Letter From The Editor - Issue 21 - February 2011
Welcome to IGMS Issue 21, the first issue of 2011. Personally, I'm going to go
buy a bunch of lottery tickets with a lot 2s and 1s. Now, I'm not a financial
advisor, and I don't play one on TV, but rather than buying lottery tickets, I'd have
to say IGMS is actually a much better investment.
Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system . . .
First, our cover story: "Brutal Interlude" by Wayne Wightman. Reality TV was
never so intrusive, never so scary, never so thoroughly put in its place. I dare you
to look away, if you can.
Next, fan-favorite Cat Rambo brings us "A Frame of Mother-of-Pearl," a fantasy
tale about life and death, magic and family, and the way they can all come together
to make life difficult.
Then Steve Stewart makes his debut with "Go Home, and Be With Your Families,"
a tale of an alien civilization long gone and its powerful effect on one man here on
earth.
"The Devil's Rematch," by regular IGMS columnist Spencer Ellsworth, is a dark
look at one small southern town, and how it doesn't take the Devil to bring out the
worst in people, nor the best.
Finally we have "Ratoncito's Last Tooth," an Orson Picks story (selected by
Uncle Orson himself) about the life of strongest man in the world. It's a man's
entire life in under 3,000 words and it will have you brushing and flossing for the
rest of your life.
Well, not quite "finally," because we also have an Orson Picks for our audio bonus
this issue: "Breakout" is the tale of an astronomy professor who finds haven in the
strangest of places. I forget who wrote it, but it's read beautifully by Stuart Jaffe,
of "The Eclectic Review" podcast fame. Okay, I wrote it, but you shouldn't hold
that against poor Stuart.
Then in the interview department, Darrell Schweitzer is at it again, this time
interviewing a personal favorite of mine, Patricia McKillip. Her Riddle-Master of
Hed trilogy was my introduction to fantasy, but as Darrell's interview shows, she's
done so much more than just that.
What's that, you say? Despite my advice, you went and bought a lottery ticket
anyway? Well, you got lucky this time: Subscribers voted for their favorite stories
appearing in IGMS during 2010, and the winners of the First Annual InterGalactic
Awards (who all get cash awards) aren't the only winners; all the winning stories
are free for all to read for as long as issue 21 is live. Go and tell all your friends
that the winners are:
Stories
1st place: "Trinity County, CA" by Peter S. Beagle
2nd place: "Sister Jasmine Brings the Pain" by Von Carr
3rd place (tie): "The American" by Bruce Worden
"The Ghost of a Girl Who Never Lived" by Keffy Kehrli
Interior Art
1st place: "Wise Men" by Nick Greenwood
2nd place: "Sister Jasmine Brings the Pain" by Nicole Cardiff
3rd place: "The Vicksburg Dead" by Kevin Wasden
Cover Art
"The Never Never Wizard of Apalachicola" by Julie Dillon
Congratulations to all the winners, and many thanks to the many readers who voted
for their favorites.
Edmund R. Schubert
Editor, Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show
P.S. As usual, we've collected essays from the authors in this issue and will post
them on our blog (www.SideShowFreaks.blogspot.com). Feel free to drop by and
catch The Story Behind The Stories, where the authors talk about the creation of
their tales.
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=issue&vol=i21&article=_fromeditor
