Compelling Science Fiction Issue 6

by Joe Stech, Pip Coen, Deborah L. Davitt

I'm proud to present six compelling stories for your entertainment! I'm also happy to say that fully half of these stories are debuts by new authors — thanks for supporting them! The issue begins with "Floaters Can't Float", an impressive debut story by Pip Coen. An unexpected artifact of time travel causes a zone of New York to become unlivable, and an old archiver guides a reporter through the zone. This is one of those stories that is difficult to capture with a brief synopsis, but it is both poignant and novel (6400 words). The second story in our line-up, Deborah L. Davitt's "Demeter's Regard," is a moving story about a generation ship and the deep relationship that springs up between the ship AI and a man born several generations into the voyage. (5000 words). Our third story (another debut), "Quantum Coursework" by Marcus Holm, is a very fun, technical story about a recursive universe simulation. It's a story that is hard to hold in your head but entertaining to discuss (2889 words)! Next we have "Samaritan" by Karl K. Gallagher, a coming of age story about a boy raised on an Amish-like moon colony. It's a feel-good journey of personal discovery (5600 words). Our fifth story is a near-future tale, "Aspiration Value" by Mike Reeves-McMillan. The story follows a social media model as she navigates a world where her livelihood depends on maintaining a polished veneer in nearly every aspect of her life (2900 words). In our final story, Matt Raviner has crafted a quick, interesting time travel debut in the form of "The Meta Traveler." It's a short work about a brilliant and power-hungry would-be despot who uses time travel as a weapon (1959 words).

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2017

Reviews

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed Pip Coen‘s „Floater‘s can‘t float“. A fresh angle on time traveling. The emotional core element to the story and it‘s resolution might not have been surprising but still felt impactful.