THOSE CRITICS WHO say that F&SF has gone to hell since its heyday will have another chance to make their case as we publish our second tale of 2009 that descends into Hell. Unlike the first (Bruce Sterling's "Esoteric City"), this one does not concern a sinner. Rather, it's about a guy who stumbles into trouble through an innocent chain of errors...and sets off an extraordinary chain of events. Look for Matthew Hughes's "Hell of a Fix" in our next issue.

Speaking of sinners, who among us can say that they won't have any regrets when they're in a hospital bed, facing mortality? Certainly not the narrator of Richard Bowes's "I Needs Must Part, the Policeman Said"; he has a lot of personal demons to confront, and they're not all figurative....

Also in the works are new stories by John Langan, Paul Park, Steven Popkes, and several newcomers. Subscribe now so you won't miss an issue.