The Lori, by Fiona Moore

[Clarkesworld]

★★★★☆ Worth it just to see a realistic story about AI failure.

(Military SF) After corporal Cooper recovers from the disastrous battle of Kuching, he’s sure the sentient tank he worked with is still there somewhere, so he takes extended leave and goes to hunt for it. (3,623 words; Time: 12m)

The Ruby of the Summer King, by Mari Ness

[Uncanny]

★★★★☆ Hauntingly Beautiful

(Fairy Tale) The Summer King wants to court the Winter Queen, even though everyone warns him that it’s a long and perilous journey, for summer and winter aren’t meant to be together. (4,749 words; Time: 15m)

Last Night at the Fair, by M. Rickert

[F&SF]

★★★★☆ Deeply moving, reminiscent of Ray Bradbury.

(Uncanny Fantasy) An old woman remembers the last night of her childhood, when she and her future husband snuck out of the house to visit the fair on the last night. (2,467 words; Time: 08m)

Recommended By: 👍RHorton.r+1 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

Retention, by Alec Nevala-Lee

[Analog]

★★★★☆ Persist with this one; there’s more here than meets the eye.

(SF Thriller) It all started when Perry tried to call customer service to cancel his account, but the online system was amazingly persistent in finding ways to discourage him from that. (2,731 words; Time: 09m)

Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

Breath of the Sahara, by Inegbenoise O. Osagie

[BCS]

★★★★☆ A moving tale with interesting characters in a cool setting.

(African Fantasy) In a magical sub-Saharan Africa, two girls sneak into the sanctum of their gods to loot it for gold when the guardians are supposed to be absent. But one of them is still there. (6,885 words; Time: 22m)

February Moon, by Josh Rountree

[BCS]

★★★★☆ A steady build up to a shattering climax.

(Horror) In 19th-Century Texas, a German immigrant mother defends her farm and family (in the absence of her husband and eldest son) against a vicious wolf as well as some of the local townspeople. (5,037 words; Time: 16m)

The Voice, by Bruce McAllister

[Asimov's]

★★★★☆ A nice guy with a hard choice in a difficult position.

(SF Thriller; DreamPet) Jude knows his company is secretly selling engineered animals that were meant to be disposed of. He needs more proof to go public, but meanwhile one of the creations is invading his mind. (4,988 words; Time: 16m)

It Was a Tradition When You Turned 16, by Eric Cline

[Analog]

★★★★☆ A sweet little tale of time and change.

(SF Drama) A father determines to teach his teen-age daughter the lost art of driving an automobile. (3,775 words; Time: 12m)

Little Free Library, by Naomi Kritzer

[Single]

★★★★☆ A delightful adventure in books and revolution.

(Uncanny Horror) When Megian sets out her homemade book exchange, a mysterious neighbor starts trading objects and art for the books, but some of the items don’t seem to come from this world at all. (2,518 words; Time: 08m)

Recommended By: 👍MHaskins+1 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

Glass Bottle Dancer, by Celeste Rita Baker

[Lightspeed]

★★★★☆ A Sweet Tale with a Caribbean Flavor

(Caribbean Fantasy) Approaching 50, Mabel decides to become a glass bottle dancer. She tries to hide it from her family, but the local cockroaches notice it for sure when she gathers up their bottles, and they’ve got dreams too. (5,683 words; Time: 18m)

Truth as a Prize, by R.Z. Held

[BCS]

★★★★☆ Plenty of Excitement and Surprises

(Mixed Genre) Naomi has been trapped ever since she lost her contest with the Game a long time ago, but a new player has come, and she hopes maybe this will be the one to defeat it. (6,490 words; Time: 21m)

The Man I Love, by James Patrick Kelly

[F&SF]

★★★★☆ A deeply moving tale of love that outlasts life itself.

(Ghosts) The clientele at Slack’s bar are rather unusual, and some of them don’t seem to be all there, like a young lady who comes in every night asking about a sailor boy. (1,905 words; Time: 06m)

Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

Sinew and Steel and What They Told, by Carrie Vaughn

[Single]

★★★★☆ A moving tale and a nice set up for more stories.

(Space Opera) Graff just had an accident so severe that he can no longer keep the secret that he’s a cyborg from his crewmates and his lover. (4,432 words; Time: 14m)

One Hundred, by Sean Monaghan

[Analog]

★★★★☆ Fun Tale of Perseverance

(Mars Colony) Cam sticks out as the only teenage boy on the Mars colony, but it’s been years since anyone heard from Earth, so he works as hard as anyone to keep the place going. (6,011 words; Time: 20m)

Respite, by Catherine Wells

[Analog]

★★★★☆ Well-written with a surprising outcome.

(SF Drama) An immortal man returns to a space station he designed over a thousand years ago to see if anyone still uses it, and if the inhabitants need help. (5,579 words; Time: 18m)

St. Valentine, St. Abigail, St. Brigid, by C.L. Polk

[Single]

★★★★☆ A Sweet Story with a Sting

(Modern Fantasy) Her mom has grown rich by telling people’s fortunes, but all Theresa Anne wants is for her girlfriend to be safe. And to be brave enough to actually talk to this “girlfriend.” (5,551 words; Time: 18m)

Forgive Me, My Love, for the Ice and the Sea, by C.L. Clark

[BCS]

★★★★☆ Maintains Tension Throughout

(Fantasy Adventure) Laema joins the Pirate Queen’s voyage to the south pole but secretly plots to assassinate her. (5,737 words; Time: 19m)

The Ancestral Temple in a Box, by Chen Qiufan

[Clarkesworld]

★★★★☆ Clever and Surprising

(Virtual Reality) On his deathbed, a man implores his son to visit his plaque at their ancestral temple—which appears to exist in virtual reality. (5,530 words; Time: 18m)

The Refraction of White Lies, by Meredith Lozaga

[Asimov's]

★★★★☆ A Nice Puzzle and a Bit of Excitement to Go with It.

(Android Drama) The narrator’s wife is an android, but she doesn’t know, and he’s at pains to keep her from finding out. (3,549 words; Time: 11m)

GO. NOW. FIX., by Timons Esaias

[Asimov's]

★★★★☆ Thrilling and Touching

(SF Disaster Thriller) An obsolete “Panda Pillow” finds itself in the middle of an airplane disaster, where its programming to comfort and defend doesn’t really work. Or does it? (3,805 words; Time: 12m)

Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)