Bewildering Stories

What’s in Issue 84

Novel

A thin but impenetrable wall emerges to protect the City, but it comes too late for many. Julian Lawler’s The Prophet of Dreams continues with chapter 7: “Between Wall and Shadows.”

Serials

Michael J A Tyzuk’s heroes swashbuckle in the grand style of the space Western as “Take the Helena” soars to a conclusion. What further adventures await Eric, Martin, Michelle and the Moonshadow? Will they connect with the heroes of the ongoing parallel series, The Dilemma? We’re waiting breathlessly, Michael; Bewildering readers want to know!

Speaking of dilemmas, Gerald Seagren’s detective definitely has one. He resolves it very expediently. However, the essence of tragedy is forgetting that the ends don’t justify the means; the means justify the ends. And means and ends collide in the conclusion of “Fried.”

Short Stories

Thomas Lee Joseph Smith is well known to regular readers of Bewildering Stories for his profound and humorous tales. The title alone tells us he has another one: “I Finally Rented Contact Starring Jodie Foster.” Surrealism is alive and well in Bewildering Stories.

Flash Fiction

Charles Richard Laing returns with another flash. This one depicts a scene that has occurred all too often in other times and places. The cautionary moral is clear: we had best not take it for granted that something like “Fit” won’t occur in our time and at our places.

Craig Snyder has formatted his own story in a pretty and unusual way. And “Pantheresque” itself is pretty unusual.

Article

Norman A. Rubin continues his series of historical articles on gold- and silversmithing. “Islamic Metalwork” traces the history of the art from earliest times to the colonial era.

Departments

In Times to Come

Anthony Heffernan’s heart-attack story has been rescheduled for issue 85, and another, rather different story of his is scheduled for issue 86. Ásgrímur Hartmannsson tells us of a neighborly gentleman of... um... taste. Thomas Lee Joseph Smith will return with another title as catchy as his story, and John Thiel tells us of a ranger who knows a trick or two. Speaking of which, Thomas R. sends us a time-travel flash that plays a trick on both the narrator and the reader with a combination of comedy and nostalgia.

Readers’ reactions are always welcome. Please write!

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