Warrior Wisewoman

. Norilana Books, $10.95 (276pp) ISBN 978-1-934169-89-6

Somewhat distanced from the first volume's attempts to be a science fiction companion to feminist fantasy series ""Sword and Sorceress"", this collection offers up 15 stories of varying strength and appeal. Standouts include Ian Whate's Shop Talk, in which a young woman deals with xenophobia; Lee Martindale's Lady Blaze, which puts a new spin on pirates and prostitutes in space; and Jennifer R. Povey's Working the High Steel, an adventure involving high-atmosphere construction. Less successful are Jennifer Brisset's death penalty allegory The Executioner and DJ Cockburn's Rainfire by Night, a postapocalyptic fantasy about a tribe of car worshippers. This series is still finding its voice, but James has done a good job of assembling a lineup that satisfies more than it disappoints and is a properly varied representation of feminist science fiction. ""(June)"" .

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