Free SF, Fantasy and Horror Fiction for 03/07/2015
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What’s Special About Today’s Free Fiction?
- Apex Magazine #70 – March 2015
- Clarkesworld Magazine #102 – March 2015
- Ideomancer #14.1
- SQ Mag #19
- Uncanny #3 – March / April 2015
Written
- @AE – The Canadian Science Fiction Review: “My Seventh Marilyn” by Michael Haynes [Science Fiction]
- Apex Magazine #70 – March 2015 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “A Beautiful Memory” by Shannon Peavey
- “Charaid Dreams” by Rati Mehrotra
- “Houdini’s Heart” by Thoraiya Dyer
- “Sing Me Your Scars” by Damien Angelica Walters
- “Where I’m Bound” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
- Beneath Ceaseless Skies #168 – March 05, 2015 [Fantasy Magazine – also available as eBook]
- “A Screech of Gulls” by Alyc Helms [also available in audio]
- “Steady on Her Feet” by K.J. Kabza
- Clarkesworld Magazine #102 – March 2015 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “All Original Brightness” by Mike Buckley [Science Fiction]
- “Cassandra” by Ken Liu [Science Fiction]
- “Coming of the Light” by Chen Qiufan [Science Fiction]
- “Slowly Builds An Empire” by Naim Kabir [Science Fiction]
- “The Book Seller” by Lavie Tidhar [Science Fiction – from 2013]
- “The Clear Blue Seas of Luna” by Gregory Benford [Science Fiction – from 2002]
- “The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild” (Part 2) by Catherynne M. Valente
- @The Colored Lens: “The Rising” by Steve Simpson [Science Fiction]
- @Daily Science Fiction: “Morytober” by C.C. Finlay [Science Fiction]
- @GigaNotoSaurus: “Bears Punching Bears!” by Tracy Canfield [Science Fiction – also available as eBook]
- Ideomancer #14.1 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “Andromache and the Dragon” by Brittany Pladek
- “The Changeling and the Sun” by Lee S. Hawke
- “ζῆ καὶ βασιλεύει” by Sonya Taaffe
- @Lightspeed Magazine:
- “Surfacing” by Marissa Lingen [Science Fiction]
- “The Way Home” by Linda Nagata [Fantasy – also available in audio]
- @Mad Scientist Journal: “The Arkham K-12 Science Fair” by Jeannie Warner [Science Fiction]
- @Mythic Delirium: “Pureland” by Livia Llewellyn [Speculative Fiction]
- @Nightmare Magazine: “Please, Momma” by Chesya Burke [Horror – also available in audio]
- @Omni Reboot: “Bullies” by DS Peters [Science Fiction]
- @Short-Story.me: “The Haunting at Midnight” by Thomas G. Schmidt [Horror]
- SQ Mag #19 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “All the Answers” by Peter Medeiros [Science Fiction]
- “Arrest” by Hall Jameson [Horror]
- “Final Journey” by Stephen C. Ormsby [Steampunk]
- “Night Blooming” by Jason Nahrung [Paranormal Mystery]
- “Numbers Man” by Sean Monaghan [Cyberpunk]
- “Rainbows and Death Machines” by J.B. Rockwell [Military Science Fiction]
- “Riding a Runaway” by Andrew Knighton [Steampunk]
- “The Meet” by Geoffrey Collins [Mythic Fantasy]
- “Trial by Fire” by Richard Zwicker [Humorous Fable]
- @Tor:
- “The Hell of It” by Peter Orullian [Epic Fantasy]
- “The Shape of My Name” by Nino Cipri [Time Travel]
- @Turtleduck Press: “The Haunting of Heatherbrae Station” by Siri Paulson [Science Fiction]
- Uncanny #3 – March / April 2015 [Speculative Fiction Magazine]
- “The Lamps Thereof Are Fire and Flames” by Rosamund Hodge
- “Those” by Sofia Samatar
- “Translatio Corporis” by Kat Howard [also available in audio]
- @Weird Fiction Review:
- “The Rainbow” by Kristen Roupenian [Weird]
- “The Upper Berth” by F. Marion Crawford [Weird]
- “The Voice in the Night” by William Hope Hodgson [Horror / Weird]
- @The WiFiles: “The Cracks in Our Walls” by Kyle Hemmings [Dark Fantasy]
- @Author’s Site – Lou: “On a Spiritual Plain” by Lou Antonelli [Science Fiction / Alternate History]
Written – Flash
- @365 tomorrows:
- “All Your Banners Are Dust” by Jae Miles [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Doing Smore with Les” by Rick Tobin [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Meatless” by Steve Smith [Science Fiction Flash]
- “She’s in my Head, While I’m in Hers” by James McGrath [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Takeover” by Clint Wilson [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The Universe Keeps Slipping Away” by Decater Collins [Science Fiction Flash]
- “The Waiting War” by Bob Newbell [Science Fiction Flash]
- “Wayward” by Bob Newbell [Science Fiction Flash]
- @The Colored Lens: “Lady Bird” by Natalia Theodoridou [Slipstream Flash]
- @Daily Science Fiction:
- “Gallery” by KJ Kabza [Contemporary Fantasy Flash]
- “Isabelle the Stupendous” by Kate Heartfield [Magic Realism Flash]
- “Lover’s Quarrel” by Alexandra Grunberg [Fantasy Flash]
- “Sugar Showpiece Universe” by Caroline M. Yoachim [Science Fiction Flash]
- @Every Day Fiction:
- “The Hair Club for Fairytale Princesses” by Heather Morris [Fairy Tale Flash]
- “Lava Fish” by Michael T Schaper [Science Fiction Flash]
- “They Are Legion. They Are Pigeon.” by Lynda Clark [Horror Flash]
- “The World As Seen by Angels” by Olivia Berrier [Paranormal Fantasy Flash]
- @Farther Stars Than These:
- “A Contradictory Artifact “ by John Laneri [Science Fiction Flash]
- “New Generation “ by David K Scholes [Science Fiction Flash]
- @Nature: “Simon Clash: The Galaxy’s greatest hero” by James Aquilone [Science Fiction Flash]
Written – Serialized
- @Calamities Press – A: Along the Winter Rails by Fanni Sütő – Episode 29 – “Journey in the Dark” [Post-Apocalyptic Serial]
- @Dark Futures: Nails by Matthew X. Gomez – Episode 2
- @Paizo: Diamond in the Rough by Evey Brett: [Shared World Fantasy Serialization]
- @AJM – Author’s Site: New Dawn by Andrew James Morgan: [Science Fiction Novel Serialization]
- @Author’s Site: Musketeer Space by Tansy Rayner Roberts – Part 41 – “Driving the Arquebus” [Space Opera Serialization]
Audio
- Beam Me Up! Podcast #440 [Science Fiction]
- Beneath Ceaseless Skies Podcast #145 – “A Screech of Gulls” by Alyc Helms [Fantasy]
- Beware the Hairy Mango #254 – “Guns and Butter Guns” by Matthew Sanborn Smith [Mango Mayhem]
- @Clarkesworld Magazine: “It Takes Two” by Nicola Griffith [Science Fiction]
- Far Fetched Fables #46 – “Infinity Syrup” by Laurel Winter and “The Isle of Women” by Jacqueline Carey [Fantasy]
- @Lightspeed Magazine: “The Way Home” by Linda Nagata [Fantasy]
- @Nightmare Magazine: “Please, Momma” by Chesya Burke [Horror]
- Tales To Terrify #163 – “Chameleon Man” by David Williamson and “Age Will Be Responsible” by B. E. Scully [Horror]
- The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine #169 – “Calamari Stakeout” by Austin Malone [Fantasy]
- Toasted Cake #138 – “Un Opera nello Spazio (A Space Opera)” by Oliver Buckram [Space Opera]
- @Uncanny: “Translatio Corporis” by Sofia Samatar [Speculative Fiction]
Audio – Radio Dramas
- @Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod: Space Patrol –“The Electronic Burglar” [Science Fiction Radio Drama – from 1952]
- @Relic Radio:
- Dark Fantasy –“The Edge Of The Shadow” [Horror Radio Drama – from 1942]
- Escape –“The Fall Of The House Of Usher” [Horror Radio Drama – from 1947]
- Suspense –“The Waxwork” [Horror Radio Drama – from 1959]
- The Creaking Door –“Mystery Of The M” [Weird / Horror Radio Drama – from 1964]
- X Minus One –“A Thousand Dollars a Plate” [Science Fiction Radio Drama – from 1956]
Audio – Serialized
- Welcome to Night Vale #63 – “There Is No Part 1: Part 2” [Fantasy Serial]
- @Author’s Site: Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty – Episode 18 [Urban Fantasy Novel Serialization]
- @Author’s Site: Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty – Episode 19 [Urban Fantasy Novel Serialization]
Free eBooks – Science Fiction
Polaris by David Portlock
Ten interwoven tales of science fiction and horror.
[Science Fiction / Horror Collection – Amazon]
Tentacles: An Anthology
Four short science fiction stories of tentacle monster mayhem and destruction to keep you awake at night wondering if you’ve already been the next victim…
[Science Fiction Monster / Horror Anthology – Amazon]
The Forever Gate – Part One by Isaac Hooke
3740 A.D. The ice age has immobilized the world. Colossal walls seal off the cities from the uninhabitable Outside. Humanlike entities called “gols” run society, and force the humans to wear collars that block the innate powers mankind has evolved. One man rises up…
[Science Fantasy Novella – First of Series – Amazon | Kobo]
@GigaNotoSaurus: Bears Punching Bears! by Tracy Canfield
[Science Fiction – EPUB, MOBI – GigaNotoSaurus | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
Free eBooks – Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian
Until Morning Comes (Carlie Simmons #1) by JT Sawyer
Secret Service Agent Carlie Simmons began her day surrounded by trusted colleagues in an inter-agency shooting competition in Tucson. It ended with a staggering body count as the world around her unraveled from a deadly virus. With her mission to extract the President’s daughter from the University of Arizona gone awry, she must choose between her sworn duties and her moral obligations to othersas the city is overtaken by roving packs of flesh-eating mutants. If she and her small group are to survive the night and find a way out of the ravaged city, she will have to summon all of her training, mental prowess, and tactical abilities.
[Post-Apocalyptic Novella – First of Series – Amazon]
Free eBooks – Cyberpunk
Bad Metal 01: Wrecked by Robert Black
In 2031, a viral pandemic swept the globe, indiscriminately devastating all forms of complex life. The human and animal populations were decimated within months. The developed nations of the world each blamed one another for releasing a bio-weapon, either out of malice or incompetence. In 2035, the world saw its first nuclear war.
The decade that followed saw the human race desperately trying to survive. A new generation inherited a world poisoned by nuclear and chemical weapons. Only with the aid of automatons – highly advanced robotic laborers – was mankind able to recover and begin to rebuild.
However, the automatons were not perfect. For years malfunctions had become more and more common. Units would shut down, or exhibit unusual behavior. In rare cases, automatons might endanger human life. And while some of these cases could be attributed to tampering or sabotage, the cause behind the vast majority remained a mystery.
In 2074, the City-State of Chicago in cooperation with The Company – which produced most of the world’s automatons – authorized the formation of “Wrecking Crews.” Part cop, part garbage man, the Wreckers would be responsible for dealing with the aberrant machines, and investigating the cause of their malfunctions.
Among the Wreckers, an automaton that attacks a human is referred to as “Bad Metal”.
[Cyberpunk Novella – First of Series – Amazon]
Free eBooks – Fantasy
Beautiful Beautiful (Once Upon a Time Today #1) by Heidi Garrett
Kerrin Mayham’s eye for beauty has shaped her life. Now a mother, she wants to teach her daughter that beauty can be both nourishing and treacherous. However, Mirabella is far too young to hear the truth of her mother’s hard-won knowledge, so Kerrin wraps a fantastical bedtime story of magic shoes, enchanted oak trees, witches, and sad kings around actual events.
As mother tells the story and daughter interjects, Kerrin can’t help but return to her past when she was at the pinnacle of her career as an independent film director. Seduced by a beautiful young predator, she takes a risk that puts her life in danger and shakes the core of her identity. Finally forced to ask the hard questions about the demons that drive her, Kerrin doesn’t flinch. Her honest answers deepen her experience of life–and her eye for beauty.
[New Adult Fairy Tale Novella – First of Series – Amazon]
Ben the Dragonborn (The Six Worlds #1) by Dianne Astle
There are very few people on earth who know the location of a mysterious school where heroes of the past train those who belong to the future.Ben Taylor only learns of the school’s true purpose when he is called into the Principal’s office. Miss Templeton gives him a simple test to see if he is a Chosen of the Guardian. That very day Ben is sent through a portal to a watery world of mermaids and monsters.“Has a mistake been made?” This is the question on everyone’s mind, including Ben’s. Ben’s only chance of success depends on discovering the secret of his own true self in a terrifying world where nightmares come to life.
[Middle Years Epic Fantasy Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
The Hall of the Wood by Scott Marlowe
Jerrick Bur returns to a home he does not recognize. The King’s Patrol has vanished. Their Hall stands empty. An invading army encroaches upon the fringes of the forest and folk whisper of a sitheri witch brewing evil from the darkest hollows.
Once a patroller, always a patroller, and so Jerrick is duty-bound to investigate. He is joined by Kayra Weslin, knight errant, and her chronicler, Holly, who go to answer a plea for help from nearby Homewood. Along with Murik Alon Rin’kres, an eslar sorcerer who harbors a secret purpose all his own, the four attempt to unravel the mystery of the missing patrollers. They soon find tales of their disappearance frighteningly untrue as they are forced to ally themselves with an evil far more deadly than any of the other adversaries facing them.
[Sword & Sorcery / Mystery Novel – Amazon]
@Beneath Ceaseless Skies: #168 – March 05, 2015
[Fantasy Magazine – EPUB, MOBI, PDF – Beneath Ceaseless Skies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords]
Free eBooks – Fantasy – Young Adult
The Breakers Code (Fixed Points #1) by Conner Kressley
Where were you when the world ended?
Three weeks shy of her seventeenth birthday, Cresta Karr wakes to find her world is falling apart. The necklace her father left her is mysteriously missing, a black sedan is stalking her and her friends, and her house is minutes away from exploding. To top it off, she finds out that Owen, the enigmatic, if slightly off-kilter guy of her dreams, is both not interested in going out with her and a superspy sent by a clandestine organization to keep tabs on her.
Turns out Cresta is the subject of a 500 year old prophecy, and if Owen and the other “Breakers” can’t find a way to circumvent the future before the sun comes up on her birthday, Cresta is destined to bring about the end of the world — something she’d rather not have on her college applications. That is, of course, if the gun-toting cult members piling onto her front porch don’t get to her first.
The countdown is on. Secrets will be revealed, relationships will be tested, prophecies will be fulfilled, and fate will fight free will in a battle so intense that it won’t end until the world itself does.
Happy birthday, Cresta.
[YA Paranormal Fantasy Novel – First of Series – Amazon]
Free eBooks – Fantasy – Paranormal and Romance
Dead Man’s Hand (Ace Stubble #1) by Richard Levesque
Zombies, werewolves, vampires, rival Bowie tribute bands, and conjoined twin mobsters…it’s all in a day’s work for Ace Stubble, a gritty lawyer whose clients are the undead and paranormal. Feeling a bit worn out, Ace just wants a vacation. But when a cute hacker with a big problem talks Ace into helping her out, he decides to call in some favors and be the good guy. It’s not long before he’s in deep trouble, and it’s going to take more than smooth talk and quick wits if he wants to get out of this bind in one piece.
[Paranormal Fantasy Novella – First of Series – Amazon]
Thanks for the list! “Part 2” (no author) should be “The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild (Part 2)” by Catherynne M. Valente, FYI.
Thanks, Kendall.
Hello! It’s a little late for this roundup, but I wanted to mention that the first issue of semipro zine I co-edit — The Sockdolager — went up on March 3rd. While we do offer an ebook version, the entirety of the magazine is also available to read online for free.
A link, in case it’s helpful: http://www.sockdolager.net/spring-2015/
Thank you for taking the time to put all of this together!
Wow! This must have taken forever to compile! MUCH appreciated. This is super cool 🙂