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SciFiwise Magazine
May 2023
A Juniper Tree growing on the moon in a crater with the Earth in the sky behind it.
In this issue:
  • Kristine Kathryn Rusch
  • John Kessel
  • Nancy Kress
  • Ken Liu
  • David Langford

Unnatural Disaster by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Horror, Science Fiction)

She whirled so fast that she made herself dizzy, narrowly getting out of the way of a tentacle.

A Juniper Tree growing on the moon in a crater with the Earth in the sky behind it.

The Juniper Tree by John Kessel (Science Fiction)

One of the most successful transplants to the colony established by the Society of Cousins on the far side of the moon was the juniper tree.

Two sisters divided by a DNA Double Helix made of skulls and bones

Margin of Error by Nancy Kress (Science Fiction)

“The nanocomputer instructions are off, somehow. The major results check out, obviously …” Obviously.

Close up of a beautiful little girl doll

Build-A-Dolly by Ken Liu (Horror, Science Fiction)

My body, made out of a plastic skeleton covered by stuffing and soft cloth skin, is flat and wide. My legs are short and thick. My eyes are wide open and smiley.

A bewildered man surrounded by emails.

New Hope for the Dead by David Langford (Science Fiction)

We apologize for interrupting your regular afterlife, but unfortunately the message is urgent.

Allatians, aliens who create audio records via a hard nose.

The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species by Ken Liu (Science Fiction)

Yet every species has its unique way of passing on its wisdom through the ages, its way of making thoughts visible, tangible, frozen for a moment like a bulwark against the irresistible tide of time. Everyone makes books.

Wolves in snowy forest with Drone flying and watching

Peregoy’s Wolves by Nancy Kress (Science Fiction)

He went outside and aimed the rifle at Mary. She smiled. “You’re out of range, Doctor. Do you think I didn’t data-check on that rifle the second you opened the cabin door?”

Close-up of an eye after seeing a BLIT

Different Kinds of Darkness by David Langford (Science Fiction)

It was always dark outside the windows. Parents and teachers sometimes said vaguely that this was all because of Deep Green terrorists, but Jonathan thought there was more to the story.

Man and Woman Gods fight over earth

Celestial Bodies by Ken Liu (Science Fiction)

So there I was, a new gas giant just waking up. The disk of nebular dust surrounded me like a fresh blanket of snow. Along with the rest of the planets, I marched around that dust cloud, absorbing everything I could, growing and loving every second. Then I saw her.

Mindbending image of a woman with chess pieces in her mind.

End Game by Nancy Kress (Science Fiction)

“It should be possible to adjust brain chemicals to eliminate the static. To unclutter the mind. It should!”

A cute little green alien sitting in a girl's hand.

Little (Green) Women by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Science Fiction)

First, let me say, I hated Little Women. Oh my God. Awful. And—Spoiler Alert!—by the time Beth died, seriously? I was ready to kill her myself.

Female with high tech gun.

The Hanging Judge by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Science Fiction)

The hanging judge walked by, flanked by four gigantic bodyguards in full body armor, dark and black and intimidating. Somehow she didn’t get lost in the middle of them...