Black Cat Weekly #112

Adrian Cole, Hal Charles, Algis Budrys, David Mason, Norman Spinrad, A.E.W. Mason, James Holding, Kaye George, Cordwainer Smith, William Dylan Powell

Summary

This issue features a pair of original tales: a mystery from Kaye George (thanks to acquiring editor Michael Bracken) and a fantasy from Adrian Cole (written especially for this Halloween issue).

On the mystery front, we have a pair of great modern tales by William Dylan Powell (thanks to acquiring editor Barb Goffman) and James Holding, plus a classic novel by British master A.E.W. Mason, who is best known for his tale of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers. Notably, Mason created Inspector Hanaud, a French detective who was an early template for Agatha Christie's famous Hercule Poirot. We even have a special Halloween solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles!

On the fantastic side of things, we have a seasonally-appropriate SF tale by Norman Spinrad, plus Golden Age reprints from Algis Budrys, Cordwainer Smith, and David Mason. Mason is one of my favorite sword & sorcery authors for his novels Kavin’s World and The Return of Kavin. Had Mason not died tragically young in a boating accident, I have no doubt he would have become a major novelist in the field. After reading all of his books one after the other, I suspect he was creating a vast common universe for his fantasy and science fiction stories. Check them out if you get a chance. They are in print from Wildside Press.

Here’s the complete lineup:

Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:

“The Voices I Will Never Hear Again,” by Kaye George [Michael Bracken Presents short story]“Signs of Halloween,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]“The Darkness and the Light,” by William Dylan Powell [Barb Goffman Presents short story]“The Only One of Its Kind,” by James Holding [short story]No Other Tiger, by A.E.W. Mason [novel]

Science Fiction & Fantasy:

“The Falling Leaves” by Adrian Cole [short story]“The Fat Vampire”by Norman Spinrad [short story]“Mark Elf,” by Cordwainer Smith [short story]“The Long Question,” by David Mason [short story]“The Burning World,” by Algis Budrys [novelet]

Available since: 10/22/2023.

Print length: 583 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Grounds for Murder - A Jeannie...

Betty Ternier Daniels

Jeannie is in trouble. After the loss of her husband, everyone around her is pressuring her to leave her precious farm, including an incredibly persistent realtor who won’t name her client. But when that realtor ends up dead, killed by mistake when she borrows Jeannie’s car, it becomes clear that her client won’t take no for an answer. Who wants Jeannie’s land so badly that they are willing to kill her for it? And why her farm when there are plenty around her for sale? To find the answer, Jeannie joins forces with off-duty cop Derek and finds refuge with the young back-to-the-land tenants who rent a section of her farm. Set in her ways at 60, Jeannie must learn to open her mind — and her heart — in her quest to find the killer, all while grappling with ghosts from her past and wrestling with the question of land transfer and ownership. Will the next generation love her farm as intensely as she does? And will she survive long enough to find out?

Show book

The Constable Mavis Upton...

Gina Kirkham

An ebook collection of three novels that follow the hilarious misadventures of a woman who takes no prisoners—which is never ideal for a police officer. Mavis Upton tackles everything life can throw at her in this humorous, poignant, and moving series of an everyday girl who one day followed a law enforcement dream . . . Handcuffs, Truncheon and a Polyester Thong Single mom Mavis Upton decides to pursue her lifelong ambition to become a police officer. Using her newly discovered investigative skills, she reluctantly embarks on a search to find her errant dad who was last seen years before, making off with her mum’s much needed coupon for a fabulous foam cup bra all the way from America. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Our hapless heroine Constable Mavis Upton is preparing to step down the aisle with her fiancé Joe, but has to deal with her temperamental teen daughter, as well as investigate a serial flasher on a push bike. Throw a diva drag queen into the mix and readers can expect the usual hilarious Mavis mishaps that made the first book such a hit. Blues, Twos and Baby Shoes Mavis and her daughter Ella are both pregnant. But now Mavis has to deal with a mysterious case involving a blackmailer sending poison pen letters. Can Mavis juggle impending motherhood and her career, maintain a loving relationship with her other half Joe and deal with being a grandmother, all while solving the case? Series praise “Laugh out loud brilliance, so witty and cleverly written.” —Samantha Magson “Hilarious! It’s true, everyone needs Mavis in their life.” —Sherrie Hewson “Such a terrific read!” —Lorraine Kelly

Show book