It has been an eventful few months since we launched the inaugural issue. Months filled with the good, the somewhat frustrating, and the tragic.

As the first issue launched, we learned that one of our contributors, Walter Dinjos, passed away mere days earlier. He was a young man, and an up-and-coming talented writer, and he will certainly be missed. I’m glad to have known him, even if briefly.

That’s the tragic part. The somewhat frustrating part is how much work putting together the magazine is. I mean, I always knew this, but I assumed that I’d be able to delegate more of the responsibilities. Yet the work keeps piling on. And while my wonderful team has been very helpful, I definitely need to get more people on board, especially first readers so we can open to submissions from a wider range of authors, but also folks to help solicit advertisers and promote the magazine. If you feel you could help with any of those endeavors, please reach out.

And then, there’s the good part. I’ve been flooded with emails and supportive comments as readers and writers alike are happy to see another venue. The first issue has received a number of very enthusiastic reviews and, saving the best for last, our lead story “The Rule of Three” by Lawrence M. Schoen is a finalist for the Nebula award in the novelette category. I couldn’t ask for a better start and now, of course, the challenge is to follow that up with another strong selection of stories. Which, I think, we’ve done.

Issue 2 features nine stories by ten authors from six different countries. From the time of the dinosaurs to the heat death of the universe, from thinking and feeling androids to human consciousness spanning multiple bodies, from cats on the Moon to alien salad dressing that makes plastic digestible and delicious, these tales have something for everyone.

Happy reading!