The original intention was to publish one special issue on the materials science of fine particles. As a Guest Editor, I approached a number of specialists with specific interests in this field, soliciting contributions. Normally, an editor expects a number of requests to be declined. In this particular instance the response was overwhelming, which indicated both the enthusiasm of the people active in fine particle science and the timeliness of the topics. Thus, the MRS BULLETIN decided to dedicate two issues to this subject, December 1989 and January 1990.

The December 1989 issue dealt essentially with the procedures and principles for preparing finely dispersed matter consisting of particles of different chemical composition, shape, and size. This issue treats the problems of the mechanisms of formation of well-defined dispersions and offers examples of applications in two areas — ceramics and adhesion. Only the limitations in space prevented the editor from including other topics relevant to fine particle science and technology, which are both fascinating and useful.