Books in the Pulp Literature series

Dare to venture behind the intriguing cover by award-winning British artist Ben Baldwin and you'll find that … Feature author, Kristene Perron, asks us to savour the simple things in life and question the validity of tradition in 'Flavour of the Forsaken'. Those of you who admire magpies for their intelligence and unique beauty will find these qualities in this year's winners of the Magpie Award for Poetry, Kelli Allen, Christine Levickzy Riek, and Angela Caravan. Great-Great-Grandpa stops by for a visit 90 years after his death in 'Away Game' by Mitchell Toews, and for some reason, we're not at all surprised. 'Gross Motor' by Sara Mang takes us back to kindergarten, while the hardworking folks in Mitchell's Crossing contend with a nosy superhero and government officials in 'Small Town Superhero' by Dave Beynon. Epiphany Ferrell exposes the dubious talents of a ne'er-do-well townsman in 'Every Town Has One', and Susan Pieters challenges us to walk in someone else's shoes with 'Waking Up Black'. Love jewellery? We doubt you'll want one of the bracelets in Summer Jewel Keown's 'Indebted'. Alex Reece Abbott lands quick punches you won't flinch from with 'Alphabet Soup', while coffee lovers and dreamers beware of 'The Hub', SiWC's Honourable Mention by Erin Evans. Mel Anastasiou's graphic story 'Meat' involves a gargoyle who rises above his station, while the next instalment of Allaigna's Song: Aria by JM Landels takes us deeper into unknown territory.

Featured author Kelly Robson shows us that wine making is a labour of love, and sometimes hate, in 'Good for Grapes'.Matthew Hughes's magnum opus, What the Wind Brings, debuts aboard the Spanish galleon La Virgen, with an epic struggle brewing on the horizon.Stella Ryman is ready for new adventures in Stella Ryman and the Locked Room Mystery by Mel Anastasiou, while Allaigna must make hasty goodbyes in the final chapter of Allaigna's Song: Aria by JM Landels.It's a dog-eat-dog world - or wolf-eat-dog world - in Christian Walter's 'Wolf, Dog, Sun', and Zoë Johnson reminds us to take stock of everyday miracles in 'Inherited Love of Unexplainable Things'.Take a draught of heady poetry from Casey Reiland, Raluca Balasa, and Alison Braid.Lena Mahmoud breathes new life into an old Arabian folk tale with 'The Thieving Pot', and Josephine Greenland dissects a Thai myth in the Bumblebee Contest winner, 'Wife Giver'.Deborah L Davitt's protagonists hold out for as long as they can in 'On the Sixth Day'.Come and get the good stuff in Susan Pieters's 'Black Market', and see the dark(er) side of the financial district in Lola Street's 'Wall Street at Night' illustrated by Chaille Stovall.We have the two runners-up of the Surrey International Writers' Conference Storyteller Contest in this issue: 'Biophilia' shows us there's hope in Margot Spronk's post-apocalyptic world, but not necessarily for humans; while Deepthi Atukorala takes us down an emotional rabbit hole with 'White Rabbit'.Great reads for the price of a beer!