My original plan for this issue was to have articles that focused on the spirit of the month—those that covered horror, dark science fiction, and dark fantasy. The biggest problem with this plan was that I conceived it around the beginning of September—too late to expect our usual contributors to shift gears and far too late to do any specific call for submissions. We did manage to wrangle a couple of themed pieces to fit your Halloween mood, but I'm sure you'll agree that it's hardly enough to call this a themed issue. As such, I'll make the announcement now: Next October's issue (and hopefully all Octobers to come) will be dedicated to the dark, the chilling, and the macabre in genre fiction. I think this is fitting partially because we pay so little attention to it the rest of the year—and what better time to really focus on it than everyone's favorite cliché scary holiday? (Also, I must admit, it's my very favorite part of genre fiction.) Consider yourself notified—you now have a year to plan those articles.

Last month, you may remember my mentioning that we were going to start selling ad space. The FAQ, as promised, is up and ready right here. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to both support our efforts and promote your work! Just remember that no animated ads will be accepted—I would apologize for this inconvenience, but I find them so irritating that I just can't bring myself to do it.

Also, our contract-on-query contract is now available! Send us a detailed query that outlines the major points of your proposed article as well as your writing background and you may find yourself holding a spot in an upcoming issue without having written a word.

Speaking of things that I brought up last month, my "donate drinking game" suggestion was not nearly as popular as one might suspect. While we certainly do not want to sound ungrateful for the one donation that we received, we would like to subtly draw your attention to the left side of your screen. In that general area, you will also find the link to our Café Press store—because we know that life just isn't complete without an IROSF journal or mousepad.

Before you run off to read the rest of this issue—as you lean back in your chair, sipping from your IROSF coffee mug, no doubt—have you noticed that the entire site is now RSS ready? That's right—the news feed, the forums, the Recently Received section, and even the articles themselves are all hooked up and ready to be added to the reader of your choice. Add one of them or add all of them, just make sure that you're up-to-date on your SF news and your monthly dose of IROSF.