This issue, we have a pair of Irish-themed stories (one dark, one light) by Christina Hoag and David Dean to welcome St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, there’s plenty more original fiction, too: tales by Ron Miller, Grant Tracey, Susan Shwartz, and CJ Erick, plus a new solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. And, as always, we have some classics, too: science fiction shorts...

A fantasy of an alternate Byzantine Empire by a Hugo and Nebula Award finalist.Byzantium lies at the intersection of East and West, in the heart of the most opulent empire the world has ever known. Warrior Prince Marric has to fight for his right to defend his position as heir of the kingship. Last in the powerful line of kings descended from Alexander the Great, he is ordained by the gods of the people to rule alongside his beloved and wise sister, Alexa. But a sor...

The center of the greatest empire in the world, the seat of Christianity, Byzantium is a revered city. Marked by gargantuan monuments to God and peopled by the most royal of princes, and the most affluent citizens, Byzantium cannot possibly ever fall. Now under siege by Islam, the Byzantine Empire must look to Christians from the West for help in winning back Jerusalem, the most hallowed of cities. The Byzantines must prevent the disintegration of their empire while protecting the faith of...

Humanity is inextricably torn in an interplanetary war that could lead to the death of human society. Project Seedcorn is probably the last and best hope for the human race. A small group of refugees, scraping out an existence on the edge of human-occupied territory, has been given orders to live as though everything were ordinary and there were no war. Now, everyone's lives depend on the children.

A tale of sorcery and a princess in exile in a saga of an alternate Byzantine Empire by the Nebula Award–nominated author of Byzantium's Crown.Alexa, princess of Byzantium, was destined to rule with her devoted brother Marric until the evil forces cast dark magic on her and made her betray him. Thus Marric feels under assault and a usurper has seized the throne—and by means both magical and moral, defeated Alexa. Saved by warrior allies, Alexa has been tak...

In the tenth century, the center of the world is not Rome, but Byzantium--a glorious empire, upon which the sun never sets. Constantinople, the center of this mighty dynasty, is starting to unravel. The great kings and princes, the holy city, the affluence of the empire will be scattered to the winds. Attacked by the Turks on all sides, Byzantium looks to its emperor for deliverance. Leo Ducas, heir to the Byzantine crown, must fight for his inheritance, but he doesn't truly know who his e...

Earth is gone, blown to bits in battle with the alien Sejiedi. Now the remnants of humanity fight on, in uneasy alliance with the Galactic League—their only purpose to avenge their world, their only pride the Honor of the Wing.But League politics will not tolerate pride in a refugee people, and the White Wing is under insidious attack. A powerful enemy attempts to brand one unit of the Wing as traitors, discrediting the entire human race.But the Honor of the Wing is not so ...

The time for the transfer of power from one generation to the next has come. The rites require Queen Olwen to kill herself with the Queensblade in order to ensure the bounty of the kingdom. First, the Princess, Olwen's daughter Gwenlliant, must discover the powers in order to inherit the crown and the kingdom, for only in Gwenlliant rests the power to bring back the bounty of the land and the kingdom of the ages. Gwenlliant must go forth from the Isles of Mist to the shores of Byzantium in...

In a departure for this very well-reviewed fantasist, Susan Shwartz has returned to her science fiction roots with a riveting novel of honor and its loss, love and its betrayal, and the exploration of what it means to be a true hero.What Susan Shwartz has done is to take a well-loved tale and it in an unconventional setting. Second Chances is nothing less than an homage to Joseph Conrad-think of Lord Jim in space. Just as Conrad explored in great depth the perplexing, ambig...

2329: Now a diplomat for the United Federation of Planets, Spock agrees to a bonding with Commander Saavik. More than a betrothal, less than a wedding, the sacred Vulcan rite is attended by both Spock's father, Sarek, and a nervous young Starfleet lieutenant named Jean-Luc Picard.2344: Ambassador Spock receives a top-secret communication from the heart of the Romulan Empire. Decades before, Spock had met and betrayed an honorable Romulan commander during the so-called "Enterprise in...

Outsider Monsters: A Flash Anthology — Where Monsters Refuse to Play by the RulesWhat if monsters weren't what you expected?In Outsider Monsters: A Flash Anthology, the world's rules are turned upside down. These aren't your typical villains lurking in shadows. They are outsiders—predators, dreamers, and defiant creatures who refuse the paths destiny set for them. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes heartbreakingly human, these monsters defy labels, challenge expectations, and ...

Following their bestsellers Vulcan's Forge and Vulcan's Heart, Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz embark on a new trilogy chronicling the latter-day adventures of one of Star Trek's most beloved characters, shedding new light on his world's shocking history.One year after the end of the Dominion War, the Romulan Star Empire comes under attack by a mysterious and alarmingly powerful enemy calling itself the Watraii, a species with a long-standing vendetta ag...