In this episode various household appliances have gone beserk, including the Mayor’s toaster. The toast is not, of course, real toast. It’s some plastic thing that looks like toast. In order to create the illusion that the toaster is flinging toast around the entire house, people stand outside camera range and throw these hard square pieces of plastic.

One of them went awry–no, it was not rye toast–and landed in my face. It smarts.

Thought you might be interested in seeing the cover for the spring issue of Shimmer. It features the art of the amazing David Ho.

Of course I’m pleased with the interior illustrations as well. Artwork by Paul Guinan, Stephen Stanley, Frank Harper, Joy Marchand and a dark new cartoon by Joseph Remy.

The table of contents is lovely too.
The Dealer’s Hands by Paul Abbamondi
A Warrior’s Death by Aliette de Bodard
Rubber Boots, Mr. President by Bruce K. Derksen
Paper Man by Darby Harn
Dog Thinks Ahead by Clifford Royal Johns
Litany by John Mantooth
The Little Matchgirl by Angela Slatter,
Drevka’s Rain by Marina T. Stern
and a review of Larry Niven’s Draco Tavern by John Joseph Adams