Our last issue of the 1900s has several unique features. Robert R. Chase's cover story by "Heat" was inspired in part by a dramatic painting by Ron Miller depicting a thunderstorm on Venus, and in turn inspired a new dramatic painting by Ron Miller, which we will offer as our cover—much the same setting, but incorporating some new elements from the story. The other main inspiration was the author's observation that writers haven't been doing much with our recently acquired knowledge about what Venus is really like, and it's a place of such infernal extremes that there's a lot of story potential there. He was right! Our December issue will also feature an unusual experiment in collaboration with our sibling magazine, Asimov’s: a pair of "mirror novellas." The same incident is never really the same for different participants, even when they are in some sense the same person. You've read lots of stories about a time traveler interacting with his older or younger self, but as far as I know, Harry Turtledove is the first to tell the whole story as experienced by the older and again as experienced by the younger. Each is a complete, self-contained story, in a sense a mirror image of the other, so you don't have to also buy the December Asimov’s but you'll probably want to, because the two stories together are surprisingly much more than the sum of their parts. We’ll also have a little something for the season—maybe even two things for the season, if you count the ultimate travel horror story (I’m not exaggerating!) as seasonally appropriate. Plus fiction by Charles L. Harness, Stephen L. Burns, and at least one promising newcomer; and a science fact look at the likely future of air traffic control.

Heat by Robert R. Chase Human actions can be judged by their motivation or their consequences--which are disturbingly close to independent variables. Illustration by Ron Miller

The Reference Library by Tom Easton This month Tom reviews new books by Charles Sheffield, Frederik Pohl ,and David Brin. Upcoming Events by Anthony Lewis Every month, Anthony keeps you up to date on what's going on in the world of science fiction.

Novella Twenty-One, Counting Up by Harry Turtledove Novelettes Heat by Robert R. Chase Dancing In The Light by Diane Turnshek The Terraformers by Charles L. Harness Short Stories To Him Who Waits by H.G. Stratmann You May Already Be A Winner by Stephen L. Burns Ark Ascension by James Van Pelt Science Fact Revolution In The Air by Hugh David