In the past couple of years, James Sarafin’s fiction credits have included sales to Asimov’s, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and VB Tech Journal. His fantasy/crime story in the July 1995 issue of Hitchcock, “The Word for Breaking August Sky,” won a national contest sponsored by Nan A. Talese/Doubleday and judged by Pulitzer prize-winner Alison Lurie. The tale also won the 1996 Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for best first mystery story. He returns to our pages now with a story that utilizes the wildness and mystery of his home state, Alaska.

Long-time Asimov’s contributor Mary Rosenblum joins newcomer James Sarafin in a mesmerizing look at what “One Good Juror” can mean to a plaintiff. The story was the result of a conversation about justice versus the law, both in the present and in the future. Ms. Rosenblum thought the tale presented them with “an interesting opportunity to consider the evolution of our legal system.” Mr. Sarafin has worked as a civil trial lawyer in Alaska for the past fifteen years. Although the following tale is his first to appear in our pages, he currently has two other stories in our inventory. Asimov’s Science Fiction, February, 1997.