As always I do not limit my favorites to five–I’m not a nominating slate, you can make your own nominations. I’m just telling you what I’ve liked. I’m happy to say I’ve liked a lot! I’m thrilled that there are names here that were on last year’s list and names here that were not on last year’s list! I’m thrilled that there are new places to find stories and that some of the places I found stories last year are still good! And yeah, I have to say that I’m sad that there are people whose stories are their last and magazines whose stories are their last. But this is a post about the good–short stories, novelettes, and some poems. I hope you find something to love here. I know I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our Grandmother\u2019s Words<\/a>, M.H. Ayinde (BCS)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notable Escapes<\/a>, Leah Bobet (Strange Horizons)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt the Heart of Each Pearl Lies a Grain of Sand,\u201d Marie Brennan (Sunday Morning Transport)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yours, Wickedly: A Story in Thirteen Letters<\/a>, Stephanie Burgis (Sunday Morning Transport)<\/p>\n\n\n\n flood fish\/pumpkin moon<\/a>, Grace Cahill (The Deadlands)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Naming of Knots<\/a>, M. A. Carrick (BCS)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sand Knows Its Way Home<\/a>, L. Chan (Reckoning)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Merciful Even to Scorpions<\/a>, Kay Chronister (BCS)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEqual Forces Opposed in Exquisite Tension,\u201d John Chu (New Suns 2<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat I Remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata,\u201d P Djeli Clark (The Book of Witches<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Held at the Roots<\/a>, Jennifer Crow (Kaleidotrope)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps in Understanding<\/a>, Anamaria Curtis (Uncanny)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Five Easy Hairstyles for Snake-Haired Girls<\/a>, Jelena Dunato (Small Wonders)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJohn Hollowback and the Witch,\u201d Amal El-Mohtar (The Book of Witches<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n After encountering the grey whales in El Burbujon, Laguna Ojo de Libre<\/a>, Naila Francis (Reckoning)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cForever the Forest,\u201d Simone Heller (Life Beyond Us<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Junebug<\/a>, Sarah Hollowell (Apex)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The State Street Robot Factory<\/a>, Claire Humphrey (Apex)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBetween Truth and Death on the Murmansk-Saint Petersburg Line,\u201d Zohar Jacobs (Sunday Morning Transport)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Corruption of Malik the Unsmiling,\u201d Naseem Jamnia (Sunday Morning Transport)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCatechism for Those Who Would Find Witches,\u201d Kathleen Jennings (The Book of Witches<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Five Lazy Sisters,\u201d Kathleen Jennings (F&SF Mar\/Apr)<\/p>\n\n\n\n My Bonsai Lover in Winter<\/a>, Rachael K. Jones (The Deadlands)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sound of Children Screaming<\/a>, Rachael K. Jones (Nightmare)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside<\/a>, Isabel J. Kim (Apex)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Better Living Through Algorithms<\/a>, Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Year Without Sunshine<\/a>, Naomi Kritzer (Uncanny)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still Life With Slain God and Lemon<\/a>, Anne Leonard (Translunar Travelers Lounge)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJuan,\u201d Darcie Little Badger (New Suns 2<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDragons of Yuta,\u201d Rochita Loenen-Ruiz (New Suns 2<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Irwin and the Unicorn<\/a>, Theo Nicole Lorenz (Strange Horizons)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBayanihan,\u201d Maricar Macario (F&SF Sept\/Oct 23)<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Princess With a Nose Three Ells Long<\/a>, Malda Marlys (Fantasy)<\/p>\n\n\n\n His Guns Could Not Protect Him<\/a>, Sam J. Miller (Lightspeed)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Far Side of the Door,\u201d Premee Mohamed\u00a0(Life Beyond Us<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine Yourself Happy<\/a>, Premee Mohamed (Small Wonders)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo Spake the Mirrorwitch,\u201d Premee Mohamed (The Book of Witches<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Kingdom of Darkness<\/a>, Sarah Monette (Uncanny)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spoil Heap<\/a>, Fiona Moore (Clarkesworld)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discreet Services Offered for Women Ridden by Hags<\/a>, Stephanie Malia Morris (BCS)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Somewhere, It\u2019s About to Be Spring<\/a>, Samantha Murray (Clarkesworld)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enchanted Mirrors Are Making a Comeback. That\u2019s Not Necessarily a Good Thing.<\/a>, Mari Ness (Fantasy)<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Chronicle of the Mole-Year<\/a>, Christi Nogle (Strange Horizons)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Dust Returned<\/a>, Rita Oakes (BCS)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Whomsoever Remains<\/a>, Brandon O\u2019Brien (Uncanny)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Dangers We Choose,\u201d Malka Older (Life Beyond Us<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Plant and the Purist,\u201d Malka Older (New Suns 2<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Little Apocalypses<\/a>, Aparna Paul (Reckoning)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Changeling and the Child<\/a>, Pooja Peravali (BCS)<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a Door to the Land of the Dead in the Land of the Dead<\/a>, Sarah Pinsker (The Deadlands)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ivy, Angelica, Bay<\/a>, C.L. Polk (Tor.com)<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Will Bring You Home<\/a>, Jenny Rae Rappaport (Beneath Ceaseless Skies)<\/p>\n\n\n\n SQUAWKER AND DOLPHIN SWIMMING TOGETHER<\/a>, T.K. Rex (Reckoning)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Till the Greenteeth Draw Us Down<\/a>, Josh Rountree (The Deadlands)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAmrit,\u201d Kiran Kaur Saini (F&SF May\/Jun)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blooms<\/a>, Grace Seybold (Beneath Ceaseless Skies)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always and Forever, Only You<\/a>, Iona Datt Sharma (Strange Horizons)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCowboy Ghost Dads Always Break Your Heart,\u201d Stefan Slater (F&SF Jan\/Feb)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drained,\u201d Sonya Taaffe (Not One Of Us #74)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Construction Sacrifice<\/a>, Bogi Tak\u00e1cs (Lightspeed)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCyclic Amplification, Meaning Family,\u201d Bogi Takacs (Life Beyond Us<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Carry You Inside You<\/a>, Tia Tashiro (Clarkesworld)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cApproved Methods of Love Divination in the First-Rate City of Dushagorod,\u201d Kristina Ten (F&SF Jul\/Aug 23)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Cost of Doing Business,\u201d Emily Y Teng (The Book of Witches<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I Should Have Been a Pair of Ragged Claws<\/a>, Alice Towey (Fantasy)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Five of Cups<\/a>, Ali Trotta (The Deadlands)<\/p>\n\n\n\n What It Means to Love a City<\/a>, Mo Usavage (Reckoning)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSilk and Cotton and Linen and Blood,\u201d Nghi Vo (New Suns 2<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n She Blooms and the World Is Changed<\/a>, Izzy Wasserstein (Lightspeed)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDefective,\u201d Peter Watts (Life Beyond Us<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cManic Pixie Girl,\u201d AC Wise (The Other Side of Never<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bad Doors<\/a>, John Wiswell (Uncanny)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Three O\u2019Clock Dragon<\/a>, John Wiswell (Tor.com)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Father Provincial of Mare Imbrium<\/a>, E. Lily Yu (Uncanny)<\/p>\n\n\n\n