In a dozen riveting new works of short fiction, written especially for this collection, popular contemporary authors explore the emotion-driven world of guns. From the grim reality of urban violence (in "Chalkman" by Rita Williams-Garcia) to a boy's first glimpse of manhood while target-shooting with Dad (in Ron Koertge's "Fresh Meat") to mercy killing (in Rob Thomas's "The War Chest"), the 12 stories included here are as different as the 12 authors themselves.