Baen Books

Library Bookwatch, August, 2005

Baen Books

PO Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471

www.baen.com

Baen offers a fine selection monthly, with a heavy emphasis on political settings and strong fantasies, and these latest offerings won't disappoint. Harry Turtledove's The Enchanter Completed (0743499042, $6.99) provides a powerful tribute anthology to L. Sprague de Camp, who for decades was a major writer in both fantasy and science fiction. Turtledove profiles top modern writers who produced works for this collection in the same humorous vein as de Camp: fun stories of dinosaurs, queens, and parents evolve. Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill's Mad Maudlin (0743499050, $7.99) returns the Bard to new adventure and is a pick for prior fans of Eric Banyon, the 'Bedlam Bard' graduate from Julliard who alternates between the real world and fantasy. Homeless children in New York shelters are speaking of a demon who preys on them--and they may be right? Keith Laumer's A Plague Of Demons And Other Stories (0743499069, $7.99) is compiled and edited by Eric Flint, who provides a lovely full-length novel, five short novels, and high adventure. A secret mission during war reveals a plague of demons only one man can fight in the header novel. Flint also edits Keith Laumer's Imperium (0743499034, $25.00), the vivid story of an American diplomat kidnapped into an alternate world. Discovering there are millions of parallel Earths is only the beginning of Brion Bayard's problems: the Earth of the Imperium is at war with another and only he can stop it--by killing the ruler of the aggressive Earth and replacing him. John Ringo's Into The Looking Glass (0743498801, $24.00) begins a new series in telling of a nuclear explosion in Florida which leaves doorways into another series of worlds. It's up to Dr. Weaver to return from a life of leisure to face the aliens suddenly streaming through these portals in a vivid, fast-paced adventure Into The Looking Glass. James P. Hogan's Mission To Minerva (0743499-026, $26.00) tells of a growing alliance between Earth and advanced alien visitors thwarted by rogue humans who have discoverd how to cross space and time. It's up to Victor and colleagues to investigate, with their alien friends, the strange connectedness between alternate universes--and the dangers they bring. David Drake's The Way To Glory (0743498828, $25.00) is military science fiction at its best: politics have placed Lt. Leary under control of a paranoid officer with a penchant for executing his men, while a loyal Signals Officer resists being drawn into a conspiracy which might lead to massacre. From an anarchy society to spies in ranks, Leary and Mundy have their hands full fighting on many levels.