Black Cat Weekly #097

Our 97th issue is brimming with interesting items. On the mystery front, Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken has discovered a brand-new story from Dave Zeltserman for us, while Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman brings us an intriguing S.J. Rozan tale. I’ve also been persuading fantasist Phyllis Ann Karr to let us reprint some of her early work—and this time, we have a mystery! Who knew that she launched her writing career with a string of top-notch mystery stories? I certainly didn’t. Also included is an Inspector French police procedural novel from classic British novelist Freeman Wills Crofts. And, of course, no issue is complete without a solve-it-yourself puzzler, once again delivered from the pens of Hal Charles.

Switching to fantasy and science fiction, we kick things off with a poem by Harry Warner, Jr. An early SF enthusiast, Warner is primarily known for his non-fiction works on the history of the genre, particularly on fandom. His poem “If—1939” (originally published in the fanzine Le Zombie) perfectly encapsulates the fannish enthusiasm of that era. Also featured are fantasies from Adrian Cole and Joseph Payne Brennan, a Golden Age science fiction story by Jay Williams (best known as the co-creator of the kid scientist Danny Dunn), and an engaging SF novel from Frank Belknap Long.

On a side note, we received an inquiry from a reader asking if we have an index for the early issues of Black Cat Weekly. Alas, we do not have one at the moment, but we agree that it’s an excellent idea. Should anyone wish to take up the task of compiling one, we would be delighted to feature it on our website. Otherwise, we’ll add this to our “to-do” list and hope to address it in due time.

Here’s this issue’s complete lineup:

Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:

• “The Matzo Ball Killer,” by Dave Zeltserman [Michael Bracken Presents short story]
• “The Chocolate Cupcake Caper,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]
• “Going Home,” by S.J. Rozan [Barb Goffman Presents short story]
• “The Slantwise Scales of Justice,” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story]
• The Starvel Hollow Tragedy, by Freeman Wills Crofts [novel]

Science Fiction & Fantasy:

• “If—1939,” by Harry Warner, Jr. [poem]
• “A Girl and Her Doll,” by Adrian Cole [short story]
• “The Horror at Chilton Castle,” by Joseph Payne Brennan [short story]
• “Beast of Prey,” by Jay Williams [short story]
• Woman from Another Planet, by Frank Belknap Long [novel]