Cover reveal for “Aleyara’s Descent” in the new ANALOG!

Analog Science Fiction and Fact has just posted the cover for the May/June 2023 issue releasing next week, featuring my epic new tale “Aleyara’s Descent”!

To quote their Facebook page, “An excellent novelette from Christopher L Bennett leads the issue with incredible world-building.”

This is the first time in my 25 years as a contributor that I’ve gotten a cover painting devoted to my story. It’s a great honor. (At least I think it’s the first time. I got the cover-story byline for “Hubpoint of No Return” in the May/June 2018 issue, but I think the cover was generic space art, though it could be loosely interpreted as a representation of the space station from the story.)

I have my own artwork for the featured aliens, the Biauru, which I’ll be posting soon. But cover artist Eldar Zakirov, who worked solely from my descriptions in the text, came impressively close to what I had in mind. I was actually kind of concerned about that, but it turned out well. I can even recognize which scene in the story it’s depicting.

I’m really excited that “Aleyara’s Descent” is finally seeing print. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written, a grand adventure in the early history of an alien planet — a hard science fiction tale with the feel of epic fantasy. The issue goes on sale starting next week, and you can subscribe here:

Analog Science Fiction & Fact Subscription