What’s in Issue 247

Novel	Luddy makes a perilous journey to Algol 1, where he meets with his aunt, Queen Artemisia. She makes a rather odd impression, and Luddy is just a little uneasy when he reports back to Consul Cato: Gary Inbinder, Noble Lies, Chapter 19, part 1; part 2.
Serial	Shura sees a functional family at play and explains her break-up to Gallit. Ariela invites Tirza over for tea and introduces her to Anat. Lorry will have some explaining to do: Tala Bar, Women in Autumn, Chapter 3 Shabat, part 1; part 2; Chapter 4 Monday.
Short Stories	New contributor William A. La Fleur depicts adventures in a college ‘phrat’ that leaves ‘animal house’ in the dust: College Cult. New contributor Elaine Graham-Leigh depicts prisoners and a guard in a ‘resocialisation centre’ where the guard himself is a prisoner: Limping Step, part 1; conclusion. New contributor Molly Smith presents you with a magic ring that grants your every wish, although perhaps a little more promptly and literally than you might like: Finders, Weepers. If you seek hidden treasure in mountain fastnesses, be clean of heart and stout of mind or the guardians may get you. Oh, and heavy weapons might be a good idea, too: John W. Steele, The Ice Man, part 1; conclusion. New contributor Peter Woodruff evokes a 21st-century apocalyptic demon: the pollution monster: The Thing in the Pond, part 1; conclusion.
Flash Fiction	New contributor John Craggs spins a children’s fable of an inadvertent ouroboros: Processionary. Whom would you like to have write your life story — in advance? Martin Green, Life Stories. New contributor Bruce Stirling takes the free market to a logical conclusion: Baby eBay.
Poetry	Crystalwizard, Kitty Cat poems Rose Loya, Sweet Hazel Sky (song lyrics) John Stocks, Last Train for Edinburgh
Short Poetry	Bill Bowler, Young Poets
Essay	Steven Utley takes a trip down memory lane to the music of days gone by: Nature, Nurture, and Music.

Departments

Welcome	Bewildering Stories welcomes John Craggs, Elaine Graham-Leigh, William A. La Fleur, Molly Smith, Bruce Stirling, and Peter Woodruff.
The Critics’ Corner	Don Webb, Space Aliens as Metaphor
Challenge	Challenge 247 sings an ancient ditty: Old Times There Are Not Forgotten.
Letters	Peter Woodruff writes about “Reconnected”
The Art Gallery	A randomly rotating selection of Bewildering Stories’ art NASA: Picture of the Day
The Reading Room	Steve Mazey reviews Robert Edric, The Mermaids
Editorial	Jerry Wright, News and Views

Bewildering Stories News

Reminder to contributors: Please remember our official motto: “Proofreading never ends.” Your “Preview” notice is a beginning, not an ending. The review editors often catch many errors between the time you receive it and the time your text officially appears on line. Even our best efforts may not make the text letter perfect, but it will at least be better than the original.

Your editor’s advice is to copy the on-line text for your records and carefully compare it with the original. In a few cases, the two texts will be practically identical; in many others, though, the comparison will be very instructive indeed.

Randomly selected Bewildering motto:

Randomly selected classic rejection notice:

Bewildering Stories’ official mottoes:

“Poems are not made with ideas; they are made with words.” — Stéphane Mallarmé
Ars longa, vita brevis. Rough translation: “Proofreading never ends.”

To Bewildering Stories’ schedule: In Times to Come

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