Arthur C. Clarke, The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke (Tor 2/01) A definitive compendium of virtually all of Clarke's short fiction, this hefty collection weighs in with 104 stories, many of them true classics in the field, from a career spanning over 60 years.

Storm Constantine, The Crown of Silence (Tor 3/01) The second volume in ''The Margravandias Chronicles'', this sequel to Sea Dragon Heir picks up previously minor characters to tell a fresh story full of Constantine's trademark gothic flavor.

Sara Douglass, The Wayfarer Redemption (Tor 3/01) The first volume in a powerfully complex fantasy of two half-brothers, a prophecy of destruction, and a land torn by battles between its three races. (This was originally published in Australia as BattleAxe, the first volume in ''Axis'' trilogy, with ''The Wayfarer Redemption'' as a follow-up trilogy.)

Paul Johnston, Water of Death (St. Martin's Minotaur 3/01) The death of a lottery winner in 2025 Edinburgh brings back private investigator Quintilian Dalyrymple for a third volume in this acclaimed series of futuristic SF mysteries.

Katherine Kurtz, St. Patrick's Gargoyle (Ace 2/01) Kurtz's distinctive style of contemporary fantasy is evident in this sometimes dark, sometimes humorous tale of an elderly man in Dublin, a modern Knight of Malta, recruited by a gargoyle to help stop forces trying to free a demon bound centuries ago by the Knights Templar. As an aside, it includes a great tour of the city!

Mercedes Lackey, The Serpent's Shadow (DAW 3/01) Lackey brings a refreshing flavor to fairytale retellings with this Anglo-Indian version of ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'' set in Edwardian London, where a half-Indian woman doctor must reluctantly turn to local mages for help when she realizes an old enemy has followed her from India.

Paul Levinson, Borrowed Tides (Tor 3/01) Quantum physics and cosmological mythology mix in this initially standard-seeming tale of an under-funded, sub-light voyage to Alpha Centauri – led by a philosopher and a student of Native American mythology.

Jack McDevitt, Deepsix (Eos 3/01) A mixed group of explorers, journalists, and scientists (including Priscilla Hutchins and crew from The Engines of God) struggles to escape the doomed planet Deepsix, about to be crushed by a wandering gas giant. A good old-fashioned SF adventure full of heroic characters, fascinating alien artifacts, and plenty of suspense.

China Miéville, Perdido Street Station (Del Rey 3/01) Mervyn Peake meets cyberpunk in this twisted fable set in the macabre city of New Crobuzon, with its industrial magics and exotic inhabitants of many species, and one scientist who accidentally unleashes a deadly thaumaturgical force that threatens the city. A rich mix of SF elements and dark fantasy.

Linda Nagata, Limit of Vision (Tor 3/01) Near-future SF novel of not-quite-nanotech LOVs, tiny mind-enhancing artificial life forms almost too small to see, that are accidentally released in a Vietnam river delta. The dangers – and thrills – of new scientific possibilities are breathtakingly evoked, along with poignant echoes of the Vietnam war.

Brian Stableford, The Cassandra Complex (Tor 3/01) A scientist's accidental discovery leads to murder in this provocative near-future thriller set in a world increasingly threatened by expanding population and new biotech weapons. A prequel to Stableford's ''Emortal'' future history series, and a good introduction to his new work.

Steve Rasnic Tem, City Fishing (Silver Salamander 10/00) Tem's powerfully layered prose is showcased in this collection of 38 stories covering a wide range of horror, from the quietly disturbing to visceral ghastliness.

Jack Zipes, Sticks and Stones: The Troublesome Success of Children's Literature from Slovenly Peter to Harry Potter (Routledge 1/01) Children's literature gets zapped by fairytale maven Zipes, whose gripes include cultural homogenization, Americanization, contamination, and the Harry Potter phenomenon.

CLASSIC REPRINTS

Robert A. Heinlein, Orphans of the Sky (Stealth Press 1/01) This classic 1941 story introduced the generation ship theme to general SF as a vehicle for a larger story. It has rarely been equaled and never bested in over 60 years.

Keith Roberts, Pavane (Del Rey Impact 3/01) The classic 1968 alternate history novel set in 1968 England – in a world where Queen Elizabeth was assassinated in 1588. The episodic story and jewel-like writing add to its impact.

Robert Silverberg, ed., Science Fiction: 101 (ibooks 3/01) This anthology (originally published as Robert Silverberg's Worlds of Wonder, 1987) combines great stories with insightful commentary (and an autobiographical essay) by Silverberg. An excellent analysis of what makes SF work, for both readers and writers.

Roger Zelazny, The Dream Master (ibooks 3/01) The classic 1966 SF novel of a brilliant psychologist, working inside his patient's dreams, who overreaches himself. Slightly expanded from the 1965 Nebula Award-winning novella, ''He Who Shapes''.