* Farrell, S.L. Holder of Lightning: The Cloudmages #1
(DAW 0-7564-0130-5, $23.95, 494pp, hc, January 2003, jacket painting Gordon Crabb, jacket design G-Force Design)
Celtic fantasy novel, first in a new series, about a magic stone that falls out of the sky and into the hands of a 17-year-old girl. Includes appendices. The byline is a pseudonym for Stephen Leigh, according to Carolyn Cushman's review in the January Locus, who calls this "an absorbing tale full of wonders". The PW review on the Amazon page calls it "formidably long and richly detailed". The author's website http://www.farrellworlds.com/ has this page linking information and timelines about the writing of this book and its two sequels. Oddly, the DAW name and symbol are completely missing from the outside of the dust jacket. (Sun 5 Jan 2003)
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+ Green, Simon R. Deathstalker Legacy
(Penguin/Roc 0-451-45907-5, $23.95, 473pp, hc, January 2003, jacket art Patrick Jones)
First US edition (UK: Orion/Gollancz December 2002). SF novel, latest in the swashbucking space opera series that began in 1995 with Deathstalker. Carolyn Cushman's review in the December Locus says "it's all good fun in Green's best gory style". The cover for the Gollancz UK edition is especially colorful; according to a fan quoted on this Green tribute site, it's intended to look like a 1950s pulp novel. (Tue 7 Jan 2003)
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* Jordan, Robert Crossroads of Twilight
(Tor 0-312-86459-0, $29.95, 700pp, hc, January 2003, jacket art Darrell K. Sweet, jacket design Carol Russo Design)
Fantasy novel, volume 10 in the popular and long-running "Wheel of Time" series -- but not the last volume, as was thought until recently; Locus Magazine's January issue corrects an earlier story by quoting Jordan that this book "is not the last book in the series. Fans can look forward to at least two more books." The publisher, Tor, has this page about the book, with an excerpt, and schedule for the signing tour (also on our author events pages); also available is a Bookstream Bookwrap for the book, with video clips. The Amazon page as the Publishers Weekly review (which was blued, but not starred), while Carolyn Cushman's review in the January Locus concedes that "the series remains addictive, a fantasy soap opera on a grand scale". (Tue 7 Jan 2003)
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* Koontz, Dean By the Light of the Moon
(Bantam 0-553-80143-0, $26.95, 431pp, hc, December 2002, jacket illustration Tom Hallman)
Suspense novel with supernatural and nanotech elements, published like last year's From the Corner of His Eye in the final week of December. This one concerns a mad doctor who injects two people at an Arizona motel with a mysterious substance before being murdered by his pursuers. The Amazon page has the PW review, and several reader reviews, that rate this above average for Koontz: "His latest is one of those best, exciting and deeply moving" says PW. The publisher's site has this description and this excerpt. (Tue 7 Jan 2003)
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* Matheson, Richard Duel: Terror Stories by Richard Matheson
(Tor 0-312-87826-5, $15.95, 394pp, tpb, January 2003, cover art Eshkar/Uretsky)
Collection of 18 stories; a follow-up to last year's collection Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. This one contains several stories made famous via TV adaptations: title story "Duel" (source for an early Steven Spielberg film), and "Third from the Sun", "Steel", "Little Girl Lost", and "Death Ship" (made into Twilight Zone episodes); as well as the frequently-reprinted 1950 vignette "Born of Man and Woman". Also available in hardcover (not seen). There's a short introduction/appreciation by Ray Bradbury, and a bibliography of original publications, but no intro or story notes by the author. The Amazon page has the PW and Booklist reviews. (Tue 7 Jan 2003)
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* McSweegan, Edward Alpha Transit
(1stBooks Library 1-4033-4165-6, $24.95, 567pp, tpb, June 2002)
Hard SF novel about an expedition to establish Earth's first interstellar colony, which encounters mechanical disasters, a mysterious infection, and enigmatic aliens. The author is a microbiologist in the Washington DC area; this book was 1st prize winner for SF/fantasy in the Maryland Writers Association's 2002 unpublished book contest. Author's webpage. (Mon 6 Jan 2003)
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