When I was eight or nine, my brothers and sisters, a couple of close friends and I were trick-or-treating. Our sugar-filled gaggle was followed close behind by our parents, respectfully giving us the distance to use the curse words we'd just grown brave enough to use and stuff ourselves with sticky treats. Then, out of nowhere, a guy in a mask runs out of an alley, grabs my friend's bag and takes off down the street. She started screaming, and her step-dad took off running after the guy.
Of course we followed. Her step-dad caught the guy as he tried jumping a fence and just wasn't fast enough. Her step-dad beat the holy hell out of that guy in front of all of us, her candy flying everywhere as the thief hadn't let go of the bag and it ripped open.
I think that as a result of that experience, I was never afraid of Halloween. Prowling the streets in the fading light, adults and children acting scary (but more often, just goofy), I always felt that even if something went wrong, someone had my back. Someone was watching and would protect me.
We don't have any Halloween stories, though technically this issue isn't available until after Halloween. We don't have any Christmas, Hannukah or Three Kings' Day stories, either. We do, however, have many stories. Ten, in total. This super-sized issue is (hopefully) the first of many large, fun-filled issues of Atomjack. During the hiatus, we thought long and hard about how the magazine is designed, and although the look hasn't changed, there are many little differences behind the scenes that should make navigation easier. All those dead links and crazy links have been removed or fixed. The archive is simple and straightforward, and every archived page is streamlined for access and return to the current issue.
I encourage each and every one of you to read this issue at a leisurely pace. Take your time and savor these stories, as all of them were chosen to make you think and wonder and smile. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do.
Yours truly,
Adicus Ryan Garton, editor Cosmic
P. S. Also, don't forget to check out the contest issue, published last month. Great stories by Constantine von Hoffman, Greg Beatty and Mike Simon. Artwork by Nathan Carlisle.
P. P. S. Also, don't forget to check out Susurrus Press's new e-anthology I am This Meat, featuring some truly unbelievable stories and poetry. Edited by the Rev. Brian Worley, James Maddox, and Yours Truly.
And in lieu of payment, Carmelo Rafala opted to have his payment donated to a charity. I chose Rally 4 Autism. Join Carmelo (as well as previous contributors) and Atomjack in supporting the cause.
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