The Readers’ Guide
What’s in Issue 1097
| News | This is the last regular issue of the second quarter — northern spring, southern autumn — of 2025. Next week, we will bring you the year’s Second Quarterly Review. We plan to resume regular publication on July 7. |
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| Serial | At the cat show, Reggie wins a special prize and gives Timmy a kind of award of his own. The observing spycraft officers conclude their own extravaganza with a round of mutual congratulations. Joseph M. Isenberg, Timmy Perkins and the Pussycat Extravaganza, part 3; conclusion |
| Short Stories |
Jonas is the minister of a country church. The congregants, as well as his wife and child, provide quite sufficient material for Sunday sermons.
Shauna Checkley, Road Trip Logical Laundry, the latest innovation in the convenience of modern urbanization, brings to town the sights and smells of the future. Alex Dermody, Common Scents Radford was too shy in high school to attempt to befriend the popular and controversial Camillia. In later years, at an alumni reunion, they find each other quite congenial and gladly share their life stories. Douglas Young, A New Pecking Order, part 1; part 2; conclusion |
| Flash Fiction |
Mothers-in-law have mixed reputations the world over; some are good, some bad. On the day of a marital break-up, Min’s mother-in-law won’t let Min retrieve all her possessions. Min’s friend, Lan, can recruit people who can ensure justice in resolving this stand-off. Huina Zheng, Min’s Outlaw Mother-in-Law |
| Poetry |
Oonah V Joslin, Hydro-Electric Dreams Sultana Raza, Melodious Labyrinth |
| Short Poetry |
Charles C. Cole, Syzygy |
Departments
| Challenge | Challenge 1097 finds that some stories invite window washing, others suggest Window Watching. |
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| The Reading Room |
Ellen Weisberg, From Both Sides excerpt |
| The Art Gallery |
Richard Ong, Wedding Bliss Channie Greenberg, Rejoicing A randomly rotating selection of Bewildering Stories’ art NASA: Picture of the Day Sky and Telescope, This Week’s Sky at a Glance |
Randomly selected Bewildering motto:
Randomly selected classic rejection notice:
Bewildering Stories’ official mottoes:
“Poems are not made with ideas; they are made with words.” — Stéphane Mallarmé
Ars longa, vita brevis. Rough translation: “Proofreading never ends.”
To Bewildering Stories’ schedule: In Times to Come
Readers’ reactions are always welcome.
Please write!
