Mari Ness

Other work by Mari Ness appears in Lightspeed, Nightmare, Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Uncanny, Nature Futures, Diabolical Plots, Reckoning, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and previous issues of Fantasy. A tiny collection of tiny fairy tales, Dancing in Silver Lands, was the 2021 Outwrite Short Fiction Chapbook winner, and a tiny short story, “Verisya,” was a finalist for the 2023 Canopus Award. She lives in central Florida, where she is perhaps too easily distracted by alligators, birds, and two magnificent cats. For more, visit her infrequently updated blog at marikness.wordpress.com.

Enchanted Mirrors Are Making a Comeback. That’s Not Necessarily a Good Thing.

Mari Ness

Enchanted mirrors. Once restricted to royalty—and only a few of them—these days they seem to be everywhere: in crumbling mansions, sparkling penthouse pieds-à-terre, rundown apartments, executive office buildings, and even the occasional meticulously maintained castle. For those trading in enchanted mirrors—or just looking for one—this probably seems like a good thing. But the increased abundance of enchanted mirrors does have a more sinister side.