Shire Talk 8 saw a change of format from A4 to A5. This was also the first issue to be printed at a printing house rather than photocopied on to coloured paper and hand-stapled. Mike Gadsdon was the new editor, taking over from Duncan Probert.
This was the final issue of Shire Talk.
Cover artwork is uncredited but very likely by Quentin Manley.
User summary (no contents list or page numbering, so I've used standard numbering conventions where the inside front page is page 2).
Page 3...Editorial Mike Gadsdon
Page 4...Traveller Miscellany (new weapons, items, creatures)
Page 6...Python Liner Series plan (new Traveller space ship) Robin Gaddum
Page 7...Python Liner Series description Robin Gaddum
Page 8...Gating Andy Ravenscroft
Page 9...Bards Andy Ravenscroft
Page 11..Undead Rupert Plumridge
Page 11..Quartermaster's Stores (new D&D items)
Page 12..Druids Andy Ravenscroft
Page 13..Additional combat rules Rupert Plumridge
Page 15..The World's Silliest Fish Story
Page 17..Monsters - Mainly Malign