Analog Science Fiction & Fact

Tamar is on a mission to salvage usable technology from a space debris field. Her routine assignment turns dicey when her crew mates vanish, and a foreign AI appears on Tamar’s radar persistently trying to communicate. Here is  “For Every Bee, a Hive,” read and written by Benjamin C. Kinney.

With Earth long destroyed by war and ecological disaster, Ernie, Kate, and Harv are humans who have started new lives on a far-flung exoplanet. With scarce options for good food or money, the trio decides to embark on a project that may net them a little cash, and remind them of what life back home used to be like. This is “The Eiffel Tower of Trappist-1b,” read and written by Jeff Reynolds.

Before he goes away to college, all Noah wants to do is relax, play video games with his friends, and practice for an upcoming tournament. His mother, however, has a different plan for her son: She’s asked his aunt Meg—whom he hasn’t seen in ten years—to take him on a little camping trip. Reluctantly, Noah goes along, but soon finds that he may have more in common with his aunt than he thought. Here is “Fly Straight and Don’t Get Eaten,” read and written by Vera Brook.

Meadow is a curious teenager who has spent her entire life on a large space ship. She thirsts for adventure, or at least a break from her overbearing mother.

One day, she meets an artist who is desperately trying to clean-up a spill of small, colorful beads—not an easy task in zero-g, and a serious violation of safety code that Meadow’s mom is eager to report.

Will Meadow be able to protect her new acquaintance and learn about herself in the process? Find out in “The Carina Nebula,” read and written by Kelsey Hutton

For our May/June issue, we have a special treat for our listeners—a double feature! First up is “A Place for Pax” read and written by Colin Mattson, followed by “Collateral Damage” by Jen Downes. Both stories feature spunky protagonists who are making due in futures that feature farming, ingenuity, and creative solutions.

Laxi is an alien visitor from the noble house of vlarg who doesn’t like to conquer planets by force—at least not at first. Invasion and domination are boring, conventional, and these days even the elders on their home planet agree. Instead, Laxi prefers to spend time on the world they intend to capture, sowing instability from within before making their big move. Earth, however, is proving to be a bigger challenge than expected, but Laxi may have just come up with the right marketing scheme. This is “What Women Want,” read and written by Katherine Tunning.

In Matt McHugh’s newest tale, Emi and Zieka are elite candidates that fought as hard as they could for a spot on the generation ship. Could leaving a son behind be worth the privilege to travel with humanity’s future? Find out in our newest podcast “The Area Under the Curve.”  

K3RA is an android programmed to pursue efficiency in everything it does, from working factory floors to killing its designers’ enemies. When it encounters a sluggish soybean farmer just after suffering a wartime wound, K3RA comes to a realization that may bring peace to the world. Here is “Maximum Efficiency,” read and written by Holly Schofield. 

In Tim McDaniel’s “Taking the Waters,” a scientist must negotiate for our planet’s future. See how she does in our newest podcast from the September/October issue.

Our July/August podcast is a special double feature: First, Melanie Harding-Shaw reads "My Nascent Garden," in which an AI navigates a complicated relationship; then Geoffrey Hart narrates his tale "Risky Harvest," telling the story of a harvest event that is intertwined with mating and survival. 

Delia Serrano is a crack disposal engineer for the CosmoSweep Coropration. On a typical workday, she’s catching bits of space junk and sending them to a fiery demise in earth’s atmosphere. But when NASA needs her unique skills for a daring rescue mission, Serrano jumps into action in the thrilling tale  “Bounty 1486,” read and written by the author, Wendy Nikel.  

Why are Huiling and her metal exoskeleton—and research partner—being hunted by the Feds? And the state? And where does a long-ago lover fit into the picture? Please enjoy “Nirvana or Bust” from our March/April 2022 issue read & written by Michael Swanwick.

"Amy" and "Brad" are two thieves who don’t see eye to eye. Amy wants to change the world, and Brad wants to start over, wealthy and isolated. What exactly are they looking for on the lunar surface, and can their spoils help achieve these goals?  Find out in “Splitting a Dollar,” read and written by Meghan Hyland.

While life on Earth may not always be safe or easy, traveling the space ways comes with its own host of hazards. There’s space junk. Sub-zero temperatures. And not to mention a complete lack of oxygen. In this piece from our November/December issue, a mech finds himself dragged into a daring rescue mission on Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus. Author Bill Frank gives an inspired reading of his story, "Moon Unit."

Everyone wants to talk to a human, not a chatbot. But when you are the human on the other end of the customer service phone number, with frustrating coworkers and an unbearable roommate situation, you realize that talking to humans is pretty complex. This story from Analog’s September/October issue shows us that chatting with a bot has its advantages, and dead-end jobs aren’t always what they seem. Please enjoy “Room to Live,” read and written by Marie Vibbert.