“The Starship and the Temple Cat” by Yoon Ha Lee, from BCS #244 , one of the three special issues for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4 last February, is a finalist for the Sturgeon Award!

This award, in memoriam for legendary SF short fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon, is given every year for a great science fiction short story. Past winners include Kelly Link, Ted Chiang, and BCS author James Morrow (“Novel Excerpt: Galápagos Regained” in BCS #164 and podcast BCS 141).

Congratulations, Yoon! “The Starship and the Temple Cat” shows one end of the range of short fiction that BCS publishes: science fantasy, with worlds as awe-inspiring and fantastical as our fantasy but technology and cultures that feel futuristic rather than pre-technological.

Other finalists for the Sturgeon this year include BCS author P. Djèlí Clark (“A Tale of Woe,” BCS #253). Congratulations, all!

BCS #246 is out, the third special double-issue for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4. So much science-fantasy that Science-Fantasy Month is six weeks long!

Sarah Pinsker (“The Mountains His Crown” in BCS #195 Science-Fantasy Month 3 and podcast BCS 171) returns to BCS with “Do As I Do, Sing As I Sing,” a story of duty and sibling rivalry among famine.

Jason Sanford (“Blood Grains Speak Through Memories” in BCS #195 Science-Fantasy Month 3) offers “The Emotionless, in Love,” a stand-alone sequel to “Blood Grains Speak Through Memories,” focused on one of its ancillary characters, taken in by a band of survivors, who struggles with the strange powerful being he encounters and his own inner wounds.

Phoenix Alexander offers “Gennesaret,” a tale of flight, determination, and principle.

The BCS Audio Fiction Podcast with BCS #246 is BCS 212: Gennesaret, the Phoenix Alexander story of flight. It’s guest-narrated by M.K. Hobson, narrator of past BCS Podcast episodes such as BCS 208: Suite for Accompanied Cello by Tamara Vardomskaya, BCS 198: Two Bodies in Basting Stitch by Allison Jamieson-Lucy, and BCS 176: Laws of Night and Silk by Seth Dickinson.

The ‘From the Archives’ story with BCS #246 is “The Mote-Dancer and the Firelife” by Chris Willrich, from BCS #90 Science-Fantasy Month 1 and podcast BCS 077, a tale of struggling with present and past wounds but with a different tone than “The Emotionless, in Love.”

All behind a new, final crop of our special science-fantasy cover art: “Ugg” by Florent Llamas.

BCS #245 is out, a second special double-issue for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4!

Rich Larson (“The Delusive Cartographer” in BCS #187, “The King in the Cathedral” in BCS #166 and podcast BCS 144, “The Mermaid Caper” in BCS #119) returns to BCS with “Penitents,” a story of battling compulsion from an immense alien presence.

R.Z. Held offers “Red Dreams,” where a character and her mission partner must survive a post-apocalyptic woodland and her own deadly magic.

Milo James Fowler offers “The Last Human Child,” another tale of post-apocalyptic survival, and Josh Pearce “Such Were the Faces of the Living Creatures,” a strange vision of a post-apocalyptic world and its people.

The BCS Audio Fiction Podcast episode with BCS #245 is BCS 211: Penitents, the Rich Larson story of compulsion from an alien presence. It’s guest-narrated by Tina Connolly, narrator of a dozen past BCS podcasts, including the science-fantasy stories BCS 122: The River Does Not Run by Rachel Sobel in BCS #143 – Science-Fantasy Month 2, BCS 121: The Breath of War by Aliette de Bodard in BCS #142 – Science-Fantasy Month 2, and BCS 170: A Salvaging of Ghosts by Aliette de Bodard in BCS #195 – Science-Fantasy Month 3, March

The ‘From the Archives’ story with BCS #245 is “Songdogs” by Ian McHugh, from BCS #27; not in from of our Science-Fantasy Months but still with a post-apocalyptic feel not unlike “Red Dreams” or “The Last Human Child” or “Such Were the Faces of the Living Creatures.”

All behind a new crop of our special science-fantasy cover art: “Ugg” by Florent Llamas.

BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4 will continue for four more weeks, with a third issue (so much science-fantasy that BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4 will last a month and a half!), including stories by Jason Sanford and Sarah Pinsker!

BCS #244 is out, a special double-issue kicking off BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4!

Yoon Ha Lee (“Shadow’s Weave” in BCS #200 and podcast BCS 177, “Two to Leave” in BCS 174 & podcast BCS 151, “The Pirate Captain’s Daughter” in BCS #27 & podcast BCS 025, among many others) returns to BCS with “The Starship and the Temple Cat,” a story of two disparate survivors of war.

(Yoon’s science-fantasy stories have appeared in BCS before: “Foxfire, Foxfire” in BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3 and podcast BCS 168, “The Bonedrake’s Penance” in BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2 in 2014, and “The Book of Locked Doors” in BCS Science-Fantasy Month in 2012.)

Maurice Broaddus offers “El is a Spaceship Melody,” a story of duty and starship and music, and Benjamin C. Kinney offers “Where the Anchor Lies,” a tale of unique attachment between officer and ship.

The BCS Audio Fiction Podcast episode with BCS #244 is BCS 210: The Starship and the Temple Cat, the Yoon Ha Lee story of survivors of war. It’s guest-narrated by Michael J. DeLuca, BCS author and narrator of past podcast episodes, including BCS 168: Foxfire, Fofxire, Yoon Ha Lee’s Locus Award-finalist story from BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3.

The ‘From the Archives’ story with BCS #244 is “The Breath of War” by Aliette de Bodard, from BCS #142 – Science-Fantasy Month 2 and podcast BCS 121, a story of motherhood and yearning and starships.

All behind special science-fantasy cover art: “Ugg” by Florent Llamas.

BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4 will continue for the next six weeks, with two more issues (so much science-fantasy that BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4 will last a month and a half!), including stories by Rich Larson, Jason Sanford, and Sarah Pinsker!

The bonus story fom BCS #195, our second double-issue for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3, and the two bonus podcast episodes are now live on the BCS website.

The bonus story, “The Mountains His Crown,”by Sarah Pinsker, tells of farmers trying to subsist in the face of autocratic and technological heedlessness.

All the stories in this double-issue were available two weeks ago for BCS ebook subscribers. Subscribers get every issue a week before the website, delivered directly to their e-reader or phone, and are supporting BCS at the same time. Visit our exclusive subscription partner WeightlessBooks.com for details.

The first bonus podcast episode is BCS 171: The Mountains His Crown, the Sarah Pinsker story, guest-narrated by Folly Blaine, who has narrated multiple past BCS podcast episodes including BCS 157: Bent the Wing, Dark the Cloud by Fran Wilde and BCS 146: Sun, Stone, Spear by Carrie Vaughn. 

The second bonus podcast is a new episode of the BCS Audio Vault: The Breath of War by Aliette de Bodard, her Nebula Award-finalist science-fantasy tale of colonialism and grief and loss from BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2 back in 2014. It’s introduced by the author, detailing the inspiration for the title and the colonialist theme.

If you’d like to get both these double-issues from BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3 as ebooks delivered straight to your reading device, they are now available at Weightless Books as a specially priced bundle.

And if you missed the special issues of the first BCS Science-Fantasy Month in 2012, featuring Yoon Ha Lee, Chris Willrich, and Megan Arkenberg, or the issues of BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2 in 2014, featuring Yoon Ha Lee (again!), Aliette de Bodard, and Seth Dickinson, you can get them in specially priced bundles too: BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2012 and BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2014.

BCS #195 is out today, another special double-issue for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3!

Aliette de Bodard (“The Moon Over Red Trees” in BCS #157 and podcast BCS 136, “Memories in Bronze, Feathers, and Blood” in BCS #45 and podcast BCS 041, and “The Breath of War,” a finalist for the Nebula Award, in BCS #142 – Science-Fantasy Month 2 and podcast BCS 121) returns to BCS with “A Salvaging of Ghosts,” a haunting story of deep spaces and family.

Sarah Pinsker offers “The Mountains His Crown,” a tale of farmers subsisting against imperialist whim, and Jason Sanford in “Blood Grains Speak Through Memories” posits a world where caretakers have become linked to the environment.

“The Mountains His Crown” releases on the website next Thursday, in text and as a bonus podcast episode BCS 171 guest-narrated by Folly Blaine. The full issue is available now on ebook at Kindle and Weightless Books.

The first BCS Audio Fiction Podcast episode with BCS #195 is BCS 170: A Salvaging of Ghosts, the Aliette de Bodard story of deep spaces and family. It’s guest-narrated by Tina Connolly, BCS author and narrator of past podcast episodes including BCS 156: Seasons Set in Skin by Caroline M. Yoachim, BCS 150: The Punctuality Machine, Or, A Steampunk Libretto by Bill Powell, and BCS 121: The Breath of War by Aliette de Bodard, from BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2.

Also releasing next Thursday is a new episode of the BCS Audio Vault podcast: Aliette de Bodard introducing that podcast of her story “The Breath of War” from BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2, which was a finalist for the Nebula Award last year.

The ‘From the Archives’ story with BCS #195 is “The Mote-Dancer and the Firelife” by Chris Willrich, from BCS #90 and podcast BCS 077, part of BCS Science-Fantasy Month 1 back in 2012. It’s a haunting tale of family not unlike “A Salvaging of Ghosts.”

All behind another view of our special science-fantasy cover art, “Research Lab” by Sung Choi.

BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3 will continue next week, with the website release of the bonus story, bonus podcast, and BCS Audio Vault podcast!

The bonus story for BCS #194, our first double-issue kicking off BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3, and the two bonus podcast episodes are now live on the BCS website.

Returning BCS author Cat Rambo (“Primaflora’s Journey” in BCS #170, “Rappaccini’s Crow” in BCS #151, among others) offers “Call and Answer, Plant and Harvest,” a tale of a chaos mage navigating chancy contests and feats.

All the stories in this double-issue were available two weeks ago for BCS ebook subscribers. Subscribers get every issue a week before the website, delivered directly to their e-reader or smart phone, and are supporting BCS at the same time. Visit our exclusive subscription partner WeightlessBooks.com for details.

The first bonus podcast episode is BCS 169: Call and Answer, Plant and Harvest, that Cat Rambo story, guest-narrated by M.K. Hobson, who has narrated multiple past BCS podcast episodes including BCS 166: The Three Dancers of Gizari by Tamara Vardomskaya.

The second bonus podcast is a new episode of the BCS Audio Vault: The Book of Locked Doors by Yoon Ha Lee, a science-fantasy tale of colonialism and grief and loss, for both a person and a people and culture.  It’s introduced by the author, detailing the inspiration for the title and the colonialist theme.

BCS #194 is out, a special double-issue kicking off BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3!

Yoon Ha Lee (“Two to Leave” in BCS 174 & podcast BCS 151, “The Pirate Captain’s Daughter” in BCS #27 & podcast BCS 025, among many others) returns to BCS with “Foxfire, Foxfire,” a story that blends fantastical shape-changing fox spirits with futuristic mechanical walking tanks.

(Yoon’s science-fantasy stories have appeared in BCS before: “The Bonedrake’s Penance” in BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2 in 2014 and “The Book of Locked Doors” in BCS Science-Fantasy Month 1 in 2012.)

Returning BCS author Cat Rambo (“Primaflora’s Journey” in BCS #170, “Rappaccini’s Crow” in BCS #151, among others) offers “Call and Answer, Plant and Harvest,” a tale of a chaos mage navigating chancy contests and feats.  Anaea Lay follows travels both interstellar and intramental in “The Right Bright Courier.”

“Call and Answer, Plant and Harvest” releases on the website next Thursday, in text and as a bonus podcast episode BCS 169 guest-narrated by M.K. Hobson. The full issue is available now on ebook at Kindle and Weightless Books.

The first BCS Audio Fiction Podcast episode with BCS #194 is BCS 168: Foxfire, Foxfire, the Yoon Ha Lee story of fox-spirits and mechanical tanks. It’s guest-narrated by Michael J. DeLuca, BCS author and narrator of past podcast episodes including BCS 153: The Girl with Golden Hair” by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam and BCS 123: Sekhmet Hunts the Dying Gnosis: A Computation by Seth Dickinson, from BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2.

Also releasing next Thursday is a new episode of the BCS Audio Vault podcast: Yoon Ha Lee introducing the podcast of his story “The Book of Locked Doors” from our Science-Fantasy Month 1.

The ‘From the Archives’ story with BCS #194 is “Scry” by Anne Ivy from BCS #90 in BCS Science-Fantasy Month 1, a tale of family relationships and the fate and free will of seeing their future. The special science-fantasy cover art is the futuristic yet bleak “Research Lab” by Sung Choi.

BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3 will continue next week, with the website release of the bonus story, bonus podcast, and BCS Audio Vault podcast, and in two weeks with BCS #195, featuring Aliette de Bodard (whose story “The Breath of War,” from BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2 and podcast BCS 121, was a Nebula Award finalist), Jason Sanford, and Sarah Pinsker!

Starting with BCS #194 next week, the first of our special double-issues for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 3 (and in the BCS #194 double-issue ebook already out early on Kindle and Weightless Books), our special science-fantasy cover art will be “Research Lab” by Sung Choi: