Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2022

2022 Edited By Robert Greenberger 2022 Contents for 2022-23 Thrilling Mystery Yarns The Society We Keep………………...……….Jenifer Purcell Rosenberg 1 The Hardwicke Files: The Case of the Great Laugh….Russ Colchamiro 15 The Woman from Wuchu…………………………...……..…...Mary Fan 29 Thrilling Western Yarns The Sheriff of Yucca-Pucca Gulch…...……………...Harvey Kurtzman 44 Pursuant………………………………….....Michelle Sears & Bart Sears 51 The Dead Won’t Die……………………………….……..Fabian Nicieza 63 Thrilling Two-Fisted Yarns The Gunshade: Rapid Fire…………………………..…..Aaron Rosenberg 77 Ticonderoga Beck and the Stalwart Squad……Keith R.A. DeCandido 91 Thrilling Aviation Yarn Trouble in the Air………………………………….……...Jody Lynn Nye 111 Thrilling Occult Yarns All Your Dreams …………………………………………..Lucienne Diver 129 Notes…………………………………………………….…Mark Verheiden 143 On Breathless Wings………………………...…………….…Will Murray 155 Diana Montalvan and El Tiburon of Tree Lawn……….….Alex Segura 163 The Shade Strikes………………………….….….…………..Peter David 177 Riding in Cars with Girls……………………………….Geoffrey Thorne 187 Overdue……………………………………………………...Diane Duane 227 Punkins and the Moon Varmint……………………………..Lester Dent 257 Thrilling Science Fiction Yarns The Schwarzchild Radius………………………..………..David Gerrold 269 Sea People………………………………………….…...Raymond Benson 279 Straight on till Morning………………………….….…Paul Kupperberg 291 Thrilling Sword & Sorcery Yarns Waste Not …………………………………………Michael Jan Friedman 305 A Slayer in the Sanctuary …………………..….………………Greg Cox 321 The Power behind the Throne…………………...…….Hildy Silverman 333 On the Sea to Freedom……………………..…..….Robert Greenberger 347 The King’s Tongue……………………………………..…….....Jean Rabe 359 The House of the Spider………………………….Lawrence Watt-Evans 371 Never Send a Man………………………….…………….Caitlin Rozakis 385 The Ghosts of War…………………………..………………Steven Savile 397 About Our Contributors 414 Cover Art by Gary Carbon Logo by Jim Campbell Advertisements by Aaron Rosenberg Illustrations by Dennis Calero Kerry Callen Mike Collins Gene Gonzales Dærick Gröss Karl Kesel Peter Krause Luke McDonnell Adriano Moraes Ron Randall Tom Raney Josef Rubinstein Kevin West Mark Wheatley Rod Whigham “Sea People” © 2022 by Raymond Benson • “The Case of the Great Laugh” © Russ Colchamiro • “A Slayer in the Sanctuary” © 2022 by Greg Cox • “The Shade Strikes” © 2022 by Peter David • “Ticonderoga Beck and the Stalwart Squad” © 2022 by Keith R.A. DeCandido • “Punkins and the Moon Varmint “ © 2022 by Lester Dent Estate • “All Your Dreams” © 2022 by Lucienne Diver • “Overdue” © 2022 by Diane Duane • “Waste Not” © 2022 by Michael Jan Friedman • “Schwarzchild Radius” © 2022 by David Gerrold, originally appeared in Home On Derange • “The Woman from Wuchu” © 2022 by Mary Fan • “On the Sea to Freedom” © 2022 by Robert Greenberger • “The Sheriff of Yucca-Pucca Gulch” first appeared in John Wayne Adventure Comics #5 • “Straight on Till Morning” © 2022 by Paul Kupperberg • “The Dead Won’t Die” © 2022 by Fabian Nicieza • “Trouble in the Air” © 2022 by Jody Lynn Nye • “King’s Tongue” © 2022 by Jean Rabe • “Rapid Fire” © by Aaron Rosenberg • “The Society we Keep” © 2022 by Jenifer Purcell Rosenberg • “Never Send a Man” © 2022 by Rebecca Rozakis • “The Ghosts of War” © 2022 by Steven Savile • “Pursuant” © 2022 by Bart Sears & Michelle Sears • “Diana Montalvan and El Tiburon of Tree Lawn” © 2022 by Alex Segura • “The Power Behind the Throne” © 2022 by Hildy Silverman • “Riding in Cars with Girls” © 2022 by Geoffrey Thorne • “Notes” © 2022 by Mark Verheiden • “On Breathless Wings” © 2022 by Murry Ward • “The House of the Spider” © 2022 by Lawrence Watt-Evans • Illustrations © 2022 by the respective artists. • Design by Aaron Rosenberg • Trade ISBN 978-1-7320406-6-3 • Hardcover ISBN 978-1-7320406-7-0 • All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in Dedicated to Kalman Czegledy, for having put up with all the late night radio shows, trips to used bookstores and flea markets, and the tattered but treasured collections of youth, from a loving and grateful son, Peter Illustration by Adriano Moraes The Society We Keep By Jenifer Purcell Rosenberg Some days just seem to go out of their way to cause inconvenience. Wednesday, the eleventh of April was one such day. I had only just finished my volunteer shift at the London Library (Auntie Gert feels I should keep myself busy, and suggested the post, and Uncle Eugene’s dear friend Tom Longstaff, who is head librarian, agreed. Poor Uncle Eugene is mortified that his niece wishes to participate in the workforce and has insisted that I may only volunteer at a respectable institution. He’s unaware that Mr. Longstaff, who is simply the kindest man I know, provides me with some weekly pin money). As I was scurrying down the back stairs through the smaller stacks, I was waylaid by a paid librarian, Mr. Gregory Hampton. Mr. Hampton is tedious at the best of times, and I do suspect he leers at me when I’m unaware. “Miss Moore! Leaving so soon?” I blinked slowly to obfuscate my rolling eyes, then forced a cheerful smile. “That is Lady Penelope to you, as you are certainly aware, Mr. Hampton.” If he had his way, there would not be young ladies volunteering at the library. Despite being, I presume, about thirty, Mr. Hampton has some terribly old-fashioned ideas about women and education. I’m certain that I am a fair bit more intelligent than my supervising librarian, but I’m sure he doesn’t see it as such. “I do always take luncheon with my aunt and her circle on Wednesday afternoons, Mr. Hampton,” I said brightly. He nodded, but as I turned again to leave, he abruptly put his hand out, stopping me by pushing hard against my chest. I had right mind to slap him for the impertinence! “Were you on call when the delivery of maps, blueprints, and papers arrived from the Smirke Estate? They need to be cataloged.” I took a step back and crossed my arms in front of my chest. I could already feel a bruise developing where his hand had struck me. “Mr.