Ghost Spin by Chris Moriarty
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
It starts when Catherine Li's lover, the artificial intelligence known as Cohen, commits suicide. Unwilling to believe it, Catherine
takes off in pursuit of what she thinks must be the truth, and, when she's willing to admit it, revenge. By the end of her
journey, several characters from two previous novels have re-appeared,
past actions have been explained, confronted, and too often regretted, and the possibility, but just the possibility, of a
whole new post-human future has appeared.
Hauntings edited by Ellen Datlow
reviewed by Mario Guslandi
Mario confesses he's not wild about reprint anthologies, especially when they feature horror stories appeared during the
last 20-30 years, previously published in books already sitting on his shelves.
On the other hand, he admits that unearthing good stories from the recent past can offer a good opportunity to the readers
who, because of their age or for other reasons, have missed those stories. And who better than expert and
skilled editor Ellen Datlow to select the tales to be included?
Proxy by Alex London
reviewed by Michael M Jones
What if... your entire life was lived at someone else's convenience? What if you were held hostage for their good behavior? What
if they could do whatever they wanted, while you suffered the consequences?
Syd is a victim of that system. Born into a debt he can never pay off, he's a Proxy, owned by one of the richest families in
the Mountain City, one of the few civilized enclaves left after a series of apocalyptic disasters devastated the old world.
Galaxy's Edge #1
reviewed by Sandra Scholes
This is a new science fiction magazine that will be coming out every two months and mixes new stories,
reprints, reviews and columns. Of the reprints, they will be written by well-known authors, just as the new fiction will be
penned by the not-so-well-known writers. Mike Resnick's "The Editor's Word" begins the magazine and he takes readers into the intricate world of the science
fiction magazine, starting with Amazing Stories back in 1938.
Star Wars: Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn
reviewed by David Maddox
Han Solo, intergalactic rogue and smuggler extraordinaire has just helped the fledgling Rebellion destroy the Empire's newest
super weapon, the Death Star. However, the reward he received has been lost in an unfortunate 'incident.' Still in deep debt
to crime lord Jabba the Hutt, a growing bounty on his head, the erstwhile pilot of the Millennium Falcon desperately needs a big
score with a huge payout.
Crowded Magazine #1
reviewed by Sandra Scholes
The stories are a treat to read and will appeal to everyone -- they will all have their favourites, Sandra's was "The Garden," by
Rich Larsen, but there are others that will appeal to most, "Mirrorball" by Jason Helmandollar, "The Anything Cloak" by Michael
Wehunt and "King of Shreds and Patches" by Thomas Brennan. Though it joins the ranks of the indie magazine department, the
quality of the stories and the mixed genres is impressive to say the least and the cover art is just as pro looking as many
other mainstream magazines in the sf, horror and fantasy vein.
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The Fictional Man by Al Ewing
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Niles Golan is a professional writer, primarily known for his character Kurt Power, a no nonsense ex-lawyer turned private eye,
who stars in such naff titles such as Pudding and Pie: A Kurt Power Novel. Following a series
of failed relationships, culminating in divorce, Golan is at something of a crossroads in his life and in therapy with
Ralph Cutner, the former star of a TV show, who has now reinvented himself as a Life Coach.
Empty Space: A Haunting by M. John Harrison
reviewed by David Soyka
Well, it's been one helluva long, strange trip. Concluding a trilogy (according to the publisher, though
certainly not in the typical Lord of the Rings sense), M. John Harrison's Empty Space is more directly
connected (if it can be said that anything here is directly connected) to Light (2002) than the
in-between Nova Swing (2007). All three share strands of genealogy set in an existence influenced by the presence of
the Kefachuchi Tract, described as "a singularity without an event horizon."
Which means what, exactly?
Fantastic Futures 13 edited by Robert E. Waters & James R. Stratton
reviewed by Dave Truesdale
Fantastic Futures 13 is an all-original anthology following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Mermaids 13 and
Apocalypse 13. As the title indicates, there are 13 stories exploring the theme of what we might expect for the future of our
planet, and 13 very different visions are what we get.
New Arrivals
compiled by Neil Walsh
Read the latest from Kelley Armstrong, Terry Brooks, Eric Brown, Graham Joyce, Jasper Kent, Christopher Priest, Jon Steele, Harry Turtledove, Catherynne M. Valente, learn to draw like Stan Lee, or take a chance on a new author. There's plenty to choose from!
Off On A Tangent: Novel Reviews
a column by Dave Truesdale
Joshua Alan Parry's Virus Thirteen postulates a near-future where cloning on a small scale has been achieved
and GeneFirm Inc., "the largest and most esteemed biotech company in the world," has found a cure for cancer. Unfortunately, the
cure has not been inheritable -- until now. And
with Wisp of a Thing, Alex Bledsoe returns to the hidden world of the fae Tufa he created in The Hum and the Shiver.
The Tufa mythology -- what bits and pieces there are of it -- holds
that they are a reclusive mountain people, swarthy and black-haired, who have inhabited (centuries before any white settlers
arrived) a small area deep in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Paving the way for the modern multimedia superstars, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan appeared on film, TV, radio, and stage long
before most of his literary brethren. The Ape Man has enjoyed a particularly varied and fruitful comics
existence.
Over the past decade Dark Horse has reprinted many of these classic tales in handsome archival hardback editions. Rick Klaw looks at the most
recent additions which include a collection of arguably the most influential strip, a rare, illegally published series, and the first
solo adventures of "Boy."
On My Way to Samarkand: Memoirs of a Travelling Writer by Garry Douglas Kilworth
reviewed by Paul Kincaid
Samarkand, it turns out, is one of the few places not visited by Garry Kilworth in this account of a very restless life.
He was born in York in the early years of the Second World War, but fairly soon moved to Essex which is the still point
about which the rest of this book revolves. His father was in the RAF, and chose to stay in the military after the war, so
Kilworth had the typically unsettled upbringing that implies.
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