Issue 62: link to free sample on modern internet video!

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Yes, it's autumn and therefore the autumn issue has manifested itself. Makes sense. There are new stories by spiffing authors, and a little extra one from me. Why have you, yourself, contributed to your own magazine, you ask? Good question! 

Quite a long time ago Sam Dawson sent me some artwork and I thought it would make an excellent cover. As I was preparing the magazine earlier this year I thought: "That cover deserves a story." Was I the man to write that story? Maybe not. But, as a certain Winston Smith remarked in a very different context, I did it just the same. 


As you can see, we're dealing with some serious Morris action. I mean, WTF? as the young people have it. From this jumping off point, or picture, I came with a story that includes the elements of the drawing and adds a few things, like a plot and a narrator. Anyway, it's not the best story in the issue, though some have found it praiseworthy. But if you'd like to judge for yourself, you can follow the link to my YouTube channel and listen to me reading the tale of... 'Dancing Dan'!

Here's a quick rundown of the contents.

'Black Stain' by Timothy Granville - in which a dolls' house proves more lifelike than is entirely reasonable 

'The Parkland' by James Machin - what strange creatures lurk in the idyllic English countryside? 

'Down' by Rex Burrows - the city has a thousand stories, and this is a tale of very mean streets. 

'Those Who Would Destroy the Gods' by Victoria Day - an old-school actor-manager meets a fate stranger than drama.

'Dim Stars' by Ashley Stokes - these fancy urban explorers should really know their limitations. Because something else certainly does...

'Dancing Dan' by David Longhorn - based on Sam Dawson's cover, a tale of folk horror in a small English town 

'Absolutely Over, The End' by Reggie Chamberlain-King - sometimes a work of art is all too painfully true to life.

Comments

James Quinn said…
Another excellent issue. Thank you for work you put into keeping this series going. It is appreciated. I particularly enjoyed the stories by Timothy Granville, James Machin and Lisa Moore-Smith.

Just a note to you, I ordered the print edition which arrived with two stories not listed in your contents above. "The Night is Cold and Starless and Suffocating" by Michael Kelly and "On the Banks of the Cherokee" by Lisa Moore-Smith. The later story was excellent so very glad it was included. There were a few printing glitches in the later part of the book (Lulu order). It is 93-pages in length.
8 October 2026 at 23:32:00 GMT
valdemar said…
Hi James, thanks for getting in touch. I screwed up there I'm afraid, not sure how. Those are stories from the next issue! I have corrected the problem. I suppose you got something extra. Perhaps these faulty issues will become collector's items...
10 October 2026 at 13:04:00 GMT
James Quinn said…
No worries at all. Happy to have the stories early. I am sure I will pick up #63 when it is available just the same.
12 October 2026 at 01:53:00 GMT
Tracey said…
Hi! I purchased the ePub edition (62) but my download is a PDF. Not the end of the world, but a bit harder to read on my eReader. Since I've never been in touch about anything: I have looked forward to each edition of ST _for years and years_ and am never disappointed. I truly appreciate your work putting this together and sharing the work of authors who write exactly the sort of spooky short stories I love.
24 October 2026 at 14:52:00 GMT
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