Set against the unexpected splendor of an ostrich ranch in the California desert, April Dávila's beautifully written debut conjures an absorbing and compelling heroine in a story of courage, family and forgiveness. When Tallulah Jones was thirteen, her grandmother plucked her from the dank Oakland apartment she shared with her unreliable mom and brought her to the family ostrich ranch in the Mojave Desert. After eleven years caring for the curious, graceful birds, Tallulah accepts a job in Montana and prepares to leave home. But when Grandma Helen dies under strange circumstances, Tallulah inherits everything—just days before the birds inexplicably stop laying eggs. Guarding the secret of the suddenly barren birds, Tallulah endeavors to force through a sale of the ranch, a task that is complicated by the arrival of her extended family. Their designs on the property, and deeply rooted dysfunction,...

LIGHTSPEED is a digital science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF—and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to issue 142 of LIGHTSPEED! Once upon a time, television viewers enjoyed the thrilling investigations, fast cars, and casual lifestyle of Magnum, PI. This month, we're delighted to offer you Shiv Ramdas' new fantasy novelette, "Bhatia, PI," which features a thrilling investigation, fast lies, and a lifestyle not so much casual as "totally out of cash." If you're looking for a few good laughs, we think Bhatia has you covered. Our other original fantasy works include Maria Dong's new story "Nine Tails of a Soap Empire"-a tale of obsession and power that will make you re-think the bubbles beside your sink. Nicole D. Sconiers returns to our...

Issue #142 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies online magazine, a special double-issue for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 2, featuring stories by Aliette de Bodard, Rachel Sobel, and Nathaniel Lee, and Pt. 1 of a novella by Dean Wells.