Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #36.

We have another great issue featuring not one, but two full-length books—George O. Smith’s classic collection of linked science fiction stories, Venus Equilateral, and Hulbert Footner’s mystery, Officer!

As always, our acquiring editors have cooked up some delights. From Michael Bracken comes an original police procedural from H.K. Slade, “A Body at the Dam.” Barb Goffman has unearthed “Run Don’t Run,” by Mary Saums, which I know you’ll enjoy. And Cynthia Ward brings us “Shattering the Spear,” by P. Djèlí Clark, a heroic fantasy story—we need more of these in BCW!

Topping things off, we have another solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles, plus classic reprints by Rog Phillips (Vampires!), Lester del Rey (Superstitions in Space!), and Percy James Brebner (Kidnapping! Secret Agents!) All told, lots of terrific reading.

Here’s the lineup:

Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:

“A Body at the Dam,” by H.K. Slade [Michael Bracken Presents short story]
“A Present from the Past,” by Hal Charles [solve-it-yourself mystery]
“Run Don’t Run,” by Mary Saums [Barb Goffman Presents short story]
“The Missing Signorina,” by Percy James Brebner [short story]
Officer! by Hulbert Footner [novel]

Science Fiction & Fantasy:

“Shattering the Spear,” by P. Djèlí Clark [Cynthia Ward Presents short story]
“Superstition,” by Lester del Rey [short story]
“A Vial of Immortality,” by Rog Phillips [short story]
Venus Equilateral, by George O. Smith [novel]

Thistle and Twigg