From far-distant nether dimensions of imagination, editorial overlords have transmitted another fabulous issue of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly to our mundane plane of existence. Teams of blind scribes in the Himalayas, listening intently to the vibrations of the snow butterflies of Nepal, have transcribed the text with eager hands. And once again, the world owes them a great debt. (And maybe a case of beer. From a mico-brewery, not the cheap stuff.)

The latest issue includes stories by Dennis Mombauer, Aidan Doyle, Raphael Ordoñez, and HFQ editor James Rowe. Here’s the complete TOC, with fiction links.

“Thokmay,” by Dennis Mombauer. We start this issue off with some great weird fiction.  There is foul magic at work within the walls of the monasteries hidden in the bleak mountains of a fantasy Tibet. Dennis is a returning alum, with is story Melting Gold and Ashes in issue 24.

The Thing Without Color, by Aidan Doyle. Were the bleak mountains of Tibet not enough for you?  Fine!  We’ll journey to the glacial realm at the far edge of Japanese Mirror Emperor’s realm and join aging demon-hunter Akamiko on a routine fetch-and-carry mission that goes horribly awry.

Heart of Tashyas, by Raphael Ordoñez. From the mountains of the far east we venture to the desert of the Tejas wasteland to join vagabond conquistador Francisco Carvajal y Lopez as he faces the mind-blasting horrors hidden within that endless and changeless land.

Bonus Story! The Price of Mockery in Dallium, by James Rowe. HFQ editor James Rowe returns with a short tale that hinges on a mighty philosophical riddle.

See the complete issue here.

HFQ 31 includes story-specific artwork by Samuel Dillon, Skye Hembre, and Raphael Ordoñez. The cover, “Dangerous Journey,” is by Jereme Peabody.

Poems this issue are:

Undercurrents, by Jennifer Crow. Poetry so good you’d crash your boat on the rocks for more!

Seventeenth Lesson, by Mary Soon Lee. Ms. Lee returns with another poem in her Sign of the Dragon cycle.

The issue also contains reports on the various Goings On with the staff. One thing that’s too new to be included: editor William Ledbetter brand new Nebula nomination for “The Long Fall Up” (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction). Congratulations William!

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly is an ezine dedicated to publishing short works of heroic fantasy. It is edited by Adrian Simmons, David Farney, William Ledbetter, and James Frederick William Rowe, and published four times a year in July, October, January, and April. Issues are posted to the website, and are completely free.

We last covered HFQ with Fletcher Vredenburgh’s report on issue #30 in his October Short Story Roundup.

Our February Fantasy Magazine Rack is here. See all of our recent fantasy magazine coverage here.