Memoranda by Jeffrey Ford
reviewed by Rich Horton
This whole landscape is original, and odd, and often beautiful. The form and setting of the novel provoke thought about the nature of memory. Ford also considers the nature of love, and addiction, and how a wholly evil man can still engender good.

The Busker by Guy N. Smith
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
The Lichfield District is a typical rural area of England. Add one dangerously open mind and you throw the whole thing into chaos. Add one farmer, determined to work the land in the old way, organic and by hand, and watch the farming community bristle. Add one itinerant busker and watch the villagers die.

Return to Mars by Ben Bova
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
Sequel to Mars, this novel stands very well on its own. Jamie Waterman returns to the Red Planet as the head of the 2nd expedition, which has been financed by a wealthy industrialist. The mission mandate is to make Mars profitable, and if the members of the expedition try to do anyting outside that mandate, they risk having all funding cut for any future missions. One can't help but cross one's fingers while reading this book -- because in this future, the thrill of scientific discovery takes a back seat to the bottom line.

Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling
reviewed by Charlene Brusso
Although this is the 3rd book in the Nightrunner series, you won't be missing key plot points in previous novels since each stands neatly alone. Here, the warrior Queen Idrilain of Skala lies dying from wounds received in battle against the fierce armies of neighbouring Plenimar. Idrilain knows Skala will fall unless her people can convince the magical Aurënfaie to ally with them. This is a fast-paced fantasy adventure with fully realized characters and more than enough intrigue, magic, and danger to hold your attention.

Half Life by Hal Clement
reviewed by John O'Neill
At times, this novel felt like exercising long-unused muscles. But the end result is worth it, a fine reminder of why hard SF resides at the very core of our genre -- that part of our diet that really forces us to think, and think hard, about the big questions -- such as life, death, and the fragile chemical barriers between the two.

Adobe Angels by Antonio R. Garcez
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
This collection takes a serious look at the supernatural side of New Mexico along with a healthy dose of history about the area, the haunted structures, and the people -- Indian, Mexican, Anglo -- who settled and resettled the state. Few areas of the United States have been as hotly disputed and changed hands so many times. Maybe that's what makes for the tenacious nature of the spirits that reportedly cling to their territory.

September Books
compiled by Neil Walsh
This months has seen a good showing of collections, including the much talked-about 999 original horror anthology, and Stephen King's collection of interconnected novellas. Other highlights include Jeff Long's hellishly hyped The Descent, Stephen Lawhead's vision of Arthur in the 21st century, and new titles by Nina Kiriki Hoffman, N. Lee Wood, Susan Sizemore, and more.

Owl Knight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon
reviewed by Jeri Wright
The 3rd novel in the latest Valdemar series doesn't break any new ground, but it does give fans likeable characters, interesting personal relationships, magic, adventure, and the pleasure of visiting old friends. We meet Darian again, now a young man with an important role in the life of his adopted people.

Babylon 5.1
TV reviews by Rick Norwood
In his column, Rick grows impatient with this season's scheduling. As well as a few interesting rumours about Voyager, he also casts a eye to a new animated series, Roughnecks - Starship Trooper Chronicles, for insomniacs and early risers.

Clan Novel: Tzimisce by Eric Griffin
reviewed by Jonathan Fesmire
Often, a dark atmosphere and graphic horror do not quite mix; unseen terrors raise the level of fear and contribute to the atmosphere. However, this author manages to plunge the reader into a chilling world that is unbroken by its graphic violence, as Vampires do battle, killing and torturing each other with ghastly creativity.

New Magazines
compiled by John O'Neill
The FictionHome page brings you the latest from the world of SF, Fantasy, and Horror magazines. This issue we look at new issues of Asimov's SF, Analog, Dark Regions / Horror Magazine, and many others.

SF Site Interviews for 999

999 Table of Contents

F. Paul Wilson Tim Powers Thomas F. Monteleone Michael Marshall Smith P.D. Cacek David Morrell Chet Williamson Ed Bryant

999 edited by Al Sarrantonio
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
With excellent stories ranging from the straightforward and graphic to the complex and cerebral, from suspense to supernatural horror, from strict rationalism to irrealism, from the grimly horrifying to the humorous, with settings ranging from current New York society to depression-era Southern farm-folk, anyone unable to find something to raise the hair on the nape of their neck in 999, is likely in need of resuscitation paddles. With authors ranging from horror icons like Stephen King and William Peter Blatty, to lesser known or more recent entrants to the field, like Bentley Little and Michael Marshall Smith, the book presents an excellent cross-section of horror as it is and as it stands to be in the next millennium.

Moon Shots edited by Peter Crowther
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
30 years after Neil Armstrong set foot on our satellite, DAW has released this anthology to commemorate the occasion. A.L.'s choices were "The Moon Tree" by Jerry Oltion (clever and contemporary), Stephen Baxter's "People Came From Earth" (surely a Nebula nomination) and Ian McDonald's "Breakfast on the Moon, With Georges" (remarkable and delightful).

Forthcoming Books
compiled by Neil Walsh
October has some tricks and treats in store for us, including the teaming up of Terri Windling and Wendy Froud, a prequel to Dune by Frank Herbert's son, and new works from the likes of Jeffrey Ford, Charles Beaumont, Peter S. Beagle, Mercedes Lackey... to name just a few.

Gravity by Tess Gerritsen
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
A tightly-constructed plot spins forward at a breakneck pace, and the progress of a space station epidemic, rendered in cinematic detail, is fascinatingly horrific. Especially good are the descriptions of life aboard the Space Station, which read with the authority of first-hand experience -- an impressive testament to the author's research.

Isaac Asimov's Werewolves edited by Gardner Dozois and Sheila Williams
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
The selection of stories presents a wide gamut of stories and approaches to the werewolf. Certainly for the monster fiction fan this is a keeper, with stories that are both good werewolf stories and well written literary (as opposed to pulpish) pieces. So pick up a copy and have a howling good read!

Time Future by Maxine McArthur
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Just as police procedurals offer authentic portrayals of official investigations, this space procedural gives readers a realistic depiction of what life might be like aboard a space station in crisis. A blockade by the alien Seouras has kept the space station Jocasta and its inhabitants isolated from the Confederacy of Allied Worlds for months. Without contact, fresh materials, and supplies, the station will soon be unable to support life. Unfortunately, every new development makes survival more unlikely.

Through A Brazen Mirror by Delia Sherman
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Here is quite possibly the finest, most accurate fantasy written since the middle ages. This is a stunning recreation of a place, a time, and its people long gone, with such a vivid depiction that readers will feel firmly in the heart of the action. Sherman's grasp of setting, language, and behaviour act as a snare to pull readers ever deeper into the story of a widowed woman's search for peace and survival.

Shadowrun Companion by Michael Mulvihill and Robert Boyle
reviewed by Henry Harding
Capitalism is everywhere. Each day we are bombarded by images and words urging us to part with our hard earned disposable income. The assault on young consumers is especially vigorous and unrelenting. But there is a pearl of wisdom, old as the Roman empire, that when adhered to can act as a beacon of reason in the tempest of hype. Buyer beware.