In "Ladders" by David Sakmyster, Charles Lang is a Retriever. In fact, Charles is the Retriever; he has a monopoly on it, having invented the job. Charles’s job is simple. All he has to do is go up the ladders and bring down the people who’ve strapped themselves to the top, alive or dead. You see, the city Charles lives in is impossible to leave, and there are rumors that if you build your ramshackle ladder high enough, you might see a flash of green, the hint of a mountainside… "Ladders" is reminiscent of the sort of urban fantasy that China Miéville is renown for and is the standout story in an issue packed with excellent fiction. There’s something genuinely bleak about Charles’s plight and something oddly medieval about his job and his pragmatism towards it—both darkly amusing and oddly moving—all set in a mundane hell of the denizens' own making.

“Turning Time” by David Sakmyster is told in two parts, the present with Marcelle as an adult and mother of nine-year-old twins and a flashback to when she was about her children's age. Both follow the events leading to an old family custom. The story takes place in both the U.S. and Madagascar and spans the point of view of several generations. The title refers a custom called the Famadihan. Explaining the details of it would probably give away too much, but what I can say is that it’s not a custom for the faint of heart. It takes the innocence of a child, first Marcelle and then her children, to truly appreciate what is needed for the ritual and to do it without fear or question—something we adults often have trouble with. Ultimately, “Turning Time” is about honoring your roots and staying in touch with your heritage. It’s also the most macabre story in this issue. While it isn’t scary in itself, the focus of the plot is a bit disturbing if you think about it too hard. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the story. Marcelle is engaging, and it was really cool to get a window into a heritage and way of life so different from my own.