Black Cat Weekly 34

Here is the 34th issue of Black Cat Weekly, packed with more than 500 pages of great reading, with contents ranging from mystery to adventure to science fiction and fantasy. The complete contents includes: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Skin,” by Stephen D. Rogers [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Booked for Murder,” by Hal Charles [solve-it-yourself mystery] “Grateful Touring,” by Sarah M. Chen [Barb Goffman Presents short story] The Case of Shem Packer, by Hulbert Footner [novel] “The Dragoman’s Secret,” by Otis Adelbert Kline [novelet] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Skin,” by Stephen D. Rogers [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “A Single Feather,” by Marsheila Rockwell and Jeffrey J. Mariotte [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] The Case by Case Casebook of Emily Silverwood, by Mel Gilden (Part 3 of 4) [Serial Novel] “Towers of Death,” by Henry Kuttner [novelet] The Hill of Dreams, by Arthur Machen [novel] Non-Fiction: Arthur Machen: Weaver of Fantasy, by William F. Gekle [author study]

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #15—enjoy our holiday cat cover! The magazine is coming more sharply into focus, as our acquiring editors spread out through the mystery and science fiction fields and bring new stories to our lineup. This issue, we officially welcome Cynthia M. Ward to the editorial staff. She comes bearing a gift—Nancy Kress’s excellent science fiction story, “The Art of War.” Darrell Schweitzer was supposed to be back with his second acquisition this week (a comical Esther Friesner tale) but there were problems with the text and I’ve made a last-minute executive decision to push it back an issue or two, while it’s being fixed. I’ll slip in a replacement from my own backlist, another entry in my “Slab’s Tavern” series of fantasy bar stories. Barb Goffman and Michael Bracken have acquired a pair of original tales for us. First, Barb presents “The Importance of Being Urnest,” by Eleanor Cawood Jones. Then Michael selects “Romeo and Isabella” by John M. Floyd. Great stories, both. Thanks, everyone! Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Westerns “The Writing Workshop,” by Janice Law [short story] “Romeo and Isabelle,” by John M. Floyd [short story] “Secret Santa,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself mystery] West of Quarantine, by Todhunter Ballard [novel] “The Importance of Being Urnest,” by Eleanor Cawood Jones [short story] “Dr. Kreener’s Last Experiment,” by Sax Rohmer [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy “Serendipity,” by Larry Tritten [short story] “The Art of War,” by Nancy Kress [short story] “Well Bottled at Slab’s,” by John Gregory Betancourt [short story] Forever We Die! by Stephen Marlowe [short novel]

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly. Our 107th issue has everything you could possibly want: police detectives, spacemen, cats, boy detectives, a man (literally) fighting cancer, an abandonned mill chimney, murder in space…. I could go on and on, but that would take all the fun out of it for you! Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Up In Smoke,” by Gregory Meece [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Point Taken” by Hal Charles [short story] “Method for Murder,” by Michael Mallory [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Blue Line,” by Hal Meredith [short story] The Mystery Hunters at the Haunted Lodge, by Capwell Wyckoff [novel] “Earth Transit,” by Charles L. Fontenay [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Carcinoma Angels,” by Norman Spinrad [short story] “No Heaven Will Not Ever Heaven Be…,” by A.R. Morlan [short story] “Earth Transit,” by Charles L. Fontenay [short story] “Deadline,” by Walter L. Kleine [short story] “Rockabye, Grady,” by David Mason [short story]

Black Cat Weekly #22 features a change of pace fantasy story from Michael Bracken, who is best known for his mysteries and crime stories—selected by Cynthia Ward. It’s our featured story this issue. But that’s not to say the other science fiction and fantasy stories aren’t great, too! “Alien,” by Lester del Rey, is a different take on the crash-landed alien who wants to eat everyone around him. And I’m sure you’ll get a chuckle from Larry Tritten’s gonzo sendup of generic fantasy and science fiction quest stories, “The Lord of the Land Beyond (Book One).” (Hint: don’t look for a sequel.) Classics from Unknown by Malcolm Jameson and from Weird Tales by Manley Wade Welllman round out the section. Mystery readers, too, have a lot to explore. Charlotte Morganti leads off with “Deadly Drama,” selected by Michael Bracken—it begins with an accordion festival—rejoice if you like polkas!—but I don’t want to say too much. Read it yourself! Barb Goffman brings us “All Prayers Are Answered,” a powerful story by Eric Rutter of a homeless man whose friend is murdered. He is drawn into the investigation out of fear a young woman investigating the crime will come to harm—or unearth a terrible secret from his past. If you like your detectives hardboiled, Frank Kane returns with another Johnny Liddell mystery. Traditional mystery fans will enjoy a Madame Story novel from Hulbert Footner. And western and historical readers will enjoy a great pulp novel by Max Brand. And of course, where would we be without our solve-it-yourself mystery? Pit your wits against Hal Charles (the writing tream of Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet) and see if you can solve “The Coin Flip” without reading the solution! Lastly, “The ‘Rexmel,” by Ralph Milne Farley, has an improbable invention, but it’s not really science fiction, even though it’s by a science fiction writer and appeared in a fantasy magazine. Maybe you could call it a pulp sea-story with shaggy dog elements? Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure “Deadly Drama at the Accordion-o-Rama,” by Charlotte Morganti [short story] “A Coin Flip,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “A Package for Mr. Big,” by Frank Kane [short novel] “All Prayers Are Answered,” by Eric Rutter [short story] The Death Notice by Hulbert Footner [novel] A Shower of Silver, by Max Brand [novel] “The ‘Rexmel’,” by Ralph Milne Farley [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy “The Fishmonger’s Wife,” by Michael Bracken [Cynthia Ward Presents, short story] “The Lord of the Land Beyond (Book One),” by Larry Tritten [short story] “Alien,” by Lester del Rey [short story] “Doubled and Redoubled,” by Malcolm Jameson [short story] “Old Dhoh,” by Manly Wade Wellman [short story]

Our 54th issue is another good one. On the mystery side, we have a great original tale by Jacqueline Freimor (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), plus strong stories by Stephen D. Rogers (selected by Barb Goffman) and James Holding, another solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles (the writing team of Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet), and an Edwardian mystery novel by Dick Donovan—whose popularity rivaled that of Arthur Conan Doyle in their day. On the science fiction side, Acquiring Editor Cynthia Ward has a stunning tale by Holly Wade Matter, plus we have classic shorts by James Blish, Robert Zacks, and Kendell Foster Crossen—plus a novel by Arthur K. Barnes. Good stuff! Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “A Death-drop to Die For,” by Jacqueline Freimor [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Most Guilty Person,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Sensing the Fall,” by Stephen D. Rogers [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Phase Four,” by James Holding [short story] A Gilded Serpent, by Dick Donovan [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Russian Winter,” by Holly [short story] "Inside Matter," by James Blish “From Outer Space,” by Robert Zacks [short story] “The Gnome’s Gneiss,” by Kendell Foster Crossen [short story] Interplanetary Hunter, by Arthur K. Barnes [novel]

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #23. Lots of good stuff this time—highlighted by a novel from Golden Age mystery author Rufus King, Duenna for a Murder. Plus a few novellas, and lots of great short stories, a solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles, and great selections from Michael Bracken (Laird Long’s “Taken for a Ride”—which qualifies as both a mysery and a fantasy story) and Barb Goffman (Michael Allan Mallory’s “Random Harvest”). On the science fiction side, the Cynthia Ward Presents story is missing this week, but that’s only because we have a fantastic alternate-history story from Cynthia herself! Check out her “On Stony Ground.” Plus an epic disaster story from Allan Danzig, a fantasy from Unknown by Lester del Rey and James H. Beard, a space-based tale by Richard Wilson, and a miniature military SF story from Larry Tritten. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Soul Searching,” by Laird Long [short story] “A Fine Kettle of Fish,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Dead Wrong,” by Frank Kane [short story] “Taken for a Ride,” by Hulbert Footner [short novel] “Random Harvest,” by Michael Allan Mallory [Barb Goffman Presents short story] Duenna to a Murder, by Rufus King [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “On Stony Ground,” by Cynthia Ward [short story] “Corrigan’s Homunculi,” by Larry Tritten [short story] “Carillon of Skulls,” by Lester del Rey and James H. Beard [short story] “Abel Baker Camel,” by Richard Wilson [short story] “The Great Nebraska Sea,” by Allan Danzig [short story]

Our 92nd issue features a pair of classic novels, the science fiction tale Destiny Times Three, by Fritz Leiber, and The Clue of the New Pin, a mystery by Edgar Wallace. Leiber is one of my favorite authors (he has an amazing body of work, notably the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser sword and sorcery series, but also much else of note in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror fields). And Edgar Wallace was an amazing British author who created scores of classic stories, novels, and movies (including the original King Kong). At one point, a quarter of all novels sold in England were by Wallace. If you’re a fan of the French answer to Sherlock Holmes, Maurice Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin, you’re in for a treat. Here is a rare 1912 Arsène Lupin short story, “The Man with the Goat Skin,” in a brand new translation. (I’m finally putting my 7 years of French studies to good use.) And, of course, our acquiring editors Barb Goffman and Michael Bracken have been hard at work. This issue, we have a story by O’Neil De Noux, thanks to Michael. Barb snagged reprint rights to John M. Floyd’s Derringer Award-winner, “On the Road with Mary Jo.” Plus we the final 3 stories from Sekenre: The Book of the Sorcerer, by Darrell Schweitzer; a dark fantasy tale by Adrian Cole; a solve-it-yourself mystery by Hal Charles; plus vintage science fiction from Lester del Rey and Wm. Gray Beyer. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “A Pretty Slick Guy,” by O’Neil De Noux [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Case of the Murdered Manager,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “On the Road with Mary Jo,” by John M. Floyd [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Man with the Goat Skin,” by Maurice Leblanc [short story, Arsène Lupin series] The Clue of the New Pin, by Edgar Wallace [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Demon Driver” by Adrian Cole [short story] “The Deadly Thinkers,” by Wm. Gray Beyer [short story] “And There Was Light,” by Lester del Rey [short story] Sekenre: The Book of the Sorcerer (part 4), by Darrell Schweitzer [4-part serial] Destiny Times Three, by Fritz Leiber [novel]

This is our final issue of 2023. We have original stories from Robert Jeschonek, John M. Floyd, Anne Swardson, and Phyllis Ann Karr, plus a recent tale by Anna Tambour. Classic reprints from Keith Laumer, Piers Anthony, Raymond F. Jones, and Hal Meredith. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler. Here’s the complete lineup— Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The Luckiest Man in the World” by Robert Jeschonek [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Garage Sale Mystery” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “A Christmas Movie” by John M. Floyd [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Spice of Death,” by Anne Swardson [short story] “The Ancient Monk,” by Hal Meredith [short story, Sexton Blake series] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Witch of La Jícara” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story] “The Tin and the Damask Rose,” by Anna Tambour [short story] “The Walls,” by Keith Laumer [short story] “Quinquepedalian,” by Piers Anthony [short story] “Stay Off The Moon!” by Raymond F. Jones [short story]