* Chandler, A. Bertram : John Grimes: Rim Commander
(SFBC 0-7394-6001-3, $14.99, 501pp, hardcover, October 2005, jacket art A. C. Farley)

Omnibus of three novels and four (previously uncollected) stories in the 'Rim Worlds' series about space captain John Grimes, set on the galaxy's rim, by the Australian author whose merchant marine background lent authenticity to his stories.
• The novels included are Gateway to Never (1972), The Dark Dimensions (1971), and The Way Back (1978); the four stories were first published in the early '70s.
• This is an exclusive edition available from the SF Book Club, whose site has this page for the book, with a review by SFBC editor Andrew Wheeler: "There's been a lot of talk recently about the 'New Space Opera,' but, for my money, you can't beat the old space opera. ... since Chandler was an old-fashioned writer, you can start anywhere in the series easily. Every one of those novels stood completely on its own, and so each one of our six omnibuses does as well -- and tells several stories, to boot!"
• Though he died in 1984, Chandler has this name-brand website (run by David Kelleher), with a bibliography and a page of Grimes Speak.

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* Heinlein, Robert A. : Off the Main Sequence
(SFBC 1-58288-184-7, $15.99, 24+738pp, hardcover, October 2005, jacket art Bruce Jensen)

Collection of 27 SF stories, subtitled "The Other Science Fiction Stories of Robert A. Heinlein", gathered as a supplemental companion of Heinlein's famous The Past Through Tomorrow collection of "Future History" stories.
• Stories include classics "--And He Built a Crooked House--", "They", "Solution Unsatisfactory", "Universe", "By His Bootstraps", "Goldfish Bowl", "Gulf", and "The Year of the Jackpot". Among the others are three stories never previously collected: "Beyond Doubt" (1941), " 'My Object All Sublime' " (1942), and "Pied Piper" (1942).
• The book is edited by SFBC editor Andrew Wheeler, with an introduction by Greg Bear and a foreword by Michael Cassutt.
• Available exclusively from the SF Book Club, whose website has this page describing the book.

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McCulley, Johnston : The Mark of Zorro
(Forge 0-812-54007-7, $5.99, 20+265pp, mass market paperback, October 2005, cover design Anthony Schiavino)
(First edition: All-Story Weekly, 1919)

The original 1919 novel, set in Spanish colonial California, about a masked swordsman who defends the innocent, basis for numerous TV and film adaptations including the recent The Legend of Zorro starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
• This is the 2nd printing of Forge's 1998 mass market paperback edition of the novel.
• Amazon has descriptions and reader reviews.
• There is this official Zorro Productions, Inc. website.

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Mitchison, Naomi : Travel Light
(Small Beer Press/Peapod Classics 1-931520-14-3, $12, 3+135pp, trade paperback, August 2005, jacket art Kevin Huizenga)
(First edition: UK: Faber and Faber, 1952)

Short novel which "transports the reader from a cave in the forest to a dragon's lair to the wonders of early Constantinople" according to the publisher's description.
• This is a volume in Small Beer Press' Peapod Classics reprint line; the publisher's site has this page about the book, with a link to Gavin Grant's new introduction at Infinity Plus and an excerpt.
• Amazon has reader reviews.

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Niven, Larry, & Jerry Pournelle : The Mote in God's Eye
(SFBC 0-7394-6095-1, $12.99, 523pp, hardcover, November 2005, jacket art Bruce Jensen)
(First edition: Simon & Schuster, 1974)

Far future SF novel about humanity's first contact with aliens.
• One of both authors' most popular books, it was a Hugo and Nebula nominee, ranked #2 in that year's Locus Poll, and ranked #13 in Locus' 1987 all-time SF novel poll.
• This edition, part of SFBC's 50th Anniversary Collection, is exclusive to the Science Fiction Book club, whose website has this page about the book, with a description/review.

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Sawyer, Robert J. : Frameshift
(Tor 0-765-31316-2, $14.95, 347pp, trade paperback, November 2005)
(First edition: Tor, May 1997)

Medical SF thriller about a scientist's involvement in the Human Genome Project.
• The author's page for the book has links to an excerpt, lost chapters, background on the writing of the book, structural analysis of the novel, etc.
• The book was a Hugo and Aurora nominee, and won the Seiun Award in 2001 given by the Japanese SF Convention.

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Stewart, Sean : Mockingbird
(Small Beer Press 1-931520-09-7, $14, 256pp, trade paperback, September 2005, jacket art Elaine Chen)
(First edition: Ace, August 1998)

Contemporary fantasy novel about a Houston woman who receives magical powers after her mother dies.
• Small Beer Press' site has this page with a description and quotes from reviews.
• Amazon has a review by Craig E. Engler, and the Publishers Weekly review.
• The book was a finalist for the World Fantasy and Nebula awards.
• The author's website has this page about the book, with an extract and author's notes on writing it.

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Wilson, F. Paul : An Enemy of the State
(Infrapress 0-9766544-2-3, $17.95, 307pp, trade paperback, September 2005, cover design Paul Guran)
(First edition: Doubleday, 1980)

SF novel, first book in the 'LaNague Federation', focusing on the economic and political struggles that gave birth to the federation.
• This edition follows the 2001 hardcover edition from Stealth Press with two added stories, "Lipidleggin'" and "Ratman", and a preface by the author (lightly updated in 2005).
• The publisher's site has this page describing this and the following two books.

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Wilson, F. Paul : Healer
(Infrapress 0-9766544-1-5, $15.95, 215pp, trade paperback, September 2005, cover design Paul Guran)
(First edition: Doubleday, 1976)

SF novel set the LaNague Federation, subtitled on the cover as "a novel of the Redemption of the Galaxy".
• It follows the 2001 hardcover edition from Stealth Press in adding a story, "To Fill the Sea and Air", and a preface by the author.
• The author's website includes this story cross reference chart showing connections between his book and many stories.

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Wilson, F. Paul : Wheels Within Wheels
(Infrapress 0-9766544-3-1, $15.95, 211pp, trade paperback, September 2005, cover design Paul Guran)
(First edition: Doubleday, 1978)

SF novel set in the LaNague Federation.
• This edition adds two related stories, "Higher Centers" and "The Man with the Anteater", and a new (2005) preface by the author.
• The publisher has this page about this book and the two listed above.
• The novel won the first Prometheus Award from the Libertarian Futurist Society. (The two books listed above won belated "hall of fame" Prometheus Awards.) The publisher's site notes that "The award helped pigeonhole the author as 'that Libertarian science fiction writer' and Wilson consequently dropped out of SF and wrote horror thriller (and beginning of the Repairman Jack franchise) THE KEEP (1981)..."

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