Black Cat Weekly #245

This issue, we have yet again outdone ourselves with a quirky issue. From magic to mayhem to murder to an absurdist science fiction political novel to a former burlesque dancer turned private detective to Gargoyles, this issue has everything you could possibly want (and then some)! But don’t take my word for it. Here’s the complete lineup—

Cover Art: Stephen Hickman

NOVEL

Depression or Bust, by Mack Reynolds

   A classic absurdist political romp by a master sci-fi storyteller!

NOVELLA

“Toxin,” by Ouida

   A recovered heirloom awakens love, jealousy, and a darker science.

“Watchers in the Glade,” by Richard Wilson

   What if the only food on an alien planet looked—and screamed—human?

SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY

“The Holiday Heist,” by Hal Charles

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

SHORT STORIES

“Dead Ducks,” by Tom Larsen

   A wounded drifter, a duck poaching scheme, and one desperate night…

“Man or Bear,” by Anna Scotti

   At a cabin in bear country, a party game cuts too close to home.

“Velda and the Class Reunion,” by Ron Miller [P.I. Velda series]

   Velda gets a case where every clue cuts close to old school wounds.

“The Great Opera-house Holdup,” by J.P. Coughlin

   Even the Old West had its share of gentleman thieves…

“That’s Shoe Biz,” by Teel James Glenn

   An elf widow, a shoe empire, and a locked-room death fit too well.

“The Bright Room of Cranmore,” by Anonymous

   The Bright Room gleams each night, and an old sorrow answers back.