Monday, December 2, 2024

SMFS Members Published in Mickey Finn Volume 5: 21st Century Noir


This is publication day for the new book, Mickey Finn Volume 5: 21st Century Noir. Edited by SMFS list member Michael Bracken, who also wrote the introduction, the anthology from Down & Out books features short stories from a number of SMFS list members. The read is available from the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors.  The SMFS list members that reported being in the read are:

 

 

K.L. Abrahamson with “Red Dust Express.”

 

Eddie Generous with “Sister.”

 

James A. Hearn with “Gone Fishin'.”

 

Hugh Lessig with “Burned.”

 

Tom Milani with “Barstow.”

 

Alan Orloff with “Solid Six.”

 

Travis Richardson with “No Requests Denied.”

 

Joseph S. Walker with “Ronnie Mercer is Back in Town.”

 

Andrew Welsh-Huggins with “All Apples.”

 

Description

Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Volume 5, the fifth entry of the hard-hitting anthology series, is another crime-fiction cocktail that will again knock readers into a literary stupor.

Contributors push hard against the boundaries of crime fiction, driving their work into places short crime fiction doesn’t often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. And they do all this in contemporary settings, bringing noir into the 21st century.

Like any good cocktail, Mickey Finn is a heady mix of ingredients that packs a punch, and when you’ve finished reading every story, you’ll know that you’ve been “slipped a Mickey.”

The eighteen contributors, including some of today’s most respected short-story writers and new writers making their mark on the genre, include: K.L. Abrahamson, Alan Barker, Michael Chandos, Caleb Coy, Eddie Generous, Nils Gilbertson, James A. Hearn, Hugh Lessig, Sean McCluskey, Tom Milani, Bill W. Morgan, Alan Orloff, Travis Richardson, Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Robb T. White, Sam Wiebe, Joseph S. Walker, and Stacy Woodson.

 

Sunday, December 1, 2024

SMFS Members Published in Black Cat Weekly #170


SMFS list members are published in Black Cat Weekly #170. Published by Wildside Press, the issue is available here in digital format. The list members that reported being in the issue are:

 

 

John M. Floyd with “Christmas Gifts.”

 

Paula Messina with "O Tannanbaum.” 

 

Publisher Description:

We kick off December with several holiday-themed stories. First up is John M. Floyd’s tale of a Christmas scam artist (with thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman). Then we have Paula Messina’s tale of a stray Christmas tree found on a beach. Finally, blasting off to outer space, we have an AI reindeer full of mischief in a story by Theresa Duck.

   Of course, we have our usual assortment of mystery, fantasy, and science fiction stories, including originals by Dave Zeltserman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), R.M. Linning, and Steve Rasnic Tem. Plus we have classic reprints from E.C. Tubb and Manly Bannister, plus we begin the serial of Edmund Glasby’s The Battle of Mageddo, final volume of the Apocalypses of Brother Santiago trilogy. (See our previous four issues for volumes 1 and 2 of this great fantasy series.)

   We also have Mary Roberts Rhinehart’s mystery novel Two Flights Up. And no issue would be complete without a solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles. All told, another great issue.

   Here’s the complete lineup—

 

Cover Art: Stephen Hickman

 

NOVEL

Two Flights Up, by Mary Roberts Rhinehart

   In 1920s America, a mysterious lodger becomes entangled in scandal, stolen bonds, and forbidden love in an aristocratic household fallen from grace.

 

SERIAL NOVEL

The Battle of Mageddo, by Edmund Glasby [Part 1 of 2]

   The Third Apocalypse of Brother Santiago begins!

 

NOVELET

“A Song in the Thicket,” by Manly Bannister

   When the Drakes move into a new suburban development, impossible, persistent, and always returning puddles appear on their property.

 

SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY

“Book Smart,” by Hal Charles

   Can you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!

 

SHORT STORIES

“The Roommate,” by Dave Zeltserman [Michael Bracken Presents short story]

   A new boyfriend with strange habits, a mysterious past, and a deadly curfew—is Lisa dating a liar or something worse?

 

“Christmas Gifts,” by John M. Floyd [Barb Goffman Presents short story]

   Meeting a troubled woman in an elevator, a suave businessman is reminded that Christmas is a time for helping those in need—especially if he benefits, too.

 

“Legacies,” by R.M. Linning

   In a powerful Chicago dynasty, secrets, ambition, and ruthless manipulation bind generations of the Nyland family together.

 

“O Tannenbaum,” by Paula Messina

   On a stormy Revere Beach, Margaret stumbles upon a forlorn Christmas tree that stirs memories of love and loss.

 

“Silent Night in System Nine,” by Theresa Duck

   A space captain and exuberant mechanic race to deliver holiday trees, but chaos erupts when an AI reindeer joins the crew.

 

“Catch and Release,” by Steve Rasnic Tem

   A man recalls his eerie foster mother, whose strange abilities and secrets haunt him as he searches for her—and himself—years later.



“Honour Bright,” by E.C. Tubb

   A spaceship’s engine malfunctions mid-journey, threatening the lives of its crew.

SMFS Member Publishing News: Waterproofing by Abe Margel

 

SMFS list member Abe Margel reported that his short story, Waterproofing, was published at Freedom Fiction Journal.  You can read the story online for free here.