Haven’t posted in awhile. Busy with holiday hurdles and production on The Digest Enthusiast No. 15 and Pulp Modern No. 8. Both will be out in January. For those waiting, thanks for your patience.
In the meantime, Happy Holidays to all you digest and fiction enthusiasts out there. Below is the contents list for Gary Lovisi’s latest digest.
Paperback Parade [#113 October 2021](Gryphon Books, $15.00, 100pp, digest) 1 • Contents 2 • Paperback Talk • Gary Lovisi • cl 20 • Things That Go Bump in the Night • Michael S. Smith • ar 42 • She Was No Lady by Al Bocca • Morgan Wallace • br 46 • First Nighter Books Checklist • Chris Eckhoff • illustrated list 71 • A New Kind of Porn?! • Kenneth R. Johnson • ar 76 • Science Fiction in the Early Perma Books • Jon D. Swartz • ar 88 • Future Noir: Eric Brown’s Bengal Station Trilogy • Gary Lovisi • ar 96 • Matchless Paperbacks: Dianétiques • Richard Greene • cl
Contents formatted in the style of Phil Stephensen-Payne’s Galatic Central reference website. FictionMags Index Family Item Types & Other Abbreviations key.
Fantasy & Science Fiction [v141 #5 & 6, whole #758, November/December 2021] ed. Sheree Renée Thomas, assistant eds. Robin O’Connor, Lisa Rogers (Spilogale, Inc., $9.99, 258pp, digest) Cover by Maurizio Manzieri) 2 • Content Pages 5 • Letter from the Editor: Gathering Light • Sheree Renée Thomas • ed 6 • Broad Dutty Water: A Sunken Story • Nalo Hopkinson • nv 32 • A Dime • Megan Lindholm • ss 40 • What Makes You Forget • Victor Pseftakis • ss 59 • A Vast Silence • T.R. Napper • nv 84 • Books to Look For • Charles De Lint • rc _84 • We Are Satellites, Sarah Pinsker, Berkley, $16, tpb • br _86 • Paper & Blood, Keven Heame, Del Rey, $27, hc • br _87 • The Tangleroot Palace, Marjorie Liu, Tachyon, $16.95, tpb • br _88 • Black Hat, White Witch, Hailey Edwards, Black Dog Books, $8.99, tpb • br _89 • Practical Boots, C.E. Murphy, MizKit Productions, $3.99, ebook • br _90 • Scorched Heart, Helen Harper, Helen Harper, $13.99, tpb • br _90 • The Noose of a New Moon, Helen Harper, Helen Harper, $12.99, tpb • br 92 * Books • James Sallis • rc _92 • Octavia E. Butler: Kindred, Fledgling, Collected Stories, ed. Gerry Canavan & Nisi Shawl, The Library of America, $35.00 • br 99 • The Reckoning • Alexander Glass • ss 109 • Castellia • Graham Edwards • nv 131 • Laki • Eleanor Arnason • nv 159 • How to Hear the Stars • Mary Soon Lee • pm 160 • How to Count Astronomically • Mary Soon Lee • pm 161 • Ways of the Multiverse • Vincent Miskell • pm 163 • Mad Milk • Natalia Theodoridou • na 214 • Coming Attractions • cl 215 • Films: Worth the Wait? • David J. Skal • rc 220 • Science: Telescopes in Fact and Fiction • Jerry Oltion • cl 226 • F&SF Competition #102: Jeopardy! • cn 227 • F&SF Compeition #103: Subgenre • cn 228 • Lajos and His Bees • K.A. Teryna (translated from the Russian by Alex Shvartsman) • ss 237 • The Black Dog Gone Gray • Hayley Stone • ss 245 • A Demon’s Christmas Carol • Jennie Goloboy • ss 255 • Index to Volumes 140 & 141, January–December 2021 • ix 257 • F&SF Market Place • classifieds 258 • Curiosities: Shadows Move Among Them by Edgar Mittelhölzer (1951) • Paul Di Filippo • cl
Note: Still having trouble finding this digest at the Vancouver B&N, so I turned to secondary markets to find a copy. Hopefully, by Jan/Feb the printer’s delivery issues will be sorted.
Contents formatted for inclusion in Phil Stephensen-Payne’s Galatic Central reference website. FictionMags Index Family Item Types & Other Abbreviations key.
Analog Science Fiction & Fact [v91 #11 & 12, November/December 2021] ed. Trevor Quachi, mng ed. Emily Hockaday (Dell Magazines, $7.99, 208pp, digest, cover by Shutterstock) 2 • Contents pages 4 • Guest Editorial: Population and Genius • Howard V. Hendrix • ed 8 • The Malady • Shane Tourtellotte • nv 30 • Science Fact: Will Nuclear Power Save Us from Global Warming? • Christina De La Rocha • cl 37 • Mare Cognitum • Josh Pearce • pm 38 • A Sports Story • Brenda Kalt • ss; illustration by Eli Bischof 47 • From the Maintenance Reports of Perseverance Colony, Year 12 • Jo Miles • ss 52 • An Hour of Ames • Dan Reade • ss 59 • Biolog: Dan Reade • Richard A. Lovett • bi 60 • Never to Happen Again • Bill Pronzini & Barry N. Malzberg • ss 64 • Flash Fiction: Ars Brevis Est • Anatoly Belilovsky • ff 66 • No Stranger to Native Shores • Matt McHugh • nv; illustration by Christine Kornacki 81 • What We Forget • Bruce McAllister • pm 82 • The Transparent World • Robert Reed • ss 85 • Flash Fiction: The Library at Ecbatana • Timons Esaias • ff 86 • Flash Fiction: Constellating the Darkness • Howard V. Hendrix • ff 88 • The Alternate View: Kardashev Civilizations, Dyson Spheres, and Black Holes • John G. Cramer • cl 92 • The Kindness of Jaguars • Monica Joyce Evans • ss 102 • The Water Beneath Our Feet • Alice Towey • ss 109 • Wander On • William Paul Jones • ss 118 • Caoimhe’s Water Music • Mjke Wood • ss 124 • Moon Unit • Bill Frank • ss 131 • In Times to Come • Anon • ms 132 • Kepler’s Laws conclusion • Jay Werkheiser • sl; illustration by Kurt Huggins 206 • Brass Tacks • [The Readers] • lc _206 • [letter] • GySgt (Ret.) Peter J Peirano, USMC • lt _206 • [letter] • Howard Mark • lt _206 • [letter] • Cy Chauvin • lt _206 • [letter] • Richard A. Lovett, J.D., Ph.D. • lt _207 • [letter] • Robert Wilson • lt _207 • [letter] • Jack Ryan • lt _207 • [letter] • Dan Villani • lt 208 • Upcoming Events • Anthony Lewis • cl
Contents formatted for inclusion in Phil Stephensen-Payne’s Galatic Central reference website. FictionMags Index Family Item Types & Other Abbreviations key.
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine [v158 #5/6, #962/963 November/December 2021] ed. Janet Hutchings, mng. ed. Jackie Sherbow (Dell Magazines, $7.99, 192pp, digest, cover from 123RF) 2 • The Vengeance of Sekhmet [Amelia Peabody] • Elizabeth Peters [Barbara Mertz] • ss; illustration by Shutterstock 13 • Death and the Coyote [Willie Cuesta] • John Lantigua • ss 26 • The Jury Box • Steve Steinbock • rc _26 • The Last Mona Lisa, Jonathan Santlofer, Sourcebooks Landmark, $26.99 • br _26 • Lady Joker Vol. 1, Kaoru Takamura (translated by Maria Iida and Allison Markin Powell), Soho Crime, $28.95 • br _47 • Dead of Winter, Stephen Mack Jones, Soho Crime, $27.95 • br _47 • Midnight, Water City, Chris McKinney, Soho Crime, $27.95 • br _92 • Panic Attack, Dennis Palumbo, Poisoned Pen Press, $15.99 • br _92 • The French Paradox, Ellen Corsby, Severn House, $28.99 • br _97 • The Other Me, Sarah Zachrich Jeng, Berkley Publishing Group, $26.00 • br _97 • Gated Prey, Lee Goldberg, Thomas & Mercer, $24.95, tpb • br _97 • Choose Me, Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver, Thomas & Mercer, $15.95, tpb • br _144 • OJ’s Knife, John Gibson, Stark House Press, $15.95 • br 27 • The Longest Pleasure • Anna Scotti • ss 41 • We’re in This Together, Aren’t We? • Victor Kreuiter • ss 48 • Stranger Than Fiction: Fact Meets Fiction in Poe’s :The Black Cat” • Dean Jobb • tc 49 • Wing Man • Pat Black • ss 67 • The Reawakening • Hal Charles [Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet] • ss 75 • Another Temptation • Eleanor Gonnella • ss; EQMM’s “Department of First Stories” 78 • Hit and Run • Doug Allyn • ss; EQMM’s “Black Mask” 84 • Blog Bytes • Kristopher Zgorski • cl 85 • The Best of Times [Sam Kelson] • Michael Wiley • ss 93 • What Can You Do? • Pam Barnsley • ss 99 • Jianjun Ling and the Sad Case of Sonny La Grassa • William Boyle • ss 105 • Ask Hagan • Scott William Carter • ss 121 • The Patsy • Sunil Mann; translated by Mary Tannert • ss; EQMM’s “Passport to Crime” translated from the German 131 • 1952 • Bruce McAllister • ss 136 • 30 Ackerian Place • Barbara B. Green • ss; EQMM’s “Department of First Stories” 140 • Index to Volumes 157 & 158—2021 • ix 141 • The Broken T • Ellery Queen [Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee] • ss 145 • The Disappearing Man • Sharon Hunt • ss 158 • The Smiler • Dennis McFadden • ss 166 • The Debtor • C.H. Hung • ss 178 • Number 10 Marlborough Place • Elizabeth Elwood • ss 192 • 2021 EQMM Readers Award Ballot • cn
Contents formatted for inclusion in Phil Stephensen-Payne’s Galatic Central reference website. FictionMags Index Family Item Types & Other Abbreviations key.
Black Cat Mystery Magazine [v3 #2, whole #10, November 2021] ex. ed. John Gregory Betancourt, ed. Michael Bracken (Wildside Press, Paperback $12.00, Kindle $3.99, 123pp, tp) 1 • Contents Page 2 • From the Cat’s Perch • Michael Bracken • ed 3 • The Last Gasp • H.K. Slade • ss 12 • Spook • Emilio DeGranzia • ss 21 • Out of a Fog • Barb Goffman • ss 24 • El Pescador Zurdo • Tom Larsen • ss 34 • A Blue Umbrella Sky • R.S. Morgan • ss 43 • Death Will Give You a Reason • Elizabeth Zelvin • ss 58 • The Mannequin Graveyard • Gregory L. Norris • ss 65 • Saving the Indiana Dae • Vicki Weisfeld • ss 77 • The Control Tower • Janice Law • ss 87 • Slow Down • Steve Liskow • ss 97 • Burnin Butt, Texas • Mark Troy • ss 110 • Affair of Lamson’s Cook • Charles Felton Pidgin & J.M. Taylor • ss; The Chronicles of Quincy Adams Sawyer, Detective, 1912
Contents formatted for inclusion in Phil Stephensen-Payne’s Galatic Central reference website. FictionMags Index Family Item Types & Other Abbreviations key.
Mystery Magazine [October 2021] ed. Kerry Carter (AM Marketing Strategies, Print $7.99, Kindle $3.99, 87pp, digest, cover by Robin Grenville Evans) 3 • Back Down to Black • Andrew Welsh-Huggins • ss 16 • Trouble is His Biz • John H. Dromey • ss 20 • Gator Bait • DG Critchley • ss 37 • Murder By the Sea • Jennifer Steil • ss 43 • Don’t Want to Know • Steve Beresford • ss 54 • The Elevating Power of Art • Live Strom • ss 61 • Happy to Help • Carl Robinette • ss 77 • Under Water • Josh Pachter • ss 83 • A Cozy Arrangement • John H. Dromey • vi; a “You-Solve-It Mystery”
Contents formatted for inclusion in Phil Stephensen-Payne’s Galatic Central reference website. FictionMags Index Family Item Types & Other Abbreviations key.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine [v66 #11/12 November/December 2021] ed. Linda Landrigan, mng. ed. Jackie Sherbow (Dell Magazines, $7.99, 192pp, digest, cover by Douglas Bell) 2 • Contents Page 3 • The Long Game & The Lineup • Linda Landrigan • ed 4 • The Influencer • Ellen Tremiti • ss; illustration by Shutterstock 28 • Chicago Lightning • Loren D. Estleman • ss 41 • Mysterious Photograph: Thataway! • Anon • cn; $25 given to best short-short to explain the photograph 42 • The Mission • Christopher E. Long • ss 53 • Scrambled Mason II • Mark Lagasse • pz 54 • An Excellent Team • Edith Maxwell • ss; illustration by Shutterstock 67 • Loogy • Jim Fusilli • ss 76 • The Curse of Edwin Grange • James G. Tipton • ss 86 • Dry Bones • Mark Thielman • ss 94 • The Trouble with Rebecca • Larry Light • ss; illustration by Shutterstock 106 • Booked & Printed • Laurel Flores Fantauzzo • rc _106 • The School for Good Mothers, Jessamine Chan, Simon & Schuster • br 109 • Green Eyes • R.T. Lawton • ss 116 • Oro De Tontos (Fool’s Gold) • Tom Larsen • ss 137 • Killers: A Story of Love in Four Acts • Brendan DeBois • ss 146 • By His Own Hand • John H. Dirckx • ss; illustration by Shutterstock 150 • Digging Through Fog • Sharon Hunt • ss 160 • Dying Words Acrostic Puzzle • Arlene Fisher • pz 162 • Christmas Spirit • W.H. Cameron • ss 180 • Juliet and Her Romeo • Sydney Redcar • ss 187 • The Story That Won: Death Knell • Maureen Gaydos • vi; winner of the July/August 2021 “Mysterious Photograph” contest. 188 • Index: Volume 66 • ix 190 • Credits/Coming in January/February 2022 191 • Directory of Services
Contents formatted for inclusion in Phil Stephensen-Payne’s Galatic Central reference website. FictionMags Index Family Item Types & Other Abbreviations key.
I read on social media that Dell was sending their magazines inside a plastic sleeve to protect the magazine and keep the ugly mailing label off the cover, so I subscribed to AHMM to give it a try. Yes, it came as expected along with flyers for Penny Dell’s Puzzle books and their 4 fiction digests. Overall, I’m quite pleased. The magazine did not arrive in pristine condition. The trip through the mail left the book with a few bumps and bruises, but I’ve seen similar wear and creases on newsstand copies, so I think subscribing in 2021 offers a good alternative to newsstands. Off the rack, Dell digests cost $7.99 each. Via a 6-issue subscription they’re only $6.00 each.
Weirdbook Annual: Zombies [October 2021] ed. Doug Draa (Wildside Press, Kindle $3.99, Hardcover $29.99, Paperback $15.00, 295p, 6” x 9”) Cover by Fotolia, three interior illustrations by Allen Koszowski, plus others 1 • Contents 3 • From the Editor’s Tower • Doug Draa • ed 4 • The Meddler • Matthew John • ss 15 • Necrophalic Sin • Ashley Dioses • pm 16 • Tiger Girls Vs. The Zombies • Lucy A. Snyder • ss 26 • When They Come Back • Avra Margariti • pm 27 • Dead Between the Eyes [Nick Nightmare] • Adrian Cole • ss 43 • The Crimson Star • Josh Maybrook • pm 44 • Alive Again • Franklyn Searight • ss 54 • Love in a Time of Zombies • Darrell Schweitzer • pm 55 • The Last Final Girl • Lori R. Lopez • pm 58 • The Night Hans Kroeger Came Back [Bajazid] • Kenneth Bykerk • ss 63 • The Marching Dead • Andrew Darlington • ss 72 • I Wished for Zombies • D.C. Lozar • ss 77 • I Put a Spell On You • Allan Rozinski • pm 78 • O Mary Don’t You Mourn • Mike Chinn • ss 88 • Evil Harvest • K.A. Opperman • pm 89 • To Die, to Sleep, No More • Erica Ruppert • ss 96 • Run, Monster, Run • Teasha Seitz • ss 103 • Another Night in Bayou Savvage • Chad Hensley • ss 106 • Kifaro • Dilman Dila • ss 118 • But I Love Him • Scott Wheelock • ss 120 • Who Wants to Live Forever? • Angela Yuriko Smith • ss 123 • The Dead are Always Hungry • Christopher Alex Ray • ss 133 • Zen Zombies • Ryan Aussie Smith • vi 134 • Cassius Max • KT Morley • ss 146 • A Nanotech Samsara • J.N. Cameron • ss
150 • The Zombie Master’s Store • Gregg Chamberlain • pm 154 • Pine in the Soul • John Linwood Grant • ss 167 • “Welcome Home” • Craig E. Sawyer • ss 171 • Papa Hanco • Ed Reyes • ss 175 • They Shall Eat Dust • Josh Reynolds • ss 185 • In Shadow Valley • Nick Swain • ss 199 • Devil’s Bargain • J.F. Le Roux • ss 204 • Right for You Now • Andrew Jennings • ss 216 • E’Zunguth, the Zombie God • Maxwell I. Gold • vi 217 • Lazy River • Kelly Piner • ss 223 • The New Human • Shayne K. Keen • ss 228 • This Little Piggy • EV Knight • ss 237 • Ofactory Spectra of the Dead • Robert Borski • pm 239 • Life Unworthy of Life • Stephanie Ellis • ss 249 • More Blood • Carson Ray • ss 259 • Something Wakes • David C. Kopaska-Merkel • pm 260 • The Creeping Cold • Kevin Rees • ss 269 • Mummy’s Curse • Colleen Anderson • pm 270 • The Body I Used to Be • Scott Edelman • ss 281 • Stirrings • David C. Kopaska-Merkel • pm 282 • Queen of Hearts • S.E. Lindberg • ss
Contents formatted for inclusion in Phil Stephensen-Payne’s Galatic Central reference website. FictionMags Index Family Item Types & Other Abbreviations key.
After fleeing a deadly romance, Blake Ness finds himself on an obscure island off the Gulf Coast. He befriends the island’s owner and mayor, a Cuban counter-revolutionary, and takes a job as a bouncer at a local massage parlor. Just when he thinks he’s found a home in paradise, he meets a Sarasota land baron who knows his real identity. Blake must choose between paying for his crimes of the past, or committing a new crime he may never escape from…
Available in paperback and hardcover editions from ABC Group Documentation an imprint of Down & Out Books.
Carolyn Cosgriff’s 2022 Bugs Desk Calendar is out! It’s an annual event for me. Beautifully illustrated in full color and the compact design fits perfectly on my desktop. The mini jewel case folds back to become the stand to keep the current month on display. Makes a great stocking stuffer. Available singularly or in a 5-pack from the Hiss Buzz Hum shop, where you can also purchase art prints, cards, magnets, and sculptures.
