AS THE CALENDAR CHANGES and we proceed with our fifty-fifth year of publication, we have plenty of good fiction awaiting us. Next month's issue will include a new story by Nancy Etchemendy, "Nimitseahpah," which takes us to a frontier mining town where a young schoolteacher stands witness to unforgettable events.

Also scheduled for next month is a powerful new novelet by Michael Shea, "The Growlimb." This story is one of those rare tales that defies description but affects readers strongly. Don't miss it.

Our January issue will also feature Gregory Benford's latest column, in which he fills us in on his current work with solar sails, Robert Killheffer's book column on the subject of liberty, and plenty more good fiction and nonfiction.

In months ahead, we'll have new stories by Steven Utley, Robert Reed, Garth Nix, and a variety of newcomers. Give a friend a subscription and share the reading pleasure through the year.