Upgraded

by Peter Watts

  Helena Bell lives in Raleigh, North Carolina where she is an MFA candidate in Fiction at NC State University. She has a BA, another MFA, a JD, and an LLM in Taxation which fulfills her lifelong ambition of having more letters follow her name than are actually in it. She is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and her stories have appeared in Clarkesworld, The Dark, and Shimmer.

  Erin Cashier is a registered nurse and has had short stories published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Shimmer, and Writers of the Future. As Cassie Alexander she’s the author of the Edie Spence urban fantasy series. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband.

  Jason K. Chapman lives in New York City where, as the Director of IT and Web Development for Poets & Writers, he gets to indulge his two main interests, computers and literature. His fiction has appeared in a number of anthologies and magazines, including Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, Bull Spec, and Cosmos.

  Seth Dickinson’s fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Analog, Strange Horizons, and more. He is a writer at Bungie Studios, an instructor at the Alpha Workshop for Young Writers, and a lapsed student of social neuroscience. His first novel will be published by Tor Books in fall 2015.

  Greg Egan was born in 1961. Since the early ’80s he has published twelve novels and more than fifty short stories, winning the Hugo Award for his novella “Oceanic” and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for his novel Permutation City. His latest book is The Arrows of Time, the concluding volume of the Orthogonal trilogy.

  Amanda Forrest is a programmer, mother, writer and adventurer. She is currently learning the art of stone masonry in hopes of building a backyard castle. Though she is not, unfortunately, a cyborg, she once had a cat with titanium skeletal augmentations.

  Amanda’s fiction has recently appeared in or is forthcoming in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Apex, and the Writers of the Future anthology.

  Author and video game designer Erin Hoffman was born in San Diego and now lives in northern California, where she works as Game Design Lead at the GlassLab, a nonprofit video game studio building big-data-powered educational games that digitally adapt to the learner. She is the author of the Chaos Knight series from Pyr books, beginning with Sword of Fire and Sea, followed by Lance of Earth and Sky and concluding with Shield of Sea and Space. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Electric Velocipede, Tor.com, and more. For more information, visit www.erinhoffman.com and Twitter @gryphoness.

  Rich Larson was born in West Africa, has studied in Rhode Island, and at twenty-two now lives in Edmonton, Alberta. He won the 2014 Dell Award and the 2012 Rannu Prize for Writers of Speculative Fiction. In 2011 his cyberpunk novel Devolution was a finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. His short work appears or is forthcoming with Asimov’s, Lightspeed, DSF, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, AE and many others, including anthologies Futuredaze and War Stories. His self-published spec-fic can be found at Amazon.com/author/richlarson.

  Yoon Ha Lee’s fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Tor.com, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and other venues. Her collection Conservation of Shadows came out from Prime Books in 2013. She lives in Louisiana with her family and has not yet been eaten by gators, cyborg or otherwise.

  Ken Liu (kenliu.name) is an author and translator of speculative fiction, as well as a lawyer and programmer. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards, he has been published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov’s, Analog, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, and Strange Horizons, among other places. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

  Ken’s debut novel, The Grace of Kings, the first in a silkpunk epic fantasy series, will be published by Saga Press, Simon & Schuster’s new genre fiction imprint, in April 2015. Saga will also publish a collection of his short stories.

  Alex Dally MacFarlane is a writer, editor and historian. When not researching narrative maps in the legendary traditions of Alexander III of Macedon, she writes stories, found in Clarkesworld Magazine, Interfictions Online, Strange Horizons, Beneath Ceaseless Skies and the anthologies Solaris Rising 3, Gigantic Worlds, Phantasm Japan, Heiresses of Russ 2013: The Year’s Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction and The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy: 2014. Poetry can be found in Stone Telling, The Moment of Change and Here, We Cross. She is the editor of Aliens: Recent Encounters (2013) and The Mammoth Book of SF Stories by Women (2014).

  Greg Mellor is an Australian author with fifty published short stories. His work has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, Cosmos Magazine and Aurealis as well as several anthologies in Australia and the United States. His debut collection of short SF stories Wild Chrome was published in 2012 and his first SF novella Steel Angels will be out in 2014.

  Greg holds degrees in astrophysics and technology management. He is a member of SFWA. Visit www.gregmellor.com.

  Mari Ness hasn’t quite managed to wire herself directly to her computer, but that’s not for lack of trying. Her poetry and short fiction have appeared in numerous publications, including Clarkesworld, Tor.com, Apex Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, and Strange Horizons. For a longer list, check out her official blog at marikness.wordpress.com. She lives in central Florida, occasionally twittering about what she’s up to at mari_ness.

  Chen Qiufan (a.k.a. Stanley Chan) was born in Shantou, Guangdong Province. Chan is a science fiction writer, columnist, and online advertising strategist. Since 2004, he has published over thirty stories in venues such as Science Fiction World, Esquire, Chutzpah!, many of which are collected in Thin Code (2012). His debut novel, The Waste Tide, was published in January 2013 and was praised by Liu Cixin as “the pinnacle of near-future SF writing.” The novel is currently being translated into English by Ken Liu.

  Chan is the most widely translated young writer of science fiction in China, with his short works translated into English, Italian, Swedish, and Polish and published in Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Interzone, and F&SF, among other places. He has won Taiwan’s Dragon Fantasy Award, China’s Galaxy and Nebula Awards, and a Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Award along with Ken Liu. He lives in Beijing and works for Baidu.

  Robert Reed has had eleven novels published, starting with The Leeshore in 1987 and most recently with The Well of Stars in 2004. Since winning the first annual L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest in 1986 (under the pen name Robert Touzalin) and being a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1987, he has had over two hundred shorter works published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Eleven of those stories were published in his critically acclaimed first collection, The Dragons of Springplace, in 1999. Twelve more stories appear in his second collection, The Cuckoo’s Boys [2005]. In addition to his success in the U.S., Reed has also been published in the U.K., Russia, Japan, Spain and in France, where a second (French-language) collection of nine of his shorter works, Chrysalide, was released in 2002. Bob has had stories appear in at least one of the annual “Year’s Best” anthologies in every year since 1992. Bob has received nominations for both the Nebula Award (nominated and voted upon by genre authors) and the Hugo Award (nominated and voted upon by fans), as well as numerous other literary awards. He won his first Hugo Award for the 2006 novella A Billion Eves. His most recent novel is The Memory of Sky, a Great Ship trilogy.

  Benjanun Sriduangkaew is a finalist for the Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her short fiction has appeared in Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Phantasm Japan, various Mammoth Books and best of the year collections. Her contemporary fantasy novella Scale-Bright is forthcoming from Immersion Press. She can be found online at beekian.wordpress.com.

  Rachel Swirsky holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop where she learned that snow is only fun and beautiful for a couple of days at a time. She currently lives in Bakersfield with her husband where she’s learning that sunny days are great, but they would be even better if it rained occasionally. In a few years, she plans to
move to the North pole, or possibly into a lava flow.

  Her short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, and been nominated for a number of awards, including the Hugo Award, the Locus Award, the Sturgeon and the World Fantasy Award. In 2010, she won the Nebula for her novella “The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen’s Window” and in 2013, she won it a second time for her short story "If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love." Her second collection, How the World Became Quiet: Myths of the Past, Present, and Future, came out from Subterranean Press in 2013. Although she used to own rats, they were not genetically engineered to imagine spaceships, so they just built sailboats instead.

  E. Catherine Tobler was born on the other side of the International Dateline, which either gives her an extra day in her life or an extraordinary affinity when it comes to inter-dimensional gateways. She is a Sturgeon Award finalist, the senior editor at Shimmer Magazine, and her debut novel, Rings of Anubis, arrives in paperback this summer. Her short fiction appears in Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, and Lightspeed, among others.

  Genevieve Valentine’s first novel, Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti, won the 2012 Crawford Award and was nominated for the Nebula. Her second novel is the historical fairy-tale retelling The Girls at the Kingfisher Club. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Journal of Mythic Arts, Lightspeed, and others, and the anthologies Federations, The Living Dead 2, After, Teeth, and more. Her nonfiction and reviews have appeared at NPR.org, The AV Club, Strange Horizons, io9.com, and LA Review of Books, and others.

  Peter Watts—author of Blindsight, Echopraxia, and the Rifters Trilogy, among other things—seems especially popular among people who don’t know him. At least, he wins most of his awards overseas except for a Hugo (won thanks to fan outrage over an altercation with Homeland Security) a Jackson (won thanks to fan sympathy over nearly dying from flesh-eating disease), and a couple of dick-ass Canadian awards you’ve probably never heard of. Blindsight is a core text for university courses ranging from Philosophy to Neuropsychology, despite an unhealthy focus on space vampires. Watts’s work is available in eighteen languages.

  A.C. Wise was born and raised in Montreal and currently lives in the Philadelphia area. Her fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Shimmer, Lightspeed, and The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 4, among other publications. In addition to her writing, she co-edits Unlikely Story. Visit the author online at www.acwise.net or find her on twitter as @ac_wise.

  As an undergraduate, Ms. Xia majored in Atmospheric Sciences at Peking University. She then entered the Film Studies Program at the Communication University of China, where she completed her Master’s thesis, “A Study on Female Figures in Science Fiction Films.” Recently, she obtained a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and World Literature at Peking University, with “Chinese Science Fiction and Cultural Politics Since 1990” as the topic of her dissertation.

  She has been publishing science fiction and fantasy since 2004 in a variety of venues, including Science Fiction World and Jiuzhou Fantasy. Several of her stories have won the Galaxy Award, China’s most prestigious science fiction award. Besides writing and translating science fiction stories, she also writes film scripts and teaches science fiction writing.

  E. Lily Yu was the 2012 recipient of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and a 2012 Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee. Her stories have recently appeared in McSweeney’s, Clarkesworld, Boston Review, and Apex.

  About the Editor

  Neil Clarke is the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Clarkesworld Magazine. His work at Clarkesworld has resulted in countless hours of enjoyment, three Hugo Awards for Best Semiprozine and three World Fantasy Award nominations. He’s a current and three-time Hugo Nominee for Best Editor (Short Form). In 2012, Neil suffered a near-fatal “widow-maker” heart attack which led to the installation of a defibrillator and a new life as a cyborg. Inspired by these events, he decided to take on this anthology, his first non-Clarkesworld editing project. He currently lives in NJ with his wife and two sons.

  ALSO EDITED BY NEIL CLARKE

  Clarkesworld Magazine - www.clarkesworldmagazine.com

  ANTHOLOGIES

  Clarkesworld: Year Three (with Sean Wallace)

  Clarkesworld: Year Four (with Sean Wallace)

  Clarkesworld: Year Five (with Sean Wallace)

  Clarkesworld: Year Six (with Sean Wallace)

  Acknowledgments

  The doctors may have fixed me, but I am better thanks to Lisa, Aidan, Eamonn, Mom, Dad, and the rest of my family.

  This book is stronger thanks the to the authors, Julie Dillon, Sean Wallace, Kate Baker, and Aimee Picci.

  I’m still not faster. Maybe next time.

  I also owe a special debt of gratitude to the following honorary cyborgs:

  @guildner, 4 of 5 Ondrusek, A. T. Greenblatt, A.C. Wise, Aaron Sunbeam, Adam “Spurious Laser Blasts” Hill, Adam Haley, Adam Israel, Adam L. Crouse, Aeonsim, AJ Harm, Alan Dyck, Alec G, Alex Burkhart, Alex Shvartsman, Alex von der Linden, Alexandra Pierce, Alicia Cole, Allison, Andrew Hatchell, Andrew Liptak, Andrew Nicolle, Andy Dent, Andy Vasbinder, Ann Humphrey, Annie Bellet, Anthony Petros, Anthony R. Cardno, Aptasi, Arachne Jericho, Arkady Martine, Bartley J Bear, battlegrip.com, Benjamin Sparrow, Bill and Laura Pearson, Brad Roberts, BrentonRyan, Brian Anderson, Brian White, Brood II Cicadas, Can Özmen, Carl Hazen, Carl V. Anderson, Carlos Hernandez, Cathy Green, chaosprime, Charles Fraker, Chris Rees, Christian Schaller, Christopher J. Burke, Claire Alcock, Claire Connelly, Claire LaPlaca and Hugh Brammer, Claudio Bottaccini, Cliff Miller, Cliff Winnig, Connor Grogan, Crossed Genres Publications, Danielle M. LeFevre, Dave Costa, Dave McCarty, David Churn, David Kelleher, David McIntyre, David P., David Potter, David Stegora, Davy De Vuysdere, Dawn Aylene Tarpinian, Douglas “Strange Quark” Reed, E C Humphries, Edward MacGregor, Eli Juicy Jones, EliteMachina, Eric Kent Edstrom, Erik Henriksen, Erik Saltwell, Evaristo Ramos, Jr., Ferran Selles, Forth, Fran Friel, Frank Dreier, Franny Jay, Gail McDonald, Gary Emmette Chandler, Gary M Dockter, Ginger Joe, Glennis LeBlanc, Gopakumar Sethuraman, Graeme Williams, Guy Anthony De Marco, Hayley Marsden, Henry Szabranski, Herbert Eder, Howard Henry, Ian Peters, Ief Grootaers, James “Optimus” Aquilone, James Carlisle Holder, James Darrow, James Kelly, James Seals, James Zirkle, Jamie Lackey, Jason Heller, Jason R. Strawsburg, Jay Watson, Jay Wolf, Jeff Xilon, Jen Scott, Jennifer Kahng, Jennifer Morton, Jim DeVona, JoanneBB, John Devenny, John Klima, Jon Lasser, Jonathan “Robo-Ankle” Pruett, Joshua Palmatier, Julie Ann Koehlinger, Jurie Horneman, Justin James, Justin Minnes, Justin P. Miller, JW, Karin W, Karsten mark H, Kate Kligman, Katharine, Keith West, Kelly Stiles, Ken Schneyer, Kevin Baijens, Kristin Evenson Hirst, Bionic Valkyrie, Krystina Colton, Lamat, Leesa Hanagan, Linda Wilcox, Lucas K. Law, Lucius M. Nelligan Sorrentino, Lyn Dunagan, Mairin Holmes, Marc Jacobs, Mark “the Encaffeinated ONE” Kilfoil, Mark J McGarry, Martin Cahill, Mathew Holland, Matt Gibbs, Matthew Kressel, Matthew Morrison, Max Edwards, Max Kaehn, Meagen Voss, Merc Rustad, Meryl Yourish, Michael Ezell, Michael Gray, Michael Horwitz, Michael John, Michael Scholl, Michelle Muenzler, Mike Griffiths, Miles Matton, Natalie Luhrs, Nathan Blumenfeld, Nayad Monroe, Neal Levin, Nick Bate, Nicola Owen, P Carreiro, P S Proefrock, Patrick J Sklar, Patrick Nijman, Patrick Reitz, Patrick Zazzaro, Paul McMullen, Penny Richards, Peter Hollo, Peter Young, Pierre Gauthier, Ray and Tina, Rebecca Harbison, Rich McGuire, Rich Russell, Richard Ellis Preston, Jr., Richard Pratt, Rob Leslie, Robert Davis, Ronald R. Richter, Ryan Paul, S. Michael White, Sarah Liberman, Sean Krauss, Shauna Roberts, Sleeperwaking, Stephanie Lucas, Stephanie R, Steve Pantol, Steven desJardins, Steven Mentzel, Stewart C Baker, Smiter of Things, Librarian of Other Things, Poet of Poetic Things, First of His Name, Suz Bailey, Suzanne Conboy-Hill, Tania Clucas, The Cat With Blue Fur, The Judge, The Rosenthal Collective, Tiffany E. Wilson, Tim Ream, Timothy Moore, TK, Tom Foster, Tom Horwath, Tom Vogl, Travis Heermann, TwistedSciFi.com, Val Grimm, Valerie Gillis, Victor De Ville, Vincent O’Co
nnor, way ming wong, William “Broken” Owen, William Gunderson, Y. K. Lee, Yes (Evgeni Kantor), Zuhur Abdo