What’s in Issue 138

Story Contest	Please remember to vote in *the First Bewildering* Story Contest** ! Welcome & Rules \| Contest Entries to Date
Novels	Ian Dihn, lord of Nomen, hunts through the mean streets of the city for the Rune Man. In a battle of skill against magic, an unexpected weapon prevails: Julian Lawler, Battle Seer, chapter 16: The Search for Romen Garrenson, part 1; part 2. ‘Mireille is set up, squeezed, and stood down again... all quite painlessly! Then it's her turn to start calling the shots. Toni suddenly has far too many women in his life!’ Michael E. Lloyd, Observation One: Singing of promises... chapter 19: Brussels, Belgium, part 1.
Novella	Jack Kenzie penetrates the condemned and haunted house, where he finally meets the chimney ghost in person. But he finds other ghosts there, as well: Jeff Brown, A Wave from a Chimney, part 4.
Serial	Jim Blunt, captain of the Pig’s Eye, encounters a deadly Asp in a galactic frontier saloon. The Asp makes Blunt an offer he can’t refuse. Maybe an old-fashioned Wild West shoot-out would be less hazardous to the captain’s health: Danielle L. Parker, The Thief of Joy and Light, part 1.
Short Stories	New contributor K. C. Stapleton asks what happens when it snows in Mottville, Texas. Your little doggie might be able to tell you. Or you could kiss the friendly neighborhood mountain lion: Party of One. A health inspector who’s too lazy to do his job discovers that the job just may come to him: James Wasserman, Eating Crow, part 1; conclusion.
Flash Fiction	New contributor Margaret O’Neal brings together two homeless people who are just about as down and out as they can get. And yet where there’s life, there’s hope: Looking Past Midnight.
Poetry	New contributor John Olson writes a prose poem that is also a short story. Or vice-versa. Whichever, space aliens can be beautiful and exceedingly strange; but if we listen closely, we may find they and we have things in common: The New Neighbors.
Drama	New contributor William Spear shows, in a radio play, that one might not need to crash into a haunted house to find ghosts; they may crash your party, instead. Just one catch: Dead Men Don’t Party.

Departments

Welcome	Bewildering Stories welcomes John Olson, Margaret O’Neal, William Spear and K. C. Stapleton.
The Critics’ Corner	Discussions of: Tala Bar’s “Minstrel in the Forest” with Danielle L. Parker David R. Eland’s “Xenophiles” with Michael J A Tyzuk
Letters	Cleveland W. Gibson writes about his story “Charles Treinet’s La Mer”. José J. Ramos asks for submissions to a theme issue of Alfa Eridiani and for a translation of a novel: galactic empires and a translation. Lewayne L. White writes about the story contest.
The Reading Room	Danielle L. Parker reviews Robert M. Price, ed., The Necronomicon, Cthulhu Cycle Book 12. Jerry Wright reviews Terry Pratchett’s Johnny Maxwell trilogy
Editorial	Jerry Wright, News from down home

In Times to Come

In issue 139 — Novels: Julian Lawler, Battle Seer, chapter 17 “Steward Argenal”; Michael E. Lloyd, Observation One, chapter 19 “Brussels, Belgium,” part 2. Novella: Jeff Brown, “A Wave from a Chimney,” conclusion. Serial: Danielle L. Parker, “The Thief of Joy and Light,” part 2.

Short stories: Byron Bailey, “Yanks”; new contributor Gareth Jones, “Fluctuations”; R D Larson, “A Benign and Archaic Afterthought.” Flash fiction: Jörn Grote, “The Edge of the World.” Poetry: new contributor C. Meton, “The Orkeldor,” part 1.

Farther ahead: Submissions tend to go in cycles, from feast to famine and back again. That’s especially true in poetry and flash fiction. At present, our backlog from last October seems to be clearing out, and 142 now appears to be a magic number. Beginning with that issue, the schedule is wide open in short stories.

We have more longer works on tap: after Julian Lawler’s Battle Seer concludes in issue 142, euhal allen is set to take the relay with books II and III of The Bridge. Danielle L. Parker also has a novel that may begin in that issue, but we’re not exactly sure yet. Norman A. Rubin’s novella “Hallelujah” is scheduled to begin in issue 140.

Title riddle: Michael E. Lloyd wins a virtual honorary degree of some sort for being the only one to recognize the title of issue 137 as a play on “Zeno’s Paradox.” The title of this issue should be a lot easier to decipher. The title of issue 139 will be seasonal and probably quite opaque to all but some North Americans. Advance hint: In spring, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of... Well, you know.

Readers’ reactions are always welcome.
Please write!

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