Issue 1: October 2009

There is a history in all men’s lives…
Henry IV, part II: III. ii.

Contents

Psychometry by Lark Beltran
Cave Painting by Marko Fong
A Small Betrayal by Anne Brooke
The Man We Saved by Terence Kuch
Breath of Amun by Karen Kobylarz
The Enemies of Death by Francisco Nieto-Salazar
Abe Lincoln Writes to Joshua Speed by Jack Peachum
Where is Gertrude Bell? by Kyle Hemmings
Pomodoro by Michele Stepto

Reviews
The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
Flint by Margaret Redfern

Editor’s Introduction

When I first decided to create a historical fiction magazine, there were three publications listed on Duotrope’s Digest dedicated exclusively to the genre: by the time Lacuna opened to submissions, there were only two. For me, as for many of you who read historical fiction, write it, or both, this is a very sad state of affairs. I created Lacuna in the hope that it could provide some relief for both readers and writers looking for a place to enjoy and create tales of days gone by.

The lack of historical fiction magazines which lead to the creation of Lacuna has also kept me from narrowing the magazine’s focus to one particular style or theme. The stories are not all literary—though they are beautifully written and meticulously characterized; nor are they all adventure and suspense—though I guarantee you’ll find them hard to put down. The settings run from 19th century Spain to biblical Timnah to the pre-Columbian (or is it?) New World. Some stories have fantasy elements, some are alternate histories, and some aim for precision and historical accuracy.

What all the fiction and poetry in this, the premier issue of Lacuna, has in common is careful attention to historical detail, characterization, and the craft of writing itself. If you enjoy the magazine, please consider donating to help purchase more stories for future issues.

Your help with publicity is also greatly appreciated, and to that end, I'm giving away a free book to one lucky reviewer! Post a link to your review of Lacuna's first issue on the contest page for a chance to win.

And now, I am proud to present to you the best magazine--as Hamlet's long-winded Polonius would say--either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral or alternate history, Lacuna.

Sincerely,
Megan Arkenberg
Editor

Questions, comments, or concerns may be e-mailed to the editor.
If you are interested in submitting fiction, poetry, or nonfiction to Lacuna, please see our submission guidelines.