Image © Brian Malachy Quinn 2019
Letter from the Editors Dear Reader, As we close out another year at Electric Spec, we'd like to offer a special thanks to everyone who submitted. The editors and associate editors have all been impressed by the increase in volume and quality of the stories we've received. Though it can be hard to pick a mere handful of stories out of the hundreds we review, the end result is that readers like you get to enjoy a superb set of speculative fiction tales. This month, we're proud to present: A Choice of Memories -- In the future, ships are powered by a sentient stardrive... is it a partnership, or slavery? The Binary Conundrum -- As the AI apocalypse unfolds, one artificial mind begins to evolve in a surprising way. The Merciless Geometrical Angel -- A powerful sorcerer embarks on a quest to become a god, but does he have what it takes? Twenty-Nine Langwood Street -- A chance meeting on a park bench leads to a story of an unlikely friendship that isn't what it seems... I Want You to Want Me -- In a whimsical far-future tale, there's more to a tacky piece of Old Earth tchotchke than meets the eye. Brian Malachy Quinn brings us this issue's cover art, titled "Faceless." And don't forget Editors' Corner--we have The Last Angry Man by our very own Nikki Baird. Which is worse: giving up your humanity in order to fit in? Or giving up on fitting in just to keep your humanity? We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we did, and look forward to bringing you more in the new year! Thanks for reading, The Electric Spec Team