Great Ghost Stories and Great Horror Stories
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
These two books, totalling close to 1300 pages, certainly give you your money's worth. A number of tales are from
well-known 19th century authors like James Hogg, Sir Walter Scott, Wilkie Collins, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Honoré
de Balzac, Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, etc. Another large group are from the superb British atmospheric horror
writers of the early 20th century: E.F. Benson, Algernon Blackwood, Walter De La Mare, W.H. Hodgson, M.R. James, Oliver
Onions, L.P. Hartley, etc.
Chessie Bligh and the Scroll of Andelthor by Thora Gabriel
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Chessie Bligh, a neglected 14 year-old American girl, is sent to a foreign boarding school accompanied by her only
friend, a puppy named Wuggbert. Seeking to defy the social climbing aspirations of her uncaring, wealthy parents, Chessie
switches places with Aelyn, a physically similar girl she happens to meet while changing aircraft in New York. Thus does
Chessie find herself at Die Sterntaler. The school turns out to be an elf encampment at the rim of the Grand Canyon,
hidden from human sight by magic.
Mirrormask: The Illustrated Film Script of the Motion Picture by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
reviewed by Alma A. Hromic
Alma very much wanted to see Mirrormask the film -- see it cold, as it were, without knowing anything about it other
than the hints dropped, for instance, by Neil Gaiman himself on his blog or snippets of information gained from the
media. So when the review copy of this book arrived in the mail she was torn between writing a timely review, or hanging onto
it fiercely until she could see the movie and only then dive into the book.
The Sandman: Book of Dreams edited by Neil Gaiman and Ed Kramer
reviewed by Alex Anderson
Alex has a look at an original anthology inspired by one of the most celebrated adult comics of the decade.
GalaxyOnline.com
fiction review by Trent Walters
The fiction section ("The Writer's Corner") at this website, under the
editorial helm of short-story writer Rick Wilber, recently joined the ranks
of professional web magazines. It features three strong reprints by Robert
Silverberg, Robert Heinlein, and Jack McDevitt, as well as a new piece by
Orson Scott Card. Other magazines would do well to take note of the
insightful author commentaries.
The Pleistocene Redemption by Dan Gallagher
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
The story is really just another take on Jurassic Park,
but with less verisimilitude. A means of extracting ancient
DNA is discovered. Rather than conjuring up dinosaurs, this time it is Pleistocene fauna such as
mammoths, giant sloths, and so on -- up to and including Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals.
The Painted Bride by Stephen Gallagher
reviewed by Mario Guslandi
Frank Tanner's wife, Carol, has disappeared. He claims the woman has deserted him and their kids, leaving without notice for who
knows where with who knows whom. But Carol's sister, Molly, a former drug addict, thinks she knows better and tries to convince
the police that Frank is responsible for the disappearance, hinting that he may have murdered the woman.
On the other hand, Molly appears to be so clumsy and unreliable that her accusations remain not only unproven, but very unlikely.
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White Bizango by Stephen Gallagher
reviewed by William Thompson
Set in Louisiana with magical overtones, the book refers to: "A secret society
of practitioners who operate outside of accepted vodoun practice, often performing harmful services for their clients in exchange for
payment." In this case the practitioner is a white convict, a con man who uses his knowledge of voodoo to fleece the rich and gullible,
especially through the use of a poison that simulates death.
Quantum Musings by Michael Gallant, Raymond M. Coulombe and Timothy O. Goyette
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
When's the last time you just had a really good time reading a book?
Have you ever finished an anthology and thought, "I'd really like to hang out with those guys!"? If it's been
far too long -- for instance, if your answer was something like never -- you're long overdue for a treat.
Fortunately, if you're in the mood for a bit of fun, this is just what you need.
Dark Universe by Daniel F. Galouye
reviewed by Hank Luttrell
The surviving humans have been reduced to living underground in subsistence circumstances; after
generations of hiding underground they have forgotten most of their history. The failure of some of their life
support systems have forced them to live in complete darkness. In compensation for
the loss of vision, the sense of hearing has gained great acuity.
Adobe Angels by Antonio R. Garcez
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
This collection takes a serious look at the supernatural side of New Mexico along with
a healthy dose of history about the area, the haunted structures, and the
people -- Indian, Mexican, Anglo -- who settled and resettled the state. Few areas of the United States
have been as hotly disputed and changed hands so many times. Maybe that's what makes for the tenacious
nature of the spirits that reportedly cling to their territory.
Moon Boy by Carolyn Garcia
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Some of us will seize any chance to share our love of science fiction and
fantasy with children. Lisa road-tested this book on her six-year-old niece and
three-and-a-half-year-old nephew. Like most quality children's literature,
there is a lesson and there is a reward. The moral is smoothly worked into
the entertaining story. Vivid illustrations and over-the-top behaviour make
Moon Boy a pleasure for children and adults.
Anonymous Rex by Eric Garcia
reviewed by Charlene Brusso
Vinnie Rubio is your typical noir P.I. -- lonely, broke, depressed, fighting a substance abuse problem -- with one
difference: he also happens to be a Velociraptor in disguise. Blame Michael Crichton or even better,
Stephen Spielberg. Rubio is just one of millions of dinos living incognito, offspring of ancestors fortunate enough
to have survived the Great Shower by convenient evolution into more compact shapes with
better brains.
Anonymous Rex by Eric Garcia
reviewed by Ernest Lilley
Vince Rubio is a classic LA Private Investigator. He's also a dinosaur.
His partner got killed while investigating a spectacular murder a year before the story starts. In true genre
form, he started a downward spiral into oblivion and bankruptcy. Now a nightclub owner's lying crisped
in LA County hospital and Vincent gets the job of checking it out for the
insurance company.
The Moon Maid and Other Fantastic Adventures by R. Garcia y Robertson
reviewed by Stephen M. Davis
The Moon Maid shows Mr. Garcia y Robertson to be every bit as deft at creating
characters as Peter S. Beagle, with a good sense of story structure and a nice touch of humour.
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