In theory this is our festival special – hence the fancy pants cover – but I have to admit that we didn't carry the theme through into the issue. We have to designate two issues a year as specials, or the International Board of Titular Relevance would force us to change our name to Theaker's Bi-Monthly Fiction.

Most of this issue goes to the latest of Howard Phillips' novels in the Saturation Point Saga, The Day the Moon Wept Blood. Literary terrorists seize control of all methods of literary production in the UK, and only one man can stop them: Terrance Dicks! Not really, it's Howard himself: he's the hero of all his own novels, but Terrance's influence can be felt throughout the novel.

I've done another big editorial for this issue, which gets stuck in the mulch of the William Sanders scandal, and we have the latest Tiana story from Lyon and Offutt, and another Newton Braddell episode from John Greenwood. Aaron Polson is our one new contributor, with a creepy story of desperate people and their desperate toys, and the desperate ploys of those desperate toys.

There are more reviews than ever before – including a handful from marvellous Rafe McGregor – and the one other thing left to mention is the return of our news page, now with actual news!

See the amazing colossal 75,000-word Theaker's Quarterly Fiction 24.

The new issue of TQF has an enormous (by our standards) review section, lots of great stories, and a terrifyingly long and self-justificatory rant from the editor!

See Theaker's Quarterly Fiction 23.

In the twentieth issue of Theaker's Quarterly Fiction we present the very substantial horror of "The Hatchling: Post-Natal Paranoia" by John Greenwood. Cultists, monsters and secret government ministries - what else do you need? "Contrarieties" by Bruce Hesselbach continues his charming series of Tales of Yxning. The issue is rounded out by the final part of After All, by Michael Wyndham Thomas. There's also a bit of apologising from me about the poor quality service I'm providing as a book reviewer. It isn't quite half the length of the previous issue, but it is a little bit shorter. See TQF20.

There's lots of great stuff in this issue, and it's all divided up into neat little sections so you can head straight for the stuff that interests you most!

First there's a dash of horror, to reflect the fact that it's a Halloween special: Pumpkin Jack, by Laura Bickle, and The Walled Garden by Wayne Summers.

Then there's lots and lots of fantasy: Rural Legend by Eric R Lowther, The Iron Mercenary: A Tale of Tiana, by Richard K Lyon & Andrew J Offutt, When the Sun and the Moon Did Not Shine, by Sam Leng, The Remarkable Life of Yren Higbe by Bruce Hesselbach, and the fifth instalment of After All, by Michael Wyndham Thomas.

Then we have a bit of science fiction: The Broadest Divide by David McGillveray, and Newton Braddell: a Detour by John Greenwood.

And though it didn't fit anywhere else, there's also a bit of bizarro from Dan Kopcow, Who Picked the Pope's Nose?

Finally there's a review of Zencore!, or as much of one as I could do, having lost the book a couple of weeks ago.

Another great issue of TQF! Read yourself some Theaker's Quarterly Fiction 19!

This was one heck of a tough one to get finished, so expect the next issue to be half the size! I think I definitely bit off more than I could chew with this issue, but I think it was worth it, because this is one of our most varied and readable issues yet.