Since the November/December 2025 Analog is definitely out now (although there seem to be some delays in getting print subscription copies out in the wake of the magazine’s recent sale to a new publisher), I’ve posted the story annotations here on Written Worlds. The page numbers are based on the proofreading galleys, which I hope are still accurate to the final edition.

“Aleyara’s Flight” Annotations

Meanwhile, artist Eldar Zakirov has posted the cover painting and a couple of his early sketches on his site, as he previously did with the “Aleyara’s Descent” cover.

https://eldarzakirov.com/Aleyara-s-Flight

I’d expected the cover artist to depict a scene of Biauru flying on dragonback from the climax, since that seemed like it would be the most visually interesting scene and would fit the title, but this is a striking interpretation of Aleyara’s audience before King Gorlai. Zakirov’s interpretation of the Biauru’s anatomy is still somewhat different from my own, but what surprises me is that it also differs from his “Aleyara’s Descent” cover in the anatomy of the crests and Aleyara’s coloration. I guess he’s refining his ideas as he goes. Differences in detail aside, the image conveys Gorlai’s character effectively. And I like how Aleyara’s body language suggests that she’s matter-of-factly giving a talk about her findings, rather than showing obeisance to the king on his throne, as he seems to expect from his pose. It fits the dynamic of the story quite well. The smallest Biauru is presumably Paira, the Nilyoru scientist introduced in this story, and it’s appropriate that his attention is fully on Aleyara.

The issue is on sale now. Here’s the direct ordering link from Magzter: https://www.magzter.com/US/Must-Read-Books-Publishing/Analog-Science-Fiction-and-Fact/Fiction/2226937

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