Write a retro-futuristic sci-fi story. Retro-futuristic science fiction looks backward to imagine tomorrow. Its charm lies in the tension between optimism and anxiety: visions of the future filtered through the design languages, social hopes, and technological limits of their own eras. These stories are not forecasts so much as cultural time capsules, preserving what a generation wanted the future to be, or feared it might become. Early retro-futurism often radiated faith in

What ho-ho-ho, good readers! It's time again for the Reader's Pick Award, this time for stories published during the month of November. And the winner is... [insert drumroll here] The Confession Hunter , by Hudson Tankersley! This is his first-ever story with us, and it's been voted the best of the month by all of you. Congratulations! As always, the winner gets the $100 cash prize, a lovely medal to decorate the story art, and the honest envy of all the rest of us. Envy

Editors' Choice: "The Mouth Beneath the Mountain" by Sophie Lennox   is the editor's pick as the best theme story for September/October. Congratulations Sophie! Last month's theme prompt, Terrestrial Settings,  ended on October 15th, with the final accepted entry published on November 12th. We had ten theme submissions set in locations on or near dear old Earth. Here's a summary of the winning story: The Mouth Beneath the Mountain by Sophie Lennox The Mouth Beneath the Mounta

October's Reader's Pick Award goes to Jonathan Sutorus for Red Path , narrowly defeating the next runner-up. Congratulations! (Once again our monthly Reader's Pick award is running late, and therefrom hangs a tale. One day I may even tell it.) Along with the cash award, the Reader's Pick also carries a lovely medal to decorate the story art (coming soon), as well as invaluable bragging rights and the sincere, heartfelt envy of your peers. We also have three Honorable Mention

Write a sci-fi story about a mysterious object in the sky. Throughout human history, people have looked to the skies for signs, interpreting unusual celestial phenomena as messages from the gods, warnings of disaster, or hints of major change. Ancient civilizations recorded appearances of comets, bright “guest stars,” and eclipses, each seen as a portent. In China, for example, comets were often viewed as harbingers of political upheaval or natural disasters. Roman and Greek

Apologies for the delay, folks; we didn't forget you. September's Reader's Pick Award goes to E.J. Kavounas, for Love Hack , winning the contest with a landslide. Congratulations! Along with the cash award, the Reader's Pick also carries a lovely medal to decorate the story art, as well as invaluable bragging rights. We'd also like to let you know about our three Honorable Mentions: Omni-Body Technologies , by Joshua Mannix The Mouth Beneath the Mountain , by Sophie Lennox B

Editors' Choice: "Tommy" by Michael Barbato-Dunn is the editor's pick as the best theme story for July/August. Congratulations Michael!...

Another month, another award -- this time to... [insert drumroll here] " In Stone and Story ", by Sophie Lenox! Remarkably, this is only...

Prompt: Write a sci-fi story set in some unique or interesting place on or near Earth.

An Alien Eden It was a hotly contested race, but the numbers don't lie. Once again, our Reader's Pick Award goes to... ...the incomparable Randall Andrews! His story, An Alien Eden , scored an impressive 40 Rockets! Congratulations, and well done, sir. As always, the winner receives bragging rights, the lovely Reader's Pick Medal for their story, and cash money to the tune of $100. Lest we forget, there are also three runners-up: One Can Only Wish , Will Kelly, 35 Rockets

"So much for Objective Journalism. Don't bother to look for it here — not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With...

What, so soon? Yes, so soon. This summer's just zipping by, isn't it? Likewise, this Reader's Pick contest has been an exciting race,...

Editors' Choice: "A Heaven for Holograms" by Stefan Grieve is the editor's pick as the winning theme story for May/June. Congratulations...

Write a sci-fi flash story about aliens living surreptitiously among humans. Everything I'm about to tell you is completely true. There...

In grade-school English, you were probably taught about plot, theme, rising and falling action, the climax, and so on. And that was...

On rare occasions, we'll publish something that's twisted around, upside-down, back to front, or that's missing important parts —...

Once again we have a new Reader's Pick story, voted for by you, our loyal readers. This time, unusually, the winner hasn't been in any...

Editors' Choice: "The TQL Gambit" by David Barlow is the editor's pick as the winning theme story for March/April. Congratulations...

It's that time again! We have a new Reader's Pick story, voted for by you, our loyal readers. The votes have been swinging this way and that, with four different stories each taking the lead at any given moment. And the final winner is... Unsupported Technology , by Nina Miller. As always, this victory entitles our winning writer to the coveted Reader's Pick medal, a $100 cash prize, and — most valuable of all — the genuine envy of her fellow writers, all of whom are madly

Write a sci-fi story about the mind. Of course, you'll use your mind to write the story (I hope). But that's not what I mean. That...