Beneath Ceaseless Skies was nominated for a World Fantasy Award earlier this month (alongside Black Gate, we humbly point out), and I must say, they make for some very stiff competition. BCS is one of the top markets for adventure fantasy, and it just started buying longer stories. At only $15.99 for a full year, it’s a terrific bargain. I finally bought a subscription back in May, and I’ve been heartily enjoying it.

Issue #203 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies is dated July 7 and features fiction by Mishell Baker and Rachael K. Jones, a podcast by Rachael K. Jones, and a reprint by Aliette de Bodard. Here’s the complete Table of Contents.

“Fire in the Haze” by Mishell Baker
And yet everywhere I looked, my periphery supplied ghosts of him: lounging indolently on a couch, reaching up to add a final stroke to a poem, bowing over my hand. And there, of course, pausing at the foot of the narrow stairs to the grand bedchamber. Looking over his shoulder, a half smile adorning the human face he wore even when we were alone.

“The Night Bazaar for Women Becoming Reptiles” by Rachael K. Jones
Hester’s skin itched all over, and she longed for cool sand sliding against her bare belly. One, two, three eggs into her mouth, one sharp bite, and the clear, viscous glair ran down her throat. The shells were tougher than she expected. They tasted tart, like spoiled goat’s milk. She waited for the change, but the sun crawled higher and nothing happened.

Audio Fiction Podcast

“The Night Bazaar for Women Becoming Reptiles” by Rachael K. Jones (Duration: 36:25 — 33.34MB)
One, two, three eggs into her mouth, one sharp bite, and the clear, viscous glair ran down her throat.

From the Archives

“The Moon Over Red Trees” by Aliette de Bodard
…where she might well always be the jumped-up little Annamite to other Frenchmen—but what does it matter, if she has Raoul’s love?

Read issue 203 online completely free here.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies is edited by Scott H. Andrews and published twice a month by Firkin Press. Issues are available completely free online; you can also get a free e-mail or RSS subscription.

Firkin Press also sells a Kindle/e-Reader subscription, which includes automatic delivery to your Kindle or other device. A 12-month subscription comes with 26 issues and costs only $15.99. Single issues are available on Kindle and at Weightless Books for 99 cents. Subscribe here.

The magazine supports itself though subscriptions, and also by selling anthologies, including the annual Best of BCS volumes and occasional themed books such as the steampunk anthology Ceaseless West. The anthologies each contain 15-18 stories and cost only $2.99-$3.99.

This month’s cover, “High Above the Savannah,” is by By Martin Ende. We last covered Beneath Ceaseless Skies with issue #200.

See our July Fantasy Magazine Rack here, and all of our recent Magazine coverage here.