Taking something away from others — their possessions, their dignity, their liberty, their lives — is the root of taboo. All the stories in this, the fourth collection of tales from Plan B Magazine, touch on what happens when people put their will above that of others. Sometimes it’s amusing, other times heartbreaking, but it no matter what, someone’s day won’t be going according to plan. Table of Contents “Old Friends” by Frank Byrns “Write Your Epitaph” by Laird Long “An Unexpected Invitation” by Daniel Marshall Wood “Bad John” by Adam Howe “Death by Fiction” by J. M. Vogel “The Chunk” by Michael McGlade “The Basement” by MJ Gardner “The Bulldog Ant is Not a Team Player” by Dan Stout “The Mystery of the Missing Puskat” by Lavie Tidhar “Other Wishes” by Richard Zwicker “Afterwards” by Jeff Poole “The World’s Best Coffee” by C. D. Reimer “Zero Sum Game” by Doug J. Black

Parsec Ink is proud to announce its 14th collection of short stories. Triangulation: Harmony & Dissonance is 21 short stories from around the world that explore this musical theme from every direction in the Speculative Multiverse--fantasy, science fiction, horror, the weird, and all points between. Let this mixtape of the imagination take you into the sway of songs of healing and songs of destruction, to a war-torn world where harmony is found in a melody shared by strangers, to an island of living instruments pining for a hand to play them, and to Earth, where a Martian virtuoso discovers that when music is diplomacy, atmosphere is as important as talent.

Gathering Storm Magazine, Year 1, Issue 3, is full of themed short fiction (always based on old sayings), interactive fiction, poetry, original artwork, and engaging Tidbits that tickle the mind. All of the stories in this issue reflect one of four selected themes by the Founding Editors: If at first you don't succeed, try again Accidents happen If you build it, they will come Famous last words

Your body ... the food you eat ... the environment around you ... whether it be insidious organisms or deleterious chemicals, there are things among us that can quietly turn our serene life into horrors of despair. Within your hands is an anthology of nightmarish and inconceivable horrors in which foreign entities bring the world around them to a halt. Mutations, death, and famine! The destructive apocalypse! People decomposing before the eyes of their neighbors while others turn into a host for parasitic beings!

At the cutting edge of crime fiction, Mystery Weekly Magazine presents original short stories by the world's best-known and emerging mystery writers. The stories we feature in our monthly issues span every imaginable subgenre, including cozy, police procedural, noir, whodunit, supernatural, hardboiled, humor, and historical mysteries. Evocative writing and a compelling story are the only certainty. Get ready to be surprised, challenged, and entertained--whether you enjoy the style of the Golden Age of mystery (e.g., Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle), the glorious pulp digests of the early twentieth century (e.g., Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler), or contemporary masters of mystery. In This Issue: Our feature story, "The Mechanical Rat" by Lawrence Buentello, is a cross-genre science-fiction mystery exploring differing viewpoints: One man's work of art is another man's weapon of choice. Or so it seems ... By popular demand, Mrs Walker returns to our magazine for a holiday tale in "Mrs Walker And The Poisonous Punch" by Katie Ginger. Mrs Walker hates Christmas parties, but when one of the guests dies, the party becomes a lot more interesting than she bargained for. Michael McGlade brings us a noirish tale in "Not A Smart Way To Start A Negotiation." Elizabeth has been kidnapped by two men who want what she has except Elizabeth is much more than a tough negotiator. A life is at stake and Hal and three friends must take extreme measures or the blood will be on their hands. But is it guilt that drives them, or something else? In Laura Gianino's "Sammy." Steve Shrott asks is it true love or something much more sinister? In his twists and turns romance-gone-bad, "True Love." "Ailanthus On Patchin Place" by Claude Chabot will keep you contemplating long after reading this literary mystery about an elderly woman who hears a child crying. Sample of Mechanical Rat: Everyone loved mechanical mice, according to Yazzi--tiny white creations, a wind-up motor covered by faux white fur, a leather tail and button eyes. The old mice were powered by a key and metal spring, but contemporary versions used tiny batteries and computer chips. Yes, cats loved them, kids loved them, those sweet, furry toys rolling across the floor in imitation of their natural counterparts--so why not build a more robust model? That's how it started--he really made it sound as if he were fabricating something delightful. I only saw him occasionally, usually in passing as I entered or left my house, but once or twice he'd let me down into his basement where he crafted his projects. Today was one of those special occasions. All the parts to his current project lay waiting for assemblage: coils of wire, tiny gears, copper pinions, pieces of bent metal. Pliers, scissors, solder, and a pair of drills lay next to these items, a collection of materials that had assisted in the creation of some pretty bizarre toys. Billy Yazzi was a true loner. His parents were dead, and he seemed oblivious to the existence of any other relatives. We'd gone to high school together, but after graduation he embraced seclusion and avoided higher education. I'd always thought his parents must have left him a decent inheritance, some financial means that supported his self-concept as a man of leisure. Still, we were friends of a kind, mostly because of proximity--I lived in the house next door, having decided to play the role of caretaker after my own parents retired to Sarasota. I was still an undergraduate--strictly community college--and the lack of responsibilities, save for the upkeep of the lawn and general maintenance of the house, let me pretend I was a minimally more upstanding citizen than Yazzi....

The best in Short Mystery Fiction At the cutting edge of crime fiction, Mystery Weekly Magazine presents original short stories by the world's best-known and emerging mystery writers. The stories we feature in our monthly issues span every imaginable subgenre, including cozy, police procedural, noir, whodunit, supernatural, hardboiled, humor, and historical mysteries. Evocative writing and a compelling story are the only certainty. Get ready to be surprised, challenged, and entertained--whether you enjoy the style of the Golden Age of mystery (e.g., Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle), the glorious pulp digests of the early twentieth century (e.g., Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler), or contemporary masters of mystery. In this issue... Gem Collector by George GarnetA jewelry thief gets his revenge on dirty cops while helping an abused street walker. These Little Things That Lead Us Down Dark Alleys by Michael McGladeCory Moss is suspected of foul play after in the sudden death of his fianc�e in a nightclub. He must follow the seedy trail that leads to her killer. The Farmer And His Wife by Earl StaggsA private investigator reluctantly agrees to look for a weeping mother's son who was last heard from while working on a Texas farm. Beyond the Grave by Edward FranciscoIn typical Poe style, Edgar Allan Poe must discover the motive, means and opportunity after the death of his child-bride, Virginia Clemm. The Exquisite Agony of the Interrogator by Peter HochsteinA dark yet humorous caper involving kidnappings, interrogations, tortures and bumbling goons. A Fair Trade by Ben OrlandoTwo career kidnappers approach their last grab, but their loss of nerve may cost them everything.