Humanity has pushed itself to the brink of extinction. After a deadly series of internal wars, most of Earth is now an uninhabitable, monster-infested wasteland. All hope seemed lost until an alien society, the Pan-Galactic Republic, came to the rescue, building Sunflower City as a safe haven. This is humanity's last chance for survival.However, not everyone accepts this new inter-species relationship, and a dangerous movement is rising up to compromise humanity's survival yet agai...

Are we alone? From War of the Worlds to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, ET to Close Encounters, creators of science fiction have always eagerly speculated on just how the story of alien contact would play out. Editor Marty Halpern has gathered together some of the best stories of the last 30 years, by today's most exciting genre writers, weaving a tapestry that covers a broad range of scenarios: from the insidious, to the violent, to the transcendent.

It is dangerous to heal oneself.In a galaxy where the last rare resource is unique humans, Yaniqui knows her ability to heal is priceless. She lives in hiding on a dry labor planet, mourning the loss of her engagement to Hloban, the man she loved.Yaniqui is discovered when she heals an injured migrant worker and word of her abilities travels all the way to Earth, where Hloban lives - with his wife. He hasn't seen Yaniqui since childhood, but that doesn't st...

Larry Niven’s bestselling Man-Kzin series continues! The kzin, formerly invincible conquerors of all they encountered, had a hard time dealing with their ignominious defeat by the leaf-eating humans. Some secretly hatched schemes for a rematch, others concentrated on gathering power within the kzin hierarchy, and some shamefully cooperated with the contemptible humans, though often for hidden motives. In war and in uneasy peace, kzin and humans continue their adventures with a masterful ad...

'Unquestionably one of the brightest-burning talents in the constellation of science fiction' The New York TimesWritten under the pseudonym James Tiptree Jr., the pioneering and outlandish tales of Alice B. Sheldon are some of the greatest science fiction short stories of the twentieth century, telling of dystopian chases, alien sex and the loneliness of the universe.'What her work brought to the genre was a blend of lyricism and inventiveness, as ...

Lightspeed is the critically acclaimed, online science fiction magazine edited by bestselling anthologist John Joseph Adams. Each month at lightspeedmagazine.com, top authors and brilliant new voices alike span the genre's full spectrum, from near-future sociological SF to star-spanning hard SF and everything in between.Lightspeed: Year One collects all of the fiction published during Lightspeed's first journey around the sun: Nebula Award finalists like ...

Rimor Dynex is hailed as the greatest Mercenary in the history of the Galaxy. Between him, and his one-of-a-kind Dynex suit, there is no mission he can't handle. However, that doesn't mean life is easy. When Rimor is tasked with searching for Calax Crystals, one of the rarest, not to mention, illegal materials in the world, he soon finds out he's getting more than he bargained for.Finding himself stranded on the desolate planet of RG-87, he is now being hunted by a race of angry sp...

All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton is a mesmerizing science fiction tale that blends suspense, mystery, and psychological depth into a compact yet unforgettable adventure. In this gripping book experience, listeners are transported into the silent corridors of an abandoned alien space station—an eerie labyrinth drifting in space, filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered.The story follows Cliff Moran, who awakens stranded on a deserted station orb...

Uncertain Sons is a startling and masterful collection exploring familial love and trauma; societal and technological anxieties; identity and class; and alternate near-future irrealities. Sharp, incisive, imaginative, and visionary, Thomas Ha's debut heralds the arrival of a vital new voice.Philip K. Dick Award NomineeBritish Science Fiction Association Awards NomineeBram Stoker Awards Nominee in Long Fiction (for t...

Since 2006, Clarkesworld Magazine has been entertaining science fiction and fantasy fans with their brand of unique science fiction and fantasy stories. Collected here are all of the original stories this Hugo Award-winning magazine published during their fifth year. Included in this volume are twenty-four stories by visionary writers of short fiction, including Ken Liu, Nnedi Okorafor, Robert Reed, N.K. Jemisin, Yoon Ha Lee, E. Lily Yu, and more!CONTENTS

Clarkesworld is a Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine. Each month we bring you a mix of fiction, articles, interviews and art. Our February 2025 issue (#221) contains:Fiction* "Bodyhoppers" by Rocío Vega* "King of the Castle" by Fiona Moore* "We Begin Where Infinity Ends" by Somto Ihezue* "A Planet Full of Sorrows" by M. L. Clark* "The Hanging Tower of Babel" by Wang Zhenzhen* "Numismatic Archetypes in ...

I may be a Prince, but there are things that trouble me about my father's royal rule-the forced abduction, experimentation, and torture of alien creatures. The king has a new prisoner who's a carefully kept secret...There's a young female who belongs to a little-known civilization I have been studying extensively. They are human, belonging to a small, undeveloped planet called Earth. She is pretty in a way I find unusual and compelling. Sometimes I sneak into the adjoining cell and...