Glad Tidings from Earth by Maggie D Brace ‘Glad Tidings from Earth!’ flashed on her eye screen, followed by a flurry of personal ads and ‘one day only’ deals. She swiped them away with a quick eye movement. What was the old saying? Bah humbug! The more years she Read more…
The Snowman by Jim Bates The mid-December storm dumped six inches of wet snow, making it hard for old Harold to shovel. His housemate, Joey the djinn, was no help as he got bored and began a playful snowball fight with their next-door neighbor, nine-year-old Rosie. “Hey, you two,” Read more…
The Christmas Guest by Gabriella Balcom “You really go all-out for the holidays, don’t you?” Hank studied his hosts’ décor. A spectacular, festively decorated tree and brightly wrapped gifts dominated the living room, along with lifelike models of Santa and his reindeer. Christmas music played, and wreaths, holly, mistletoe, Read more…
The Lonely and the Lost by K.B. Elijah My boots squelch as I descend the worn steps, the ubiquitous dirty rain of the city haunting me even in this dark little hole in Djinntown. It’s impossible to avoid stepping in the puddles when the rains haven’t let up for Read more…
The Sky-Blue Gene by Philip Berry Zach spins his postal shuttle down onto the Immigration & Naturalisation department’s immense roof. Here, ten thousand functionaries dedicate whole careers to determining the status of the Archipelago’s thirty billion inhabitants. The Archipelago is an elongated smudge of star systems, bright seeds thrown Read more…
We Weren’t Always Strangers by Kelly Matsuura “Good morning. ePassport and documents, please.” “Good morning.” When he smiled back, Kiyomi felt a tingle of déjà vu but quickly dismissed it. Djinn travelers passed through immigration daily, so she’d likely scanned his ID on another visit. Still, she felt her Read more…
The Last Si’lat by Alanna Robertson-Webb Jirizi, the last Si’lat Djinn residing in the Bedouin Desert, spied upon a small group of humans as they meandered hopelessly over dune after blistering dune. She had taken on the form of a small lizard, and had been watching them for the Read more…