Letter from the Editors
Dear Reader,
Once again, we were unable to reduce our finalist list to the usual five stories. The submissions have been so good lately!
In this issue, the deciding factor in selecting finalists often came down to voice--that ineffable but all-important quality of writing. Voice may be the hardest thing to master in writing since it is so difficult to pin down. A good voice is what separates a dry narrative from a page-burner or a generic character from one who springs to life from the page.
Though the specific qualities of voice are numerous and flexible, the best way to learn about how it works is to pay attention to stories that grab you. These six tales are all great examples of stories that shine with unique, compelling voices of their own:
- "The Dream-Quest of Sphinx" by Bruno Lombardi--Cats seem to live a pretty carefree life, but a witch's familiar has responsibilities only a cat can handle.
- "Furnace Dreams" by Jasmine Arch--The furnace of the airship Atalanta isn't just any engine... as one daring and desperate ship's boy discovers.
- "Grave Miscalculation" by Kayla Severson--A special investigator of the supernatural tracks a killer who may be a vampire--or something worse.
- "Pride & PTSD" by W.M. Chan--Sometimes a hero is really a villain on parole just trying to work off her debt to society.
- "The One Girl" by Gillian Daniels--Like a mask, a superhero's role can hide their true identity. The lone woman on a super team finds there's much more underneath...
- "VOCSS" by Cora Ruskin--A cry for help on a hotline voice chat gradually reveals a macabre nightmare.
In our Editor's Corner Editor Nikki Baird discusses "What is Voice and Why Should Readers Care?"
Finally, we offer our sincere thanks to our cover artist for this issue: Barbara Candiotti with "Fire Wall."
Thanks for reading,
Lesley, Nikki, Grayson, and the Electric Spec Team
