Early ReviewersEric Brown

Editor Donna Scott has scoured magazines, anthologies, webzines and obscure genre corners to discover the very best science fiction stories by British and British-based authors published during 2021. Two dozen stories, varying greatly in subject matter and style, from superb technological mystery to conflict on very alien worlds, from sweet, sad stories symptomatic of the tense times we have lived through to tales optimistic for better times to come, and even a dash of wry humour here and there for good measure.

Donna Scott is a director and recent chair of the BSFA, as well as being a distinguished poet, writer, and stand-up comedian. Donna is also a free-lance editor who has worked behind the scenes for a number of major publishers over the course of several years.

Contents

Introduction – Donna Scott

Distribution – Paul Cornell

Stealthcare – Liz Williams

Down and Out Under the Tannhauser Gate – David Gullen

Me Two – Keith Brooke and Eric Brown

The Andraiad – Tim Major

Bloodbirds – Martin Sketchley

Going Home – Martin Westlake

Okamoto’s Lens – A.N. Myers

Love in the Age of Operator Errors – Ryan Vance

Stone of Sorrow – Peter Sutton

Henrietta – T.H. Dray

A History of Food Additives in 22nd Century Britain – Emma Levin

The Trip – Michael Crouch

The Ghosts of Trees – Fiona Moore

The Opaque Mirror of Your Face – Russell Hemmell

More Sea Creatures to See – Aliya Whiteley

The End of All Our Exploring – Gary Couzens

How Does My Garden Grow? – David Cleden

Girls’ Night Out – Teika Marija Smits

Bar Hopping for Astronauts – Leo X. Robertson

In Aeturnus – Phillip Irving

A Spark in a Flask – Emma Johanna Puranen

A Pall of Moondust – Nick Wood

About the Authors

Acknowledgements

Night, Rain, and Neon is a collection of all new stories written by some of the sharpest and most insightful authors of cyberpunk and post-cyberpunk fiction around, curated by editor Michael Cobley.

“…this anthology offers something to enjoy here for any cyberpunk enthusiast – especially those who like it urban, grimy, and dangerously plausible.” – Publishers Weekly

Come see what the near future might hold...

Contents:

Introduction by Michael Cobley

Hello, Goodbye - Stewart Hotston

Four Green Fields - Ian McDonald

All The Precious Years - Al Robertson

Forever in Scotland - Callum McSorley

Assets - Keith Brooke & Eric Brown

The Still Small Voice - Louise Carey

Mindstrings - Jeremy Szal

Tabula Rasa - Danie Ware

Collision Detection - Tim Maughan

We Appreciate Power - Gavin Smith

A Game Of Clones - Justina Robson

Accumulated Damage - Simon Morden

The Thirteenth Clone Of Casimir Ivanovitch - Jon Courtenay Grimwood

Elijah Of The 1000 Faces - Gary Gibson

VR Enclave - DA Xiaolin Spires

Digital Salt - Corey J White

Terms And Conditions - Joseph Elliott-Coleman

The Goruden-Mairu Job - T.R. Napper

About the Authors

Available in mobi, epub and pdf.

On Arcturus VII is a fabulous slice of planetary romance from award-winning author Eric Brown; a novella traditional in style but wholly contemporary in its delivery. Former pilot and planetary pioneer Jonathan James is tempted out of retirement by an offer he can’t refuse. It means going back to the one place he vowed never to return to: Arcturus Seven. A Closed Planet; a hothouse world where every plant and animal is hell-bent on killing and consuming you; the place that cost him the life of the only woman he has ever truly loved. Jonathan knows the wealthy tycoon seeking to recruit him cannot be trusted, but he has no choice. If he doesn’t do it, someone else will, and Arcturus Seven has a secret, one which must never be disclosed, so Jonathan accepts the mission even though it means facing memories he has spent years denying. A sparkling tale of romance, intrigue, and adventure; comforting in its setting, brilliant in its execution. Available as Kindle, ePub, or pdf

The year is 1907, the setting is Baker Street, London. When the Martian Ambassador arrives at Holmes’ door seeking the Great Detective’s help in solving a grisly murder, how can he refuse? The case will involve a trip to the Red Planet, where few humans have been privileged enough to visit. Ever since the second wave of Martians arrived on Earth, inoculated against the germs that had halted their tripods the first time around, and humanity accepted the aliens as their overlords, Holmes has been curious... Soon he and Watson are boarding one of the great Martian spaceships, where they discover their old friend Professor Challenger has been invited along for the ride. What awaits them at their destination is a plot more dastardly than any of them could have imagined. In The Martian Simulacra, award-winning author Eric Brown delivers a novella that is a glorious mash-up of Sherlock Holmes and The War of the Worlds, seasoned with a dash of Conan Doyle’s The Lost World for good measure. Available as kindle, e-Pub or pdf.

Bengal Station: an exotic spaceport that dominates the ocean between India and Burma. Jaded telepath, Jeff Vaughan, is employed by the spaceport authorities to monitor incoming craft from the stars. There, he discovers a sinister cult that worships a mysterious alien god. The Church of the Adoration of the Chosen One uses drugs to commune with the Ultimate, and will murder to silence those who oppose their beliefs. The story follows Vaughan as his mistrust of his fellow humans is overturned by his love for the Thai street-girl Sukura, while he attempts to solve the murders and save himself from the psychopath out to kill him. Necropath is Eric Brown’s triumphant return to hard SF.