“ Flowerkicker” (2022 short story) by Stephen Graham Jones.I didn’t realize until halfway through that this isn’t speculative–“ Shelter,” by the same author, was one of my favorites of 2021 and was certainly speculative–but it’s still an engaging story of African contemporary fiction that addresses attitudes toward the diaspora. “ Madam’s Sister” (2019 short story) by Mbozi Haimbe.

Another focused story–just one or two scenes in total–that doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel but executes nicely, building up slowly to a conclusion that feels inevitable but satisfies anyway.

“ Free Coffin” (2022 short story) by Corey Flintoff.

A Hugo Finalist chat log story that knows exactly what it’s trying to do and executes it well, telling a focused story of multiverse travel and gender dysphoria.

“ Unknown Number” (2021 short story) by Blue Neustifter/Azure_Husky.

The honor of first entry in what will become my 2022 Short Fiction Recommended Reading List goes to “Godmaker,” which doesn’t reinvent a subgenre but delivers an exemplary tale that really captures the fabulist voice.

“ Godmaker” (2022 short story) by J.A.

As I’ve come to expect from Pinsker, there’s no driving central narrative, but it engages from the start while asking big questions and not putting a foot wrong in the details. It tells a story that is simultaneously small scale and deeply philosophical, imagining the role of history and the arts on a generation ship where only the oldest generation remembers Earth and not a soul will survive to see their final destination. After appearing thrice on my annual favorites lists the last two years–twice for Nebula-winning stories–I’m becoming convinced that Pinsker is one of the very best in the short fiction game, and “Wind Will Rove” is yet another data point in that direction.

“ Wind Will Rove” (2017 novelette) by Sarah Pinsker.

Death,” and “ Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather“–all of which are outstanding–to refresh my memory for Hugo discussion), the favorites list is sparse this time, but I read a pair in the last week of May that were worthy of the lead section.

If we throw out rereads (I reread “ That Story Isn’t the Story,” “ Mr. But I still read some excellent stories this spring! Short Fiction April/May Favorites Because nomination deadlines passed in mid-March, I pivoted from catching up on “Best of 2021” lists to reading whatever caught my fancy, and it showed up with a smaller list of standouts this time around. I hardly read any short fiction in April, so I’m rolling two months of short fiction together into one post. Between illness and travel and more illness, it’s been a weird spring.

The Chronologist by Ian R. MacLeod