Leading Edge, Issue 79

After Septus falls into the River Styx and his brother pulls him out, their inhuman strength draws attention from Mars, a wrathful god who threatens all they know. On a distant mining planet, Thalin decides to help a girl who has been raped hide her pregnancy from the mine bosses-and perhaps escape. A sentient automaton built to resemble a little girl grows jealous of the fire spirit that is meant to heal her adoptive mother.

Also in this issue:

• poems about what we would give to see the galaxy-or just make our hometowns less weird
• editorials about Asian fantasy tropes and the appeal of young adult dystopia
• an interview with the best-selling author of The Black Witch Chronicles, Laurie Forest