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At Strange Horizons, we have always relied on the kindness of friends. It is perhaps fitting, therefore, that our donor's choice special issue for 2021 is titled—simply—Friendship.

Friendships come in a multiverse of shapes and forms, but at the heart of it all, they allow us—if only for a few moments—to beat back the loneliness of the world. Friendships can take different hues and colours, but at their best they are uncommodified sanctuaries in a world in which even the social, and not just the economic, must ceaselessly battle capitalism's drive towards commodification. And if the task of speculative fiction, as Le Guin taught us, is to imagine alternatives to how we live, then ideas of friendship must always be at the centre of our speculative projects.

The stories, poetry, and non-fiction in this issue explore the meaning of friendship in different ways. The first two poems also embody the idea: the second was commissioned as a companion - or a friend - of the first.

We hope, friends, that you will enjoy them.

 



Gautam Bhatia is an Indian speculative fiction writer, and the co-ordinating editor of Strange Horizons. He is the author of the science fiction duology, The Wall (HarperCollins India, 2020) and The Horizon (HarperCollins India, 2021). Both novels featured on Locus Magazine's year-end recommended reading list, and The Wall was shortlisted for the Valley of Words Award for English-language fiction. His short stories have appeared in The Gollancz Book of South Asian Science Fiction and LiveMint magazine. He is based in New Delhi, India.
Current Issue
18 Mar 2024

Strange Horizons
We are very happy to welcome Dante Luiz as a new fiction editor on the team! Dante is a Ignyte Award winning author, and has been with Strange Horizons working as an Art Director for the past several years. We’re stoked to bring him on to the fiction side and have him bring his wonderful insight and skill to the fiction team.
Day in and day out, the rough waters of the Pacific slam themselves against the protrusion of sandstone the locals refer to as Morro Rock. White streaks of bird shit bleed down the rock, a testament to the rare birds of prey that nest in its pocked face overlooking the bay.
in my defence, juggling biological and artificial, i tripped over my shoelace, and spilled my lungs empty of the innocence that was, before guilt.
the birds, / who carry with them / the many names of the dead
Wednesday: Overlap: The Lives of a Former Time Jumper by N. Joseph Glass 
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