’s high-tech, off-world culture. At age 16, each will have to choose between honor and necessity, with results that will change them and even their world. (12,098 words; Time: 40m)

Rating: ★★★★★ Great Characters in a Great Setting

Last Day Of Training, by Dave Bara

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(Military SF) After three years of training, Peter is finally a lieutenant, with just one exercise left to do: a routine EVA to repair some ansible units. At least, it’s supposed to be routine. (5,920 words; Time: 19m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

All In A Day's Work, by Elizabeth Moon

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(Military SF) Ky Vatta, Grand Admiral of her own fleet, is bored, and a rescue mission is just the thing to lift her spirits. (4,115 words; Time: 13m)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

The Good Shepherd, by William C. Dietz

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(Military SF) Murphy is a cyborg killing machine. Escorting a teenage girl through a jungle during the middle of a rebellion isn’t what he was designed for, but it’s not what teenage girls are designed for either. (8,211 words; Time: 27m)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

I never read any of the other “Legion of the Damned” stories, but I don’t think that’s necessary before reading this one