What’s in Issue 120
| Novel | Palance and Ian go to meet Father Rayul in the Sun Cathedral, the temple of the Light Bearers, in the brooding capital city of Nomen. Politics is the order of the day, but Palance has something of great personal importance to discuss: Julian Lawler, Battle Seer; chapter 2: The Green Jewel. |
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| Novella | New contributor Alexandra Erin begins the story of a left-handed superhero who carries a sawed-off pistol into a Prohibition-era gin joint in search of fast action. When asked about his motives, though, his answer is oddly ambiguous: The Pendant Strikes! #1. |
| Serials |
A. D. Smith has Tink interview the strangely-costumed workers in the even stranger warehouse. Tink finds out what the IOD’s are, but it’s time for Halloween and for tricks, not treats: The IOD’s, conclusion. R D Larson reveals that Bethany has an exotic past and occult powers that just might overcome Cleveland Gibson’s family curse. Sometimes Halloween can turn into a heart-rending struggle with the ghosts of the nether world: The Whimsy, conclusion. Steven Francis Murphy introduces Greg McAllister, a security officer at Aldrin Lunar Base. Do not be fooled by McAllister’s outwardly gruff demeanor; there’s a lot about him to like and admire: Tranquility Lost, part 1. |
| Short Stories |
Jason Earls shows what might happen to mathematicians who’re better at equations than at engineering and astronautics. Prof. Hackbolt’s spaceship seems to know that Halloween is coming: The Hackbolt Fractal. Dustin LaValley tells another story of a female character sitting alone at night. This year, Halloween will be doubly cruel to her: Of Judith and the Night. Roberto Sanhueza has a lot of fun sending an old-classic private detective into Rick’s Café Américain, straight out of Casablanca. The case: not who’s who, but who is what and what is who: Bogey Man. |
| Flash Fiction |
Byron Bailey sings love’s old sweet song. When you give a girl some jewelry, just make sure in advance she won’t overinterpret the gesture; things can get complicated enough when you do that on Earth: Necklace. |
| Article | Kevin Ahearn assesses the relative value of a Director’s Cut. |
Departments
| Welcome | Bewildering Stories welcomes Alexandra Erin and Dustin LaValley. |
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| Challenge | Challenge 120 asks about ways of handling Exposition. |
| Letters |
Alexandra Erin writes about The Pendant. Cleveland W. Gibson writes about himself and “The Whimsy.” Julian Lawler writes about Battle Seer. |
| The Reading Room |
Jerry Wright reviews C. S. Friedman’s The Wilding. |
| Editorial | Jerry Wright, Stuff |
In Times to Come
Is it World Series time? You can bet your Sox what’s in the Cards for issue 121:
- Leading off: Alexandra Erin, Julian Lawler, and Steven Francis Murphy.
- Also in the starting line-up: euhal allen, Byron Bailey, Gillian Marshall, and Omar Vega.
- In the bullpen: Ásgrímur Hartmannsson, Sean Hower, P. J. Lawton, Shawn Madison, Norman A. Rubin, and Michael J A Tyzuk.
- New acquisitions: Landon Hughes, Michael E. Lloyd and Delo White and players to be named later.
Readers’ reactions are always welcome.
Please write!
Copyright © 2004 by Bewildering Stories
