Issue Seventeen now online!

There’s a thin line between love and hate, between friends and enemies, between helping someone and hurting them. And there’s an even thinner line between lust and a trip to the emergency room, between leaving a man behind and laying down cover fire while he makes his escape, between poetic license and an ill-conceived run-on sentence. And the line between wanting a hamburger and punching your buddy in the face? You need a microscope.

So, to honor that thin, poorly painted, hard-to-see line – the one that runs haphazard through your psyche, crosses a busy interstate and then doubles back on itself and jumps off a cliff, leaving you simultaneously sad, furious, horny and tired – we bring you issue seventeen of Jersey Devil Press.

First up is the based-on-a-true-story “The Monster at Baggage Carousel #3,” by Matthew Bey. Next it’s Carol Deminski’s tender “The Fortune Teller,” followed by Ken Ledford’s “Space Creature Versus Earth Creature.” Then we move onto the action-adventure part of our program with “Courting Aleksandra,” by Mark J. Reagan, and “Out of Sight, Out of Time,” by Timothy Miller.

Five magnificent stories presenting a grab bag of emotions, all guaranteed to be less straightforward than you’d think.

Read it online here, or download the .pdf here. As always, if a particular story tickles your fancy – or any other parts, for that matter – be sure to leave a comment, or share it on the social site of your choice, or buy the author a drink. Or all three. Trust me, they’re not gonna mind.

Issue Sixteen now online!

I know we’re technically a few days shy of the new year, but welcome to Issue Sixteen, the first issue of 2011!

We start this issue on the crowded sidewalks of the cities and we end on the post-apocalyptic shores of Wisconsin. Specifically, our first stop is the subway and the enigmatic Eric Westerlind’s “In A Pinch.” Next we go topside, to a tale playing out in every cafe across this country, with “Brown and Green: A Love Story,” by Hobie Anthony. After that, we go globe-trotting with scientists in “The Unanswerable Question, Answered,” by Aidan Ryan, only to end up in a world few would recognize in “If No, Then Else,” by Jersey native Brian Hurrel. We continue through this changed land with Jozelle Dyer’s magnificent tale of love and zombies, “Jenny,” making our way to the aforementioned Wisconsin with Ken Brosky’s end of days epic, “Apocalypse Wow!”

Dig in, people. This year’s just beginning.

You can find the online version here for your internetting pleasure, or you can download the .pdf here and read it on your fancy mobile device. Whichever you choose, be sure to comment on any stories that tickle your respective fancy. Right now the spam is outclassing the actual comments by a wide margin and it’s making us sad.

Happy Holiday Half-Issue!

caffeine is good for youHello and welcome to the Jersey Devil Press Holiday Half-Issue for 2010. We’ve got a story about Christmas, Anti-Christmas, and one about the Winter Solstice. We’ve got a story about drinking, cockroaches, and one that’s a direct result of why malls suck post-Thanksgiving. We’ve got a story about Satan, a goat, and one about nuclear weapons.

We’ve got three stories, and, in the spirit of this gift-giving season, we’re not telling you what’s inside which. You’re just going to have to wait until you open the issue and read them all.

Look at them, all wrapped up and shiny. Whoever could they be from? The first tag says “’The First Thing I’ll Need is a Goat’ by Rijn Collins.” Then it’s a crudely wrapped box with “’Mall Satan’ by the man they call Danger_Slater” scrawled upon it. And, finally, a massive gift that says “’Blitzenkrieg’ by Ryan Forsythe.” That one’s ticking for some reason.

So, OK, maybe you can discern a little from the titles. Try to act surprised anyway.

You can check under the tree and find the online issue here, or print out the .pdf here and stuff it into somebody’s stocking. Hey, look at that. Your Christmas shopping is done.