It’s almost hard to believe that the small bi-monthly mailzine (What the Postman Brought 1-5) that started in April of 1976 has turned into the current zine you are reading now. I was doing reviews for Cliff Biggers’ FUTURE RETROSPECTIVE and had submitted some to Richard Geis for THE ALIEN CRITIC. Dick suggested that I start my own zine and I’m pretty sure that Mike Glyer suggested Baryon as its title. The fact that a baryon is a minute part of an atom was not a problem. It sounded science fictional and it was a play on "Barry On" Book Reviews made it a sure winner, at least for me. Here we are, 30 years and 100 issues later. Looking back at that first issue (6), it featured a Wade Gilbreath Tarzan cover and the first review was RENEGADE OF KREGEN by Alan Burt Akers by Jim Brock. Paperback prices started at $1.25 and hard covers at $7.95.

Special thanks go out to everyone who has helped out by contributing reviews, cover art, and letters to encourage or criticize. A good many of them have left fandom or gone on to bigger and better things. Others continue to read and help out and for them I am eternally grateful. Thanks to my wife Kathy for putting up with all the books scattered all over the floor, the messy desk, and the whole printing process from the mimeograph on the kitchen table to today’s computer printers. Jim Brock has been a friend since college days and has been through thick and thin, good and bad, and puts up with being asked if he’s my brother. We’ve had forty years of friendship and he is a brother to me. I first met Peter Horwath at Fort Lee, Virginia in the winter of 1968. He ended up at Qui Nhon while I was at Cu Chi and then we both were at Fort Hood, Texas together where our wives became friends and we eventually became godparents to their daughter, Julie. Peter has contributed covers, reviews and his job, as Webmaster, is one that can never be repaid. What a long, strange trip it’s been (sounds like a Grateful Dead song). I met Wayne Vansant at a comics show when he was drawing THE ‘NAM comic for Marvel and shared my pictures and experiences with him. He has since done a series of Civil War comics and continues to make his living as an artist. Wayne’s cover for this issue is from KATUSHA, a work in progress about a female Soviet soldier during World War II. This project shows Wayne’s commitment to showing different aspects and viewpoints on war. If you haven’t picked up some of his work, you can get it through Amazon or contact me and I’ll be sure to pass it along to him. Puffin has just released his graphic adaptation of THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE. Ruth Thompson, Bob Hobbs and Julia Morgan Scott have all contributed covers and all were also Illustrators of the Future finalists. The late David Bates filled in with reviews of lesser known works and fan publications that might have been overlooked had he not brought them to our attention. It’s hard to add much about Harriet Klausner, who is well known as the premiere reviewer throughout the industry. I cannot thank her enough for sharing her reviews with me so I can pass them along to you. I wish I could read as much as she does. She is one of a kind.

Parke Godwin has passed along news that he and Marvin Kaye will be finishing the trilogy that started with THE MASTERS OF SOLITUDE in 1978 and WINTERMIND in 1982. I know Jim and I have been hoping for this for years and I am sure there are some other long time readers that will be interested as well. Parke also has a collection, THE NIGHT YOU COULD HEAR FOREVER, coming from Wildside Press in 2006. This is an expanded collection that appeared as an e-book several years ago.

For new music, pick up the STRONGER THAN BEFORE cd by Olivia Newton-John available at Hallmark Stores with the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Foundation. John Fogarty has released a retrospective of his best work from Creedence Clearwater Revival and some of the best of his solo work. Martina McBride has released a collection of classic songs called TIMELESS.

I hope you find something of interest in this issue. I don’t know if we will make it for another hundred issues but we will see what we can do to keep it entertaining and bring more outstanding books to your attention. Let me hear from you.

Barry