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The Golden Globe The Golden Globe by John Varley
reviewed by Paul J. McAuley
Guest Reviewer Paul J. McAuley found it to be a relaxed, playful, virtuoso performance, packed with incidents and wonders as casually deployed as scarves from a magician's hat. The novel vividly evokes a Solar System where all history is, of necessity, as postmodern and hyperreal as Disneyland. It never falters as the narrative moves from comedy to tragedy.

Lost Pages Lost Pages by Paul Di Filippo
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
There could be any number of parallel universes popping up around us, but even in this one, Paul Di Filippo is in his own world. This time, he is musing upon a world where SF as a genre died in the late 60s. The inevitable question arises: how would the world have been different?

The Best of Crank! The Best of Crank! edited by Bryan Cholfin
reviewed by David Soyka
David found much of this anthology is more fantasy than SF, though even that distinction is kind of meaningless. What's here is literature. At times it annoyed him, puzzled him: even frustrated him. But, above all, it made him think.

The Gilded Chain The Gilded Chain by Dave Duncan
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
Never one to tell a simple tale when a more complex one would be even better, the author has taken what could have been a uninspired rehash of every sword-swinging hero and molded it into a tale that draws more from the characters and the depth of the story line than it does from bloodshed and swordplay.

Eating Memories Eating Memories by Patricia Anthony
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
No one who has kept up with Patricia Anthony's novels needs to be reminded of her amazing talent. For those who haven't had the pleasure, meet Ms. Anthony: quite simply one of the finest writers of our time. And begin your acquaintance with this collection of her powerful short fiction.

New Arrivals October Books
compiled by John O'Neill
What is it about fall? Publishers get ready for winter the same way small animals do -- with enormous energy. We've seen nearly sixty new titles in the last two weeks alone, and the books keep arriving. They include new work from Raymond E. Feist, Neil Gaiman, John Varley, Harry Harrison, Stephen Baxter, Paul Di Filippo, Anne McCaffrey, David and Leigh Eddings, Philip Pullman, Wil McCarthy, Dave Duncan, and dozens of others.

With the Lightnings With the Lightnings by David Drake
reviewed by Peter D. Tillman
A more descriptive title might be "The Lieutenant & the Librarian." Lt. Daniel Leary is a supernumerary diplomat and Adele Mundy, the Electoral Librarian, is the lone survivor of her family's political massacre on the planet Cinnabar. Leisurely at the beginning, once a coup unfolds, the action becomes fast and furious -- as well as clever and fun.

Moonseed Moonseed by Stephen Baxter
reviewed by Steven H Silver
It opens with a recounting of the Apollo 18 mission to Aristarchus and the explosion of Venus. Neither event seems to have a major impact on the lives of people on Earth. The rocks collected at Aristarchus are sealed in decontamination units by NASA for decades. One day, a small sample is spilled onto the ground...

Forthcoming Books Forthcoming Books
compiled by John O'Neill
Part of the joy of reviewing books is the occasional glimpse at a future title or two. And we don't think we're all that different from you. So, using the same format as our New Books and New Games sections, we've crafted a set of pages devoted to news and info on forthcoming books -- including work from Stephen R. Donaldson, George R.R. Martin, Bruce Sterling, and many others. We'll think you'll find it very interesting.

Series Review

The Chronicles of Scar The Chronicles of Scar by Ron Sarti
reviewed by Regina Lynn Preciado
This trilogy traces the evolution of young Prince Arn, also called Scar, from a frightened beggar to a cowardly prince to an unwilling hero and finally to a mature leader and man. Set on a ravaged world where electricity and other technologies are forbidden, and "dinosaurs" roam the swamps.

Bag of Bones Bag of Bones by Stephen King
reviewed by Pat Caven
It reads like Rebecca meets Bill Gates meets Kramer vs Kramer. For Pat, this novel served as an introduction into the famed Stephen King mystique. And after a year of reading Canadian literary writers, it was like being slapped in the face with a big wet fish.

Babylon 5.1: Televison Reviews Babylon 5.1
TV reviews by Rick Norwood
In his column, Rick reviews the two-part season premiere of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Image in the Sand" and "Shadows and Symbols," and the premiere episode of Star Trek: Voyager, "Night."

First Novels

The Runelords: The Sum of All Men The Runelords: The Sum of All Men by David Farland
reviewed by Regina Lynn Preciado
In the first of this series, a renegade Runelord sets out to conquer his neighbouring kingdoms. But an even greater danger walks (or crawls) upon the land. It is a time of darkness, a time of sickness in the Earth itself. The humans' only hope for survival is the rebirth of the Earth King -- a legend almost forgotten, unknown even by the chosen heir.

The Merro Tree The Merro Tree by Katie Waitman
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Visions of the future vary as widely as daydreams, but there is one thing we all seem to hope for our world: tolerance. On the surface, that doesn't appear to be too much to ask. But, with a multitude of races, the universe of this novel offers a convincing argument that no magic cure is on the way to save us from our worst selves.

Lives of the Monster Dogs Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Canine cyborgs with human-level intelligence are created by a mad scientist and his minions. Equipped with voice boxes and prosthetic hands, they revolt and slaughter their masters before making a splashy arrival in New York. A young NYU student writes an article about them and is hired as the PR voice of the dogs.

Gaming

Thornhold Elaine Cunningham
An interview with Don Bassingthwaite
In the last issue, Don did a review of Thornhold by Elaine Cunningham, the last book in The Harpers series from TSR. Because the series concluded with her book, Don has asked Elaine to share some of her thoughts on The Harpers and on her books within the series.

A Paladin in Hell A Paladin in Hell
a gaming module review by Wayne MacLaurin
Every once in a while something comes along that you know is destined to become a classic. A Paladin in Hell is definitely one of them.

Get Medieval Get Medieval
a game review by Steve Lazarowitz
Some 15 years ago, a game called Gauntlet made its debut in the arcades. I pumped enough quarters into that machine to put my daughter through college. I don't regret a single cent of it. This game is so similar to that classic, they should have called it Gauntlet II.

Star*Drive: Arms and Equipment Guide Star*Drive: Arms and Equipment Guide
a gaming accessory review by Don Bassingthwaite
Great selection, slightly questionable presentation, good background material with a little imagination, Don's advice: buy the Guide for the toys but look for text details and you'll get even more out of this book.

New Arrivals September Games
compiled by John O'Neill
Modern gaming features some of the most creative work in fantasy and science fiction today. From the rich background of TSR's Forgotten Realms to the detailed future of White Wolf's Trinity, gamers and game authors around the world are enjoying some of the most fully-realized fictional settings ever created. If you're looking for innovative ideas and energetic prose, look no further.


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