Black Cat Weekly 37

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #37. Another hefty issue is in hand, featuring novels and novellas by some of the greats of the mystery and science fiction fields. And, as expected, our acquiring editors have found some true gems. Michael Bracken has selected an original suspense tale from from N. M. Cedeño, Barb Goffman has a mystery from the always-superb Janice Law, and Cynthia Ward has Naomi Kritzer’s “Evil Opposite”—a great alternate-universe tale (and our featured story this issue). Of course, there’s lots more—including a tale of the Mounties by Hulbert Footner, a historical adventure from Otis Adelbert Kline, a detective novel featuring Nick Carter, and science fiction and fantasy from George R. Smith (his classic novel The Fourth “R”), Malcolm Jameson, and A.R. Morlan. Plus a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles! Here’s the lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Serenity, Courage, Wisdom,” by N. M. Cedeño [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “A Ring of Truth,” by Hal Charles [solve-it-yourself mystery] “Good Girl,” by Janice Law [Barb Goffman Presents short story] The Case of Adam Tasker, by Hulbert Footner [novel] An Unsolved Mystery, by Nicholas Carter [novel] “The Dragoman’s Confession,” by Otis Adelbert Kline [novella] “Murder in the Time World,” by Malcolm Jameson [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Evil Opposite,” by Naomi Kritzer [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “A Little Pinch Is All You Need,” by A.R. Morlan [short story] “Murder in the Time World,” by Malcolm Jameson [short story] The Fourth “R”, by George O. Smith [novel]

This issue we are headlining the appearance of Norman Spinrad’s masterful short novel, Riding the Torch—one of my favorites of his, and a work that surely deserved more attention than it’s received. (But in a career that has produced such classics as Bug Jack Baron, The Iron Dream, and The Void Captain’s Tale, perhaps it’s understandable that one of Spinrad’s short novels hasn’t received the attention it deserved.) We also have a trio of original mysteries, four Golden Age science fiction tales, and a solve-it-yourself puzzler…more than enough to thrill even the most jaded reader! So, read on—you’re in for a treat. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The Stolen Half-life of Alicia Desilva,” by Avram Lavinsky [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Case of the Snitched Snacks,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “An Arm and a Leg,” by M. E. Proctor [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Devils You Know,” by Skye Alexander [short story] “Somebody Cares,” by Talmage Powell [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy: Riding the Torch, by Norman Spinrad [short novel] “The Overlord’s Thumb,” by Robert Silverberg [short story] “Love and Moondogs,” by Richard McKenna [short story] “The Way Out,” by Richard R. Smith [short story] The High Ones, by Poul Anderson [short novel]

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]

Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “An Adventure Aloft,” by A.L. Sirois [Michael Bracken Presents short story, Sherlock Holmes series] “The Case of the Murdered Manager,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Hidden,” by Victoria Selman [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “My Lord The Baby,” by Hal Meredith [short story, Sexton Blake series] “The Gallery Gods,” by Murray Leinster [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Sympathy For Vampires,” by John Gregory Betancourt [short story] “Sir Farley’s Story,” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story] “Journals of the Plague Years,” by Norman Spinrad [short story] “The Enemy,” by Richard Wilson [short story] “Beyond Our Control,” by Randall Garrett [novelet]

Three of our contributing editors brought in amazing tales. Barb Goffman presents Jason’s Half’s “The Last Ferry,” Cynthia Ward brings us “Quinn’s Deal,” by L. Timmel Duchamp, and Michael Bracken offers “A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy,” by N.M. Cedeño. Two are mysteries and two are science fiction. I leave it to you to figure out which is which. (No cheating and checking the list of stories below…unless you absolutely can’t help yourself!) We have three fantasies this time, too—Larry Tritten returns with a story featuring a djinn and a man with a hankering for travel. Everil Worrell has a date with Death. And in Curios, a short story collection by Richard Marsh, we find 7 short stories featuring a pair of rival curio collectors—with some most unusual items! And, of course, there are some classic tales—A Sharper’s Downfall is a mystery novel featuring Nick Carter, Stephen Wasylyk has a vintage mystery short, and we have rip-roaring science fiction tales from Paul W. Fairman and Malcolm Jameson. And of course we couldn’t forget a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. (Yes, it’s a Halloween solve-it-yourself. I should have included it in one of the October issues, but messed up. Doh! You’ll just have to live with it.) Here is the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense: “The Halloween Costume Caper,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Ten Dollar$ a Week,” by Stephen Wasylyk [short story] "A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy," by N.M. Cedeñov [short story] "The Last Ferry," by Jason Half [Barb Goffman Presents short story] A Sharper’s Downfall, by Nicholas Carter [novel] Curios, by Richard Marsh [fantasy and mystery collection] Science Fiction & Fantasy: Curios, by Richard Marsh [fantasy and mystery collection] “Leonora,” by Everil Worrell [fantasy short story] “Travels With Harry,” by Larry Tritten [fantasy short story] "A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy," by N.M. Cedeñov [science fiction short story] “Quinn’s Deal,” by L. Timmel Duchamp [Cynthia Ward Presents science fiction novelet] “Traitor’s Choice,” by Paul W. Fairman [science fiction short story] “Blockade Runner,” by Malcolm Jameson [science fiction 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 59th issue puts us firmly into one of the happiest seasons of the year, Halloween! So fun and frights abound, with extra spooky content—starting with “Ghost Writers in the Sky,” an original tale by Steve Liskow, courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken. (It does double-duty as mystery and fantasy, as does Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman’s pick, “Deal Breaker,” by Justin Gustainis.) Alas, we have no selection from Cynthia Ward this time, but hopefully she will be back in short order. I picked up one of my favorite dark fantasies by another Acquiring Editor to fill the hole: “Peeling It Off,” by Darrell Schweitzer. Plus an uncanny tale by A.R. Morlan that would have been at home in Weird Tales, then a Victorian-era occult novel by Marie Corelli round things out. For fans of traditional mysteries, we have a pair of great private detective novels: About Face, by Frank Kane, and a vintage Nick Carter novel from 1903. On the science fiction side, we have contributions by Murray Leinster and a novel by George O. Smith. Overall, this is one of our most eclectic issues, but there is bound to be more than a few tales to suit everyone’s taste. Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Ghost Writers in the Sky,” by Steve Liskow [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Point, Set, Match,” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Deal Breaker,” by Justin Gustainis [Barb Goffman Presents short story] Toying with Fate, by Nicholas Carter About Face, by Frank Kane [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Ghost Writers in the Sky,” by Steve Liskow [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Deal Breaker,” by Justin Gustainis [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Peeling It Off,” by Darrell Schweitzer [novelet] “The Cat Tracker Lady of Asad Alley,” by A.R. Morlan [short story] “The Nameless Something,” by Murray Leinster [novelet] The Hellflower, by George O. Smith [novel] The Sorrows of Satan, by Marie Corelli [novel]

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #58. This issue kicks off our Halloween celebrations with a holiday-inspired tale. An incomplete draft of “Had a Wife...” was found in Janet Fox’s papers following her death, and I completed it. I hope you enjoy it. Keeping up the fantasy theme, we have a powerful tale by Craig Laurance Gidney inspired by the music of Joni Mitchell (selected by our acquiring editor Cynthia Ward). Our other acquiring editors have been busy, too—Michael Bracken presents an original mystery by the talented Kaye George (in which an ancient cave painting holds a clue to a murder), and Barb Goffman presents a tale by Sherry Harris, in which Stew Davis finds himself walking a dusty road in Who Knows Where, Wyoming after his car is stolen.. On the mystery front, we have our ever-puzzle solve-it-yourself story from Hal Charles, plus a pair of historical novels—one by Frank C. Robertson (it’s a mystery-western) and one by John T. McIntyre (set near the turn of the 20th century in New York City).. For our fantasy and science fiction readers, we have the first Darby O’Gill story (most famously filmed by Walt Disney), plus a pair of vintage pulp novellas by Fletcher Pratt and Murray Leinster. Fun stuff!. Here’s the complete lineup:. Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Discovery,” by Kaye George [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “Nothing to Sneeze At,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Last Chance Lost,” by Sherry Harris [Barb Goffman Presents short story] The Boss of the Double E, by Frank C. Robertson [novel] In the Dead of Night, by John T. McIntyre [novel]. Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Maeve’s Quilt” by Craig Laurance Gidney [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “Had a Wife…” by Janet Fox and John Gregory Betancourt [short story] “Darby O’Gill and the Good People,” by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh [short story] “Potemkin Village,” by Fletcher Pratt [short novel] “The Boomerang Circuit,” by Murray Leinster [short novel]