LIGHTSPEED is an online 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.

This month's cover art is by Saleha Chowdhury, illustrating a brand-new fantasy story by James Beamon ("A Song of Home, the Organ Grinds"). We also have a fantasy original from Kyle Muntz ("Wild Bill's Last Stand"), and fantasy reprints by Genevieve Valentine ("Aberration") and Naomi Novik ("Castle Coeurlieu"). Our science fiction originals this month are by G.V. Anderson ("Waterbirds") and Adam-Troy Castro ("Greetings, Humanity! Welcome To Your Choice of Species!"). We're reprinting SF by Jay Lake ("Permanent Fatal Errors") and Caroline M. Yoachim ("The Right Place to Start a Family"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. For our ebook readers, we also have a reprint of Kathleen Ann Goonan's SF novella "The Tale of the Alcubierre Horse." We'll also have an exclusive book excerpt of THE WILD DEAD by Carrie Vaughn.