The theme of our massive 15th issue, captured beautifully by Donato Giancola’s striking cover, is Warrior Women. Eight authors — Jonathan L. Howard, Maria V. Snyder, Frederic S. Durbin, Sarah Avery, Paula R. Stiles, Emily Mah, S. Hutson Blount, and Brian Dolton — contribute delightful tales of female warriors, wizards, weather witches, thieves, and other brave women as they face deadly tombs, sinister gods, unquiet ghosts, and much more.

Frederic S. Durbin takes us to a far land where two dueling gods pit their champions against each other in a deadly race to the World’s End. Brian Dolton offers us a tale of Ancient China, a beautiful occult investigator, and a very peculiar haunting. And Jonathan L. Howard returns to our pages with “The Shuttered Temple,” the sequel to “The Beautiful Corridor” from Black Gate 13, in which the resourceful thief Kyth must penetrate the secrets of a mysterious and very lethal temple.

What else is in BG 15? Howard Andrew Jones bring us a lengthy excerpt from his blockbuster novel The Desert of Souls, featuring the popular characters Dabir & Asim. Harry Connolly returns after too long an absence with “Eating Venom,” in which a desperate soldier faces a basilisk’s poison — and the treachery it brings. John C. Hocking begins a terrific new series with “A River Through Darkness & Light,” featuring a dedicated Archivist who leads a small band into a deadly desert tomb; John Fultz shares the twisted fate of a thief who dares fantastic dangers to steal rare spirits indeed in “The Vintages of Dream,” and Vaughn Heppner kicks off an exciting new sword & sorcery saga as a young warrior flees the spawn of a terrible god through the streets of an ancient city in “The Oracle of Gog.”

Plus fiction from Darrell Schweitzer, Jamie McEwan, Michael Livingston, Chris Willrich, Fraser Ronald, Derek Künsken, Jeremiah Tolbert, Nye Joell Hardy, and Rosamund Hodge!

In our generous non-fiction section, Mike Resnick educates us on the best in black & white fantasy cinema, Bud Webster turns his attention to the brilliant Tom Reamy in his Who? column on 20th Century fantasy authors, Scott Taylor challenges ten famous fantasy artists to share their vision of a single character in Art Evolution, and Rich Horton looks at the finest fantasy anthologies of the last 25 years. Plus over 30 pages of book, game, and DVD reviews, edited by Bill Ward, Howard Andrew Jones, and Andrew Zimmerman Jones — and a brand new Knights of the Dinner Table strip.

Buy this issue for only $18.95, or as part of bundle of back issues — any two for just $25 plus shipping!

Buy this issue in PDF for only $8.95!

Buy the Kindle version at Amazon.com for just $9.95!

Black Gate 15 is another huge issue: 384 pages of fiction, reviews, and articles. It contains 22 stories, totaling nearly 152,000 words of adventure fantasy. Complete details on all the contents after the jump.

Black Gate 15 — Spring 2011

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• 384 pages, $18.95
• On Sale April, 2011
• Edited by John O’Neill
• Published by New Epoch Press
• Managing Editor: Howard Andrew Jones
• Website Editor: C.S.E. Cooney
• Contributing Editors: Rich Horton, Andrew Zimmerman Jones, Bill Ward
• Cover by Donato Giancola
• Spot Art by Chris Seaman
• Interior Art by Kent Burles, Storn Cook, Mark Evans, David Grilla, John E. Kaufmann, Jim & Ruth Keegan, Malcolm McClinton, Bernie Mireault, Jim Pavelec, Chris Seaman, Stephen F. Venters, Michael Vilardi

Order this issue for only $18.95 plus $3.50 shipping – or as part of a 2-issue subscription for just $32.95.

Special Warrior Woman Issue

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Jonathan L. Howard, Maria V. Snyder, Frederic S. Durbin, Sarah Avery, Paula R. Stiles, Emily Mah, S. Hutson Blount, and Brian Dolton contribute eight tales of female warriors, wizards, weather witches, thieves, and other brave women as they face deadly tombs, sinister gods, unquiet ghosts — and much more.

“The Shuttered Temple”
by Jonathan L. Howard
“It kills people,” said Kyth. “And the Prythians are offering a fortune to the one who can get in.” The sequel to “The Beautiful Corridor” from Black Gate 13.

“The War of the Wheat Berry Year”
by Sarah Avery
The Traitor of Imlen faced her old instructor on the battlefield at last.

“Roundelay”
by Paula R. Stiles
The Queen of Hell had stolen her husband, and she sailed to Hell to win him back.

“The River People”
by Emily Mah
River women were banned from the warriors’ trials. But Sora wasn’t a River woman.

“Cursing the Weather”
by Maria V. Snyder
Nysa’s mother lay dying, and money for medicine meant prostitution. Or did it? From the author of “The Wizard’s Daily Horoscope,” from Black Gate 11.

“The Laws of Chaos Left Us All in Disarray”
by S. Hutson Blount
Dire things tracked them, and unless they discovered how the pilgrims would die.

“World’s End”
by Frederic S. Durbin
“You need a half-god,” the smiling monkey-god told Erhin. “We expect much less.”

“What Chains Bind Us”
by Brian Dolton
The whispers in the night drove men mad, and Yi Qin had sworn to silence them.

Short Stories

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“A River Through Darkness and Light”
by John C. Hocking
“Lucella’s found trouble,” said the old soldier. He sounded unsurprised. From the author of “The Face in the Sea” (BG 13) and “The Bonestealer’s Mirror” (BG14).

“The Oracle of Gog”
by Vaughn Heppner
Could Lod defeat the grandson of a dark god? A classic tale of sword & sorcery in a decadent city.

“The Gifts of Li Tzu-Ch’eng”
by Derek Künsken
“I bear gifts from heaven,” said the former courtesan.

“Groob’s Stupid Grubs”
by Jeremiah Tolbert
The strong survived in the Underneath. But there was room for the smart, in the cracks.

“Into the Gathering Dark”
by Darrell Schweitzer
A Tale of Thomas the Rhymer, and the Queen of Elfland. From the author of “A Dark Miracle” (Black Gate 3)

“An Uprising of One”
by Jamie McEwan
Could one intrepid prince topple a kingdom?

“Eating Venom”
by Harry Connolly
They hunted a basilisk that poisoned everything it touched… and was lethal, even in death. By the author of “The Whoremaster of Pald” (BG 2), “Another Man’s Burden” (BG 3), and “Soldiers of a Dying God” (BG 10).

“Dellith’s Child”
by Nye Joell Hardy
The thing had the captain in its spell… and the crew saw no way out.

“Apotheosis”
by Rosamund Hodge
Ipu needed a new god, and sent three sons across the Commotionless Sea to obtain one.

“The Vintages of Dream”
by John R. Fultz
There once lived a sorcerer Zang who bottled his own dreams, and an intrepid thief named Thulon… From the author of “Oblivion Is the Sweetest Wine” (BG 12) and “Return of the Quill” (BG 13).

“Purging Cocytus”
by Michael Livingston
A medical miracle revived the dead… or something that looked like them. From the author of “The Hand That Binds” (Black Gate 9).

“The Lions of Karthagar”
by Chris Willrich
Two armies came to Karthagar, beside the Ruby waste.

“A Pound of Dead Flesh”
by Fraser Ronald
It was a simple enough job: deliver a box to a necromancer. Except for what was in the box…

Novel Excerpt

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The Desert of Souls
by Howard Andrew Jones

A generous sample from the first novel-length adventure of Dabir and Asim, explorers extraordinaire in 8th Century Arabia, who appeared in “Sight of Vengeance” (Black Gate 10), and “Whispers from the Stone” (Black Gate 12).

Features

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Who?! – San Diego Lightfoot Tom
by Bud Webster

Hope for the Color Blind: Classic Black & White Fantasy
by Mike Resnick

Original Anthology Series, The Past Decade
by Rich Horton

Art Evolution
by Scott Taylor

Departments

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Editorial: Why Johnny Can’t Read, by John O’Neill

Letters, From Our Readers

Back Issues: A list of rare (but miraculously still available) back issues of Black Gate.

Next Issue: Fantastic fantasy from:

Greg Bierly, C.S.E. Cooney, Brian Dolton, Vaughn Heppner, John C. Hocking, Howard Andrew Jones, E.E. Knight, Sean J. Lachlan, Mark Lawrence, Todd McAulty, Jamie McEwan, Peadar O Guilin, Aaron Bradford Starr, Jason Thummel, Martha Wells, and more!

Book Reviews

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Thoughts on the latest Fantasy Books: 32 pages of reviews, assembled and edited by Bill Ward. Titles reviewed include:

Boneshaker, Cherie Priest (Tor)
Brunner: The Bounty Hunter Omnibus, C.L. Werner (The Black Library)
Ulrika: The Vampire: Bloodborn, Nathan Long (The Black Library)
Conspirator, C. J. Cherryh (DAW)
Cthulhu’s Reign, edited by Darrel Schweitzer (DAW)
First Lord’s Fury, Jim Butcher (Ace Books)
Is Anybody Out There?, edited by Nick Gevers and Marty Halpern (DAW)
Ivy’s Ever After, Dawn Lairamore (Holiday House)
Keeper of Dreams, Orson Scott Card (Tor)
The Mermaid’s Madness, Jim C. Hines (DAW)
Perfect Murders, Horace L. Gold (Bison Books)
Prospero in Hell, L. Jagi Lamplighter (Tor)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim: Mark Twain’s Classic with Crazy Zombie Goodness, Mark Twain and W. Bill Czolgosz (Coscom Entertainment)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Undead, Mark Twain and Don Borchert (Tor)
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)
Shadow Prowler, Alexey Pehov, translated by Andrew Bromfield (Tor)
Swords from the Sea, Harold Lamb, edited by Howard Andrew Jones (Bison Books)
Swords from the East, Harold Lamb, edited by Howard Andrew Jones (Bison Books)
The Tears of Ishtar, Michael Ehart (Ancient Tomes Press)
The Conqueror’s Shadow, Ari Marmell (Spectra/Ballantine)
The Darkslayer: An Epic Fantasy, Volume One, Craig Halloran (Two-Ten Book Press)
The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff (DAW)
The Holler, Marge Fulton (BlackWyrm Press)
The Last Page, Anthony Huso (Tor)
The Prow Beast, Robert Low (Harper Collins UK)
The Spirit Thief, Rachel Aaron (Orbit Books)
The Way of Kings, Brandon Sanderson (Tor)
The Desert of Souls, Howard Andrew Jones (Thomas Dunne Books)

Reviewed by Chris Braak, Charlene Brusso, C.S.E. Cooney, Andrew Zimmerman Jones, Howard Andrew Jones, Jackson Kuhl, Don Lee, Thomas M. MacKay, Brian Murphy, John Ottinger III, Mark Rigney, David Soyka, Matthew David Surridge, Bill Ward, Josh Wimmer

Gaming

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Fantasy Game Reviews, assembled and edited by Howard Andrew Jones.

The D&D Gamma World Roleplaying Game, Richard Baker and Bruce R. Cordell (Wizards of the Coast)
Alien Modules 3: Darrians, Pete Nash (Mongoose)
Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space, David F. Chapman (Cubicle 7)
Traveller Compendium 1, Various Authors (Mongoose Publishing)
Legends of Anglerre: Starblazer Fantasy Adventures, Sarah Newton and Chris Burch, et al (Cubicle 7)
Victoriana Second Edition Core Rulebook (Cubicle 7)
Victoriana Gamemaster’s Screen (Cubicle 7)
The Marylebone Mummy (Cubicle 7)
Faulkner’s Millinery and Miscellanea (Cubicle 7)
Faces in the Smoke, vol. 1: The Secret Masters (Cubicle 7)
Pathfinder GameMastery Guide, Various Authors (Paizo)
Pathfinder Bestiary (Paizo)
Pathfinder Chronicles: City of Strangers (Paizo)
The Tome of Secrets: Advanced Options for Players and Game Masters, Walt Ciechanowski, Gareth-Michael Skarka, and others (Adamant)
Dark Sun Campaign Setting, Richard Baker, Robert J. Schwalb, and Rodney Thompson (Wizards of the Coast)
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun Creature Catalog, Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell (Wizards of the Coast)
The Oracle’s Breath, Grayson Dew and George Dew (Dark City Games)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide, Jason Bulmahn (Paizo)
Mars: Savage Worlds Edition (Adamant Entertainment)
Orcs of Golarion, Paizo Staff (Paizo)
Gnomes of Golarion, Paizo Staff (Paizo)
Colonial Gothic: Gazetteer, Graeme Davis (Rogue Games)
Colonial Gothic: Flames of Freedom Boston Besieged, Graeme Davis and Richard Iorio II (Rogue Games)
Witch Hunter: The Invisible World (Paradigm Concepts)
Supernatural Role Playing Game: Corebook (Margaret Weis Productions)
Supernatural RPG: The Hunt Begins (Margaret Weis Productions)
Supernatural RPG: Adventures (Margaret Weis Productions)
Supernatural RPG: Guide to the Hunted (Margaret Weis Productions)
Daring Tales of Adventure Compendium 1, Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams  (Triple Ace Games)
Daring Tales of Adventure Compendium 2, Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams  (Triple Ace Games)
The Dungeon Alphabet, Michael Curtis (Goodman Games)
Sundered Skies Companion, Dave Blewer & Kevin L. Anderson (Triple Ace Games )
Geist: The Sin Eaters, Various Authors (White Wolf)
Book of the Dead, Various Authors (White Wolf)
Hellfrost Gazetteer, Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams (Triple Ace Games)
GM Gems, Various Authors (Goodman Games)

Reviewed by Vincent N. Darlage, Andrew Zimmerman Jones, Howard Andrew Jones, E.E. Knight, Sarah Newton, Robert Rowe

Fantasy DVD Reviews

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Clash of the Titans (1981)
Clash of the Titans (2010)
The Lovely Bones (2010)
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
MirrorMask (2005)
Dark City (1998)
The Dunwich Horror (1970)

Reviewed by Alana Joli Abbott, Jennifer Brozek, Elizabeth Cady, Andrea Grennan, Andrew Zimmerman Jones

Comics

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Knights of the Dinner Table: The Java Joint

Eddie breaks off from the Java Joint Reading Club and founds his own reading group — with disastrous results.

An original 4-page Knights of the Dinner Table strip by Jolly Blackburn, Steve Johansson, and John O’Neill.