As an orphaned sixteen-year-old, Lynette was haunted by the ghost of Mirror Boy, the drowned child who replaced her reflection. Ten years later, she’s built herself a new life, but all that is threatened when Mirror Boy returns, warning of danger. A hunter has come for both of them, and unless Lynette can figure out what’s going on, they will both perish.
This tale is an unusual take on an engineering exam that explores new concepts in machine design and function. All new machine discoveries must be investigated and classified. This is the story of three such machines and the truth or lie of their existence.
Science Fiction || At the pinnacle of this demanding sport, artistry and balance is found in two moving as one. Yet the world's best pair of acrobats dare not reveal that their athletic brilliance has come at the price of their very identities.
Dark Fantasy, Fantasy || "The Language of Knives" by Haralambi Markov is about the death rituals of this secondary world. A strong-willed daughter is guided by her unloved parent in the customs of how to respect the remains of her favorite parent.
Fantasy, Romantic || When Mr. Sorensen—a drab, cipher of a man—passes away, his lovely widow falls in love with a most unsuitable mate. Enraged and scandalized (and armed with hot-dish and gossip and seven-layer bars), the Parish Council turns to the old priest to fix the situation—to convince Mrs. Sorensen to reject the green world and live as a widow ought. But the pretty widow has plans of her own.
Fantasy, Magical Realism || The late Julio Cortázar was a sickly child and spent many hours in bed. Perhaps those memories inspired "Cefalea," the feverish story of the care and feeding of fantastical creatures called the mancuspias, which debuted in his 1951 collection Bestiario. Tor.com is proud to share with you "Headache," the first ever English translation of "Cefalea."
Science Fiction, Weird Fiction || Generation after generation, engineers have maintained the barricade, a shield that protects civilization against Turbulence, this strange force that destroys both minds and machines. As Turbulence grows ever more intense and the barricade begins to fail, can Ritter live up to the demands of his father, an engineer the equal of any hero in the Five Great Classical Novels, as they struggle to prevent this civilization from falling like every civilization has before it?
Fantasy, Historical || Scant years after the Civil War, a mysterious family confronts the legacy that has pursued them across centuries, out of slavery, and finally to the idyllic peace of the town of Rosetree. The shattering consequences of this confrontation echo backwards and forwards in time, even to the present day.
Horror, Science Fiction || To celebrate Tor.com's fifth birthday and continue the tradition we began last year with Charles Stross' "A Tall Tail," we're happy to present our second annual Rocket Story! This year's story is Jeffrey Ford's "Rocket Ship to Hell."
Hard Science Fiction, Science Fiction || First contact was supposed to change the course of human history. But it turns out, you still have to go to work the next morning.
Fantasy, Weird Fiction || In a possible far future animals have taken over and democratized the world where humans once ruled. Tim, a lonely slime mold, is worried about his human pet Mimi and her recent animal urges. He only wants her to be happy, but he doesn't know how to keep her from sneaking out and cavorting with the human pet next door or any number of feral humans in the neighborhood. But through his relationship with her, he learns what it truly means to make a commitment to someone else.
Fantasy, Romantic || Gian returns to Sea-john from the Kingdom's wars certain that he has skills beyond killing, death and destruction. He needs to prove to himself that love is just as strong, if not stronger, than his hate. The Summer King gives him this opportunity.
Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy || People send their dreams and wishes floating down the Mae Ping River with the hope that those dreams will be captured, read and come true. It is a surprise what some wish for and why. One can never know what's inside someone's heart—what they really truly want, and those dreams sometimes reveal our true selves.
