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New York City

45 free-to-read stories tagged “New York City”

Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers

Alyssa Wong Nightmare 2015 ShortStory Horror 6,975 words

Meimei dates really bad guys. Who want to use her. Who don't know what they're in for.

Psychological HorrorFound FamilyNew York City

Content warnings 5

abusebody-horrordeath-of-a-loved-onegoreviolence

Things With Beards

Sam J. Miller Clarkesworld 2016 ShortStory Horror 4,712 words

Following a disaster in Antarctica, MacReady spends summer 1983 in New York and starts to wonder what he might have brought back with him.

Psychological HorrorQueer IdentityNew York City

Content warnings 5

body-horrordeathillness-and-pandemicsubstance-useviolence

The City Born Great

N.K. Jemisin Tor.com 2016 ShortStory Modern Fantasy 6,286 words

A young hustler discovers that he's supposed to play a big role in transforming New York from a city to a City. If he can survive it.

Contemporary FantasyColonialismNew York City

Content warnings 3

deathracismviolence

Unseelie Brothers, Ltd.

Fran Wilde Uncanny 2021 Novelette Fairy Tale 8,628 words

"A week before the Season began, as Mrs. Vanessa Saunders held brunch court at the Empire Hotel, a photo appeared on her phone: a large oak door beneath a pale green sign with silver lettering. Impossible, she thought, flipping the infernal device over...

Fairy Tale RetellingCorporate PowerNew York City

Content warnings 1

death

The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video

Thomas Ha Clarkesworld 2024 Novelette Science Fiction 8,370 words

"At first I thought something had broken in my book. I didn’t notice until the afternoon light from the windows began to recede. I tried to increase the brightness settings of the page, but no matter how I thumbed the margins, they would not change. For...

Social SatireCorporate PowerNew York City

Content warnings 3

death-of-a-loved-onesubstance-useviolence

The Millay Illusion

Sarah Pinsker Uncanny 2025 Novelette Fantasy 9,210 words

"For the whole of the year that I now look back on as the best of my life, Susanna Miller’s act began twenty-three minutes after mine ended. I went first, to warm up the crowd, followed by the dog trainer, the hypnotist, Susanna, the twin acrobats, the...

Historical FantasyRevengeNew York City

Content warnings 2

mental-illnessmisogyny

The Lamentation of Their Women

Kai Ashante Wilson Tor.com 2017 Novelette Horror 9,141 words ♪ audio

‘Nisha only has five hours to get across New York to her dead aunt’s apartment before the city comes to throw away all her stuff. She’s not even sure it’s worth it, but they said her aunt was a witch…

Contemporary FantasyRacismNew York City

Content warnings 3

deathgoreviolence

Blackjack

Veronica Schanoes Reactor 2024 Novelette Dark Fantasy 12,307 words

A woman visiting Las Vegas for a fun weekend encounters her ne’er-do-well ex-husband, who begs her for a favor that gambles with life and death…

Historical FantasyRevengeNew York City

Content warnings 3

deathdeath-of-a-loved-onesuicide

Brincando Charcos (Jumping Puddles)

Ben Francisco Strange Horizons 2023 ShortStory Fantasy 4,163 words

"I tell Mateo to meet me at a wine bar. It’s a quiet, low-key spot—ideal for first dates, because it’s easy to make a speedy exit in case the red flags start flying—or worse, if the men in blue come knocking. It’s been over an hour, and we’re on our second...

Contemporary FantasyDiasporaNew York City

Crispin's Model

Max Gladstone Tor.com 2017 Novelette Eldritch Horror 7,929 words

Delilah makes some money modeling, and Crispin offers twice what anyone else does. He never lets her look at the works in progress, though. He has his reasons.

Psychological HorrorBodily AutonomyNew York City

Content warnings 1

violence

The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside

Isabel J. Kim Apex 2023 ShortStory Fantasy 6,186 words

"Their power is how they can turn you into one of them. That’s the trick of it, see. You can go in with your swords and sacrifice, you can go in with your red heart and good intentions, and they will grin with their white teeth and say, “Welcome to Grey &...

Social SatireTrans IdentityNew York City

The Passing of the Dragon

Ken Liu Tor.com 2023 Novelette Urban Fantasy 11,508 words

A woman who fears she’s failing as a painter and as an artist seeks inspiration from one of her favorite poets and finds something even more wondrous, but also more impossible to capture on canvas…

Contemporary FantasyArt And CreationNew York City

Last Stand of the E. 12th St. Pirates

L.D. Lewis Lightspeed 2022 ShortStory Science Fiction 4,075 words

"There was only one freight car down the wall into the Flood District, and it was shared by all bulk service providers who came bearing gifts: maintenance workers, solar installers, grocery and package delivery, and the like. A bing-bong meant another...

Near FutureCorporate PowerNew York City

Before Whom Evil Trembles

Nham Anathema 2021 ShortStory 2,975 words

Not reviewed by Rocket Stack Rank.

Contemporary FantasyRacismNew York City

Content warnings 3

death-of-a-loved-oneracismviolence

Now You See Me

Justin C. Key Lightspeed 2021 Novelette Fantasy 10,424 words

"Good art changes you. And that was the point, right? That’s what the social media ad that caught my attention wanted me to believe: Our Shoes: You couldn’t understand our struggle... Until now. I had read the line over and over again during a rare...

Magical RealismRacismNew York City

Content warnings 1

racism

Fare

Danny Lore Fireside 2019 ShortStory 2,096 words

Not reviewed by Rocket Stack Rank.

Contemporary FantasyRacismNew York City

Content warnings 1

body-horror

Shattered Sidewalks of the Human Heart

Sam J. Miller Clarkesworld 2019 ShortStory King Kong Pastiche 3,792 words

On the eve of World War II, five years after King Kong’s death, a young New York taxi driver meets Ann Darrow and learns they have something in common.

SlipstreamQueer IdentityNew York City

Content warnings 1

racism

Angel, Monster, Man

Sam J. Miller Nightmare 2016 Novelette 11,367 words

Not reviewed by Rocket Stack Rank.

Psychological HorrorQueer IdentityNew York City

Content warnings 8

abusedeathgoreillness-and-pandemicsexual-contentsubstance-usesuicideviolence

Park's All-Night Ramyun and Snack Emporium

Seoung Kim Cast of Wonders 2023 ShortStory 2,720 words

Not reviewed by Rocket Stack Rank.

Contemporary FantasyQueer IdentityNew York City

Of all the New Yorks in all the Worlds

Indrapramit Das Tor.com 2022 ShortStory Science Fiction 6,353 words

A student of multiversal time travel slips from one version of New York to another, discovering that love may transcend timelines, but so too can heartbreak…

SlipstreamDiasporaNew York City

Salt Lines

Ian Muneshwar Strange Horizons 2018 ShortStory Horror 2,211 words

It’s been a long time since Ravi left Guyana, but he’s sure he recognizes a Jumbie, even in New York, where they don’t believe in evil spirits. And it’s following him.

Contemporary FantasyDiasporaNew York City

Content warnings 2

sexual-contentviolence

Love Engine Optimization

Matthew Kressel Lightspeed 2017 ShortStory Near-Future SF 5,294 words

Sam is a talented hacker who extracts Jane’s personal info in order to seduce her.

CyberpunkCorporate PowerNew York City

Please Undo This Hurt

Seth Dickinson Tor.com 2015 ShortStory 6,918 words

A woman paramedic and her best friend fear that despite their best efforts, they end up causing more pain than they relieve.

Psychological HorrorFriendshipNew York City

Content warnings 2

deathsuicide

My Girlfriend Is a Nebula

David Degraff Lightspeed 2025 ShortStory Science Fiction 1,102 words

"I learned from Bernadette that there are two ways a star can go supernova. The first is in a double star where one partner dies first, turning into a white dwarf, and the surviving partner swells in grief and dumps mass onto the compact star. But the...

SlipstreamBodily AutonomyNew York City

Content warnings 2

death-of-a-loved-oneillness-and-pandemic

In Which Caruth is Correct

Carolyn Zhao Clarkesworld 2024 ShortStory Science Fiction 4,740 words

"You’re not meant to fix what happens in the time loops. Doctor’s orders, and that comes even before they give you the survey and the spiel and the confidentiality speech. The psych fiddles with his tablet in his cozy, yellow-couch office, and talks to you...

SlipstreamDiasporaNew York City

Content warnings 2

death-of-a-loved-onesuicide

Notes on Genocidal Interchronological Incursion 57.7.3 (f.k.a. Friends)

Sam J. Miller Baffling 2024 ShortStory 1,080 words

Not reviewed by Rocket Stack Rank.

MetafictionalArt And CreationNew York City

Whale Fall

J.L. Akagi Strange Horizons 2024 ShortStory Fantasy 4,061 words

"A whale soars over Brooklyn. Clouds spread in streaks over the pale blue sky like cold butter. And the whale cleaves right through. Dar spots it from his perch on the rooftop, smoking a contraband cigarette. At first, it looks like the whale is just...

Contemporary FantasyFriendshipNew York City

Content warnings 2

body-horrorgore

Braid Me a Howling Tongue

Maria Dong Lightspeed 2023 Novelette Fantasy 9,909 words

"When I was young, I used to fray apart my mother’s tales, seeking the threads of their structure. They were journeys, always, and marked by transition-places: doorway, gate, river. On the other side, someone offered the rules of this new environment. I...

Superhero FictionFound FamilyNew York City

Content warnings 1

violence

Pinocchio Photography

Angela Liu Clarkesworld 2023 ShortStory Science Fiction 6,450 words

"The cadaver drone makes an incision along the inside of each finger. My stomach curls, waiting for the blood, but of course there’s none left. The body has been dead for days, all the blood drained and replaced with a sweet-smelling formaldehyde formula....

Speculative FictionFatherhoodNew York City

Content warnings 2

deathdeath-of-a-loved-one

A Better Way of Saying

Sarah Pinsker Tor.com 2021 ShortStory Historical Fantasy 6,073 words

The year is 1915, and a young man hired to shout the words on title cards for silent films experiences the magic of movies. This spurs him to edit some of the worst dialog, leading him in a weird direction that utterly changes his life.

Historical FantasyDiasporaNew York City

Ripple Effects

Laura J. Mixon Tor.com 2021 Novella Superhero 39,277 words

Nine years after the ace John “The Candle” Montaño first wielded his fire powers as a teenager on the reality TV show “American Hero”, he’s landed a job as the lead investigator for a prestigious arts insurer. His latest assignment, providing security for...

Superhero FictionRevengeNew York City

Content warnings 2

deathviolence

N-Coin

Tobias S. Buckell Apex 2019 ShortStory Mainstream Thriller 3,238 words ♪ audio

A young Wall Street investment banker tells how he lost a billion dollars in a Bitcoin for black people.

Social SatireRacismNew York City

Content warnings 1

suicide

Naked, Stoned, and Stabbed

Bradley Denton Tor.com 2019 Novelette Superhero Thriller 16,860 words

In an alternate 2018, A teenage roadie at a Who concert risks his life by using his sonic ability to try to save lives when a fire engulfs the building.

Superhero FictionRacismNew York City

Content warnings 2

substance-useviolence

Captain Midrise

Jim Marino Apex 2018 ShortStory Superhero 5,442 words

The Golden Crusader must be getting old or something. He’s not so fast anymore, and he never flies higher than the sixth floor, but he keeps doing super deeds. Or trying to.

Superhero FictionGuiltNew York City

Fitting In

Max Gladstone Tor.com 2018 Novelette Superhero 13,710 words

A retired superhero and a conspiracy theorist join forces to gather evidence against a mobster who’s trying to force their friend to sell her property to him.

Superhero FictionQueer IdentityNew York City

Content warnings 1

violence

I Frequently Hear Music in the Very Heart of Noise

Sarah Pinsker Uncanny 2018 ShortStory Non-fiction 5,344 words

An account of various famous artists, writers, and musicians who lived in Manhatttan in the 1930s.

MetafictionalArt And CreationNew York City

Recoveries

Susan Palwick Tor.com 2018 Novelette SF 7,955 words

An anorexic woman has an unhealthy co-dependent relationship with her alcoholic roommate, her “friend” since childhood. But she also has a monstrous secret.

SlipstreamFriendshipNew York City

Content warnings 1

substance-use

Escape Pod 1038: Meet the Mets

Escape Pod 2026 ♪ audio

Author : ace tilton ratcliff Narrator : Jordan Kurella Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 1038: Meet the Mets is an Escape Pod original. Contains brief moments of violence and bigotry towards a transgender character Sponsored by...

First ContactTrans IdentityNew York City

Content warnings 2

transphobiaviolence

Magical Girl Eater

Angela Liu Uncanny 2026

“Always just. Always magical.” When the four of us first started working as Magical Girls, we penned the slogan in a McDonalds, giggling about how corny it sounded. Annie joked about how we’d still be calling ourselves magical girls when we were eighty,...

Social SatireCorporate PowerNew York City

Content warnings 3

deathgoreviolence

PodCastle 947: Why a Spider Needs a Parachute

PodCastle 2026 ♪ audio

Author : J. L. Akagi Narrator : Jo Moran Host : Matt Dovey Audio Producer : Eric Valdes PodCastle 947: Why a Spider Needs a Parachute is a PodCastle original. Content notes for domestic violence and spiders. Big — friendly! — spiders Rated R Why a Spider...

Fairy Tale RetellingTrans IdentityNew York City

Content warnings 3

abusetransphobiaviolence

Escape Pod 938: Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads

Escape Pod 2024 ♪ audio

Author : Tim Chawaga Narrator : James Kaku Pierson Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 938: Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads is an Escape Pod original. Chug the Tea Leaves, Chuck the Ads by Tim Chawaga I wake up to a message and...

CyberpunkFatherhoodNew York City

Content warnings 2

deathsuicide

Escape Pod 883: Just Us and the Mannequins

Escape Pod 2023 ♪ audio

Author : Linda Niehoff Narrator : Heather Thomas Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks Escape Pod 883: Just Us and the Mannequins is an Escape Pod original. Brief mention of suicidal ideations Just Us and the Mannequins by Linda Niehoff It was...

DystopiaMemoryNew York City

Content warnings 1

suicide

Escape Pod 887: The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike (Part 1) (Flashback Friday)

Andrea Phillips Escape Pod 2023 ♪ audio

The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike By Andrea Phillips 1. THE BRIEF Corazon clicked to the slide she’d been dreading: long-term trends for brand engagement. It was dire. She focused on the smudgy mirror at the far end of the conference room, looking...

Social SatireDiasporaNew York City

Escape Pod 888: The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike (Part 2) (Flashback Friday)

Escape Pod 2023 ♪ audio

Author : Andrea Phillips Narrator : Julia Rios Hosts : Valerie Valdes and Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks The Revolution, Brought to You by Nike originally appeared in Fireside Magazine in February 2017 and first played on Escape Pod Episode...

Social SatireCorporate PowerNew York City

Content warnings 1

violence

Bodies Stacked Like Firewood

Sam J. Miller Uncanny 2017 ShortStory Mainstream 6,680 words

Cyd’s suicide brings his friend Kelvin to Albany for his memorial.

MetafictionalTrans IdentityNew York City

Content warnings 3

body-horrorsuicidetransphobia