Luz, the Art of Ciruelo by Ciruelo Cabral
reviewed by Lucy Snyder
Lucy Snyder (of Dark Planet fame)
considers lavish illustrations of square-jawed heroes battling monsters,
wooing buxom lasses in various states of distress (and undress).
The Twilight Zone: Upgrade & Sensuous Cindy by Pat Cadigan
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
The best thing about the original Twilight Zone is that it's a quick hit. You knew something was up by watching the
teaser, before Rod Serling came in for his monologue. You didn't have to wait, because the stories depended upon easily identifiable
stereotypes as characters. You knew immediately you were looking at a gangster, or a tired businessman or an absent-minded
professor.
The Ultimate Cyberpunk edited by Pat Cadigan
reviewed by David Soyka
The title of this anthology makes a far-reaching claim so patently unlikely that its editor quickly dispenses with it.
The question then becomes whether there is any need for another anthology some sixteen years after the famous original
compilation, Mirrorshades, edited by Bruce Sterling. But her undeniable contention that it "is not all there is" doesn't
quite explain the rationale for this particular collection.
Dervish Is Digital by Pat Cadigan
reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Detective Dore Konstantine runs the 3-person Techno Crime, AR (Artificial Reality) Division. Though swamped with
work, as the net has become a copyright nightmare, Dore would not mind if they could win one, once a while. Proof
is difficult at best to find and justice is a cyber-thought of the mundane realm.
However, Dore is stunned when designer Susannah Ell claims her former spouse, wealthy Hastings Dervish, is stalking her via artificial reality.
Tea from an Empty Cup by Pat Cadigan
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
With a prose style both dense and minimalistic, the latest novel from the
author of Fools, is a story that demands the
reader pay attention to every word, resisting the urge to rush ahead to
discover the truth that lies behind the imagery.
Mortal Companion by Patrick Califia
reviewed by Alisa McCune
This novel is not for the easily offended or those who are not comfortable with explicit sex. Subtitled as "an
erotic tale of love and vengeance" like no other, it delivers. The author has created a world where everything
is possible and nothing is taboo. This world is opened up to the reader layer by layer -- chapter by chapter -- until the final climatic
end which leaves us panting and waiting for the sequel.
Call of Cthulhu
a survey by Wayne MacLaurin and Neil Walsh
A role-playing game set in the demon-haunted worlds of H.P. Lovecraft? Can such things be? Senior
Editors Wayne MacLaurin and Neil Walsh risk their health and sanity with a peek at the forbidden tomes of
gaming lore from Chaosium. Part One of two.
Call of Cthulhu
a survey by Wayne MacLaurin and Neil Walsh
A role-playing game set in the demon-haunted worlds of H.P. Lovecraft? Yikes! Senior
Editors Wayne MacLaurin and Neil Walsh risk their health and sanity with a peek at the forbidden tomes of
gaming lore from Chaosium. Part Two introduces a few of the important game supplements.
Call of Cthulhu
a survey by Wayne MacLaurin and Neil Walsh
A role-playing game set in the demon-haunted worlds of H.P. Lovecraft? Yikes! Senior
Editors Wayne MacLaurin and Neil Walsh risk their health and sanity with a peek at the forbidden tomes of
gaming lore from Chaosium. Part Three targets their non-1920s role-playing milieux
as well as their Call of Cthulhu Fiction.
Dragon Tempest by Don Callander
reviewed by Todd Richmond
In this, the 3rd Dragon book, Tom Whitehead's very pregnant
wife is kidnapped. Tom, along with his Dragon Companion,
begins to search for them. A ransom note leads to a magical unmanned ship which
immediately sets sail as they step on board.
Aeromancer by Don Callander
reviewed by Todd Richmond
Todd thinks this one and, in fact, all of his
books, have a warm, cheerful feel to them. Though they follow
the eternal struggle of Light vs. Dark, Good vs. Evil, they are
still light, pleasant reading.
Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East by Brian Campbell et al.
a gaming module review by Don Bassingthwaite
Oh... my... God. This book kicks so much ass that you should strap a pillow to your butt before opening the cover.
The Lost Fleet: Courageous by Jack Campbell
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Captain John "Black Jack" Geary is in for the fight of his life. He awoke from a century-long slumber in a survival pod to find himself
rescued by a fleet that reveres him for his military record and heroic actions, a fleet that seems to have forgotten everything it
once knew about intelligent tactics, smart battle maneuvers, and military strategy. And when the highest-ranking members of the
fleet's command structure were killed, he was forced to assume command by virtue of technical seniority.
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Tales from the Cloud Walking Country by Marie Campbell
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Sometimes it's good to act a bit of a Luddite, ignore the current fantasy factories and their
multi-volume production lines and get back to the roots of a genre -- and oral storytellers are arguably
just that. Oral storytellers have been around since humans developed a language, but except for the
remotest regions of the Earth have largely disappeared in today's world. The author, a young
schoolteacher in the "hillbilly" regions of eastern Kentucky from 1928 to 1934, collected tales from
what was likely the last generation of mountain storytellers.
Robota by Doug Chiang & Orson Scott Card
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Many art books take an artist's vision and then have an author write text describing the individual paintings or the artist's
work. Similarly, many stories are written and then illustrated by an artist with a sparse assemblage of paintings which
may, or may not depict the characters and places the author's text describes. Here, the artist and the author avoid both of these
pitfalls.
Getting Lost: Survival, Baggage and Starting Over in J.J. Abrams' Lost edited by Orson Scott Card
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
As the title suggests, this book is an attempt to explain the enigma and allure of the hit TV show,
Lost. To this end, fifteen writers give their views on where the series came from, what it is trying to tell us,
and where it's ultimately headed. Some are more successful than others, inadvertently creating an ironic parallel to what
happens on the show. Those who go with the flow, in a stream of consciousness approach, not only
make more sense, but give the impression of being on the verge of enlightenment. Not unlike fan favourite John Locke. In contrast,
the writers who allow themselves to get bogged down with over analysis and clever dickery, do less well.
Future on Ice edited by Orson Scott Card
reviewed by Rich Horton
This is quite legitimately an anthology which can stand on its own as
a "Best of the 80s" even though it was intended to be paired with
Future on Fire. No doubt, these aren't the very best 18 stories
from that decade, but on any given day, they'll do.
Black Mist: and Other Japanese Futures edited by Orson Scott Card and Keith Ferrell
reviewed by Stephen M. Davis
The idea behind the anthology is intriguing: six authors in five novellas look at the future of Japanese
culture and society in outer space, cyberspace, and Earth. Much to the reader's sorrow, the editors
succeed only partially in realizing their goal.
Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds by Craig R. Carey, Jason Fry, Jeff Quick, and Daniel Wallace
reviewed by Chris Przybyszewski
Wizards of the Coast delivers with its new accessory book to the Star Wars role-playing game. This
title features those worlds out yonder, those places not often frequented by those happily ensconced in
Coruscant and the Core Worlds, which is this accessory's big sister.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Ship of the Line by Diane Carey
reviewed by Jim Greer
Overall, Carey succeeds in delivering a ripping good yarn. The novel strikes a
nice balance between the many actions scenes and its more introspective
moments.
Lucifer's Crown by Lillian Stewart Carl
reviewed by Jayme Lynn Blaschke
This is not an easy book to describe or classify. It tries to be many things
at once, but first and foremost, it's a novel of Biblical apocalypse. In a time where Christian fiction
with an apocalyptic bent -- led by the wildly popular Left Behind series -- is a multi-million
dollar industry, it was inevitable that more traditional fantasy writers would eventually turn their
hand to these tropes and themes. Taking up this challenge, the author has responded
with her most complex and ambitious novel to date. What's more important, it's also by far her best.
Along the Rim of Time by Lillian Stewart Carl
reviewed by Jayme Lynn Blaschke
Of the 11 stories contained here, all have some sort of underlying mythic/historical theme, which is the author's forté. Whether
the story is fantasy or science fiction makes no difference, as she deftly juxtaposes Greek legend among the red Martian sands,
reincarnated Chinese princesses among modern American tourists. There's a thoughtful, rational quality present in each story
that gives each one that elusive oh-so-plausible air.
Planet Dreams by Michaela Carlock
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Imagine the best of all possible worlds, and the worst of all possible
worlds. Two worlds, and the only bridge between them consists of dreams of
startling clarity. Lisa found this novel to be completely irresistible; one
of those books you know long before you finish that you plan to read again.
Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Centuries after a nuclear disaster known as the Great White, only
a few remote farming communities escaped the radiation and its
aftermath. To protect the survivors from radiation-induced
mutations, the communities' ruling body decreed that
all beasts and children not born normal should be burned. Over
time, it became clear that mutation could be mental as well as
physical, producing a range of strange, enhanced psychic abilities.
Kalvan Kingmaker by John F. Carr
reviewed by Steven H Silver
The novel is a continuation of the Lord Kalvan stories written by H. Beam Piper. These tales, which
grew out of Piper's Paratime Police stories, follow a Pennsylvania state trooper into a world in which North America
was colonized from west to east and only bears a geographical resemblance to the North America of our own world. The author does an
excellent job of capturing Piper's style and stories in his world, but...
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