Forever Magazine Issue 1: Forever Magazine, #1

By Neil Clarke, Ken Liu, Peter Watts and Susan Palwick

Forever is a new monthly science fiction magazine that features previously published stories you might have missed. Each issue will feature a novella, a brief interview with the novella’s author, two short stories, and cover art by Ron Guyatt. Edited by the Hugo and World Fantasy Award winning editor of Clarkesworld Magazine, Neil Clarke.

Our first issue features a novella by Ken Liu (“The Regular”), short stories by Susan Palwick (“The Fate of Mice”) and Peter Watts (“Firebrand”), and a short interview with Ken Liu.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wyrm Publishing
• Release date: Feb 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781890464578

Neil Clarke

Neil Clarke (neil-clarke.com) is the multi-award-winning editor of Clarkesworld Magazine and over a dozen anthologies. A eleven-time finalist and the 2022/2023 winner of the Hugo Award for Best Editor Short Form, he is also the three-time winner of the Chesley Award for Best Art Director. In 2019, Clarke received the SFWA Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award for distinguished contributions to the science fiction and fantasy community. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.

Book preview

Forever Magazine

ISSUE 1

© Wyrm Publishing, 2015

wyrmpublishing.com

forever-magazine.com

Table of Contents

Introduction

by Neil Clarke

The Regular

a novella by Ken Liu

A Few Words with Ken Liu

The Fate of Mice

a short story by Susan Palwick

Firebrand

a short story by Peter Watts

About the Artist and Authors

Introduction

Neil Clarke

Welcome to the first issue of Forever Magazine! Why don’t we start off by getting some of inevitable questions out of the way?

What is Forever?

Forever is a new monthly science fiction magazine with a focus on previously-published works that you might have missed. The initial plan is to publish stories from this century, but I won’t tie my hands if a particularly timeless, but older, story makes its way to my desk. Every issue will feature a novella, a short Q&A with the novella’s author, and two short stories. The primary focus here is fiction.

Who is Forever?

I’m the only staff at Forever. I’m editing and publishing the magazine as part of Wyrm Publishing. I have no immediate plans to add anyone else to the staff.

You already edit and publish Clarkesworld Magazine. Why start another?

Forever is a chance to stretch my wings a little. I don’t have many opportunities to publish stories at the novella length and not every story I publish here would have been appropriate for Clarkesworld. As I continue to make a full-time career out of editing and publishing, it benefits me to broaden my experience.

Will Forever be an online magazine?

No. Issues will be available for purchase individually or as part of a digital subscription. Subscriptions and issues will be available from Amazon, Weightless Books, and direct from us. Single issues will also be available from B&N, Kobo, and Apple.

I hope you enjoy what I’m trying to do here. If you do, please consider subscribing. Now, let's get to some stories . . .

The Regular

Ken Liu

This is Jasmine, she says.

It’s Robert.

The voice on the phone is the same as the one she had spoken to earlier in the afternoon.

Glad you made it, sweetie. She looks out the window. He’s standing at the corner, in front of the convenience store as she asked. He looks clean and is dressed well, like he’s going on a date. A good sign. He’s also wearing a Red Sox cap pulled low over his brow, a rather amateurish attempt at anonymity. I’m down the street from you, at 27 Moreland. It’s the gray stone condo building converted from a church.

He turns to look. You have a sense of humor.

They all make that joke, but she laughs anyway. I’m in unit 24, on the second floor.

Is it just you? I’m not going to see some linebacker type demanding that I pay him first?

I told you. I’m independent. Just have your donation ready and you’ll have a good time.

She hangs up and takes a quick look in the mirror to be sure she’s ready. The black stockings and garter belt are new, and the lace bustier accentuates her thin waist and makes her breasts seem larger. She’s done her makeup lightly, but the eye shadow is heavy to emphasize her eyes. Most of her customers like that. Exotic.

The sheets on the king-sized bed are fresh, and there’s a small wicker basket of condoms on the nightstand, next to a clock that says 5:58. The date is for two hours, and afterwards she’ll have enough time to clean up and shower and then sit in front of the TV to catch her favorite show. She thinks about calling her mom later that night to ask about how to cook porgy.

She opens the door before he can knock, and the look on his face tells her that she’s done well. He slips in; she closes the door, leans against it, and smiles at him.

You’re even prettier than the picture in your ad, he says. He gazes into her eyes intently. Especially the eyes.

Thank you.

As she gets a good look at him in the hallway, she concentrates on her right eye and blinks rapidly twice. She doesn’t think she’ll ever need it, but a girl has to protect herself. If she ever stops doing this, she thinks she’ll just have it taken out and thrown into the bottom of Boston Harbor, like the way she used to, as a little girl, write secrets down on bits of paper, wad them up, and flush them down the toilet.

He’s good looking in a non-memorable way: over six feet, tanned skin, still has all his hair, and the body under that crisp shirt looks fit. The eyes are friendly and kind, and she’s pretty sure he won’t be too rough. She guesses that he’s in his forties, and maybe works downtown in one of the law firms or financial services companies, where his long-sleeved shirt and dark pants make sense with the air conditioning always turned high. He has that entitled arrogance that many mistake for masculine attractiveness. She notices that there’s a paler patch of skin around his ring finger. Even better. A married man is usually safer. A married man who doesn’t want her to know he’s married is the safest of all: he values what he has and doesn’t want to lose it.

She hopes he’ll be a regular.

I’m glad we’re doing this. He holds out a plain white envelope.

She takes it and counts the bills inside. Then she puts it on top of the stack of mail on a small table by the entrance without saying anything. She takes him by the hand and leads him towards the bedroom. He pauses to look in the bathroom and then the other bedroom at the end of the hall.

Looking for your linebacker? she teases.

Just making sure. I’m a nice guy.

He takes out a scanner and holds it up, concentrating on the screen.

"Geez, you are paranoid, she says. The only camera in here is the one on my phone. And it’s definitely off."

He puts the scanner away and smiles. I know. But I just wanted to have a machine confirm it.

They enter the bedroom. She watches him take in the bed, the bottles of lubricants and lotions on the dresser, and the long mirrors covering the closet doors next to the bed.

Nervous? she asks.

A little, he concedes. I don’t do this often. Or, at all.

She comes up to him and embraces him, letting him breathe in her perfume, which is floral and light so that it won’t linger on his skin. After a moment, he puts his arms around her, resting his hands against the naked skin on the small of her back.

I’ve always believed that one should pay for experiences rather than things.

A good philosophy, he whispers into her ear.

What I give you is the girlfriend experience, old fashioned and sweet. And you’ll remember this and relive it in your head as often as you want.

You’ll do whatever I want?

Within reason, she says. Then she lifts her head to look up at him. You have to wear a condom. Other than that, I won’t say no to most things. But like I told you on the phone, for some you’ll have to pay extra.

I’m pretty old-fashioned myself. Do you mind if I take charge?

He’s made her relaxed enough that she doesn’t jump to the worst conclusion. If you’re thinking of tying me down, that will cost you. And I won’t do that until I know you better.

Nothing like that. Maybe hold you down a little.

That’s fine.

He comes up to her and they kiss. His tongue lingers in her mouth and she moans. He backs up, puts his hands on her waist, turning her away from him. Would you lie down with your face in the pillows?

Of course. She climbs onto the bed. Legs up under me or spread out to the corners?

Spread out, please. His voice is commanding. And he hasn’t stripped yet, not even taken off his Red Sox cap. She’s a little disappointed. Some clients enjoy the obedience more than the sex. There’s not much for her to do. She just hopes he won’t be too rough and leave marks.

He climbs onto the bed behind her and knee-walks up between her legs. He leans down and grabs a pillow from next to her head. Very lovely, he says. "I’m going to