LIGHTSPEED is a digital 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.

Welcome to issue 170 of LIGHTSPEED! Both of our original short SF stories wrestle with meaning and expression. The first is Dominique Dickey's story "The Last Lucid Day," about a technology that gives people with dementia the capacity to know what their last lucid day will be. If you've had family members with this insidious condition, this story will both rip out your heart and give you a hug. Filip Hajdar Drnovsek Zorko's novelette "The Heist for the Soul of Humanity" pulls back its lens to focus on a humanity spread across solar systems, but still struggling to make art outside the grip of corporate giants. On top of the philosophical and sociological musings, this story offers up just what its title promises: a cunning heist adventure. In this month's flash fiction, we have an SF story in the guise of a writing advice column ("The Only Writing Advice You'll Ever Need to Survive Eldritch Horrors" by Aimee Pichi) and "The Aliens Said They Want to Party," a hilarious first contact piece by Joel W.D. Buxton. Of course we have two fantasy flash pieces, as well, including "Songs of the Sorrow of Thorns" from Amayah Perveen, and "A Guide on How to Meet the Deity of Many Faces" from Oyedotun Damilola Muees. Our fantasy short stories include "The Red Queen's Heart" by Vanessa Fogg, the story of a magical market and a powerful woman's purchases. Carrie Vaughn offers us "Between Above and Below," which puts a retired angel in the dangerous position of needing to care about a human.