Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 179 (April 2025)

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

Welcome to issue 179 of LIGHTSPEED! This month we're serializing an original SF novelette by Sarah Langan: "Does Harlen Lattner Dream of Infected Sheep?" I won't give away the plot, but go in knowing that it's darkly critical of the current state of the world, a little bit heartfelt, and possibly contains a fun smidge of body horror. We think you'll love it! Our other science fictional work includes two terrific flash pieces: "Meditations from the Event Horizon" from Deborah L. Davitt and "TALK: "The Siren Song of the Otherworld Goggles" by Dominica Phetteplace. Oyedotun Damilola Muees returns with a story of magic and cruelty in his story "The Potter, His Daughter, and the Boy with Tribal Marks on his Face." Jon Lasser brings us "The Other River," a blend of relationship drama, travelogue, and dark fantasy. Our flash pieces are both heartbreaking requests for miracles: "To Navigate the Night" by Rich Larson and "The Price of Miracles" by Nigel Faustino. Of course we've got author spotlight interviews so you can learn more about our fascinating writers. We also have a round of terrific book reviews. Thanks for joining us for this great issue. It's full of thought-provoking and heart-tugging stuff-we hope you enjoy!