Dogtown is a shelter for all dogs -- real and robot. Metal Head, a robot dog who is a longtime resident of Dogtown, yearns for a forever home. When a girl named Esme begins visiting Dogtown, Metal Head goes on a mission to get her to adopt him.But Esme doesn’t like robot dogs. She has her heart set on taking home a gangly wolfhound mix named Ghost with one blue eye and one yellow eye. Sadly Ghost’s former owner mistreated him, so he’s terrified of everyone. Can Esme, Metal Head, Mo...

Starting with this issue, famous science fiction artist, space illustrator, and author Ron Miller has agreed to become our Art Director, which means he will be pulling future covers from his personal treasure trove of artwork. This issue’s stunning “spider woman” cover is one of Ron’s best, and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with for future issues.As always, thanks to our authors, Acquiring Editors Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, and readers for making BCW a great proj...

In the novel, a brilliant scientist named Dr. Bruce Blackburn invents a device capable of transporting individuals through time. However, when he tests the machine for the first time, something goes terribly wrong. Instead of traveling to a specific point in the past or future, Blackburn finds himself hurtling toward the end of time itself.As Blackburn navigates this strange and perilous journey, he encounters various challenges and mysteries. Along the way, he grapples with questions of f...

When the old man doesn't return from his monthly supply run, the fey grandmother's superstitions kick into overdrive. She convinces herself she hears his wagon approaching night after night. Her two grandchildren try desperately to break the spell of her obsession with the mysterious mirror she stares into, but soon they too hear the ghostly sounds of wheels and trace chains. What will become of their beloved Maw if she vanishes into the dark fairyland that beckons her? A haunting tale unf...

Scientific theories are never "true or "false"; they are "good" or "bad" in various degrees, and the criterion is one of usefulness—predictability and manipulation to (seeming) advantage. Theories are often discarded, simply because evidence may be insufficient for one, where it seems to sustain another—or where another can account for observed phenomena more simply. Take Lamarck's theories on the effect of environment on heredity; so far, the evidence seems to put this in the "bad" classi...

Our 93rd issue has a ton (we weighed it!) of great fiction, starting with an original crime story from John M. Floyd. John remains one of our most popular authors, and this one comes courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken. We also have a great mystery tale by Joseph S. Walker, thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman. Plus a Jack the Ripper tale from Adrian Cole. And mystery classics from James Holding and Dick Donovan—in Donovan’s case, a complete short story collection. Of course, w...

Black Cat Weekly #87 features more modern and classic mysteries, fantasies, and science fiction tales. Included this time are:Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:“The Weary Are At Rest,” by Veronica Leigh [Michael Bracken Presents short story]“The Case of the Anonymous Note,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]“In a Bavarian Forest,” by Warren Moore [Michael Bracken Presents short story]“The Kaluki Kings of Queens,” by Cath...

Dawningsburgh by Wallace West is a captivating and imaginative science fiction tale that transports readers into a mysterious and evolving world where change is not just inevitable—it is transformative. From the very first page, the story builds a sense of curiosity and intrigue, drawing readers into a place that feels both familiar and strangely altered, where the concept of a “new dawn” carries deeper and more powerful meaning.Wallace West skillfully blends

"The Belt" by WALLACE WEST is a classic work that represents the essence of its genre. This book offers readers an engaging experience, reflecting the author’s distinctive style, depth, and vision.

We love ghost stories here at Wildside Press—witness the fact that we have now now reached our eighth volume in this series. Very few other genres are so versatile and enduring as tales of the supernatural. Ghosts can (and have) appeared in literature for thousands of years, in all countries and continents (and times past, present, and future) throughout the world. But the Victorian era particularly seemed to embrace ghost stories, and that’s when Christmas ghost tales became not just a st...

When explorers land on a seemingly unpopulated planet, they discover a sugarcane-like substance growing in seemingly cultivated fields, and the canes ring like a pipe organ at night. They need organic matter for their replicators and plants for their hydroponics, so they harvest some of it. Big mistake!

A lean wind wails through the age-old avenues of Dawningsburgh. Mornings, it brings sand from surrounding hills and scrubs at fresh paint, neon signs endlessly proclaiming the city’s synthetic name and street markers in seven languages. At sunrise it prepares the dunes for footprints of scurrying guided tourists. When icy night clamps down and the intruders scamper to their hotels, the wind howls as it flings after them a day’s collection of paper cups, bottle caps and other picnic offal.