We successfully completed Thanksgiving, but now we're trapped in the dead zone between roast turkey and roasting chestnuts. When our first December issue arrives, we'll kick off holiday celebrations anew, though, with more great novels and short stories.

But in the meantime, we have an original crime story by the always-masterful Elizabeth Elwood (thanks to Acquiring editor Michael Bracken), a Early Christman treat by Mark Thielman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman), a mystery classic by Stephen Wasylyk, and part 2 of Tiger Island, the only novel from acclaimed short story author Jack Ritchie. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles.

On the more fantastic end of things, Anna Tambour works wonders with "orms"... Tom Purdom shows there's still a place for individualism in the future... Algis Budrys brings a detective down the mean streets of the future, in search of a missing man... A. Earley has a sugary tale of (among many things) Russian aggression in the future... And we have part 2 of Francis Jarman's historical fantasy, The Eagle's Wing. Good stuff!