The Reel Stuff edited by Brian Thomsen and Martin H. Greenberg
reviewed by Alexander von Thorn
This anthology of stories which were later made into feature films includes
some of the best of the genre. All are worth reading in their own right
and you'll probably want to rent a few movies to see how the stories compare.
Black Holes & Time Warps by Kip Thorne
reviewed by Peter D. Tillman
The book is written as a history of 20th century physics, from Einstein's theory of the relativity of
space & time (1905), to black holes, gravity waves and wormholes in the 90s.
The author's writing is clear and direct, and he includes enough biographical tidbits and
anecdotes to keep the human juice in potentially dry topics.
The Forgotten and Haunted and Thunder Road by Tamara Thorne
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
The small Californian desert community of Madelyn is populated with a wide variety of people: a reformed serial killer in hiding, an amoral teenage
serial killer in training, a doomsday religious cult with a con-artist leader who has just seen the light, his sadistic and
violent but not too bright lieutenants, a pair of UFOlogists and their shadowy government nemesis, some honest to goodness
UFOs, and a complement of good-ol'-boy (and girl) ranchers.
Three Magazines: First Issues
reviewed by Rich Horton
Rich sees a lot of SF/Fantasy magazines, and it seems new ones are coming along all the time. Here are the first issues of three
different -- indeed, very different -- magazines. He thought to do a bit of compare and contrast.
To begin with, the look and feel of each publication is different.
Osama by Lavie Tidhar
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
On a hot day in Vientiane, a private detective named Joe is hired by a mysterious woman to find the author of a series
of cheap paperback thrillers, the kind of books that are kept on the back shelves of porn shops. The books seem to be set in
a different world, one where the secretive Osama bin Laden conducts a vigilante, terrorist war against the decadent
West. It's a world where, from Joe's viewpoint, fantastic technologies are used to destroy imaginary buildings and blow
up imaginary hotels.
The Scroll of Thoth by Richard L. Tierney
reviewed by Wayne MacLaurin
This collection includes twelve of the author's works dealing with Simon Magus, a great figure
in Western occult tradition. Simon Magus is mentioned in The Bible and is often referred
to as the sorcerous opponent of Peter. Fictional accounts of Simon and his exploits have appeared in
countless forms including that as one of the formative influences of the main character in the latest
movie version of The Saint.
The Torture of Girth by Nicholas Alan Tillemans
reviewed by Sandra Scholes
Harry Gorman is an unhappy man in a marriage that is doomed to failure. It also doesn't help that she is unfaithful and
overweight -- a trait that has turned off many men before him. Springwood is a place where people keep themselves isolated,
not caring about others, but there is a purpose in mind for all of them, and Harry gets a taste of what that purpose is when he
starts to commit evil acts against others while believing that he is being used by an alien spirit and is in fact doing their
bidding.
Acetone Enema by Nicholas Alan Tillemans
reviewed by Sandra Scholes
No one really knows what goes into the making of a novel or collection of short stories and poems, but
the author lets us into his own private world of getting published in his preface. Here he shares
the ups and many downs of writing stories, in the vain hope someone will like them enough to publish
them. From his college years to the present, his persistence is admirable, and many will empathise with
his struggles.
Darkspawn by Lois Tilton
reviewed by Rich Horton
The vampires of Kharithnya are the long-time rulers of that land and their leader,
Emre, has been trapped in his "grave" for hundreds of years. But then Kharithnya is invaded by
the Circhaks, horse raiders resembling the Mongols. They accidentally free Emre, and he finds himself making
his way to his old castle, seeking revenge as well as trying to find a way to rally the few people still loyal,
to take back his country and repel the invaders.
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree, Jr.
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Should an artist's life be kept separate from his or her work? Alice Bradley Sheldon thought it important enough at the
beginning of her writing career that she used the name James Tiptree Jr. as a pseudonym and a P.O. box as an address in
order to keep the rest of her life private. But she was writing science fiction, and her audience was a community in which
readers knew writers, writers knew readers, and writers all knew each other.
Work with Occasional Molemen by Jeremiah Tolbert
reviewed by Trent Walters
It feels like a cross between a malformed L. Frank Baum Oz book and Daniel Woodrell's backwoods noir, Winter's Bone.
Mel, the first-person narrator in this stylized narrative, tells of life in Topeka, Kansas
where men have come home with a severe case of alopecia from their battle with the flying-saucer
Martians. Mole men, however, are a relatively more recent phenomenon. The locals spin all kinds of speculation
about where the molemen's political allegiances lie.
Restless Spirit by S.D. Tooley
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
For those unacquainted with Sam Casey, she's an insightful, headstrong detective with Chasen Height's finest. True, she's a cop on
suspension for a questionable shooting, forbidden from pursuing cases. And her outspoken attitude has made her a political liability. And
she's something of a pariah at the moment, but that isn't only because her position is so tenuous at the moment; her colleagues are more
likely put off by her psychic ability to gain information from the dead.
British Kids Have More Fun: Canadian Crusoes
a column by Georges T. Dodds
Two young teenage boys, Hector andLouis, and a teenage girl, Catherine, get lost in the Rice Lake region of Upper Canada
while picking wild fruit. When they come to realize that they are well and truly lost, they don't panic, but use
their wood lore and experience to build a shelter, kill or trap game, store food, and avoid marauding Native Americans,
while over-wintering in the wilderness.
Torchwood Magazine #1
reviewed by Sandy Auden
Following the adventures of Time Agent Captain Jack Harkness and his outside-the-law, alien-investigating elite team,
Torchwood has become a firm favourite in both the UK and the US.
Now, Titan have launched the Torchwood magazine to take you behind the scenes and introduce you to all the who's
and how's that make Torchwood tick.
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The Art of Halo by Eric S. Trautmann and Frank O'Connor
reviewed by Chris Przybyszewski
The book highlights the process and precision of creating such art in a way not common
to the artistry world. On the one hand, many who work in art do not consider interactive entertainments like gaming to be of
the same caliber. Alternately, many graphic artists who work in the video game world do not want to be associated with 'real'
artists, preferring the commercial world and the freedom to create new game environments.
So a book about making this sort of art is not a usual fare, but it has the potential to fill a much-needed gap.
Star Wars: No Prisoners by Karen Traviss
an audiobook review by Sarah Trowbridge
Captain Rex is back -- the clone squad leader who distinguished himself in the first
Clone Wars novel. Anakin Skywalker has decided to take a brief break from combat to
visit his secret wife, Padmé Amidala. He leaves Ahsoka, his young Padawan, in Rex's care. Summoned
to the newly refitted Republic assault cruiser Leveler, helmed by Captain Gilad Pellaeon, Rex, Ahsoka,
and six untried new clone troopers go for what is meant to be a three-day routine training exercise.
Star Wars: Order 66 by Karen Traviss
reviewed by David Maddox
The Clone Wars nears its conclusion. Kal Skirata and the members of the Null ARC squad are making their choices on
whether to stand with the ever changing GAR or set off on their own as Mandalorians. Will Darman find out about
the son he didn't know he had? Will Fi recover from his grenade injury? Will Scorch lose it? And what of Niner,
Jusik, Ordo and the rest? Have no idea what any of this means?
Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines by Karen Traviss
reviewed by David Maddox
The Galactic Alliance sits at a dangerous croscsroads. On one hand, they need to maintain order in a galaxy still recovering
from war. On the other, too much implied force could result in turning into a perceived new version of the Empire.
Jedi Knights lead by Grand Master Luke Skywalker attempt to keep Corellia from building a personal war machine and throwing
the universe into turmoil. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Leia Organa-Solo find themselves viewed as traitors by both sides.
City of Pearl and Crossing the Line by Karen Traviss
reviewed by Stuart Carter
Welcome to the end of the 23rd century and the world of Superintendent Shan Frankland. Shan is just finishing a final case
for her employer, the Federal European Union, on the Mars Orbital. She works in Environmental Hazard Enforcement -- the
environment cops. Unfortunately her last day is about to get a bit longer -- about 150 years longer -- because she's been
chosen to head up an interstellar mission to Cavanagh's Star, ostensibly to follow up on a missing colony there, but probably
also for other reasons too.
Compositions for the Young and Old by Paul G. Tremblay
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
This is a wide-ranging collection of weird to noir tales, told through the voices of the young
and the old, to the old and the young, and sometimes those somewhere nebulously in between. Many of the tales, in particularly
"The Jar," and "The Laughing Man Meets Little Cat" have a somewhat Bradburyesque feel, others, like "Annabel Lee" are much more
in the tradition of Gothic ghost stories, and yet others like "City Pier" and "Dole as Ribbit" partake of noir and cyber-punk.
The Hobgoblin Bell Strikes Twelve by X. Trevelyan
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
The craft of writing short stories is a very different skill to that of a novelist, and being able to
accomplish one is never a guarantee that the other will be its equal. In this case, however, X. Trevelyan
manages to produce something that has charm, style, and just enough substance to create its
own micro-world.
The A-Men by John Trevillian
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
A quote on the front cover declares this book to be "a work of dark genius," and
another on the back cover tells us, "If this isn't genius, it's the closet thing I've seen to
it." High praise indeed, and comments that might have one almost salivating at the prospect of reading something so wonderful.
Natalie's Grove by Mikal Trimm
reviewed by Trent Walters
Mason, friend-sitting the pregnant Becky as she mourns the loss of her boyfriend just when she needs him, offers to
take her boyfriend's place and marry her. She turns him down with compliments on his good husband potential for
someone else and, instead, introduces him to Natalie. Natalie and Mason hit it off. She immediately takes Mason
to her grove, a place where the trees whistle their unique song. Becky, however, feels regret at turning Mason
down, which is when the trouble begins.
Trinity
a game review by Don Bassingthwaite
Trinity is White Wolf's science fiction roleplaying
game... Well, yes, you could describe Trinity that
way. Just like you could say that Dragonlance is TSR's
game about dragons.
Trinity
reviewed by Henry Harding
Welcome to the year 2120 AD! Things are a little unfamiliar, a little strange, a little
scary, as you might expect. Humanity's met several species of aliens; some friendly, most
aggressive. Humans have started to colonize space. On the everyday scale you can now
interface with your PC via an agent, have biotech claws implanted
under your fingernails for protection even wear organically grown clothing.
Dragon Moon by Alan F. Troop
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
The tale of Peter Delasangre, on the surface, sounds more like a book Oprah would have picked for her book club. In the past four years,
since the murder of his wife Elizabeth, he has concentrated on raising their son Henri, and working at his successful business. He's lonely,
and he remembers his wife's younger sister, Chloe. They got along really well, and even though they only knew each other for a short time,
he thinks of her very fondly, and decides to go to Jamaica to see if he can win her.
Then you find out that Peter is a dragon.
Warrener's Beastie by William R. Trotter
reviewed by Donna McMahon
Ever since he travelled to the remote, haunting Faeroe Islands as a young man, Allen Warrener has longed to return. He's obsessed
in equal measure by the beautiful young woman he fell in love with, the failure of his own ambitious dreams, and a legendary sea monster.
It isn't until he's a middle-aged, divorced professor of History that he gets his chance to go back.
Trunk Stories #1 & #2
reviewed by Matthew Cheney
You may think it a myth, but more often than not, it's true: a writer has a trunk, a dusty, heavy, hardly-spoken-of piece of
furniture that sits in a shadowy corner of the garret. It's a repository for the wretched orphans of imagination, the stories
that no-one cares about -- stories tossed into a baggage compartment and destined, like prose poetry, never to reach the end
of a line.
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