In this issue we meet a socially awkward zombie who runs afoul of the Positive Re-interment Imagery and Symbolic Appeasement protocol (PRISA), try to liberate a treasure in Belize guarded by a fierce nagual, and start a book club with a disgruntled demon. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes an appearance! Fantasy, humor, and SF adventure await!

If everyone adhered to the beliefs of Christianity, or Buddhism, or Islam, would the world be a better place? What if we were all either Republicans, Democrats, or Socialists? Liberal? Conservative? Communists or Capitalists? Neoplatonists? Taoists? I don’t think so. No type of catholic uniformity ever ends well, and no ideology can save us. But kindness will.

How is flash fiction different from a more traditional story? Are there different rules to plotting shorter fiction? What key elements are emphasized when the world of words you have to work with has been severely limited? Can we explain how to be successful with flash in under 1,000 words?

“Flow State” in writing is another way of saying “getting into the zone.” Distractions fall away, time becomes meaningless, and you focus without even trying hard. With an immense feeling of satisfaction, you emerge from a relaxed but highly productive period of producing some of your most engaging work. That’s flow state. It can be monstrously powerful, which leads to the question: “Can you release the Kraken?!”

In 1920, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle participated in one of the greatest hoaxes of the 20th Century: the famous Cottingley Fairies photos. Was the creator of Sherlock Holmes duped into believing in the impossible? Or did he know exactly what he was doing?

The writing principle of Chekhov’s gun states that “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired.” But what happens when you fire a gun inside a spaceship?

Young adulthood brings with it the cusp of a new stage of life, when we are both eager and terrified at the same time. What unknowns lie ahead, and what that is familiar and comforting in our lives will we lose forever?

What do you desire? Money? Fame? Power? Pleasure that mortal hands cannot provide? Or will a quiet presence, a good book, and a lovely chat do just as well?

As the author tells us: “Modern artificial intelligence is a stunted toy, but someday we’ll have artificial minds worthy of the name. They won’t be anything like humans, and we’ll seem as mysterious to them as they do to us.”

When a peaceful, but socially awkward zombie shows up just wanting to go back to his old life, a well-meaning resident discovers that her community is not quite as welcoming as it imagines. A first- time short story publication for author Margaret Balch-Gonzalez.

We all think the world and its treasures are there for us to discover, but some are better left alone. It’s our relationships, the ones that make us who we are, that hold the greatest value, and the search for gold is often just a path toward making new friends.

In today’s world, we too often see identity in terms of our personal social standing, position, or fame. When asking who we are, it’s well to remember we are most importantly the warp and weft of our family relationships down through the echoes of time, and we are the hope of ages yet to come.

We have so many people to thank! Founders, Kickstarter Heroes, Contributors, Friends, Family, and First Line Readers.