Last issue, editor Douglas Draa shared the good news that Weirdbook would produce four issues this year — plus a themed annual. That seemed a little ambitious for a re-launched magazine still getting its sea legs… but the second issue of 2017 arrived right on schedule last month. Weirdbook has fast become one of the most reliable and energetic new fantasy magazines on the market, and with over 80,000 words of fiction (nearly 200 pages) crammed into every issue, its already one of the best values around. I predict great things for this magazine.

In his editorial, Doug reported that the themed issue this October will be dedicated to Witches. A fine choice. A glance at the TOC for this issue reveals a pair of names that will be familiar to Black Gate readers: Darrell Schweitzer (who published two pieces in the print edition of BG) and John R. Fultz, who contributed no less than four (including “When the Glimmer Faire Came to the City of the Lonely Eye,” which you can read in its entirety online as part of our Online Fiction Library.)

Here’s what John had to say about his newest story on his blog.

WEIRDBOOK #35 marks my third appearance in that esteemed magazine. This time around my contribution is a weird horror piece called “The Man Who Murders Happiness.”… Every now and then I like to step outside the boundaries of fantasy and go for straight-up horror; this story is exactly such an excursion into the macabre. It was born out of the angst and anxiety of 2016, and hopefully it reaches into the deep core of human existence to explore the abiding darkness there. Or maybe it’s just a glimpse into a dark world that is a distorted parallel of our own.

Click the image above right for the complete Table of Contents of issue #35.

Weirdbook is published by Wildside Press, and edited by Douglas Draa. Issues are 170+ pages, and priced $12 for the print edition, and $3.99 for the digital version. Subscriptions are currently not available, but you can buy individual issues at Amazon.com and Wildside Press.

The cover this issue is by Grandfailure/Fotolia.

We last covered Weirdbook with issue #34. The magazine’s website is here.

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