THE EDITOR’S WORD by Lezli Robyn

We did it! We’ve published the fiftieth issue of Galaxy’s Edge. This would not have happened without our publisher, Shahid Mahmud, asking his dear friend, Mike Resnick, for advice on how to get an editor for a proposed science fiction and fantasy magazine, and to learn what publishing bi-monthly issues would entail. Mike quickly offered up his editorial expertise on the condition that the focus of the magazine would be on buying original fiction from new writers, with Shahid realizing that buying reprints off more established authors would also help increase the readership of the magazine.

And the rest is history.

For eight years our magazine has greeted the world every two months. Eight years of new authors being excited to have their fiction debut alongside the greats of the field.

But we couldn’t have done it without a dedicated team behind the scenes. Jean Rabe was Mike’s right hand woman for many of his years as editor, helping him establish the magazine. Joy Ward also gifted us with years of insightful interviews that gave readers a window into the lives of their favorite authors. Jean Marie Ward now joins our team as our new interviewer, and is already working in the background to bring us conversations with authors we can’t wait to welcome to the pages of Galaxy’s Edge.

We’ve also had great columnists over the years—Barry N. Malzberg, Robert J. Sawyer, Gregory Benford, and our newest columnist, L. Penelope—and we were so lucky to have Paul Cook, then Bill Fawcett and Jody Lynn Nye, recommending books for our readers each issue, until Richard Chwedyk took over the review column.

But if you want to peel the curtain back even further, there is our lovely copyeditor, Taylor Morris, and Chandi Riaz’s typesetting team who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make our words look good on the printed page.

And I have not even mentioned everyone—hello, Martin L. Shoemaker!—because my editorial can only be so long.

But the people we need to thank the most are our readers. Yes, you. Thank you for continuing to support us. Thanks for coming up to us at conventions (when we still went to conventions…) to tell us how you look forward to seeing our latest issue, and how much you love reading our magazine.

One thing that has become clear over the years, is that a dedicated community has formed around Galaxy’s Edge, and we could not feel more proud. As of the fiftieth issue, we’ve published over five hundred and fifty short stories (!!!) and that is only because you want to read them.

This issue we’re delighted to have a new story by Jack McDevitt, where a scientific genius travels forward in time to right a wrong committed in her past. You’ll want to cheer her on from the sidelines and maybe even chuckle at the story’s parting lines, like this editor did. We also have two more pieces that deal with righting wrongs. “A Stripe of a Different Color” tells the story of an underground agent belonging to a futuristic feline sub-species whose actions aid in the revolution of his people. And Brittney and Brianna Winner’s “The Negotiator” is a lesson on how prejudice can obscure what is right or wrong—until the veil is lifted from our eyes. It is utterly compelling fiction. In fact, all three stories demonstrate how a powerful message can be delivered with a great economy of words.

We also welcome back to our pages Laurie Tom and C. Stuart Hardwick, with two original pieces, and Todd McCaffrey and David Farland with two reprint fantasy stories. Mike Resnick’s piece this issue, “Barnaby in Exile,” is an absolute tearjerker, specifically saved by me to be published in this issue for the impact it will have on our readers. You’ll also be able to read the second half of Walter Jon Williams “Incarnation Day,” where, in the outer solar system, children are raised as computer simulations and then incarnated into physical bodies when they come of age.

And lastly, our final piece of short fiction in this issue is an English translation of a story that first appeared in the Chinese edition of Galaxy’s Edge magazine, edited by Yang Feng: Cheng Jingbo’s “Mr. Komatsu Hates Cats,” which was beautifully translated by S. Qiouyi Lu. Reading like a magical realism story but with a science fiction tilt, this piece also fits the unintended theme of several stories within this issue: overcoming prejudice to learn something valuable from a stranger.

We’re absolutely delighted to announce that starting with this story, Yang Feng will be presenting a new piece of translated fiction every issue, in a short story exchange of sorts between our two magazines and countries. It is always a pleasure to work with our Chinese sister magazine.

We hope our readers enjoy this milestone issue!