Image © Barbara Candiotti
Letter from the Editors Dear Reader, What happens when we actually get what we want? Sometimes, it's a moment of triumph... and sometimes, we discover the truth about how our desires can lead us down the wrong path. This issue, our authors have delivered stories about what can happen when we pursue what we think will bring us fulfillment. You'll meet a pirate whose race for glory will change him forever, a thief whose most ambitious heist is something she never imagined, couples whose reliance on relationship-fixing technology comes at an unexpected cost, a faerie whose heart's desire might not be what she thinks it is, and a tormented spirit who may need something more than vengeance to find rest. We're sure you'll discover entertainment and insight in these five superb tales: "Patched" by John DiStefano--The "cube" is built to cleanly settle every argument a couple has. Maybe that's not as helpful as it sounds. "Dreaming of Mass Mutagenesis" by Isaac Espriu--When the most notorious space pirates race for the prize, the rules are more like guidelines. "The Moonbell's Last Bloom" by Rod A. White--Pip the faerie needs rare magic to win the love of a mortal... but is that really the best use of such power? "Wife of the Iron Road" by Wanying Zhang--An ancestral ghost enlists the aid of her modern descendant to right a wrong from generations past. "Smoke and Mirrors" by Nyki Blatchley--A sorcerer has stolen a young girl's childhood. Now only a master thief has a chance of stealing it back. In our Editor's Corner, we have a tribute to Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki by Candi Cooper-Towler. We're also pleased to bring you the art of Barbara Candiotti, who provided our cover image with "Landing Party." Thanks for reading, Lesley, Grayson, Candi, and the Electric Spec Team