One of the best short stories you'll ever read (note the deliberate absence of question mark)

26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss

at Kij Johnson

I'm completely fucking serious. It's so good, and I don't even read sci-fi. It's so good, it makes me think to forget even trying to write short stories. It's so good it will make you really happy just to read it, if not tear up a couple of times, if you're at all like me.

It's so good that it's made me post twice in one day. This does not happen often.