What’s in Issue 116

Novels	The party of explorers now numbers five as the mysterious Lilit seems to be fully integrated into their number. The valley also seems like an edenic idyll; but Nunez has doubts, and everyone’s sleep is disturbed by recurring dreams: Tala Bar, Gaia, chapter 8: The Valley, part II.
Novella	Harry Stafford, fresh from his latest murder, is confronted by Shadrach Hutch. Shad’s suspicions are all wrong, but Harry is cornered and just can’t take it any more. He makes a fatal gesture: Jonathan M. Sweet, The Kestron Lenses, conclusion.
Serials	Joel Gn ends the love story of Jay and Roxanne in the context of mythology. When myth becomes reality, the consequences are always painful: Roxanne, conclusion Derth, Berrick and Janeel penetrate to the innermost lair of Devlon, the evil dungeon master. Magic is no impregnable defense, it’s high-tech weaponry, and in hand-to-hand combat the price of victory and defeat is the same: Michael Hanson, Thaumaturgical Fracas, conclusion. Ziekiel Walters’ contact on Lyzaria had promised a short imprisonment, but Ziekiel is long overdue to go on trial for assassinating a Lyzarian general. And yet, when the trial comes, Ziekiel faces it with a certain strange equanimity: Kris Barton, Agent of Chaos, part 1.
Short Story	Serial killer Bill Johnson will say that the Devil made him do it. And he’s right, but it’s not “the” Devil; it’s his own: Rick Combs, Me and Joe. Roberto Sanhueza’s “Guilty Baby” has grown up; he’s all of six years old now. He has empires to build and clever foes opposing him. It’s best to obey when he says Don’t Call Me Terry.
Flash Fiction	Byron Bailey writes a mysterious counterpoint to Michael Murry’s poems by depicting the post-ultimate in warfare: Parchment.
Poetry	Michael Murry concludes his Gaelic-style anti-war cycle on the theme morituri te salutamus : Bread and Circuses.

Departments

Challenge	Challenge 116 asks simple questions about endings: In Conclusion.
Letters	Eric S. Brown bids farewell to writing and reveals a deep meaning of ars gratia artis in his letter on Retirement.
The Reading Room	Jerry Wright reviews Philip Reeves’ Mortal Engines.
Editorial	Cheese, Continued

In Times to Come

New serials begin as others end, and Bewildering Stories’ longest will conclude in October. We’d like you to write and tell us your answer to a question: What is Gaia ? Science fiction? Fantasy? Fairy tale? Survivalist novel? Or maybe something else?

Meanwhile, our cycle of new contributors seems to have run its course for the moment. We’ll be seeing a lot of old friends in the coming issues.

Readers’ reactions are always welcome.
Please write!

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