The Future Fire

Michael Jackson's #Thriller was released 43 years ago today. Biggest selling album of all time, most effective use of a full-on horror movie as promo video for the title track, and all round legendary release. Out #OnThisDay in 1982.

Happy 127th birthday to sf/fantasy writer, allegorist and university academic C.S. Lewis (The Space Trilogy, 1938–45 & Chronicles of Narnia, 1950–56), born #onthisday in 1898.

Micro-interview with Toeken Please welcome Toeken, long-time collaborator and artist of “ The Sons of Victor Levitak ”  and “ Unblooded Gospel ” in The Future Fire #74...

Please welcome @toeken.bsky.social, long-time collaborator and artist of “The Sons of Victor Levitak” and “Unblooded Gospel” in The Future Fire #74, for this week’s installment of our #microinterview series.
press.futurefire.net/2025/11/micr...

Micro-interview with Lauren Ferebee Lauren Ferebee, author of “ Sentinel ” in The Future Fire #74, joins us for a chat about omens, preservation and evolution in the latest in...

Today @laurenferebee.bsky.social, author of “Sentinel” in The Future Fire #74, joins us for a chat about omens, preservation and evolution in the latest instance of our #microinterview feature
press.futurefire.net/2025/11/micr...

Micro-interview with Lauren Ferebee Lauren Ferebee, author of “ Sentinel ” in The Future Fire #74, joins us for a chat about omens, preservation and evolution in the latest in...

Today @laurenferebee.bsky.social, author of “Sentinel” in The Future Fire #74, joins us for a chat about omens, preservation and evolution in the latest instance of our #microinterview feature
press.futurefire.net/2025/11/micr...

Micro-interview with V. Zixin We’re very happy to introduce V. Zixin, author of “ The Better Ends ” in The Future Fire #74, who joins us for this week’s microinterview. ...

We’re very happy to introduce V. Zixin, author of “The Better Ends” in The Future Fire #74, who joins us for this week’s #microinterview.
press.futurefire.net/2025/11/micr...

Micro-interview with Nancy S. Koven Nancy S. Koven, author of “ Seven Stories for Now and Later ” in The Future Fire #74, joins us for a quick chat about extinction, fetishiza...

Nancy S. Koven, author of “Seven Stories for Now and Later” in The Future Fire #74, joined us for a quick chat about extinction, fetishization and writing in this week’s #microinterview
press.futurefire.net/2025/10/micr...

Micro-interview with Nancy S. Koven Nancy S. Koven, author of “ Seven Stories for Now and Later ” in The Future Fire #74, joins us for a quick chat about extinction, fetishiza...

Nancy S. Koven, author of “Seven Stories for Now and Later” in The Future Fire #74, joined us for a quick chat about extinction, fetishization and writing in this week’s #microinterview
press.futurefire.net/2025/10/micr...

Smart Search List of the Day The Smart Search List of the Day is: Paying Novelettes feat. @analogsf.bsky.social @thefuturefire.bsky.social @bcsmagazine.bsky.social et al. https://duotrope.com/search/smart/fiction/paying-novelettes-ytiEdb4J

The Smart Search List of the Day is: Paying Novelettes feat. @analogsf.bsky.social @thefuturefire.bsky.social @bcsmagazine.bsky.social et al. https://duotrope.com...

That is surely one possibility. Some day, I hope.

To be clear, I'm not recommending the BBC short film as a good example of that genre.

I am saying I'd like to see more pieces in that genre. Where do I find them?

And while as the archaeologists in the replies have pointed out, the narrator in that story isn't a very good archaeologist (even by 20th century standards), it *is* a piece of archaeological science fiction—which is the only genre I love more than anthropological speculative fiction.

There's some #socialpolitical #sciencefiction if you want it. Weird mix of old-fashioned (even for the 60s!) moralising, and eerily modern-feeling critique of materialism and environmental destruction. And a pastiche of archaeological narrative-making.

Micro-interview with Justin Taroli This week we welcome Justin Taroli, author of “ Unblooded Gospel ” in The Future Fire #74, for a super brief chat about his story, dreams a...

This week we welcome Justin Taroli, author of “Unblooded Gospel” in The Future Fire #74, for a super brief #microinterview about his story, dreams and writing press.futurefire.net/2025/10/micr...

Micro-interview with Eleanor Glewwe We’re delighted to be joined by Eleanor Glewwe, author of “ Limue’s Alphabet ” in The Future Fire #74, for a quick chat about alphabets and...

We’re delighted to be joined by @eleanorglewwe.bsky.social, author of “Limue’s Alphabet” in The Future Fire #74, for a quick chat about alphabets and languages, in this week’s installment of our #microinterview series press.futurefire.net/2025/10/micr...

Micro-interview with Rowley Amato Rowley Amato, author of “ The Sons of Victor Levitak ” in The Future Fire #74, joins us to talk about his story and other speculative matte...

Rowley Amato, author of “The Sons of Victor Levitak” in The Future Fire #74, joins us to talk about his story and other speculative matters in our micro-interview series press.futurefire.net/2025/10/micr...

Micro-interview with Naomi Simone Borwein We’re joined by Naomi Simone Borwein, author of the wonderful poem “ The Void Is in a Playful Mood Tonight ” in The Future Fire #74, to ta...

#microinterview We’re joined by @nsborwein.bsky.social, author of the wonderful poem “The Void 𝘐𝘴 in a Playful Mood Tonight” in The Future Fire #74, to talk about alienation, transmateriality, and writing. press.futurefire.net/2025/09/micr...

New issue: 2025.74 “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by hum...

If you'd like to comment on, review, give feedback or say anything else about any of the stories, poems and art in this issue, please do so in the comment thread under the blog post at: press.futurefire.net/2025/09/new-...

New issue: 2025.74 “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by hum...

If you'd like to comment on, review, give feedback or say anything else about any of the stories, poems and art in this issue, please do so in the comment thread under the blog post at: press.futurefire.net/2025/09/new-...

Magazine cover. Header reads "THE FUTURE FIRE Social Political & Speculative Cyberfiction" on a forest green background with multilingual alphabets superimposed over it. Banner: "Issue 2025.74. ISSN: 1746-1839". Main image, a long-coated figure looking out over a stormy seascape in stark shades of teal and charcoal. Footer text: "Art by Barbara Candiotti"

And I know it's at the top of this thread, but I just wanted to point out THAT COVER ART! by Barbara Candiotti.

There’s a guy at the bar with lips like wet marble and a credit score you can feel in your spine. He orders vodka neat. Who drinks vodka neat? People who don’t need mixers, or feelings, or food. People who glide.

#speculativefiction #freeScifi

Unblooded Gospel, Justin Taroli There’s a guy at the bar with lips like wet marble and a credit score you can feel in your spine. He orders vodka neat. Who drinks vodka neat? People who don’t need mixers, or feelings, or food. Peopl...

Justin Taroli gives us “Unblooded Gospel,” a razor sharp, queer, punk, urban apocalypse, with art by the splendid @toeken.bsky.social.

futurefire.net/2025.74/fict...

In the dappled shade of a stand of bamboo, an old woman takes a stick and scratches two curved lines in the dusty yellow earth.

“Pai is for pera
Limue’s plucked eye”

#speculativefiction #sociolinguistics #FreeScifi

Limue’s Alphabet, Eleanor Glewwe In the dappled shade of a stand of bamboo, an old woman takes a stick and scratches two curved lines in the dusty yellow earth.

A super-smart novelette about poetry and divinity and language in the face of cultural contact: “Limue’s Alphabet” by Eleanor Glewwe (@eleanorglewwe.bsky.social) with art by the fabulous Barbara Candiotti. futurefire.net/2025.74/fict...

We were both teenagers at the time. Or near enough, anyway. Neither of us knew when our birthdays really were. Children didn’t seem to be born in Shenzhen. They materialized around alleyways and market stalls before being adopted by the proper enclaves.

#speculativefiction #freeScifi #novelette

The Better Ends, V. Zixin I felt you.

“The Better Ends,” a speculative, postcolonial coming-of-age by V. Zixin, with art by the brilliant Carmen Moran @floopy-b.bsky.social

futurefire.net/2025.74/fict...

A thickset bird shuffles along the railing of the viewing platform, catches me looking across the river at its home, then turns to face the same way. We become an old married couple, exchanging sighs and idly scratching away the afternoon’s humidity.

#speculativefiction #ecoSF

Seven Stories for Now and Later, Nancy S. Koven

Nancy S. Koven’s “Seven Stories for Now and Later,” also eco-fiction, family history, funny and moving. Art is by John Gould and H.C. Richter.

futurefire.net/2025.74/fict...

Victor Levitak was not well-loved by the other residents of the Coop, but we sat a feeble shiva for him anyway. We gathered in the lobby, draping old blankets and shawls over the mirrors and windows and reflective surfaces.

#scifi #horror

The Sons of Victor Levitak, Rowley Amato Victor Levitak was not well-loved by the other residents of the Coop, but we sat a feeble shiva for him anyway.

Rowley Amato offers the dark but hopeful, gorgeously voiced “The Sons of Victor Levitak.” The always superb @toeken.bsky.social provides art. #freeScifi #speculativefiction

futurefire.net/2025.74/fict...