Grounding your weird fiction with a throughline that cuts right through all the horror to the humanity at all has me crying while reading this week's award-nominated novelette.

This week's story: Uncertain Sons, by Thomas Ha. Published in Uncertain Sons and Other Stories.

• Nebula Award Nominee (novelette)
• Philip K. Dick Award Nominee
• British Science Fiction Association Awards Nominee
• Bram Stoker Awards Nominee in Long Fiction (for title novelette)
• Locus Recommended Reading List
• New York Public Library 'Best of 2025'

This week's snack: Bread Machine Coffee Cake

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Next Week's Story: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

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When a farmhand robot appears at Tantie Merle's house as a gift, she doesn't realize she is on the precipice of change, for not only her life, but the world.

This week's story: Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200, by R.S.A. Garcia Published in Uncanny Magazine

• Nebula Awards 2024 — short story — winner

• Eugie Awards 2024 — finalist

• Ignyte Awards 2024 — short story — nomination

• Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award 2024 — winner

This week's snack: Carrot Cake

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In which gym bros save their community and fall in love.

This week's story: If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God with the Informal You, by John Chu. Published in Uncanny Magazine

• Hugo Awards 2023 — novelette — nomination
• Nebula Awards 2023 — novelette — winner
• Ignyte Awards 2023 — novelette — winner
• Locus Awards 2023 — novelette — winner

This week's snack: Snacky Clusters from Trader Joes

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Next Week's Story: Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200

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When medical information is controlled by a conglomerate, and knowledge behind a paywall can be the difference between life and death, one 'doctor' goes to great lengths to learn and know her alien patient.

This week's story: Negative Scholarship on the Fifth State of Being, by A. W. Prihandita. Published in Clarksworld

• Winner: 2024 Nebula Award for Best Novelette
• Finalist: 2025 Ignyte Award for Outstanding Novelette
• Finalist: 2025 Eugie Award

This week's snack: Five Flavor Pound Cake

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Next Week's Story: If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God with the Informal You

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What if the knowledge to your survival would cost you your friend? And what if that friend was a robot?

This week's story: The Portmeirion Road, by Fiona Moore. Published in Clarksworld

2024 BSFA Award Finalist for Best Short Fiction

This week's snack: Airheads Xtremes Candy

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Next Week's Story: Negative Scholarship on the Fifth State of Being

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In the gray space in between terraforming and colonization, an exorcism crew captain confronted by a human ghost has to grapple with his purpose.

This week's story: What Any Dead Thing Wants, by Aimee Ogden. Published in Psychopomp

Nebula Novelette Finalist

This week's snack: Animal Crackers and Frosting

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Next Week's Story: The Portmeirion Road

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If humanity could send only a few select memories out into space, with the hopes of reaching intelligent life, what would you choose to send?

This week's story: Patsy Cline Sings Sweet Dreams to the Universe by Beston Barnett. Published in Strange Horizons

Second Place: Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award 2024

This week's snack: Grilled Cheese Two Ways

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Next Week's Story: What Any Dead Thing Wants (16,300 words)

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An interesting and complex form intimidated me initially with this story, but after trusting the process I walk away from this with a deeply resonant experience contemplating life, loss, transformation, love, death and iteration.

This week's story: We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read, by Caroline M. Yoachim Published in Lightspeed Magazine

Nominated, Short Story Hugos 2025 and Nebulas 2025

Finalist for Eugie Awards

Finalist for Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award

2nd place in Locus Awards

WON: Ignyte Awards

This week's snack: Good and Plenty's

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