On sunny days, when the warmth placates the wildlife downtown, I watch the egrets on Camera Six. They live in a marsh north of the metro area, where the Osborne River widens after snaking through the small city. I used to go there, away from the hustle and bustle, to do watercolor studies of the willows. Occasionally, a chipmunk or frog would inspect my travel easel, and I’d freeze my hand and hold my breath until they scampered away.
The Woman With No Face
Ankuin knew she was in a sim by the mineral taste in her mouth. The other tells were more subtle...the fractal pattern of moss on the cave wall, the cyclical rhythm of the rain on wet fronds, and the lyrical birdsong piercing through the dense forest. Most people wouldn’t notice such details, because most people didn’t have a reason to doubt their senses. But Ankuin’s senses were never fully her own.
Notable story, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022
Nebula Recommended Reading List