When the Fall Turns Cold, Curl Up with a SF Book

By: Chris Wyatt
Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2002

TOR Books leads the pack this month with some superlative releases. First up is HEAVY PLANET, a trade paperback compilation edition that reprints SF Grandmaster Hal Clement's Mesklin novels: MISSION OF GRAVITY and STAR LIGHT. As nerdy as this might be, I have to admit that for personal reasons I was really glad to see this edition come in; my classic paperback edition of MISSION OF GRAVITY is autographed, so I haven't risked the damage of reading it for years.

Also from TOR is mega-bestseller Robert Jordan's new one, CROSSROADS OF TWILIGHT, the tenth doorstop-sized tome in the WHEEL OF TIME series. His fans will be delighted. Others will be puzzled.

TOR/ORB is finally issuing the excellent HARD SF RENAISSANCE anthology, edited by David G Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, as a trade paperback. Meanwhile TOR's Starscape YA imprint is releasing a lushly illustrated version of Carlo Collodi's classic retelling of the PINOCCHIO tale, with new art by MONSTER MUSEUM illustrator Gris Grimly.

EOS is offering NIGHT WATCH, the new comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, which is already out on shelves (and has already been reviewed by CINESCAPE Online). I wonder what readers who are fans of both DISCWORLD and WHEEL OF TIME will choose to pick up first.


We'll see CJ Cherryh's EXPLORER from DAW Books on shelves soon. The volume looks to be a promising one. It's the sixth novel to be set in Cherryh's much talked about Foreigner Universe, and it introduces a third alien race to the mix. Expect some expert space opera.

In a blast from the past that will remind many of us of time spent avoiding homework in seventh grade, Del Rey is reissuing Jack McKinney's first ROBOTECH books. The two mass market paperbacks are compilations. The first book is called ROBOTECH: BATTLECRY and reprints the first Macross trilogy (GENESIS, BATTLE CRY, and HOMECOMING). The second book, ROBOTECH: DOOMSDAY, reprints the second Macross trilogy (BATTLE HYMN, FORCE OF ARMS, and DOOMSDAY).

Interested in moral outrage, political intrigue and sociological observations of an exotic alien culture? Well then, THE DEVIL AND DEEP SPACE by future historian Susan R Mathews is just up your alley. It's out soon from ROC.

The fantasy book FISTFUL OF SKY by Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and issued by ACE, might prove to be good, or it might prove to be cheesy... The premise involves a special family in Southern California. Each member of the family, as they mature, hits "the transition" (think of it as magical puberty). During the transition the family members either get special powers (like shape-shifting or wish-granting), or they die... Yeah, if done well it might become a new classic. If done poorly it might suck. You decide.

VECTORS by Michael P Kube-McDowell is about a scientist searching for experimental evidence of the human soul. The publisher, Bantam Spectra, is billing this book as fresh and original...but to be honest the premise is very been-there-done-that. I guess will see what's so special about it when it hits shelves this month.

Alternative History buffs will hear the call of their Lord and Master this month, when Harry Turtledove sees the Penguin release of RULED BRITANNIA-- get the cute pun? In this one the Spanish Armada defeats Queen Elizabeth's navy and imposes Catholicism. William Shakespeare steps up to plate and writes a patriotic play to rally the Queen's supporters.

And, like Shakespeare rallying the troops, its time to present the...

WORDSCAPE PICK OF THE MONTH

November's pick isn't one book, but two. This month BAEN Books is issuing two new novels by the late Charles Sheffield.

Sheffield, who died on November 2nd, was, in this critic's opinion, one of the greatest Hard SF writer's to ever work in the genre. His books are grounded in adventure, but laced with believable human emotion. He dealt with the mechanics of next wave physics, but was still able to consistently infuse his novels with page-turning fun. In particular, Sheffield's THE SPHERES OF HEAVEN has everything that classic SF should have.

This month's releases of RESURGENCE and BETWEEN THE STROKES OF NIGHT may represent the last original fiction we'll ever see from Charles Sheffield. RESURGENCE, set in Sheffield's popular Heritage Universe, tells about the return of "The Builders", a long-lost super-race. NIGHT, set in 27,698 AD, deals with immortal beings with ties to ancient Earth.

Sheffield will be missed.

Wordscape is our monthly Books column.

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at feedback@cinescape.com.