THE NEXT FEW ISSUES promise to be good ones—we have several knockout stories edging and jostling each other for position like groupies at a rock concert, all trying to get close to the star. Take a look at some of these gems:

"Dragon's Gate" by Pat Murphy is our cover story in August, a wintry tale of a storyteller on a reluctant quest to the dragon's lair.

"Pictures from an Expedition" by Alex Irvine takes us to Mars with a small crew who are definitely not your father's astronauts. This one is a space race story for the Twenty-First Century.

"Hooyoo Love" marks Fred Chappell's first appearance in our pages—it's a wry satire about the latest thing in alien/human behavior.

"The Navatar" by Jerry Oltion introduces us to an AI car driver with ambitions.

"Hunter Lake" by Gene Wolfe is a subtle new story from the master.

Richard Paul Russo, Dale Bailey, Esther Friesner, and Terry Bisson are some of the other writers whose stories are maneuvering to get space in the big October/November anniversary issue. Which ones will make it? Subscribe now to make sure you'll find out.