Jeffrey E. Barlough, Dark Sleeper (Ace 9/00) This Victorian-style dark fantasy is set in the prim and proper town of Salthead, where eccentric characters and strange occurrences abound. A rich and darkly detailed novel, ''...reminiscent of the early work of Tim Powers or James Blaylock...'' (Jonathan Strahan). The first trade edition.

Peter S. Beagle, A Dance for Emilia (Roc 9/00) Beagle presents a unique tale of a dead man brought back to life – to the body of a cat – by a friend's grief. A poignant, offbeat ghost story with a wry sense of irony.

Michael Bishop, Blue Kansas Sky (Golden Gryphon 10/00) Bishop's fiction transcends genre in this collection of four widely varied novellas that span most of his career. Three of the stories are past nominees for major awards; the title story is original to this volume, a coming of age tale set in 1950s Kansas.

Algis Budrys, ed., L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume XVI and L. Ron Hubbard Presents the Best of Writers of the Future (Bridge 9/00) The 16th annual anthology presents the latest winners of the Writers of the Future contest, their stories illustrated by Illustrators of the Future winners. If you had any doubt that these were names to watch, just check out the Best of anthology, which features winning stories from the first eight years of the contest, by authors including Karen Joy Fowler, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, James Alan Gardner, Robert Reed, Dean Wesley Smith, and Jamil Nasir.

Ramsey Campbell, Ghosts & Grisly Things (Tor 10/00) A collection of 20 stories by the versatile ''horror writer's horror writer,'' with an introduction about the stories.

Hal Clement, The Essential Hal Clement, Volume 3: Variations on a Theme by Sir Isaac Newton (NESFA 9/00) Clement's high-gravity world of Mesklin and its fascinating alien inhabitants are the subject of this hard-SF collection, with two novels, the classic Mission of Gravity and Star Light, plus two stories – one written especially for this book – and an essay on the science involved.

Laurell K. Hamilton, A Kiss of Shadows (Ballantine 10/00) The first book in a new series featuring PI Meredith Gentry (a Faerie princess in hiding), this takes the combination of detection and the sexy supernatural that made Hamilton's ''Anita Blake, Vampire Executioner'' series so popular, and ups the erotic quotient considerably. Not for the faint of heart.

Stephen King, On Writing (Scribner 10/00) A combination of memoir and writers' guide, this provides a fascinating look at King's life and career – in particular King's dark and angry account of the accident that almost killed him, and the recovery spurred by his need to write.

Louise Marley, The Glass Harmonica (Ace 9/00) Harmonics musical and temporal come into play in this time-shifting tale of two women who play an unusual instrument, one in sixteenth-century London working with a new invention of Ben Franklin's, the other a near-future concert performer who has visions of the past. A delightfully harmonious blend of historical, SF, and fantasy.

Paul J. McAuley, Shrine of Stars (Eos 9/00) Yama finally finds his unexpected destiny in the triumphant conclusion to the epic, Gene-Wolfeian, far-future ''Confluence'' trilogy set on the ancient artificial world of Confluence, with its many races, religions, and wars.

Eric Frank Russell, Major Ingredients: The Selected Short Stories of Eric Frank Russell (NESFA 9/00) Often humorous and frequently subversive, most of Russell's SF has undeservedly fallen out of print, but NESFA Press comes to the rescue with this collection of 30 of Russell's best stories, including the Hugo-winning ''Allamagoosa'' as well as ''And Then There Were None'', ''Plus X'', and ''The Waitabits''.

Alexander Theroux, The Strange Case of Edward Gorey (Fantagraphics 9/00) A friend and neighbor, Theroux's biographical essay, full of fond recollections, provides a unique look at the eccentric and often elusive artist, enlivened by numerous illustrations from Gorey's works.

Robert Weinberg, Horror of the 20th Century (Collectors Press 9/00) A companion of sorts to Frank Robinson's Science Fiction of the 20th Century, this large, lavishly illustrated volume focuses more on movie memorabilia and lurid covers than first editions, for a vivid and colorful look at the history of horror.

Jack Williamson, The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Three: Wizard's Isle (Haffner 9/00) Haffner's ambitious efforts to publish all of one of SF's Grand Masters' stories continue in this third volume covering 1932-5, with a foreword by Ray Bradbury, and an afterword by Williamson on his experiences travelling and writing during these Depression years.