Did you miss an issue of Shimmer? It’s not too late!
You can always purchase the electronic edition, and we’ve still got a few copies of the print edition for some of our older issues.
September 2018 – Shimmer #45
The Ghost Pet Detective, by Ryan Row
By the Hand That Casts It, by Stephanie Charette
Find On Your Body the Bruise, by Maricat Stratford
Lighthouse Waiting, by Gwendolyn Clare
Dead Things, by Becca De La Rosa
July 2018 – Shimmer #44
The Passenger, by Emily Lundgren
Milkteeth, by Kristi DeMeester
Bleeding Through the Shadows, by David Rees-Thomas
Rapture, by Meg Elison
May 2018 – Shimmer #43
Faint Voices, Increasingly Desperate, by Anya Johanna DeNiro
Gone to Earth, by Octavia Cade
What the Skeleton Detective Tells You (while you picnic),
by Katherine Kendig
You, In Flux, by Alexis A. Hunter
March 2018 – Shimmer #42
Issue #42 of Shimmer contains the answer
to life, the universe, and everything. Promise.
The Triumphant Ward of the Railroad and the Sea by Sara Saab
They Have a Name For That by Sara Beitia
The Imitation Sea by Lora Gray
If a bear… by Kathrin Köhler
January 2018 – Shimmer #41
Sometimes, it’s what you don’t see that is scariest of all. (But then sometimes you glimpse it? And it’s all teeth and claws and dripping light encased in darkness and you think shit I need a bigger flame thrower and then everything is dark forever.) These four stories pull the curtain back, and more.
Black Fanged Thing, by Sam Rebelein
An Incomplete Catalogue of Miraculous Births, or, Secrets of the Uterus Abscondita, by Rebecca Campbell
Me, Waiting for Me, Hoping For Something More, by Dee Warrick
Held, by Ian O’Reilly
Shimmer 40 – November 2017
Forty issues! Forty issues of Shimmer! Forty! Shimmers! As with many of our stories, these four encompass love, loss, destruction, and the hope of renewal. They explore new territories for their characters–the idea of new lives, of lives lost, of lives shed and begun again. Recipes for resurrection.
Boneset. by Lucia Iglesias
The Atomic Hallows and the Body of Science, by Octavia Cade
Raise-the-Dead Cobbler, by Andrea Corbin
The Weight of Sentience, by Naru Dames Sundar
Shimmer 39 – September 2017
Ghosts. We all have them, some more apparent than others. The ghosts of people who are no longer with us, the ghosts of dreams we used to have, the ghosts that linger in places we once lived. This issue of Shimmer contains a bundle of ghosts. They are beautiful and frightening and tragic and everything you imagine a Shimmer ghost would be.
The Creeping Influences, by Sonya Taaffe
En la Casa de Fantasmas, by Brian Holguin
Fixer, Worker, Singer, by Natalia Theodoridou
Hare’s Breath, by Maria Haskins
Shimmer 38 – July 2017
Sometimes, especially now, you need a dash of the old-fashioned adventure story. You’ll find a couple of those herein, but we’ve also thrown old-fashioned out the window, because we’re Shimmer, and that tends to be what we do.
Salamander Six-Guns, by Martin Cahill
Itself at the Heart of Things, by Andrea Corbin
Maps of Infinity, by Heather Morris
The Moon, the Sun, and the Truth, by Victoria Sandbrook
Shimmer 37 – May 2017
This issue of Shimmer inadvertently celebrates growing things; the planting of life into the ground so that more life can flourish. Seeds. Water. Sunlight. Dare I say, it’s basic science, in a time when science is under threat. Perhaps it has always been.
Fallow, by Ashley Blooms
Feathers and Void, by Charles Payseur
We Lilies of the Valley, by Sonja Natasha
Dandelion, by John Shade
Shimmer 36 – March 2017
Some things are eternal: mothers, daughters, inherited heartbreak, flood waters. In these four stories, our authors dare to explore the depths, to break the fallen fruit apart and see what it has borne.
Birds On An Island, by Charlie Bookout
The Cold, Lonely Waters – Aimee Ogden
Extinctions – Lina Rather
And in That Sheltered Sea, a Colossus – Michael Matheson
Shimmer 35 – January 2017
This issue of Shimmer contains stories that tell us evil may be overcome even if we’re small and unsure. Love can be a weapon and a shield. Keep fighting in whatever way you can.
Hic Sunt Leones, by L.M. Davenport
Shadow Man, Sack Man, Half Dark, Half Light, by Malon Edwards
Trees Struck by Lightning Burning From the Inside Out, by Emily Lundgren
Your Mama’s Adventures in Parenting, by Mary Robinette Kowal
Shimmer 34 – November 2016
When we read submissions, we see a lot of stories treading a lot of familiar ground. The retold fairy tale, the mermaid story, which is related to the selkie story; the story where Death is personified, the deal with the devil story, the story where someone travels back in time and kills Hitler.
Skills to Keep the Devil In His Place, by Lia Swope Mitchell
Number One Personal Hitler, by Jeff Hemenway
Spirit Tasting List for Ridley House, April 2016
by Alex Acks
Now We’ve Lost, Natalia Theodoridou
Shimmer 33 – September 2016
You could say, this is a quintessential issue of Shimmer. If one were looking for an example of all things Shimmer, one might thrust this issue into the light the way Rafiki did Simba. Stories lyrical and haunting; stories dark and bright. These four stories illuminate the darkness with a sliver of light so bright, your eyes might tear.
Only Their Shining Beauty Was Left, by Fran Wilde
Shadow Boy, by Lora Gray
The Invisible Stars, by Ryan Row
What Becomes Of the Third-Hearted, by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor
Shimmer 32 – July 2016
In astronomy, we’re often taught to use “averted vision,” that is to look to the side of the object we want to see, because our eyes operate in a way that allow us to see it most clearly when we’re not actually looking at the object at all. These four stories use a kind of averted vision themselves, showing us characters who are not entirely what we see them as being, but in the end could be nothing else at all.
Painted Grassy Mire, by Nicasio Andres Reed
The Wombly, by K.L. Morris
glam-grandma, by Avi Naftali
The Singing Soldier, by Natalia Theodoridou
Shimmer 31 – May 2016
Our five May stories contain unique voices that will carry readers to beautiful and tragic places, be it to distant star empires, robot-infested cities, the cracked world in the wake of an earthquake, or the inner chambers of the human heart.
All the Colors You Thought Were Kings, by Arkady Martine
Suicide Bots, by Bentley A. Reese
Define Symbiont, by Rich Larson
An Atlas in Sgraffito Style, by A.J. Fitzwater
.subroutine:all///end, by Alex Acks
Shimmer 30 – March 2016
The color out of space.
Red shirts.
Redrum.
Science fiction is full of iconic colors, and so too this issue of Shimmer!
Red Mask, by Jessica May Lin
Blackpool, by Sarah Brooks
Indigo Blue, by Rachael K. Jones
All the Red Apples Have Withered to Gray, by Gwendolyn Kiste
Shimmer 29 – January 2016
Places hold their own magic. The woods. A city. The river that winds between them as lazy as a Sunday morning. These four stories explore magical places and those who dare wander into them.
In this issue, we introduce you to three new-to-Shimmer authors, and welcome Megan Arkenberg back, with a story of stunning beauty.
Palingenesis, by Megan Arkenberg
The Fifth Gable, by Kay Chronister
The Block, by Kostas Ikonomopoulos
Another Beginning, by Michael McGlade
Shimmer #28 – November 2015
Growing up, two things weave their way in and out of our lives: loss and discovery. Sometimes, a loss can be a discovery, and sometimes a discovery is also a loss.
Even In This Skin, A.C. Wise
In the Pines, K.M. Carmien
To Sleep In the Dust of the Earth, Kristi DeMeester
A Drop of Ink, Preserved in Amber, Marina J. Lostetter
Shimmer #27 – September 2015
The future is closer than we know, but so is the past. Turn a corner and you may find yourself swallowed by another era: by a cloud of dust, by a house, by a black and sunless world–by the swirling hair of your lover. Each will carry you to a time that was no more distant than the lines on your palm. Each will carry you effortlessly into the next.
Dustbaby, by Alix E. Harrow
A July Story, by K.L. Owens
Black Planet, by Stephen Case
The Law of the Conservation of Hair, by Rachael K. Jones
Buy the whole issue!
All the stories, editorials, interviews; no waiting. Only $2.99.
Shimmer #26 – July 2015
The one constant of our world is change, whether it be climates, bodies, or viewpoints. Hot goes cold, light goes dark, what was unseen and bypassed can no longer be. These four stories will take you on four such journeys — the transformations of loved ones, the transformations of a world we barely knew and may never understand, and the world yet to come looming in the near distance.
The Star Maiden, Roshani Chokshi
The Last Dinosaur, Lavie Tidhar
Serein, Cat Hellisen
States of Emergency, Erica L. Satifka
Buy the whole issue!
All the stories, editorials, interviews; no waiting. Only $2.99.
Shimmer #25 – May 2015
The Proper Motion of Extraordinary Stars, by Kali Wallace
The Mothgate, by J.R. Troughton
Good Girls, by Isabel Yap
In the Rustle of Pages, by Cassandra Khaw
All the stories, editorials, interviews; no waiting. Only $2.99.
Shimmer #24 – March 2015
The Scavenger’s Nursery, by Maria Dahvana Headley
The Cult of Death, by K.L. Pereira
You Can Do It Again, by Michael Ian Bell
Come My Love and I’ll Tell You a Tale, by Sunny Moraine
Shimmer #23 – January 2015
People often ask me, “what makes a story Shimmery,” and it’s not always easily answered — sometimes, you don’t know a story is Shimmery until you hit the end, and you realize there is a change inside you.
The Half Dark Promise, by Malon Edwards
Of Blood and Brine, by Megan E. O’Keefe
Be Not Unequally Yoked, by Alexis A. Hunter
Monsters in Space, by Angela Ambroz
Shimmer#22, November 2014
The future will be stranger than we can imagine, but so too was the past. Shimmer’s 22nd issue has four stories rooted in the here, the then, and the may-have-been, but the roots are never quite still, for they cross over and back and through. Whispers in welds, advertisements that don’t quite promise what you think they do; something moving within the very walls that enclose you; a scattering of falling, winter stars.
A Whisper in the Weld by Alix E. Harrow
Caretaker by Carlie St. George
Cantor’s Dragon by Craig DeLancey
The One They Took Before by Kelly Sandoval
Shimmer#21, September 2014
Shimmer blends the perfect speculative cocktail for its twenty-first issue. Three parts exuberance to one part seawater, a sand-crusted spun-sugar glass brushed with winter’s fresh boughs. These four stories, from Shimmer alums and novices alike, will take you on a journey that is familiar as earth, but as strange as stars. We explore the depths of the sea and the dry deserts both, where encounters don’t have to be alien to terrify.
Anna Saves Them All, by Seth Dickinson
Dharmas, by Vajra Chandrasekera
Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife, by A. C. Wise
We Take the Long View, by Erica Satifka
Shimmer#20, July 2014
#20 is a great reflection of the beautifully unexpected things we discover in our submissions, and the surprising things we end up loving as editors and readers both. Shimmer leans toward stories that cover new ground, and these four do that. They also feature authors making their Shimmer debuts — we love when that happens. Featuring Jenn Grunigen, Eden Robins, Sam J. Miller, and Laura Pearlman.
The Seaweed and the Wormhole, by Jenn Grunigen
Ellie and Jim vs. Tony the Nose by Eden Robins
Allosaurus Burgers, by Sam J. Miller
Why I Hate Zombie Unicorns, by Laura Pearlman
Shimmer #19, May 2014
Our first fully digital issue. Shimmer #19 is full of everything Shimmer is famous for: stories of love and loss and hope and death — and a double helping of wings. We’ll release one new story every two weeks. (Want to read them all at once? No problem; just scroll down to the buy button and get the whole issue at once.)
The Earth & Everything Under, by K. M. Ferebee
Methods of Divination, by Tara Isabella Burton
Jane By Margaret Dunlap
List of Items Found in Valise on Welby Crescent, by Alex Acks
Shimmer #18, February 2014
Guest-edited by the illustrious Ann VanderMeer, these eight juicy stories are a journey beyond the ordinary. Explore futures and footnotes, fragments and history. Read about mushrooms and missing limbs, shadows and books, atoms and souls.
This issue welcomes new-to-Shimmer authors Ben Peek, Rachel Marston, Ramsey Shehadeh, Ben Godby, Christine Schirr, Annlee Newitz, and Jeff VanderMeer. Dustin Monk returns, with cover art by Kurt Huggins. The VanderMeer story ties loosely into his Southern Reach Trilogy universe.
For more on Shimmer #18, visit the order page.
Shimmer #17, September 2013
Shimmer 17 is the issue when we began paying pro rates, and we wanted to make it exceptional. We selected 17 stories that went further: more emotional intensity, more challenges, more complexity, more heart. These stories bleed. These stories weep. Come with us on a journey that begins at the circus, and ends in the underworld.
We are pleased to share stories from Katherine Sparrow, A.C. Wise, Sarah Brooks, Helena Bell, Alex Dally MacFarlane, Sunny Moraine, Lavie Tidhar, Robert N. Lee, Jordan Taylor, Yarrow Paisley, Alex Wilson, Kristi DeMeester, Damien Angelia Walters, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Kim Neville, Carmen Maria Machado, and Ada Hoffmann.
Kristi DeMeester’s story, “Like Feather, Like Bone” will appear in Year’s Best Weird #1, ed. Laird Barron.
For more on Shimmer #17, visit the order page.
Shimmer #16, January 2013
Shimmer 16 has thirteen elegant and original stories. It’s got angels and cakes and a space elevator and a haunted jalopy and a zombie, and even a unicorn. But mostly? This issue is full of love: love for lost lovers and spouses and parents, love for those we can never have, love for freedom and memories and the eternally numinous.
Still, it’s Shimmer, so the course of true love never does run smooth. Terrible loss, shivery revenge, agonizing decisions, heartbreak, despair, and the stabbing pain of hope. It’s all in there, waiting for you.
For more information, check out the full Table of Contents.
The print edition of this issue is sold out.
Shimmer #15, Summer 2012
Catch glimpses of what lives beyond death in this issue’s seven haunting stories, written by Nicole M. Taylor, Dustin Monk, Oliver Buckram, Megan Arkenberg, K. M. Ferebee, Mari Ness, and Milo James Fowler. The stories are brilliantly illustrated by Sandro Castelli, Anderson Cabral, Rhiannon Rasmussen-Silverstein, and Bill Stoneham.
Milo James Fowler’s story, “Soulless In His Sight,” will be reprinted in Wastelands 2, from John Joseph Adams.
For more information, check out the Table of Contents. Fall/Winter 2012.
The print edition of this issue is sold out.
Shimmer #14, Fall/Winter 2011
Shimmer 14 contains 10 delights: we’ve got carnal carnivores, haunted bridges and houses, balloon girls, mud boys, werewolves, an uncanny trashman, ghosts, soldiers, tea-harvesting robots, and of course, an Einstein-award-winning mathematician.
Two stories got a Recommended by Lois Tilton in her Locus review — don’t miss “Food My Father Feeds Me, Love My Husband Shows Me,” by A. Al Balaskovits, and “Gödel Apparition Fugue,” by Craig DeLancey.
For more information, check out the Table of Contents. Fall/Winter 2011.
Shimmer #13, Spring 2011
Shimmer 13 contains wonders and marvels, from L. L. Hannett’s tale of selkie rumors in a fishing town, to Georgina Bruce’s devastating “Dogs.” We’ve got a sentient snowperson’s obsession, a hill that talks and loves, and our very first story written by a giant squid.
The stories themselves, for the most part serious or even melancholy, are built on fresh ideas or at least interesting twists on established ones. Their fantastical elements range from the overt—mermaids and magic portals—to the mere shimmer of possibility hovering just beneath their surfaces. -Jessica Barnes, The Portal
For more information, check out the Table of Contents. Spring 2011.
The print edition of this issue is sold out.
Shimmer #12, Fall 2010
Shimmer 12 features melancholy stories of love and loss, from Monica Byrne’s tale of stigmata on a distant planet to Josh Storey’s reimagining of Orpheus. Jen Volant explores the burden of duty, and Ben Francisco’s snowman wishes for fireflies. We leaven the issue with Nicky Drayden’s zombie love story and Peter M. Ball’s teenage werewolves.
Another wonderful issue of Shimmer, its twelfth. Let’s hope there are dozens more. Subscribe! –SFRevu
For more information, check out the Table of Contents. Fall 2010.
Shimmer #11, The Clockwork Jungle Book (Autumn 09)
Our collection of twenty fabulous steampunk animal tales. We’ve got an origin story from Jay Lake, and a tale of the end of the world from Sara Genge. Stories set in London, China, Alabama, Castle Frankenstein, and the moon. We’ve got snakes and dinosaurs, elephants and wolves, bees and fish, birds and goats, and yes, even a monkey or two. 172 pages, available in both print and electronic. Shweta Narayan’s story, “The Mechanical Aviary of Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar,” has been reprinted in Jeff VanderMeer’s Steampunk Reloaded: Volume II.The Clockwork Jungle Book … does not disappoint. This was a flawless issue Shimmer and a big thick one, too. — SF RevuFor more information, check out the Table of Contents. Autumn 2009.
Shimmer #10, Winter 2009
To celebrate our tenth issue, we put the whole thing up online: download it for free! This issue features Nir Yaniv’s “A Painter, a Sheep, and a Boa Constrictor,” which was reprinted in Rich Horton’s Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2010. Five stories were selected for Ellen Datlow’s Honorable Mention list in the Year’s Best Horror, including our cover story, Caitlin Paxson’s “The Carnivale of Abandoned Tales.” The others: “Counting Down to the End of the Universe,” by Sara Genge; “The Spoils of Springfield” by Alex Wilson; “What to Do with the Dead,” by Claude Lalumière; and “A Painter, a Sheep, and a Boa Constrictor.” You also don’t want to miss Shweta Narayan’s “One for Sorrow,” and the cover art by the brilliant Carrie Ann Baade.They are unfailingly well written, which gives hope for the future of the genre. — Tangent OnlineFor more information, check out the Table of Contents.
Shimmer #9, Spring 2008
Eleven delicious stories! Our cover story is M. K. Hobson’s “The Hand of the Devil on a String,” which appears on the Best American Fantasy 3 Recommended Reading List. Four stories from this issue were selected as Honorable Mentions in Ellen Datlow’s Year’s Best Horror: “The Hummingbird Heart,” by Angela Slatter; “The Shape of her Sorrow,” by Joy Marchand, “The Hand of the Devil on a String,” and “Chimera and Qi,” by Tinatsu Wallace.Beneath the glossy cover art by Aunia Kahn, the 2008 Spring issue of Shimmer is filled with illustrated stories loosely based on relationships, and how the power of love or the lack of it influences people’s lives. This issue will satisfy the widely diverse palates of fantasy readers. –The Fix.For more information, check out the Table of Contents.
Shimmer #8, The Art Issue (Winter 2008)
In this issue, art director Mary Robinette Kowal first selected the art; then we approached some of our favorite authors to write stories inspired by the art.
- John Piccacio’s “Penny’s Grave” inspired “Pennywise,” by Kurt Kirchmeier.
- “Cherub,” by Sandro Castelli, lead to “A Very Young Boy With Largely Clipped Wings,” by Michael Livingston.
- Fatima Azimova’s “Conception of the Mind” was the inspiration for “Within the City of the Swan” by Aliette de Bodard. (Best American Fantasy 3 Recommended Reading List)
- Chrissy Ellsworth’s “My Career as a Fashion Designer” lead to “Dresses, Three” by Angela Slatter (honorable mention in Ellen Datlow’s Year’s Best Horror.)
- Carrie Ann Baade’s amazing untitled image gave us “Flying and Falling” by Kuzhali Manickavel, which was reprinted in Best American Fantasy 3.
For more information, check out the Table of Contents. The print edition of this issue is sold out.
Shimmer #7, The Pirate Issue (Autumn 2007)
Guest-edited by John Joseph Adams, this special themed issue contains ten swashbuckling stories, our interview with the creator of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and is illustrated throughout by James Owen. Avast!
John Joseph Adams was invited by the editors at Shimmer to be the editor, and his skills at choosing good stories that have plots, characters, and are under 5000 words shows through. –Grasping for the Wind.For more information, check out the Table of Contents.
Shimmer #6, Winter 2007
“…Full of magic, love, poetic prose, and again, magic. Not the kind of magic you expect in traditional fantasy stories—spells and bewitchment—but the kind of magic that pulses through the veins of a well drafted collection to enchant the heart. You will remember these stories long after you have tucked the small paperback among your other collectibles.”–Tangent Online
For more information, check out the Table of Contents.
Shimmer #5, Autumn 2006
Eight stories, including Angela Slatter’s Aurealis-award nominated story “The Angel Wood,” and our interview with John Scalzi. Two stories received an honorable mention in the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror: Aliette de Bodard’s “Through the Obsidian Gates” and “A Wizard on the Road,” by Nir Yaniv (trans. Lavie Tidhar).It was a totally enjoyable experience … Shimmer is one of the best small press magazines out there and you should all be subscribing to it! — SF Revu
For more information, check out the Table of Contents.
Shimmer #4, Summer 2006
Issue Four presents nine stories. We’ve got Amal El-Mohtar’s first fiction publication, Angela Slatter’s “Bluebeard,” (which received an Honorable Mention in the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror), and seven other treats.
Shimmer is the type of publication that you’re proud of reading in front of your peers. It is journal-sized, with an attractive, simple front and back cover layout. The interior has a clean, professional design. The font is eye-grabbing and large enough for most eyes to read without hassle…. Shimmer has some of the best dark fantasy and horror to be found in the small press. More people need to be exposed to this magazine. — Tangent Online
For more information, check out the Table of Contents.
Shimmer #3, Spring 2006
Nine stories, including two Year’s Best honorable mentions: the haunting “Litany,” by John Mantooth, and the devastating “The Little Match Girl,” by Angela Slatter.
This issue of Shimmer is full of the well-written slipstream and interstitial stories that show why the magazine has become a favorite with both the fans and the critics. — Tangent Online
For more information, check out the Table of Contents.
Shimmer #2, Winter 2006
This issue has our interview with Ellen Datlow, stories from Ken Scholes, Jay Lake, and Samantha Henderson. Tom Pendergrass’s story, “Sell Your Soul to the Devil Blues,” received an Honorable Mention in the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. Nine marvelous stories.
I missed the premier issue of Shimmer, but found this second issue a joy to read. It was like opening a box of mixed chocolates. Although I like some of the fillings better than others, all were delicious and I couldn’t stop eating (er…reading) until all were consumed. — Tangent Online.
For more information, check out the Table of Contents.
Shimmer #1, Autumn 2005
Our debut issue! See how it all began. We kicked things off with nine stories and a book review from John Joseph Adams. “Nobody’s Fool,” by Edward Cox, received an Honorable Mention in the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror.
If I had seen Shimmer in a store, I would have snatched it up right away, because I am a book snob, and, to my shame, am too easily seduced by gorgeous cover art. However, had I indeed picked up a copy in a fit of unmitigated passion for its prettiness, I would not have been disappointed; this is an excellent magazine with high editorial standards, a tight, sure vision of what it seeks to accomplish, and a degree of success with that goal that’s decidedly gratifying. — Amal El Mohtar, SFSite.
For more information, check out the Table of Contents.
can i get another print subscription? i’m having a hard time finding where i can do that on the website.
Emily, Shimmer went digital-only with issue #19. We will have trade paperback at the end of the year which collects the entire prior year of digital in print!
Elise: Is that likely to happen with issues prior to #19 as well? Ordering annual TPB collections is much more convenient than individual print issues for those of us who are new and want to catch up! 🙂
That is something Beth and I should/need to discuss! We are also still hoping to assemble a Best Of Shimmer, so definitely stay tuned–I hope we have all kinds of news soon. 🙂