dark horse /ˈdärk ˈˌhôrs/ noun 1. a candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds. "a dark-horse candidate" Join us for a monthly tour of writers who give as good as they get. From hard science-fiction to stark, melancholic apocalypses; from Lovecraftian horror to zombies and horror comedy; from whimsical interludes to tales of unlikely compassion--whatever it is, if it's weird, it's here. So grab a seat before the starting gun fires, pour yourself a glass of strange wine, and get ready for the running of the dark horses! In this issue: CHAFING Jimmy Lis FRED BAKER IS NOT QUITE HIMSELF THESE DAYS Karen Lee Ziner MONSTERS Mark Barlex RUSTLINGS IN THE DARK Jon Adcock THE LOW RUMBLE OF DISTANT THUNDER Wayne Kyle Spitzer THE LAST SIP Daniel Gauss THE NAVIGATOR: AN ALLEGORY D Bedell THE RECEPTION Bryan Fagan TREMBLING EARTH Trevor James Zaple DAYDREAMER James Michael