Among other topics, Ted White discusses two spoken-word record albums in this editorial this issue— Robert E. Howard: From the Hells Beneath the Hells (Alternate World Recordings) and Robert E. Howard’s Conan (Moondance Production). After his comments about the albums themselves he contemplates their future:

“Still, I wonder how great the market is for spoken-word recordings in our field. Such records cannot be used as “background music,” they demand one’s total attention. In this day and age, is anyone ready to give up half and hour or more of his or her time in order to listen to spoken recordings? How many times can one play and enjoy such records before tiring of them?”

The problem was the media. Vinyl isn’t portable. Now that spoken word recording have gone digital, their popularity has soared. A perfect accompaniment to driving or exercise or a slew of other tasks.

Contents Page
Ted White: Editorial
Randall Garrett “The Sixteen Keys” art by Richard Olsen
Best By Mail
Robert Thurston “One Magic Ring, Used” art by Joel Pollack
George R.R. Martin “The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr” art by Steve Fabian
Karl Edward Wagner “Two Suns Setting” art by Jeff Jones
Michael F.X. Milhaus “In a Pig’s Eye” art by Steve Fabian
J.J. Russ “Pinnoke” art by Roy Comiskey
Jack Haldeman & Jack Dann “Limits” art by Tony Gleeson
Kendall Evans “The Day I Lost It”
Fritz Leiber: Fantasy Books
—A Midsummer Tempest by Poul Andersson
—The Not-World by Thomas Burnett Swann
—Xelucha by M.P. Shiel
—From Evil’s Pillow by Basil Copper
—Stories of Darkness and Dread by Joseph Payne Brennan
—Dreams from R’Lyeh by Lin Carter
—Citadels of Mystery by L. Sprague and Catherine C de Camp
—Fantasy Collector’s Annual 1974, 1975, and The Fire-Fiend and the Raven edited by Gerry de la Ree
—The Bradbury Companion by William F. Nolan
According to You (Letters)
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation
Classified Advertisements

Fantastic Sword & Sorcery and Fantasy Stories Vol. 25 No. 3 May 1976
Publisher: Sol Cohen
Assoc. Publisher: Arthur Bernhard
Editor: Ted White
Assoc. Editor, Emeritus: Grant Carrington
Assist. Editors: Lou Stathis, Terry Hughes
Art Director: J. Edwards
Cover: Steve Hickman
5.25” x 7.75” 130 pages $1.00