It’s 1982 but not as we know it. The Cold War has lost its chill and World War III has arrived, threatening to send the whole planet into meltdown. Vladislav Rakovich is a young, idealistic communist. He dreams of being an officer, leading his soldiers on a mission to free the world from capitalism. But as the Soviet armies roll west, he gains his first bitter taste of command and reality hits. Can he stay focused on his aim in the face of undisciplined troops, a corrupt superior officer, and NATO's military might? As conflict rages around him, Rakovich finds that his biggest battle comes from within as his faith in the communist cause is shaken by the horror of war. Back home in Leningrad, Rakovich’s beloved sister Anna has other things to worry about. Drawn into a world of trade unions and protests, Anna finds herself driven by a new purpose, although her beliefs introduce her to a dangerous world where dissent can lead to disappearance or even death. Will this war birth the second revolution the nation is crying out for? Or will the people be trampled underfoot by the establishment once more? The Bear’s Claws is a compelling and powerful story of how family, courage, and conviction can survive in a world torn apart by war.

WITCHBLADE! HEARTSTONE! BLOODSWORD! Three short stories featuring three artifacts by three Talent Hunt-winning creative teams in this special one-shot!

The 19th century witnessed an explosion of writing about unproductivity, with the exploits of various idlers, loafers, and “gentlemen of refinement” capturing the imagination o fa country that was deeply ambivalent about its work ethic. Idle Threats documents this American obsession with unproductivity and its potentials, while offering an explanation of the profound significance of idle practices for literary and cultural production. While this fascination with unproductivity memorably defined literary characters from Rip Van Winkle to Bartleby to George Hurstwood, it also reverberated deeply through the entire culture, both as a seductive ideal and as a potentially corrosive threat to upright, industrious American men. Drawing on an impressive array of archival material and multifaceted literary and cultural sources, Idle Threats connects the question of unproductivity to other discourses concerning manhood, the value of art, the allure of the frontier, the usefulness of knowledge,the meaning of individuality, and the experience of time, space, and history. Andrew Lyndon Knighton offers a new way of thinking about the largely unacknowledged “productivity of the unproductive,” revealing the incalculable and sometimes surprising ways in which American modernity transformed the relationship between subjects and that which is most intimate to them: their own activity.

Fiction has a special role in the way we relate to each other. Fiction can take us outside of our own experience and give us a small hint of what it's like to be someone else. Speculative fiction - including steampunk - has always been a metaphorical mirror to our own society, allowing us to see ourselves and our behaviors from the outside in ways that we otherwise couldn't. It's not magic. It's the interworking of dozens of finely machined gears. It's the craftswoman adjusting the tension on a spring so it doesn't break. It's the stoker making sure the furnace fires stay burning. It's the conductor collecting tickets, the passengers watching the landscape roll by, the excited child standing next to the engineer who gets to pull the cord and hear the train's steam whistle. It might not be magic, but it's still amazing. Especially with a project like Steampunk Universe, making an anthology of steampunk stories that feature diverse characters who are disabled or aneurotypical. Join editor Sarah Hans, our cover artist James Ng, and contributors Ken Liu, Jody Lynn Nye, Maurice Broaddus, Malon Edwards, Emily Cataneo, Pip Ballantine and nine others today.

Alt Hist is the new magazine of historical fiction and alternate history. The second issue features eight new stories and also three book reviews. From ancient Egypt to World War I, and the death of Abraham Lincoln, there is something for every fan of historical fiction in Alt Hist Issue 2. Stories featured in Alt Hist Issue 2: ‘Long Nights in Languedoc’ by Andrew Knighton ‘The Apollo Mission’ by David X. Wiggin ‘Son of Flanders’ by William Knight ‘In Cappadocia’ by AshleyRose Sullivan ‘The Orchid Hunters’ by Priya Sharma ‘Death in Theatre’ by Jessica Wilson ‘The Scarab of Thutmose’ by Anna Sykora ‘The Watchmaker of Filigree Street’ by N. K. Pulley And reviews of: Historical Fiction Writing: a practical guide and tool-kit by Myfanwy Cook Ruso and the River of Darkness by R. S. Downie Rome Burning by Sophia McDougall

Raul has a destiny: claim his birthright as the last surviving heir of King Balbainus and lead his conquered people to freedom. The signs are all there—his birthmark, in the shape of Balbainus’ halfmoon and dagger sigil, the gemstone-hilted sword he found in his parents’ inn, and the sudden influx of illegal books featuring the late king’s lineage. Nevermind that his ma is a hidden scribe writing a play about Balbainus’ return, or that his da, a hardened warrior, has been training him to fight since he could stand. Or the fact that his sword doesn’t seem very old at all, he feels much more comfortable reading than fighting, and his birthmark is looking more and more like a burn scar… As Raul leaves his simple village life to start a rebellion against the tyrannical Dunholmi government, he begins to wonder if his destiny is more someone else’s plan for a future he doesn’t want to be a part of. He’ll go along with things, for now, if only to prove that change can come from kindness instead of outright destruction. After all, destiny is what you make of it.

The Bards and Sages Quarterly features original short speculative fiction from both new and established authors. Our writers include first-time authors, Pushcart Prize nominees and Nebula award winners. With each issue, our goal is to bring readers the most inclusive collection of speculative fiction available. In this issue An interview with Visions of Mars author Eric S. Rabkin on Why Speculative Fiction Matters. An intergalactic con artist realizes too late that some words, when taken literally, have deadly outcomes in Found in Translation. A copper dragon's goal to dance in Swan Lake stumbles over an obvious problem in The Dream A demonic detective investigates the murder of a fallen angel in Faces of the Fallen Plus more original stories.

Raul has a choice: embrace his fake destiny as the savior king or send his people on a path to certain doom. Cursed with the knowledge that his destiny as the hero of Estis is a lie, Raul still tries his best to lead a small rebellion. But after several defeats in battle, low morale, and people leaving left and right, he’s almost ready to give up his claim to throne and let what’s left of his rebellion fend for themselves. Just when he’s about to reveal the lie that began everything, Raul’s mother returns to the rebel camp with stories of an ancient dagger that could return hope to their cause. And the prophecies show that if they manage to find it, the tides of war would turn in their favor. It’s too good of a chance to pass up, and Raul leaves with only Valens, Prisca, and Yasmi in tow to search the mountains for the dagger that could save them. After all, prophecies are never wrong…

Alt Hist returns with the seventh issue of the popular magazine of historical fiction and alternate history. This is the biggest issue of Alt Hist so far and this time we have seven wonderful short stories for you-including two parts of the popular Battalion 202 series and stories from Alt Hist favourites Priya Sharma and Andrew Knighton. If you like historical fiction, then you are sure to love this issue of Alt Hist. Alt Hist Issue 7 features the following stories: "The Vivisectionist's Daughter" by Jason Kahn "Cold Flesh" by Andrew Knighton "The Independence Day" by Pavel Nikiforovitch "Heff in Dearborn" by Michael Fertik "Battalion 202: The Sheep and the Goats" by Jonathan Doering "Set Britain Ablaze" by Jonathan Doering "The Red Vortex" by Priya Sharma

Inside the palace of the most powerful kingdom on Earth, amid a suffocating world of choreographed behavior, one woman stood up to a stale patriarchy. One Machiavellian courtesan rose above the rules and became the most powerful person alive. Born into poverty with nothing but her wit and charm, Wu was carried to the Emperor's Palace as a child to join his large and growing harem of courtesans. She caught the eye of the aging Emperor, but chose her mark carefully. Eluding rivals in the courtesan halls, she hooked the heart of the Crown Prince, leading him to smash centuries of tradition to marry her, a lowly woman on ignoble birth. Wu consolidated her power, becoming the de facto ruler of ancient China. But how far would she go to consolidate her legacy? Would she sacrifice the love of her husband? The life of her child? When allies become enemies only to become allies again, what are the rules in this new world? To stay one step ahead, the victorious must write the rules themselves. And for Wu, all the rules must go.