<;post-hero class=";wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal";>; <;div class=";container container-desktop";>; <;div class=";flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container";>; <;div class=";post-hero-content";>; <;div class=";post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase";>; <;span class=";mr-3";>; <;i class=";inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue";>;<;/i>; <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/articles/book-recommendations/"; class=";inline-block link-no-animation"; aria-label=";Link to term or tag Book Recommendations 0";>; Book Recommendations <;/a>; <;/span>; <;span class=";mr-3";>; <;i class=";inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue";>;<;/i>; <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/tag/short-fiction-spotlight/"; class=";inline-block link-no-animation"; aria-label=";Link to term or tag Short Fiction Spotlight 1";>; Short Fiction Spotlight <;/a>; <;/span>; <;/div>; <;h2 class=";post-hero-title text-h1";>;Must Read Short Speculative Fiction: March 2024<;/h2>; <;div class=";prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero";>;Death‚ betrayal‚ and the unexpectedly weird in this months short fiction spotlight.<;/div>; <;div class=";post-hero-wrapper";>; <;div class=";post-hero-inner";>; <;p class=";post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&;amp;_a]:link-hover";>;By <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/author/alex-brown/"; title=";Posts by Alex Brown"; class=";author url fn"; rel=";author";>;Alex Brown<;/a>;<;/p>; <;span class=";post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block";>;|<;/span>; <;p class=";text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv";>; Published on April 12‚ 2024 <;/p>; <;/div>; <;/div>; <;div class=";quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden";>; <;div class=";flex gap-[30px] tablet:gap-6";>; <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/#comments"; class=";flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase translate-x-[1px] translate-y-[1px]";>; <;svg class=";w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover"; viewbox=";0 0 18 18"; aria-label=";comment"; role=";img"; aria-hidden=";true"; aria-labelledby=";icon-comment-quick-access-";>; <;title>;Comment<;/title>; <;g fill=";none"; fill-rule=";evenodd";>; <;path fill=";#FFF"; fill-rule=";nonzero"; d=";M6.3 18a.9.9 0 0 1-.9-.9v-2.7H1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 0 12.6V1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 1.8 0h14.4A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 18 1.8v10.8a1.8 1.8 0 0 1-1.8 1.8h-5.49l-3.33 3.339a.917.917 0 0 1-.63.261H6.3Z";>;<;/path>; <;path stroke=";#000"; d=";M5.9 14.4v-.5H1.8a1.3 1.3 0 0 1-1.3-1.3V1.8A1.3 1.3 0 0 1 1.8.5h14.4a1.3 1.3 0 0 1 1.3 1.3v10.8a1.3 1.3 0 0 1-1.3 1.3h-5.698l-.146.147-3.324 3.333a.417.417 0 0 1-.282.12H6.3a.4.4 0 0 1-.4-.4v-2.7Z";>;<;/path>; <;/g>; <;/svg>; 0 <;/a>; <;details class=";relative quick-access-details";>; <;summary class=";quick-access-share flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase";>; <;svg class=";w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover"; viewbox=";0 0 22 22"; aria-label=";share"; role=";img"; aria-hidden=";true"; aria-labelledby=";icon-share-new-quick-access-";>; 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fill=";currentColor"; fill-opacity=";0.2";>;<;/path>; <;/g>; <;defs>; <;clippath>; <;rect width=";17"; height=";17"; fill=";white"; transform=";translate(0.678711 0.414307)";>;<;/rect>; <;/clippath>; <;/defs>; <;/svg>; <;/a>; <;/li>; <;/ul>; <;/div>; <;/details>; <;/div>;<;/div>; <;/div>; <;div class=";post-hero-media ";>; <;figure class=";w-full h-auto post-hero-image";>; <;img loading=";lazy"; decoding=";async"; width=";740"; height=";363"; src=";https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Short-Fiction-Spotlight-March-2024-740x363.png"; class=";w-full object-cover"; alt=";Cover art for three pieces of short speculative fiction first published in March 2024"; srcset=";https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Short-Fiction-Spotlight-March-2024-740x363.png 740w‚ https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Short-Fiction-Spotlight-March-2024-1100x539.png 1100w‚ https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Short-Fiction-Spotlight-March-2024-768x376.png 768w‚ https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Short-Fiction-Spotlight-March-2024.png 1530w"; sizes=";(max-width: 740px) 100vw‚ 740px";>; <;/figure>; <;/div>; <;/div>; <;/div>;<;/post-hero>;<;div class=";wp-block-more-from-category";>; <;div>; <;/div>;<;/div>;<;p>;Were doing death‚ betrayal‚ and the unexpectedly weird in this short speculative fiction spotlight. I read these ten stories last month and they were so good I had to go back and read them all again.<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://apex-magazine.com/short-fiction/everything-in-the-garden-is-lovely/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Everything in the Garden is Lovely by Hannah Yang<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;Every now and again‚ a short fiction author hits me with an opening line so striking I cant stop thinking about it. Hannah Yang gave me one of those with Now that Ive failed as a woman‚ my punishment is to become a garden. Her story is exactly what the sentence describes. A woman fails to meet the rigid‚ patriarchal rules of her societyin other words‚ she cannot have childrenand is condemned to be turned into a garden. Shell give life one way or the other. <;strong>;(<;em>;Apex Magazine<;/em>;‚ March 2024; issue 143)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://www.unchartedmag.com/stories/flight-pattern/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Flight Pattern by Azure Arther<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;Gotta say‚ I had no idea Azure Arthers story would end the way it did‚ given that it opens with a guy casually munching on the last dragonfly on earth while hiding out in a bunker with his android wife. Strong <;em>;Ex Machina<;/em>; vibes with this one‚ but with a feminist twist that was thoroughly enjoyable. <;strong>;(<;em>;Uncharted Magazine<;/em>;)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://interzone.digital/lanterns/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Lanterns by Manu Zolezzi<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;Winnet‚ a widow in her sixties‚ is forced to confront a malevolent abuser in this empowering entry. In Winnets town‚ she sits on the council helping to keep order. When the town council vote to let in the Caravan of Light‚ Winnet isnt happy about it. The traveling show breaks the borders between the living and the dead and allows spirits to walk the earth for one night. A creative way to explore abuse‚ trauma‚ and community support.<;strong>;(<;em>;IZ Digital<;/em>;)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://flashpointsf.com/2024/03/08/leprechaun-gold-accepted/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Leprechaun Gold Accepted by Vivian Chou<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;I loved this little quirky piece. Its written in the style of a GoFundMe appeal for covering healthcare costs for a fairy attacked by three children‚ and the comments various donors have left in support. Vivian Chous insightful satire pokes at the ways allies often fall into performance territory‚ either with performative outrage or offering meaningless sympathy. She touches on the way the system oppresses and how when individuals collectivize under resistance‚ the system finds another way to get at you.<;strong>;(<;em>;Flashpoint SF<;/em>;‚ March 8‚ 2024)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;p>; <;/p>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/let-the-star-explode/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Let the Star Explode by Shingai Njeri Kagunda<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;In a not too distant future‚ beings in human shape but decidedly not human arrive on Earth. They bring with them technology for star jumping‚ but now only the wealthy can afford to use it frequently. Karu has the chance to star jump‚ and the things she experiences during her trip change her in ways she has only begun to understand. It should be no surprise that Shingai Njeri Kagunda has written a beautiful‚ thought-provoking Afrofuturist tale‚ but if this is your first introduction to her‚ get ready for a journey as surreal as Karus. <;strong>;(<;em>;Lightspeed<;/em>;‚ March 2024; issue 166)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/marshman/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Marshman by Sara Omer<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;A cryptozoologist heads out to a strange swamp near a pit on the outskirts of farmland. The pit is a strange place‚ made stranger by the mysterious creatures lurking around the rim. The cryptozoologist descends into the pit to explore and gets more than they bargained for. Another win for <;em>;The Dark<;/em>; in creeping me the hell out! A great story full of looming dread. <;strong>;(<;em>;The Dark<;/em>;‚ March 2024; issue 106)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://houseofgamut.com/gamut-magazine/naglfar/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Naglfar by Elin Olausson<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;Elin Olaussons piece feels the way a storm does‚ one of those rains where youre cooped up and miserable inside but its too dark and cold to go outside. Hella lives alone in her apartment after her daughter abandoned her to travel the world. She took with her a magic coat and all Hellas hopes and dreams. The title references a ship from Norse mythology that is made of the finger and toenails of the dead‚ and it gets even more unsettling from there. <;strong>;(<;em>;Gamut<;/em>;‚ March 2024; issue 4)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://smallwondersmag.com/piece/saguaro-wedding/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Saguaro Wedding by Jordan Kurella<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;This was the first story I read in the first issue of <;em>;Small Wonders<;/em>; Ive ever read and it was just too perfect to pass up. Jordan Kurellas flash fiction is about the person officiating a wedding between a crow and saguaro cactus. Its weird‚ queer‚ a little bit Western‚ and a whole lot random in the best way.<;strong>;(<;em>;Small Wonders<;/em>;‚ March 2024; issue 9)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://escapepod.org/2024/03/21/escape-pod-933-summitting-the-moon/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;Summitting the Moon by Pragathi Bala<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;A moon landing where the moon does the landing? Pragathi Bala puts a spin on the moon landing by pushing its orbit down until it scrapes the surface of the Earth. Ghis longs to be in space gazing down at the Earth. She imagined her problems shrinking awayher life turned into a blip when compared to the vastness of space beings. And in a few days‚ shell get her wish‚ even if her wife is less than enthused. The premise is just so interesting I couldnt help but dig this piece. <;strong>;(<;em>;Escape Pod<;/em>;‚ March 21‚ 2024; #933)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;h3 class=";wp-block-heading";>;<;a href=";https://kaleidotrope.net/spring-2024/the-witch-who-lives-next-door-by-zoe-kaplan/"; target=";_blank"; rel=";noreferrer noopener";>;The Witch Who Lives Next Door by Zoe Kaplan<;/a>;<;/h3>;<;p>;Father says the Witch who lives next door is frightening‚ and a little bit beautiful. Mother says the Witch who lives next door is beautiful‚ and a little bit frightening. A child lives next door to a witch in a town where witches are both feared and relied on. As the child and the witch grow their friendship into an apprenticeship‚ the child learns that being feared and needed arent necessarily bad things. A charming story about being your true self. <;strong>;(<;em>;Kaleidotrope<;/em>;‚ Spring 2024)<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;p>;[end-mark]<;/p>;<;p>;The post <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/must-read-short-speculative-fiction-march-2024/";>;Must Read Short Speculative Fiction: March 2024<;/a>; appeared first on <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/";>;Reactor<;/a>;.<;/p>;