What’s in Issue 177
| Novel | Even in a prison at the court of king David, the struggle between Ashtoret and Yhwh continues to claim cruel sacrifices: Tala Bar, The King’s Daughter, Yerushalem, part 1; part 2; part 3. |
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| Short Stories |
New contributor Jason Andrew shows a transaction between a beauty and a sort of beast that hinges on The Art of the Deal, part 1; conclusion. L.J.P. out-magics dark magicians who don’t know their stuff because they’ve just plain Lost It: Clyde Andrews, Birth of a Magician, part 1; conclusion. New contributor S. Foster sends a private eye on a stakeout at the Atmospheric Pollution Museum. His mission: to catch a thief of Vintage Smog, part 1; conclusion. New contributor Michael Mathews tells of a bounty hunter whose deadly quarry is not his only peril: The Empty Man, part 1; conclusion. Aye, there’s the rub: for under that spell of gas and xylocaine, what dreams may come when we go to the dentist must give us pause: Willie Smith, Solid Gas. |
| Flash Fiction |
The wheel is the work of the Devil; get a horse! Byron Bailey, Wheeling Towards Armageddon. When is a ghost story not a story of ghosts? Slawomir Rapala, A Ghost Story. |
| Illustrated Fiction |
A new category is inaugurated by an ambitious fish: Darby Mitchell, Fish Story; artwork by Ingrid Cline, page 1; page 2; page 3; page 4; page 5. |
| Poetry |
In an aquarium, fish seem to fly: Mary B. McArdle, Airborne. Small disasters are also big; it depends on who — or what — you are: Thomas D. Reynolds, Crash. |
Departments
| Welcome | Bewildering Stories welcomes Jason Andrew, S. Foster and Michael Mathews. |
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| Challenge | Danielle L. Parker brings us a guest challenge: Almost Famous. |
| Art Gallery |
Selections from Bewildering Stories’ art |
| Letters |
Kevin Ahearn writes about the King Kong remake. Prakash Kona writes about Ronsard and Shakespeare. Willie Smith writes about Prose and Poetry. |
| The Critics’ Corner |
Joachim du Bellay and Ezra Pound, Rome Pierre de Ronsard and his translators: Quand vous serez bien vieille |
| The Reading Room |
Jerry Wright reviews Neil Gaiman’s Smoke and Mirrors |
| Editorial | Jerry Wright, Thoughts for Beginning Writers |
Bewildering Stories News
Schedule: With this issue the department “In Times to Come” goes into honorable retirement. Its space will be taken by news briefs. In its place we are offering our contributors an early Christmas or other holiday present: the Bewildering Stories schedule. You will be able to access it from the menu on the home page or from a link at the end of the Readers’ Guide. We think you’ll find the page quite practical.
The design of the schedule is functional rather than fancy; please keep in mind that it’s a semi-official reflection of Ye Copy Editor’s official schedule. The on-line version will be updated at least once a week, but we can’t yet say exactly when.
Contest 2: Bewildering Stories plans to announce a second story Contest early in the New Year. The theme will be time travel. The contest will probably be open for two months and will be divided into two sections: flash fiction (shorter than 1,000 words) and short stories (9,000 words max). Contributors will be allowed at most two stories each: one in each section. Gentlebeings, rev up your time machines and be ready to report on your travels!
Adventure Books: A link to our contributor Bob Blevins’ Adventure Books website has been added to our Links page. Be sure to visit Bob’s website; he’s an up-and-coming new independent publisher with an exciting array of products and plans for new and veteran authors!
Bibliographies: A long-overdue guideline is being implemented: all contributors will have a bibliography even if they don’t have a bio sketch. Thus, Kate Bachus’ “Twenty Views of Tanforan” and her collected articles in Bewildering Stories are now accessible through Biographies & Bibliographies as well as through Michael E. Lloyd’s much more comprehensive Title & Author index.
