What’s in Issue 136

To Bewildering Stories News: The Critics’ Corner

Story Contest	All readers and contributors are cordially invited to participate and vote in *the First Bewildering* Story Contest** ! Welcome & Rules \| Handy References \| Contest Entries to Date
Novels	Palance and his men ride to save Andina. They catch up with the forces of Alysses Slighthand, but the battle is hard-fought, and things don’t turn out according to the standard plot of courtly romance: Julian Lawler, Battle Seer, chapter 14: Death of a Seer, part 1; part 2. ‘Evita delivers the goods, and Josef takes the bait on the offer he can’t refuse. So Quo and the team at last get a real link in the chain they’ve been trying to build, and then Jo comes up trumps with two fine contacts!’ Michael E. Lloyd, Observation One: Singing of promises... chapter 15: Prague, Czech Republic, part 3.
Serial	Jack is grown up now, but he once again experiences visions of the mysterious, abandoned house and the man that a hallucinatory newspaper article says is buried inside: Jeff Brown, A Wave from a Chimney, part 2.
Short Stories	Aemilla and her Sisters in the holy order of Artemis become virtual comrades in arms with Julian Lawler’s Palance and the Iinnin Lodar: they all display courage and resourcefulness in fighting desperate battles against demons — but for very different purposes: Beverly Forehand, The Price of Light, part 1; part 2; conclusion. New contributor Jonathan Ruland has a plan for turning a milquetoast into a man worthy of winning the hand of a fair maiden. Oh for a life on the rolling sea! A Ship Outside of Time, part 1; part 2, conclusion. If life — particularly politics — lived up to art, namely old science fiction films, how would we know? Some things satirize themselves before a writer can get to them, but Thomas Lee Joseph Smith rises to the occasion in I Won’t Be Taking Any Questions. Want revenge? Make the crime the punishment: James Wasserman, Smoke and Mirrors.
Poetry	‘Airplanes are houses like bullets with white metal wings’: Ian Donnell Arbuckle, Turquoises or Tortoises. ‘“All who wander are not lost,” rings in my head / like the ticking of the clown-eyed clock with clear-rimmed eyes’: Deborah Cimo, The Chair.

Departments

Welcome	Bewildering Stories welcomes Jonathan Ruland.
The Critics’ Corner	Discussions of: Danielle L. Parker’s “Galen the Deathless” with Michael J A Tyzuk and Don Webb Tala Bar’s “Venus” with Julian Lawler Jörn Grote’s “Meme Race Unbound” with Danielle L. Parker
The Reading Room	Danielle L. Parker reviews William Gibson’s All Tomorrow’s Parties.
Editorial	Byron Bailey celebrates Xochiquetzal’s Holiday.

In Times to Come

News briefs: We have more new link exchanges including, coincidentally, one of special interest to this issue: Pamela Weir’s Expression Connection... The story contest now has 30 entries and counting, but the pace of submissions has slowed. The stories range from short to long and from tragic to hilarious. The current thinking is that the contest might be split into two contests, one for stories up to 1,000 words and the other for the rest. How do you feel about it?

In issue 137: Novels and serial — Julian Lawler, Battle Seer, chapter 15 “The Journey to Corinn Ada”; Michael E. Lloyd, Observation One, chapters 16-18 shift to extraterrestrial locales; Jeff Brown, “A Wave from a Chimney,” part 3.

Short stories and flash fiction — Ian Donnell Arbuckle, “Singalong”; R D Larson, “Incident”; D. M. Madigan, “Return to Sender”; Danielle L. Parker, “Rock Bottom and Up”; new contributor David Eland, “Xenophiles.”

Mini-contest: As long as I’m making up issue titles while Jerry works double shifts, I think I’m entitled to have a little fun. Anyone who can figure out the hidden meaning in this issue’s title wins a virtual Bewildering medal. Hint 1: The current, revised title is phonetically closer to the original and more diplomatic than the previous one. Hint 2: It is inspired by the contributions in this issue from Julian Lawler and Beverly Forehand as well as the sarcastic story by Thomas Lee Joseph Smith. Hint 3: Paule Libby and Martin Kerharo would recognize it immediately. I’m sure others are already humming the tune. Consider it a mini-contest. Winners announced in issue 137.

Readers’ reactions are always welcome.
Please write!

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