Spider-Man the Icon by Steve Saffel
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Even if you've never read a comic book or seen any of the Sam Raimi films, you know who Spider-Man is, the iconic super
hero Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created in 1962. The author, however, has not only read Spider-Man comics
and seen the films, he has dedicated a significant amount of time to the webslinger and the various products that have been
tied in to the character over the last 45 years.
Edenborn by Nick Sagan
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Eighteen years have passed since the events of Idlewild and the Black Epplague is endlessly
mutating into ever more deadly forms. A new generation of humans created by Isaac, Champagne, and Vashti is at risk,
an outside force observes with possibly hostile intent, and betrayal threatens from within. To survive,
the original group must unite -- even angry Halloween. But can they overcome the scars and terrors of the past? And if they do,
will it be in time?
Idlewild by Nick Sagan
reviewed by Charlene Brusso
Our narrator awakens with amnesia in a mysterious realm he doesn't recognize or understand. Meanwhile,
readers will easily identify the Dungeons & Dragons-style fantasy world as a computer-generated virtual
reality, fraught with all manner of meaningful metaphors and symbols. Our narrator learns that his name is Halloween,
and then that he may have murdered someone named Lazarus. Eventually he realizes he is one of a handful of gifted high school
students attending "Immersive Virtual Reality" classes at the Idlewild IVR Academy, a highly selective school
sponsored by multinational biotech company, the Gedaechtnis Corporation.
Zanesville by Kris Saknussemm
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
A naked man awakens in Central Park with no memory of who he is or where he came from. He's blond, handsome, and
hugely endowed; on his back is carved the truncated phrase FATHER FORGIVE THEM F. He's discovered by the
Satyagrahi, the denizens of Fort Thoreau, a secret hi-tech sanctuary for society's dropouts run by an ex-lawyer
drag queen and an embittered dwarf, under the aegis of shadowy master hacker Parousia Head.
Four Novels of The Sandokan Series by Emilio Salgari
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
The first book in the series, serialized in the Italian newspaper La Nuova Arena in 1883-4, first published
in book form in 1900, and here translated for the first time into English, is so chock full of action that the best cultural
equivalent in North America might have been the better dime-novel adventures of the late 19th-early 20th
century. Or, perhaps think Douglas Fairbanks Sr.'s swashbuckling movies, or, if in a different genre, the Indiana Jones films.
Snail's Pace by Susan McDonough Sanchez
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Picture Chow-Yun Fat or Yul Brynner as a really big snail.
Susannah Maureen Chambers McKay is seeing the rather rough side of the Victorian era. The search for employment is
meeting some ego-bruising dead ends until she is approached by a stranger on the street who reluctantly offers her the
position of a lifetime.
Rootabaga Stories and More Rootabaga Stories by Carl Sandburg
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Take the whimsy of L. Frank Baum's Oz books, crank it up a notch,
maybe two, throw in a pinch of nonsense, add the diction of a poet, mix well. Ah, there we have it... Now you ask, pray tell, what
are these stories about? Well they're about the finding of the Zig-Zag railroad, the Pigs with Bibs On, the Circus Clown Ovens,
the Village of Liver-and-Onions, and the Village of Cream Puffs, and that only covers the first 30 pages of the first book.
Thumbprints by Pamela Sargent
reviewed by Chris Przybyszewski
In her Afterword, the author talks about the importance of science fiction to
rebuild a new world, a post-9/11 world. "There were, after all, a number of anecdotes about science fiction readers who had become
physicists working on nuclear weapons, or to cite a more hopeful example, science fiction fans who ended up as engineers, research
scientists, even as astronauts. The world could be remade, and your writing might even, in some small way, help to remake it."
Child of Venus by Pamela Sargent
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
With this novel, the author has returned to complete the task she began in
Venus of Dreams and Venus of Shadows. The novels are a
multi-generational family epic chronicling the history of the Venus
Project, the terraforming of the second planet from the Sun. As such, these
books deserve a place among all the grandly conceived histories of SF.
Climb the Wind by Pamela Sargent
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Here is an alternate history novel in which an American
Indian named Touch-the-Clouds, inspired by hearing of Genghis Khan's
achievements, seeks to unite the plains tribes and stop the expansion of
the post-Civil War United States.
Redshift edited by Al Sarrantonio
reviewed by Rich Horton
Rich says this book is easily worth the price. It's above average for a
typical anthology; good enough to call this one of the fine anthologies of
the past few years. The strangest story in the book is Neal Barrett, Jr.'s
"Rhido Wars." James Patrick Kelly's brief "Unique Visitors" is also notable
and Paul Di Filippo is at his most all out viciously satirical in
"Weeping Walls." Also fine are "The Building," another of Ursula K.
Le Guin's excellent essays in "anthropological" SF, with a subtle moral
point, and Thomas M. Disch's "In Xanadu," an extended riff on death and
cyberspace, built on references to Coleridge's poem.
999 edited by Al Sarrantonio
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
With excellent stories ranging from the straightforward and graphic to the complex and
cerebral, from suspense to supernatural horror, from
strict rationalism to irrealism, from the grimly horrifying to the humorous, with settings ranging
from current New York society to depression-era Southern farm-folk, anyone unable to find something to
raise the hair on the nape of their neck in 999, is likely in need of resuscitation
paddles. With authors ranging from horror icons like Stephen King and William Peter Blatty, to lesser
known or more recent entrants to the field, like Bentley Little and Michael Marshall Smith, the book
presents an excellent cross-section of horror as it is and as it stands to be in the next millennium.
The Chronicles of Scar by Ron Sarti
reviewed by Regina Lynn Preciado
This trilogy traces the evolution of young Prince Arn, also called Scar,
from a frightened beggar to a cowardly prince to an unwilling hero and
finally to a mature leader and man. Set on a ravaged world where
electricity and other technologies are forbidden, and "dinosaurs" roam the swamps.
Perfect Nightmare by John Saul
an audio review by Lisa DuMond
John Saul is an author listeners can count on for a chill, but the creep factor here hits a new high. He
has tapped into the current out-of-control increase in abductions and ratcheted up the tension to an almost unbearable degree. He
has taken the things most of us fear the most and created a villain so sick that his audience may get the uncomfortable
feeling that their skin is trying to crawl right off the top of its head.
Wages of Justice by Kate Saundby
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Call it Peyton Space or The Young And The Weightless, and it still boils down to the
same thing: space opera on the soapy side. The characters you love to hate, the melodrama, the instant
love -- it's all here.
The Distance Travelled by Brett A. Savory
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
You're sitting around one day in Hell, minding your own business, when some
low-life creeps throw a live pig through your kitchen window.
Now, that kind of thing doesn't go down well up here among the living and
it certainly isn't any more tolerated in Hell. One can't just spend one's time running willy-nilly
about the house, dodging airborne livestock.
Say...
reviewed by Rich Horton
This generously sized 'zine has an impressive list of contributors. There are 11 short stories, from the likes of Jeffrey Ford,
Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Jay Lake, etc.; 5 poems, including one from Rhysling winner Laurel Winter; and an essay by Terri
Windling. The fiction is quite solid work. The poetry was OK, though not wholly to Rich's taste -- he did like
Sophie Levy's "What the Pink Book Said" quite a bit, however.
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Intervals of Horrible Sanity by Michelle Scalise
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
It isn't often that a collection reveals its brilliance so quickly, but this collection
trumpets the author's unique talent from the intense, harrowing first story and maintains its unbreakable hold until the last
page. Even after closing the book, the resonances of the tales never quite let go. Whether violent, chilling, unsettling, or
shocking, each selection earns its right to be included; there is no filler here, only the "good stuff."
The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
reviewed by Peter D. Tillman
Harry Creek had the misfortune of being an infantryman in Earth's biggest military defeat of the 21st century. His best
friend's brother died in his arms during the retreat. Now Harry's kind of drifting, but he's about to get a short, sharp shock....
Robin Baker runs a small pet shop on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. She's leading a dull-normal suburban life, but she's about to
meet Harry, on a truly memorable first date....
You're Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing by John Scalzi
reviewed by Paul Kincaid
Pundits are getting younger. Time was when it was a writer in the pomp of his career who would deign to dispense tidbits of advice to
the young scribblers coming up; or at least a decent midlist author at some hiatus in mid-career who would plug a gap between books with
a little 'how to' volume. But John Scalzi is barely past his Campbell Award, and to judge from everything he tells us in this book
there is no looming hiatus in his career.
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
reviewed by Stuart Carter
On his 75th birthday John Perry does two things: he visits his wife's grave, then he enlists in the army. Fortunately for him,
this being at some unspecified (but not terribly distant) point in the future, he doesn't have to impose gunpoint democracy and
secure oil supplies; rather he gets taken up into earth orbit via a space elevator and shipped off to join the Colonial
Defense Forces, fighting and dying to win a place for mankind in a remarkably busy and even more remarkably hostile galaxy.
Channeling Cleopatra by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Leda Hubbard's greatest ambition was to be an Egyptologist, but lack of opportunity and lack of finances
conspired to keep her from that goal. Instead, she settled for forensic anthropology, working mostly for
law enforcement agencies. One day an anonymous gift arrives in her mailbox: an all-expenses-paid trip to the International Conference
of Egyptologists. A little suspicious about her mysterious benefactor, Leda still can't resist going. The
benefactor, it turns out, is Tsering, husband of Leda's old college buddy, Chime -- but Tsering isn't what
he used to be.
The Lady of the Loch by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
This novel melds fantasy and horror with the history of 18th
century Scotland. Midge Margret, a member of itinerant tinkers,
is befriended by the young Walter Scott (author of Ivanhoe
and other novels). He, as the sheriff of Edinborough, and she
investigate the death of a young woman, abducted from the town.
Warrior Princesses edited by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough and Martin H. Greenberg
reviewed by Lela Olszewski
This anthology celebrates women who refuse to be constrained by society's
rules, even though they know the result is as likely to be their doom as it
is their freedom. The majority of the stories are sword & sorcery, with the
emphasis on "sword." Most are fresh and some are surprising, providing a
variety of pleasures for the reader.
The Godmother's Web by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
reviewed by Regina Lynn Preciado
From wicked stepsisters to Coyote, from the sun-haired maiden to Prince Charming, this fantasy
novel invokes the stories that touch and teach us all. The mythic resonances remained with
Regina weeks after reading the last page.
The Swarm by Frank Schatzing
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
The sea, which we have been abusing for years, strikes back under the
direction of an unknown living entity previously content to inhabit the trench depths -- the Yrr. Whales begin attacking ships,
hordes of jellyfish shut down the beaches of South America, and a strange new marine worm is destabilizing frozen methane in the sea
bottom. The scientists are fascinated, the powerful want it stopped at any cost, and the little guy is being overwhelmed by
tsunamis and poisoned sea-food. A global ecosystem shift is in the offing.
Calimport by Steven E. Schend
a gaming module review by Don Bassingthwaite
Thumbs up to Calimport. Pull up your carpet and stay a while. Mind your
purse, keep your hand on your dagger, and stay out of the shadows unless you're
sure that's where you really want to be.
A Small Dark Place by Martin Schenk
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Remember the first time you read Stephen King or Robert McCammon? That kind
of guilty feeling you got from enjoying something so twisted, reading
voraciously through while witnessing cruelty and suffering? If so,
you're probably ready for this novel.
Fairy Tales for Writers by Lawrence Schimel
reviewed by Amal El-Mohtar
This is a clever book, and a cute book, and one can chuckle a lot while reading it. It's nothing less or more
than what it purports to be: fairy tales for writers, mixed up into verse. The author takes fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White
and uses them as templates for various experiences modern-day writers live: the workshops, the rejections, the rewrites, the
sales (and, ahem, the reviews).
Sexy Chix Anthology of Women Cartoonists edited by Diana Schutz
reviewed by Hank Luttrell
There definitely should be more anthologies of comic book stories, especially if the high standards of this new book can be equaled.
The Meadowlark Sings by Helen Ruth Schwartz
reviewed by Donna McMahon
In 2020 an American government dominated by the religious right bans homosexual acts. Thanks to mandatory testing
for the "Scarpetti gene," the government identifies all gays and evacuates them to an island off the coast of
California. For 35 years the two societies are isolated from each other. Heterosexuals born on the island
of "Cali" are sent to the US, and homosexual babies from the US are sent to the island; otherwise the two populations never meet.
The Witches of Karres by James Schmitz
reviewed by Peter D. Tillman
It's an old-fashioned science-fantasy space opera, written with a light, sure touch and
the author's distinctive panache. This is fizzy, sparkly entertainment -- the plot goes tripping and skipping
across the Galaxy. Our spaceship crew faces pirate attacks, sneering Sirians, sneaky spies, trumped-up legal charges,
a corrupt, beautifully slinky shipyard owner with a taste for torture and a mighty Sheem Assassin robot.
Telzey Amberdon by James H. Schmitz
reviewed by Peter D. Tillman
Telzey Amberdon, age 15, is a genius, a law student, and a psi supergirl who can save the Federation in a fortnight,
and still make it home in time for her 16th birthday party. This is silly but engaging fluff, sort of a
Nancy Drew in space -- but much better-written. It's a pleasure to see the Telzey stories back in print.
Return of the Over-Used Muse by Rob Schrab
reviewed by David Maddox
In 1994 a small, independent comic from an even smaller independent label, Fireman Press, debuted. Set in the future, the story
featured a world where robot assassins could be purchased through vending machines, assigned a target and would self-destruct
upon completion of their mission. It was all the brainchild of creator Rob Schrab and he called it Scud:
the Disposable Assassin. Weird, right?
Man of Two Worlds by Julius Schwartz with Brian M. Thomsen
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
To anyone with even a passing knowledge of the comic book industry, and most with a smattering of knowledge
of the history of science fiction publishing, the name of Julius "Julie" Schwartz will be familiar. He was
around for the beginnings of SF fandom in the 30s. He became the first literary agent specializing in SF while
not yet out of his teens, and went on to become one of the most influential editors in comic books.
Le roi au masque d'or by Marcel Schwob
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
If in English, dark fantasy is frequently marginalized by those who discuss "serious literature," the case is even
worse in French, where the snobbery of the literary elite isn't about to allow them to admit that works of imaginary
fiction are more than just cheap popular fiction. These 21 short tales are
perhaps most akin, in terms of mood and their extensive vocabulary, to the best of Clark Ashton Smith's prose
poem tales, with a smidgen of A. Merritt, and of course with a tinge of the conte cruel so popular in
France in the late 19th century.
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