Fantasy/SF Book Reviews
Page Two of TwoA Signal Shattered by Eric Nylund
Eos, Sept., 1999.Hardcover, 378 pages.
ISBN: 0380975149.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
A sequel to Nylund's critically acclaimed
book,
Signal to Noise, A Signal Shattered
picks up where the last book left off.
The Earth has been destroyed by Wheeler,
a vicious alien who plunders worlds for their
technology then destroys them. Wheeler
tricked Jack Potter into helping him, and then destroyed
the Earth when Jack refused to help Wheeler
engineer the annihilation of other planets. Now only
Potter and a handful of his friends and associates
are left alive on the Moon after using Wheeler's
gateway technology to transport to the lunar base.
Things look really grim on the Moon: Jack's
former business associates Zero and Isabel
appear to be going nuts, someone is
trying to kill off the inhabitants of the moon base one by
one, and Wheeler
is still determined to get Jack to work for him.
Jack doesn't know who to trust or how to
save the lives of the last humans in the galaxy,
but he's certainly not going to give up. Buried in the
infamous gateway device may be just the technology
the humans need to destroy the predator Wheeler, but
will it also destroy what's left of humanity?
A Signal Shattered starts slowly -- Jack wanders around the lunar base trying to figure out what to do next. Slowly and steadily, Nylund picks up the pace until suddenly the story is moving at faster than light speed, dragging the enraptured reader right along with it. With lots of virtual reality, love, betrayal, and mind-bending concepts, this is one story that will hold the attention of even the most jaded SF fan. With Nylund's name on the cover, you can be sure of an entertaining read -- and a sleepless night as you mull over all the disturbing issues his work always raises. Highly recommended.
L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Part XV edited by Algis Budrys
Bridge Publications, Nov., 1999.Paperback, 452 pages .
ISBN: 1573181633.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
The L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of
The Future is an annual collection of
winning short stories from The Writers of
the Future Contest. This year's edition
contains original short stories
about time travel, vampire baseball players,
genetic engineering, alien life, murder,
space exploration, clones, wizards and other
appealing subject matter.
The collection also includes original
illustrations from the winning illustrators (Illustrators
of the Future Contest).
For illustrators and writers, the book also includes
information about upcoming contests. There
is no cost to enter any of the contests.
Overall, this year's edition is an appealing
collection of short stories selected by some
of the biggest names (the judges) in fantasy
and science fiction, including Algis Budrys, Gregory
Benford, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven,
Andre Norton, Frederik Pohl,
Robert Silverberg and Kevin J. Anderson.
Writers of the Future is a great way to introduce
yourself to fresh talent in the fantasy and science
fiction genres.
Return to the January 2000 issue of The IWJ.
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