Outward Bound by James P. Hogan
reviewed by Rich Horton
Linc Marani makes money by acting as collection muscle for a local thug, and his only ambition is to advance up the ladder of crime. He's arrested and he's sentenced to the labour camps. But he's offered an alternative: an entré into a mysterious program, with the promise he can quit at any time.

Not of Woman Born edited by Constance Ash
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Throw down those ovulation predictors! Cast aside those thermometers! Of what use are those fertility pills now? In the future, new humans are going to be popping out of every test tube, artificial womb, and industrial-size mayo jar if you look away for an instant.

Of Swords and Spells by Delia Marshall Turner
reviewed by Jonathan Fesmire
Here, magic drives technology. Untrained witches are pursued by the nasty cosmic cops who destroy all life on planets that break the law. Getting between worlds is easy for them as the planets are all connected through a sort of magical, cosmic net -- provided you have a ship with a magical drive.

Minions of the Moon by Richard Bowes
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
All of his life, Kevin has been aware of the presence he thinks of as his Shadow, a second self that is usually not visible to others unless Kevin allows it to manifest. Kevin is a mess. He's a drug abuser, an alcoholic, and he sells his body to older men. Kevin's world contains very little that is wholesome, and that's just fine with Fred, his Shadow, who exists in an even darker framework than Kevin.

March Books
compiled by John O'Neill
This issue we celebrate the ubiquitous SF & Fantasy trilogy, with new volumes in over half a dozen ongoing series -- including R.A. Salvatore's DemonWars, Adam Lee's The Dominions of Irth, Harry Turtledove's WorldWar and J.V. Jones' new Sword of Shadows. Of the sixteen new novels received this issue, only two are not components of a series.

More Monsters From Memphis edited by Beecher Smith
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Regional horror is hot right now. If you like your fiction with a little Southern flavour, this book offers an infusion of that deep south mixture of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

Cyberscam 2000 by Gary Sutton
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
It purports to be a techno-thriller about an attempt by a band of international criminals to crash the Internet and simultaneously take control of a new form of global transportation. All, you understand, with the goal of ruling the world. But how or why? Who can tell?

Finity by John Barnes
reviewed by Steven H Silver
In a world where bits and pieces of different timelines begin filtering through and individuals can suddenly become their other world analogues without warning, the author seems intent on throwing everything into the mixture without worrying whether the flavours will compliment each other.

New Magazines
compiled by John O'Neill
Looking for the best in new magazines? The FictionHome page has news, reviews and links to the finest short fiction on the market, from SF magazines to anthologies and collections. The first weeks of March saw new issues of Dark Planet, Analog, Asimov's SF, and more.

A Magic Dwells by Patricia White
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
These two novellas, combining to make a single novel, are not serious, adult literature. For the young adult audience, though, this should be an amusing pair. 1) The kingdom of Dur has fallen on hard times. Princes are now selected by lottery, their goddess' daughter has been kidnapped, and their doom is only days away. What a time to be scraping the bottom of the prince barrel. 2) Tessa, the Princess of the Outer Isles, is about to be given in sacrifice to a dragon. And it's her brother's fault, seeing as he gambled away his kingdom. Not a good time to be royalty...

The Dragons of Springplace by Robert Reed
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
The sense of nostalgia and wonder of Ray Bradbury, the fantastic weirdness of A. Merritt, the settings and characters reminiscent of Cordwainer Smith, and the alien ecologies and humour of Stanley Weinbaum, have been fused and remolded and modernized into Robert Reed.

Analog, March 1999
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
Another month and another set of fine "hard" SF stories in Analog. If anything, the March issue was even better than February's! Steve's favourite story was "Upgrade" by Ramona Louise Wheeler.

A Cavern of Black Ice by J.V. Jones
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
As the first book in a trilogy, this book hints at the true story that will drive them all. While the plot of ancient dark magics is central to the tale, the author does a wonderful job of keeping the reader just a bit unsure of who is key to the story and which characters are going to survive its telling.

Fatal Image by Jim Hurst
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
You often hear about how sitting in front of a computer is ruining your health. The screen is chiselling away at your 20/20 vision. Repetitive motions are making you the carpal tunnel poster child. Sitting in place is giving you a beautiful pear shape. Well, at least the computer isn't trying to kill you.

Forthcoming Books
compiled by John O'Neill
It's been a busy pair of weeks for advance proofs. We've had to stretch our Forthcoming Books column to four pages to accomodate dozens of new titles -- including work from David Brin, Mark Sumner, Jane Routley, Lisa Goldstein, Rudy Rucker, William C. Dietz, Mercedes Lackey, Neal Stephenson, Orson Scott Card, and many others.

Mark V. Ziesing Books
compiled by Rodger Turner
From Gene Wolfe to Joe Lansdale, Stephen King to James Blaylock, Mark Ziesing has published an eclectic mix of titles since he did his first book in 1982. This is the final installment of a 9-part series putting together a reading list of Mark V. Ziesing Books. It amalgamates the contents of the previous 8 installments.

The Runelords by David Farland
reviewed by Regina Lynn Preciado
In a reprise review to coincide with the paperback release, 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.

Ports of Call by Jack Vance
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
In a reprise review to coincide with the paperback release, there is a kind of human history story in which the hero or heroine voyages to far-away lands full of wonders and peopled only by the story-teller's imagination. Jack Vance is a master of this form and the pleasure of Ports of Call is how effortlessly he invents one exotic society after another.

Jingo by Terry Pratchett
reviewed by Todd Richmond
In a reprise review to coincide with the paperback release, this Discworld novel takes a look at war, land disputes, assassination, science and weapons development, and prejudice. Of course, Terry Pratchett has his own unique way of looking at things -- who else could make war and assassination so utterly hilarious?

Return to the Tomb of Horrors by Bruce R. Cordell
a gaming module review by Wayne MacLaurin
20 years later, TSR has reprinted and expanded the classic puzzle and trap module. This adventure will make a fine challenge for any group of AD&D players looking for some stiff competition. Years have gone by and Skull City, a dark community of necromantic evil, has been built on the site of the original tomb. But even the inhabitants of this fell city have no idea of the true evil lurking beneath them...

Demon Hunter X by Jim Moore
a gaming module review by Don Bassingthwaite
Think of the book as a haiku or a piece of calligraphy: the best expression in the fewest number of words or strokes. This is a clean, spare book and fabulous because of it.

Tokyo by Bruce Baugh and Mark Cenczyk
a gaming module review by Don Bassingthwaite
Like other sourcebooks, World of Darkness: Tokyo takes a location and explores its supernatural denizens, their politics, and their relationships with the mundane world. There are more than just wraiths in Tokyo.

AD&D Core Rules by Sean Reynolds
a gaming module review by Wayne MacLaurin
As a reference tool, this is an unmatched collection. DMs can build an adventure from their desktop PC, referencing everything from monsters to spells, building encounter tables and treasure lists. A welcome addition!