Game company Wizards of the Coast has made arrangements to relaunch the venerable science fiction magazine AMAZING Stories, and in cooperation with Viacom Inc., the licensor for Paramount Pictures, will feature cover art and new short fiction from the universe of Star Trek: The Next Generation. AMAZING Stories, founded in 1926, will see a new beginning and fresh format this July, according to Wizards, the makers of the popular Magic The Gathering card games and recent purchasers of TSR and the famous Dungeons & Dragons line of games.

AMAZING's first new issue starts off right with a cover of the USS Enterprise-D as depicted by Hugo-winner Bob Eggleton. Famous and award-winning authors contributing to the July premiere include Ben Bova, James Alan Gardner, Neal Barrett Jr., and Orson Scott Card (with an excerpt from his novel Heartfire). Veteran Star Trek novelists John Betancourt and A.C. Crispin are also showcased. Wizards' periodical publisher, Wendy Noritake, feels that the inclusion of Star Trek: The Next Generation materials will permit AMAZING Stories to gain a wider readership.

The July premiere issue will include material on AMAZING Stories' 72-year history; along with excellent fiction the magazine will present reviews of books, films, and electronic games in the SF genre. AMAZING will be in a color format (suggested retail: $4.99) and will be widely marketed in book, game, and hobby stores.

For more information on Wizards of the Coast and its products, visit the company's website at http://www.wizards.com.

--Sharon Daugherty