The November-December issue of Britain’s longest running science fiction and fantasy magazine is now on sale. The cover, “Sleepy Hollow,” is by Martin Hanford (click the image at right for a bigger version.) This issue offers some fascinating ideas. Here’s Lois Tilton at Locus Online on Malcolm Devlin’s “Five Conversations with My Daughter (Who Travels in Time).”

One night, after yet another fight with his wife, Dad’s six-year-old daughter comes to join him on the sofa and begins to speak in the voice of an adult woman. It seems that from time to time her future self can rejoin herself as a child, in moments when two points converge — whatever that means. She’s come now to ask a favor, later… He does, of course, promise, and as the years pass he comes more and more to believe her. But the favor she asks, when the time comes, isn’t what he would have chosen.

And on Rich Larson’s “We Might Be Sims”

The three disposable convicts on an experimental trip to Europa [“We’re cheap enough already,” Mack says. “We’re a tin can full of human detritus.”] have long since gone stir-crazy, each in different ways. Jasper has decided it’s all a simulation, that they’re really locked in a bunker somewhere on Earth. He wants to open the hatch, to prove it.

Read Lois’ complete comments on the issue here.

Interzone #261 contains five stories:

“Five Conversations With My Daughter (Who Travels In Time)” by Malcolm Devlin
“We Might Be Sims” by Rich Larson
“Heartsick” by Greg Kurzawa
“Florida Miracles” by Julie C. Day
“Scienceville” by Gary Gibson
“Laika” by Ken Altabef

Non-fiction this issue includes “We All Need Diverse Books” by Maureen Kincaid Speller, Future Interrupted by Jonathan McCalmont, on ‘Core Science Fiction,’ and Time Pieces by Nina Allan, this month on Dr. WHo, plus David Langford’s Ansible Link, and the regular columns: book reviews, Nick Lowe’s Mutant Popcorn film reviews, and Tony Lee’s DVD column, Laser Fodder. Issue 261 is nearly 100 pages and packed with fiction, columns, and top-notch art.

Interzone is the sister magazine of Black Static, both are published by TTA Press in the UK. The distinguished Andy Cox is the editor of both.

One of the reasons I enjoy Interzone so much is that it’s a delight to look at. The design and interior art, as usual, are top notch. Here’s this issue’s table of contents.

Here’s the opening spread for “Five Conversations With My Daughter (Who Travels In Time)” by Malcolm Devlin (illustrated by Richard Wagner).

And “Florida Miracles” by Julie C. Day (illustrated by Richard Wagner).

And “Scienceville” by Gary Gibson (illustrated by Vince Haig).

As usual, the reviews look great. Here’s part of Nick Lowe’s Mutant Popcorn column.

And Tony Lee’s Laser Fodder column.

As we’ve mentioned before, magazines like Interzone are completely dependent on fans and readers to keep them alive. I hope this one survives for a good long time — but it won’t without reader support. If it sounds intriguing, I hope you’ll consider buying an issue next time you find yourself browsing the magazine rack.

See more details and excerpts from issue 261 at the TTA website.

Interzone is edited by Andy Cox, and published by TTA Press. Issue #261 is cover-dated November-December 2015. It is 96 pages, priced at £4.99. The cover is by Martin Hanford. Copies are usually around $9.99 here in the US. A six-issue subscription is £27 (UK) and £33 in the US. Order right from the TTA Press website.

We last covered Interzone with Issue 260.

See our December Fantasy Magazine Rack here, and all of our recent Magazine coverage here.