The novella “Ogres” by Adrian Tchaikovsky was published for the first time in 2022. In 2023, it was published as part of the anthology “Terrible Worlds: Revolutions” as well.

Torquell is a lovable rogue who usually gets into minor trouble and gets off with light punishments, especially since he’s the son of the village headman. However, even he knows he must behave well towards the ogres, as the Masters are nicknamed, because breaking their laws means very serious punishment.

Despite knowing the consequences would be severe, Torquell loses his temper when the local landlord’s son treats him like a common underling and reacts by hitting him. His father tells him to go into the woods to let the situation cool down and that he will settle the matter with the Masters. However, when Torquell returns to the village, he discovers that the ogres have killed his father as punishment.

The novella “Firewalkers” by Adrian Tchaikovsky was published for the first time in 2020. In 2023, it was published as part of the anthology “Terrible Worlds: Revolutions” as well.

In the African desert, the Firewalkers are tasked with maintaining the facilities that operate the space elevator that takes people into orbit. When a problem arises with the power grid, Mao, Lupé, and Hotep set out to look for the fault.

In an area where conditions are unsuitable for human survival, the three Firewalkers find a house. They discover that Bastien Fontaine, who had worked on the systems of the spaceship where the rich live, and his family live there. However, not everything is as it seems.

The novella “Ironclads” by Adrian Tchaikovsky was published for the first time in 2017. In 2023, it was published as part of the anthology “Terrible Worlds: Revolutions” as well.

Sergeant Theodore “Ted” Regan is charged with leading a small team on a military incursion into enemy territory to free an important figure, the Scion of a very rich family. The details are a bit vague, and Regan knows that the rescue was set up because he’s a Scion of a prominent family who was serving in Sweden during the war, but little else.

The novella “A Prayer for the Crown-Shy” by Becky Chambers was published for the first time in 2022. It’s the second book in the Monk & Robot series and follows “A Psalm for the Wild-Built”. It won the Locus Award for best novella of the year.

Sibling Dex and the robot Splendid Speckled Mosscap, or simply Mosscap, continue their journey around Panga, the moon that is home to both humans and robots, albeit in different regions. Sibling Dex’s reflections continue after their encounter forced them to seek an answer to a question: what do humans need?

To find an answer, Sibling Dex takes Mosscap to various cities where the two of them can meet other people who can offer their opinions. These encounters include some of Sibling Dex’s relatives and people who make very limited use of technology.

The novella “Exit Strategy” by Martha Wells was published for the first time in 2018. It’s the fourth work of “The Murderbot Diaries” series and follows “Rogue Protocol”.

When the spaceship taken by Murderbot is arriving at its destination, it’s rerouted towards the security area. SecUnit realizes that they’re looking for it and it’s forced to sneak out of the spaceship to prevent the heavily armed security forces from finding it.

Murderbot quickly discovers that Dr. Mensah was accused of corporate espionage by GrayCris and disappeared. Suspecting a kidnapping, it contacts her team, knowing full well that they know its identity and therefore that it’s a SecUnit.