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In For a Penny by James P. Blaylock reviewed by John Berlyne What a treat! This new collection of James P. Blaylock short stories will be welcome news to the many worldwide fans of this writer, particularly in light of the fact that it has been four long years since we last had the pleasure of a Blaylock novel. The author is clearly still very active in the short fiction market and, as illustrated by this new collection, is right at the top of his game. The most enduring qualities of his work is that it is, and should be, required re-reading. Like a painting by an acknowledged master, this is work that can be viewed time and time again, with each visitation revealing something new and hugely rewarding.
Dead Like Me a TV series review by Lisa DuMond You can undoubtedly tell from the title of this new TV series that it has a lot to do with death. What you might not know yet is that it has much more to do with life, and what we do with ours, than it has to do with dead bodies, cemeteries, etc. Even with a brilliant cast playing some of the most memorable characters in years, the star of the show is humanity and how we deal with death -- from both sides of the grave. Cities edited by Peter Crowther reviewed by Steven H Silver The editor has been publishing excellent novellas for the past few years, including the Sidewise Award-winning The Human Front by Ken MacLeod. He's also begun collecting these novellas into books of four for those who aren't able to find the limited run chapbooks in their initial form. Four such stories were collected into the anthology Futures, and now he has collected four more here. SF Site News compiled by Steven H Silver Every day, items of interest to you arrive in our email. Our bi-monthly format doesn't lend itself to daily updates. However, this is a small inconvenience to our Contributing Editor Steven H Silver. He's begun a new column which will fill you in on recent news in science fiction. We'll be updating the page as he sends in new items. Full Unit Hookup, Spring 2003 reviewed by Rich Horton The opening story, "Waiting for Jenny Rex", by Melissa Yuan-Innes, is very fine work. The story is told by a reporter who falls in love with the title character, a dead anorexic girl returned from the grave with a mission to inform about her disease. Yuan-Innes deftly negotiates the creepy aspects, the affecting aspects, and the funny aspects of her tale, as complications result when other dead return with other diseases to battle. Blood of the Tribe by David S. Brody reviewed by Lisa DuMond It has been less than four years since the author broke into the thriller genre with Unlawful Deeds. So, why does it seem so much longer? Well, with a debut as exceptional as his, it just leaves you starving for more. Not that you could really say the story is more of the same; this sophomore effort manages to exceed its predecessor in every area. Quite simply, he went from a smashing novel to an even more irresistible story. Milky Way Marmalade by Mike DiCerto reviewed by Georges T. Dodds Caffrey Quark, retired interplanetary hunter and purveyor of exotic meats is just innocently travelling through space when he comes across a drifting jukebox. Upon hearing the late 60s-early 70s rock music borne upon the strange black discs, he undergoes a spiritual epiphany and books a trip through time to mid-60s New York City, to live the music as a member of the progressive rock group Milky Way Marmalade. But a Gallagher Plus-like android with a few loose circuits, its un-deceased creator, a dog-like counter-tyranny operative, and a hovering ship's-computer entity, not to mention Nefarious Wretch, a music-hating fascist-megalomaniac, have other plans. Geeks With Books a column by Rick Klaw Rick is off on his whirlwind tour promoting his new book Geek Confidential: Echoes From the 21st Century. He will return with a new column soon. Until then, enjoy this reprint from the Geek archives. Star Wars: Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover reviewed by David Maddox Mace Windu, though unhappy with the turn the Republic has taken, believes the time-honored code of his Order will help guide him through this turbulent time. But now that the Clone War has begun, do the ideals held by the Jedi still apply? Is it possible there's no place for them in this new, war-torn cosmos? Windu will have to journey into the darkest reaches of a primitive jungle to face his own shadows, if he hopes to find an answer. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, June 2003 reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz Out of all the stories, "The Tale of the Golden Eagle" is the only one Steve would consider a must read, but there turned out to be enough good work in the issue to give it a thumbs up in general. If you're a Malzberg fan, you'll have the time of your life. If you're not, you're not likely to become one reading this issue.		Year Zero by Brian Stableford reviewed by Ian Nichols There are sufficient resonances in here to please the most demanding musician, and sufficient icons to populate an Orthodox church. Elvis Presley, Men in Black, Grey Aliens, Angels, Demons, and the Devil himself, all dressed in their garb of late 20th century finery, the tatterdemalion glory in which their billions of believers dressed them. It is the year 2000, and they're still hanging around like Banquo's ghost. Somebody has to sort it all out before the Satan's plan comes to fruition and the world ends, so to speak, on New Year's Eve, 2000. The job falls to Molly. American Beauty by Allen Steele reviewed by Steven H Silver Demonstrating his versatility in this collection, not only does the author provide the reader with hard science fiction stories, but he also incorporates humor in many of the stories, beginning with the Hugo-nominated "Agape Among the Robots" and continuing through "Tom Swift and His Humongous Mechanical Dude." Dating Secrets of the Dead by David Prill reviewed by Lisa DuMond Ah, the simple pleasures of small town life. That first, awkward date with the girl of your dreams. The excitement when the carnival comes to town. Those endless days of waiting for the traveling spook show to roll back through again. It's practically a Norman Rockwell painting... until this author gets ahold of it. Then, homespun and na�ve go crashing through the window as a whole new world sets up camp. New Arrivals compiled by Neil Walsh The past few weeks has brought new books from David & Leigh Eddings, Harry Turtledove, Spider Robinson, Sarah Ash, and new editions of old favourites from Jack Vance and Robert Heinlein. Some of the forthcoming books in the next while include new novels from Terry Pratchett, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Karin Lowachee, and new collections from Nancy Kress and George Alec Effinger. Babylon 5.1 TV reviews by Rick Norwood Rick offers his thoughts on two classic SF DVDs; The Thing From Another World written by Charles Lederer and The Day the Earth Stood Still by Edmund H. North. "Klaatu barada nikto!" White Crow by Mary Gentle reviewed by David Soyka This is a compendium of three loosely interlinked novels (Rats and Gargoyles, Left to His Own Devices, and The Architecture of Desire), as well as three short stories ("Beggars in Satin," "The Knot Garden," and "Black Motley"). They feature, for the most part, expert swordswoman and magical healer Valentine along with her lover/husband, Lord-Architect Baltazar Casaubon. Their adventures take place in multiple universes -- a Renaissance-like steampunk realm in which humans subservient to a race of anthropomorphic rats are lorded over by a collective of thirty-six sphinx-like creatures, a near-future cybertech England and an 18th century London torn in a civil war between female-led Puritan and Monarchist factions -- sharing a framework in which magic works according to the principle of Hemeretic science, a 17th century heresy. Tropic of Night by Michael Gruber reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer Jane Doe is on the run from forces that most of us can't comprehend. She's running from her husband. Once, she was an anthropologist who studied an elusive tribe whose women practiced magic and slept with spirits. After an incident made her feel as if she were losing her mind, she fled for home where she met the handsome and promising poet, Witt Moore. They marry and live an enviable lifestyle until they are offered a trip to Africa to study the Yoruba. What they find is so much more. Witt, wanting to immerse himself into his African heritage is all too eager to go. Dungeons and Dragons Core Rule Books (v3.5) a gaming review by Mike Thibault The latest version of the game is in stores now and it has been received by the gaming community with mixed feelings. It is neither a fully new edition of the game, nor a minor tweak to smooth out the rough edges of the existing edition. It is somewhere in between and probably has something to disappoint everyone. Granted, there is probably something that will please everyone too, but a lot of people were pretty pleased with the 3rd edition as it stood.