Lover and hero, Jack Barron, the sold-out media god of the Bug Jack Barron Show, has one last chance to hit it big when he meets Benedict Howards, the power-mad man with the secret to immortality. (Hugo and Nebula Award finalist)

The prophecy is fulfilled. The fifth world has fallen. The sixth world is born, and only one man holds the secret of the late empire...The year is 1531. In a small hut on the slopes of the volcano Popocateptl, scholar and poet Alvaro de Sevilla reflects on his extraordinary life. For Alvaro was one of the small army of conquistadors who, some years earlier, set out to conquer an empire. Hernando Cortes was proclaimed a reincarnation of the god Quetzacoatl shortly after his arrival ...

"One of the greatest collections of science fiction short stories ever" —Goodreads.comContentsCarcinoma AngelsThe Age of InventionOutward BoundA Child of MindThe EqualizerThe Last of the RomanyTechnicalityThe Rules of the RoadDead EndA Night in Elf HillDeathwatchThe Ersatz EgoNeutral GroundOnce More, With FeelingIt's a Bird! It's a Plane!SubjectivityThe Entropic G...

A hard look at the American Dream, and visions of things to come. From the shrapnel of an exploding culture, Norman Spinrad brings you pieces of tomorrow, fragments of America."I think we're living at a time when a whole civilization has died and a new one is being born." —Norman SpinradAbout the AuthorNorman Spinrad is the author of over twenty novels, including the acclaimed BUG JACK BARRON.He is a multiple nominee for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for s...

"Subjectivity" is set in a future where technology has advanced to the point where individuals can experience each other's thoughts and emotions through a process known as "braindancing." The novel follows the story of Martin Soref, a braindancer who becomes embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens to destabilize society.As the plot unfolds, readers are introduced to a world where the boundaries between reality and illusion are blurred, and where the very nature of consciousness is called ...

This issue features original mysteries by O’Neil De Noux and Shannon Taft (thanks to our Acquiring Editors, Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman), a Gil Brewer crime classic, and another entry in the Biff Brewer mystery series by Andy Adams. And what issue would be complete without a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles?On the more fantastic side of things, you might say things have gone to the birds…we have a pair of classic avian-themed stories by Cordwainer Smith and Richard M...

This issue we are headlining the appearance of Norman Spinrad’s masterful short novel, Riding the Torch—one of my favorites of his, and a work that surely deserved more attention than it’s received. (But in a career that has produced such classics as Bug Jack Baron, The Iron Dream, and The Void Captain’s Tale, perhaps it’s understandable that one of Spinrad’s short novels hasn’t received the attention it deserved.) We also have a trio of original mysteries, four Golden Age science fiction ...

This week, we have original tales from Veronica Leigh (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Phyllis Ann Karr, plus great modern tales from Simon Wood (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman) and Norman Spinrad. Plus the usual range of classics which you (hopefully) haven’t seen before. Good stuff!

On behalf of the staff, the contributors, and myself, I’d like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. (You may all burst into traditional Thanksgiving carols, should you wish.)Here’s our holiday lineup:Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:“The Restavek,” by Neil S. Plakcy [Michael Bracken Presents short story]“The Case of the Tipsy Turkey,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]“he Final Course,” by Stacy Woodson [Barb Goffman Presents...

This issue features a pair of original tales: a mystery from Kaye George (thanks to acquiring editor Michael Bracken) and a fantasy from Adrian Cole (written especially for this Halloween issue).On the mystery front, we have a pair of great modern tales by William Dylan Powell (thanks to acquiring editor Barb Goffman) and James Holding, plus a classic novel by British master A.E.W. Mason, who is best known for his tale of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers...

It seems the Halloween season starts earlier and earlier each year. I first began noticing Halloween candy in stores in July (!), and every time I turned around since then, there were more decorations, party favors, and treats at hand. Is it any wonder I’ve been wandering around the house humming “The Monster Mash” for the last few weeks?Our 108th issue kicks off a truly epic celebration of the season, with a pair of nightmarish treats. You will never look at seagulls the same way ...

Our mystery selections kick off with “A Matter of Trust,” N.M. Cedeño’s tale of a genetic genealogy detective trying to prove an illegitimate child’s claim to a family trust. Thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken for this one. And Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman has a Halloween-appropriate tale in “Grimalkin,” by Mark Thielman, in which a cat may be more than it seems. We also have fantasist Phyllis Ann Karr’s first sale—which turns out to be a mystery!—and a novel by British master J.S...