Creepshow Sheepshow By Joel Tagert Art by Dave Danzara Published Issue 087, March 2021 “I hate sheep,” Naoko said. “They’re creepy.” Ten raised a tufted eyebrow in disbelief. “I’ve seen you literally swimming in blood and guts. These are sheep.” “I didn’t say they were gross, I said they were creepy.” “White, fluffy sheep. Little […]
OnlyFae By Joel Tagert Published Issue 086, February 2021 “May this arrow fly true as the spirit of Enrathiel, the White Falcon,” Melara whispered as she drew. The ten-tined hart raised its head as though hearing her prayer. The whole forest seemed to hold its breath, the breeze falling to nothing, the leaves quieting; and
The Dream Machine By Joel Tagert Published Issue 085, January 2021 Author’s note: The underlined sentences in this story were generated from the preceding sentences by Talk to Transformer (https://app.inferkit.com/demo), a predictive neural network, with minimal alterations for narrative and grammatical continuity. When he reached the top of the hill and saw the highway in
Land of the Noble Free By Joel Tagert Art by Mark Mothersbaugh Published Issue 084, December 2020 Lionel was on a mission, but as he moved through the alleys he still scanned the dumpsters for food or other useful items. Buying things was dangerous. He wore sunglasses, a wig, and a mask over his mouth
THE END OF STASIS By Joel Tagert Art by Ali Hoff Published Issue 083, November 2020 “What has been will be again,” intoned Preserver Lyons, “what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Forever and ever, amen.” He raised a hand to the great crowd of faithful in
THE KOBOLD By Joel Tagert Art by Jonny DeStefano Published Issue 082, October 2020 “Why did you bring her?” Collin asked as they got out of their vehicles beside the barn, frowning at the six-year-old girl hiding behind Alicia’s purple-velvet cloak. “Don’t be a dick,” Alicia said. “She’s my cousin and no one else could
TEA FOR THE ETERNAL EMPEROR By Joel Tagert Art by Dylan Fowler Published Issue 081, September 2020 Despite the thin air and the cold, Pleven and Emma spent nearly the entire eight-hour flight across the Cauldron on the observation deck, talking together and looking eagerly at the roiling clouds below them, lit intermittently by flashes
A DIFFERENT KIND OF WITCHBy Joel TagertArt by Future Fantasy DelightPublished Issue 080, August 2020 Bokker spent the stakeout at Kilauea watching Jurassic World in a little window on his military-grade laptop, a thick, multi-cornered black slab that looked like an OtterBox on steroids. She assumed he watched porn on it as well, which raised
A DRAGON IN EMPYREBy Joel TagertArt by Ali HoffPublished Issue 079, July 2020 Senator Streety looked uncomfortable on the way up in the shuttle, crunching his eyes closed and wrapping his arms around his stomach. Phaera leaned over in her seat. “Can we get you anything, maybe an anti-nausea med?” He shook his large, dark,
A LAKE SO STILLBy Joel TagertIllustration by Dylan FowlerPublished Issue 078, June 2020 Two days after leaving the forest, the Shizi army surmounted a final crest, emerging into a broad bowl-shaped valley backed by a steep rocky slope laden with glacial ice. There on a hill was Gyontse Castle, all right; but completely surrounding it was a
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