chuq@plaid.UUCP (03/27/87)
Electronic OtherRealms #14
April, 1987
Part 1
Table of Contents
Part 1
Editor's Notebook
Chuq Von Rospach
Time Out of Mind
Barb Jernigan
A Voice for Princess
Danny Low
The Myth Series
Alan Wexelblat
Living in the Ether
Liralen Li
No Safe Place
Danny Low
Borderland
Alan Wexelblat
The SF Book of Lists
Jim Day
Part 2
Pico Reviews
Part 3
Books Received
Words of Wizdom
Chuq Von Rospach
Letters to OtherRealms
Editor's Notebook
Chuq Von Rospach
Quarterly cutover
I've decided on the date for the cutover to quarterly. The last
monthly issue of OtherRealms will be the July issue, due out the end of
June. OtherRealms will then return in the fall, in its new, improved,
and larger format. I'm currently guessing that a quarterly issue will
run about 72-90 pages, more or less, as opposed to the current 26-30.
Since I'm starting to use more art (a trend I hope will continue),
total wordage will probably drop to somewhere around the equivalent of
2 and a half of the current OtherRealms.
From my printing and postage estimates, I don't see that cover price
or subscription charges will change (although if my subscription base
grows, I might be able to drop it again due to economies of scale).
I'll know better after I do some more research and get some estimates.
Other Changes
I'm planning a number of changes to OtherRealms over the next year to
go with the conversion to a quarterly. One is the increasing use of
artwork. I'm planning to move from Xerographic printing (meaning the
local copy shop) to a real printer, so that OtherRealms starts looking
more like a real magazine. That will also give me the capability of
using cover art to compliment reviews (something I plan) and photographs.
I'm already testing layouts with cover art, and you should see the
first results in a couple of months. I'd like to encourage publishers
to send me cover flats if they'd like them used in OtherRealms.
I'm also planning to change the article mix over the next few months,
and cut down on the size of the Pico Review section to make room for
more feature material. One feature I have in the works is a series of
articles tentatively titled "Where it came from." This feature would
give an author a place where they can discuss the background of a book
and the research and information that went into it -- in many ways an
extended version of the Author's Notes that many recent books are
carrying. As an example of what I'm talking about, look at Poul and
Karen Anderson's wonderful Roma Mater from Baen Books. If you or one
of your authors in interested in writing an article on an existing or
upcoming book, please write to me. I'll try to schedule articles to
match publication dates to the best of my ability.
Another thing I'm planning to start printing is publishing information --
things like contracts, promotions, and other news dealing with authors and
the publishing industry. I don't plan on turning OtherRealms into a full
newszine (Locus and Science Fiction Chronicle both do a fine job of it
already), but I'm looking to get a wider base of material than just
reviews. That is hard to do in 26 pages, but in the larger size I have
a lot more flexibility.
I'm always interested in ideas for articles, so if you have any
suggestions, please feel free to drop me a note.
OtherRealms
Readers
OtherRealms' readership continues to grow. Issue #13 shipped over 100
copies of the printed version, and this issue is likely to match or
beat that value. Even more astounding is the electronic readership,
where it looks like I'm over 4000 readers if you believe the statistics.
My direct mailing lists go to well over 600 readers, and the Usenet link
goes to around 3200 more. There are also readers on a number of computer
systems that I don't know of, as I'm constantly hearing about new computers
networks that have OtherRealms on it. Once something is sent out to the
electronic ethers, it takes on a life of its own. Even if the figures are
off by a whopping 50% (the maintainer of the sampling program claims it to
be +- about 5%) the size of OtherRealms is rather amazing.
Almost as astounding is the geographic distribution. OtherRealms
reaches all of the U.S. and Canada, of course, but I also have readers
in Australia, Japan, England, West Germany, Finland and Sweden. I
probably have readers in Moscow, but they aren't known for advertising
their presence.
All of this is a bit mind-boggling. When I started OtherRealms, I felt
that I'd be happy with a subscription base of 200, but the first issue
of OtherRealms was mailed to almost 300 readers, and the growth has
been steady since. I think it has just about hit the practical limit
of the network, but I really don't know.
There are definite advantages and disadvantages to electronic
distribution. I don't need to deal with large print-runs or postage,
but at the same time a lot of the extras get lost, since all the
electronic readers see is text, and reading text that is minimally
formatted is a lot more strenuous on the eyes than reading on paper.
And the electronic readers miss out on the artwork, since there is no
way to pass that stuff around electronically, so they don't get the
entire magazine.
Someday, I expect, technology will catch up to all of this. But not
for a while...
There are Awards,
and Then There are...
Awards. Locus #314 has announcements for two more awards: the Theodore
Sturgeon Memorial and the Arthur C. Clarke award. Philip K. Dick has
an award. It seems like awards are propogating as fast as people can
get to the trophy shop.
Now, I don't want to denigrate any of these folks. Sturgeon and Dick
were very important influences in Science Fiction, and Clarke still
is. But I find it very disappointing to see the most important person
in the field since John W. Campbell ignored.
If any contemporary Science Fiction person deserves an award, Judy-
Lynn Del Rey does. She almost singlehandedly took Science Fiction off
the pulp rack and put it on the Bestseller list. She pried many of the
best works out of many of the best authors in the field. John W.
Campbell defined Science Fiction, Judy-Lynn Del Rey legitimized it and
broke it out of the ghetto.
Someone, a major con, a major fan group, perhaps even Del Rey books,
should bring forward an award that honors her name and what she means
to Science Fiction. She never got the recognition she deserved while
alive, and I'm sorry to see her being forgotten so quickly now that
she's gone. For all she gave us, a little honorarium is seriously
needed.
Corrections
Last issue I inadvertantly gave one of my artists a new identity -- my
apologies to Wendy Christensen who was arbitrarily metomorphosized into
Ward. This is just a great example why I try to type all of my notes.
Sorry, Wendy.
See you next month!
Time out of Mind
John R. Maxim
[***]
Tor Books, 1986, $4.50
Reviewed by
Barb Jernigan
barb@oliveb.ATC.OLIVETTI.COM
Copyright 1987 by Barb Jernigan
"He did not have the look of a man who frightened easily. But what
made him afraid, in a way no bar bully or snarling dog could, was
snow... Jonathan Corbin saw things in the snow. For when it
snowed, another consciousness claimed Corbin, memories not his own
filled his senses, memories of 1880 New York City, of a blizzard,
of a woman he stalks... and murders."
Ancestral memory? That's what psychiatrist Harry Sturdevant believes --
an explanation plausible as any impossibility to his "niece," Corbin's
lover and confidant Gwen Leamas. Or ghosts? That's what paid
investigator Raymond Lesko refuses to believe, what his employers are
terrified may be true -- and they want Corbin dead.
A dual mystery. A single yarn spun from two threads, a murder
committed a hundred years ago, a murder in the planning now. And
caught in the vortex is Jonathan Corbin, pulled increasingly into a
dead man's memories.
Maxim handles the two threads well. His style is quite descriptive,
full of sensual detail that brings 1880 and 1980 New York City alive --
often simultaneously. Corbin's "flashbacks" (or should I say
"Corbin's" flash-backs) are like a stone skipping across a lake, at
first brief touches, then sinking deeper and deeper until.... Indeed,
Maxim loses marks in the last two chapters for becoming pedantic - -
he's in a rush to fill in the last of the historic detail, to confirm
beyond doubt what the reader should already suspect. But the wrap- up
is interesting enough to overcome this technical difficulty.
On the whole, Time Out of Mind is a well written, engaging read. By
its cover, it's geared for the newstand reader, and is more a detective
tale of inner circle intrigue and a waltz through history than what the
fantasy/sf reader might expect from a "ghost story." There is no horror
other than the darkness of the human soul -- and the lingering effects
of a dying curse that comes full circle. Maxim is a talented writer --
other than the pedantic, get-it-all-in ending, he only faltered once.
His name dropping could also be seen as a flaw (Col. Cody, John L.
Sullivan, Teddy Roosevelt), although perhaps his point, beyond giving
his story a firmer grounding in history, is that these people were not
the outstanding notables -- "heroes" is one word that comes to mind --
that a hundred years of history has shaped them into. Roosevelt, for
example, was merely an energetic young man with a tendency to shout.
And Buffalo Bill Cody was "that long-haired actor fellow with the Wild
West Show."
If you're looking for an entertaining diversion, tightly written by a
man who has apparently done his homework ("apparently" as I know too
little of NYC history to be certain of Maxim's "facts"), Time Out of
Mind is well worth the money.
A Voice for Princess
John Morressy
[****]
Ace Books, 1986, $2.95, 213pp
Reviewed by
Danny Low
hplabs!hpccc!dlow
Copyright 1987 by Danny Low
Kedrigen is the finest counterspell wizard around although he sometimes
is impetuous which results in a counterspell that doesn't quite lift
the original spell cleanly. That is the reason for the title of the
book. When Kedrigen hastily unenchanted his wife, she went from a
talking frog to a croaking princess. The underlying story in the book
is about Kedrigen's attempts to restore his wife's voice. This main
story is not enough to fill out a book, so Morressy has interspersed
short stories about Kedrigen's efforts to counter spells for various
clients throughout the book. The main story and the short stories hang
together well resulting in an episodic novel.
The book is clearly written tongue-in-cheek. While it has its share of
puns, it is not a punishing book like Piers Anthony's Xanth series.
The comedy is broad but it is not slapstick. The characterization is
quite good for the main characters. Kedrigen's wife, Princess, is a
better developed character than Kedrigen.
In the end, Princess gets her voice back but there is room for a
sequel.
The Myth Series
Robert Asprin
Another Fine Myth [***+]
Myth Conceptions [***+]
Myth Directions [***]
Hit or Myth [***]
Myth-ing Persons [**]
Little Myth Marker [*+]
M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link [**]
Reviewed by
Alan Wexelblat
wex@mcc.com
Copyright 1987 by Alan Wexelblat
I don't normally buy large-size, illustrated, paperback editions; usually
they are overpriced novellas padded out to novel length with large type
and pictures. In the case of the Myth series, though, I have made an
exception. The illustrations are by Kelly Freas and Phil Foglio, two of
my favorite artists, and their work is worth the extra money.
I should point out to the unwary that there are actually three editions
of some of these books. There are the illustrated ones which were
first issued. There are also un-illustrated, small-sized versions of
each. In addition, the first two books were originally illustrated by
Kelly Freas. The latter five have art by Phil Foglio. Sometime after
the switch, Starblaze decided to go back and reissue the first two with
Foglio illustrations. I suspect that the Freas first editions will be
hard to find.
The Myth series concerns the mis-adventures of an aspiring wizard,
Skeeve, and a demon (that's short for dimension-traveller) named Aahz.
The two, plus an assortment of odd companions, manage to scheme and
bumble their way through a series of fairly humorous adventures. Along
the way, Asprin develops their characters and relationship at a nice
pace. The books are fast-paced and fun, with jokes aplenty. Aahz and
Skeeve were designed to parody the familiar hero-sidekick style of many
Fantasy books. People who hate puns and parody should stay away.
Reading these books is a little like riding a roller coaster you've
ridden dozens of times before. You know you're going to be thrilled,
perhaps scared, by the ride. You know that you're going to `defy' the
laws of physics. And knowing that you'll arrive safely at the end of
the ride doesn't spoil the fun. In this series, Asprin uses hoary old
plots (the insane wizard, the unstoppable army, etc.). He gets away
with this only by making it lots of fun. In those cases where it's not
fun, the entire book flops.
The first book, Another Fine Myth, shows how Aahz and Skeeve meet and
team up. In addition, several minor characters are introduced. The
dimension of Klah, of which Skeeve is a native, is being used as a base
by the insane wizard Isstvan. He plans to take over all the dimensions
and it's up to our heroes and an assortment of friends and unwilling
allies to stop him. This book is just pure fun - the dialog is snappy,
the characters are interesting, the jokes are funny, and the plot is
nicely handled. I reread the book for this review and enjoyed it as
much as I did the first time.
In the second book, Myth Conceptions, the dauntless duo set out to seek
gainful employment which they find in the tiny kingdom of Possiltum.
The job of court magician is quite cozy -- until a marauding army
decides that Possiltum is between the army and where the army wants to
be. Aahz and Skeeve assemble another improbable group of companions
and attempt to stop the army. There are a few rough spots, but this
book really establishes the trademark of the Myth series: the setting
up of and escaping from a seemingly-impossible situation.
Myth Directions continues in the same vein. If you've dealt with the
largest army in your dimension, what do you do for diversion? Steal the
most valuable object in another dimension, of course. It would spoil
things to say more. This book is, like the two before, a great deal of
fun. You know they'll solve the impossible situation and you enjoy
almost all of it. As with Myth Conceptions there are a few rough spots
but they're hardly noticeable.
Hit or Myth changes the direction of the series. Rather than trying to
create bigger and badder opponents, Asprin divides the previously
inseparable team. Early in the story, Aahz is lured back to his home
dimension of Perv, leaving Skeeve to face the wrath of a medieval Mob
and a scheming bride-to-be who would make Machiavelli pause. This
time, Skeeve must assemble and direct his own team. The problem is, he
does it too easily. The plot has potential complexities that Asprin
doesn't develop deeply enough. Things just happen and a good deal of
the fun is lost. In addition, there's a good deal more talking and
less doing than in previous books. Characters stop and lecture each
other every so often. The resolution of the action is fun though, and
saves the story from being a total loss.
Speaking of total losses, Mything Persons resembles that pretty
nicely. Oh, it starts off well enough. Some shady characters use
Skeeve's house to escape from the wrath of a group of merchants and so
he has to hunt them down or lose his all-important reputation.
Unfortunately, Aahz decides it's too risky for "the kid" and so knocks
Skeeve out in order to do it himself. Naturally, Skeeve has to rescue
him. It's a good premise and there are glimpses of interesting new
characters. But that's about it. Asprin seems to think that it's okay
to stop the action at any time so that characters can have long- winded
discussions about emotional issues. The jokes are really strained; the
framework they're in doesn't help them along at all.
Last year, Asprin talked about the Myth series while at a mini-con here
in Austin. He claimed that Aahz and Skeeve "just weren't funny any
more." Well, after reading Little Myth Marker, I'm convinced it's
Asprin who's not funny. He's definitely running out of material for
jokes. The plot of the book is very simple: Someone has hired a
character assassin, known only as The Axe, to do a hatchet job on
Skeeve's reputation. No one knows who The Axe is or who hired him.
Even this simple an idea could have been interesting, I guess, but it
isn't. Asprin spends page after page on emotional exposition. There's
virtually no action and the talking that fills this book just isn't
funny. The witty dialog that characterized the first three books is
totally gone by this point. Give this one a miss.
I bought the last two books together, and, after suffering the
disappointments, I cheated. Instead of buying the next book outright,
I borrowed it from a friend. M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link is a tough book to
explain. Unlike the other book, Asprin wrote this collection of short
stories with a purpose. The idea is to split Aahz and Skeeve off from
their entourage, yet allow readers to enjoy both. Thus, we will have
Myth books about the dauntless duo (told from their point of view), and
M.Y.T.H. Inc. books about the other characters (told from, I gather,
varying points of view). This book serves as the link between the two
new series and the unified old one - thus the title. Confused yet?
M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link is a collection of five short stories, each told
from the point of view of a different character. A couple of the
stories are pretty good, almost up to the quality of the first books.
The problem is that Asprin doesn't differentiate the characters
enough. They all say pretty much the same things. And most of them
have that stop-the-action-and-talk habit that really ruined the later
books. The stories tie together nicely, and there are hints that
things could get really funny, if Asprin can think up new material.
Overall, I think the series is a good idea. The first three books are
worth buying. The others I'm not so sure of. I hate to think Asprin
will let these characters continue to go to waste.
Living in the Ether
Patricia Geary
[****-]
Bantam Spectra
Reviewed by
Liralen Li
li@vlsi.washington.edu
Copyright 1987 by Liralen Li
An intricate origami structure often requires folds which are undone in
order to create the proper creases needed for an entirely different,
yet necessary, fold to complete the structure. This work greatly
resembles an origami of a character, with a gradual, patient folding,
unfolding and refolding along the creases of the past. This isn't a
mainstrean fantasy, even by the farthest reaches of the imagination.
It is a careful balancing act between the fantasy and the reality of a
psychological case study. It is a first person account of a character
who is literally unsure of exactly where the line between reality and
fantasy lies.
Deirdre Gage is a medium, one whom other people hire to go into a
trance and give them access to the spirits beyond; however, even she is
unsure as to wheither there is really a spirit world, or if it is all
"a great hoax" and those spirits are merely alternate, unconscious
personalities. She never speaks directly to a spirit, other than the
illusion of the spirit of her long dead brother, a suicide. There are
signs she finds from her brother, which she reads, and then destroys,
writing that now there is no evidence, there may never have been. At
another point she realizes that she had done several tasks without
being conscious of them. She acknowledges that her memories may not be
true, and throughout is the Zen thought, "I'm lying when I just want to
be perfectly clear."
It is a disturbing piece, wound about with the sensuous and disturbing
essense of Mishima, a Japanese author of astonishing power and a grisly
past; although, on the surface, Mishima is just one of the target
spirits of one of Deirdre's customers. Deirdre is fascinated and
repelled at the same time by what is offered by what Mishima found the
essence of Japan, as well as the customer who brings it all to mind.
The power of the piece is in its delicate and intricate construction of
Deirdre, of her past, and of her reactions and desires. Deirdre is the
perfect name for her, as is the harmony of all that she is.
However, so careful is the construction I was badly disappointed with
the conclusion of the book, for it came clearly down on one side of the
delicate balance of the rest of the book, crushing the structure. I
would rather the author had stopped five paragraphs sooner. This is
not for light reading, in fact, on my first reading I was disgusted
with the thing because it just wasn't what I was led to expect from the
blurbs on either the back or inside the front cover. However, after
re-researching Mishima's works, and recollecting that state of mind
that I have to be in to even approach Zen, I found this work
fascinating.
I would highly recommend it for those that wish to read something
complex, intricate, and as harmonized as an origami structure with
knife-edge folds.
No Safe Place
Anne Moroz
[***]
Popular Library/Questar
323 pages, $3.50
Reviewed by
Danny Low
hplabs!hpccc!dlow
Copyright 1987 by Danny Low
Kate Harlin is an officer on a company ship that discovers an alien
artifact. The crew, which includes an artificial person, is decimated
by an alien life form found in the artifact. Only Harlin survives.
She escapes using a lifeboat. After being rescued, she discovers the
company does not believe her story and she is forced to lead an
expedition back to the planet.
No, this is not the book version of Aliens but the background and much
of the details of the story are so similar that it is clear Moroz
decided to write her version of Alien/Aliens. For example, the crew
has to go into hibernation for the FTL trip. Considering the lead time
for a book to get published, I suspect that Moroz worked from the story
of the original movie, Aliens, and created a sequel that is remarkably
similar to Aliens.
Moroz has used the advantages of the novel to explain the situation and
the background universe in much more detail than could be shown in a
movie. For example, the culpability of the company is fully explored.
She also resolves the conflict between Harlin and the company which is
more than has been done with Ripley and her problems with the company.
The book can stand on its own. No knowledge of the movies is needed to
read and understand the book. For someone who has seen both movies,
the book is an interesting study of what could have been.
Borderland
Created by
Terri Windling & Mark Alan Arnold
[***]
1986, Signet books
252 pages, $2.95
Reviewed by
Alan Wexelblat
wex@mcc.com
Copyright 1987 by Alan Wexelblat
Somewhere in California, at a time when the technological world is
collapsing, the magical Elflands reappear. The area where the two
worlds overlap is called the Borderlands; the town where humans, elves,
and "halfies" mix in large numbers is called Bordertown. Bordertown is
a hard-rocking, pseudo-punk blend of magic and technology.
With a setup like this, and a bevy of talented young writers, it seems
that this shared-world anthology just can't fail. And yet, and yet...
Borderland is not so much a failure as it is a disappointment. It
raises high hopes that it just doesn't meet.
A shared-world anthology is both a curse and a blessing to its
writers. The blessing is the shared presence: The reader is familiar
with the setting, background, minor characters and other details which
support a story. The author is thus relieved of much of the burden of
setting the scene, describing the environment and so forth. This
allows them (in theory, anyway) to concentrate more on telling the
story, developing characters, or whatever else they want to do.
The curse is more subtle: In a sense, the authors in a shared-world
anthology are running a relay race; if one story lags, the pacing and
overall impact of the anthology are reduced. The lead-off and anchor
stories take on a magnified importance. In addition, the atmosphere of
the shared world creates expectations in the reader which each story
must live up to. I think that this curse has struck Borderland.
The four stories, "Prodigy," "Gray," "Stick," and "Charis" are fine
works. Submitted separately to professional magazines, I am sure they
would all have sold. But they don't work as a team.
Boyett's "Prodigy" is a long (104 pages) slow-paced story that
contrasts poorly with the tighter, faster pace of the other three.
Having it as the lead-off story in an anthology is a bad idea. It has
good plot and characters, but they develop too slowly and the answer is
obvious to the reader long before the main character gets around to
figuring it out.
Bach's "Gray" is a little tighter, but its confusing point-of-view
shifts make it a hard work to read and prevent it from easily playing a
team role. Bach, as well as Boyett, gives the impression that he finds
Bordertown too confining to write in -- something that you don't want
in a shared world.
De Lint and Kushner, however, save the book. Their stories are fast-
paced and exciting. They breathe life into Bordertown and generate
interesting characters to populate it. Although their stories are
complete in and of themselves, in each case I wanted the author to
write more. I really want to see what happens to Stick and Manda and
Charis and all the rest.
The overall impression, as I said before, is one of promises
unfulfilled. There is a lot of good material here; I think future
books (Bordertown is already out; I have it but haven't read it) will
have lots to work with.
The SF Book of Lists
Maxim Jakubowski & Malcolm Edwards
[***]
Berkley Books, 1983, 384 pages, $7.95
Reviewed by
Jim Day
JimDay.Pasa@Xerox.COM
Copyright 1987 by Jim Day
Maxim Jakubowski is an editor and critic who also writes SF and
Fantasy. Malcolm Edwards is an editor and former administrator of the
Science Fiction Foundation. The book itself is a potpourri of
informative data and a plethora of picayune trivia. I found it
delightful, despite the fact that it has neither a table of contents
nor an index. Although voluminous, the book makes no claim to being
comprehensive. For instance, the list of SF writers named Smith
mentions a mere 23 authors. Its categories include the following and
many, many more:
Fifty great aliens of science fiction.
Nine generation-starship stories.
Ten characters who have promoted the consumption of coffee in
improbable quarters of space and time.
Ten brain-twisting time paradox stories.
Ten alternate worlds novels.
The forty most popular SF short stories.
The thirty-four best SF short stories published before 1940.
The twenty-six all-time best SF novels.
The ten most unjustly neglected SF novels ever written.
Forty-three famous Astounding/Analog serials.
The five most useful SF reference books.
Six SF Short stories whose combined word length equals that of this
heading.
OtherRealms #14
April, 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.
Chuq Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM [I don't read flames]
There is no statute of limitations on stupiditychuq@plaid.UUCP (03/27/87)
Electronic OtherRealms #14
April, 1987
Part 2
Pico Reviews
Artifact by Gregory Benford [***]
Tor (1985), 520 pages, US $3.95.
This is really a suspense/adventure story with a hard SF McGuffin
(i.e., the thing that all the characters are trying to get hold of).
It reminded me in several ways of novels by Elizabeth Peters, which I
consider a quite favorable remark. It also reminded me of a
screenplay; the more SFish scenes are sometimes dominated by very
visual descriptions. It begins at an American archeological dig in
Greece, with the threat of a coup by military people who are anti-
American, and one of whom is personally hostile to the archeologists.
Something remarkable is discovered, and the lead characters try to keep
it away from the Greeks. But they don't know how much their chief
opponent wants it, nor quite how remarkable it is...
-- Mark Brader
decwrl!utcsri!sq.com!msb
The Ballad of Halo Jones Book 3 by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson [****]
Titan Books 4.95 pounds
This is a bound reprint of the Halo Jones stories that first appeared
in the British comic 2000AD, a comic which usually concentrates on
mega-death and violence. It comes as a great surprise then to see a
perfectly normal girl emerging as the comics 2nd most popular strip.
Alan Moore's characterisation of a young girl caught up in a horrific
war in which she isn't even on the 'right' side is superb and
compelling, Gibson's artwork is beautiful (Halo has to be just about
the most attractive heroine in comics at the moment) and, although some
of the science is dodgy it doesn't really matter. If you still think
comics are for kids give this a go and you will be pleasantly surprised.
-- Piers Cawley
pdc@UK.AC.Nott.Cs
The Book of Ellison by Andrew Porter [****]
Algol Press, P.O. box 4175, New York, NY 10017
This book is an examination of Harlan Ellison; the man, the author,
and the words. A third of the book are essays by people like David
Gerrold, Robert Silverberg, and Ted White about Ellison. The final
two thirds are essays on various subjects by Harlan Ellison. If
you're a fan of Ellison, this book is a must have, as it will let you
read them with a new perspective. I've been a long-time fan of
Ellison, and I thought I knew his works pretty well. I was surprised
how much I'd missed until I read this work.
-- chuq von rospach
The Cat Who Walks through Walls by Robert Heinlein [***+]
Berkley Books, $3.95, 1986, 388 pages
It starts off innocently enough, with a bang. And after that, it goes
everywhere in just over two days (a la Number of the Beast), and
winds up tying in to the rest of Heinlein's multi-verse (as does
everything he writes). Heinlein writings, much as I enjoy reading
them, have gone to the author's head (look at the dedication of this
book to see what I mean). Does everything have to tie into
everything else? And if so, does that tie in have to happen so
abrubtly, right in the middle of all that great action that Heinlein
writes so well? Grrr... Still, I'll keep buying 'em, if for the first 3/4
of the book, before all the old characters come in and spoil everything.
--Peter Korn
Comet Halley by Fred Hoyle [***+]
A hard SF novel, with mystery/suspense overtones, from a famous
astronomer. It's Hoyle's 4th novel on his own, the first such in some
years; his solo works are quite different from his collaborative
juvenile stories. I found the characters charming -- the principal
setting is Cambridge University, and British humor is liberally
sprinkled. The story gets going with a "first contact" radio message --
which seems to originate from a comet! Later, two-way communication
with the source is established, and then...
-- Mark Brader
decwrl!utcsri!sq.com!msb
The Cyborg and the Sorcerers by Lawrence Watt-Evans [***-]
Del Rey
The Cyborg and the Sorcerers is "Space Opera meets Fantasy in the
Aftermath;" fortunately, that's not as bad as it sounds. A
cyberneticized human (termed Slant) and his computer are scouts for
Old Earth in the revolution of the space colonies. Despite the fact
that Earth lost the war some three hundred years ago, the computer
is programmed to blow the Slant up should he attempt to "fraternize
with the enemy" until such time as it receives a release code. Of
course, the computer defines any colonial inhabitant as an enemy,
especially the wizards who seem to have developed a "new weapon"
that might be used against Earth. The focus is on the relationship
between Slant and the computer, and the problems that arise;
therefore, the descriptions are sometimes lengthy, but they do
manage not to be too intrusive.
--Lisa Besnett
A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond Feist [***+]
The concluding volume in the Riftwar Saga, this book continues the
fine storytelling begun in the earlier volumes. While the first book
was truly brilliant, and the rest merely fine, they suffer only by
comparison. In this book, the individuals, already excellently
developed all manage to behave in character, even those about whom
major background changes are revealed. Raymond Feist has not
succumbed to the temptation to leave plotlines dangling in order to
extend the books into an open-ended series. While a continuation
with different story lines would not be inconceivable, all the
plotlines introduced in the current volumes are satisfactorily
resolved. Together with the first three books, this is one of the best
fantasy stories of recent years.
-- Peter Rubinstein
Isaac Asimov's Wonderful Worlds of Science Fiction #6: Neanderthals
edited by Robert Silverberg, Martin H. Greenberg,
and Charles G. Waugh [***]
Signet books, $3.95
Another anthology from the prolific pair of Greenberg and Waugh, the
theme this time is the Neanderthal in its varying forms, as different
authors, from H. Beam Piper to Thomas Easton, from L. Sprague de
Camp to Philip Jose Farmer look at this subhuman in various forms.
Like most them anthologies, all of the stories are reprints (ranging
from 1939 to 1981) and are useful for helping readers collect
stories that haven't been widely anthologied in the past. Unlike
some anthologies, this doesn't contain a bibliography, which I like to
see since it helps me use the anthologists research in finding things
that didn't fit in the book.
-- chuq von rospach
The Kundalini Equation by Steven Barnes [****]
Tor Books, $3.50, 1986, 347 pages
Steven Barnes likes the martial arts. And anybody can learn these
martial arts; just don't take things too far... Good characterization,
though the plot was pushing it just a bit on the self-consistency side.
--Peter Korn
korn@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
Masque World, The Thurb Revolution, & StarWell by Alexei Panshin [***]
Ace Books, $1.75 ea, 1978
The story of our hero, Anthony Villers, both with, and without his
moustache, both with and without verious and sundry young women,
and almost always with Torve the Trog. Unlike any other SF I've
encountered. Very interesting; yah, that's it, interesting. Make sure
that you have all three books before you start reading them; they are
out of print.
--Peter Korn
The Maze of Peril by John Eric Holmes [**]
Space and Time, 138 West 70th Street (4B), New York, NY 10023, $6.95
Author John Eric Holmes merges a dungeon of a Fantasy Role Playing
game into a Fantasy adventure. We follow the magicians, fighters,
dwarves, elves, and associated nasties through a desolate
underground arena in search of adventure (plenty) and gold. At times
this book reads more like an FRP dungeon than a novel, but overall
he's done a good job of taking a role playing adventure and fleshing it
out into a full novel. This book will probably be of interest mainly
to the readers who also game.
-- chuq von rospach
Night's Master by Tanith Lee [****]
Tanith Lee is a master of the heroic fantasy epic; she writes in the
style of legend and myth. Her use of language is exquisite; her
descriptions are magical. She paints with words and captures the
emotion and power of a magical era. This books tells three stories
about Azhrarn, Prince of Demons and the heroic and tragic lives of
the mortals whose fates were intertwined with him. This is adult
fantasy; some scenes may offend the prudish, but passion is
essential to true legend. If you want to read of imagination and
dreams, read this.
--Brett Slocum
An Old Friend of the Family by Fred Saberhagen [***+]
Tor Books, $3.50, 247 pages.
In the late 70's, Saberhagen retold the Stoker Dracula story from the
point of view of the vampire in The Dracula Tapes. This book
continues that series starring Dracula as a sympathetic character.
A good book, but not as good as the first book, which I hope also gets
reprinted soon.
-- chuq von rospach
On the Good Ship Enterprise by Bjo Trimble [****]
Starblaze, $6.95, 1983, 286 pages
Stories of and about Star Trek, it's characters, and fans; all
revolving around Bjo Trimble's personal experiences. Divided into
eight parts (such as "Revolving Fans", "Very Con-ventional", and
"Star Trek--The Montion Pictures"), it is one of those "musts" for
fans of Star Trek. Very funny too.
--Peter Korn
korn@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
On the Good Ship Enterprise by Bjo Trimble [****]
Starblaze Editions, 1986, 286 pages, $7.95 trade paperback
This is a memoir of the days of Star Trek from the den-mother of
Star Trek Fandom, Bjo Trimble. Bjo (pronounced bee-joe) has been
involved in Star Trek since the very beginning, put together the
million letter Save Star Trek campaign that brought it back for a
third season, helped set up Lincoln Enterprises (the fan-letter
answering and memorabilia company for Star Trek), put on
conventions and generally acted as cheerleader for the Star Trek
fans nationwide. This is a very personal account of those years.
Unlike David Gerrold's books about Star Trek, this book is definitely
about Bjo, and about the things that went on around her. It does not
drop down into egotism -- I've been lucky enough to meet Bjo at a
couple of conventions, and a nicer women you will never meet, a
feeling that shows up throughout the book. Star Trek fans will love
this. I think it gives a flavor and a perspective on the movement
that you don't get anywhere else, and there is a lot of fun times here.
-- chuq von rospach
Our Lady of Darkness Fritz Leiber [****]
Ace Books, $2.50, 1984, 183 pages
A Supernatural horror story that takes place in San Francisco.
Reminds me of Ghostbusters, kinda sorta in a wierd way. San
Francisco foggy nights will never be quite the same anymore.
--Peter Korn
The Postman by David Brin [****]
Bantam Books, $4.95, 1985, 321pages
Damn fine read. My only complaint is that Brin doesn't tell us enough
of the story (or he tells us too much). But to leave us where he did
just isn't right; otherwise it's a great book.
--Peter Korn
Retief at Large by Keith Laumer [****]
If you like the idea of a diplomat who ignores all his superiors and
just does things, managing to have everything work out ideally while
everyone else fumbles about, you'll love Retief. He's a sort of inter-
gallactic rogue, working for the implacable CDT (Corps Diplomatique'
Terrestrienne) and his almost permanent boss Ambassador Magnan.
This is a really fun anthology of Retief stories!
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!taylor
The River of Time by David Brin [****]
Bantam Spectra, $3.50, 1987, 295 pages
Short stories written over the course of Brin's writing career. "The
Crystal Spheres" is my favorite (pictured on the cover). Brin has
divided the book into sections: Destiny, Recollection, Speculation,
and Propagation; the stories in Destiny are worth the price of the
book; the rest is of lesser calibre (especially "Roujours Voir", the
250 word story).
--Peter Korn
korn@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
Roger Zelazny by Theodore Krulik [*]
The Ungar Publishing Company, $15.95, 178 pages
I've been waiting for a good book on Zelazny, both the man and his
writing, for quite some time. After reading Krulik's book, I'm still
waiting. In the notes preceding the bibliography, Krulik lists six
personal interviews with Zelazny as being among the sources for his
book. Yet repeatedly the most interesting quotes are from other
sources, notably Zelazny's remarks in two of his anthologies, The
Last Defender of Camelot and Unicorn Variations. The result is that
there is little new material from Zelazny himself and his personal
background is rendered in a shallow and superficial manner, leaving
little feel for Zelazny himself and how significant events in his life
have affected his writing. Krulik's analysis of Zelazny's work fares
no better. Works are gathered together for examination in thematic
groups; the result is no better than a collection of sophomoric book
reports attempting to compare and contrast. Give this book a pass
unless you're a Zelazny completist.
-- Jim Brunet
hplabs!hao!ico!ism780B!jimb
A Stainless Steel Rat is Born by Harry Harrison [****]
Bantam Spectra, $2.95, 1985, 219 pages
The true story of Slippery Slim diGriz started his infamous career,
and Harrison doesn't let us Stainless Steel Rat fans down. More,
hear me Harry? I want more.
--Peter Korn
Star Trek IV, the Voyage Home by Vonda McIntyre, based on the movie [****]
Pocket Books, $3.95, 1986, 274 pages
To be read only after seeing the movie. Learn why the thing comes
to Earth, and gain insights into the real reason that Scotty tells the
things he tells the the person he tells it to reguarding a certain type
of aluminum.
--Peter Korn
Steel Brother by Gordon R. Dickson [***]
Tor SF, 236 pages.
This is an interesting anthology of early stories (for the most part)
from Gordon R. Dickson. "Out of the Darkness" is a wry mystery story
of a man in a lighthouse, "The Man in the Mailbag" and "Steel Brother"
are both interesting lead-ins to the sometimes-excellent later Dorsai
series (aka the Childe Cycle), "Perfectly Adjusted" is a fine,
humourous tale of a society where people are heavily conditioned
against seeing each other, and "The Hard Way" is a nicely crafted tale
of a society that lands on Earth to figure out if they can invade it or
not... With the exception of the last two, I'd say this is one of the
finest anthologies I've ever read. The last two 'stories', however,
are both gratuitous nonsense that don't belong in the book at all. The
first is "The Childe Cycle Status Report" where Dickson discusses where
the ideas for the Childe Cycle came from, how he plans on approaching
the entire storyline, etc. The second is "A Conversation with Gordon
R. Dickson" by Sandra Miesel. I'm not averse to these existing,
understand, I just don't think they are appropriate for the anthology
of fiction stories that they are almost a fourth of. Seems like
self-indulgence to me...
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!taylor
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff [****]
Penguin, $4.95, 158 pages
This is not only a cute book, but it really is quite thought provoking
- there really is quite a bit of the Taoist philosophy and ideas in
A.A.Milne's childrens story "Winnie the Pooh". As the back cover says
"While Eeyore frets...and Piglet hesitates...and Rabbit calculates...and
Owl pontificates...Pooh just is, and that's a clue to the secret
wisdom of the Taoists.". Very enjoyable.
-- Dave Taylor
hplabs!taylor
Thieves' World Graphics #4 by Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey [**]
Starblaze Graphic, b&w graphic novel, $3.95. Art by Tim Sale.
The latest in the Black and White Graphic novel version of the
Thieves' World story. If you've read the Thieves' World books, the
story is familiar, as the Graphic Novel simply retells the books in
visual form. Sale's art is, as usual, quite good, and the B&W format
works much better for Thieves' World than the recently issued color,
but I wasn't impressed with the story as much as in previous volumes.
-- chuq von rospach
Ubik by Philip K. Dick [***]
Dell SF 1970
How can one adaquately describe a Philip Dick book. He is one of the
most unusual authors in the genre. His descriptions are top-notch,
and his plots are unique, to say the least. In Ubik, Joe Chip is a
tester for a company that protects people from psionics by
employing 'inertials,' those with an anti-psionic talent. After his
boss dies, Joe's 1990's reality seems to be decaying into 1939, piece
by piece. And someone is killing off all the inertials. And Joe had
better find some Ubik or he'll be next. The style is straightforward;
just the events are confusing. Definately a fuse-blower.
--Brett Slocum
The Witling by Vernor Vinge [***]
1976, Daw 173pp.
This is reasonably standard adventure science fiction. It doesn't
reach the level of Vinge's recently reissued True Names, but is well
written none-the-less. The story concerns some space-faring
anthropologists who are marooned on a seemingly backwards planet.
The twist is that the natives have evolved various psychic powers
and so have never had a need for technology. Our anthropologists
have to think their way out, and their recognition of the
conservation laws the powers obey gives them a small advantage
over the scientifically naive natives.
--Chris Hibbert
Hibbert.pa@Xerox.COM
Wizard of Pigeons by Megan Lindholm [****-]
Ace Fantasy 0-441089467-4 2.95
I normally hate protagonists that are self-defeating, like the
protagonist of the Covenant series, and the protagonist of this book;
however, in both cases, I can see good writing. This is good writing,
with images and people as strong and clear as reality. There are many
moments in this book that haunt, vividly, and the basis for the magic
in the lives of the main characters is almost a frightening one. The
plot is simple, one of the magic people in Seattle must confront his
personal nemesis, and this tells how. The adventure is through his
life, not only the particular here and now of the confrontation, and it
is a fascinating one. There is one feature of this book that one
should be aware of, and that is it is set in Seattle in intricate
detail, from the mapping of her streets to the attitude of the natives
to all the amazing jumble of historic fact that Seattle has accumulated.
--Liralen Li
OtherRealms #14
April, 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.
OtherRealms is published monthly through July, then quarterly by:
Chuq Von Rospach
35111-F Newark Blvd.
Suite 255
Newark, CA. 94560
usenet: chuq@sun.COM
Delphi: CHUQ
Review copies should be sent to this address for consideration.
Chuq Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM [I don't read flames]
There is no statute of limitations on stupiditychuq@plaid.UUCP (03/27/87)
Electronic OtherRealms #14
April, 1987
Part 3
Books Received
Bantam
Books
Crowley, John. gypt, 390 pages, $17.95 hardcover, April 1 ship
date. Latest from World Fantasy Award Winning Author.
DAW
Books
Friedman, C. S. In Conquest Born, 511 pages, May, 1987, $3.95.
Friedman's first novel.
Signet
Books
Adams, Robert. Trumpet's of War, 223 pages, March, 1987, $3.50.
Horseclans #16.
Clarke, Arthur C. A Fall of Moondust, 254 pages, 1961, $3.50. This
(and the next three books) are the start of a re-issue of
selected works by A. C. Clarke. The works will have
coordinated covers and new introductions by the author.
Clarke, Arthur C. The Nine Billion Names of God, 253 pages, $3.50, 1967.
Clarke, Arthur C. The Sands of Mars, 246 pages, 1952, $3.50.
Clarke, Arthur C. The Wind from the Sun, 244 pages, 1962, $3.50.
Silverberg, Robert. Isaac Asimov's Wonderful World of Science Fiction
#6: Neanderthals, 351 pages, March, 1987, $3.95. Another
anthology from the prolific anthologers Charles Waugh and
Martin Greenberg.
St. Martin's
Press
Pohl, Frederik and Kornbluth, C.M. The Space Merchants, 169 pages,
1952, $3.50. A new edition of a wonderful classic.
Pohl, Frederik. The Merchant's War, 296 pages, 1984, $3.50. Sequel
to The Space Merchants.
Tor
Fantasy
Llywellyn, Morgan. Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish, 461 pages plus
bibliography, March, 1987, $4.50.
Polikarpus, Viido, and King, Tappan. Downtown, 293 pages, March
1987, $2.95.
Tor
Fiction
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Sword at Sunset, 498 pages, $4.50, reprint of a
1963 novel about King Arthur.
Tor
Horror
Gray, Linda Crockett. Scryer, 346 pages, March, 1987, $3.95.
Killough, Lee. Blood Hunt, 319 pages, March, 1987, $3.95.
Saberhagen, Fred. An Old Friend of the Family, 247 pages, $3.50,
reprint of a 1979 novel, part of Saberhagen's retelling of the
Dracula myth.
Tor
Science Fiction
Chalker, Jack L. The Labyrinth of Dreams, 320 pages, $3.50, March,
1987. First in the God Inc. series.
Dickson, Gordon R. The Stranger, 254 pages, $2.95, March, 1987.
New collection of 14 stories from the 1950's to the 1980's.
Harrison, Harry. The Jupiter Plague, 280 pages, $2.95, reprint of a
1982 book.
Saberhagen, Fred. The Mask of the Sun, 234 pages, $2.95, reprint of
a 1979 novel.
Silverberg, Robert. Invaders from Earth, 190 pages, $2.95, reprint
of a 1958 novel.
Tor
Suspense
O'Donnell, Peter. Modesty Blaise: The Xanadu Talisman, 278 pages,
$3.50. First paperback of a 1981 book.
Words of Wizdom
Reviews by
Chuq Von Rospach
One of the things I enjoy doing for OtherRealms is reading the first
book by an author. Anyone who thinks you can't break into the
publishing business is wrong -- if you are talented, you can. I see at
least one first novel a month these days, and I know I'm missing some,
since it isn't always easy to tell. First novels need to be read not
only for what they are, but also for the author's future potential.
Because of this, I tend to judge first novels a little differently than
other books, and I try to give an author the benefit of the doubt when
things are a little rough on the edges. First novels are rarely bad,
but they are also rarely things of glory -- William Gibson and R.A.
MacAvoy are exceptions, not rules. The polish comes from experience,
and I take great pleasure in watching authors find their voice and
mature in their writing.
There are two first novels in my stack this month. The first is The
Misplaced Legion by Harry Turtledove (Del Rey Books, 323 pages,
$2.95). Turtledove has picked up a reputation for writing strong and
involving short works, both under his name and under Eric G. Iverson.
This novel shows, if nothing else, how different writing novels.
A legion of Romans in Gaul battle the Celts. In battle, the two
leaders meet in single combat. The Roman centurion carries a
modified Celtic sword, and when the two clash, the result is the
unleashing of a magic spell that sends the Romans elsewhere.
Hence the title. Where they are is Videssos, a country in a place
completely unfamiliar. The implication is that they are no longer on
Earth. They are contacted by the local military, and finally accepted
by the Emperor and hired into his army as mercenaries.
In reality, little happens in the book. You learn a little about Roman
military lifestyles, but not as much as you'd like. You learn a fair
amount about Videssos' lifestyles, but the chance to exploit the
Roman's complete ignorance isn't leveraged. Most of the book is a
series of subplots, none of them very important and few of them
grabbing your interest. There is a long, slow build to the inevitable
battle, but the battle rushes by before you're ready for it, taking no
more than 30 pages, and much of the battle is only sketchily described.
This is not a bad book. It has flaws and pacing problems, It reminds
me of the very early Varley books. The similarity between
Turtledove and Varley is very strong, as they both seem to write
most powerfully at shorter lengths. The Misplaced Legion has some
problems, but none of them are fatal. The pacing is inconsistent -- a
lot of the book moves slower than I'd have liked, while others move
too fast and forget what could have been interested detail. There
doesn't seem to be any reason for shoving Romans into this world --
there isn't any real culture clash, Turtledove never uses them to
discuss the Videssian culture, and they never really develop an alien
feel -- they fit in much too easily for my tastes to be aliens. The
transfer from Earth was never justified to my satisfaction, and I
never accepted it as anything other than a convenient plot device.
And I could never find a character I could relate to to use as a hook
for drawing myself into the book -- all of the characters are
somewhat static and kept at a distance.
Turtledove is a good writer who is simply looking for his voice at a
greater length. When he does, he's going to be a name to reckon with.
This book is probably worth reading, even though it is more potential
than application, as I expect future volumes in this series to be
significantly improved. [***-]
The other first novel is Project Millenium by Minnesota writer
Curtis Hoffman (Ace Science Fiction, 198 pages, $2.95). The cover
by James Warhola, unfortunately, is uninviting, showing the God Thor
flying his hammer into battle with a large spaceship. Inside...
Inside is a series of interconnecting stories ranging from inter-
office politics to a replay of Ragnaroque, the Nordic myth of the
death of the Gods. It sounds like a bit of a hodge-podge, and it is.
At the request of a planet planning on celebrating its millenium, the
Entertainment Company takes on a commission for a 100 year
project to put together a major battle so the planet can congratulate
itself on how civilized it has become. This battle, of course, is
illegal, so the operation is covert. The two sides of the battles are
coordinated by AI programs, one that calls itself Snorri Sturluson
(after the Nordic bard) and the other Richard III (after the English
King). They are watched over by an intelligent robot, who is watched
over by his robot-bigot boss.
Hoffman tries to tell a cohesive story while twisting his way
through a large number of subplots and a number of different
viewpoints. Unfortunately, it gets very hard to tell the viewpoints
apart. I was constantly trying to figure out who knew what and
where things were going, and I think Hoffman just tried to carry one
more subplot than his writing skill currently allows. Also, the
whole enemy camp, from Richard III down, was basically ignored,
and so the story is somewhat stilted. As I read the story, I found
myself getting more and more confused as to what was going on,
because things switched around too haphazardly and too quickly for
my tastes. The climax and ending were telegraphed.
Hoffman has potential. He tried to write a complex novel, and
almost pulled it off.He is definitely on my reading list for future
works, but unless you're like me and really enjoy reading new
writers, I can't recommend this work. [**]
Now, a new work from a master. With the large number of Arthurian
retellings and Celtic stories reaching the bookshelves, it is easy to
forget that other cultures have their legends and lores as well.
Fortunately, Poul and Karen Anderson didn't forget, and with The
King of Ys: Roma Mater (Baen Books, $3.95) they give us a carefully
researched and fascinating look at the French myths.
Gratillonius is a Roman centurion, sent with his troops to be regent of
Ys, a position vacant for many years. His mission is to rekindle the
ties between Ys and Rome and to use the powers of Ys to support an
upcoming overthrow of Rome by his general. Through a sequence of
events, he becomes the Kind of Ys as well, and the husband of the Nine.
The Andersons have woven a complex series of conflicts and
subplots into a work that is likely to be the opening book in a series
of stories about Ys. The storyline is relatively simple, primarily
following Gratillonius from the time he is sent to Ys to the time he
makes the choice to be King, rather Regent of Rome and King. But the
real attraction isn't the story, it is the history and the way the
story is presented.
Ys is a coastal village, protected from the ocean by a large set of
sea walls constructed many years ago by Augustus Caesar. It is
ruled jointly by the King, who by covenant must be chosen from
outside the realm, and seated when they kill the previous King; by
the Nine, Wives of the King, Sorceresses and Wisewomen; and the
Speaker for Taranus, one of the governing Gods.
One of the major conflicts in the book is religious. Rome has
recently outlawed all non-Christian pantheons, yet Gratillonius is a
follower of Mithras. Ys, on the other hand, worships a triumvirate:
Taranis, Lis, and Belisama. The lore of Ys states that it will be
destroyed when it forsakes its Gods, for the floodgates survive at
the whim of Those Who protect Ys.
The conflicts are obvious. With Christianity gaining influence (the
Andersons, unlike Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon
chose not to portray Christianity as a nasty sect) over the God's that
protect them, and with a Mithra worshipper as their King (a King who
is willing to support their religions as long as they don't conflict
with his beliefs, which, of course, they do).
Gratillonius also has to come to grips with his devotion to Rome and
the realization that what is best for Rome isn't necessarily the best
for Ys.
All in all, this is a very satisfying book, and an interesting view into
another culture. Ys is pretty obviously the French archetype for
Atlantis, the society protected from the sea by their Gods.
Somewhere in a future book, it is almost inevitable that the
forsaken Gods will destroy Ys as Atlantis was destroyed, but I
certainly hope it doesn't happen soon. This book is highly
recommended for people who like mature and complex Fantasy. [****]
Tuf Voyaging by George R. R. Martin (Baen books, 376 pages, $3.50)
is a novel pieced together from a series of stories that Martin has
published since 1978, primarily in Analog magazine. They are all
about Haviland Tuf, a fat, bald vegetarian who loves cats and owns a
bio-ship, a warship from ancient earth that can create or clone
living beings from its vast database. He travels from planet to
planet, selling his wares and staving off disaster.
The stories span about 10 years of ship time, starting with how Tuf
came to own the ship. I've read a number of the stories when they
were originally publisher, so I'd planned to skip through and read the
unfamiliar sections. Tuf was so engrossing I found myself reading
the entire thing, and enjoying it immensely.
Haviland Tuf talks in a very formal style that might drive you up the
wall after a while -- it is somewhat like listening to Miss Manners
talk. I never could quite figure out whether Tuf talked this way
naturally or if he was just trying to drive the people he was with
crazy. Martin has a good sense of dialog, always keeping Tuf right on
the edge of turning into a charicature. This is a highly enjoyable
work, and worth your time. [****]
When Jim Baen was with Ace, he started a paperback anthology
called Destinies that was essentially a SF magazine in book form.
Later, when he started Baen Books, he revived the format with co-
editor Jerry Pournelle with Far Frontiers. Now, Pournelle has
dropped off the project, and Baen has renamed it New Destinies (288
pages, $2.95) and turned out a solid first volume (issue?).
I was never overly impressed with Far Frontiers, but New Destinies
has significantly improved the quality of both the stories and the
fact articles. Included are stories by Timothy Zahn, Poul Anderson,
Joel Rosenburg, Doug Beason, Fred Saberhagen, and Keith Laumer.
Fact articles are by Dr. Robert Forward, John and Mary Gribbin, and
G. Harry Stine. All of the stories are good, and I specifically want
to recommend reading "Not for Country, Not for King" by Rosenburg,
which is on my early list of contenders for a Hugo nomination. In
general, the only things I didn't like was Stine's article "The Space
Beat: How to Stop a Space Program" which is simply a continuation
of his constant whining about how rotten American politics treats
its space ships. Overall, a good start, and I'll be looking forward to
seeing if the quality continues in future volumes. [***+]
A quick final note: Signet is starting to re-issue many of Arthur C.
Clarke's early works. First out are two novels, The Sands of Mars
and A Fall of Moondust, and two anthologies, The Wind From the Sun
and The Nine Billion Names of God. All have new, coordinated cover
art and new introductions by the author. The novels are somewhat
dated, but still fun to rediscover after all these times. His stories,
however, are a real joy, and it is amazing how well they've aged. If
you've never read Clarke, now is a great time to start, probably with
The Nine Billion Names of God. If you already have these works, you
won't want to buy a new copy unless you are a Clarke completist, as
the new introductions are only a page long, and there is little new
material here.
Letters to OtherRealms
On Mirror
of Her Dreams
I want to stress a point you mention in your review of A Mirror of Her
Dreams. Anyone who disliked Steven Donaldson's Thomas Covenant novels
should read A Mirror of Her Dreams before writing Mr. Donaldson off.
Unlike his previous novels, Steven Donaldson fills this novel with
likeable characters (which aren't all killed off in horrible ways) and
some hope that they can win. Also gone is the excess verbiage of the
Covenant trilogies. This novel is refreshingly different from
virtually all other fantasy novels in that it asks the characters (and
the readers) to think in order to figure out what is going on and how
to set things right. (Actually, the novel isn't really a fantasy, it's
more of a SF novel in a fantasy setting.)
The only thing I disliked about The Mirror of Her Dreams (besides the
fact that it doesn't end) is that there is a major hole in the plot.
Without giving to much away, in one part of the book, a disaster occurs
that could easily be stopped by something which we are shown earlier in
the book that all the characters know about. I can't believe they all
just forgot about it.
Overall, this is an outstanding novel that it so good I would recommend
it to everyone even though the second part hasn't been published yet.
It loses half a star only because of the plot hole. [****+]
Micah Doyle
micah@athena.MIT.EDU
On Beasts
This may have been pointed out already, but I thought I'd mention a
minor bug in Alan Wexelblat's review of John Crowley's Beasts. While
Beasts is indeed Crowley's second novel, Little, Big is not his first
novel but his fourth. Bantam has reprinted Crowley's older novels,
which explains why Beasts is on the stands. The proper order of
publication is: The Deep (1975); Beasts (1976); Engine Summer (1979);
Little, Big (1981); and Aegypt (1987). Of course there may be other
books by Crowley which I've missed (I hope not!)...
I'm going to buy Aegypt as soon as I can get my greedy fingers on it.
Donn Seeley
[[ This was something Alan missed, and I didn't take the time
to check. My apologies to anyone who was confused by this mistake.
Aegypt looks like another winner of a book. OtherRealms
should have a review of it soon]] -- Chuq
OtherRealms
Reviewing the worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
Editor
Chuq Von Rospach
Associate Editor
Laurie Sefton
Contributing Editors
Jim Brunet
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes
OtherRealms #14
April, 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.
OtherRealms is published monthly through July, then quarterly by:
Chuq Von Rospach
35111-F Newark Blvd.
Suite 255
Newark, CA. 94560
usenet: chuq@sun.COM
Delphi: CHUQ
Review copies should be sent to this address for consideration.
Submission Policy
OtherRealms publishes articles about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and
Horror. We focus on reviews of authors and books that might otherwise
be missed in the crowd, but OtherRealms will publish anything of
interest to the serious reader of the genre.
Pico Reviews are solicited on any book. Duplicate the format in the
magazine, and limit your comments to one paragraph.
Your comments are solicited! Letters to OtherRealms are always welcome --
tell me how I'm doing, what I'm missing, or where I've goofed. All
letters will be considered for publication unless otherwise specified.
If you have an idea for an article you would like to see covered in
OtherRealms, drop me a line. I'm always looking for new and
interesting things to bring before the eyes of my readers.
Artists!
OtherRealms is looking for a few good hands. I'm looking for genre
oriented pictures, comics, dingbats, doodles, and anything else that
looks good on the printed page.
I need anything up to and including full-page cover art -- my inventory
is currently very small.
Book Ratings in OtherRealms
All books are rated with the following guidelines. Most books should
receive a three star rating Anything with three or more stars is
recommended. Ratings may be modified by a + or a - to for a half star
rating, so [***-] is better (slightly) than [**+].
[*****] One of the best books of the year
[****] A very good book -- above average
[***] A good book
[**] Flawed, but has its moments
[*] Not recommended
[] Avoid at all costs
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Chuq Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM [I don't read flames]
There is no statute of limitations on stupidity