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OtherRealms Issue 16 Part 02
Electrontic OtherRealms #16
June, 1987
Part 2
Things Received
Books
Ace
Fantasy
Brust, Steven. The Sun The Moon and the Stars, 210 pp, $16.95. First
in the Fairy Tales series of novels retelling classic tales.
Ace/Putnam
Anthony, Piers. Out of Phaze, 288 pp, $17.95. Book Four of the
Apprentice Adept Series.
Arbor House
Cole, Adrian. A Place Among the Fallen, 352 pp, $17.95.
Engh, M.J. Arslan, 296 pp, $17.95.
Avon
Fantasy
Brush, Karen A. The Pig, the Prince & the Unicorn, 216 pp, $2.95.
Avon
Science Fiction
Dick, Phillip K. Radio Free Albemuth, 212 pp, $3.50. The final novel
from Phil Dick, posthumous.
Vardeman, Robert E. The Alien Web, 166 pp, May, 1987, $2.95. Masters
of Space #2.
Bantam
Hazel, Paul. Yearwood, 161 pp, $3.95. Volume 1 in the Finnbranch Trilogy.
MacAvoy, R. A. The Grey Horse, 247 pp, $3.95.
Norwood, Warren C. Shudder Child, 350 pp, $3.95.
Willis, Connie. Lincoln's Dreams, 212 pp, $15.95. First novel from a
Hugo and Nebula short story writer.
Baen Books
Dalmas, John. The Reality Matrix, 310 pp, 1986, $2.95.
Shaw, Bob. The Ragged Astronauts, 310 pp, $15.95.
Berkeley Poet
and Writer's Workshop
Box 459,
Berkeley, CA 94701
Boston, Bruce. She Comes When You're Leaving & Other Stories, 62 pp,
1982, $3.95. Collection of eight stories.
Boston, Bruce. Jackbird, 85 pp, 1976, $2.00. Small Press collection of
six stories.
Starblaze
Garrett, Randall. Takeoff Too!, 306 pp, $7.95. Illustrated by Phil Foglio.
Sequel to Takeoff.
Wagner, Matt. Mage: The Hero Discovered, Volume One, 120 pp,
$12.95, 8 1/2 x 11 color graphic novel.
Starmont House
P.O. Box 851
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Larson, Randall. Robert Bloch, 148 pp, $8.95. Reader's Guide #37, biography.
St. Martin's Press
Dozois, Gardner. The Year's Best Science Fiction, Fourth Annual
Collection, 602 pp, $11.95 trade paperback, May, 1987. 250,000
words of the best of 1986.
Tor
Fantasy
Cooper, Louise. The Master, 285 pp, May, 1987, $3.50. Book three in
the Time Master Trilogy.
Douglas, Carole Nelson. Keepers of Edanvant, 346 pp, $15.95. Sword &
Circlet #1.
Tarr, Judith. The Hounds of God, 344 pp, $3.50. Book three in The
Hound and the Falcon trilogy.
Tarr, Judith. The Lady of Han-Gilen, 310 pp, June, 1987, $16.95.
Volume two of Avaryan Rising.
Tor Fiction
Greeley, Andrew M. God Game, 310 pp, May, 1987, $4.50.
Tor
Horror
Grant, Charles L. The Pet, 343 pp, $3.95. First paperback edition of a
1986 novel.
Masterson, Graham. The Manitou, 216 pp, $3.95. Reprint of a 1982 book.
Richards, Tony. The Harvest Bride, 279 pp, $3.95.
Tor
Nonfiction
Gingrich, Newt. Window of Opportunity: A Blueprint for the Future, 272
pp, May, 1987, $4.95. Congressman Gingrich (with David Drake
and Marianne Gingrich) look at America's possibilities.
Tor
Science Fiction
Anthony, Piers. Shade of the Tree, 348 pp, May, 1987, $3.95. This is
really a horror novel in disguise.
Berry, Stephen Ames. The AI War, 249 pp, May, 1987, $2.95.
Dickson, Gordon R. Spacial Delivery, 155 pages, $2.95. Reprint of a
1961 novel.
Williams, Walter Jon. Voice of the Whirlwind, 278 pages, $16.95. Set in
the same environment as his novel Hardwired.
Williams, Walter Jon. Ambassador of Progress, 432 pages, $3.95.
Reprint of a 1984 novel.
Fan &
Other Zines
Holier Than Thou #25. Marty Cantor, 11565 Archwood St., North
Hollywood, CA 91606-1703. Irregular (about twice a year)
genzine. Single copy $5.00, after that available only for trade
or submissions.
SPWAO Newsletter Vol 9, No 1. Stephanie Stearns, 3980 W. Radcliff,
Denver, CO 80236. Bi-monthly newsletter of the Small Press
Writers and Artists Organization, dues $12.50/year.
Back Issues
OtherRealm Back Issues are available. Electronic versions of the
previous two issues only are available by contacting me at the addresses
in the masthead. Hardcopy versions of the following issues are available:
E-mail format
(each $1.50)
#2: Karen Joy Fowler, Wasp, Writer's Workshops
#3: Dervish Daughter, Listening to Science Fiction
#6: SF Magazines, Wizenbeak, The Sorcery Within, A Jungle of Stars
Magazine format
(each $2.50)
#9: Reviewing the Reviewers, The Dream Years, Schismatrix, Fiction by
Jim Brunet
#10: The art of paperbacks, It, Dimensions of Science Fiction, fiction by
Fred Bals
#11: The Diadem, Always Coming Home, Broken Worlds, Flamesong
#12: Voice of the Visitor, Silent Tower, Little Big, Agents of
Insight, Quest of the Riddle Master, Echoes of Chaos, Children
of Flux and Anchor
#14: Time Ouut of Mind, Voice for Princess, The Myth Series, Living in
the Ether, No Safe Place, Borderland, The SF Book of Lists
#15: Darkchild-Bluesong-Starsilk, SF: The 100 Best Novels, The
Regiment, Adventures of Hajii Baba of Isapahan, A Door into
Ocean, With a Single Spell.
Publishing Notes
Wendy Christensen, who's art has graced the last few issues of
OtherRealms, reports that she has left her high-tech job to do
illustration full-time. She can be contacted at 652 Timbertop Road,
New Ipswich, NH, 03071.
Also, did anyone notice the Brad Foster illustration in the July, 1987
issue of Amazing Stories? It's good to see such a talented fan artist
breaking into the pro ranks.
Joel Rosenberg has signed with NAL for a $30,000 advance for Hero, a
military SF novel. The deal was negotiated by Eleanor Wood. The
contract includes a hardcover as well as paperback.
Word from Michael Banks is that Night Cry magazine is up for sale, and
is in danger of being closed down if a buyer can't be found. Night Cry
is a digest size Horror magazine available only on the newstands. I'd
heard rumors that it was soon going to be available by subscription,
but evidently that has either been cancelled or fallen through.
Baen Books has announced a new imprint for its Fantasy books, Sign of
the Dragon. It will be distributed by Simon and Schuster, and edited
by Baen Senior Editor Betsy Mitchell. Initially two imprint will debut
in September with Gallicenae by Poul and Karen Anderson, the sequel to
Roma Mater, and Chance by Nancy Springer. Other authors to be
published under the imprint include C.J. Cherryh, David Drake, Janet
Morris, Michael Reaves and Melissa Scott.
Del Rey will publish Lawrence Watt-Evans' The Wizard and the War
Machine, sequel to The Cyborg and the Sorcerors, in September. He has
also just turned in the a book to Avon, working title Mortal Enemy.
Grafton has bought British rights to The Lure of the Basilisk, The
Seven Altars of Dusarra, The Sword of Bheleu, The Book of Silence, The
Misenchanted Sword, and With A Single Spell.
Stephen Billias (The American Book of the Dead) will be signing May
30th at Dangerous Visions Bookstore, 15363 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks,
CA, 91423. Phone 818/986-6963 for more details. Future signings
include Robert Scheley (Mindswap, Victim Prime, The Tenth Victim) on
June 13th and Steven Barnes, Larry Niven, and Jerry Pournelle (The
Legacy of Herat) August 8.
James Hogan will be signing his new book, Endgame Enigma, at Future
Fantasy Bookstore, 2033 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA on July 18 from 3
to 5. Phone 415/327-9242 for details.
Avon will be reprinting two classic works by Zenna Henderson, The
People: No Different Flesh in August, and Pilgrimage, the First Book of
the People in September. Both have been out of print since 1985.
OtherRealms doesn't normally discuss reprints, but this is a series you
don't want to miss if you haven't read it.
Terry Carr
Writing obituaries has to be the worst job in publishing. It is
especially bad to have to write about someone like Terry Carr, for
which words simply won't suffice. Even if you don't know someone (I
met Terry only briefly, once, at a con) the words come slowly. I can't
honor Terry Carr enough -- one of the most important forces in Science
Fiction has been taken from us, and we are all less for it.
I want to credit both Locus #316 and The Rhodomagnetic Bulletin 120
(the voice for the Elves', Gnomes' and Little Men's Science Fiction,
Chowder, and Marching Society; a major home of Bay Area Fandom) as
source materials for the obituary.
Awards
From BECCON,
the 38th British Easter Con:
The Arthur C. Clarke Award: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Doc Weir Award (for services to British fandom): Brian Burgess
The BSFA Awards
Artwork: The Clocktower Girl by Keith Roberts
Media: Aliens
Novel: The Ragged Astronauts by Bob Shaw
Short Story: Kaeti and the Hangman by Keith Roberts
The 1986 Nebula Awards
Best Novel: Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead
Best Novella: Lucius Shepard, R&R
Best Novelette: Kate Wilhelm, The Girl Who Fell into the Sky
Best Short Story: Greg Bear, Tangents
Grandmaster Award: Isaac Asimov
Corrections
The address I used for FSFNET in the last issue was unclear, and some
people misinterpreted it, causing their E-mail to go to the byte
bucket. The proper address is CSDAVE@MAINE.BITNET. Sorry for any
inconvenience.
Pico Reviews
Anthonology by Piers Anthony [**+]
Tor, 1985, 381 pp, $14.95
Anthonology is a collection of short stories by Piers Anthony from his
early days as an author. Most of them have seen print before. The
stories range over a wide area of topics, both Fantasy and Science
Fiction, and vary in quality, though most are rather good. One warning
when reading this book, a number of the stories could be offensive or
upsetting to sensitive readers. Piers Anthony warns people very nicely
in his introduction to each story it he feels that it may offend
people, so heed his warnings or don't complain.
--Jim Winner
winner@cua.bitnet
Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey [****]
Daw Fantasy, $2.95, 320 pp
This is a book that is so well crafted you'll want to read it in an
entire night. Talia, the runaway who becomes a a Herald for the Queen,
grows and matures throughout the book. It is from her viewpoint that we
see an experience the danger to the kingdom from various forces; from
jaded nobility to darker beings. The setting of the book doesn't change
once Talia gets to the castle; the changes are in the various characters
in the book. The Heralds are all people you know, or wish you knew.
--Laurie Sefton
lsefton@sun.com
Artificial Things by Karen Joy Fowler [****]
Bantam, 12/86, 218 pages, $2.95
An anthology with three or four excellent stories is worth reading. This
one, with easily twice that number, is well worth reading indeed. What can
be said about the anthology as a whole, rather than about the individual
stories? The author plays fair: the stories do not depend upon strange
twists or surprise endings. The stories always ended before I wanted them
to. The book definitely ended too soon.
--Dani Zwei
haste#@andrew.cmu.edu
The Blossom of Erda by L.A. Taylor [***]
St. Martin's, $16.95, 247 pp
This is a standard adventure romance; the crusty woman who has risen
above her societal rank is teamed up with the outcast so they can be killed
off by the local evil cabal. What makes this rise above space opera is the
care in which Taylor develops her characters. Instead of stereotypes, the
main players have quirks and layers that add a lot of depth to the story.
--Laurie Sefton
But What Of Earth? by Piers Anthony & Robert Coulson [****]
Laser Books, 1976, 190 pp
The world in the undetermined future is overcrowded to the point of
food rationing and high unemployment. Suddenly, a breakthrough:
instantaneous matter transmission opening other worlds for colonization.
But rather than taking us to the new colonies, Anthony & Coulson ask the
question But What of Earth? They let us see what could happen here on
Earth after such a "salvation." It may make you think about the real results
of the great salvation ideas people always want. It may have been done
before or better, but I haven't seen it. I very good, short, hard to find read.
Highly recommended. Warning to people who want Science Fiction to read
like a science textbook, these authors aren't scientist; matter transmission
is a means to get a mass exodus from Earth to set up the situation, any real
substitute would work comparably for the purpose of the story.
--Jim Winner
Crusaders in Hell Created by Janet Morris [*]
Baen Books, $3.50, 278 pp
As usual, with the exception of one good story (Greg Benford's 'The God
of the Gaps' in this case) this shared world anthology is filled with
journeyman to poor quality fiction. It is such a good premise that I
really hate to see it wasted the way it is. Fun if you don't take it
too seriously, but nothing to go out of the way for.
--chuq von rospach
The Great Wheel by Joyce Ballou Gregorian [***]
Ace, 4/87, 306 pages, $3.50
This book ends the Tredana trilogy begun over a decade ago with "The
Broken Citadel" and "Castledown." The trilogy tells of the heroine's
three sojourns to a sword-and-sorcery alternate world, at ages 12, 18
and, in the last book, 30. There is continuity of characters, but
little continuity of plot; each book can stand on its own, though they
are better read in order. People who read the earlier books will not
be disappointed in this one. Others looking for a good Fantasy read
might want to give this trilogy a try. The author clearly had a lot of
fun writing this book.
--Dani Zwei
haste#@andrew.cmu.edu
The Grey Horse by R.A. MacAvoy [****]
Bantam, 1987, paperback, $4.95, 247 pages
R.A. MacAvoy's latest is an improvement on Twisting the Rope and The
Book of Kells, in my opinion. The story, while simple, is engaging, and
is finely drawn with lots and lots of detail. It shares an interesting
feature with Tea with the Black Dragon and Twisting the Rope, and that
is that the plot, the story, and the characters could be essentially
the same without the Fantasy elements. They are merely added as a sort
of seasoning to what is already a fine, wholesome mix.
-- Wayne Throop
dg_rtp!throopw
Guardians of the West by David Eddings [**-]
Del Rey, $16.95, 453 pp
This book suffers from an idiot plot; if anyone listened or acted with
a gram of sense, the story would be over within 50 pages. Errand keeps
showing great bursts of power, and everyone keeps treating him like a
normal little boy. Belgarion and his queen Ce'Nedra are unable to have
children, and it takes a state crisis to bring Polgara out of the Vale,
with a "but, of course" remedy. Characters that were established as
dead in the Belgarion are brought back as not quite dead, and main
characters from the original story are disposed with in a few pages. If
you have to be a completist, you should wait for the paperback.
--Laurie Sefton
Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams [****+]
Tor Science Fiction $3.50 343 pages
Wow. Fast, hard, sleek, and as deadly as a cybersnake striking from a
lovely woman's throat. Amazing. A blend of Zelazny's Damnation Alley
and the best of the new cyberpunk style. Williams uses the cyborg
extentions of his characters as they should be used, as an intrinsic
part of their personality and their own, inner, abilities of mind and
spirit. The characters shine beyond their flashy technology, yet that
flash, that glamour of inhumaness is written into them like the color
of their eyes or the texture of their skin. The language is marvelous,
so dense and rich that I had to come up for air a couple times,
especially in the first couple of chapters and during some of the
cyberized battle scenes. The best thing of all was that Williams wrote
about people, about legends, betrayal, love, hate, courage and what
high ideals are all about. A real story set in speed, despair, and the
clicking of electric neurons.
--Liralen Li
li@vlsi.cs.washington.edu
Heart of the Comet by Gregory Benford and David Brin [**+]
Bantam, 1986, paperback, $5.50, 477 pages
A semi-OK book. But did it remind anyone else powerfully of that good
old classic space-opera The Moon is Hell, by John Campbell? Not that it
was the same general plot, or the same ending, nor did it have exactly
the same characters. But... somehow for me it had the same sort of
"feel." Intrepid explorers developing biosciences at breakneck speed
(and with never a serious problem or setback and with lots of
serendipitous coincidences) to survive a hostile environment, with
ineffectual coaching from Earth, and all that.
--Wayne Throop
dg_rtp!throopw
Highway of Eternity by Clifford Simak [**-]
Del Rey, 6/86, 289 pages, $14.95
This is a sad caricature of Simak's better works. We have the Problem:
The human race, a million years in the future is beset by alien
missionaries who [aggressively] urge humans to abandon their bodies and
become disembodied intellects. Those who resist this fate have fled
into the past. The author doesn't do much with the Problem. He seems
to lose interest in it as he seizes the opportunity to introduce us to
his standard cast of folksy aliens and amiable, simpleminded robots. A waste.
--Dani Zwei
haste#@andrew.cmu.edu
Merovingen Nights: Festival Moon edited by C.J. Cherryh [***]
DAW, 4/87, 300 pages, $3.50
A sequel to Cherryh's Angel with the Sword, this is not so much a
shared-world anthology as it is a shared-world novel. The editing is
excellent. None of the stories/chapters are by Cherryh herself,
although some connective material is. She sticks to the task of keeping
the authors in line, so that the stories build upon and reinforce each
other instead of haring off in whatever directions suit actorial fancy.
Most of the writers belong to the shared-world Mafia that is the
mainstay of the Thieves' World and Hell anthologies: it is editorial
discipline (the hand slips off the editorial rudder just once, in
"Cat's Tale") that makes this anthology strikingly superior to those.
Three of the stories are by new writers who will bear watching.
--Dani Zwei
haste#@andrew.cmu.edu
Night's Sorceries by Tanith Lee [****+]
The latest Flat Earth book is out, and I'm not disappointed. Lee
departs from the naming convention, but then the book is a slight
departure in terms of format as well. It still is a collection of
stories set in the time of the flat earth, but there is less of a
central theme to them. They all take place at the same time (or a
little after) as the stories in Delerium's Mistress, but she and her
un-relatives don't turn up as the major figures in the stories as much
as they do in the other books. They do, however, often serve as
interesting plot-advancing passers-by. Just a small sample of the kind
of writer-to-reader fooling around that Lee gets into in these books
and which I enjoy thoroughly, I'll mention that in one of the
stories... well... you know how terrible and stupid and awful it is
when an author tells a long complicated story, and then at the end to
make it fit, just does a sort of "... and then <insert hero(ine)> wakes
up?" Know what I mean? Don't you just hate it when that happens? Well,
Lee does that in one of the stories. But the odd thing is... it worked!
I loved it.
-- Wayne Throop
dg_rtp!throopw
The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke [***+]
Del Rey, 1986, paperback, $4.95, 313 pages
Ah, yes. A serious attempt to tell a story involving interstellar
civilization with perhaps-more-realistic-than-usual assumptions. That
is, no FTL, no Earth-type planets swarming around every star in
incredible numbers, and so on and on. Most interesting. This is
standard Clarke, with the setting of the scene taking center stage
throughout the book.
-- Wayne Throop
dg_rtp!throopw
Stalking the Unicorn by Mike Resnick [****+]
Tor Fantasy, $3.50, 1987, 314 pp.
This is an exceptionally readable detective/Fantasy/alternate reality
yarn, concerning the loss of a unicorn, and the adventures of the
detective who is sent into an alternate Manhattan to retrieve it.
Resnick is able to create a world where magic works just enough to make
it interesting, but not so much that we can't recognize New York
shining through. Be sure you have enough time to read this, as once you
start, you won't want to put it down.
--Laurie Sefton
lsefton@sun.com
Unicorn & Dragon by Lynn Abbey [**+]
Avon Books, $8.50, 230 pp
This books suffers from telegraphing; even those who don't know the
background behind the Norman invasion of England will be able to
predict what will happen to most of the major characters. The title
characters aren't very likable; one tends to be petulant, and the other
is too timid and tends to whine. It's hard to build up much rapport
with either. It has a gorgeous cover, but it isn't worth the cover price.
--Laurie Sefton
lsefton@sun.com
Vampires Edited by Alan Ryan [***-]
Doubleday [SFBC], 619 pages
A theme anthology of vampire stories, from the year 1816 to the
present. Each story has a preface explaining the history of the story,
and it includes two appendicies: Vampire novels and Vampire movies. A
good overview of an important horror subgenre, although slanted a
little to heavily towards the older works for my taste.
--chuq von rospach
The White Goddess by Robert Graves [***]
Farrar, Strous, and Giroux, $8.95, 511pp
A look at goddess worship, from a poet's point of view. Some of Grave's
views differ from other authorities, but they offer a different slant
on a very old subject.
--Laurie Sefton
lsefton@sun.com
Winter's Daughter by Charles Whitmore [*+]
Avon Books, $3.50, 220 pp.
This is a fairly downbeat and confusing post-holocaust novel. Whitmore
hasn't bothered to think things through very well--the claim is that
everything north of the tropic of Cancer turned into an ice sheet, and
the world is run on an African/South American/Asian axis (what happened
to Australia?). The book is essentially choppy vignettes about Signe
Ragnhilds- datter, who roams around the ice-covered north continent,
trying to preserve some state of civilization. The book has a feel of
static scenes that couldn't be pulled together.
--Laurie Sefton
lsefton@sun.com
OtherRealms #16
June, 1987
Copyright 1987
by Chuq Von Rospach.
All Rights Reserved.
One time rights have been acquired from the contributors.
All rights are hereby assigned to the contributors
OtherRealms may be reproduced in its entirety only
for non-commercial purposes. With the exception of
excerpts used for promotional purposes, no part of
OtherRealms may be re-published without permission.
