Hi, Readers -

Welcome to Issue 18 of 4 Star Stories! In this issue, we have five exciting and thought-provoking short stories and an essay  on UFO technology for you to read.

It is autumn, 2017, and we editors are really excited because we get to publish Issue Eighteen of 4 Star Stories for our readers.

“Hmmm?” You are probably saying to yourself about now, “I wonder what editors do besides getting really excited about forthcoming issues, sitting behind big desks in the Daily-Planet Building, and yelling, ‘Great Caesar’s Ghost!’ and ‘Where’s Kent?’.”

Well, it turns out there are a lot of different kinds of editors. Perry White of ‘Great Caesar’s Ghost!’ fame is the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet newspaper. Here at 4 Star Stories we editors are more boutique editors: that means we do several different kinds of editing for each issue we publish. One: because we are so talented and two: because we are the only editors here.

First we act as slush-pile reader/editors. We read every story submitted to 4 Star Stories, selecting the best ones for publication. Once a story passes out of the slush-pile, we become copy editor/proofreaders. We re-read each story, making notes concerning problems with plot, logic, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and so forth. We then work with the writers to correct these problems. We want each story we present to our readers to be in its best, tip-top form so our readers have the best reading experience possible. And, needless to say, because we want our writers to shine like stars because their stories shine like stars. Then we put on our managing editor hats and try to figure out which story will work best in which issue. Finally, we become publishing editors. As publishing editors we organize and create the look for each issue which we then publish, on-line, for you to read. Whew! That’s a lot of editing, as well as a lot of work and fun that we editors put into each issue.

Now, you can see why when we say, “We’re really excited about the new issue,” we really are!

In Issue Eighteen of 4 Star Stories we have 5 great new stories and an essay on UFO technology for you readers:

Classical  gods and goddesses living in the present day? Add to that a modern-day-science nightmare coming face to face with classical mythology, and things are bound to get interesting. That's Maureen Bowden's The Companions of the Winged Sandal.

Ghosts of the old West and the soul who guides them. In a dusty, long-ago place where Honor and Sacrifice extend beyond life itself. That's the stuff of C.R. Hodges' Ghosts of the Texians.

Jason Lairamore gives us an Adam and Eve story set in the distant future where Genetic Engineering and Artificial Intelligence blur the boundaries between human and artificial beings. That's Any Father's Dream.

Stephen Patrick asks, "When is an armadillo not an armadillo?" When it's a demon living in a dilapidated farm house in Texas. Throw in two cops, one  a supernatural unbeliever, and an old lady, and you have Protect and Serve.

Wedding Plans is a story about how challenging planning a wedding can be. Especially when the partner doesn’t have the same goal in mind for after the vows. A light story, with a touch of darker humor by C. E. Stokes.

Through a series of fascinating case studies by recognized researchers in the field, Preston Dennett explores the seeming obsession of UFO aliens to convey important information to humans, including the secrets of an unlimited power source in UFO Engine Construction Manual.

Five exciting adventures and an essay on UFO technology await you in Issue 18 of 4 Star Stories. Enjoy, and we’ll see you in Issue 19 of 4 Star Stories later this year!