Clive Barker, The Essential Clive Barker (HarperCollins 12/99) For those who have yet to discover Clive Barker's distinctive brand of horror, this sampler provides a thorough survey of his works, from short stories to excerpts from novels and plays – all arranged by theme with introductions by Barker himself.

Gregory Benford, The Martian Race (Warner Aspect 12/99) Benford's experience with the media and NASA adds convincing depth to his take on mankind's first manned mission to Mars, as a $30 billion prize provides the impetus for a privately funded mission to Mars – but the shoestring budget means trouble for the astronauts once they get there.

C.J. Cherryh, Precursor (DAW 11/99) The first volume in a new trilogy, sequel to the ''Foreigner'' trilogy, set three years later. Human and atevi efforts to control space over the atevi's planet are thrown into turmoil by the presence of a human starship fleeing alien attacks elsewhere.

Mary Gentle, The Book of Ash #1: A Secret History (Avon Eos 10/99) Framing sections, supposedly written after 2000, debating the validity of certain historical texts, suggest there's much more than first meets the eye in this fantastic secret history of a woman mercenary in 15th-century Burgundy. The first volume in a series of four which make up one continuous novel.

Greg Egan, Teranesia (HarperPrism 11/99) A scientific investigation into strange mutations on an Indonesian island brings a man back to the scene of childhood tragedy, in this near-future SF adventure. A scientific mystery of accelerated evolution, and perhaps the most emotionally developed novel yet by an acclaimed author of hard SF.

Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner, Spectrum 6: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art (Underwood Books 11/99) The latest installment in this annual series is filled with the usual gorgeous reproductions of fantastic art from a wide variety of sources – books, magazines, comics, advertising, and more – with a lavish selection of previously unpublished works.

Don Hutchinson, ed., Northern Frights 5 (Mosaic Press 10/99) The award-winning Canadian anthology series returns with its usual distinctively diverse gathering of horror stories, many fantasy or SF, by authors including Hugh B. Cave, Nalo Hopkinson, and Robert Charles Wilson.

Ian Irvine, The Way Between the Worlds (Penguin Australia 11/99) The complex and original epic fantasy series ''The View From the Mirror'' concludes in this fourth volume, as Karan prepares to sacrifice herself to stop the opening of the Way between the Worlds.

Severna Park, The Annunciate (Avon Eos 11/99) Far-future SF tale of three gifted humans, using their talents for evil, who end up on a quest to the deserted planet Paradise, where they encounter a seductive but sinister being that may bring humanity's salvation – or annihilation.

Kristine Smith, Code of Conduct (Avon Eos 11/99) This impressive and entertaining first novel is an SF mystery, with a hard-edged female protagonist with a dark past, involving political intrigue and a perilously fascinating alien culture.

Norman Spinrad,Greenhouse Summer (Tor 11/99) Global warming has already left New York City behind dikes and turned Paris into a sultry swamp, but warnings of worse to come spark an international conference, a riotous week of sex, science, parties, politics, corporate schemes and public relations that gives Spinrad plenty of room to exercise his trademark trenchant wit.

Lucy Sussex, ed., Altered Voices (Scholastic/Point 11/99) Another anthology from Australia, this presents nine stories, originally intended for young-adult readers, but with wide-ranging appeal, from authors including Sean McMullen, Sean Williams, Paul Voermans, and Sussex herself.

Sean Williams & Shane Dix, Evergence: The Prodigal Sun (Ace 11/99) The Aussie authors have re-worked their earlier games tie-in SF novel The Unknown Soldier into this first installment in an epic far-future trilogy of interstellar empires at war, and a genetically enhanced warrior with a mysterious past.

Jack Williamson, The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Two: Wolves of Darkness (Haffner Press 10/99) This comprehensive collection of Williamson's shorter fiction continues with this second volume, covering works from 1931 to 1933, including an appendix of articles and correspondence.

Connie Willis, Miracle and Other Christmas Stories (Bantam Spectra 11/99) Willis's style and humor infuse this collection of seasonal stories, a treat for those who like Christmas, but hate the commercialism – and are tired of the sappy sentiment of It's a Wonderful Life.

Robert Charles Wilson, Bios (Tor 11/99) Wilson's favorite themes of biotech and alienation are here transformed into a tightly constructed adventure of planetary exploration. A woman genetically engineered to explore a deadly world begins to explore her own humanity even as she encounters possibly intelligent aliens.