The action never lets up in our March lead story by newish author Derek Künksen. Life may have formed very differently in “The Way of the Needle” than it has on Earth, but the nature of conflict remains the same. It won’t be easy to put this fast-paced thriller down. Once you do, though, you can turn to another adventure tale on a distant planet. “Golva’s Ascent,” a new novelette by Tom Purdom, features intriguing aliens, inscrutable humans, and a desperate flight for survival.

ALSO IN MARCH ISSUE

James Van Pelt takes us back to Earth for an evocative look at a teacher who can take us back in time, but who may not be able to survive the machinations of an administrative bureaucracy in “Mrs. Hatcher’s Evaluation”; Benjamin Crowell explores “The Pass” to show us what life will be like for those left behind once everyone else decamps for virtual immortality; Joel Richards explores past lives in his journey to “Patagonia”; and Leah Cypess sends a chill into the hearts of mothers and babysitters everywhere in a scarily plausible future where everything is the same and yet completely different—especially on “Nanny’s Day.”  

Robert Silverberg’s March Reflections proves he’s the tour guide bar none for “My Voyage to Atlantis”; Paul DiFilippo’s “On Books” reviews the far-future fiction of Poul Anderson; and James Patrick Kelly’s On the Net eulogy, “Websites R. I. P,” predicts the demise of the static home page; plus we’ll have an array of poetry and other features you’re sure to enjoy. Look for our March issue on sale at newsstands on January 24, 2012. Or subscribe to Asimov’s—in paper format or in downloadable varieties—by visiting us online at www.asimovs.com. We’re also available individually or by subscription on Amazon.com’s Kindle and Kindle Fire, BarnesandNoble.com’s Nook, ebookstore.sony.com’s eReaders, Fictionwise.com, and from Zinio.com!