This issue features three original stories—a pair of mysteries (by Mindy Quigley and Mark Thielman, thanks to Acquiring Editors Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman), plus John Gregory Betancourt's “Sympathy for Invisible Men,” part of a series of meditations on classic monsters he has been writing for about 30 years now. Plus—if you’ve been following the lamentations of science fiction magazines about AI submissions—you will find Norman Spinrad’s essay on the subject fascinating. And of course there is plenty of great reading from old masters like Robert E. Howard and Marie Beloc Lowndes and (relatively) newer writers like Robert Abernathy, Stephen Marlowe, and Louis Carbonneau. Of course, no issue is complete without a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles, too!
Here’s the complete lineup:
Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:
“The Meeting,” by Mark Thielman [Michael Bracken Presents short story]
“The Case of the Patriotic Pilferage,” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]
“Worth the Wait,” by Mindy Quigley [Barb Goffman Presents short story]
The Terriford Mystery, by Marie Belloc Lowndes [novel]
Essay:
“Save the SF Magazines from AI, Amazon, And SFWA?” by Norman Spinrad
Science Fiction & Fantasy:
“Sympathy for Invisible Men,” by John Gregory Betancourt [short story]
“Righteous Plague,” by Robert Abernathy [novella]
“Fugue,” by Stephen Marlowe [novella]
“Skulls in the Stars,” by Robert E. Howard [Solomon Kane series, short story]
The Sentinel Stars, by Louis Charbonneau [novel]