Show Notes
On the grounds of a derelict oil refinery southeast of Phoenix, Abe and Vera operate a nature park that reflects a world ravaged by climate change, where tourists don heat-resistant suits to walk among junk-metal statues of dinosaurs, superheroes, and recently-extinct animals such as polar bears and rhinos. While the couple take great care in educating visitors, their real work lies in removing co2 from the atmosphere using some of their park’s unique structures. This is “In the Forest of Mechanical Trees,” read and written by Steve Rasnic Tem.
More from Asimov's Science Fiction
During a world-changing first contact event, David is seeking his father’s first edition copy of a sci-fi book about another Earth under alien invasion. Except, it’s not to study up on the little green men within, but to sell for drugs. What is it like to be in the midst of a real-life sci-fi event, with your mind entirely stuck on your next fix? Find out in "Seeking" written and read by Gregory Marlow. Content warnings for addiction, overdose, and IV drug use.
Harlan is a claims investigator in a world of zoomorphic gene editing and memory implants where anyone can become anything—including their true selves. When a job leads him to a club where modified humans called ‘mamms’ run wild, an opportunity for self-discovery presents itself. Behind layers of memory preserving brain-gum, who is Harlan really? And is this job really worth finding out? Find out in Gumchew written and read by Zack Be.
Taz and Rach are new humans living on a colony station run entirely run by intelligent machinery. As an old human warship descends on their colony, it becomes their job to bridge the divide and begin first contact. How to be diplomatic and detect lies and ill intent when the language you speak doesn't translate? Find out "The Language of Machines," read and written by Betsy Aoki.
In “The Greenway,” a mother and her two small children are the last survivors in their small settlement. They wait for the arrival of the caravan that will both collect the last of their dead and bring a new spring. Listen to the latest story written and read by Susan Palwick.
If you could replace your memories with better ones, would you? Consider this as Ray Nayler reads you his story “Catch a Tiger in the Snow.” Here our narrator meets a memory tailor who alters memories for paying customers seeking a past that better suits the person they want to be.