What’s in Issue 128

Novels	Palance Demondread is haunted by memories of the Rune Man and Davina, and he and his men are harrassed by a malevolent thunderstorm as they ride to rescue Andina at the forbidden border of Ramendae: Julian Lawler, Battle Seer, conclusion of chapter 8: A Matter of Duty. ‘Giuseppe seems to have succumbed to Carla’s charm and Quo’s tasking. So Toni thinks he can relax for a while. Wrong!’ Michael E. Lloyd, Observation One: Singing of promises... Chapter 9: Rome, Italy, part 2
Serials	Cray solves Beth’s late-night problems with a cranky AI; meanwhile Sid moves very carefully to find out just what is going wrong: Bob Sorensen, And the Truth Shall Set You Free, part 2. What is time travelers’ prime directive? “Don’t Get Noticed,” to coin a phrase. A professor named Scott makes a trial run to witness India’s independence in 1947. But time travel is still untested and unreliable. Sure enough, he gets noticed. Does he ever get noticed! Saurbh Katyal, The Colors of Time, part 1.
Short Story	New contributor Robert Payette combines all seasons: out of comfort, a Resurrection: Advent Now.
Flash Fiction	Even the cruelest imperialists must ask: What price victory? Charles Richard Laing, Five Cities.
Poetry	A surrealistic adventure ends with a deconstructionist: Aryan Kaganof, Prophets in the ’Hood. Real and alternate histories may dictate different fates, which all meet at a certain point: Thomas R., The Ghosts of Christmas Otherwise.

Departments

Welcome	Bewildering Stories welcomes Robert Payette.
Challenge	Challenge 128 finds a meta-challenge in Eerie Coincidences.
Letters	Three readers compliment R D Larson’s “Phantom of the Sea.”
The Reading Room	Jerry Wright reviews Suzy McKee Charnas’ Stagestruck Vampires.
Editorial	Jerry Wright, What is a Plethora, El Guapo?

In Times to Come

In case you haven’t noticed yet, the Archive page has been “modernized,” and some minor — mostly cosmetic — adjustments have been made to the Submissions and Contact pages. Saurbh Katyal has updated his biographical sketch significantly.

The end of the calendar year is a time for retrospectives. Our December 27th issue, unnumbered, will be an anthology. It links to the editors’ favorites in issues 105-125 in novels, other prose fiction (serials and short stories), flash fiction, poetry, essays, articles, review articles and most of the Departments. Just a note: novels and serials must have concluded somewhere in issues 105-125; any currently running or pending will qualify for future anthologies. Issue 129 will appear on January 3, 2005. Happy New Year... and keep up the good work!

Readers’ reactions are always welcome.
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