The Pottawatomie Giant by Andy Duncan
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Southern literature is as distinct a genre as mystery or science fiction. Just as those two genres can be
combined, southern literature with its naturalistic darkness which hints at a horror lurking beneath the surface,
can be combined with other genres, as Andy Duncan deftly does with many of the stories included in this collection.
Hard Magic by Larry Correia
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Crossing steampunk with magic, and primarily depicting the adventures of Jake Sullivan, war hero,
private eye and ex-con, tthe story begins with him just out of jail due to making a deal with the Feds, which
sees him using his special abilities to help take down criminals who are also enhanced by magic. All is going well,
with just one more operation to complete for Jake to win freedom, when he encounters Delilah Jones. In addition to
being an old girlfriend of his, complete with her own magical abilities, Jones is on the Feds hit list. When the
mission goes badly wrong, Jake begins to discover that the authorities have been lying to him.
Fairy Tales Reimagined edited by Susan Redington Bobby
reviewed by Sandra Scholes
Fairy tales are the in thing at the moment in movies like Snow White and the Huntsman and Mirror, Mirror
being successful takes on the popular "Snow White" story. Most girls had a favourite when they were young, whether it
was "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty" or "Little Red Riding Hood." It still held their interest and compelled them to read
others to see what they were like. When we think of fairy tales it is interesting that many of them were not actually
English.
Through Darkest America and Dawn's Uncertain Light by Neal Barrett, Jr.
reviewed by David Maddox
Over one hundred and fifty years ago there was the Great War, which wiped out most of humanity, brought down all
the old cities and technology, and eliminated just about all animal life. But humanity has struggled its way
back to reclaim the land. In Middle America, life continues, farmers grow their crops and raise their stock,
and try to make an honest living in the world. But there's a much darker side to all of it, beyond the new
war between the Loyalists and the Rebels brewing in the West. This darkness goes to the root of all society and
no one wants it uncovered.
The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1 by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
reviewed by Seamus Sweeney
Virginia Woolf famously said that throughout history, the author "Anonymous" was usually a woman. An equal if not
greater case could be made that Anonymous was usually more than one person. While the pendulum of scholarly
opinion as to whether there really was a historical individual called Homer who wrote the epics now attributed
to that name goes back and forth, there can be little doubt that many of the classics we enjoy were collaborative efforts.
Raven Cursed by Faith Hunter
reviewed by Katherine Petersen
In this adventure, Jane starts out as a bodyguard to the envoy that Leo Pellissier has sent to Asheville for a parlay
with a North Carolina vampire who seeks to become master of his own city. A fanged attack on campers quickly turns
Jane into an investigator, facing enemies, both recognized and unrecognized, from her past.
As usual, her mouth gets her in trouble on numerous occasions.
City of Dragons by Robin Hobb
reviewed by Dominic Cilli
The story takes up with the crew of the liveship Tarman having reached its destination of the lost city of
Kelsingra. After successfully navigating up the Rain Wild River, Captain Leftrin has delivered his cargo of dragons,
keepers, and hunters and has embarked on his return voyage to Cassarick to collect on his contract and resupply
for his return voyage to his beloved Alise and Kelsingra. Meanwhile, Thymara and the rest of the keepers are
still struggling in their duties as dragon keepers to service and feed their dragons.
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Black Bottle: An Interview with Anthony Huso
An interview with Dave Truesdale
Setting the stage for Black Bottle:
"Caliph's and Sena's story begins at a straight-laced college. It's all very sinister and oppressive since the
institution teaches holomorphy, which is a kind of blood-math. Holomorphy is essentially pseudo-science/sorcery of Lovecraftian
bent. Caliph and Sena each have unpleasant histories with this discipline, Caliph by way of his creepy uncle
Nathaniel (now deceased) and Sena through the witch coven that raised her.
Caliph and Sena have disparate and mostly vague plans for the future. This results in a collision of motives with each one more
or less using the other. Their whole relationship gets off on the wrong foot and by the time diplomas are handed out, it's a
perfectly dysfunctional affair.
Though they split up, lust, politics and the stirrings of possibly genuine affection draw Caliph and Sena together again as
the power couple at the center of Isca City."
Amped by Daniel H. Wilson
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Science fiction for the masses. It's a well-established technique; take a present-day setting, soup it up with a concept out
of science fiction, one that's a little edgy but close enough to people's experience so that you don't have to spend a lot of
time on technical details, throw in a thriller plot and a little romance and voila!, you've got it, a main-stream best-seller
with just enough SF to give it a sparkle. Michael Crichton is the established master at this, but now we have anothe who
takes a big step toward making the territory his own.
Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh
reviewed by Sandra Scholes
The novel takes the reader through to Adria,
a wolf changeling and soldier who has to leave her past behind her in order to set about creating a new future for herself. But
when she meets a SnowDancer, Riaz, her heart is torn in two just as his is troubled by how he feels about her. His needs are
sexual, and all consuming. He is dangerous, and that appeals to her risky nature. They shouldn't be together, but they can't be
apart. Theirs is a love that is terrible, yet wild and tortuous for both of them.
Jupiter, Issue 36, April 2012 and Jupiter, Issue 37, July 2012
reviewed by Rich Horton
The moons of Jupiter for the 36th and 37th issues of Jupiter, are Sponde and Kale. Sponde's cover, a robot
or someone in space armor, is by Australian writer David Conyers, who is also associated with the Irish
magazine Albedo One. Kale's cover, by Sam Mardon, also involves space armor: as a man is shown outside
an exploding spaceship. Both enjoyable enough illustrations, and both representative of the somewhat old-fashioned and
very much pure SF orientation of the magazine.
The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg, Volume 7: We Are For the Dark (1987-90) by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Subterranean Press has been collecting many, although not all, of Robert Silverberg's short stories since they
published To Be Continued in 2006.
The series has now reached the late 1980s with volume 7, We Are For the Dark, which brings together ten stories,
many of which have historical backgrounds, from "Enter a Soldier, Later: Enter Another" to "Lion Time in Timbuctoo."
Nascence: 17 Stories That Failed and What They Taught Me by Tobias Buckell and Ersatz Wines by Christopher Priest
reviewed by Trent Walters
Both collections
deal with the category of literature known as juvenilia: works written before the writer came into his full maturity. Both
writers deal with the idea that the point of the book is just to make some money, but they also believe their mistakes may help
beginning writers. Buckell is more contemporary and aware of the current speculative scene while Priest's concerns are more
literary, yet both give useful insight into the process of maturing as a writer.
New Arrivals
compiled by Neil Walsh
New this time is the latest from Walter Moers, Peter Dickinson, David Weber & Jane Lindskold, David Drake, Mike Resnick, some classic reprints from George R.R. Martin, Robert A. Heinlein, Cordwainer Smith, and much more besides.
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