Issue Five is filled with dreamy apocalypses, unreliable narrators, galaxy brains, and shapeshifting. The stories and poetry in this issue all have a thread of softness running through them. These pieces are rooted in devotion; to a person, to a god, to a fight. Within these works, people are transforming themselves, becoming something or someone new because of their relationships. There may be anger or rage, but you can’t evoke volatile emotions without a yearning for something underneath it all.

Short Fiction

“Margin of Error” by Arden Baker, 1000 words, ~5 minutes reading time

“The Architecture of Longing” by Jamie M. Boyd, 3400 words, ~17 minutes reading time

"Cats With Eyes Like Saucers" by EC Dorgan, 3400 words, ~17 minutes reading time

“The Robot and the Witch” by André Geleynse, 3700 words, ~19 minutes reading time

“Between Worlds, A Garden” by JL George, 3400 words, ~17 minutes reading time

“Ocean House” by Beth Goder, 3700 words, ~19 minutes reading time

“Stone / Heart / Flesh / Wound” by P. H. Low, 1900 words, ~9 minutes reading time

“I Met My Wife in the Woods” by Ash Vale, 1300 words, ~6 minutes reading time

“Unfit for Purpose” by Ramez Yoakeim, 3900 words, ~20 minutes reading time

Poetry

"In Slumber We Rehearse Our Days” by Angela Acosta, 31 lines

"Self-Portrait With Pilgrimage" by Chinedu Gospel, 72 lines

"3,000 Year Love Confession" by Angela Liu, 20 lines

“Lunarist girl” by Eva Papasoulioti, 16 lines

Non-Fiction

"Family Matters: Family Relationships in Three Recent Speculative Novels" by Lisa Timpf, 1100 words, ~5 minutes reading time

"Trust and Boldness: Why DS9’s Kira and Odo Have the Best Slow-Burn Romance in SFF" by Brandon Crilly, 1200 words, ~6 minutes reading time

Heartlines Spec is an online speculative magazine focused on long-term friendships and relationships. It's the comfort of the known, the fierce hug of someone that knows you best. Issues are released three times a year.