New Story: “The Nation of the Sick,” in ENTANGLEMENTS from MIT

I’ve been a huge fan of MIT’s “Twelve Tomorrows” anthology series since first stumbling upon it at the newsstand at Penn Station in 2013. On an annual basis, they pull together brilliant stories from the most exciting science fiction writers.

So I was ecstatic when guest editor Sheila Williams solicited a story for me for this year’s edition – the first one with a theme: Entanglements.

And now you can click here to buy your copy today, and read my story “The Nation of the Sick” (which, yeah, that title was a lot less unsettling in the pre-pandemic days when I wrote the story) – alongside work by tons of my faves, including Nancy Kress, Ken Liu, Mary Robinette Kowal, James Patrick Kelly, Annalee Newitz, Cadwell Turnbull, and more!!

In an interview with Clarkesworld Magazine, when editor Sheila Williams was asked what story challenges the reader the most, she said:

“Sam J. Miller’s “The Nation of the Sick” may be the most challenging. There are a million ideas coming at the reader. As we are getting our mind around iterative modeling and floating fungitecture, our understanding of two brothers’ complex relationship also becomes clearer. The epistolary storytelling technique eventually yields the entire picture, but getting there is a great ride.”

Lightspeed Magazine said:

“For me, the star of the book is Sam J. Miller’s “The Nation of the Sick.” A programmer is elevated by the success of his partnership with a visionary. He must contend with his brother’s addiction, sort through his own relationship to the past, and come to terms with his place in the world. But it’s not the “plot” which shines; rather, it’s Miller’s sense of character, of voice, and of narrative structure that make this piece something truly special. This is a story that should be entered into the canon of important literature.”