By Jennifer Sexton-Riley The party was over. I was tired. The rambling, mazelike loft apartment I shared with Cassie was now truly housewarmed, and the wine I’d sipped all evening lent a hazy gold warmth to the strings of tiny lights we’d looped from the curtain rods. Their cheery glow against the black expanse of the enormous industrial windows brought to mind a tiny vessel moving through a dark sea, the only bright spot in Read more…
By M. Gagner The camp was a speck in the distance of Mina’s vision as she followed the shoreline. It was spring, and the lake’s water ran high and cold from mountain runoff. Wildflowers and lush willow trees populated the fields to the right of her, and iridescent clam shells populated the waves that hugged her ankles. Dry reeds brushed against her, fluting their soft airy song. It wasn’t her first time exploring this part Read more…
By McKayla Gates The ground beneath Yeomra slipped out from under her. Snow mixed with beaten soil slicked the roads surrounding the barracks. With each step, mud seeped between the gashes in her boots, cold finding its way deep into her flesh. The burlap sack the guards placed over her head sucked in with each breath and choked the air out of her. But the men dragging her toward Commander Otsana’s tent did not care Read more…
By Clarissa Janeen Speculative fiction is unique in that by separating ourselves from the real world, we have the tools to examine our reality from a perspective that is otherwise unobtainable. Fantasy in particular is known for portraying a multitude of fictional races; it can be concerning for fans of the genre to see this asset used in problematic ways as the portrayal of these ideas in fiction can negatively contribute to real-world ideas of Read more…
By Shannon Elaine Sweeney Lose yourself in a world of suspense, mystery, and horror this summer with these eerie stories. Whether you’re lounging on the beach, soaking up some sun by the pool, or hiding from the heat indoors, there’s nothing quite like a well-crafted horror story to keep you on the edge of your seat and give you chills on even the hottest of days. With so many great young adult horror books, it Read more…