SF/Fantasy/Horror Notes

After the brilliant, subtle Pride of Kings (2001), in which England's Prince John refreshingly proved to be a hero rather than a villain, Judith Tarr stumbles in her latest alternative historical fantasy, Devil's Bargain, which concerns King Richard and the Third Crusade. Sorcery and witchcraft in the struggle for the Holy Land make for an interesting mix, but shallow, trite characterizations will put off readers expecting better. (Roc, $16 paper 464p ISBN 0-451-45896-6)

Fans will welcome The Collected Stories of Greg Bear, a hefty compendium of shorter fiction from the Hugo and Nebula awards winner. Introductions to each story, an illuminating general introduction and an appendix with Bear's commentary on his work enhance the package. (Tor, $29.95 704p ISBN 0-765-30160-1)

The American Fantasy Tradition, edited and with a scholarly introduction by Brian M. Thomsen, offers a wide and judicious selection of creepy tales from Washington Irving to Stephen King. Since this anthology includes authors both canonical (Hawthorne, Twain, James) and contemporary (David Drake, Orson Scott Card, Michael Bishop), it's well suited for the college classroom. (Tor, $27.95 688p ISBN 0-765-30152-0)

Aimed at a more popular audience but with an equally impressive contributors' list is Witches' Brew, edited by Yvonne Jocks. The volume boasts bewitching tales from the likes of Erica Jong, Louise Erdrich and Kathryn Ptacek, along with pieces from such unusual sources as Cotton Mather, Ben Franklin and theosophist H.P. Blavatsky. Readers should know that August Derleth wrote "Witches' Hollow" based on a note by H.P. Lovecraft, contrary to the editorial claim that Derleth completed an unfinished Lovecraft tale. (Berkley, $13 paper 336p ISBN 0-425-18609-1)

For Tolkien fans comes The Magical Worlds of the Lord of the Rings: The Amazing Myths, Legends, and Facts Behind the Masterpiece, by David Colbert. This illustrated unauthorized tie-in will mostly appeal to Tolkien neophytes with its short chapters headed by such questions as "Why Is Frodo the Ring-bearer?" and "Was Gollum Ever Good?" (Berkley, $13 paper 256p ISBN 0-425-18771-3)