Editor's note

Welcome to issue three of Inner Worlds.

These fourteen short stories explore subjects including trauma, psychosis, dissociation, and compulsion, as well as care, companionship, self understanding, and acceptance. They are set in a kaleidoscope of different locations, including an interdimensional Goth nightclub, a therapeutic smart home which manifests your worries, and even the set of a TV show rather like Robot Wars.

Our cover art for this issue, ‘Wanderer’, created by Carly A-F, is full of lush colour and texture. It invites us to look ahead and step boldly into our unknown future, whatever may be watching us from the dark woods behind.

I hope you enjoy this issue. If you do, please let our wonderful authors and artist know! And if you like what we’re doing here please consider subscribing to support the magazine.

Sarah Jackson, June 2024

Table of contents

• Things Elan Reacquainted Himself with After Being Broken Out of His Single-Day Time Loop, by D. A. Straith
• New Immortals, by Lex Chamberlin
• Written in Lace, by Samantha Rich
• Subsume, by Chase Anderson
• Nexus, by Xan van Rooyen
• Halogen Lullaby, by Shubh Mamtora
• Inconvenient Anxiety Fish, by Priya Sridhar
• I march—we march the Mushroom street, by Akis Linardos
• Brine and Possibility, by Devan Barlow
• Tour, by Elliott Gish
• Without a Tether, by Jonathan Olfert
• Of Death In Battle, by Sam Derby
• Zaferree Making Weather Forecasts with Voices, by Reggie Kwok
• Love Blooms on the Battlefield, by Maddison Stoff

Cover artist

Carly A-F is a freelance illustrator from the UK with a dramatic, colourful style. Her work is a combination of traditional and digital media, and is inspired by nature, science, myth and magic. She works on book covers, posters, picture books, games and more!

'Wanderer' is the mysterious tale of a witch who wanders in the wild places of the world. She will return in further adventures.

• Instagram: @carlydraws.illustration
• Website:https://carlydraws.com
• Twitter / Bluesky: @carlydraws