Image © Brian Malachy Quinn
Letter from the Editors Dear Reader, This issue, we got an unusually high number of horror submissions. Maybe it's the season, or something in the air, or just coincidence--but it got us thinking about what makes good horror, and why we are drawn to it. At Electric Spec, we tend to favor horror with a psychological edge, in which the characters wrestle with inner shadows as much as with exterior threats. Our five finalists this issue were not all horror stories, but each presents a kind of inner struggle with something we usually don't want to dwell on in our everyday lives. We have a friend struggling with grief, a woman with her fate, a man with rejection, a father with death, and even robots with their purpose in the world. We are pleased to present: "Coffee with a Repentant Ghost" by Maureen Bowden--It's hard to let go of your best friend, especially when they keep showing up for coffee. "Whispers in the Wind" by Jess L Freed-- Being the chosen avatar of the wind only ever ends in tragedy. Is it possible to change fate? "I Am Your Demise" by Clifford Piel--Is death a mystery, or a puzzle that can be solved? "Meat Flower" by Ian Keith--Tom has a horrible affliction, but he can't see it, and nobody will tell him what it is. Until... "The Tank and the Grasshopper" by J Wallace--You might think a giant war engine would have every advantage over a tiny mechanical bug. You might be wrong. In Editor's Corner, we are pleased to present a fascinating interview with Associate Editor Bonnie Ramthun and an excerpt from her wonderful new middle grade fantasy series The Centerville Chronicles! Finally, we are grateful for our cover artist for this issue: Brian Malachy Quinn with "Of Mice and Men." Thanks for reading, Lesley, Grayson, Candi, and the Electric Spec Team