Woken Furies by Richard Morgan
reviewed by David Soyka
A loner living by his own brand of cynical morality who nonetheless does the noble thing in the end, cast in a shadowy world
where no one is who he seems. Or who she seems. Though the she is very good in bed,
albeit an act shrouded in desperation, with no illusions of happily ever after.
In the end, we're all doomed to our respective fates. The only real question is how well we manage to cope.
A Conversation With Richard Morgan
An interview with Sandy Auden
On the most enjoyable aspect of writing:
"There comes a point in any novel under construction when you reach a critical mass -- characters suddenly have
enough weight to start acting by and speaking for themselves, and the scenarios you've created start to
coalesce into something that has its own internal logic. In real terms what this means is that you find you
suddenly just know what a character will do or say next, or -- even more of a high, this -- you write it,
look at it and think My God, that's exactly right! That's the way it would be."
Attack of the Jazz Giants and Other Stories by Gregory Frost
reviewed by David Hebblethwaite
If you've not heard of Gregory Frost before, the epigraph from Andrei Sinayavsky gives an idea of what
to expect: "Realism is a literary technique no longer adequate for the purpose of representing reality." Quite so. This idea
is most effectively embodied here in "Collecting Dust," the story of a family being literally ground down by modern life.
Close To My Heart: The Scherezade Machine by Robert Sheckley
reviewed by Trent Walters
The book that changed Trent's life (not to mention the world's) was Robert Sheckley's The Scherezade Machine -- what they
later called a "sleeper."
He hadn't heard about it before when he found it in the Barnes and Noble bargain bin. There were a few enthusiastic quotes
on the back that were interesting...
Snake Agent by Liz Williams
reviewed by Rich Horton
The story opens with an investigation into a recently deceased young woman, the daughter of a rich man, who seems to have
gone to Hell by mistake. Or so her mother says. But before long Singapore Three's police inspector Chen's investigation bumps into some political
roadblocks. It seems highly place interests, in both worlds, are involved in something unsavory.
Cowl by Neal Asher
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
It is a dark, brooding time-travel novel, full of graphic violence and characters willing
to go to extremes for what they believe in. There is a war going on, a war fought through shifting time-lines and more-or-less
probable versions of reality. The stakes are the future, and past of humanity. The problem is trying to figure out who, if
anyone, is telling the truth.
Roswell
a give-away contest
Living among the citizens of the infamous New Mexico city of Roswell are four who are not
there by choice. They are there to follow a destiny given to them by the members of their dying
race, a race that they are someday destined to save. They are
human/alien hybrids, sent here as replacements for the royalty of an alien race. Their counterparts
have already perished in a war of attrition, thus one day, the "royal four" will return to their home
planet and save their race.
Read the contents, answer the questions, win a DVD. Easy, eh?
3rd Rock From The Sun
a give-away contest
Set in the fictional city of Rutherford, Ohio, 3rd Rock from the Sun follows a team of eccentric
aliens cleverly disguised as humans on a quest to learn about earthlings and their traditions.
The high commander of this team of aliens is Dr. Dick Solomon, who has taken a position as a
professor of physics at the University of Ohio. Dick's associate on the mission include a decorated military
officer who takes human form as a sexy female named Sally and his intelligence specialist is
put in the body of Tommy a teenager going through puberty.
Read the contents, answer the questions, win a DVD. Easy, eh?
The X-Files: Black Oil
a give-away contest
"The X-Files'" nine seasons of government conspiracy, paranormal phenomenon and alien abduction
obfuscate the truth with every cover-up, and the further one gets from the beginning of the journey,
the less clear the outcome becomes. Now key episodes centering around the black oil, that appeared
intermittently throughout the series, are collected together in one comprehensive volume, allowing fans
to uncover the core truths about the mysterious substance.
Read the contents, answer the questions, win a DVD. Easy, eh?
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Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
reviewed by Sherwood Smith
One summer night the stars abruptly blink out.
Three young people are lying on the grass behind the splendid house belonging to the parents of the twins, Jason and Diane
Lawton. With them is Tyler Dupree, a year younger, son of the housekeeper to the Lawtons. They react, like the rest of the
country, with a variety of emotions, and everyone wonders if the sun will come up.
The Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines by John Crowley
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
A number of reviewers have stated that John Crowley is the sort of writer whose works you either immediately take to or are
immediately put off by. A number of published and even highly marketable writers can tell a story, and then some,
like Talbot Mundy, Algernon Blackwood, Ray Bradbury and John Crowley, are storytellers (or raconteurs) -- quite
a different kettle of fish.
Vox: SF For Your Ears
a column by Scott Danielson
Scott Danielson is looking at audio SF -- on tape, on CD, on whatever. This
time out, he has been listening to titles from three of the best publishers
of audiobooks: Audio Realms, Paperback Digital and Infinivox.
Aldiss And More: an interview with Brian Aldiss
conducted by Sandy Auden
"We have a more sophisticated audience now and it has certainly made writing easier. By and large I regard all
my novels, as I grow older, as one long conversation, mainly with myself. Okay, I understand that my writings
appear diverse but that is only to accommodate my thinking."
Babylon 5.1
TV reviews by Rick Norwood
Having watched at least some of every US science fiction TV series that ever was, Rick offers his thoughts on
what he considers to be good television series plus a few made for television movies. Not content with that,
he lists non-SF TV shows and even some radio series.
The Prodigal Troll by Charles Coleman Finlay
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
In a border province of a far-flung Empire, the local noble families, consolidating land and titles through judicious
marriages and betrothals, begin to amass an uncomfortable amount of power. Accordingly, the Empress sends her armies to
take that power back. His castle under siege, Lord Gruethrist charges a nursemaid and a knight to bear the infant heir,
Claye, to safety. But their desperate flight ends in tragedy, and baby Claye is left alone. He's found by a mother troll,
grieving for her own dead child; in spite of the disapproval of her fellows, she adopts him as her own.
The Black Stranger by Robert E. Howard
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
In The Black Stranger editor Steven Tompkins collects a number of Robert E. Howard's tales set in the United States, albeit
some occurring in far remote times. In his informative introduction, he introduces the works selected and how they relate
to Howard's development as a writer.
American Science Fiction TV: Star Trek, Stargate, and Beyond by Jan Johnson-Smith
reviewed by Charlene Brusso
After a brisk and literate introduction to the field of science fiction scholarship, the author provides a provocative
chapter linking American history -- specifically the romantic notion of the frontier in the American West -- with
science fiction and television. Now, why only cover the last two decades?
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
a give-away contest
He's fought against overwhelming evil with god-like strength for six seasons. Now, Kevin Sorbo, in his world-renowned
role as Hercules, wages his final battles before he and his friend and side-kick Iolaus (Michael Hurst) march off into the
sunset.
Read the contents, answer the questions, win a DVD. Easy, eh?
Xena: Warrior Princess
a give-away contest
Ten years ago, a new breed of hero exploded onto the television airwaves. A female warrior emerged,
tortured by a dark past, and dedicated to fighting evil across a timeless mythological
landscape. The series forever changed the action-hero genre, catapulting Lucy Lawless' dazzling portrayal as the mighty Xena - along
with the actress herself - into the hearts and minds of millions of devoted fans.
Read the contents, answer the questions, win a DVD. Easy, eh?
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