Apprentice Cruise by Jack Bagley
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
The story begins at an unspecified future time with the graduating class of cadets from the Forces Command
Interstellar Fleet Academy. The focus is on Midshipman Ryan Lee and his classmates Joe Carfaro, Everett "Jeff" Jefferson, and
Michelle Mayorga. Prior to their first commissions, graduating cadets must take active positions for a yearlong "apprentice
cruise" aboard Fleet ships. Ryan finds himself assigned to the FCSS Lovell, a scout vessel, as a gunnery trainee. He
soon learns that Joe, Jeff and Michelle will also be shipping out aboard the Lovell.
The Resurrection Man's Legacy and Other Stories by Dale Bailey
reviewed by Charlene Brusso
It's quite possible that Dale Bailey's name won't ring any more bells in your brain, at first. The
credits on the copyright page list nearly everything here as having previously appeared The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction,
most during the editorship of Kristine Kathryn Rusch. If that still doesn't strike a chord in your memory, all the better, because
then you've got some interesting reading ahead.
The Hidden World by Alison Baird
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Maeve O'Connor is 15, wants to be an actress, is not particularly pretty, and is a perennial outsider at her
school near Toronto. To make matters worse her parents have sent her off to
rural Newfoundland to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle.
Through a talisman and her own fey nature she begins shifting back and forth
between Newfoundland and a parallel universe of Celtic myth, Annwn.
My Favorite Horror Story edited by Mike Baker & Martin H. Greenberg
reviewed by Hank Luttrell
This book follows similarly titled anthologies for SF and fantasy by
the same editor. Popular writers in these fields were asked to select and introduce a favourite story.
Not only does it pull together classic and influential stories, but stories that have had
particular influences on important writers, with comments that help define the nature of the influence.
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.
City of Towers by Keith Baker
reviewed by Craig Shackleton
The novel lends a new grittier edge to the setting. It's refreshing to see a fantasy world in which the impoverished
underclass is truly downtrodden and living in filth and misery. Racism, class conflict and post-war tension abound,
right alongside vice and corruption. The stark contrast of the opulence of the wealthy and their blind indifference to
those (literally) beneath them serves to reinforce this picture.
Plastic Man #1 by Kyle Baker
reviewed by David Maddox
Who's the stretchy super-hero who's almost indestructible and has a sense of humor more outlandish than Robin Williams? Plas! Damn
straight. Plastic Man, the pliable prankster of the comic book scene, has been around for over 60 years and now takes the forefront in his
own ongoing series published monthly by DC Comics.
The Warrior-Prophet by R. Scott Bakker
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Drusas Achamian, Mandate sorcerer and spy, has been joyfully reunited with his lover, the prostitute Esmenet. They travel with
the mysterious Prince Anasûrimbor Kellhus of Atrithau, who has asked Achamian to be his teacher. Achamian can no longer escape
his certainty that Kellhus is the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, according to which the return of a descendent of the lost
royal line of Anasûrimbor heralds the imminence of the Second Apocalypse. He can't share this knowledge with his companions,
for they would not believe him.
The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
In a world two millennia beyond an Apocalypse precipitated by the followers of the No-God, Mog, the high prelate of the Inrithi
church calls a Holy War against the Fanim -- a people who follow a heretical variant of Inrithism, and whose mages practice a deadly
magic the sorcerer Schoolmen of the Inrithi kingdoms don't understand. For centuries the Fanim have held Shimeh, the Holy City of
Inri Sejenus, Latter Prophet of Inrithism; it is time now to take it back.
The Roses of Roazon by Cherith Baldry
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Since time immemorial, a single bloodline has ruled the land of Arvorig from the capital city of Roazon -- the holiest city in the
world, for it was there that God first manifested himself to humankind. According to a legend that only the common people still
believe, the first Duke of Roazon won his rule by vanquishing the dark city of Autrys, home of demons and evil powers, and sinking
it beneath the waves. It's said that as long as a lord of the true bloodline rules in Roazon, Autrys can never return.
The Reliquary Ring by Cherith Baldry
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
The book is set in an alternate-world Venice (the city is never named, but all the
Venetian landmarks are there) where an 18th-century-style social setting combines with the products of high
technology. These scientific advances don't come from the city, however, where the laws of the Holy Church of Christos
hold sway, but from the Empire to the north, whose scientists and craftsmen have perfected arts unknown elsewhere. Imperial
merchants broker strange and wondrous machines to the people of the city, along with living creations: genics, genetically
engineered humans designed to fill specific purposes and tasks.
Exiled from Camelot by Cherith Baldry
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
In this novel, the author departs from the standard Arthurian romance of
the Chrétien de Troyes and Sir Thomas Malory mold, to bring us a finely crafted tale that focuses on the trials of Kay,
a knight usually depicted as a curmudgeonly bureaucrat, but whom this author puts in a position where he must save Arthur,
who has renounced him, from the scheming enchantress Brisane.
The Forge of Mars by Bruce Balfour
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Tau Wolfsinger's life-long project, was developing artificially intelligent robots with the ability to build cities. He invested
much of himself in it, but because he is an outsider, his plans are rejected. Kate, the woman he was about to propose to has just been
assigned to Mars, where she will use her archeological skills and Egyptology fieldwork experience to unearth and study alien relics
discovered on the planet. Soon, he too accepts a mission to Mars, to use his AI technology to build the cities needed on the planet's
surface.
Capacity by Tony Ballantyne
reviewed by Rich Horton
The Earth, the Solar System, and local star systems, are inhabited by a mix
of humans and AI's. Many of the AI's are uploaded copies of humans. All is under the control
of the Environmental Agency, and its arm Social Care, which keeps an eye on the psychological health of everyone. There
is a persistent belief that the real power in the entire system is a super-intelligent AI called The Watcher, which
may be of alien origin. All this leads to asking what is the difference (if any)
between "natural" and "artificial" intelligence?
Recursion by Tony Ballantyne
reviewed by Rich Horton
This book opens with Herb, a spoiled rich kid from the 23rd Century, planting an illegal Von Neumann Machine (VNM) on an unspoiled planet, hoping to
turn it into a private resort. Unfortunately, something goes wrong, and he ends up with the VNM version of nanotech's "grey goo" -- that
is, the VNMs keep replicating and eat up the whole planet. Soon Herb is arrested by an representative of the Environmental Agency,
and he is offered a choice.
The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
This is a fascinating read, for it prefigures
many of the themes that pervade the author's subsequent books:
planetary/ecological disaster, entropy, the devolution of human
nature, a preoccupation with the roots of violence. For those unfamiliar with Ballard, it's a good introduction -- more
accessible and less transgressive than some of his later work, yet
full of the arresting surrealism and hallucinatory brilliance of
language that are hallmarks of his writing.
A User's Guide to the Millennium by J.G. Ballard
reviewed by Thomas Myer
Thomas Myer looks at J. G. Ballard's new collection of
(nay, a veritable seraglio) of essays, reflections, and reviews
marking him as the
intellectual godfather of Gibson, Sterling, and Stephenson.
Maya Running by Anjali Banerjee
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Nothing is going right for poor Maya. All she wants is to fit in, win the heart of the cutest boy in her school, and become a
great beauty. That's no more than any young girl dreams of and wonders why she can't have. When it gets to be too much for Maya
to bear she hits upon an unusual course of action: appeal to the great god Ganesh to make all her wishes come true. Ganesh, a
genial if gluttonous god, warns her that she might not really want all obstacles in her path removed.
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The Prince of Ayodhya by Ashok K. Banker
reviewed by William Thompson
One has to admire the author's ambition -- one might say hubris. A well-known and respected writer in his native
country, noted, according to the publisher's promotional flyer, for authoring the first Indian crime novel in English, as well as the
first Indian television series in the same language, he intends in this opening novel to a forthcoming trilogy to recreate and
retell the Ramayana of Valmiki which, along with Mahabhrata, are the two greatest works of epic Vedic mythic literature, on par
with the Homeric epics, Plato and the Christian gospels, and predating all three.
The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
reviewed by Donna McMahon
Fassin Taak is a Slow Seer who studies the most ancient alien race in the galaxy -- the Dwellers -- who inhabit gas
giants and have extraordinary lifespans of billions of years. A small number of humans who are tolerated by the Dwellers
sift through their archives for pearls of data that might transform a civilization. Taak is one of these, a youthful rebel
who prefers "Real Delving" in a tiny life support craft, rather than using remotes to dive into the clouds of the gas giant
while his body remains safely in orbit.
Look To Windward by Iain M. Banks
reviewed by Nick Gevers
The primary setting of the novel is one of the Culture's most noted
Orbitals, the gigantic artificial ring-in-space known as Masaq. A cultural
centre of some significance, it attracts alien luminaries in fair numbers.
One is Mahrai Ziller, a universally famous composer from the militaristic
and caste-based society of Chel. This irascible exile, fiercely critical of
the oppressive practices of his home, is the focus of intrigue, drawing an
emissary from Chel requesting his return. The Culture's intelligence agency,
the Contact Section,
is greatly interested in the matter, conscious that the recent Civil War
that devastated Chel was a conflict provoked by the Culture's well-meaning
interference. Perhaps the Chelgrian envoy is in fact an assassin, a
terrorist, or something worse.
Excession by Iain M. Banks
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Iain M. Banks has led the
way in restoring galaxy-spanning stories -- space opera if you will -- to
sf. He is one who combines the sense of wonder of classic sf
with modern literary techniques and well-developed characters. What sf
reader could ask for more?
Shadows Bend by David Barbour and Richard Raleigh
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
What if Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft
had met? And what if the impetus for their meeting had been
a series of events eerily resembling Lovecraft's own weird fiction?
That's the premise which propels Howard and
Lovecraft on a supernatural road trip, with nothing less than the
future of the world at stake.
Elfsorrow by James Barclay
reviewed by William Thompson
This novel takes place 6 months after the events recounted in Nightchild. The
Unknown Warrior has rescued his family from the privations and unrest in Balaia left in the wake of Lyanna's destruction, and
returned to Herendeneth, unfortunately with uninvited Xeteskian mages and Protectors in tow. Erienne continues to grieve for the
loss of her daughter, while refusing to accept the One Magic the Al-Drechar have tragically forced upon her. The exiled Kaan are
slowly dying, awaiting rescue and return to their own dimensional space, and new members have been added to The Raven's roster.
Nightchild by James Barclay
reviewed by John Berlyne
5 years have passed since the events in Noonshade, and The Raven have gone their
separate ways. War-ravaged Balia is slowly healing, but this process is being hampered by freak
weather conditions that are battering the land, conditions attributed to disturbances in the mana
field that runs through all things. It becomes clear that Lyanna is the cause of all this, the product
of a union between two of the great colleges and the likely focus of a daunting prophesy that will
bring about the end of the collegiate system that has been in place for hundreds of years.
Noonshade by James Barclay
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
Truly excellent fantasy is rare. Truly excellent heroic fantasy is rarer
still. Discovering a new author who writes truly excellent heroic fantasy is
perhaps the rarest gem of all. This author, with his Chronicles of the
Raven, is such a find. Sequel to Dawnthief, this is a tale of
the Raven, a band of near legendary (and aging) mercenaries -- a diverse
assortment of fighters, mages and rogues -- in their encounters with
dragons, barbarian hordes, sorcerers, demonic summonings, shape-shifters,
and the threat of worldwide devastation.
Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker
reviewed by Sandy Auden
Once you've opened the book you'll be mesmerized by the adventures of Jakabok Botch, a
demon from the Ninth Circle of Hell. Botch lives next to one of the rubbish tips that his father patrols to keep the
trouble-makers out, when he's not beating Botch or his mother to a bleeding pulp in a drunken frenzy. When Botch is
hideously burned, it sets off a series of events that sees the young demon on a century-long journey, chasing across
the face of our earth with a companion older than time.
Abarat by Clive Barker
reviewed by Matthew Peckham
Sometimes the best things come in unassuming packages, at least to those of us who assume something marketed as "young adult" isn't
worth our time. This novel is in many unintended ways a response to the J.K. Rowling books which, in spite of
their trivial thematic regurgitations and archetypal clichés, still manage to incite millions of bedazzled readers to read
them and then, zinged, reach for something more. But where Rowling's books are meant to go down easy, like ice cream and cake, the author's
second venture into "writing without sex or naughty words" is a dizzy flight into happy madness, a menagerie of exuberance and
pastiche that charms without flinching from tangles of darkness and the disturbing.
Bertram of Butter Cross by Jeffrey Barlough
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
The village of Market Snailsby nestles amid the bogs, marshes, and rivers of Fenshire, at the edge of dark and ancient Marley
Wood. Savage predators stalk the brooding precincts of the Wood. In the olden days,
when men and women were bolder and more carefree, the courageous but eccentric Godfrey de Clinkers
built a lodge deep at the forest's heart and held fabled hunting parties there. The descendants of those brave adventurers are
more cautious, and in modern times the people of Fenshire avoid the Wood. But the march of progress may soon change that.
The House in the High Wood by Jeffrey Barlough
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
The village of Shilston Upcot, prosperous but remote, sits on the shores of a black glacial lake whose depth has never
been measured. On the forested cliffs above it lie the ruins of a monastery, an abode of mad friars who, according to
village lore, vanished one day without a trace. Nearby stands the sinister, brooding hulk of Skylingden Hall, its great
round rose window gazing down like a baleful eye upon the village. For years Skylingden Hall has stood empty, its owners
the subject of a scandal so shocking no one in Shilston Upcot will speak of it. Now, suddenly, it's inhabited again...
Dark Sleeper by Jeffrey E. Barlough
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
This novel is set on an alternate earth, where a
catastrophic event known as the sundering (possibly a comet-strike)
has wiped out most of the population and plunged the world into a
second Ice Age. Only a narrow band of land along the west coast of
North America, home to the ancient, fog-wreathed city of Salthead,
was spared. For this tiny remnant of human civilization, life goes
on much as always -- though icy winds blow down from the heights, and
the wilderness beyond the inhabited areas is ruled by mastodon,
saber-cats, and other prehistoric beasts.
Inanimae: The Secret Way by Rob Barret, Roger Gaudreau, Stephan Herman, R.S. Martin and Angel McCoy
a gaming module review by Don Bassingthwaite
This is one of the most all around satisfying sourcebook products. It's
complete in every way, from base concept to fine details to integration with
the parent game setting. It's well-illustrated, very well-written, and the
incredible sense of wonder, enchantment and imagination could add a rich
dimension to your chronicle.
Prince of Christler-Coke by Neal Barrett, Jr.
reviewed by Matthew Cheney
Pity poor Asel Iacola, who only gets to be Prince of Christler-Coke for an hour and a half before Ducky Du Pontiac Heinz
kills his family, steals his new bride, and sends Asel off to the National Executive Rehabilitation Facility. No-one
of such fine breeding as Asel should suffer the deprivations of tacky clothes and honest work. By the end of
the novel, though, Asel will have experienced far worse.
Prince of Christler-Coke by Neal Barrett, Jr.
reviewed by Rich Horton
Asel Iacola is the newly come-of-age Prince of Christler-Coke, one of the corporations that dominates America East. The book
opens with his arranged wedding to the rather dim Loreli, from the family of Pepsicoma-Dodge. But almost at this hour his
family is attacked, a scheme of Asel's hated rival Ducky Du Pontiac-Heinz as well as a power from the West, Califoggy
State's Peter Cee, of Disney-Dow. Asel's family is obliterated, and Asel is sent to prison in Oklahomer, forced to wear
tacky middle class clothing and feed himself.
Perpetuity Blues and Other Stories by Neil Barrett, Jr.
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
This collection is full of stories the best of which feature a familiar landscape full of diners,
Wal-Marts, semis, and the quirky, usually good, sometimes malevolent
people who inhabit them. It's also a world full of humour, poetry, dirt, magic, hope, despair, and the occasional alien.
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