Weirdbook #44

FROM THE EDITOR’S TOWER, by Doug DraaThis is our 14th regular issue of Weirdbook, and things are going strong. The next 7 issues and our 2021 Annual are filled, contracted, and paid for. So our existence is guaranteed for at least 2 more years. We’ve also successfully (re)launched a sister magazine Startling Stories. So these are exciting and optimistic times for all of us involved in Weirdbook and Startling. This issue features stories by Weirdbook Alumni Franklyn Searight, Sharon Cullars, Adrian Cole, and John Fultz along with poetry by Darrell Schweitzer, Ann K. Schwader, and Lucy Snyder. I’m also proud that we have new stories from Bram Stoker Award nominee Kyla Lee Ward, Sword & Sorcery legend John Hocking, and Horror Maestro Tim Curran. I can promise that there is something for everyone in this issue with thrills and chills for all! Now for some very sad news. Franklyn Searight passed away in December 2020. Readers will recognize his name from the wealth of fiction he provided for this magazine. He had stories in 7 previous issues, the premier issue of Startling Stories, and all 3 themed annuals. He also has a story in our upcoming Zombies-themed annual and lined up for the next 7 issues. Frank was very much part of what Weirdbook stood for: a magazine in the Weird Tales tradition. Frank even appeared in Weirdbook’s original incarnation back in 1973. I loved his style of old-school horror and dark fantasy. His stories always managed to evoke an older style of weird fiction while still maintaining a 21st-century sensibility. And this was no small feat considering that Frank sent us these stories while in his late 70s to mid-80s. This issue is dedicated to his memory.