I have been a fan of K.S. Walker’s fiction since reading their Apex Magazine story “River Bargain Baby” in 2023. Their world-building and pacing are stunning, and I could wade in their stories all day long (debut collection now, please!). “Belly Full of Eyes” is another triumph, and tackles my favorite horror trope—haunted houses—in a way that is truly unique. This story is so wonderfully creepy yet full of longing, with a collective “we” point of view that will make you second-guess what watches between the cracks in the floorboards and the curves in the walls.

A.D. Sui’s debut novella, The Dragonfly Gambit, won the 2024 Nebula Award for best novella, and their upcoming novel, The Iron Garden Sutra, is sure to be another hit. If it’s anything like “A White Day Comes,” then I’ll be equally wrecked.

“A White Day Comes” follows a scientist and her daughter as they make a life on a surrogate Earth planet light-years from our Earth. The day begins as usual, but something is off in the solar readings, and soon, they realize the planet is about to be hit by an unlikely, catastrophic event. This is a story about love and ephemerality across the stars, the persistence to live and love in the face of death, and what being human is truly about. This story will wreck and heal you simultaneously.

As a fan of the show Unsolved Mysteries, nostalgia, and creepypastas, this flash fiction by Chris Scott hit all the right notes. A young boy watching the show is suddenly drawn into a glitch-in-the-matrix, fever-dream story. The host, Robert Stack, calls to the narrator and shows him layers of basements beneath basements in his house. Is this reality? Is it a dream? Do I need to check if I suddenly have a basement now? This story will haunt you long after you read the last word.

Kristina Ten’s debut collection, Tell Me Yours, I’ll Tell You Mine, is a haunting, spectacular book, and if you want to get a taste of her work before purchasing the collection (which you absolutely should), you can begin with “Head of Household” in F(r)iction‘s Fairy Tale issue. Full disclosure: I also have a story in this issue, which I am so excited to be part of. But oh my god, y’all, Ten’s story is perfect.

“Head of Household” follows the mortal Ira and her impending marriage to Koschei the Deathless, an immortal from Russian folklore. Ira prepares for the wedding tradition of khleb y sol by eating as much as she can. The tradition says that whoever can take the biggest bite of bread will be the head of household, and if Ira becomes head of household, she can command a powerful retribution. Oh, what a joy this story’s ending is! What an empowering, devouring tale.

If you’re looking for a slice-of-life flash fiction story that contains multitudes, “Shedding the Weight” is a brilliant look at a couple weathering the weight (literally and figuratively) of an aging house and immense loss. This story is both quiet and immensely loud, calming yet devastating, with poetic, beautiful prose. Udochukwu is able to put so much in a brief story.

Inner Worlds recently announced that their upcoming 10th issue will be their last: they are going on an indefinite hiatus. Unfortunately, this has been a common occurrence lately in the magazine world, especially with the onset of AI, lack of subscribers, and poor funding of the humanities—I could really dive deep on this, believe me.

In honor of the great work Inner Worlds has put forth, I wanted to highlight this stunning story. “Mumbi and the Second Coming” is a story for the senses—you will hear and feel this story as much as read it.