'Thoughts and Prayers' Is Clever Sci-Fi About Internet Trolls

The new anthology The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020 includes stories from leading authors such as Victor LaValle, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Charlie Jane Anders. Tobias S. Buckell, whose story "The Galactic Tourist Industrial Complex" appears in the book, was particularly impressed with Ken Liu's story "Thoughts and Prayers." "Ken is really a complete master of the short form," Buckell says in Episode 452 of the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast. "It's always a pleasure to read a Ken story." "Thoughts and Prayers" is about a mother and father who advocate for gun control following their daughter's murder only to find themselves targeted by internet trolls who harass them with violent deepfakes of their daughter.