Don't let these stories slip through the cracks—discover the captivating narratives you might have overlooked this month, handpicked from fellow magazines.
- To Catch The Light Off Other Stars - A.J. Rocca
A cosmic tug-of-war between free will and original sin - with a twist. - Under the Ghost Star - Erik VanBezooijen
Down here on his back in the field, with the crop practically grown harvest-high, he couldn’t see the danger coming, but when it did he was confident he’d hear it. It wasn’t long. The slithering was soft at first. Monstrous, but soft. As it came nearer softness gave way to harshness, to a neverending hiss of something huge moving along the ground. Still Jack lay. Made himself stay down even as his heart quickened. - Terms and Conditions - Douglas Schwarz
"Somehow, I was standing across the street, watching all this with a curious sense of detachment which even the sudden appearance of a demon did not completely dispel." - No Hugs for Holographic Father - Robert E. Harpold
Tak and Indra fell in love and started their family while living 200 million kilometers apart. Genetic engineering and neurally synched holograms made their life together possible, except when it came to the challenge of raising their son. For young Pranil, a few ghostly visits never seemed to make a difference, until one day… - The Beast Consul - E. C. Dorgan
It’s the best day of the year for a Consul. Five hundred guests invited to the national day reception, and most of them are here, clapping while the Consul climbs up to the stage. There’s the host-country Foreign Minister, the Chief of Protocol, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. The Consul spies a little girl in the second row, in a grey dress. She makes a mental note to approach the girl later, and tell her she too, one day, can be Consul.