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Asimov's Science Fiction, May/June 2026
May/June 2026 Vol. 50 Nos. 5 & 6
NOVELLAS
Hot by Cecelia Holland
NOVELETTES
Failed Attempts at Predation by A.M. Dellamonica
The Girl Who Stole Life by Zhou Wen (Translated by Xueting C. Ni)
The Sky Above the Earth Below by Steve Rasnic Tem
SHORT STORIES
The Language of Machines by Betsy Aoki
A Penrose Dirge by Chris Campbell
Sophie Simpson’s Whizz-Bang Day at World War I by Dale Bailey
Half Inside the Spirit Box by Stephanie Feldman
Unspeakable Knowns by Donald McCarthy
Alpha Gal by Greg Egan
POETRY
Love Letter to Nuclear Fusion by Connor Yeck
Jukebox for the Interplanetary Traveler by Brian U. Garrison
Your Regular College-Town Climate Elegy by Ursula Whitcher
Image as a Stone on the Water by Ruth Berman
DEPARTMENTS
Guest Editorial: A Reader’s Perspective by Piet Nel
Reflections: The End of an Era by Robert Silverberg
On the Net: Tomorrow’s Bots by James Patrick Kelly
Thought Experiment: Iterations in and of Planet of the Apes by Kelly Lagor
On Books by Kelly Jennings
Next Issue
NOVELLAS
Hot by Cecelia Holland
NOVELETTES
Failed Attempts at Predation by A.M. Dellamonica
The Girl Who Stole Life by Zhou Wen (Translated by Xueting C. Ni)
The Sky Above the Earth Below by Steve Rasnic Tem
SHORT STORIES
The Language of Machines by Betsy Aoki
A Penrose Dirge by Chris Campbell
Sophie Simpson’s Whizz-Bang Day at World War I by Dale Bailey
Half Inside the Spirit Box by Stephanie Feldman
Unspeakable Knowns by Donald McCarthy
Alpha Gal by Greg Egan
POETRY
Love Letter to Nuclear Fusion by Connor Yeck
Jukebox for the Interplanetary Traveler by Brian U. Garrison
Your Regular College-Town Climate Elegy by Ursula Whitcher
Image as a Stone on the Water by Ruth Berman
DEPARTMENTS
Guest Editorial: A Reader’s Perspective by Piet Nel
Reflections: The End of an Era by Robert Silverberg
On the Net: Tomorrow’s Bots by James Patrick Kelly
Thought Experiment: Iterations in and of Planet of the Apes by Kelly Lagor
On Books by Kelly Jennings
Next Issue
208 pages, ebook
Published May 1, 2026
About the author
Sheila Williams
291 books82 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sheila Williams is the editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine. She is also the recipient of the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Editor, Short Form.
Sheila grew up in a family of five in western Massachusetts. Her mother had a master's degree in microbiology. Ms. Williams’ interest in science fiction came from her father who read Edgar Rice Burroughs books to her as a child. Later Ms. Williams received a bachelor's degree from Elmira College in Elmira, New York, although she studied at the London School of Economics during her junior year. She received her Master's from Washington University in St. Louis. She is married to David Bruce and has two daughters.
She became interested in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (as it was then titled) while studying philosophy at Washington University. In 1982 she was hired at the magazine, and worked with Isaac Asimov for ten years. While working there, she co-founded the Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing (at one time called the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing). In 2004, with the retirement of Gardner Dozois, she became the editor of the magazine.
Along with Gardner Dozois she also edited the "Isaac Asimov's" anthology series. She also co-edited A Woman's Liberation: A Choice of Futures by and About Women (2001) with Connie Willis. Most recently she has edited a retrospective anthology of fiction published by Asimov's: Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine: 30th Anniversary Anthology. Booklist called the book "A gem, and a credit to editor Williams."
She has been nominated for 4 Hugo Awards as editor of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
See also Sheila Williams's entry in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
Sheila Williams is the editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine. She is also the recipient of the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Editor, Short Form.
Sheila grew up in a family of five in western Massachusetts. Her mother had a master's degree in microbiology. Ms. Williams’ interest in science fiction came from her father who read Edgar Rice Burroughs books to her as a child. Later Ms. Williams received a bachelor's degree from Elmira College in Elmira, New York, although she studied at the London School of Economics during her junior year. She received her Master's from Washington University in St. Louis. She is married to David Bruce and has two daughters.
She became interested in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (as it was then titled) while studying philosophy at Washington University. In 1982 she was hired at the magazine, and worked with Isaac Asimov for ten years. While working there, she co-founded the Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing (at one time called the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing). In 2004, with the retirement of Gardner Dozois, she became the editor of the magazine.
Along with Gardner Dozois she also edited the "Isaac Asimov's" anthology series. She also co-edited A Woman's Liberation: A Choice of Futures by and About Women (2001) with Connie Willis. Most recently she has edited a retrospective anthology of fiction published by Asimov's: Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine: 30th Anniversary Anthology. Booklist called the book "A gem, and a credit to editor Williams."
She has been nominated for 4 Hugo Awards as editor of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
See also Sheila Williams's entry in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 28, 2026
A. M. Dellamonica kicks off things with “Failed Attempts At Predation”, where Sedge is in charge of a heavy metal reclamation project in the wilderness. He is hampered by an injured pilot, an overzealous android and a recuperating three-legged bobcat. But there is more going on than Sedge reveals. The New Humans, fuelled by photosynthesis, try to hide their origins from the Old Humans. Their creators are banned mechanical intelligences in “The Language Of Machines” by Betsy Aoki. A school trip to the trenches of the Great War take a dramatic turn for the realistic in “Sophie Simpson’s Whizz-Bang Day At World War I” by Dale Bailey, while a young Chinese linguistics student, hampered by her late start to the difficult skill, uses a dangerous and banned brainwave technique on her friend to usurp her knowledge in “The Girl Who Stole Life” by Zhou Wen. The device is indiscriminate however, and has unpredictable and undesirable results. Steve Rasnic Tem takes us to a future of an Earth succumbing to climate disaster and a couple devoted to fixing it. But their different opinions over the acceptable time scales involved leads one to go to Mars, in “The Sky Above The Earth Below”, and Stephanie Feldman takes us to a time of spiritualistrs and escapologists where the famed Handcuff King, renowned for unmasking fake mediums, meets his match in the mysterious Madame Livermore in “Half Inside The Spirit Box”. When a researcher suffers an anaphylactic shock usually attributed to ticks but without any bites, an investigation leads to an allergy to a chemical called “Alpha Gal”. But the name quickly morphs into a mythical woman’s title as hesitancy among the general public brings about a radical change in diet. Nice piece from Greg Egan. During the hottest summer ever recorded, society finally breaks down along with the power grid and transportation. Young Francie stays behind after her family leaves for what they assume is greener pastures but never return. There follows a journey of survival and redemption, where civilization is tested and found wanting, and only the humanity of a young woman can steer a possible path into salvation. “Hot” by Cecelia Holland is a fabulous tale. A good issue.
June 9, 2026
Solid issue. Here are quick, short reviews of my favorite stories.
Hot by Cecelia Holland
A 16 year old girl tries to survive global climate change, a heat dome, earthquakes, and societal collapse.
But earth abides.
A depressing, yet hopeful, novella.
Failed Attempts at Predation by A.M. Dellamonica
Two humans and a bobcat are isolated at a toxic cleanup site in British Columbia. Horror story or romance? It can go either way.
The Girl Who Stole Life by Zhou Wen (Translated by Xueting C. Ni)
Linguistics, mirror neurons, and mu waves; a young woman stumbles into the abyss of wanting it all.
The Sky Above the Earth Below by Steve Rasnic Tem
Kenopsia on Planet B; a sad and tragic tale of climate change.
The Language of Machines by Betsy Aoki
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way
—Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Circumstances dictate that New Humans leave the embrace of their AI parents. Will they flower as people?
A Penrose Dirge by Chris Campbell
As heat death approaches, what song will be bequeathed to the next iteration of the universe?
Sophie Simpson’s Whizz-Bang Day at World War I by Dale Bailey
Sophie got her gun.
An isekai of a sort, with Maconochie on the side.
Pairs well with the film Westfront 1918 (d. G.W. Pabst 1930).
Half Inside the Spirit Box by Stephanie Feldman
An escape artist and debunker of mediums faces off against a disturbing and most unique spiritualist. An homage, of a sorts, to the life of Harry Houdini.
Unspeakable Knowns by Donald McCarthy
When we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality we'll act again, creating other new realities. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."
—Karl Rove, apocryphally
Hot by Cecelia Holland
A 16 year old girl tries to survive global climate change, a heat dome, earthquakes, and societal collapse.
But earth abides.
A depressing, yet hopeful, novella.
Failed Attempts at Predation by A.M. Dellamonica
Two humans and a bobcat are isolated at a toxic cleanup site in British Columbia. Horror story or romance? It can go either way.
The Girl Who Stole Life by Zhou Wen (Translated by Xueting C. Ni)
Linguistics, mirror neurons, and mu waves; a young woman stumbles into the abyss of wanting it all.
The Sky Above the Earth Below by Steve Rasnic Tem
Kenopsia on Planet B; a sad and tragic tale of climate change.
The Language of Machines by Betsy Aoki
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way
—Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Circumstances dictate that New Humans leave the embrace of their AI parents. Will they flower as people?
A Penrose Dirge by Chris Campbell
As heat death approaches, what song will be bequeathed to the next iteration of the universe?
Sophie Simpson’s Whizz-Bang Day at World War I by Dale Bailey
Sophie got her gun.
An isekai of a sort, with Maconochie on the side.
Pairs well with the film Westfront 1918 (d. G.W. Pabst 1930).
Half Inside the Spirit Box by Stephanie Feldman
An escape artist and debunker of mediums faces off against a disturbing and most unique spiritualist. An homage, of a sorts, to the life of Harry Houdini.
Unspeakable Knowns by Donald McCarthy
When we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality we'll act again, creating other new realities. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."
—Karl Rove, apocryphally
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews