Our 69th issue is being put together in the chaos of the holiday season. It’s hard, but the team always manages to pull things together at the last minute! So I’ll just say best wishes from everyone at Wildside and Black Cat Weekly…Michael Bracken, Barb Goffman, Sam Hogan, Darrell Schweitzer, Cynthia Ward, Karl Wurf, and me. And I will note that we have two original stories this issue, by Phyllis Ann Karr and James A. Hearn, along with our usual mix of classics and modern tales. And some manage to fit neatly into both mystery and the fantastic categories (see the contents list below.)

Here’s this issue’s lineup:

Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:

“The Third Wish,” by James A. Hearn [Michael Bracken Presents short story]

“Where There’s Fire,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]

“Bertie and the Christmas Tree,” by Peter Lovesey [Barb Goffman Presents short story]

“The 1961 Twelve,” by James Holding [short story]

“For Safe Deposit,” by Hal Meredith [short story]

The Rider of the Mohave, by James Fellom [novel]

“The Hammering Man,” by Edwin Balmer and William B. MacHarg [short story]

Science Fiction & Fantasy:

“The Third Wish,” by James A. Hearn [Michael Bracken Presents short story]

“The Hammering Man,” by Edwin Balmer and William B. MacHarg [short story]

“Not-Quite-Living Treasure,” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story]

“Come Home from Earth,” by Edmond Hamilton [short story]

“Piety,” by Margaret St. Clair [short story]

Planet Explorer, by Murray Leinster [novel]