Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 189 (February 2026)

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 189 of LIGHTSPEED! Our two full-sized SF stories explore the very nature of reality. We start with Megan Chee's multi-vocal "Death Echoes Overlapping," and then we feature the planetary exploration piece "Sensor Ghosts," by Deborah L. Davitt. We also have two terrific flash pieces: "The Worldbuilder" from Phoenix Alexander and "Warren's Tentacle" by Susan Palwick. Alexander Weinstein's fantasy series From the Lost Travelers' Tour Guide returns with "Dream Destinations," which continues his exploration of the mysterious Eighth Continent. Modupeoluwa Shelle brings us "A Handbook to Spirit-Hunting," a tale packed with mysterious creatures and beings. We also have a flash story ("Six Sides of a Fairy Tale") from Audrey Zhou, and another ("The Salt and the Cure") from Rukman Ragas.