This issue, we have five mystery stories, three of which are originals—tales by Tracy Falenwolfe (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), Veronica Leigh, and Teel James Glenn—these last two names should be familiar to regular readers from previous issues. We also have a great modern tale by Jonathan Santlofer (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman) and a classic pulp crime story set in the dark world of Las Vegas casinos by Bryce Walton. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. On the science fiction end, the Lancelot Biggs space opera series from Nelson Bond continues with “F-O-B Venus.” F-O-B was a more common term in early to mid 20th century. It stands for “Free on Board”—a term used in international shipping to indicate that the seller delivers the goods to a ship at a specified port, and the buyer assumes responsibility once the goods are on board and is responsible for shipping costs, insurance, and other expenses related to transporting the goods to their final destination. Rounding things out are a pair of novels: pulp action-adventure from Edmond Hamilton, then Lester del Rey’s classic tale of an atomic power plant heading toward meltdown. Great stuff. Here’s the complete lineup for #151— Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Jamming at Jollies,” by Tracy Falenwolfe [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Case of the Carried-off Coins,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Lola,” by Jonathan Santlofer [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Divine Discontent,” by Veronica Leigh [short story] “White Face, Blood Red,” by Teel James Glenn [short story] “Murderers Three,” by Bryce Walton [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “F-O-B Venus,” by Nelson S. Bond [short story, Lancelot Biggs series] Outside the Universe, by Edmond Hamilton [novel] Nerves, by Lester del Rey [novel]

In our 89th issue, Michael Bracken pulls double duty to bring a pair of original mysteires to readers: great tales by Steve Liskow and Welsh-Huggins. Plus we have a crime novel by Johnston McCulley (who also created Zorro—but he tried his hand at a bunch of other heroes and antiheroes, among them The Scarlet Scourge, The Avenging Twins, and a ton of others). There’s also a novel by Western author B.M. Bower. Plus a solve-it-yourself mystery by Hal Charles. On the science fiction & fantasy side, we have classic tales by Randall Garrett and Murray Leinster, two favorites. Robert E. Howard (much on my mind since returning from our trip to Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains, Texas) has a Solomon Kane adventure. And last (but far from least) we begin the serialization of Darrell Schweitzer’s amazing Sekenre: The Book of the Sorcerer, a series of linked short stories that come together to form a novel…though each tale also manages to stand on its own. The first 3 stories are in this issue. Here’s this issue’s complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Nose for News,” by Steve Liskow [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Case of the Burgled Bushels,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Supply Chains,” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins [Michael Bracken Presents short story] The Voice at Johnnywater, by B.M. Bower [novel] The Scarlet Scourge, by Johnston McCulley [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Needler,” by Randall Garrett [novella] “Rattle of Bones,” by Robert E. Howard [short story] “Ribbon in the Sky,” by Murray Leinster [novella] Sekenre: The Book of the Sorcerer, by Darrell Schwetizer [serial book, part 1 of 4]

Finally, it’s October! Home to our favorite holiday—Halloween. The origins of Halloween trace back to ancient Celtic harvest festivals, linking it to themes of change and transition that often elements of the fantastic. Darkness falls, boundaries dissolve, and our imaginations open to infinite possibilities. For authors of fantasy and horror, the imagery and symbolism of Halloween fuels imagination and storytelling around our deepest fears and fascinations. The holiday has cemented itself as a staple in the literary tradition of the fantastic. Here be ghosts, monsters, witches, and everything dark and diabolical. It provides the perfect setting for classic stories. What would the season be without Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls,” Ray Bradbury’s “The October Game,” and and so many others? Not to mention Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and practically everything Stephen King has ever written. You’ll find more than a few seasonally appropraite tricks and treats in this month’s pages. Here’s the lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Behind Blue Eyes,” by Robby Robinson [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Case of the Fit Felon,” by Hal Charles [solve-it-yourself mystery] “A Rat’s Tale,” by Donna Andrews [short story] “On His Majesty’s Service,” by Hal Meredith [short story, Sexton Blake series] The Clue of the New Pin, by Edgar Wallace [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Mad Evren’s Dreams,” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story] “No Other God But Me,” by Adrian Cole [short story] “In the Very Stones,” by Joseph Payne Brennan [short story] “You Can’t Scare Me!” by Charles F. Myers [short story, Pillsworth & Toffee series] “To Make a Hero,” by Randall Garrett [novella]

Another great selection of mysteries and science fiction by great modern and classic authors. Here are 8 short stories and 2 novels -- more than 500 pages of great reading! Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Ear Worm,” by Robert Jeschonek [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Who Slew the Valkyrie,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Pot o’ Gold,” by Shannon Taft [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Trouble in Paradise,” by Veronica Leigh [short story] The Scarlet Imperial, by Dorothy B. Hughes [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “A Time To Die,” by Harold Calin [short story] “Out of Nowhere,” by E.A. Grosser [short story] “Star Chamber,” by H.B. Fyfe [short story] “Pogo Planet,” by Donald A. Wollheim [short story] The Kid from Mars, by Oscar J. Friend [novel]

Our 72nd issue is going to please a lot of our mystery readers. Not only do we have an original tale from the greatr Dave Zeltserman, courtesty of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken, but we havca a terrific tale by Vicki Weisfelt, courtsey of Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman…plus a classic Sexton Blake mystery and the second Charlie Chan novel! (And, of course, a solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles. Science fiction & fantasy fans won’t be disappointed, either. We have a new Count Czarny story from Phyllis Ann Karr, plus classics by John Barrett, Murray Leinster, Theodore Sturgeon, and George O. Smith. Great stuff. Here’s the lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “When Pigs Fly,” by Dave Zeltserman [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Yard Sale Jitters,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “New Energy,” by Vicki Weisfeld [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “A Back-room Mystery,” by Hal Meredith [Sexton Blake short story] The Chinese Parriot, by Earl Derr Biggers [Charlie Chan novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Morning Star,” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story] “The Long Way Back,” by John Barrett [short story] “The Devil of East Lupton, Vermont,” by Murray Leinster [short story] “Memory,” by Theodore Sturgeon [short story] “Quarantine,” by George O. Smith [novelet]

This issue has one of the best original stories we’ve published: Janet Law’s brilliant “Wrong Door,” a tale very much in the classic Twilight Zone tradition. Don’t skip it! Though Janice is best known for her mystery stories, this one proves she can write masterfully in any genre. But great stories don’t stop there. Our Acquiring Editors, Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, have both found original stories this time—from William Burton McCormick and Steve Janko. Plus I’m pleased to present another new mystery story from the late Henry T. Parry. Parry was very much a hobbyist writer for Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. His work started appearing there in the 1960s, and if the editor didn’t buy a story, he set it aside and moved on to another one. He didn’t send them to other markets, like any pro writer would have done. His daughter has entrusted his unpublished stories to me, and I am going through them and seeing which ones still work. (His last story appeared here in BCW #105.) I date “The Marina Case” to the early 1970s, and it’s a solid mystery that surely would have found a home had he submitted it to more than one editor. Our mystery novel this time is William Le Queux’s The Crystal Claw, a Golden Age page-turner. And, as always, we have a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. Turning back to the science fiction end of things, in addition to Janice Law’s tale, we have classics by Hannes Bok (miners on Venus!), William W. Stuart (a man wakes in a futuristic jail with no memory of how he got there!), and Charles L. Fontenay (envy leads to discovering an Earthman’s secrets!). Our SF novelet is an early space adventure from fantastist Manly Wade Wellman. Here’s the complete lineup— Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Letter From a Lone Prospector to His Mother,” by William Burton McCormick [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Wild West Whodunit,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Confessions of an Invisible Hit Man,” by Steve Janko [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Grass Is Not Always Green,” by Henry T. Parry [short story] The Crystal Claw, by William Le Queux [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Wrong Door,” by Janice Law [short story] “One Touch of Terra,” by Hannes Bok [short story] “A Prison Make,” by William W. Stuart [short story] “Beauty Interrupted” by Charles L. Fontenay [short story] The Invading Asteroid, by Manly Wade Wellman [short novel]

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 McKenna. But we also have a terrific Norman Spinrad short, about the effects of virtual entertainment on actors, and Darrell Schweitzer contributes a poignant tale of a man whose father has delusional battles against the dreaded Zeppelin Gang. Or are they delusions? And a few issues ago, I promised more of the humorous Toffee tales from Charles F. Myers. Well, in my research through the pulps, I only looked at titles…imagine my surprise when The Shades of Toffee turned out to be a novel, instead of a short story! Here it is. More Toffee shorts (I assume they’re short) will follow in future issues. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The James Mason Effect,” by O’Neil De Noux [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Clue in the Conservatory,” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “A Tail of Justice,” by Shannon Taft [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Gesture,” by Gil Brewer [classic short story] The Mystery of the Caribbean Pearls, by Andy Adams [novel, Biff Brewer series] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “A Man of the Theater,” by Norman Spinrad “Fighting the Zeppelin Gang,” by Darrell Schweitzer “The Night of Hoggy Darn,” by Richard McKenna [classic short story] “From Gustible’s Planet,” by Cordwainer Smith [classic short story] The Shades of Toffee, by Charles F. Myers [novel, Toffee series]

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #17—another fun issue, with great mystery and science fiction short stories, classic novels, and more! The lineup this time: Mysteries / Suspense: “Smart Cookie,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Shanks Gets Mugged,” by Robert Lopresti [short story] “Thubway Tham Reforms,” by Johnston McCulley [short story] “The Man in the Dick Tracy Hat” by Elizabeth Zelvin [Barb Goffman Presents short story] The Seal of Gijon, by Nicholas Carter [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy:  “The Hour of Their Need,” by Amy Wolf [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “Dragonet,” by Esther Friesner [Darrell Schweitzer Presents short story] “Vengeance in Her Bones,” by Malcolm Jameson [short story] “Taste Taste,” by Larry Tritten [short story] Secret of the Martians, by Paul W. Fairman [novel]

Black Cat Weekly #8 is now available!

Mysteries & Suspense Mystery on Graveyard Head, by Edith Dorian "Kismet and the Baby Orchid," by Frank Lovell Nelson [short story, Carlton Clarke #8] "Awake To Fear," by Robert Camp [short story] "Look It Up," by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] "The Devil's Dooryard," by W.C. Tuttle [historical novella] Straight to the Goal, by Nicholas Carter [mystery novel] "The Moon and Marcie Wade," by John M. Floyd [Barb Goffman Presents Mystery] Science Fiction & Fantasy "Marsyas in Flanders," by Vernon Lee [fantasy story] "Sympathy for Wolves," by John Gregory Betancourt [fantasy story] "The Blackwood Oak," by Stephen Gallagher [science fiction story] "Perfectly Adjusted," by Gordon R. Dickson [science fiction novella] The White Isle, Darrell Schweitzer [fantasy novel]

This issue, we have the second of the long-running Dutch series featuring the adventures of Lord Lister (Alias Raffles), as the Robin Hood of England tangles with a jeweler who likes to cheat his customers with fake diamonds and pearls. (This is a new translation and its first appearance in English. We have more coming up.) Plus we have original mysteries by Tom Larsen (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), Joseph S. Walker (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman), and K M Rockwood. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. On the science fiction side of things, we have another great lineup, with tales by Stephen Marlow, Henry Slesar, Edmond Hamilton, Frank Belknap Long, and a writer best known for his mysteries, Donald E. Westlake. Enjoy! Here’s the complete lineup— Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “El Cazador (The Hunter),” by Tom Larsen [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “New Sheriff in Town,” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Sunrise at the Moonshine Palace,” by Joseph S. Walker [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Flippin’ Flapjacks,” by K M Rockwood [short story] “The Punishment of the Jewel Forger,” by Kurt Matull and Theo Blakensee [novelet, Lord Lister (Alias Raffles) #2] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Passionate Pitchman,” by Stephen Marlow [short story] “My Robot,” by Henry Slesar [short story] “The Life-Masters,” by Edmond Hamilton [short story] “The Red Fetish,” by Frank Belknap Long [short story] “Meteor Strike!” by Donald E. Westlake [short story]