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The fourth issue of Kaleidotrope is here with stories by Kurt Kirchmeier, Paul Abbamondi, Brendan Connell, Mike Driver and others plus poetry and articles.

The issue begins with "Molting" by Andrew Howard, a disturbing story about exploitation and fame. The kid next door is growing wings and our viewpoint character decides how to deal with it. This is followed by Ashley Arnold's "Word Count: Negative 1," which really defies any description. This one did not work for me.

Bill Ward's "The Three Wishes of Miles Vander" is a nasty little tale of an ambitious young man who has his wishes granted but not for the benefit of the people he's responsible for or even for himself. Mark Rich contributes "Premature," which features a pathetic man named Eric waiting for something he never gets.

"Paradise" by Adam Lowe is the story of a woman who finds love with a synthetic young girl and is forever changed. Mike Driver's "White Sheets" features a game of hide and seek with terrible results. Brendan Connell gives us "Rome (a Metrophilia)" set in what seems to be ancient Rome. A group of rich men exchange some truly strange boasts.

Kurt Kirchmeier's "Half-Sneeze Johhny" is one of the best in the magazine. Our narrator's partner in crime has a peculiar talent in detecting falsity. This proves to be both useful and inconvenient.

G.W. Thomas draws and writes an amusing two-pager in comic book style about a young man's contact with the Mythos.

"Furrier" by Flavian Mark Lupinetti is the story of an affair between a U.S. senator and a news babe with a very unusual fetish. Paul Abbamondi weighs in with "She's a Hearth," the story of a young girl who goes way too far to warm a worthless boy's heart.

"The Life and Times of a Hungry World, Told Briefly" by Alex Dally MacFarlane is a strange tale of how a woman carries a world in her backpack and how she keeps it fed. Last, there's "The Transparency" by Michael Obilade in which a young couple has trouble truly seeing each other.

If you like quirky little tales from out of the mainstream, then Kaleidotrope is for you. Check it out!