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Lightspeed Magazine, June 2010
Lightspeed Magazine features all types of sf, from near-future, sociological soft sf, to far-future, star-spanning hard sf, and anything and everything in between . . . and in its debut issue, it contains four all-new, never-before-published from newcomer Vylar Kaftan, we have an interstellar love story dealing with the perils of communication and time-dilation; from veteran, award-winning author Jack McDevitt, we have a tale about Earth’s moon and the mysteries it might still possess; from David Barr Kirtley, an adventure of a young catman who must face the last of the dogmen and something else entirely unexpected; and from bestselling author Carrie Vaughn, a cautionary tale of the near future that shows some of the extremes we might be pushed to if we don’t start implementing now the seeds for a sustainable future. This issue includes both accompanying author spotlights and articles for each story, with an editorial by John Joseph Adams, editor of The Living Dead, and Wastelands.
118 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Vylar Kaftan
40 books38 followersVylar Kaftan writes speculative fiction of all genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and slipstream. She was nominated for a 2010 Nebula Award for her short story “I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno.” Her stories have appeared in Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, ChiZine, and Clarkesworld. Her work has been reprinted in Horror: The Best of the Year, honorably mentioned in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, and shortlisted for the WSFA Small Press Award.
Photo Credit
A graduate of Clarion West, she’s volunteered for that group as well as the Little Owls mentoring program for young writers. She’s a member of SFWA, Codex, Broad Universe, and the Carl Brandon Society. In 2011, she founded FOGcon, a new literary-themed science fiction and fantasy convention in the San Francisco Bay Area.
She lives with her husband Shannon in northern California. Her hobbies include modern-day temple dancing and preparing for a major earthquake. Her favorite color is all of them. She prefers the term “differently sane.”
Photo Credit
A graduate of Clarion West, she’s volunteered for that group as well as the Little Owls mentoring program for young writers. She’s a member of SFWA, Codex, Broad Universe, and the Carl Brandon Society. In 2011, she founded FOGcon, a new literary-themed science fiction and fantasy convention in the San Francisco Bay Area.
She lives with her husband Shannon in northern California. Her hobbies include modern-day temple dancing and preparing for a major earthquake. Her favorite color is all of them. She prefers the term “differently sane.”
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 17, 2021
Worth reading for the excellent Carrie Vaughn story (Amaryllis), but the rest of this issue is kind of a mixed bag.
July 5, 2021
Read "Amaryllis" by Carrie Vaughn, which I enjoyed.
January 1, 2024
"I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno" is an incredible love story written from the first person perspective of the woman left behind (to get married, have children, and age) while her beloved travels to space and through time. The story is replete with physics metaphors, which somehow made the ache and loneliness felt by the narrator more intense. I loved this one.
January 27, 2020
I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno - Vylar Katfan: 2 stars
The Cassandra Project - Jack McDevitt: dnf
Cats in Victory - David Barr Kirtley: 2 stars
Amaryllis - Carrie Vaughn - 2.5 stars
The Cassandra Project - Jack McDevitt: dnf
Cats in Victory - David Barr Kirtley: 2 stars
Amaryllis - Carrie Vaughn - 2.5 stars
June 19, 2016
I recently subscribed to several genre magazines, including Lightspeed Magazine. I helped support the magazine's latest two Destroy issues via Kickstarter, but I had not yet dived into any issues. Now that I own them all and am subscribed for another year thanks to a generous Kickstarter reward, it's time to get started with Issue 1!
The four short stories in the debut issue of Lightspeed are all fantastic. "I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno" by Vylar Kaftan is a beautiful literary journey through love, space, and time. The level of Kaftan's craft here is excellent, including the pacing, language, sounds, and episodic time jumps as a woman describes her on-again off-again relationship with a man set against exponential progress in technology. I also love how Lightspeed and Nightmare Magazines include "Author Spotlight" interviews for each story; it's wonderful to read about each author's process and the genesis of their stories. Lightspeed Issue 1 also includes nonfiction essays after each story that explores their science further. These are often pretty basic in content, but the passion of the essayists is quite apparent.
"The Cassandra Project" by Jack McDevitt uncovers a secret about the moon that might explain Fermi's Paradox, and the decades-long conspiracy to keep the finding from the public. I work in planetary science and I didn't think I was going to enjoy the story very much because I've had to deal with conspiracy theory advocates in the past, but I had a great time with the story and appreciated its thoughtfulness about the great mystery of why we don't see a sky crowded with aliens all talking at once. I also really enjoyed the interview with McDevitt and "The High Untresspassed Sanctity of Space: Seven True Stories about Eugene Cernan" by Genevieve Valentine, a list essay of quite exceptional depth and fascinating historical tidbits related to the last astronaut on the moon.
"Cats in Victory" by David Barr Kirtley is speculative science fiction at its best and most "Planet of the Apes" like, but this time with dogs and cats and other animals. It's also quite tense and I'm thankful it didn't end quite where I expected the plot to lead. Another great "Author Spotlight" and Carol Pinchefsky's "Top Ten Reasons Why Uplifted Animals Don't Make Good Pets" is hilarious.
Perhaps my favorite of the four stories is "Amaryliss" by Carrie Vaughn. The writer explores a world that has been forced by near-apocalypse to enact systems of sustainability that introduce their own complex consequences. This is a story about mothers and daughters and it left me in tears. The world building is spectacular, so vivid and alive. The author provides insightful background to her story in her interview. The accompanying essay suggests ways we can individually be more sustainable today, and though some of the suggestions are a bit rote and even scientifically questionable, it's helpful to read the essayist's thoughts on the subject and to ponder again my own Ecological Footprint.
What a great start to a magazine that seems to be thriving several years later. Just 72 issues to go until I'm caught up!
The four short stories in the debut issue of Lightspeed are all fantastic. "I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno" by Vylar Kaftan is a beautiful literary journey through love, space, and time. The level of Kaftan's craft here is excellent, including the pacing, language, sounds, and episodic time jumps as a woman describes her on-again off-again relationship with a man set against exponential progress in technology. I also love how Lightspeed and Nightmare Magazines include "Author Spotlight" interviews for each story; it's wonderful to read about each author's process and the genesis of their stories. Lightspeed Issue 1 also includes nonfiction essays after each story that explores their science further. These are often pretty basic in content, but the passion of the essayists is quite apparent.
"The Cassandra Project" by Jack McDevitt uncovers a secret about the moon that might explain Fermi's Paradox, and the decades-long conspiracy to keep the finding from the public. I work in planetary science and I didn't think I was going to enjoy the story very much because I've had to deal with conspiracy theory advocates in the past, but I had a great time with the story and appreciated its thoughtfulness about the great mystery of why we don't see a sky crowded with aliens all talking at once. I also really enjoyed the interview with McDevitt and "The High Untresspassed Sanctity of Space: Seven True Stories about Eugene Cernan" by Genevieve Valentine, a list essay of quite exceptional depth and fascinating historical tidbits related to the last astronaut on the moon.
"Cats in Victory" by David Barr Kirtley is speculative science fiction at its best and most "Planet of the Apes" like, but this time with dogs and cats and other animals. It's also quite tense and I'm thankful it didn't end quite where I expected the plot to lead. Another great "Author Spotlight" and Carol Pinchefsky's "Top Ten Reasons Why Uplifted Animals Don't Make Good Pets" is hilarious.
Perhaps my favorite of the four stories is "Amaryliss" by Carrie Vaughn. The writer explores a world that has been forced by near-apocalypse to enact systems of sustainability that introduce their own complex consequences. This is a story about mothers and daughters and it left me in tears. The world building is spectacular, so vivid and alive. The author provides insightful background to her story in her interview. The accompanying essay suggests ways we can individually be more sustainable today, and though some of the suggestions are a bit rote and even scientifically questionable, it's helpful to read the essayist's thoughts on the subject and to ponder again my own Ecological Footprint.
What a great start to a magazine that seems to be thriving several years later. Just 72 issues to go until I'm caught up!
October 22, 2015
As a backer of the recent Lightspeed Magazine: Women Destroy Science Fiction special edition I also ordered a discounted rate for a one-year subscription to the magazine. As they hit their targets the publishers became more and more generous (ridiculously so one might say) and I ended up with three special editions (science fiction, fantasy and horror); a one-year subscription to Lightspeed Magazine; and finally every back issue of the magazine. Because I'm a 'from the beginning' kind of guy, presenting me with 48 issues to read before I even get to the special edition (let alone the one-year subscription) sets me up with a terrible reading-order dilemma.
I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno is the story of an on/off relationship – mostly off it seems – between two people who keep journeying faster than light. Repeatedly separated; then one catching the other up; the age difference fluctuates between them. Clever, but not really my cup of tea.
In The Cassandra Project a structure is spotted in a photograph of the moon by an eagle-eyed journalist. Is it real or not, why haven't Nasa or the Russians spotted it before? One Nasa engineer risks his career to investigate. Amusing, clever and well told, but the story, like his career, doesn't really go anywhere. Better than the first story, but still not top-notch.
Cats in Victory is just bizarre. It would be awful if I thought it was meant to be taken seriously. As it is, I'm hoping it's just a joke that fell flat. Genetically enhanced cats rule the world of the future – ruled by a religion where they worship a domestic cat – and they really hate dogs. They hunt them. Even though the dogs are genetically enhanced too. And the monkeys. Silly, silly, silly.
The final story, Amaryliss, is the best of the bunch. Certainly a stand-out in this company. It tells the tale of a future dystopian society where population is tightly controlled. A small fishing community want to apply expand by having a baby. Clever, just like some of the others, but also engaging, well told and ultimately thought provoking.
The two science bits after the first and last stories provide an interesting interlude. Explaining the time problems of FTL and discussing environmental concerns. But, the others: seven stories about Eugene Cernan which seemed pointless; and a top 10 list of science fiction pet problems – note to editors, this really shouldn't turn out to be a magazine that does top 10 lists – did nothing to help the overall view of this issue.
I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno is the story of an on/off relationship – mostly off it seems – between two people who keep journeying faster than light. Repeatedly separated; then one catching the other up; the age difference fluctuates between them. Clever, but not really my cup of tea.
In The Cassandra Project a structure is spotted in a photograph of the moon by an eagle-eyed journalist. Is it real or not, why haven't Nasa or the Russians spotted it before? One Nasa engineer risks his career to investigate. Amusing, clever and well told, but the story, like his career, doesn't really go anywhere. Better than the first story, but still not top-notch.
Cats in Victory is just bizarre. It would be awful if I thought it was meant to be taken seriously. As it is, I'm hoping it's just a joke that fell flat. Genetically enhanced cats rule the world of the future – ruled by a religion where they worship a domestic cat – and they really hate dogs. They hunt them. Even though the dogs are genetically enhanced too. And the monkeys. Silly, silly, silly.
The final story, Amaryliss, is the best of the bunch. Certainly a stand-out in this company. It tells the tale of a future dystopian society where population is tightly controlled. A small fishing community want to apply expand by having a baby. Clever, just like some of the others, but also engaging, well told and ultimately thought provoking.
The two science bits after the first and last stories provide an interesting interlude. Explaining the time problems of FTL and discussing environmental concerns. But, the others: seven stories about Eugene Cernan which seemed pointless; and a top 10 list of science fiction pet problems – note to editors, this really shouldn't turn out to be a magazine that does top 10 lists – did nothing to help the overall view of this issue.
February 14, 2021
Türkçe çevirisini okumak için: https://tsundokusensei.blogspot.com/2...
Fizikle, özellikle de izafiyetle donatılmış bir aşk mektubu "Hayattayım, Seni Seviyorum, Reno'da Görüşürüz". Kurgu ya da yaratıcılık anlamında çok bir marifeti yok belki ancak anlattığı hikayenin sıcaklığı ve samimiyeti okuru bağlamaya yetiyor. Kaftan'ın oldukça iyi, sade ve etkili bir kalemi var. 2010'da Nebula'ya aday gösterilmesi de, ödülü kazanamaması da şaşırtıcı olmadı benim için.
Fizikle, özellikle de izafiyetle donatılmış bir aşk mektubu "Hayattayım, Seni Seviyorum, Reno'da Görüşürüz". Kurgu ya da yaratıcılık anlamında çok bir marifeti yok belki ancak anlattığı hikayenin sıcaklığı ve samimiyeti okuru bağlamaya yetiyor. Kaftan'ın oldukça iyi, sade ve etkili bir kalemi var. 2010'da Nebula'ya aday gösterilmesi de, ödülü kazanamaması da şaşırtıcı olmadı benim için.
May 25, 2022
Aside from the use of second person, which at least isn’t meant to be the reader but the other half of this love pair, I enjoyed this story of time passing by so quickly for these two people who are unable to stay apart from each other for too long, even given travel to other planets relative to dimensions in space and time. Even the ending, which implies that what we’ve read will be discarded, thus just a draft of what might be said, worked for me in how it tied things up neatly.
January 12, 2023
This short story reads like a narrative poem to physics, and a love letter to one man with whom the narrator seems to dance across time and space with, now together, now apart in light years or simply years. It flows like a silky waterfall, making physics seem romantic. I loved it!
November 7, 2013
Despite the cat and dog story, this was an excellent issue. Carrie Vaughn's offering was outstanding!
March 22, 2014
I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno 3/5
The Cassandra Project 3/5
Cats in Victory 2/5
Amaryliss 4/5
The Cassandra Project 3/5
Cats in Victory 2/5
Amaryliss 4/5
June 6, 2019
OK stories. Nothing really jumped out at me.
December 5, 2017
A great mixture of short stories, with some targeted articles to supplement them.
February 28, 2018
Online at
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
More Vylar Kaftan stories:
https://vylarkaftan.com/bibliography/
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
More Vylar Kaftan stories:
https://vylarkaftan.com/bibliography/
March 17, 2023
Two lovers unable to give up their independence but unable to give up their love either. Beautiful love letter with interesting hope that being reduced to streams of electrons will achieve that elusive "happiness ever after". This review is for story "I am Alive, I love you, l'll see You in Reno" which was before separate entity but Goodreads, in all it's wisdom, bundled it in this magazine!
March 22, 2018
A scifi short story (really short) narrated on. LightSpeed Magazine. It's narrated in first person and tells the story of a woman in love, but in the future. The grab? It uses science as metaphors, which i found compelling and satisfactory. It kept the story interesting and in a way it makes you think, although you probably will have to pause to do that (the audio is a bit fast paced).
All in all i enjoyed both the story and narration, and although this is my first review on a short story from LightSpeed Magazine, i'll say i recommend this podcast if you are looking into scifi and fantasy short stories.
All in all i enjoyed both the story and narration, and although this is my first review on a short story from LightSpeed Magazine, i'll say i recommend this podcast if you are looking into scifi and fantasy short stories.
January 17, 2018
I don't understand why it didn't win the 2010 Nebula Award. Loved loved loved this!
February 19, 2019
Not very scientific, not very scientific at all.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews