The Ruby of the Summer King, by Mari Ness

[Uncanny]

★★★★☆ Hauntingly Beautiful

(Fairy Tale) The Summer King wants to court the Winter Queen, even though everyone warns him that it’s a long and perilous journey, for summer and winter aren’t meant to be together. (4,749 words; Time: 15m)

The Inaccessibility of Heaven, by Aliette de Bodard

[Uncanny]

★★★★☆ Recommended

(Fantasy Horror) Samantha searches Paris to try to find what’s killing fallen angels. (16,638 words; Time: 55m)

This is set in an alternate version of the world in her Dominion of the Fallen series. Those stories are also set in an alternate Paris with fallen angels, but in this world, there has been no destructive war; this city functions normally, with things like working taxis and cell phones. There’s no need to read those stories to read this one, and this one won’t spoil the series either.

The Nine Scents of Sorrow, by Jordan Taylor

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆

(Clockwork Fantasy) Sorrow Farregon is a master perfumer, but the Queen wants something to make her conceive a child—which is challenging when the King is a clockwork automaton. (5,709 words; Time: 19m)

The World Ends in Salty Fingers and Sugared Lips, by Jenn Reese

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆

(Temporal Apocalypse) The scientists’ plan to use temporal wormholes to protect the Earth from a giant asteroid has unexpected consequences. (895 words; Time: 02m)

Once More Unto the Breach (But Don’t Worry, the Inflatable Swords Are Latex-Free), by Tina Connolly

[Uncanny]

★★☆☆☆

(Allegory) You are always at a child’s birthday party, but there are monsters next door having their own party. (777 words; Time: 02m)

A Love Song for Herkinal as composed by Ashkernas amid the ruins of New Haven, by Chinelo Onwualu

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆

(Future Fantasy) The Accident destroyed the whole Earth except for Africa, and brought a lot of supernatural things to life. Including the frosty tree spirits who’re haunting Ash and Herkinal’s hotel. (4,425 words; Time: 14m)

A Pale Horse, by M. Evan MacGriogair

[Uncanny]

★★☆☆☆

(Eco Apocalypse) A woman mourns the passing of the Scottish Gaelic language just as she mourns the death of the Earth’s ecosystems. (5,660 words; Time: 18m)

We Chased the Sirens, by Suzanne Walker

[Uncanny]

★★☆☆☆

(Mythological) A ship crewed by women pursues the sirens across a winedark sea. (826 words; Time: 02m)

Burn or The Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super, by A.T. Greenblatt

[Uncanny]

★★★★☆ A fun little story with a very nice protagonist.

(Superhero) Sam’s ability is modest, but he’s still excited to be accepted into the Super Team. Now he just has to figure out how he can make the biggest difference—assuming he can do more good than harm. (9,691 words; Time: 32m)

Dresses Like White Elephants, by Meg Elison

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆

(Uncanny Horror) Beni’s a drag queen who reads minds, and he’s shopping for a new dress and the story that goes with it. (2,538 words; Time: 08m)

High in the Clean Blue Air, by Emma Törzs

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Uncanny Horror) Alice prefers to stay in human form, but one of her own kind is after her seeking vengeance, and she’s got to find a way to protect herself before he finds her. (6,179 words; Time: 20m)

A Being Together Amongst Strangers, by Arkady Martine

[Uncanny]

★★☆☆☆

(Near-Future SF) In a partly flooded Manhattan, a woman confronts a problem on the subway. (3,079 words; Time: 10m)

Through the Veil, by Jennifer Marie Brissett

[Uncanny]

★★☆☆☆

(Science Fiction) When her project on interdimensional travel is cancelled, a researcher steals her equipment and continues her research in secret. (3,463 words; Time: 11m)

Georgie in the Sun, by Natalia Theodoridou

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆

(Space Vampire Epic) Vlad’s an immortal vampire and his girlfriend Eliza stays in suspended animation most of the time while they travel the stars looking for a planet where they can be happy together. (2,592 words; Time: 08m)

Getaway, by Nicole Kornher-Stace

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Time Loop) You just drive the getaway car, for the same heist, over and over, trying somehow not to break the artifact that resets time. (4,675 words; Time: 15m)

If You Want to Erase Us, You Must Be Thorough, by L. Tu

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆

(Dark Silkpunk) Young Aida trains at a military academy, and she rarely thinks about the past of her island, but she accidentally discovers a remnant of the past in the poisonous mist that surrounds the island. (6,144 words; Time: 20m)

So You Want to Be a Honeypot, by Kelly Robson

[Uncanny]

Not Rated No Speculative Element

(Historical Fiction) In post-World War II Europe, Vasilia trains as a Soviet spy who tries to learn military secrets by seducing soldiers. (4,868 words; Time: 16m)

The Sycamore and the Sybil, by Alix E. Harrow

[Uncanny]

★★☆☆☆

(Fantasy) Long ago, Sylvie turned herself into a tree to avoid rape, but she wonders if there might not be a better way. (4,515 words; Time: 15m)

If Salt Lose Its Savor, by Christopher Caldwell

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆

(African High Fantasy) Dion’s village makes it’s living selling special blue salts to magicians, and she is one of the best harvesters. But she has prophetic dreams, and lately she’s dreaming of a catastrophe. (2,518 words; Time: 08m)

The Spirit of the Leech, by Alex Bledsoe

[Uncanny]

★★★☆☆

(Modern Fantasy) A teenage boy in Western Tennesse decides to head into the swamp to preach the Gospel to a very unusual old man. (2,299 words; Time: 07m)