In My Opinion

Hi Readers –
Happy, Beautiful Spring!

The other day I was thinking about reading and wondering what goes on in people’s brains when they read. I know what goes on mentally for me when I read. I see a moving picture in my mind’s-eye, and I hear the speech patterns of the author. But I wondered what else goes on in people’s brains as they read. So, I looked the subject up online.

I discovered that, thanks to neuroscience and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI), we know a lot about what goes on in a person’s brain when he is reading. Depending on who is reading and what is being read, various regions of the brain activate, experiencing increased blood flow. When we read, the language areas of our brains light up; the regions that process emotions fire, and the five sensory areas activate, as well as regions that process motion, faces, emotions, objects, landscapes, locations, and social reasoning. Our brains really don’t make a distinction between a reading experience and a lived experience. So, by reading about other lives, and different life styles we can increase our knowledge of and empathy for others. And, best of all, when we learn a new language and read in it, we can actually grow regions of our brains.

In this, the Spring, 2013 Issue of 4 Star Stories, I am delighted to offer you and your brain four exciting reading adventures. I hope your brain lights up brighter than Fourth of July fireworks as you read Tala Bar’s story “The Huntress”, the first half of Jeremy Miller’s fantasy “Horace and Juju Tip the Scales”, Libby A. Smith’s science fiction tale “One Mississippi...”, and Laura J. Underwood’s fantasy reminiscence “How to Have Fun at the Family Funeral”.

Enjoy the Spring Issue of 4 Star Stories; glow; grow.

I look forward to seeing you in the Summer Issue of 4 Star Stories.

The Editors: M. Gray and D. Gray

P.S. We are open for submissions. If you are a serious writer and you have a story you think meets our criteria, send it along to us. We would like to read it.

At 4 Star Stories, we are looking for well-written, original Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories, preferably with an upbeat, positive attitude.

For all da' rules, checkout our Submissions page.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Oh, and writers, remember to self-edit and spell check every story before you send it to us, or to anyone else for that matter. Reading a clean, error-free manuscript makes editors happy, and a happy editor is more likely to publish your story.

Enjoy the Spring 2013 Issue of 4 Star Stories. See you for the Summer 2013 issue, coming in early July, 2013.

Your Editor,

Gray

4 Star Stories is an online speculative fiction magazine that publishes 4 short stories, Science Fiction and Fantasy, 4 times per year. Come and join us each season. Tell your friends about us. Read the stories, look at the art, have some fun. We are. It's important.

Hearing from you is important too. We value your opinions. Click on Contact the Editors to send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

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