A struggling college student gains new perspective on her studies from her classmate, who’s come to study from another planet. Find more of the author’s work at www.nickydrayden.com.

A young girl explores her own power, and finds kinship with a bird of prey.

A family matriarch takes up residence in the Underworld.

A group of mall Santas celebrating Christmas Eve discover that there is a stranger in their midst.

“The Usual Santas” appears in Mick Herron’s collection DOLPHIN JUNCTION, published by Soho Press (US) and John Murray (UK), 2021.

A mystical phenomenon brightens the dreary days of winter — until one year, when it suddenly stops.

A boy discovers his father’s hidden kingdom.

This story appears in the anthology Small Odysseys: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories, published by Algonquin Books. Find more from Luis Alberto Urrea at luisurrea.com.

A tale of complicated family relationships and magical cooking. This story was first published in Uncanny Magazine.

An adventurer carried back spoils from a journey to the center of the earth. Now, his family joins him on a return trip, hoping to ensure their access to his fortune.

This story appears in the anthology LOST WORLDS AND MYTHOLOGICAL KINGDOMS, available now in hardback, e-book and audio.

Tobias Buckell’s collection SHOGGOTHS IN TRAFFIC AND OTHER STORIES is available in paperback, e-book and audio.

Content advisory: Violence, death

When an Instagram-famous rock climber comes to an untimely death, his friends and admirers gather to memorialize him.

This story appears in Kim Fu’s collection LESSER KNOWN MONSTERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY, published by Tin House.

Content advisory: Description of death