The Weight of the Sunrise
The Weight of the Sunrise is a 2013 alternate-history story by Vylar Kaftan. It was published in Asimov's Science Fiction in February 2013. In the story, when Francisco Pizarro and the Conquistadors arrive in Peru, Atahualpa and the Inca defeat and kill them. The Inca Empire continues to thrive, but is troubled by smallpox. Centuries later, emissaries from the Thirteen Colonies arrive, hoping to trade the secret of vaccination for gold. The story won the Nebula Award for Best Novella of 2013 and the Sidewise Award for Alternate History, short form, for 2013. Tangent Online called it mesmerizing and beautifully told, noting its tone of pride and hope.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:31 (CET).