MOST WRITERS WOULD be content to give you one good thriller. Next month, Robert Reed outdoes himself with "Five Thrillers," a humdinger of a story. Science fiction hasn't seen a hero like the great Joseph Carroway in quite some time.

On a quieter note, the great Kate Wilhelm takes us to Italy, where we find that everything that meets the eye might not be as it seems. "The Fountain of Neptune" is vintage Wilhelm...which is to say, it's first-rate fiction.

Among the other stories coming soon are a new Clem Crowder story by Al Michaud, Steven Utley's latest venture into the Silurian Age, and tales by some writers whose names might not be familiar to you, including Scott Dalrymple, Alex Jeffers, Laura Kasischke, Ted Kosmatka, Mary Patterson Thornburg, and George V. Tucker. It all adds up to lots of great reading, so make sure you've got a subscription to ensure that you won't miss an issue.