This month, icon abandons journalism and takes a literary look at architecture and design in our first-ever fiction issue.

In brand new stories written exclusively for icon, Bruce Sterling imagines the ascetic existence made possible by rapid prototyping, China Miéville examines the rise and fall of space elevators, Ned Beauman suggests some alternative uses for London’s vacant offices, architect Pedro Gadanho explores a building with a secret and designers Oron Catts and Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg explain how lubricants came to have rights.

But there’s a hell of a lot more: Will Self probes the shadow of the Burj Dubai (now Burj Khalifa), Cory Doctorow finds a helpful use for RFID chips, and design duo Committee composes marketing blurbs for their plastic fandangos. The erosion of photographers’ rights is explored in comic-book form and we’ve got a glossary for the decade and our microfiction competition. There’s even a fictional twist to Review, with a peek at the fantastical worlds of Tim Burton and unbuilt New York. That’s all in icon 080, the fiction issue, out now.

Look out for an ultra-limited edition with a tree-shaped hardback cover designed by Fuel and made of paper pulp from our friends at Södra in Sweden. They’re in selected shops and available to buy online.

Oh, and finally congratulations to Mimi Zeiger, who won our microfiction competition. Your prize is in the post!