After a long hiatus,Third Flatiron has launched its 34th short story anthology. "SciFi To Go: Food for Thought" features the work of 32 authors, some fan favorites returning, as well as others making their first appearance in our pages. The theme, while open-ended and speculative, showcases the important role food plays in our lives--and our thoughts. Here's a note from the Editor.
Hello, folks—
If you follow our anthologies, you know I mostly spend my time out front over there showcasing our favorite tantalizing treats, arranging them on a tray like a delicious dessert extravaganza beloved by all into a tangy lemon meringue custard made with meyer lemons and topped with fluffy golden egg white peaks resting atop a flaky buttery crenelated crust.
But sometimes, just sometimes, folks, I thumb through the pages of an ancient grease-soaked cookbook for something different and plunge into the chaos of untested recipes hoping to find something toothsome you can sink your teeth in sometimes brushing the fruit flies off some half-eaten overripe bananas from a nearby dumpster to create the heat-producing compost known as. . .
MEANWHILE
Meanwhile, we lead off with something "Devilishly Delicious" by Uncia Umbra, in which family magic plays a role in deciding what's for dinner tonight. Likewise, Emily Chanter's "The Dish That Takes Twenty Years to Prepare" gets out the slow cooker. . . ."
Meanwhile, sometimes it feels like you can feast on powerful memories, whether cybernetic or magical, as in Carol Mbugua's "Sweet After the Flood," Elizabeth Beechwood's survival story, "The Memory of Walnuts," and Michael H. Payne's "The Memory of Pie."
Meanwhile, whether you're a chef, a hacker, or a cop, food can play a part in the revolution. Check out these thrillers by Matthew P. Norman ("Long Noodles for a Short Future"), Mike Adamson ("An Elite Clientele"), and John M. Campbell ("A Just Dessert").
Meanwhile, ancient myth provides inspiration for tales by Rob Nisbet ("Chips with Everything"), Ney Alencar ("The God in the Pie"), and Sean O'Dea ("M.I.N.O.S."). Treats prepared for holidays such as Halloween may not strictly count as food, as in Henry Herz's "Explain Your Choice of Major."
Meanwhile, hilarious stories guaranteed to make you spew your coffee include E J Delaney's "Search and Replace," J. W. Wood's "FF>2450," F. Malanoche's "Meeting Grandma," and A. P. Sessler's satirical "A Tale of Two Windmills." Enjoy the Pratchett-style comic yarn, "Baker's Dozen," by DJ Tyrer. And as a reminder that melting a square of extra dark makes anybody feel better, regardless of species, there's Candice Lisle's "A Sweet Taste of Earth."
Meanwhile, while a bit of oil makes a dish moist, in John Leahy's "Regret and Citrus," there's such a thing as too moist. Weird. Perhaps try a side dish of absorbent mashed potatoes ("The Grease Stain on Time" by Adam Porkolab)?
Even if things aren't going your way nuclear apocalypse-wise, there's satisfaction in bussing your own cafeteria table, as in Shannon McDermott's "Lazarus." When it's eat-or-be-eaten, a forest Green Man-droid quests to reclaim long-lost human technology, in Paula Hammond's "Soul Food."
Meanwhile, haven't you always wanted a robot to cook the meals or a waiter who'll take your order at the diner? How about Andrea Doig's "Robotta Verdeux," or Tara McKee's "Fired?" They only aim to please, right?
Content Guidance: For this anthology, we asked authors to contribute speculative fiction stories to fit the theme, SciFi To Go: Food for Thought. That might help explain the preponderance of stories involving pie. We believe this is the most "international" collection we've ever produced, with a broad variety of viewpoints. Some space aliens also slipped in under the radar ("Nancy Renken's "The Transport" and Natalia Plos's "The Invasion is Called Off.") We learned that food can be a trap, as in Robert Bagnall's "Science Project." If you've seen the movie, "Alien," you know what we mean. . .
Meanwhile, as usual our book includes a flash humor section, "Grins & Gurgles," with some choice morsels including Zach Shephard's "The Life and Times of Killbot 61-D," Larry Hodges's "The Eye in the Sky of the Blueberry Pie," Lena Ng's "Sourdough Shoggoth," Bret Nelson's "Gather," and Kina Mann's rockin' "I Met Him at the Poison Store."
A summer blockbuster, you say? Our thanks as ever to Wulf Moon, whose Wulf Pack writer's collective contributed several enjoyable consumables.
So, please stay with us, folks. We'll be right back to serve up some tasty tidbits.
Juliana Rew, Editor, Third Flatiron Anthologies
(With apologies to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (much-missed)
Summer 2026
