Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 185

by Lightspeed Magazine, John Joseph Adams

LIGHTSPEED is a digital science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF-and from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.

Welcome to issue 185 of LIGHTSPEED! Our science fiction short stories this month are both set in space, but that's about all they have in common. "O Mechfighter, O Starsinger," by Osahon Ize-Iyamu, is a dramatic story about imperialism, human trafficking, and learning to be a mech pilot. Megan Chee's "Everyone Hates the Auditor" is the story of bureaucracy at its finest. They're two great flavors of science fiction that are even more fun when paired together. Our flash pieces include the surprising "The Porniest Porn in Porntown" by Stephen Graham Jones and "Thaw" by An Owomoyela. If you enjoy dark academia, then "Dirge and Gleam" by Micah Dean Hicks is just the short story for you. We also have a story of a dark "Drosera regina" by A.L. Goldfuss-and if you know anything about biology, you'll have an idea what kind of creature this story is about. Our flash pieces include "At the Bottom of the Bonfire" by Martin Cahill and "Dating Fortune" from Sean McMullen.

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2025

Reviews

[Pontus Doverstav · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good issue, with Dirge and Gleam being its strongest offering for me. Though it failed to hook me in the opening scene, the rest of the story was very good.

I also found Everyone Hates the Auditor and Dating Fortune to be entertaining to read. The Porniest Porn in Porntwon was not what I expected from the title and better than I thought it would be.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be the best, most consistent issue of Lightspeed for a while. Every story was of high quality and enjoyable, for me.

- "O Mechfighter, O Starfighter" by Osahon Ize-Iyamu is a beautifully written, almost poetic dark sci-fantasy.
- "Thaw" by An Owomoyela is a vivid eco-fantasy about a world of sentient fish dealing with planetary change.
- And every single fantasy story this was memorable, especially: "At the Bottom of the Bonfire" by Martin Cahill, and "Drosera Regina" by A.L Goldfuss.

[Simon Duchastel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Everyone Hates the Auditor" was my favorite story

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the story "Drosera regina" by A.L. Goldfuss, specifically