“The Lichens” by Nina Allan — A 22nd century botanist asks a teacher in Scotland, at the time of Culloden, for help with her research.

“Beneath the Surface, a Womb of Ice” by Deborah L. Davitt — A biochemist involved in the search for water on Mars finds refuge in the mechanics of science.

“A Stone’s Throw” by Gregory Feeley — Romance burns hot amidst the cold moons of Neptune.

“The Wine-Dark Deep” by Sheila Finch — A cephalopod researcher discovers petroglyphs on the walls of a deep underwater cave.

“Cloudchaser” by Tom Jolly — A collector of rare artifacts hides his valuables on darkworlds.

“The Ploughshare and the Storm” by Gwyneth Jones — Post-human artists find a time capsule on Europa.

“Nonstandard Candles” by Yoon Ha Lee — A cartographer and her apprentice map the outer darkness of space.

“Timekeepers’ Symphony” by Ken Liu — The colonization of the cosmos transforms humanity’s sense of time.

“Maryon’s Gift” by Paul McAuley — Monks fight to keep a newly discovered pristine world free of humans.

“Goldie” by Sean Monaghan — Scientists learn a lot about themselves while studying the ecosystems of an alien world.

“The Abacus and the Infinite Vessel” by Vikram Ramakrishnan — A scientist recalls the struggles of her and her mother after immigrating to Mars.

“I Give You the Moon” by Justina Robson — A history student yearns for a dose of reality in an AR-immersed future.

“The Difference Between Love and Time” by Catherynne M. Valente — A woman has a relationship with the space-time continuum that’s a bit different than most of us.

“Critical Mass” by Peter Watts — An avant-garde artist, past his prime, discovers his works are being vandalized.

“Communion” by Jay Werkheiser and Frank Wu — A pilot is caught in a life and death struggle between his ship’s AI and an alien microbe after crash landing on an ice moon.