My 10 Favorite Magic Stories of 2023 (And 5 Non-Magic Ones)
All short stories published this year, Magic ones ranked only on release date. Let’s go.
#10: A Hollow Body by Aysha U. Farah
Phyrexian creations of creations of creations of….
#9: Inevitable Resolutions by Seanan McGuire
Fallen friends and fighting over the nuclear briefcase. Even the devil is there!
#8 Alone by Miguel Lopez
A simple tale of Teferi returning home (to an out-of-time place via time travel explosions).
#7 A Man of Parts by Reinhardt Suarez
Known bastard Tezzeret finally gets his time to shine, cashing a paycheck for Phyrexian labor.
#6 Mother, Son, and Story by K. Arsenault Rivera
This was the invasion moment for me. Should she have been? No, but alas.
#5 The Adventures of Rankle, Master of Love by Jenna Helland
Strongest entry in the March side stories. Unsurprising from the web fiction veteran.
#4 One and the Same by Alison Lührs
In some circles, casually mentioning this story has a chance to start a multi-day posting frenzy.
#3 Grave Secrets by Cullen Bunn
The final BOOM! Magic spinoff entry indulges in the wildly rewarding connections that this comic line perfected.
#2 Pure of Heart by K. Arsenault Rivera
The longer I sit with this one, the more I’m convinced it is actually the best set opener ever.
#1 LCI Episode 6 by Valerie Valdes
Yes, this set story made me love Quint and the ending cemented it. But also, Aclazotz fans stay winning.
#5 The Tough Part by Allegra Hyde
Charming, funny, and grim in a believably small way that will fill you with dread.
#4 System Collapse by Martha Wells
Everyone I know seems to be reading Murderbot already, but just in case: Start reading Murderbot.
#3 This Is Salvaged by Vauhini Vara
Like watching a trainwreck in slow motion, but with an abrupt, relieving punch at the end.
#2 Civil Disturbance by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh
Dial the panic and discomfort up to eleven in a story of status, potential, reality, and local elections.
#1 Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link
Just go house sitting in the woods, I promise it will be normal. My comfort story of 2023.