Issue: July 2005

More Giants of the Genre, by Michael McCarty

A collection of interviews.

The Zetar Hypothesis

David Bartell is a scuba divemaster with a degree in astrophysics; in this article, he explores how humans and diseases respond to unusual nitrogen and oxygen mixes and pressures. Although [...]

In the Rainy Season

The rain gathers out there, beyond the wide tiled balconies of this house where I lie abed. Isti sways as she sits on the low stool, muscles moving gently beneath [...]

They Stake Dead Guys, Don’t They?

Oh, to be a vampire. They have it all: money, looks, power, immortality. Considering that the only price seems to be one heck of a drinking problem, what’s not to [...]

Dark Duets: Musical Mayhem, by Michael McCarty & His Band

A short-story collection.

Beyond the Looking Glass: How to Write Meaningful Description

Description is easy. It’s fast. It runs up the word count nicely, and keeps those pages coming. But all too often, it doesn’t help the story at all.
We’ve all run [...]

King of Bavaria

At first, the man loitering on the edge of his crime scene got Detective Anthony Mason’s attention because he looked out of place—too well dressed, too affluent for this neighborhood. [...]

Ivory Tower

The white stone tower stood on the edge of open moorland at the head of a green valley full of birch and pine. A tiny stream cut its way out [...]

It’s Only Temporary, by Eric Shapiro

An intelligent novella about the end of the world.

Double Time

Jack Jensen could feel guilty for anything. It was a knack, as much an art as gambling or being unlucky in love, both of which he disdained as the habits [...]