“If we continue on this path of little by little destroying forests, destroying rivers, destroying air, the consequences are going to be awful for humans and cultures around the world, for all forms of life. And I want people to wake up.”

—Nemonte Nenquimo

Issue 2024.70

Flash fiction

• ‘The End of Rain’, Zoe Kaplan - art by Joyce Chng

Short stories

• ‘Transmogrification’, R.M. Pérez-Padilla - art by Joel Bisaillon
• ‘The Shape of Her Shadow’, Alexandra Brandt - art by Fluffgar

Novelettes

• ‘Matryoshka City’, Albert Chu - art by Katharine A. Viola
• ‘The Transformative Three and the Clean Cooking Revolution (grant no. 437-775)’, Auke Pols - art by Cécile Matthey

Poetry

• ‘The Ships That Sang’, Jess Cho - art by Toeken
• ‘What Heroines Read’, Mary Soon Lee - art by Dr T. Eratopo

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Sometimes science fiction serves to remind us that there is hope in the world, that there are futures and pasts and dreams in which not everything is as calamitous as what we’re used to seeing around us, mocking this life with the phantasmagoria of a better one; sometimes it acts to snap us out of our complacency and lazy expectations by highlighting, exaggerating or laser-focussing on the dystopian horror we’ve trained ourselves not to see. At different times, we probably need both. And our political situation clearly calls for both. It would be easy to lose hope and the will to fight for change with the rising tide of populism, neo-fascism and warmongering in the world around us; but some of us have recently seen decades of reactionism starting to reverse, or the horror of nationalist takeover narrowly averted. And meanwhile the land continues to burn…

We can afford neither to lose hope, nor to lose the will to fight. The stories and art in this issue span this gamut beautifully, ranging from eco-parable to space opera, gender-variant body horror to feminist fantasy and fairytale, irrealist dystopian to overt political allegories that don’t feel the need to hide their radical activism behind subtlety or pastiche. They also want us to recognise the consequences of inaction. They also want people to wake up.

So join me in thanks and kudos and solidarity to Albert, Alexandra, Auke, Cécile, Fluffgar, Jess, Joel, Joyce, Katharine, Mary, R.M., Dr. T., Toeken and Zoe. Enjoy their work, be stimulated and nourished by their visions, and do your best. Much love. Until next time.

Djibril al-Ayad, July 2024

Comment on the stories in this issue on the TFF Press blog.