The Mango Tree by Shveta Thakrar
This beautiful story explores the concept of healing much more than the physical body. Shveta shared this is “for Bai and Bhaa, who live in the flat of my heart.” The Mango Tree by Shveta Thakrar “When I was young,” Baa said, “and I lived in Bhuj, my best friend was a kesar mango tree.”
At the Village Vanguard (Ruminations on Blacktopia) by Maurice Broaddus
We are putting the shine on Issue 6, so while you wait, please enjoy this story! To use a phrase in the text below, this story is “straight up blackity-black,” indicative of Maurice Broaddus’s singular voice. If you’re not already a fan of Afrofuturism, this will hook you. At the Village Vanguard (Ruminations on Blacktopia)
The Indigo Ace and the High-Low Split by Annalee Flower Horne
We are putting the shine on Issue 6, so while you wait, please enjoy this story that’s… Part detective story, part family drama, part superhero action, all fun: Annalee Flower Horne delivers the goods and a well-placed Hamilton reference. The Indigo Ace and the High-Low Split by Annalee Flower Horne Izzie Benitez was halfway
The Penelope Qingdom by Aidan Moher
Childhood is a time for escapist fantasies and sweet friendships. Aidan Moher spins a heartwarming tale about magic real and figurative, the kind that brings two kindred spirits together and links them forever. The Penelope Qingdom by Aidan Moher It was during the particularly frozen-solid Prince George winter of ’91, a few days after the
For the Children by Jamie Wahls
What will the human race be like hundreds, even thousands of years in the future? What does identity mean if your consciousness is digital? Exactly how snarky can an artificial intelligence be? Jamie Wahls explores these questions and more in a story about one big diamond and the fate of a species. For the Children
The Boy Who Made Flowers by S.B. Divya
The Doubleclicks have a song called “Worst Superpower Ever.” Well, Charlie Kim may just have the worst superpower ever. Or does he? S.B. Divya’s floral storytelling will present you with a bouquet of feels. The Boy Who Made Flowers by S.B. Divya When a few stray jasmine blossoms fell from Charlie Kim’s ears, neither he
Ratcatcher by Amy Griswold
WWI steampunk airship Ghostbusters. Seriously, there’s nothing more we need to say to introduce this story. Ratcatcher by Amy Griswold 1918, over Portsmouth The souls in the trap writhed and keened their displeasure as Xavier picked up the shattergun. “Don’t fuss,” he scolded them as he turned on the weapon and adjusted his goggles, shifting
Looking for Morticia Addams in All the Wrong Places by Barry Charman
If we told you you were about to read a sweet, charming vampire romance that will touch your heart and stay with you for days, would you believe us? Trust us. Trust Barry Charman. Looking for Morticia Addams in All the Wrong Places by Barry Charman Scarecrow throws my coffin out the window and
A Non-Hero’s Guide to The Road of Monsters by A.T. Greenblatt
We’re suckers for non-hero stories. Not even anti-heroes, just people who aren’t Chosen Ones. People who have to do the damn work. Prince Lir from The Last Unicorn goes out daily to kill monsters to impress his love. Our narrator is someone who will happily laugh when she turns away from the lovelorn prince. A
Straight Lines by Naru Sundar
An A.I. with OCD sounds like the start of a joke—or someone reciting the alphabet drunk—but Naru Sundar’s story treats this computer program with more empathy than some people treat actual humans with mental illness. Straight Lines by Naru Sundar This time they sent someone in a suit, neutral gray silk with utterly glorious creases, monofilament thin.