Message from the Editors It's a new year and our eighth(!) year of Electric Spec. As always, we are so thankful for our readers, authors, and artists. We've been able to bring you great speculative fiction year-after-year, and this issue is no exception. If you're a regular Electric Spec reader, you might have noticed we have a soft spot for stories involving music. This time around, we've got a sci-fi story that involves intense rock n' roll, aliens, and lots of action: "Empathy Rocks" by Mark Rigney. We also feature two stories with darker and distinctly eastern European notes. Jennifer Crow's "Strange Notes from Underground" will send chills up your spine that probably originated from deep below your feet. Kathryn Yelinek's "Heart of a Magpie" may also leave you with a shivery spine - but in this one the shivers will be diving down from the sky. For our fantasy lovers, "The Count is the Kingdom" by Rebecca Schwarz brings us a truly unique magical world - especially its beetles. Finally, in the sci-fi department, David Barber's "The Secret Life of Princes" stretches us forward and backward at the same time, leaving us twisted in an unexpected knot. In addition to our stories, we're super excited about our special features. We feature an interview with our own Betsy Dornbusch, who shares lots of interesting insights about her newly released novel, EXILE. As a special bonus, you can read the entire first chapter right here at Electric Spec. (Thanks to Betsy and Night Shade Books for allowing us to print it). Finally, our trusty movie critic, Marty Mapes, is back with a review of two sci-fi movies that focus on the concept of narrowcasting.