Building on the evocative chill captured by 2024's Winter in the City , editors R.B. Wood and Anna Koon are back with a spectacular multicultural lineup to explore Spring in the City —yet wildflowers aren't the only things finding their way through cracked concrete in these dark speculative tales.Even in the shadows of skyscrapers, spring sees an awakening in the concrete jungle...

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 issue, we have 3 original tales. All are mysteries. Plus, we have 1 original science fiction tale, also a mystery. I leave you to unravel this puzzle! (Okay, I guess it’s not that much of a puzzle—one of the mysteries is also a science fiction story.) I moved Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken’s selection to the science fiction section (it was definitely science fiction) and I moved famous science fiction artist Ron Miller’s mystery into the lead spot. Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman’s st...

COVER ARTSteve HickmanNOVELSThe Purple Sickle Murders, by Freeman Wills CroftsInspector French investigates a deadly scheme—and a girl too scared to stay silent.The Daughter of the Dawn, by William Reginald HodderA lost race. A cursed secret. Who dares awaken the mysteries of Hinauri?SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTER...