Black Cat Weekly #57

Black Cat Weekly #57

Author: Mark Thielman

Publisher: Wildside Press LLC

Published: 2022-10-01

Total Pages: 688

ISBN-13: 1667660063

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Our 57th issue opens with an original tale by Mark Thielman, courtesy of acquiring editor Michael Bracken. It does triple-duty as a crime story, a science fiction story, and a dystopian story. All with a great punch. As for our other acquiring editors—Barb Goffman has selected a great tale by Dee Long, and (not to be outdone) Cynthia Ward has a real winner from Chris Willrich. We will have a contribution from Darrell Schweitzer next issue. As if that’s not enough (when is it ever for the Black Cat?), we have gone back to the pulp era for historical mystery novels by Harold Bindloss and Nicholas Carter, and uncovered some classic short science fiction by Damon Knight, Frederik Pohl, and Jerry Shelton. Rounding things out is a rare historical Lost Race fantasy by Crittenden Marriott set in the always-spooky Sargasso Sea. In coming weeks, expect to see more fun, with ghosts & goblins & things that go bump in the night — climaxing with a Halloween Spooktacular issue. Don’t miss it! Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Future Tense,” by Mark Thielman [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Mystery Map,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Fool’s Gold,” by Dee Long [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Man Who Measured the Wind,” by Harold Lamb [novella] The Intriguers, by Harold Bindloss [novel] Nick Carter Rescues a Daughter, by Nicholas Carter [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Future Tense,” by Mark Thielman [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “A Wizard of the Old School,” by Chris Willrich [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “Definition,” by Damon Knight [short story] “A Hitch In Time,” by Frederik Pohl [short story] “You Are Forbidden!” by Jerry Shelton [short story] The Isle of Dead Ships, by Crittenden Marriott [novel]


Black Cat Weekly #156

Black Cat Weekly #156

Author: Steve Liskow

Publisher: Black Cat Weekly

Published: 2024-08-25

Total Pages: 782

ISBN-13:

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Exciting stuff this time: a new Velda P.I. story from Ron Miller, a new supernatural mystery from Steve Liskow (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), plus great modern tales from Melodie Johnson Howe (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman) and Anna Tambour. On top of that, we have a mystery novel from Isabel Ostrander and a space opera novel from Edmond Hamilton. (Truly something for every taste.) And did I mention science fiction classics from Nelson S. Bond, Ray Cummings, and Evelyn Goldstein? And another solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles? Here’s the lineup— Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Kindred Spirits,” by Steve Liskow [Michael Bracken Presents short story ]“Who Killed Yogi Barrett?” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Losing It,” by Melodie Johnson Howe [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “E-I-E-I-Oh, Velda!” by Ron Miller [short story, Velda P.I. series] The Fifth Ace, by Isabel Ostrander [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Kindred Spirits,” by Steve Liskow [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “None So Seeing As Those Who’ve Seen,” by Anna Tambour [novelet] “The Recalcitrant,” by Evelyn Goldstein [short story] “He Who Served,” by Ray Cummings [short story] “The Ghost of Lancelot Biggs,” by Nelson S. Bond [short story, Lancelot Biggs series] The Universe Wreckers, by Edmond Hamilton [novel]


Black Cat Weekly #46

Black Cat Weekly #46

Author: S. Phillip Lenski

Publisher: Wildside Press LLC

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 795

ISBN-13: 1667639994

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Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #46. This is one of our longest issues to date, thanks to no less than 3 novels! Not only is there a Nick Carter mystery novel, but we also have a classic time-travel novel from Edmond Hamilton, plus We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin—one of the most important dystopian novels of all time, influential on generations of writers, including Ursula K. Le Guin and Kurt Vonnegut. Not to mention George Orwell! Of course, our acquiring editors have also selected great tales by S. Phillip Lenski (an original mystery), Stephanie Jaye Evans (a remarkable crime tale, as a mother plans to commit murder for her son), and a science fiction story by Hugo Award-winner David D. Levine. Great Stuff. Plus we have stories by James Holding, Larry Tritten, and Murray Leinster...and what issue would be complete without a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles? Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Four Dead Bodies in a Cornfield,” by S. Phillip Lenski [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Bottled Up,” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Jamie’s Mother,” Stephanie Jaye Evans [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Baby Bit,” by James Holding [short story] The Call of Death, by Nicholas Carter [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Wreck of the Mars Adventure,” David D. Levine [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “A Science Fiction Readers’ and Writers’ Guide to the Universe,” by Larry Tritten [short story] “Trouble,” by George O. Smith [short story] “Skit-Tree Planet,” by Murray Leinster [short story] The Time-Raider, by Edmond Hamilton [novel] We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin [novel]


Black Cat Weekly #76

Black Cat Weekly #76

Author: A.L. Sirois

Publisher: Wildside Press LLC

Published: 2023-02-12

Total Pages: 961

ISBN-13: 166768163X

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Our 76th issue is a mammoth one, with 4 novels and 6 short stories (including a new Sherlock Holmes adventure, courtesy of A.L. Sirois and Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken). Take a look at the contents below...I know you’ll be impressed by the quality and diversity of the material. Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The Adventure of the Accelerationist,” by A. L. Sirois [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “A Death in the Department,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “The Sodium Arrow,” by Camille Minichino [Barb Goffman Presents short story] The Red Signal, by Grace Livingston Hill [novel] Dead Weight, by Frank Kane [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Adventure of the Accelerationist,” by A. L. Sirois [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Garnet and the Glory,” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story, Frostflower & Thorn series] “The Foxholes of Mars,” by Fritz Leiber [short story] “Hsilgne Esrever (Reverse English),” by John S. Carroll [short story] The Stars Look Down, by Lester del Rey [short novel] The Eternal Savage, by Edgar Rice Burroughs [novel]


Black Cat Weekly #30

Black Cat Weekly #30

Author: Elizabeth Elwood

Publisher: Wildside Press LLC

Published: 1901

Total Pages: 507

ISBN-13: 1667600737

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Black Cat Weekly #30 is a fabulous issue. This time, Darrell Schweitzer has unearthed his 1980 interview with Tom Disch, which is fascinating. Disch talks about writing his classic fantasy novel, The Businessman, among other things. As Darrell always notes, these old interviews fall “somewhere between oral history and paleontology.” Lots of mysteries this time, too—including originals by Elizabeth Elwood (thanks to editor Michael Bracken) and Jack Halliday (a flash fiction portrait of a serial killer). Barb Goffman has selected “Take the Hit,” by Nikki Dolson. And we have a short story by James Holding and a classic novel by Hulbert Footner. And no issue is complete without a solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles (the writing team of Hal Sweet and Charlie Blythe). On the fantastic side of things, Cynthia Ward has selected a great science fiction tale by Matthew Hughes. I’ve seen his name for years, but never managed to read anything of his until now—but I’m definitely sold. I'm going to have to check out more of his work. Great stuff. Plus we have stories by Larry Tritten, Richard Wilson, and a vintage ghost story—or is it?—by one of my favorite authors, Anonymous! Here’s the complete lineup: Non-Fiction: “Speaking with Thomas M. Disch,” conducted by Darrell Schweitzer [interview] Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “One for the Road,” by James Holding “MeToo Too,” by Elizabeth Elwood [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Take the Hit,” by Nikki Dolson. [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “A Touch of Magic,” by Hal Charles [solve-it-yourself mystery] A Self-Made Thief, by Hulbert Footner [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “An Odd Ghost Story,” by Anonymous [short story] “To Tell the Phoenecians,” by Matthew Hughes [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “Turning Off,” by Larry Tritten [short story] “If a Man Answers,” by Richard Wilson [short story]


Black Cat Weekly #118

Black Cat Weekly #118

Author: Dave Zeltserman

Publisher: Black Cat Weekly

Published: 2023-12-03

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13:

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This issue, we have 17 short stories and 2 novel serials for you—one of our largest lineups ever! (Of course, quite a few of the stories are short, and hopefully you like awful-pun stories…) On the mystery front, we have original tales from Dave Zeltserman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Justin M. Kiska (a Christmas fantasy-mystery), plus another fantasy-mystery from C. C. Guthrie (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman). Our serial of Jack Guthrie’s Tiger Island concludes. And, of course, there’s a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. For the science fiction and fantasy lineup—we have the above-mentioned Kiska and Guthrie tales, plus the complete series of 8 Benedict Breadfruit stories by Randall Garrett (written under the pseudonym “Grandall Barretton”) plus 3 more pun-stories from the series Garrett was parodying, The Adventures of Ferdinand Feghoot Through Time and Space, by Reginald Bretnor (written under the pseudonym “Grendel Briarton”) and a Feghoot by Your Editor, John Betancourt (written under the pseudonym “Grendel Briarton, Jr.”). See my intro to this very punny section for more info. On top of all that, we have a delightful fantasy from Anna Tambour, a classic SF piece from Ben Bova, and part 3 of Francis Jarman’s historical fantasy novel, The Eagle’s Wing. Whew, that’s a lot! And just a reminder: if you’d like to contribute to Black Cat Weekly, please see our submission portal at blackcatweekly.com for guidelines. We are always looking for original mystery and science fiction/fantasy stories. Here’s this issue’s complete lineup (in order of appearance): Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The Ice Lady,” by Dave Zeltserman [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Coveted Coin Caper,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “The December Candle Caper Con,” by C. C. Guthrie [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “North Pole Noir,” by Justin M. Kiska [short story] Tiger Island, by Jack Ritchie [serial novel, part 3 of 3] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The December Candle Caper Con,” by C. C. Guthrie [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “North Pole Noir,” by Justin M. Kiska [short story] “The Godchildren,” by Anna Tambour [short story] “Through Time and Space With Benedict Breadfruit: I to VIII,” by Grandall Barretton [8 short stories] “Through Time and Space With Ferdinand Feghoot: VIII, XIX, and XXXVII,” by Grendel Briarton [3 short stories] “Through Time and Space With Ferdinand Feghoot: Alpha,” by Grendel Briarton, Jr. [short story] “Answer, Please Answer,” by Ben Bova [short story] The Eagle’s Wing, by Francis Jarman [serial novel, part 3 of 4]


Black Cat Weekly #151

Black Cat Weekly #151

Author: Veronica Leigh

Publisher: Wildside Press LLC

Published: 2024-07-21

Total Pages: 505

ISBN-13:

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This issue, we have five mystery stories, three of which are originals—tales by Tracy Falenwolfe (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), Veronica Leigh, and Teel James Glenn—these last two names should be familiar to regular readers from previous issues. We also have a great modern tale by Jonathan Santlofer (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman) and a classic pulp crime story set in the dark world of Las Vegas casinos by Bryce Walton. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. On the science fiction end, the Lancelot Biggs space opera series from Nelson Bond continues with “F-O-B Venus.” F-O-B was a more common term in early to mid 20th century. It stands for “Free on Board”—a term used in international shipping to indicate that the seller delivers the goods to a ship at a specified port, and the buyer assumes responsibility once the goods are on board and is responsible for shipping costs, insurance, and other expenses related to transporting the goods to their final destination. Rounding things out are a pair of novels: pulp action-adventure from Edmond Hamilton, then Lester del Rey’s classic tale of an atomic power plant heading toward meltdown. Great stuff. Here’s the complete lineup for #151— Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Jamming at Jollies,” by Tracy Falenwolfe [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Case of the Carried-off Coins,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Lola,” by Jonathan Santlofer [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Divine Discontent,” by Veronica Leigh [short story] “White Face, Blood Red,” by Teel James Glenn [short story] “Murderers Three,” by Bryce Walton [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “F-O-B Venus,” by Nelson S. Bond [short story, Lancelot Biggs series] Outside the Universe, by Edmond Hamilton [novel] Nerves, by Lester del Rey [novel]


Black Cat Weekly #112

Black Cat Weekly #112

Author: Kaye George

Publisher: Black Cat Weekly

Published: 2023-10-22

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13:

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This issue features a pair of original tales: a mystery from Kaye George (thanks to acquiring editor Michael Bracken) and a fantasy from Adrian Cole (written especially for this Halloween issue). On the mystery front, we have a pair of great modern tales by William Dylan Powell (thanks to acquiring editor Barb Goffman) and James Holding, plus a classic novel by British master A.E.W. Mason, who is best known for his tale of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers. Notably, Mason created Inspector Hanaud, a French detective who was an early template for Agatha Christie's famous Hercule Poirot. We even have a special Halloween solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles! On the fantastic side of things, we have a seasonally-appropriate SF tale by Norman Spinrad, plus Golden Age reprints from Algis Budrys, Cordwainer Smith, and David Mason. Mason is one of my favorite sword & sorcery authors for his novels Kavin’s World and The Return of Kavin. Had Mason not died tragically young in a boating accident, I have no doubt he would have become a major novelist in the field. After reading all of his books one after the other, I suspect he was creating a vast common universe for his fantasy and science fiction stories. Check them out if you get a chance. They are in print from Wildside Press. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The Voices I Will Never Hear Again,” by Kaye George [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Signs of Halloween,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “The Darkness and the Light,” by William Dylan Powell [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Only One of Its Kind,” by James Holding [short story] No Other Tiger, by A.E.W. Mason [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Falling Leaves” by Adrian Cole [short story] “The Fat Vampire”by Norman Spinrad [short story] “Mark Elf,” by Cordwainer Smith [short story] “The Long Question,” by David Mason [short story] “The Burning World,” by Algis Budrys [novelet]


Black Cat Weekly #122

Black Cat Weekly #122

Author: Mark Troy

Publisher: Black Cat Weekly

Published: 2023-12-29

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13:

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This is the last issue of the year—which explains why we have a New Year’s story from Elizabeth Elwood (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman). We also have original mysteries from Mark Troy (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Nikki Knight (a new Grace the Hit Mom story), plus a complete short story collection by Edgar Wallace, plus a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. Five classics this time on the science fiction & fantasy front, from some of the great short story writers of the field: Robert F. Young, Jack Sharkey, Harry Harrison, Thomas M. Disch, and August Derleth (one of Derleth’s rare excursions into science fiction, in fact…in this case, a robot story.) Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Your Table’s Waiting,” by Mark Troy [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Hot Car,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “All Decked Out for New Year’s Eve,” by Elizabeth Elwood [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “No Angels Here,” by Nikki Knight [short story, Grace the Hit Mom series] Mrs. William Jones—and Bill, by Edgar Wallace [short story collection] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Lord of Rays” by Robert F. Young [short story] “The Smart Ones,” by Jack Sharkey [short story] “Down To Earth,” by Harry Harrison [short story] “Utopia? Never!” by Thomas M. Disch [short story] “The Maugham Obsession,” by August Derleth [short story]


Black Cat Weekly #96

Black Cat Weekly #96

Author: Smita Harish Jain

Publisher: Black Cat Publishing

Published: 2023-07-02

Total Pages: 662

ISBN-13:

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Our 96th issue introduces some new contributors to the magazine—Smita Harish Jain (with an original mystery, thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Naomi Hirahara (with a riveting reprint mystery, courtesy of Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman). Also on the mystery front, we have a pair of British classics: a Sexton Blake detective story by Hal Meredith and a novel by William Le Queux. When it comes to fantasy and science fiction, we’ve achieved an appealing balance. Adrian Cole and Henry S. Whitehead deliver two distinctly different nautically-themed stories. Also featured is Robert E. Howard’s eerie tale, “The Dream Snake.” (The Whitehead and Howard pieces originated from Weird Tales, and Cole’s work could easily have found a home within its pages.) Complementing the mix are science fiction stories by Arthur Leo Zagat and Russ Winterbotham, both prolific during the Golden Age. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “An Honorable Choice,” by Smita Harish Jain [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Case of the Taken Trophy,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Off the 405,” by Naomi Hirahara [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Empty Tin,” by Hal Meredith [short story, Sexton Blake series] The Gamblers, by William Le Queux [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Running with the Tide,” by Adrian Cole [short story] “Sea Change,” by Henry S. Whitehead [short story] “The Dream Snake,” by Robert E. Howard [short story] “No Escape from Destiny” by Arthur Leo Zagat [novella] The Red Planet, by Russ Winterbotham [novel]