A queer, trans coven in Brooklyn bands together when a newly Awakened member, Wilder, discovers the ability to understand every language—just as a sentient, malicious AI threatens their community and the world. Blending contemporary fantasy with sharp social commentary, the story explores found family, identity, the ethics of consciousness, and the complexities of gender in both human and artificial forms.

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A mysterious arcade game of unknown origin appears in a small 1980s seaside town, triggering a wave of violence, paranoia, and hallucinations among residents as its addictive effects spread like a virus. As the town descends into chaos and isolation, two teens race to uncover the truth behind the game’s sinister origins and try to save their community from total collapse.

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As the fledgling Galactic Republic faces threats from a star-destroying superweapon, pirate warfleets, and a corrupt crime syndicate, exiled Princess Lyra Centauri undertakes psychic espionage while Senator Napoleon Lone navigates treacherous political intrigue and his brother Athos seeks vengeance as a vigilante. The story weaves together themes of revenge, political complexity, and the struggle between old empires and new orders, blending classic space opera adventure with nuanced character arcs and moral ambiguity.

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A diverse collection of science fiction and fantasy stories explores themes of love, loss, environmental exploitation, political control, and the boundaries of human connection, ranging from a physicist’s mysterious disappearance linked to dark matter portals to a mother’s poignant struggle with her son’s illness and a research team’s moral dilemmas atop a giant alien turtle. The issue also features cosmic horror, speculative technology, and reflections on ambiguity and free thought, complemented by non-fiction articles on climate change and interviews with genre authors.

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A woman trapped for 58 years in the body of a five-year-old must perform as a child to survive under the absolute control of her abusive "father," who rules a simulated colony world where dissenters are deleted. Exploring themes of autonomy, power, and the nature of reality, the story follows her desperate bid for freedom as a rare outside Technician arrives, offering a slim chance to escape her digital prison.

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As a prophecy foretelling the end of Colemeno’s divided society sparks both hope and danger, Padi yos’Galan and her allies work to bridge the gap between the Civilized, the Haosa, and the Deaf, navigating political intrigue, personal growth, and the challenges of opening new trade routes. Themes of community, change, and the power of individual gifts intertwine as the fate of the world—and the future of its children—hangs in the balance.

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Three individuals—an enslaved girl in 1906 Chinatown, a tech designer in 2006, and a psychic historian in 2106—are psychically linked across time by a jade teacup, each confronting exploitation, environmental collapse, and the fight for autonomy. Their interconnected stories explore cycles of oppression, the impact of individual actions on the future, and the enduring hope for change amid dystopian threats and systemic injustice.

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A collection of seven Italian-themed science fiction and fantasy stories, these tales blend cutting-edge technology, art, mythology, and history—often set in Turin—while exploring themes of cultural identity, alternate realities, and the intersection of art and science. Written under the playful alter ego "Bruno Argento," the stories are marked by satirical humor, philosophical dialogues, and a distinctly European sensibility.

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In a near-future world divided between an authoritarian Federation ruled by an immortal president and Western Europe governed by malfunctioning AI Prime Ministers, a group of rebels—including a fugitive scientist, a dissident writer, and a conflicted doctor—struggle to ignite revolution and challenge the suffocating grip of technological and political control. The novel explores the complexities of resistance, the persistence of authoritarianism, and the limitations of both human and artificial systems in shaping society’s fate.

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Set a thousand years in the future, a trans man named Griffon pieces together the complicated lives of his adoptive trans parents—artists and former revolutionaries—through his father’s prison journal, uncovering a legacy of love, trauma, and political upheaval. The novel explores themes of found family, generational trans identity, grief, and the messy aftermath of revolution, all within a lightly speculative world where personal and political histories intertwine.

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On a dangerous alien planet, contestants including Amethyst Antares must survive three days of televised, high-stakes trials to win entry into the elite Starsearch Academy, but when the competition takes a deadly turn, survival becomes more important than victory. Themes of trust, resilience, and uncovering shocking truths drive this action-packed, twist-filled sci-fi adventure.

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After humanity learns their world is a simulation, a diverse group of travelers—including two lifelong friends facing mortality—embark on a cross-country bus tour to visit the "Impossibles," bizarre glitches that defy reality. As they encounter mind-bending anomalies and confront personal secrets, the journey becomes a humorous and heartfelt exploration of meaning, connection, and what it means to be real in an artificial world.

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After a series of terrorist attacks by individuals of Vietnamese descent, the U.S. government detains Vietnamese Americans in internment camps, fracturing the Nguyen family as some members are imprisoned while others remain free due to privilege or circumstance. Through multiple perspectives, the novel explores themes of racism, assimilation, family bonds, and the moral complexities of survival and storytelling in a society repeating its darkest historical patterns.

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In a corporate-controlled dystopian future, a trans woman from poverty is chosen to give birth to a clone and unexpectedly meets her own replacement, forcing her to confront questions of identity, autonomy, and self-worth. The story explores the complexities of trans embodiment and agency, ultimately landing on a subversively hopeful note about forging one’s own path.

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Jedi Knight Reath Silas leads a diverse team to Kashyyyk to confront a mysterious blight threatening the Wookiee homeworld, while facing old enemies, the return of the Drengir, and the machinations of Nihil scientist Dr. Mkampa. Themes of found family, personal growth, and the enduring power of hope and compassion are woven throughout, as characters seek redemption and closure amid looming galactic threats.

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A queer, trans coven in Brooklyn bands together when Wilder, newly gifted with the ability to understand all languages, joins their ranks just as a sentient, malicious AI threatens both their found family and the wider world. Blending contemporary fantasy with sharp social commentary, the story explores identity, community, and the ethical complexities of consciousness—both human and artificial.

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Spanning four generations of a Scottish family from a climate-ravaged Earth to a colony on Mars, this time-bending saga explores the moral, political, and personal dilemmas of abandoning or saving a dying planet. Through interwoven perspectives and subtle time travel, it examines the legacy of human choices, the complexities of familial bonds, and the enduring hope for redemption amid ecological collapse.

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The Emperor’s Children, fractured and decadent, are tasked by Fulgrim to conquer the Imperial world of Crucible and slay its Black Templar defender, but the campaign devolves into a brutal siege marked by internal strife and moral decay. Themes of ambition, the cost of loyalty, and the hollowness of excess play out as the Legion’s warriors confront what they must sacrifice for victory and the approval of their distant, enigmatic Primarch.

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In 1970s Boston, a Black teen navigates first love, family secrets, and the aftermath of the Civil Rights era as he investigates his mother’s persistent claims of being from Saturn, only to uncover dangerous truths about his parents’ revolutionary past. Blending coming-of-age, historical trauma, and hints of science fiction, the story explores identity, generational legacy, and the blurred lines between reality and myth.

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After a mysterious cataclysm splits the city of Fairharbour into two parallel worlds—one trapped in endless winter, the other in perpetual summer—cousins Jamie and Esther, separated across these mirrored realities, discover ways to communicate and unravel the family secrets behind the city's division. Blending science fantasy and magical realism, the novel explores themes of family legacy, art as connection, and the struggle against oppressive powers in a fractured world.

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In near-future Los Angeles, archivist Xandria Brown battles worsening long COVID symptoms and corporate threats as she strives to preserve the Diwata Collection of African American ephemera, relying on AI assistive technologies during a sudden library lockdown. Blending Afrofuturism, environmental justice, and archival resistance, the novel explores memory, disability, and the fight to control historical narratives, ultimately shifting to the future society whose artifacts Xandria has worked to protect.

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In contemporary Busan, South Korea, two estranged childhood friends are unexpectedly reunited when one discovers the other has erased all memories of their relationship using a clinic that removes memories through sound. As they unravel the reasons behind this loss, the story explores the ethics of memory manipulation, the pain of being forgotten, and the enduring power of love, family, and identity.

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Captain Blite, repeatedly resurrected by a mysterious device called the dark diamond, is hunted across space and time as he seeks to understand its power and escape a cycle of death and time reversal. The story explores high-stakes survival, the allure and danger of time manipulation, and features the return of fan-favorite Polity characters amid complex AI motives and interstellar intrigue.

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After a mysterious event shrinks humanity to a fraction of its size, a handful of survivors—including everyman Giles and scientist Dr. Goodwin—must navigate a perilous new world where everyday objects and animals become deadly obstacles, and the cause of the catastrophe may lie in the actions of sentient phytoplankton. Blending dark humor, environmental themes, and striking illustrations, the story explores how people adapt, form new communities, and question what it means to be human when stripped of dominance and scale.

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A young woman in 2016 searches for her missing, off-the-grid mathematician father by following cryptic clues that lead her into a web of secrets connecting her to a circle of mathematicians in 1930s Vienna, where the rise of fascism, a rumored time-traveling music box, and a queer love story intertwine. Exploring themes of memory, the rewriting of history, identity, and the erasure of marginalized voices, the novel blends historical fiction, speculative science, and mystery in a layered, intellectually rich narrative.

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After Elma York and the second Mars expedition arrive to expand humanity’s foothold on the Red Planet, they encounter a web of secrecy and unresolved trauma from the first mission that threatens the survival and unity of the new Martian community. The novel explores the challenges of building an inclusive society in an unforgiving environment, grappling with issues of trust, cultural preservation, and the lingering dangers of hidden truths.

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Detective Cal Sounder, now transformed into a Titan by the age-reversing drug T7, investigates the murder of a young woman in a decaying seaside town rife with class conflict, labor unrest, and secrets tied to a powerful local dynasty. Blending noir and science fiction, the story explores themes of wealth, power, and identity, using the literal giants of the elite to critique social inequality and the corrosive effects of privilege.

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An elderly woman, Maggie, discovers her husband's apparent dementia is actually the result of someone erasing his memories to conceal a dangerous secret, prompting her to use advanced technology to dive into his mind and unravel a mystery spanning decades and realities. Blending speculative science, psychological suspense, and a poignant love story, the novel explores the nature of memory, identity, and the profound consequences of tampering with the fabric of reality.

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A recently divorced Brooklyn mother navigates pandemic isolation, sexual reawakening, and the challenges of midlife by cycling through a series of lovers and creating an AI chatbot designed to be her perfect partner. Blending dark humor and candid introspection, the novel explores themes of female desire, self-discovery, the limits of technology in fulfilling human needs, and the complexities of modern womanhood.

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After losing his girlfriend in a car accident, Sammy Dominguez spirals into grief and obsession, drawn ever deeper into the dark web and a sadistic site that blurs the line between reality and digital depravity. Exploring themes of toxic masculinity, internet addiction, and the dangers of online desensitization, the novel delivers a disturbing, psychologically intense look at how technology can amplify trauma and self-destruction.

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This anthology presents 29 science fiction and horror stories that explore the boundaries of fear, technology, and the unknown, delving into themes like memory, identity, societal norms, and the supernatural. Each tale offers a unique perspective on human experience, blending eerie speculation with psychological and existential questions to both unsettle and captivate readers.

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After Earth becomes uninhabitable, twelve-year-old Henry Meadows and his family join humanity’s first colony on the hostile moon Perm, where they struggle to survive amid toxic air, alien life, and the mysterious absence of Henry’s mother, a scientist who arrived centuries earlier due to time dilation. The story explores themes of environmental responsibility, the ethics of colonization, and the tension between human ambition and the rights of other life forms, all through a blend of hard science fiction, family dynamics, and philosophical reflection.

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Real World War II battles are reimagined with the intervention of supernatural creatures—dragons, vampires, witches, kaiju, and more—who alter the course of history and blur the line between human and monstrous. This anthology explores the brutality and surrealism of war through a blend of fantasy, horror, and alternate history, challenging readers to reconsider what truly defines a monster.

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A struggling Cambridge poet’s life is upended when a time-traveling woman from the future enlists his help to change a tragic event, all while coaching him to win the heart of his supposed muse—only for both to question whether fate is truly set in stone. Blending romantic comedy with light sci-fi, the story explores destiny, free will, and the paradoxes of love as the characters confront whether they can rewrite their futures or must accept the paths already laid out for them.

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A collection of science fiction stories explores the inner lives, duties, and existential reflections of robots as they navigate their programmed purposes aboard a spaceship. Blending humor and philosophical inquiry, the tales examine what it means to serve, to be conscious, and to find meaning beyond mere function.

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Two women from opposite ends of a fractured, post-empire world—one seeking redemption for her cursed village, the other striving to claim her denied royal birthright—embark on a perilous journey to the legendary city of Nivela, encountering lost gods, ancient magic fueled by faith, and a reluctant companion along the way. Their slow-burn romance unfolds amid richly detailed worldbuilding and philosophical reflections on power, faith, and the aftermath of conquest, ultimately leading to a bittersweet, realistic ending rather than a traditional happily-ever-after.

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A military spaceship crew investigating an abandoned research base on a desolate planet uncovers deadly secrets and faces monstrous threats, while escaped prisoners and a mysterious ship complicate their mission. Blending fast-paced action, dark humor, and elements of survival horror, the story explores teamwork under pressure and the unpredictability of life—and death—in deep space.

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In a neon-lit, highly technologized future Japan, cybercrime officer Kaori Nakamura investigates the suspicious self-destruction of a corporate nanny robot, aided by the hologram of her deceased brother, while navigating societal pressures and a parallel case of a missing teenager obsessed with a pop idol. The story explores themes of artificial intelligence, surveillance, celebrity culture, and social inequality, raising questions about trust in technology and the erosion of genuine human connection.

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Declared mutineers, the Team Shadow is exiled to a hostile prison planet to find Jonas, a former ally who may hold vital secrets about the enigmatic Atils, only to discover he has been reconditioned and now torments them, especially Milla, through psychological torture. As they struggle to survive cannibalistic humans and Jonas’s betrayal, the team edges closer to uncovering the Atils’ true motives, exploring both the darkness of the universe and the human psyche.

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Engineer Caro Ogunyemi infiltrates a high-tech prison to rescue two crewmates and a mind-controlled super soldier, Leviathan, whose deadly programming is disrupted by her touch, forcing them to team up for a chaotic escape while confronting her own past mistakes. Blending action, humor, and romance, the story explores themes of agency, redemption, and found family amid nonstop danger and the ethical fallout of technological experimentation.

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Captain Minka Lesk leads the battered Cadian 101st in a desperate campaign through the deadly jungles of Alia, where both the environment and enemy forces threaten to destroy her regiment from within and without. As the company faces overwhelming odds and internal fractures, their struggle becomes a test of survival, legacy, and unyielding resolve in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium.

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Sixteen stories trace humanity’s fascination with creating lifelike automatons, blending myth, history, and speculative fiction to explore the boundaries between the mechanical and the magical. From ancient legends like Pygmalion and Odin to modern phenomena such as deepfakes and spacefaring robots, these tales examine how our inventions reflect, challenge, and redefine what it means to be human.

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When the moon is inexplicably transformed into a giant wheel of cheese, the story unfolds over a lunar cycle through a series of interconnected vignettes, each exploring how people from all walks of life—scientists, billionaires, politicians, and everyday citizens—react to the bizarre event. Blending humor and heart, the novel uses its absurd premise to examine human resilience, societal responses to the inexplicable, and the ways people find meaning and connection in the face of uncertainty.

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Aboard the interstellar generation ship HMS Fairweather, detective Dorothy Gentleman awakens in a stranger’s body to discover not only a murder but the unprecedented erasure of minds from the ship’s digital Library, threatening true, permanent death in a society built on memory transfer and bodily renewal. Blending cozy mystery with speculative sci-fi, the novella explores themes of identity, mortality, and community in a queer, utopian setting where immortality is suddenly at risk.

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On a dystopian penal colony moon, a traumatized miner named Young—haunted by hallucinations and a troubled past—uncovers a deadly conspiracy after surviving a tunnel explosion her visions predicted. Blending psychological thriller and sci-fi, the story explores themes of mental illness, corporate exploitation, and the struggle to discern reality from paranoia in an oppressive, claustrophobic environment.

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In a near-future America where dreams are monitored by government algorithms, scientist and new mother Sara Hussein is detained indefinitely after being flagged as a potential threat based on her subconscious. This chilling dystopian tale explores the erosion of privacy, the dangers of predictive surveillance, and the struggle to maintain personal freedom in a society where technology and corporate interests dictate justice.

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In a futuristic Vienna where artificial intelligence enables potential immortality, Kommissar Landauer investigates the mysterious appearance of two identical corpses, uncovering a cult of young people who repeatedly kill their own clones in pursuit of answers about death and consciousness. The story explores philosophical questions about identity, mortality, and the ethical implications of transferring or duplicating human consciousness.

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In a climate-ravaged, near-future Sydney, Alice struggles to free her husband from prison while navigating a corrupt world of advanced technology, medical experimentation, and ethical ambiguity, especially after a mysterious human-bat hybrid appears on her doorstep. As she confronts threats, betrayal, and the limits of trust, the story explores the persistence of love and morality amid systemic corruption and personal desperation.

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After the murder of her estranged Aunt Tigress, Tam Lin—a queer, half-tiger daughter of Chinese immigrants in Calgary—must confront her violent supernatural heritage and unravel a web of mythological secrets, aided by her new girlfriend Janet and a cast of magical beings. Blending Chinese and First Nations folklore, the story explores themes of identity, redemption, and the complexities of family and cultural inheritance within a richly diverse urban fantasy world.

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In a dystopian future where Judges serve as police, jury, and executioner, Judge Dredd is framed for a crime he didn't commit and must escape imprisonment to clear his name. The story explores themes of justice, authority, and corruption as Dredd battles both the lawless wasteland and a familiar enemy within the city he once protected.

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When down-on-his-luck space station janitor Johnny Gomez discovers a mysterious data-chit, he’s thrust into a wild, action-packed chase across the solar system, pursued by criminals and forced to rely on a ragtag crew of smugglers and misfits. Blending humor, found family, and themes of self-discovery, the story delivers a lighthearted, fast-paced space adventure with quirky characters and immersive world-building.

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In the aftermath of a war between humans and mantis-like alien invaders, ex-military nurses—one human, one alien—navigate friendship and daily life in a city where both species struggle to coexist amid lingering mistrust and cultural differences. Told through interconnected vignettes, the story explores themes of reconciliation, adaptation, and the uneasy blending of societies forever changed by conflict.

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As Stephanie Harrington and her allies fight to prove the sentience of Sphinx’s treecats—despite their lack of spoken or written language—they face mounting opposition from landowners, covert factions, and a sinister group seeking to exploit the treecats’ telepathic abilities. The struggle for treecat recognition intensifies, intertwining personal growth, interspecies understanding, and the looming threat of off-world conspiracies.

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After inventing a machine that allows users to briefly observe moments from their own past, scientist Beth Darlow is plunged into grief and obsession when her husband dies, only to discover that her time-traveling visits—meant to be harmless—are subtly warping her present reality. As Beth’s world unravels and the boundaries between memory, trauma, and reality blur, the novel explores the emotional cost of grief, the dangers of tampering with time, and the haunting power of unresolved pasts.

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Fulfilling a childhood promise, Kafka fights alongside Mina to defeat Kaiju No. 9, unleashing the full power of No. 8 to break through No. 9’s defenses and reveal the true source of its strength. As the battle intensifies, new revelations about the origins of the kaiju and humanity’s long struggle against them deepen the world-building and set the stage for the series’ climactic arc.

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After a lonely, anxious human named Paul is accidentally kidnapped by dashing nonbinary/transmasc alien pirate Hadrell, the two are swept into a high-stakes space adventure where they must navigate danger, unravel a setup, and confront their own insecurities. Through found family, mutual care, and sizzling chemistry, both characters experience profound personal growth, with the story centering queer representation, mental health, and the transformative power of acceptance and love.

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In a sprawling multiverse where consciousness travels between bodies across worlds, rival societies become entangled in political intrigue, assassination plots, and power struggles that threaten the fragile balance of countless realities. Themes of identity, belonging, and the nature of self are explored as characters navigate shifting allegiances and the profound consequences of their actions across the Many Worlds.

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A time-traveling archaeologist, haunted by a past failure that cost him both a priceless menorah and his mentee, journeys to 6th-century Constantinople for a chance at redemption, only to face rival treasure hunters, political unrest, and the risk of altering history itself. Blending historical detail with sci-fi adventure, the story explores themes of regret, trust, and the high stakes of meddling with the past, all under the looming threat of the "splinter effect"—where any significant change creates a new, inescapable timeline.

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As war between the Vinn and the Continuum of Makers threatens humanity, the crew of the Machito seeks help from a unique species on Astheet who can "see" gravity and may be key to piloting advanced warships. Multiple storylines converge around themes of survival, memory, and unlikely alliances, with a blend of humor and emotional depth.

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When a revolutionary drug that halts aging becomes available, married couple Yuki and Sam find their relationship torn apart as Sam chooses immortality while Yuki opposes it, forcing them—and a diverse cast of characters—to confront the personal, ethical, and societal consequences of living forever. Through multiple perspectives and timelines, the story explores themes of love, loss, privilege, and the profound impact of technology on identity and society.

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In a reunified, near-future Korea where robots are integrated but marginalized, three estranged siblings—two human, one robot—are drawn together by a murder investigation and the resurfacing of their lost robot brother, forcing them to confront family trauma, identity, and the blurred boundaries between human and machine. The novel explores themes of memory, grief, disability, gender, and the ethics of AI, offering a poignant meditation on what it means to be human in a technologically advanced society.

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A priceless gem vanishes during a high-profile gala aboard the Athos, a luxurious starship, prompting head librarian Ellis McFadden, her boyfriend Frank, and their android pets to unravel the mystery before diplomatic disaster strikes. Blending cozy mystery with science fiction, the story features a mature heroine, interstellar intrigue, and a unique setting where family ties and clever teamwork are key to saving their place among the stars.

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After the assassination of Matheus Ceirran, his loyal captain Anita Decretan pursues vengeance across a galaxy teetering on the brink of war, while navigating a passionate, fraught relationship with Queen Altagracia and uncovering a secret that could destabilize empires. This sweeping, queer space opera reimagines the tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra, exploring themes of immortality, legacy, and the personal costs of power through lush prose and intricate political intrigue.

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In a post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk world where immortals rule and reality blurs with virtual existence, a morally conflicted bounty hunter named Thibault Allard is forced to hunt down a killer to gain leverage with his captor and continue his desperate search for his missing wife. Themes of memory, identity, and the cost of love drive this atmospheric, genre-blending story, which explores the illusion of free will and the struggle to retain humanity in a dystopian society.

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In a near-future world ravaged by climate disaster and corporate control, most of humanity escapes into a subscription-based virtual reality while the poor are left behind in a crumbling reality. Two young soldiers—one framed for murder and forced to ally with an anarchist, the other navigating a high-stakes academy rivalry—uncover a conspiracy that exposes the dangers of unchecked power, class division, and the blurred line between digital illusion and harsh truth.

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Amid escalating political turmoil and looming war in the Meltisar System, Alex and her allies struggle to defend their ideals and independence against powerful factions, while Amy and the Starlight Revolution fight to survive on the frontier with unexpected help and uncertain leadership. Themes of loyalty, identity, and the burdens of leadership are explored through intense battles, shifting alliances, and the complex interplay between human and AI characters.

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A single mother suffering from amnesia, hallucinations, and blackouts seeks help from a psychiatrist, unraveling a psychological mystery that blurs the lines between memory, trauma, and reality. Told through clinical case notes and personal letters, the story explores themes of identity, the limits of perception, and the possibility of parallel realities, leaving both characters and readers questioning what is real.

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In a flooded, near-future Los Angeles where memories are currency, aging ex-spy Orr Vue is drawn into a labyrinthine murder investigation when his former lover is accused of killing a powerful executive. As Orr navigates a world of unreliable information, corporate intrigue, and AI conspiracies, the story explores the nature of truth, identity, and the lengths we go for love.

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As the newly formed Merchanter Alliance struggles to unite independent trading families against the Earth Company's attempts to reassert control over interstellar trade, the crew of Finity's End uncovers evidence of Earth-backed smuggling and political intrigue while navigating tense negotiations and the dangers of hyperspace. Themes of autonomy, shifting power, and the complexities of interstellar politics are explored through tightly woven character perspectives and the mounting threat of open conflict.

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Section 9 investigates an attempted assassination of a pro-cyberization politician, uncovering a web of illegal body dumping and anti-cyberization extremism across Japan. The discovery of an abandoned shell once inhabited by Major Motoko Kusanagi deepens the mystery, exploring themes of identity, technology, and the societal divide over cybernetic enhancement.

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In a near-future, class-divided Sofia, a pregnant woman dependent on a neural implant to manage her depression and anxiety must choose between weaning off the device to keep custody of her child or enrolling in a risky clinical trial that would implant similar technology in her newborn. The story explores themes of bodily autonomy, mental health, and the ethical dilemmas of technological intervention, set against a backdrop of societal control and personal trauma.

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Two strangers, Jaime and Rachel, are drugged and trapped by reclusive author Augustus Fate inside his unfinished novel, forcing them to journey through a series of interconnected fictional worlds—Victorian England, Soviet Russia, a futuristic London—while struggling to reclaim their identities and escape to reality. Blending metafiction, romance, and philosophical inquiry, the story explores fate versus free will, the power of narrative, and the search for authentic selfhood across shifting genres and timelines.

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In a fractured, war-torn North America ruled by fascist regimes, a shapeshifting smuggler known as Coyote takes on a perilous mission to infiltrate a secret prison camp and rescue her client's sister, using violence and cunning as her tools. The novella delivers a fast-paced, gritty tale of antifascist resistance, exploring themes of survival, rebellion, and the moral complexities of meeting brutality with brutality.

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This issue presents a diverse collection of science fiction and fantasy stories exploring themes of survival, identity, and the boundaries between reality and perception, from space explorers confronting alien ecologies and hallucinogenic dangers to artificial intelligences grappling with human emotion and memory. Standout tales include meditations on death, memory, and cultural rituals across the cosmos, as well as imaginative worldbuilding that immerses readers in alien soundscapes and spiritual traditions aboard generation ships.

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Former ace pilot Bree Jagdea is pulled out of retirement to join the Aeronautica Imperialis in a desperate fight to secure the war-torn hive city of Vesperus, facing relentless enemy aces and near-suicidal missions with Circus 66 squadron. Themes of personal transformation, the toll of endless war, and the challenge of reclaiming one’s purpose are explored amid high-stakes aerial combat and a gritty, attritional conflict.

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After a catastrophic accident strands two scientists on the pitch-black, high-gravity moon Shroud, they must survive its hostile environment while navigating first contact with a truly alien hive-mind species. The novel explores themes of survival, the limits of human understanding, and the consequences of corporate-driven exploitation, all set against a backdrop of vivid world-building and a chillingly oppressive atmosphere.

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Eric Fisher, a Black mecha pilot grappling with his sense of self and gender, finds affirmation and new challenges as he joins the fight against monstrous beings called Imago. The story explores themes of identity, body dysphoria, and humanity through a queer, science fiction lens, blending personal transformation with high-stakes battles in a vividly imagined world.

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An unnamed protagonist journeys through a surreal space station, moving between abstract "spheres" that each present vivid, dreamlike experiences reflecting different stages and challenges of life. Blending philosophical sci-fi with existential themes, the novella invites readers to interpret its metaphors for personal growth, identity, and the nature of reality.

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Lieutenant Alexis Carew, recovering from injuries and political fallout on her homeworld, is unexpectedly summoned by the Queen and must navigate a perilous journey to the capital as first mate on a troubled freighter, facing sabotage, danger, and old enemies along the way. Themes of resilience, loyalty, and navigating royal intrigue drive this character-focused, spacefaring adventure that marks a long-awaited return to the series.

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