Yeah I know everybody else did this kind of thing a month ago. Unfortunately for me, I’ve been busy.
My favorite reads are, predictably, stories that hit you up front with a strong premise centered on a character 1) facing loss who 2) wants something. (That’s basically all I write.)
“Year of Shrines” by Tessa Gratton
“Eternal Recurrence” by Spencer Nitkey
“A Menu of First Favorite Meals” by Jo Miles
“A Seder in Siberia” by Louis Evans
“Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200” by R. S. A. Garcia — This one breaks the mold of my usual tastes and still ended up on the favorites list. It’s just that good.
“Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!” by TJ Klune
“No Flight Without the Shatter” by Brooke Bolander
“Fandom for Robots” by Vina Jie-min Prasad
“A Dry, Quiet War” by Tony Daniel
“Hello Operator, Please Give me Number Nine” by Starlingthefool
“Blackjack” by Veronica Schanoes
“The Plasticity of Being” by Renan Bernardo
“A Heart Between Teeth” by Kerstin Hall
“You Came to the Tower” by Shaenon Garrity
Hey, 14 whole stories I loved! This was a good year.
Breakdown:
Reactor – 5. Not even half the list, despite that I think I read Tor’s publications more reliably than anybody else’s.
Uncanny Magazine – 3
AO3 – 1, and it’s a real gem I feel lucky to have been rec’d
Infinity Plus – 1
Grist – 1
Diabolical Plots – 1
The Sunday Morning Transport – 1
Future Science Fiction Digest – 1, and this is my top pick.