To save humanity, she must become the machine. Lizzie's squadron of elite starfighter pilots is the only thing standing between Earth and annihilation. But to stop the alien invasion, she must fight at near-light speeds, merging her mind with her starfighter's AI. With every new battle, she loses another piece of her humanity, and the world that she's fighting for slips further into the past. This story was originally published in issue 12 (August 2019) of Serial Magazine.

Ten optimistic and forward-looking space stories that show how we journey to the stars! This is the third volume of the collected short stories of Joe Vasicek. It includes: The Scales of the Space Whale The most dangerous creatures in the universe will kill you before they know you exist! In the Beginning Paradise is not what—or where—it seems. (After Dinner Conversation, August 2020) From the Ice Incarnate They say that going into cryo is the closest thing to death short of actually dying. I believe it. (1st place, 2009 Vera Hinckley Mayhew Contest BYU) When She Awakes To pay her father's debt, she must offer herself as coin. The Infiltrator The aliens are already among us, in a form we refuse to see. (Not Far From Roswell, December 2019) Abductors Always check your backblast before launching your UFO. (Never before published!) Starchild The revolutions passed, and the stars spun silently underfoot. (Bards and Sages Quarterly, October 2019) L’enfer, c’est la Solitude War is not the only hell in the cold, empty void of space. (Perihelion, March 2016; The New Accelerator, August 2018) The Janus Anomaly What do you do when you're the only sane one and everyone else is crazy? (Kasma Magazine, May 2019; Twilight Tales, February 2021) Lizzie-99XT To save humanity, she must become the machine. (Serial Magazine, August 2019)

Ten brutally honest and politically incorrect stories for times such as these! This is the second volume of the collected short stories of Joe Vasicek. It contains: The Paradox of Choice If post-birth abortions are legal, when does life actually begin? Payday A near future sci-fi thriller about the perils of a universal basic income. Utahraptors at Dawn When the meme wars are fought on the digital field of honor, no weapon is too ridiculous to be awesome. Sex, Life, and Love Under the Algorithms In a world bound by algorithms and AI, the greatest liability is the human spirit. Welcome to Condescension The graying of fandom was never this much fun. (Space Squid, August 2018) A Less Than Perfect Game Sometimes the only way to win is first to make a mistake. Take Up Your Sword A kingdom is lost… and a legend is born. The Numismatist Even for time travelers, some hobbies are truly timeless. (Never before published!) Elusive Eden (by J.M. Wight) When a time traveler's quest for the Garden of Eden goes sideways, will his faith go sideways too? (Never before published!) Worlds Without Number (by J.M. Wight) An age of peace, an artifact of war, and a visit three men will never forget.