J. R. Dawson

First Bright Thing

If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today? The First Bright Thing by J. R. Dawson is a spellbinding debut for fans of The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. Welcome to the Circus of the Fantasticals. Ringmaster – Rin, to those who know her best – can jump to different moments in time as easily as her wife, Odette, soars from bar to bar on the trapeze. With the scars of World War I feeling more distant as the years pass, Rin is focusing on the brighter things in life. Like the circus she’s built and the magical misfits and outcasts – known as Sparks – who’ve made it their home. Every night, Rin and the Fantasticals enchant a Big Top packed full with audiences who need to see the impossible. But while the present is bright, threats come at Rin from the past and the future. The future holds an impending war that the Sparks can see barrelling toward their Big Top and everyone in it. And Rin's past creeps closer every day, a malevolent shadow Rin can’t fully escape. It takes the form of another Spark circus, with tents as black as midnight and a ringmaster who rules over his troupe with a dangerous power. Rin’s circus has something he wants, and he won't stop until it’s his.

The First Bright Thing

Daniel H. Wilson

Charlie Jane Anders

Catherynne M. Valente

Shveta Thakrar

Emma Törzs

Jordan Taylor

Avra Margariti

Shankar Narayan

 John Chu

A. W. Prihandita,

Brandon O’Brien

Amanda Wakaruk and Olav Rokne

 Lora Gray

Prosper C. Ìféányí

The July/August 2025 issue of Hugo Award-winning Uncanny Magazine. Featuring all-new short fiction by John Chu, Catherynne M. Valente, Shveta Thakrar, Emma Törzs, Daniel H. Wilson, Jordan Taylor, and A. W. Prihandita; essays by J. R. Dawson, Brandon O’Brien, Charlie Jane Anders, and Amanda Wakaruk and Olav Rokne; poetry by Lora Gray, Shankar Narayan, Avra Margariti, and Prosper C. Ìféányí; interviews with Catherynne M. Valente and Daniel H. Wilson by Caroline M. Yoachim; Nilah Magruder’s The Duet as the cover; and an editorial by Michael Damian Thomas.

July/August 2025

Uncanny Magazine Issue 65

TJ Klune

In the ruins of Caswell, Maine, Carter Bennett glimpsed the truth of what had been right in front of him the entire time. And then it was ripped away from him. Desperate for answers, Carter takes to the road, leaving family and the safety of his pack behind. But therein lies the danger: wolves are pack animals, and the longer Carter is on his own, the more his mind slips toward the endless void of Omega insanity. But he pushes on, following the trail left by the feral wolf he tracks. Gavin, the son of Robert Livingstone. The half-brother of Gordo Livingstone. What Carter finds will change the course of the pack forever. Gavin's history with the Bennett family goes back further than anyone knows. And it includes a secret kept hidden by Carter's father, Thomas Bennett. But uncovering this knowledge will come at a price: for the sins of the fathers will come to rest on the shoulders of their sons.

Brothersong

If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today? "This is the magic circus book that I have been looking for all my life."―Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway Ringmaster — Rin, to those who know her best — can jump to different moments in time as easily as her wife, Odette, soars from bar to bar on the trapeze. And the circus they lead is a rare home and safe haven for magical misfits and outcasts, known as Sparks. With the world still reeling from World War I, Rin and her troupe — the Circus of the Fantasticals — travel the midwest, offering a single night of enchantment and respite to all who step into their Big Top. But threats come at Rin from all sides. The future holds an impending war that the Sparks can see barrelling toward their show and everyone in it. And Rin's past creeps closer every day, a malevolent shadow she can’t fully escape. It takes the form of another circus, with tents as black as midnight and a ringmaster who rules over his troupe with a dangerous power. Rin's circus has something he wants, and he won't stop until it's his. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today? "This is the magic circus book that I have been looking for all my life."―Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway Ringmaster – Rin, to those who know her best – can jump to different moments in time as easily as her wife, Odette, soars from bar to bar on the trapeze. And the circus they lead is a rare home and safe haven for magical misfits and outcasts, known as Sparks. With the world still reeling from World War I, Rin and her troupe – the Circus of the Fantasticals – travel the midwest, offering a single night of enchantment and respite to all who step into their Big Top. But threats come at Rin from all sides. The future holds an impending war that the Sparks can see barrelling toward their show and everyone in it. And Rin's past creeps closer every day, a malevolent shadow she can’t fully escape. It takes the form of another circus, with tents as black as midnight and a ringmaster who rules over his troupe with a dangerous power. Rin's circus has something he wants, and he won't stop until it's his. Download a FREE sneak peek today! At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Sneak Peek for The First Bright Thing

J. R. Dawson

Books

Your next favorite book is out there