by Neil Clarke
I go home and look up her life until then, little mentions on the society sites and on the galleries of the most fashionable people, and I feel like I’m checking up on someone I used to babysit.
I get another message from the Embassy, which I expect, and accept the invitation, which I don’t.
At night I pull the bowl out from under my bed and press my hands to the glass, feel with my palms for the voices of living things. When I sit back, the beads are already condensing, two handprints full of water.
“I’m going to engineer some rain,” he told me, and I dream of him standing on the dry seabed, closing his eyes over black shields, spreading his arms, opening the sky.
About the Author
Genevieve Valentine’s first novel, Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti, won the 2012 IAFA Crawford Award and was a Nebula nominee. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Journal of Mythic Arts, Fantasy Magazine, Lightspeed, and others, and the anthologies Federations, After, The Living Dead 2, Running with the Pack, Teeth, and more.
Her nonfiction and reviews have appeared at NPR.org, Strange Horizons, Weird Tales, Tor.com, and Fantasy Magazine, and she is a co-author of Geek Wisdom(Quirk Books).
Her appetite for bad movies is insatiable, a tragedy she tracks on her blog, genevievevalentine.com.
Clarkesworld Citizens
Official Census
We would like to thank the following Clarkesworld Citizens for their continued support:
Overlords
Renan Adams, Thomas Ball, Michael Blackmore, Nathalie Boisard-Beudin, Shawn Boyd, Jennifer Brozek, Karen Burnham, Barbara Capoferri, Morgan Cheryl, Gio Clairval, Dolohov, ebooks-worldwide, Sairuh Emilius, Joshua Faulkenberry, Thomas Fleck, Eric Francis, L A George, Bryan Green, Andrew Hatchell, Berthiaume Heidi, Bill Hughes, Gary Hunter, Theodore J. Stanulis, Jericho, jfly, jkapoetry, Lucas Jung, James Kinateder, Daniel LaPonsie, Susan Lewis, Paul Marston, Matthew the Greying, Achilleas Michailides, Adrian Mihaila, Adrien Mitchell, MrMovieZombie, Mike Perricone, Rick Ramsey, Jo Rhett, Joseph Sconfitto, Tara Smith, Elaine Williams, James Williams
Royalty
Paul Abbamondi, Albert Alfiler, Kathryn Baker, Nathan Blumenfeld, Marty Bonus, David Borcherding, Robert Callahan, Lady Cate, Carolyn Cooper, Mr D F Ryan, David Demers, Brian Dolton, Hilary Goldstein, Andy Herrman, Colin Hitch, Christopher Irwin, G.J. Kressley, Jeffrey L Lewis, Jamie Lackey, Jonathan Laden, Katherine Lee, H. Lincoln Parish, David M Oswin, Sean Markey, Arun Mascarenhas, Michelle Broadribb MEG, Nayad Monroe, James Moore, Anne Murphy, Charles Norton, Vincent O'Connor, Vincent P Loeffler III, Marie Parsons, Lars Pedersen, Matt Phelps, Rational Path, RL, John Scalzi, Stu Segal, Maurice Shaw, Carrie Smith, Paul Smith, Richard Sorden, Chugwangle Sparklepants, Kevin Standlee, Josh Thomson, TK, Terhi Tormanen, Jeppe V Holm, Sean Wallace, Jasen Ward, Weyla & Gos, Graeme Williams, Jeff Xilon, Zola
Bürgermeisters
7ony, Mary A. Turzillo, Rob Abram, Carl Anderson, Andy90, Robert Avie, Erika Bailey, Brian Baker, Michael Banker, Jennifer Bartolowits, Lenni Benson, Bill Bibo Jr, Edward Blake, Samuel Blinn, Johanna Bobrow, Tim Brenner, Ken Brown, BruceC, Adam Bursey, Jeremy Butler, Robyn Butler, Roland Byrd, Carleton45, James Carlino, Benjamin Cartwright, Evan Cassity, Randall Chertkow, Michael Chorman, Mary Clare, Matthew Claxton, Theodore Conti, Brian Cooksey, Brenda Cooper, Lorraine Cooper, James Davies, Tessa Day, Brian Deacon, Bartley Deason, John Devenny, Fran Ditzel-Friel, Gary Dockter, Nicholas Doran, Christopher Doty, Nicholas Dowbiggin, Joanna Evans, FlatFootedRat, Lynn Flewelling, Adrienne Foster, Matthew Fredrickson, Alina Fridberg, Patricia G Scott, Pierre Gauthier, Gerhen, Mark Gerrits, Lorelei Goelz, Inga Gorslar, Tony Graham, Jaq Greenspon, Eric Gregory, Laura Hake, Skeptyk/JeanneE Hand-Boniakowski, Jordan Hanie, Carl Hazen, Sheridan Hodges, Ronald Hordijk, Justin Howe, Bobby Hoyt, David Hudson, Huginn Huginn and Muninn, Chris Hurst, Kevin Ikenberry, Joseph Ilardi, Pamela J. Davis, Justin James, Patty Jansen, Toni Jerrman, Audra Johnson, Erin Johnson, Russell Johnson, Kai Juedemann, David Kelleher, Joshua Kidd, Alistair Kimble, Erin Kissane, Michelle Knowlton, JR Krebs, Andrew Lanker, James Frederick Leach, Krista Leahy, Alan Lehotsky, Walter Leroy Perkins, Philip Levin, Kevin Liebkemann, Susan Loyal, Kristi Lozano, Keith M Frampton, N M Wells Foundry Creative Media, Brit Mandelo, Matthew Marovich, Samuel Marzioli, Jason Maurer, Peter McClean, Michael McCormack, Tony McFee, Mark McGarry, Craig McMurtry, J Meijer, Geoffrey Meissner, Barry Melius, David Michalak, Robert Milson, Eric Mohring, Rebekah Murphy, John Murray, Barrett Nichols, Peter Northup, Justin Palk, Norman Papernick, Richard Parks, Katherine Pendill, David Personette, E. PLS, PBC Productions Inc., Jonathan Pruett, QLM Aria X-Perienced, Mike R D Ashley, D Randall Kerr, Paul Rice, James Rickard, Karsten Rink, Erik Rolstad, Joseph Romel, Leena Romppainen, Stefan Scheib, Alan Scheiner, Kenneth Schneyer, Bluezoo Seven, Cosma Shalizi, siznax, Allen Snyder, David Sobyra, Jason Strawsburg, Keffington Studios, Jerome Stueart, Robert Stutts, Maurice Termeer, Tero, Chuck Tindle, Raymond Tobaygo, Tradeblanket.com, Heather Tumey, Ann VanderMeer, Andrew Vega, Emil Volcheck, Andrew Volpe, Wendy Wagner, Jennifer Walter, Tom Waters, Tehani Wessely, Shannon White, Dan Wick, John Wienstroer, Seth Williams, Dawn Wolfe, Sarah Wright
Citizens
Pete Aldin, Elye Alexander, Richard Alison, Joshua Allen, Alllie, Imron Alston, Clifford Anderson, Kim Anderson, Randall Andrews, Author Anonymous, Therese Arkenberg, Ash, Bill B., Benjamin Baker, Jenny Barber, Johanne Barron, Jeff Bass, Aaron Begg, LaNeta Bergst, Julie Berg-Thompson, Clark Berry, Amy Billingham, Tracey Bjorksten, Mike Blevins, Adam Blomquist, Kevin Bokelman, Michael Bonsall, Michael Braun Hamilton, Jennifer Brissett, Thomas Bull, Karl Bunker, Jefferson Burson, Graeme Byfield, c9lewis, Darrell Cain, C.G. Cameron, Yazburg Carlberg, Michael Carr, Nance Cedar, Timothy Charlton, Peter Charron, David Chasson, Catherine Cheek, Paige Chicklo, Elizabeth Coleman, Johne Cook, Claire Cooney, Martin Cooper, Lisa Costello, Charles Cox, Michael Cox, Tina Crone, Sarah Dalton, Ang Danieldeskbrain - Watercress Munster, Gillian Daniels, Chua Dave, Morgan Davey, Chase Davies, Craig Davis, Maria-Isabel Deira, Daniel DeLano, Paul DesCombaz, Aidan Doyle, Susan Duncan, Jesse Eisenhower, Brad Elliott, Warren Ellis, Lyle Enright, Yvonne Ewing, . Feather, Fabio Fernandes, Josiah Ferrin, Ethan Fode, Dense Fog, William Fred, Michael Frighetto, Sarah Frost, Paul Gainford, Robert Garbacz, Eleanor Gausden, Leslie Gelwicks, Susan Gibbs, Holly Glaser, Sangay Glass, Grendel, Damien Grintalis, Nikki Guerlain, Geoffrey Guthrie, Richard Guttormson, Lee Hallison, Lee Hallison, Janus Hansen, Roy Hardin, Jonathan Harnum, Jubal Harshaw, Darren Hawbrook, Helixa 12, Jamie Henderson, Samantha Henderson, Dave Hendrickson, Dan Hiestand, John Higham, Renata Hill, Björn Hillreiner, Tim Hills, Andrea Horbinski, Clarence Horne III, Richard Horton, Fiona Howland-Rose, Jeremy Hull, Dwight Illk, John Imhoff, Iridum Sound Envoy, Isbell, Stephen Jacob, Radford Janssens, Michael Jarcho, Jimbo, Steve Johnson, Gabriel Kaknes, Philip Kaldon, KarlTheGood, Sara Kathryn, Cagatay Kavukcuoglu, Lorna Keach, Jason Keeton, Robert Keller, Mary Kellerman, Kelson, Kate Kligman, Seymour Knowles-Barley, Matthew Koch, Lutz Krebs, Derek Kunsken, T. L. Sherwood, Paul Lamarre, Gina Langridge, Darren Ledgerwood, Brittany Lehman, Terra Lemay, Pontus Liljeblad, Susan Llewellyn, Thomas Loyal, James Lyle, Allison M. Dickson, Dan Manning, Eric Marsh, Jacque Marshall, Dominique Martel, Daniel Mathews, David Mayes, Derek McAleer, Mike McBride, Roz McCarthy, T.C. McCarthy, Jeffrey McDonald, Holly McEntee, Brent Mendelsohn, Seth Merlo, Stephen Middleton, John Midgley, Matthew Miller, Terry Miller, Alan Mimms, mjpearce, Aidan Moher, Marian Moore, Patricia Murphy, Jack Myers Photography, Glenn Nevill, Stella Nickerson, David Oakley, Scott Oesterling, Christopher Ogilvie, Lydia Ondrusek, Ruth O'Neill, Erik Ordway, Nancy Owens, Stuart P Hair, Thomas Pace, Amparo Palma Reig, Thomas Parrish, Andrea Pawley, Nikki Philley, Beth Plutchak, David Potter, Ed Prior, David Raco, Mahesh Raj Mohan, Adam Rakunas, Ralan, Steve Ramey, Robert Redick, George Reilly, Joshua Reynolds, Julia Reynolds, Zach Ricks, Carl Rigney, Hank Roberts, Tansy Roberts, Kenneth Robkin, Roy and Norma Kloster, RPietila, Sarah Rudek, Woodworking Running Dog, Oliver Rupp, Caitlin Russell, Abi
gail Rustad, Lior Saar, S2 Sally, Tim Sally, Jason Sanford, Steven Saus, MJ Scafati, Jan Shawyer, Espana Sheriff, Udayan Shevade, Josh Shiben, Aileen Simpson, Karen Snyder, Morgan Songi, Dr SP Conboy-Hil, Terry Squire Stone, Kenneth Takigawa, Jesse Tauriainen, Paul Tindle II, Julia Varga, Adam Vaughan, Extranet Vendors Association, William Vennell, Vettac, Diane Walton, Robert Wamble, Lim Wee Teck, Neil Weston, Peter Wetherall, Adam White, Jeff Williamson, Neil Williamson, Kristyn Willson, Devon Wong, Chalmer Wren, Catherine York, Doug Young, Rena Zayit, Stephanie Zvan
Interested in immigrating to Clarkesworld? Visit clarkesworldmagazine.com for more details.
About Clarkesworld
Clarkesworld Magazine (clarkesworldmagazine.com) is a monthly science fiction and fantasy magazine first published in October 2006. Via the heroic efforts of our talented and engaged staff, each issue contains interviews, thought-provoking articles and at least three pieces of original fiction. Our fiction is also available in ebook editions/subscriptions, audio podcasts, chapbooks and in our annual print anthologies.
Clarkesworld has been nominated for Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine three times and has won the award twice. Our fiction has been nominated for or won the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Locus, BSFA, Shirley Jackson, WSFA Small Press and Stoker Awards.
For information on how to subscribe to Clarkesworld Magazine on your mobile device or ereader, please visit: clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
About the Editors
Neil Clarke (neil-clarke.com) is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Clarkesworld Magazine, owner of Wyrm Publishing and a 2012 Hugo Award Nominee for Best Editor Short Form. He currently lives next to a wildlife refuge in NJ with his wife and two boys.
Sean Wallace is a founding editor at Clarkesworld Magazine, owner of Prime Books and winner of the World Fantasy Award. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife and two daughters.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Non-Zero Probabilities
The Second Gift Given
Walking with a Ghost
Celadon
Teaching Bigfoot to Read
The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew
The Jisei of Mark VIII
Passwords
Idle Roomer
From the Lost Diary of TreeFrog7
Gift of the Kites
batch 39 and the deadman’s switch
Rolling Steel: A Pre-Apocalyptic Love Story
The Completely Rechargeable Man
Episode 72
Placa del Fuego
Herding Vegetable Sheep
The Devonshire Arms
The Loyalty of Birds
The Giving Heart
White Charles
On the Lot and In the Air
A Woman’s Best Friend
The Dying World
Clarkesworld Citizens
About Clarkesworld
