Our 55th issue is packed with good stuff—as you will soon discover! Our Acquiring Editors have found tales by great authors—Dave Zeltserman, L. Timmel Duchamp, Amanda Witt—plus we have the first of a fantasy series by British master Sydney J. Bounds, along with a pair of mystery/espionage novels and a slew of science fiction shorts. Plus a solve-it-yourself mystery! Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “A Story Before Closing Time,” by Dave Zeltserman [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Most Valuable Solution,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Summer Job,” by Amanda Witt [Barb Goffman Presents short story] The Wilderness Patrol, by Harold Bindloss [novel] The Seven Sleepers, by Francis Beeding [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Gift,” by L. Timmel Duchamp [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “Private Mage,” by Sydney J. Bounds [short story] “Climate Disordered,” by Sam Merwin [short story] “The Penultimate Trump,” by R. C. W. Ettinger [short story] “Lunar Landing,” by Lester del Rey [novella]

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly. Our 107th issue has everything you could possibly want: police detectives, spacemen, cats, boy detectives, a man (literally) fighting cancer, an abandonned mill chimney, murder in space…. I could go on and on, but that would take all the fun out of it for you! Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Up In Smoke,” by Gregory Meece [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Point Taken” by Hal Charles [short story] “Method for Murder,” by Michael Mallory [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Blue Line,” by Hal Meredith [short story] The Mystery Hunters at the Haunted Lodge, by Capwell Wyckoff [novel] “Earth Transit,” by Charles L. Fontenay [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Carcinoma Angels,” by Norman Spinrad [short story] “No Heaven Will Not Ever Heaven Be…,” by A.R. Morlan [short story] “Earth Transit,” by Charles L. Fontenay [short story] “Deadline,” by Walter L. Kleine [short story] “Rockabye, Grady,” by David Mason [short story]

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly. I can’t believe it’s been 100 issues! Time flies when you’re having fun. To help make this issue special, I asked Barb Goffman and Michael Bracken to contribute some special stories of their own. I think you’ll agree, they are among the highlights of this issue. On the mystery side , we also have stories by Nancy Pickard, Bradley Harper, and a novel from the legendary Fredric Brown—his classic Knock Three-One-Two. And what issue is complete without a solve-it-yourself mystery by Hal Charles? On the more fantastic side of things, we have another of Darrell Schweitzer’s historical interviews with a legend of science fiction, this time Robert Sheckley. Conducted in 1981, it talks about his becoming fiction editor of Omni magazine, the science fiction community in New York City, and more. As for fiction, we have that, too, of course. Fantasy from Joseph Payne Brennan and Aeryn Rudel. Science fiction from Larry Tritten, Frank Belknap Long, and a rare novel, The Green Girl, from Grandmaster Jack Williamson. A big thanks to everyone who made the first 100 issues possible, including Acquiring Editors Michael Bracken, Barb Goffman, Paul Di Filippo, Darrell Schweitzer, and Cynthia Ward, staffers Sam Hogan, and Karl Wurf, and of course all our readers! -- John Betancourt, Editor Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Wolfhound” 2023 by Bradley Harper [short story] “Things That Go Bump” 2022 by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “If Only You Would Leave Me” by Nancy Pickard [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Lord Is My Shamus” 2012 by Barb Goffman [short story] “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” 2021 by Michael Bracken [short story] Knock Three-One-Two, by Fredric Brown [novel] Nonfiction: “Speaking with Robert Sheckley” by Darrell Schweitzer [interview] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Smile Price” by Aeryn Rudel [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Exit Laughing” by Larry Tritten [short story] “The Miniature Menace,” by Frank Belknap Long [short story] “The Seventh Incantation,” by Joseph Payne Brennan [short story] The Green Girl, by Jack Williamson [novel]

This issue we have quite an all-star lineup. From modern masters of mystery like Donna Andrews and Andrew Welsh-Huggins to the greatest names in science fiction like Frank Herbert and Robert Silverberg, this is an amazing issue no matter how you look at it. As for our featured novels, we have a Fantômas tale by Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain and Metropolis by Thea von Harbou. This might possibly be our best issue ever! Take a look at our contents and see for yourself— Cover: Ron Miller Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “A Beauty All Its Own,” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Death Takes the Stage,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire,” by Donna Andrews [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Murderer,” by Murray Leinster [short story] The Long Arm of Fantômas, by Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain [novel, Fantômas series] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Chowhound” by Mack Reynolds [short novel] “A Kiss for the Conqueror,” by Henry Slesar [short story] “The Mystery of Deneb IV,” by Robert Silverberg [short story] “Try to Remember!” by Frank Herbert [short novel] Metropolis, by Thea von Harbou [novel]

This issue, we have an original mystery from Mike Adamson, plus a recent tale by Neil S. Plakcy (courtesy of our Acquiring Editors). Classic mystery reprints come from Dale Clark and Edgar Wallace. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler by Hal Charles. I broke out the Adventure category for Vera Shamarin, by William Murray Graydon. It’s an exciting tale of escape from Russia. Not really mystery, but perhaps more suspense, I thought it belonged in its own category. See if you agree. It’s an all-classic lineup from our science fiction writers: Ted White & Marion Zimmer Bradley lead off, followed by Frank Belknap Long, Ivar Jorgenson, and Edmond Hamilton. Jack Sharkey’s short novel, “The Programmed People,” caps things off.

Three of our contributing editors brought in amazing tales. Barb Goffman presents Jason’s Half’s “The Last Ferry,” Cynthia Ward brings us “Quinn’s Deal,” by L. Timmel Duchamp, and Michael Bracken offers “A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy,” by N.M. Cedeño. Two are mysteries and two are science fiction. I leave it to you to figure out which is which. (No cheating and checking the list of stories below…unless you absolutely can’t help yourself!) We have three fantasies this time, too—Larry Tritten returns with a story featuring a djinn and a man with a hankering for travel. Everil Worrell has a date with Death. And in Curios, a short story collection by Richard Marsh, we find 7 short stories featuring a pair of rival curio collectors—with some most unusual items! And, of course, there are some classic tales—A Sharper’s Downfall is a mystery novel featuring Nick Carter, Stephen Wasylyk has a vintage mystery short, and we have rip-roaring science fiction tales from Paul W. Fairman and Malcolm Jameson. And of course we couldn’t forget a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. (Yes, it’s a Halloween solve-it-yourself. I should have included it in one of the October issues, but messed up. Doh! You’ll just have to live with it.) Here is the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense: “The Halloween Costume Caper,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Ten Dollar$ a Week,” by Stephen Wasylyk [short story] "A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy," by N.M. Cedeñov [short story] "The Last Ferry," by Jason Half [Barb Goffman Presents short story] A Sharper’s Downfall, by Nicholas Carter [novel] Curios, by Richard Marsh [fantasy and mystery collection] Science Fiction & Fantasy: Curios, by Richard Marsh [fantasy and mystery collection] “Leonora,” by Everil Worrell [fantasy short story] “Travels With Harry,” by Larry Tritten [fantasy short story] "A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy," by N.M. Cedeñov [science fiction short story] “Quinn’s Deal,” by L. Timmel Duchamp [Cynthia Ward Presents science fiction novelet] “Traitor’s Choice,” by Paul W. Fairman [science fiction short story] “Blockade Runner,” by Malcolm Jameson [science fiction short story]

Another week, another great issue—this time featuring terrific originals from H.K. Slade (part of his Friday Hampton/Ambrose Broyhill series, courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Ken Foxe (a crime story set at rival coffee shops). And we have modern tales by Susan Dunlap (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman), Janet Fox (a sword and sorcery tale featuring her master thief, Jaquerel), and John S. Glasby (dark fantasy from a British master). For our mystery novel, we have Natalie Sumner Lincoln’s classic The Moving Finger. Rounding things out, we have classic science fiction from Nelson S. Bond, Marcia Kamien, and Carl Jacobi. Of course, no issue would be compelte without a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. Here's the lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Rough Morning,” by H.K. Slade [Michael Bracken Presents short story, Friday Hampton/Ambrose Broyhill series] “The Three Quarters Clue,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “A Day at the Beach,” by Susan Dunlap [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Muffins and Malice,” by Ken Foxe [short story] The Moving Finger, by Natalie Sumner Lincoln [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “How Jaquerel Fell Prey to Ankarrah,” by Janet Fox [short story, Jaquerel series] “Solitude,” by John S. Glasby [short story] “The Ordeal of Lancelot Biggs,” by Nelson S. Bond [short story, Lancelet Biggs series] “And a Little Child,” by Marcia Kamien [short story] “Strangers to Straba,” by Carl Jacobi [short story]