Image ©Barbara Cardiotti
Letter from the Editors Dear Reader, For all the writers who submitted to us for this issue--thank you! Once again, you have made our final decisions so difficult that we had no choice but to present six stories in this issue instead of the usual five. Actually, that still didn't make it much easier to select our finalists. So writers, wherever you're getting all your inspiration these days... keep it coming. Without further ado, here's our line-up for this issue: "Widow's Pass" by Si Wang-- On the last day of a legendary detective's life, there's one final case to solve. "Speak Me in Passing" by Tyree Campbell--Years weigh heavily on a dragon's immortal soul until a chance encounter with another strange being. "The Tailor of Gloomwick" by Lisa Voorhees--This tailor mends hearts, not clothes, but who will take care of his? "For the Love of Earth" by Dawn Bonnano--The unseen guardians of Earth have made a decision about humanity, and only one voice dissents. "A Brief Accounting of All of the Times I Thought I was Pregnant" by Rachel Rodman--What starts as a fixation on fertility spins into a mind-boggling journey through space and time. "VEND3000" by Hannah O'Doom--A new vending machine that delivers the dreamiest snacks may cost you more than your spare change. Last but not least, we offer our sincere thanks to our cover artist for this issue: Barbara Candiotti with "The Visitor." Thanks for reading, Lesley, Nikki, Grayson, and the Electric Spec Team P.S. If you happen to live in Colorado, where our team is based, you might be interested to hear that our own Grayson Towler is teaching two workshops at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Gold Conference (September 9, 10, 11). For any writer, no matter where you live, we recommend looking into your local writers' associations--they're a great resource for connecting with agents, editors, and your fellow writers to expand your craft.