Bewildering Stories’
Fourth Quarterly Review, 2021
Year 20 of Bewildering Stories
The Editors’ Choices in issues 920-931
Lighthouse |
The Quarterly and Annual Reviews and Bewildering Stories itself
are like lighthouses on the chaotic sea of the Internet.
They signal not danger but “Good landfall” and “Safe harbor.”
Welcome ashore!
Everything in green is a link. A few links are standard (blue, underlined). The genres in the “Titles selected” table are anchor or alert links. Links to pages other than the QR open in a new window; you won‘t lose your place.
Bewildering Stories ends the season — fall or spring, according to your hemisphere — with the Review Editors’ selection of their favorites from the fourth quarter of 2021. New readers will have easy access to the recent best of Bewildering Stories, and veteran readers will have a chance to catch up on anything they may have missed.
The Quarterly Reviews are not a contest or competition; they are a special poll. And there are no quotas: anything — from everything to nothing — may qualify in any genre. They answer a practical question: “If a friend asked you to recommend something outstanding from the past quarter of Bewildering Stories, what are your favorites? What would you choose?”
As always, the Review Board’s discussions have been extensive and lively. A big Thank You to Edward Ahern, Bill Bowler, Gary Clifton, Charles C. Cole, Jeffrey Greene, Andrew L. Hodges, Gary Inbinder, Bill Kowaleski, John Stocks and Lewayne L. White.
At Bewildering Stories, nothing is the proverbial tree falling unheard in a forest. Every week, we receive thank-you notes from contributors who are grateful that real people have given their works a thoughtful reading, regardless whether the authors agree with the readers. Those notes are appreciated because they tell us we’re fulfilling our mission.
The Review Editors and Associate Editors — our review readers — have functions that are entirely different but equally important. The Review Editors determine how Bewildering Stories shall carry its flag; the Associate Editors determine what Bewildering Stories shall be. Their insightful and detailed critiques of submissions help us set what we like to think is an Internet standard for editorial practice and for service to our contributors and readers.
Our special editors also deserve a vote of thanks: Coordinating Editors Edward Ahern and Bill Kowaleski; Flash Fiction and Drama Editor Charles C. Cole; Poetry Editor John Stocks. They provide the kind of personal touch Bewildering Stories takes pride in, and they make the administrative work not only easier but possible.
The Quarterly News
We think our Review Editors reflect the range of opinion to be found among our readers. In the past 12 weeks, the Review Editors cast 546 votes on 63 titles, 34 of which have qualified as Editors’ Choices. We congratulate the authors and hope they will inspire all our contributors.
The quarter counts 11 regular issues; issue 921 was set aside to celebrate our 1,000th official issue (regular issues + reviews).
The Order of Merit is a special acknowledgment to our contributors. It’s a kind of “surprise package” that links to the most highly rated works in this Quarterly Review.
Looking ahead: We resume regular publication with issue 932 on January 3, 2022.
| Titles selected of titles eligible | |||||
|
Novels Novellas Serials |
0 of 2 1 of 1 1 of 1 |
Short Stories Flash Fiction Drama |
15 of 31 10 of 12 |
Poetry Short Poetry Essays |
4 of 9 3 of 7 |
|
• Serialized works are eligible only in the quarter in which they conclude. |
|
Novellas Bill Bowler, KlunkSerials C. M. Barnes, Eternal ReturnShort Stories Franco Amati, Bernardo Draws ManhattanStefan Andres, Sabenissimo’s Luxury Apartment David Barber, Lost in Mirkwood Michael Burnett, The Last Dark Age of Man Glenn Dungan, The Moss Prophet Jeffrey Greene, The Kill Switch Gary Inbinder, They Are a Cat Kjetil Jansen, A Handy Stone M. Maponi, Interviewing the CEO Jessica Moore, The Heart Is Exposed Wire Luis López Nieves, Lisa Gherardini Eugène-Melchior de Vogüé, The Time of Serfdom Nolan Williams, The Crane and the Spear L. B. Zinger, Migraines and Metamorphosis Albin Zollinger, The Maze of the Past Flash Fiction David Barber, Guidelines for Earth WritersGary Clifton, The Constable’s Duty Charles C. Cole,
My New Neighbor From Outer Space
Bertil Falk, Beyond Journey’s End
A Farewell to Mom The Good Qualities of the Deceased The Return of Papa Gampu Cloudy With a Chance of Visitors No Kiss, No Hug Cards of Comfort Poetry Mimi Ferebee, Closet ChatterOonah V. Joslin, Cruises of Fond Memory LindaAnn LoSchiavo, Elfriche Kelli Simpson, In the Hometown of the Devil Short Poetry Edward Ahern, A Bad EndGary Inbinder, Shrike in a Dead Tree Oonah V. Joslin, Meditation |
Departments The 1,000th official issue of Bewildering StoriesBooks and Other Reviews Challenges
Discussion and Article External ArchivesIshita Lahiri, The Yesterday and Tomorrow of Indian Steampunk Memoirs Silvia Hines, Seeking ReconnectionMarion J. May, A Change in Times Richard Ong, In Search of Wuthering Heights The Order of the Hot Potato Here are the most controversial works of the quarter, the ones on which the Review Editors’ opinions diverged significantly for one or more reasons. The titles are listed in descending order with the most controversial first. Six of the titles appear among the Editors’ Choices. Challenge to the readers: why might any of these titles be on the list? Discussions are welcome and may appear in a future regular issue.
|
|
The Order of Merit
Here are links to the most highly rated works in each genre represented by more than one title in this Quarterly Review. The categories are listed according to their normal order in the Index and Readers’ Guide. In keeping with Bewildering Stories’ astronomical motif, the winners are indicated by the names of space telescopes. Multiple listings are ties. The most highly rated titles in the quarter are designated by the name of arms of the Galaxy.
| |||||||
