K.M. Szpara

There is no consent under capitalism Docile is a science fiction parable about love and sex, wealth and debt, abuse and power, a challenging tour de force that at turns seduces and startles. To be a Docile is to be kept, body and soul, for the uses of the owner of your contract. To be a Docile is to forget, to disappear, to hide inside your body from the horrors of your service. To be a Docile is to sell yourself to pay your parents' debts and buy your children's future. Elisha Wilder’s family has been ruined by debt, handed down to them from previous generations. His mother never recovered from the Dociline she took during her term as a Docile, so when Elisha decides to try and erase the family’s debt himself, he swears he will never take the drug that took his mother from him. Too bad his contract has been purchased by Alexander Bishop III, whose ultra-rich family is the brains (and money) behind Dociline and the entire Office of Debt Resolution. When Elisha refuses Dociline, Alex refuses to believe that his family’s crowning achievement could have any negative side effects—and is determined to turn Elisha into the perfect Docile without it.

Docile

The Fellowship raised Lark to kill monsters. His partner betrayed them to the Feds. But Lark knows his magic is real, and he’ll do anything to complete his quest. K. M. Szpara follows Docile, one of the most anticipated science fiction novels of 2020, with First, Become Ashes, a fantastic standalone adventure that blends pain and pleasure and will make readers question what is real, and what is magical. Lark spent the first twenty-four years, nine months, and three days of his life training for a righteous quest: to rid the world of monsters. Alongside his partner Kane, he wore the cage and endured the scourge in order to develop his innate magic. He never thought that when Kane left, he'd next see him in the company of FBI agents and a SWAT team. He never dreamed that the leader of the Fellowship of the Anointed would be brought up on charges of abuse and assault. He never expected the government would tell him that the monsters aren't real—that there is no magic, and all the pain was for nothing. Lark isn't ready to give up. He is determined to fulfill his quest, to defeat the monsters he was promised. Along the way he will grapple with the past, confront love, and discover his long-buried truth.

First, Become Ashes

Critically acclaimed sci-fi author K.M. Szpara probes the ethics of genetic engineering in this Tor.com Original short story "We're Here, We're Here" Joining a boyband gave Tyler everything he ever dreamed of. A close-knit group of friends, the chance to model a beautiful masculinity, and a vocal implant that lets him sing even better than he did before transitioning. But deep on tour, Tyler realizes he wants more from one of his bandmates, yearns for a love that would never fit the image that has been carefully crafted for him. His manager wants him to be the heartthrob: available, wholesome, and pure. And since his manager gave Tyler his voice, he can always take it away again. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A Tor.com Original

We're Here, We're Here

Yoon Ha Lee

S. Qiouyi Lu

Melissa Marr

Charlie Jane Anders

Stephen Graham Jones

Usman T. Malik

Sarah Pinsker

Brian Evenson

Lavie Tidhar

Maria Dahvana Headley

Rich Larson

Tamsyn Muir

Fran Wilde

Carrie Vaughn

Rachel Swirsky

C. L. Polk

Maureen F. McHugh

Naomi Kritzer

Katharine Duckett

Zin E. Rocklyn

G. V. Anderson

Carolyn Ives Gilman

M. Rickert

Matthew Pridham

Gregory Norman Bossert

Claire Wrenwood

Jeremy Packert Burke

Justin C. Key

A collection of some of the best original science fiction and fantasy short fiction published on Tor.com in 2020. Includes stories by: Charlie Jane Anders G. V. Anderson Gregory Norman Bossert Jeremy Packert Burke Katharine Duckett Brian Evenson Carolyn Ives Gilman Maria Dahvana Headley Stephen Graham Jones Justin C. Key Naomi Kritzer Rich Larson Yoon Ha Lee S. Qiouyi Lu Usman T. Malik Melissa Marr Maureen McHugh Tamsyn Muir Sarah Pinsker C. L. Polk Matthew Pridham M. Rickert Zin E. Rocklyn Rachel Swirsky Lavie Tidhar Carrie Vaughn Fran Wilde Claire Wrenwood At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Some of the Best from Tor.com: 2020 Edition

Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time

Mary Robinette Kowal

Sam J. Miller

Brooke Bolander

Alex Bledsoe

A. Merc Rustad

Anya Ow

R.K. Kalaw

Elsa Sjunneson-Henry

Brit E. B. Hvide

The July/August 2018 issue of Hugo Award-winning Uncanny Magazine. Our Dinosaur Theme Issue! Featuring new fiction by Sam J. Miller, K.M. Szpara, R.K. Kalaw, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry & A. Merc Rustad, Brooke Bolander, Brit E.B. Hvide, Alex Bledsoe, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Anya Ow, essays by Tobias S. Buckell, Alasdair Stuart, Marissa Lingen, and Tansy Rayner Roberts, and poetry by Mari Ness, Cassandra Khaw, Brandon O' Brien, Ali Trotta and Cynthia So, interviews with K.M. Szpara and Anya Ow by Caroline M. Yoachim, a cover by Galen Dara, and an editorial by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas. “The Uncanny Dinosaurs—Introduction” by Brooke Bolander, Sam J. Miller, Mari Ness, Nicasio Andres Reed, A. Merc Rustad & Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, K.M. Szpara, JY Yang, and Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

July/August 2018

Uncanny Magazine Issue 23

John Chu

Ursula Vernon

Javier Grillo-Marxuach

Kelly McCullough

Hiromi Goto

Chinelo Onwualu

May/June 2017

Uncanny Magazine Issue 16

Nghi Vo

Nino Cipri

Kathleen Jennings

Tor.com Publishing is proud to present a sneak peak of its 2020 debut novel and novella authors. Nino Cipri's Finna is a fun, queer story about low-wage workers traveling through wormholes to find a missing grandmother, and themselves. Transformation, enchantment, and the emotional truths of family history teem in Kathleen Jennings' stunning debut, Flyaway. Docile is the sexy, startling, near-future science fiction debut from Hugo and Nebula Award finalist K. M. Szpara. And, with the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Tor.com Publishing 2020 Debut Sampler

READ CHAPTERS 1-3 OF FIRST, BECOME ASHES, AVAILABLE FOR SALE EVERYWHERE APRIL 6, 2021 K. M. Szpara follows his explosive debut novel Docile with First, Become Ashes, a fantastic standalone adventure that explores self-discovery after trauma and outgrowing abusive origins over the course of an American road trip. The Fellowship raised Lark to kill monsters. His partner betrayed them to the Feds. But Lark knows his magic is real, and he’ll do anything to complete his quest. For thirty years, the Fellowship of the Anointed isolated its members, conditioning them to believe that pain is power. That magic is suffering. That the world beyond the fence has fallen prey to monsters. But when their leader is arrested, all her teachings come into question. Those touched by the Fellowship face a choice: how will they adjust to the world they were taught to fear, and how will they relate to the cult's last crusader, Lark? For Kane, survival means rejecting the magic he and his lover suffered for. For Deryn, the cult's collapse is an opportunity to prove they are worth as much as their Anointed brother. For Calvin, lark is the alluring embodiment of the magic he's been seeking his entire life. But for Lark, the Fellowship isn’t over. Before he can begin to discover himself and heal a lifetime of traumas, he has a monster to slay. First, Become Ashes contains explicit sadomasochism and sexual content, as well as abuse and consent violations, including rape. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

First, Become Ashes Sneak Peek

Don't wait to discover K.M. Szpara's devastating debut novel. Jump into this free eight chapter sampler and meet Elisha, Alex, and the decadent world of sex, power, debt, and privilege they're caught in. There is no consent under capitalism Docile is a science fiction parable about love and sex, wealth and debt, abuse and power, a challenging tour de force that at turns seduces and startles. To be a Docile is to be kept, body and soul, for the uses of the owner of your contract. To be a Docile is to forget, to disappear, to hide inside your body from the horrors of your service. To be a Docile is to sell yourself to pay your parents' debts and buy your children's future. Elisha Wilder’s family has been ruined by debt, handed down to them from previous generations. His mother never recovered from the Dociline she took during her term as a Docile, so when Elisha decides to try and erase the family’s debt himself, he swears he will never take the drug that took his mother from him. Too bad his contract has been purchased by Alexander Bishop III, whose ultra-rich family is the brains (and money) behind Dociline and the entire Office of Debt Resolution. When Elisha refuses Dociline, Alex refuses to believe that his family’s crowning achievement could have any negative side effects—and is determined to turn Elisha into the perfect Docile without it. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Chapters 1-8

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K.M. Szpara

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