Signal To Noise by Eric S. Nylund
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
When communications with an alien give Jack Potter access to new technology that will make him rich, he cannot say no. And it propels him into a world of corporate and national intrigue. The plot is a classic case of learning who is lying, who is telling the truth, and who can be trusted.

May New Arrivals
compiled by John O'Neill
Disconnect the phone, put out the cat, and surround your favourite chair with munchies. May has arrived with a bumper crop of exciting new reading material, and we've harvested the very best -- including titles from David Brin, Paul J. McAuley, Robert J. Sawyer, Robert Charles Wilson, Jane Routley, Richard Calder, Alan Dean Foster, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Michael A. Stackpole, A.A. Attanasio, Charles Grant, Tanya Huff, Colin Greenland, Elizabeth A. Lynn, L.E. Modesitt, Josepha Sherman, Dorothy J. Heydt, and many others.

Star Trek: Vulcan's Forge by Josepha Sherman & Susan Shwartz
reviewed by Alexander von Thorn
The novel introduces David Rabin, a human who befriends Spock. The plot shows two intersections in their lives, once as boys and then years later when both men hold the rank of Starfleet Captain. Alex found the writing style deft and the pacing easy for tracking the novel's events.

A Hunger in the Soul by Mike Resnick
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Although probably not Resnick's primary purpose in writing this story, the similarities between Stanley's search for Livingstone in Africa and Markahm's search for Drake in this novel are enough to make any reader want to research the historical expedition.

Dust by Charles Pellegrino
reviewed by Alexander von Thorn
The combination of rigorous scientific logic and gripping dramatic pacing makes this an excellent candidate for a Hugo nomination next year. The theme of this book is that life is the universe's way of organizing itself to combat entropy; here, though, entropy might win.

Diaspora by Greg Egan
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Been awhile since you've read any hard science fiction? I mean, really hard sci-fi? Well, if your brain is ready for a workout, you must give Diaspora a try.

The Road To SF 5: The British Way by James Gunn
reviewed by Steven H Silver
In the 1970s, James Gunn did a three volume historical retrospective anthology, The Road to Science Fiction. A fourth volume was published in the early 1980s. White Wolf has contracted for additional books Gunn had in mind, one dealing with British SF (this one), the other is about international SF.

Editor's Choice
short fiction reviews by David A. Truesdale
In his column, David looks at the April 1998 issue of Realms of Fantasy. His choices are "Miss'ippi Snow" by Deborah Thérese D'Onofrio and "Tiger. Tiger" by Severna Park.

Child of the River by Paul J. McAuley
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
The mere mention of a new science fiction or fantasy series is enough to send Lisa shrieking from the bookstore. Sometimes, the stand-alone novel seems on the verge of extinction. But a new series when the name on the cover is Paul McAuley is cause for celebration.

The White Abacus by Damien Broderick
reviewed by Jean-Louis Trudel
The novel has style... but the story is less than compelling. The least successful parts were those patterned on the well-known plot of Hamlet. When the novel dealt with its own universe or twists on the classic premise, it felt fresher and the sheer scope of the author's future vision was exhilarating.

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
Oh boy... pirates, talking ships, magic, sea serpents, slave revolts, dashing heroes, bloody battles and lusty maidens... Ship of Magic has all of this and a whole lot more.

The Jupiter Novels by Charles Sheffield
reviewed by Rodger Turner
Rodger looks at the four of them (Higher Education, The Billion Dollar Boy, Putting Up Roots, The Cyborg From Earth) and how close they come in comparison to what we now know as the Heinlein juveniles.

Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
reviewed by Kim Fawcett
This novel combines the classic story line of first contact with a refreshingly unlikely 70-year-old protagonist. Beyond that, it accomplishes what too few books, SF and otherwise, fail to do -- it raises bigger questions that don't necessarily have neat answers.

Fool on the Hill by Matt Ruff
reviewed by David Soyka
This novel has become something of a cult classic among college students. Ruff ponders the BIG ISSUES -- i.e. the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life and love -- in an accessible, light-hearted way that undergraduates with pretensions of being hip will gladly prefer over Moby Dick.

Destiny's Road by Larry Niven
reviewed by Marc Goldstein
The book is filled with the sense of an old master hungry to prove himself to a new generation. In a reprise review to coincide with the paperback release, Marc finds this enthusiasm infectious.

Days of Cain by J. R. Dunn
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
In a reprise review to coincide with the paperback release, Wayne found that Days of Cain is one of those novels that just won't be put down. It demands to be read. Is this a good thing? Well, that depends...