#254, The September–October issue of the British Fantasy Award winning magazine con-tains new stories by Nina Allan, Jay O'Connell, S.L. Nickerson, T.R. Napper, Julie C. Day, Sam J. Miller. The cover art is by Wayne Haag, and interior colour illustra-tions are by Tara Bush, Richard Wagner, Daniel Bristow-Bailey. All the usual fea-tures are present: Ansible Link by David Langford (news and obits); Mutant Popcorn by Nick Lowe (film reviews); Laser Fodder by Tony Lee (DVD/Blu-ray reviews); Book Zone (book reviews) and Jonathan McCalmont's Future Interrupted column. This issue also sees the start of a new regular column: Time Pieces by Nina Allan. Views: 37
This is the edited June 2nd edition Views: 37
Nebula Award-winning author Walter Jon Williams serves up a glorious novelette-sized mashup of intrigue, cutting-edge biotech, Aymara Indian spies, a Chinese cruise ship, ninjas, Andean folk music, and a tetrahedal menace from beneath the sea. But the greatest threat to our heroes comes in the form of a water ballet company, whose director insists on Total Artistic Control. “...A rapid, imaginative, and at times hilarious story, packed with action and great characters...[Williams’] story is complete, rounded, and a great read.” --Patrick Samphire Views: 37
"Roses are red, the sky is blue; so everyone says, but I wouldn't know." A story about a popular rock star falling for his biggest fan. And an insecure girl learning a new life lesson about love and trust. Views: 37
It's no secret that the marriages of monarchs are often made in hell. Here are some of the most spectacular mismatches in five hundred years of royal history....In a world where many kings, queens, and princes lacked nothing but true love, marital mismatches could bring out the baddest, boldest behavior in the bluest of bloodlines. Margaret Tudor, her niece Mary I, and Catherine of Braganza were desperately in love with chronically unfaithful husbands, but at least they weren't murdered by them, as were two of the Medici princesses were. King Charles II's beautiful, high-spirited sister "Minette" wed Louis XIV's younger brother, who wore more makeup and perfume than she did. Forced to wed her boring, jug-eared cousin Ferdinand, Marie of Roumania—a granddaughter of Queen Victoria—proved herself one of the heroines of World War I by using her prodigious personal charm to regain massive amounts of land during the peace talks at... Views: 37
Detective Dave Robicheaux is facing the most painful and dangerous case of his career. A troubled young woman breezes into his hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana. She happens to be the daughter of Robicheaux's onetime best friend – a friend he witnessed gunned down in a bank robbery, a tragedy that forever changed Robicheaux's life. In Pegasus Descending, James Lee Burke again explores psyches as much as evidence, and tries to make sense of human behavior as well as of his characters' crimes. Richly atmospheric, frightening in its sudden violence, and replete with the sort of puzzles only the best crime fiction creates, Burke's latest novel is an unforgettable roller coaster of passion, surprise, and regret. The twists begin when Trish Klein – the only offspring of Robicheaux's Vietnam-era buddy – starts passing marked hundred-dollar bills in local casinos. Is she a good kid gone bad? A victim's child seeking revenge? A promiscuous beauty seducing everyone good within her grasp? And how does her behavior relate to the apparent suicide of another "good" girl, an ace student named Yvonne Darbonne, who apparently participated in a college frat orgy before her death? Can Robicheaux make his peace with the demons that have haunted him since his friend's murder so many years ago? Can he figure out how a local mobster fits into all the schemes and deaths? Can Robicheaux's life be whole again when it has been shattered by so much tragedy? Once again, Burke proves why he is the virtual poet laureate of southern Louisiana, and why his novels, especially those featuring Dave Robicheaux, stand as brilliant literature and entertainment for our time. Views: 37
Ryan Millen. Notorious playboy. Forever a bachelor. Never one to settle. Loves his one-night-stands. Ryan has loved his single status without any desire to settle down into a permanent relationship. Why would he? To be in a relationship requires work and sacrifice. Why go through all that trouble to make himself miserable just to make a woman happy?Lynn is struggling to get by day-to-day. Thirty-two years old, she can't find a job in a saturated market. She can no longer afford to pay the bills with her minimum wage job after her ex dumped her while she'd been in middle of nursing school. He walked out on her to "find himself." Now she finds herself on her brother's doorstep, begging for a place to stay so maybe she can find a way to crawl out of the hole she's been swallowed by. Embarrassed by her situation, she vows never to become dependant on a man again. Ryan's world is turned upside down when one of his one-nighters throws a wrench into his perfect single life. He loses himself not knowing how to handle a situation he never wanted. His life spins out of control, about to lose his job and his mind. An opportunity crosses Lynn's path that she'd never considered. An opportunity to possibly gain financial independence. An opportunity her brother warns her not to take. An opportunity she can't refuse. Will Ryan's new world destroy him or can he accept it and move forward with a chance for a life he'd never planned, but if he embraces could open up his heart for an unexpected surprise. Can Lynn save Ryan from himself? Can Lynn allow herself to open up to Ryan and trust again? What happens when they push against the natural draw they have towards one another? And what happens when Ryan's one-nighter reappears, set out for revenge? Views: 37
