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Web Exclusive Book Reviews: 10/19/2009

-- Publishers Weekly,10/19/2009

NONFICTION

Antarctica 2041: My Quest to Save the Earth’s Last Wilderness
Robert Swan with Gil Reavill. Broadway., $24.99 (304p) ISBN 9780767931755
British explorer and conservationist Swan accounts for the inspiration, execution and purpose of his expeditions to visit the South and North Poles. In 1967, at the age of 11, Swan saw the 1948 film Scott of the Antarctic, and became obsessed with the doomed expedition of its iconic hero, Captain Robert F. Scott. Naming his 1985 expedition “In the Footsteps of Scott,” Swan successfully retraced the captain’s 900 mile trek to the South Pole. In a subsequent hike to the North Pole (another 500 mile trip), Swan became the first person to have walked to both poles. He recounts big adventures, and setbacks almost as big (his first ship was crushed by polar ice, leaving him with a $1.2 million debt), on his journey to becoming a committed conservationist, dedicated to curbing climate change and preventing the exploitation of the Arctic and Antarctic (2041 is the year that the international treaty protecting Antarctica comes up for review). Though he describes his Antarctic expedition as a “ridiculous undertaking—a twenty-something nobody raising five million dollars to embark on a useless quest,” Swan’s valuable lessons and thrilling narrative make it clear his efforts were far from fruitless. (Oct.)

Birds of Western North America: A Photographic Guide
Paul Sterry and Brian E. Small. Princeton Univ., $45 (416p) ISBN 9780691134277; $18.95 paper 9780691134284
Though it’s true that birders can never get enough guidebooks, this entry fills a real need for a comprehensive regional guide. Where most are sketchy at best, noting only the most common birds, Sterry and Small cover more than 500 species an variants—including birds that migrate down the Pacific and Rocky Mountain flyways and over the eastern Pacific Ocean, as well as Eastern birds known to visit—assembling photos, geographical data, species descriptions and field observations from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Experienced guidebook authors, Sterry and Small present their information in an organized, easy-to-use manner. Small’s photos are uniformly excellent, clearly showing fine detail in patterns and colors; the helpful layout makes it easy to compare similar-looking birds, meaning slight differences will be apparent even to novice birders. Though small, maps have very distinct color coding for seasonal and annual distributions, making them easy to glance over in the field. Descriptions of vocalizations, an idiosyncratic enterprise in the best of conditions, are less useful. While this guide will not replace the Peterson or Audubon guides, it should be welcomed into the backpacks of western U.S. birders. (Oct.)

Cowboy and Wills: A Love Story
Monica Holloway. Simon Spotlight, $24 (288p) ISBN 9781416595038
When Holloway learned that her son had autistic spectrum disorder she turned to pets, from hermit crabs to hamsters to Ruby the Rabbit, rather than give up hope on reaching her son Wills, so traumatized by sensory overload that even a bath is an excruciating experience: hurtful bubbles followed the water’s horrifying disappearance down the drain. Eventually Cowboy, a puppy with golden hair to match Wills’s, arrives to bring the Holloways their first shining moments of progress: “Cowboy was… leading Wills into the world of his peers” Touching moments dot the narrative, but it avoids sentiment much as Wills would if telling his own story; at no time is the story overwhelmed by the inherent adorability of its subjects. Though readers may end up starved for intimacy, it mimics Holloway’s own struggle—loving a child outwardly unable of returning it—and heightens his moments of connection. (Oct.)

Eating the Dinosaur
Chuck Klosterman. Scribner, $25 (256p) ISBN 9781416544203
In his new essay collection, author and cultural commentator Klosterman (Chuck Klosterman IV) parallels Kurt Cobain with David Koresh, Weezer with Warner Herzog and Ralph Nader, and posits a future in which Unabomber Ted Kaczynski’s manifesto is viewed as “the most prescient work of the 1990s.” In short, there is something to excite and/or enrage any reader engaged with popular culture in the last 20 years. One of few cultural essayists to enjoy a wide readership, Klosterman’s Lester Bangs-lite approach is frequently engaging, if scattershot; too often, he engages in fleeting pop-culture references that evoke the laziest kind of critical cred-grubbing (a typical throwaway jab at indie band TV on the Radio leaves readers with no idea what criticism, if any, Klosterman is leveling). Klosterman even neglects to engage some of his subjects on their artistic merits, such as Nirvana’s final album, In Utero:after making much of the disc’s pre-release hype, he all but refuses to discuss his reaction as a listener. Even with the inclusion of an article on football (which he admits will turn off “40 percent” of his readers), Klosterman never ventures outside of his comfort zone; though he thrives on challenging his readers, he fails to challenge himself. (Oct.)

 Girldrive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism
Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein. Seal, $19.95 paper (256p) ISBN 9781580052733
Embarking on a road trip across the U.S. to engage with contemporary women, writer Aronowitz and the late artist Bernstein (1985-2008) assert that “all we want is conversation.” Through 127 casual discussions with female college students, burlesque dancers, musicians, nuns-in-training, single mothers, abortion clinic staffers and others, the authors privilege the unique experiences and perspectives of both established activists and women who hesitate to identify with any notion of feminism. Coupling luminous, enigmatic photography with insightful diary entries, the pair contribute sharp commentary on modern womanhood and gender issues. The project is most striking when exploring the personal stories of interview subjects, but the authors’ ambitious scope makes some encounters feel repetitive. Clearly a work of passion for Bernstein (who committed suicide before the book’s publication) and Aronowitz both, the authors share of themselves generously, imprinting the “open-ended, fluid conversation” with their voices, feelings and personalities. (Oct.)

Napoleon's Hemorrhoids: And Other Small Events That Changed History
Phil Mason. Skyhorse, $22.95 (240p) ISBN 9781602397644
In this collection of historical anecdotes, author Mason illustrates how the smallest details can have far-reaching historical consequences—or at least that seems to be the idea; in execution, there is no commentary, causal connection or even source identification that legitimizes any of Mason’s information (he’s known as a massive collector of “cuttings and books chronicling the weird and the strange”), so while many stories are funny or remarkable, they’re little better than gossip. Despite a repetitive format, Mason writes well, and readers looking for pithy historical trivia to share with friends will be satisfied. Aimed at a U.K. audience, Mason tends toward topics like British royalty and the nuances of cricket, but there’s enough conversational ammunition here for a cocktail party on either side of the Atlantic. (Oct.)

Saving Cinnamon: The Amazing True Story of a Missing Military Puppy and the Desperate Mission to Bring Her Home
Christine Sullivan. St. Martin’s, $24.99 (256p) ISBN 9780312596286
When Navy Reservist Mark Feffer reports for duty in Afghanistan, he finds an unexpected visitor on base: a stray mixed-breed puppy named Cinnamon. The mutt quickly becomes a base mascot, and morale booster, for the whole unit. At the end of his tour, Feffer is resolved to take Cinnamon home with him to America; unfortunately, he trusts her with a professional dog handler, who abandons Cinnamon at an airport. With Cinnamon missing, Feffer and his family—including the author, his sister—began an international search for the missing canine. The heartwarming story of a soldier and his dog, Sullivan’s narrative isn’t polished and occasionally meanders, but draws readers in with her depiction of Cinnamon, whose perseverance and good nature are palpable on each page. Animal lovers may get their hearts broken several times over the course of the story, and will be tempted to get involved with Operation Baghdad Pups, an organization that helps veterans adopt the dogs that gave them comfort overseas. (Oct.)

Skyscraper: The Politics and Power of Building New York City in the Twentieth Century
Benjamin Flowers. Univ. of Penn., $39.95 (240) ISBN 9780812241846
Examining the life and times of New York City’s most iconic buildings, Georgia Tech architecture instructor Flowers reveals not only how the city’s skyscrapers are inextricably tied to the city’s economic booms and busts, planning and day-to-day functioning, but also how the skyscraper “is a material expression” of social conditions and personal relationships, “of the course chartered by capital” through urban tribes. Chapter three, “Capital Nightmares,” paints a gritty picture of the bleak 1930s, as well as the opportunism and corruption it bred. In matters of analysis, however, Flowers can reach: comparing the Seagram Building with the Lever House across the street, he questions Seagram’s need for similarly clean lines, and finds that, short of a reflection of “already-extant corporate identities (e.g., cleanliness and soap, as is the case with Lever House)… We are left with the conclusion that it was the opportunity to use a design that elided the past and could simultaneously serve to garner cultural capital and respectability.” Still, Flowers’s broader conclusion, that companies rely on their buildings to promote cultural capital as well as financial, is solid, and makes this an interesting volume for those who like their architecture in proper social and economic perspective. 51 illus. (Sept.)

Walt Whitman and the Civil War: America's Poet During the Lost Years of 1860-1862
Ted Genoways. Univ. of Calif., $24.95 (210p) ISBN 9780520259065
Though now regarded as a forefather of modern American poetry, Whitman was once reviled by the New England literati. Editor and scholar Genoways (Walt Whitman: The Correspondence, Volume VII) begins his look at Whitman and the war with the efforts of publishers Thayer & Eldridge to promote the 1860 edition of Leaves of Grass in the aftermath of radical abolitionist John Brown’s execution. Quotes from editorials, journals and letters recreat the critical firestorm; biting witticisms parody Whitman’s style and expose dated fears about women’s consumption of “obscene” literature. The poet emerges as a witness in personal and public ways: as a spectator to one of Lincoln’s pre-inaugural speeches, as the “Brooklyniana” essayist, and as a soldier’s brother. Readers familiar with the collegial and sometimes fractious nature of editing and publishing are most likely to appreciate Genoways’s research into Leaves of Grass’s controversial reception, the subsequent failure of Thayer & Eldridge and the publishing industry’s decline during the Civil War years, though general readers may find the narrative a bit slow-paced. (Oct.)

LIFESTYLE

The Branded Cookbook: 85 Recipes for the World’s Favorite Food Brands
Nick Sandler and Johnny Acton. Kyle. $24.95 (160p) ISBN 9781904920915
Veteran cookbook authors Sandler and Acton (Soup, Mushroom) empty the larder in this eye-catching collection of dishes that rely on ingredients most cooks already have on-hand. Though clearly designed with Brits in mind (Camp coffee, Colman’s mustard, Marmite and Vegemite are featured players), the duo has plenty to offer Yanks as well, with recommendations for all-American favorites like Coca Cola Cake, Philly Cream Cheesecake and Hellman’s-based potato salad. Many recipes serve double duty in the brand-name department: Pork Tenderloin with Sweet and Sour Sauce uses Heinz ketchup and Kikkoman soy sauce, a recipe for fish sticks with tartar sauce incorporates Quaker Oats, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Hellman’s Mayonnaise and Colman’s mustard. Lest cooks think they can skimp by substituting cheaper knockoffs, the authors offer spirited arguments for the superiority of name brands one-page product studies. Recipes are rarely as off-beat as one might expect: Irish Beef Stew with Guinness Dumplings, Pad Thai (using Skippy peanut butter), Duck Breasts with Cashews and Kikkoman Soy Sauce, Nutella Brownies and truffles are all worthwhile standards for cooks with a well-stocked pantry. Though far from essential, this volume should hold great interest for brand loyalists who want new ways to enjoy their packaged favorites. (Sept.)

Everyday Harumi: Simple Japanese Food for Family and Friends
Harumi Kurihara. Octopus/Conran (Hachette, dist.), $29.99 (176p) ISBN 9781840915440
Created expressly for Westerners, the latest stylish volume from Japanese cooking star Kurihara (Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking) shows Americans how they can incorporate Japanese styles, flavors and techniques into weekday meals. A sort of Japanese Rachel Ray, Kurihara offers 70 home-style recipes big on flavor and short on effort. Arranged by main ingredient or flavor (rice, miso, shellfish, potato, etc.), readers will be able to crank out fare such as Rice with Sea Bream, Ginger Pork or Tonkatsu (pork shoulder steaks that have been breaded, fried and served with cabbage and a sauce of the same name) in almost no time at all, provided they have a few sauces on hand. Japanese riffs on fried chicken and sliders with teriyaki sauce make pleasant surprises, but there are enough classics like yakitori, egg drop and miso soup (three variations), and ubiquitous Sweet Pickled Ginger to please traditionalists. Those with a soft spot for Japanese flavors and techniques, or traditional cooks looking to branch out will find this a welcome, sharply-produced introduction. (Sept.)

Merck Manual: Home Health Handbook
Edited by Robert Porter, Justin L. Kaplan and Barbara P. Homeier. Merck, $39.95 (2368p) ISBN 9780911910308
In 1997, Merck introduced their first medical manual intended for a general audience, rather than health professionals. In this third edition, they address a readership that “now has access to a depth and breadth of medical information” but who still need an accessible “starting point.” An editorial board of 207 medical experts contributes to this comprehensive overview of medical practice today, with a special focus on geriatric medicine (including a chapter devoted to enhancing the quality of end-of-life care for patient, care-giver, friends and family). Three chapters of a 30-chapter look at children’s health issues cover the care of newborns. Elsewhere, Porter and company urge patients to become proactive in their health care, suggesting ways to prepare for a first appointment with a new doctor and scattering practical tips throughout on issues like drug use during pregnancy and contraindication. Charts and illustrations aid the book’s accessibility, making it Merck’s most authoritative and easy-to-read home medical guide yet. (Oct.)

ILLUSTRATED

Kilimanjaro: A Photographic Journey to the Roof of Africa
Michel Moushabeck, photos by Hiltrud Schulz. Interlink, $30 (160p) ISBN 9781566567817; $20 paper 9781566567534
Taking a charming journey to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, publisher Moushabeck and photographer Schulz document a week spent climbing a well-traveled route with two companions and numerous helpers. Though it’s hardly perilous , the trek provides enough challenges for an engaging account: “The six-day climb starts from the cultivated lower slopes with dry blistering heat, through a lush, wet rainforest jungle, into heath and moorland zones, all the way up the desolate alpine landscape and the steep, exposed arctic mountain summit area, where virtually no plant or animal life can survive.” Schulz’s stunning photos are complemented by Moushabeck’s colorful description: “[T]he bird that never seems to want to leave you alone—in any zone, and at any altitude—is the large, noisy, scavenging, tent-visiting, expert backpack-opening, white-necked or white-naped raven.” The company is also entertainingly detailed: “From flip flops to sandals to sneakers with missing laces and boots with fist-size holes, the ‘shoes of Kilimanjaro’ rank among the [mountain’s] most amazing sights.” This celebration of nature and human connection makes a fun escape for armchair adventurers and experienced climbers. (Oct.)

FICTION

Alex Cross’s Trial
James Patterson and Richard Dilallo. Little, Brown, $27.99 (380p) ISBN 9780316070621
Fans of Patterson’s serial-killer hunting detective, Alex Cross, expecting another cat-and-mouse thriller based on this book’s title, will find Cross’s appearance limited to a two-page preface in which the fictional character explains why he’s written a book called Trial. Abraham Cross, a relative who lived in Eudora, Miss., at the beginning of the 20th century, helps liberal lawyer Ben Corbett to expose the truth about a wave of lynchings near that town, an assignment undertaken at the request of Corbett’s friend, President Theodore Roosevelt. When Corbett arrives in Eudora, where he was born and raised, he receives a frosty reception from many unhappy with his record of representing African-Americans accused of murder, including a cold shoulder from his father, a judge. Soon, Corbett finds evidence that racism is alive and well, and that brutal murders of blacks, often for the most trivial of reasons, are endemic. Some may be disappointed that Abraham plays a relatively minor role, given the jacket line that “the Cross family had more than one hero.” (Sept.)

The Black Heart
Patrick O’Leary. PS Publishing (www.pspublishing.co.uk), $24 (152p) ISBN 9781906301804
O’Leary (Other Voices, Other Doors) presents enigmatic slices-of-life that cut close to the heart in this collection of recent short pieces and novel excerpts, where silence is a third character in a two-person dialogue as is the case in the short story “The Me After the Rock.” Many of the stories explore the fraternal bonds between characters. This sort of companionship plays an important role in “Catching a Dream” and “Yo-Yo Stradivarius & Me;” both track the buoyancy of man after heartbreak, whereas in “The Verge of a Pucker,” two male characters meet to discover how to please a woman. The collection also features a few of O’Leary’s more fantastical writings: In the title story, he toys with the point of view of a female protagonist with second sight who argues for Earth against an alien invader, and includes an encounter with Lucifer and God after September 11th in “The Bearing of Light.” Science Fiction, fantasy, or not, the imagination is at great work with these selections; their reoccurring themes of dreams, birds and absent (or failed) mothers transcend genre. While the quality of the stories is quite high, the excerpts are short—several under ten pages, making the collection more like a sampler. (Sept.)

 The Collected Short Works of Poul Anderson Volume 2: The Queen of Air and Darkness
Poul Anderson. NESFA (www.nesfa.org), $29 (504p) ISBN 9781886778870
The second in a series of at least four collections of short works by the prolific Anderson offers a grab-bag of fiction, verse, and essays, as chosen by editor Rick Katze. Ranging from the famous "The Queen of Air and Darkness" multiple winner of science fiction's most prestigious awards, to the gimmicky "Uncleftish Beholding," written entirely with Germanic-rooted words, coining a writing-style of its own: Ander-Saxon. The stories presented here are a product of Anderson’s time, 1950s and ‘60s, and yet highly adaptable, aside from the occasional old-fashion swagger (which is—nevertheless—entertaining). Some, such as "Say It With Flowers" or "Industrial Revolution" are classic space-faring adventures, while "Brave To Be A King" and "My Object All Sublime" cleverly explore time-travel themes. Anderson clearly has a knack for capturing human behavior and wrapping a story around interesting characters and situations. The series also includes four essays that tackle the nature of science fiction and its relationship to topics such as history, creation, and "hard science." Written in a casual, informative manner, they're as accessible and relevant now as when originally written. This is an essential addition to any science fiction fan's library. (Sept.)

Enchanted Dreams: Erotic Tales of the Supernatural
Nancy Madore. Harlequin/Spice, $13.95 paper (336p) ISBN 9780373605347
Madore's latest erotic anthology is composed of seven stories, each struggling to combine elements of sexual fantasy with fantastic storytelling. In “The Enchanted Forest”, Catherine becomes the sexual plaything of an animate garden, whereas Maryanne in the story “Disenchantment” fights off love to avoid its horrific—quite literally—scenario. “Flowers for Angela” told through the journal entries of a psychoanalyst, describes a patient’s infatuation with role-play. The other stories involve intimate encounters with a mix of characters ranging from ghosts (“Jimmy”), vampires (“Dying for It”), and aliens (“Expecting”). The high point of the collection comes at the finale with “The Incentive Program”—a delightfully complex tale that centers on a futurist look at polyagamory. This is easily the most romantic story, contrary to the rest which all feature negative outcomes for the female protagonist just as much as physical gratification. (Sept.)

 Flight of the Renshai
Mickey Zucker Reichert. DAW, $25.95 (464p) ISBN 9780756402730
Slashing swordplay, a telepathic cat, spirit-sucking spiders, dizzying genealogical complications, and three warrior brothers all lend depth and sparkle to Reichert's latest installment of her immense Renshai Chronicles saga. The hardworking, talented, and resourceful male and female warrior Renshai, now serving the royals of Béarn, never start wars but always finish them. Loosely based on Scandinavian myth, the Renshai's complex struggle against their old Northmen enemies is personalized in Renshai warrior Kevral Tainharsdatter's three adolescent sons, Saviar, Subikahn, and Calistin. Each brother battles internal and external demons to prove himself a man, while hordes of mysterious pirates serving malignant godlike giants join in opposition. Reichert's handsomely fleshed-out fictional world and animated characters make her latest book an entertaining and philosophical journey with glimmers of sorcery from mages and elves that foreshadow further Renshai adventures. (Sept.)

The Mermaid's Madness
Jim C. Hines. DAW, $7.99 (352p) ISBN 9780756405830
In this fast-paced second installment of the Princess Novels, author Hines tells the story of the Little Mermaid through the eyes of Danielle (the Cinderella character), Snow (Snow White), and Talia (Sleeping Beauty). In this version, the undine princess Lirea (the Little Mermaid), who takes on a new name—and personae, has gone on a rampage against undines and humans alike. Her insanity has led her to capturing the Queen of Lorindar’s soul inside of a magic knife. The fairy tale framework provides a hook for the reader into this trio of engaging, effective adventurers taking to the high seas—without any dainty pretensions—to save their kingdom and the people they love. Although Hines attempts to incorporate the true stories about the princesses' early lives, these details fail to add much psychological depth to the characters and often come off as pasted-in distractions. Fortunately, the smooth flow of dialogue and action compensate, making this a nearly effortless read. This novel will appeal anyone who yearns for the heroines of their childhood—or just a witty, well-constructed adventure tale about powerful women stepping up with skill and cleverness. (Oct.)

 Night's Master
Tanith Lee. Norilana (www.norliana.com), $24.95 (246p) ISBN 9781607620433; $12.95 paper 9781607620440
Lush imagery, sensual language and erotic undertones age well in this reprinted classic—as complex, seductive, and daring now as when it first came out in 1978. The award-winning Lee (Tempting the Gods) weaves a colorful tapestry of words as she laces together eighteen tales of the Flat Earth, where dismissive gods regard humanity as a mistake and capricious demons toy with mortals to while away the centuries. Though the cast changes every few stories, Azhrarn, Prince of Demons and Lord of Darkness, remains a constant presence, affecting mortal lives both directly and indirectly. From adopting a human infant for his own inscrutable reasons, to bringing down an over-ambitious king and challenging the gods for the fate of the world, Azhrarn's mark on the world stretches over the centuries and leaves no one untouched by the end. Themes of love and hate, truth and lies, beauty and ugliness are intertwined against a mythic backdrop that borrows adeptly from fairy tales and folklore while drawing inspiration from Oscar Wilde and the Arabian Nights. Eschewing a conventional plotline in favor of short stories sharing common elements and overlapping characters, this fantasy continues to push boundaries and challenge expectations. (Sept.)

The Radio Magician and Other Stories
James Van Pelt. Fairwood (www.fairwoodpress.com), $15 paper (296p) ISBN 9780982073025
From robots to werewolves, witchcraft to terraforming, James Van Pelt's neatly crafted short stories have been a mainstay in science fiction and fantasy magazines for a generation. In his third collection, nineteen reprinted stories demonstrate once again Van Pelt’s fertile imagination, as well as his broadly appealing and flexible style. The title story is a Bradbury-esque tale of a boy crippled by polio who puts desperate hope for a cure in the illusions of a magician on the radio. "Of Late I Dreamt of Venus" and "How Music Begins" examine the cost of perfection, while "The Last Age Should Know Your Heart" and "Tiny Voices" explore the value of life from unusual perspectives. In some of the more episodic stories, Van Pelt tackles the ugly price of world peace in "The Light of a Thousand Suns”, the mix of teenage angst and magic in "Origins of the Species”, and the post-apocalyptic follies in "The Ice Cream Man”—all reminiscent of classic Twilight Zone tales: rich with provocative ideas. Readers are bound to enjoy these stories from an author who is as equally at home with magic as he is with hot-rodding spaceship pilots. (Sept.)

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters. Quirk, $12.95 paper (344p) ISBN 9781594744426
This latest effort to combine Jane Austen mania and pop culture horror takes the same format as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies minus the innovation of being the first to do so. Using the familiar plot structure of Austen’s first novel, and a few of the most famous lines, the mannered life of early nineteenth century gentry is stripped of witty dialogue and replaced with monsters, vulgarity, and violence. When Mr. Dashwood is eaten by a hammerhead shark his daughters Marianne and Elinor, along with their sister and mother, are sent to Pestilent Island where they meet Sir John Middleton, owner of the islands, and squid-faced Colonel Brandon. Marianne is rescued from a giant octopus by Mr. Willoughby, causing her to fall in love with him. Meanwhile, Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars who is engaged to the evil Lucy Steele. Readers who found humor in the contrast between Austen’s familiar novel and the addition of zombies will probably welcome this unevenly written effort. (Sept.)

Tesseracts Thirteen
Nancy Kilpatrick and David Morrell. Edge (SPD, dist.), $16.95 paper (336p) ISBN 9781894063258
Canadian horror writers shine in these twenty-three chilly, subtle and hard-hitting tales from the Great White North. Award-winning authors turned editors Nancy Kilpatrick and David Morrell have assembled a diverse feast of stories exploring the particular—and peculiar—psychology of Canada. Including everything from the icy tundra and the wendigo who populate it in Michael Kelly’s quietly terrifying “The Woods,” to the terror of ice with a mind of its own in Alison Baird’s haunting “End in Ice.” The strongest story of the collection uniquely diverges from the dominant culture; in Jill Snider Lum’s “A Patch of Bamboo,” a foreigner encounter with a Japanese ghost. Jen-Louis Trudel in “The Night Before the Storm” similarly zeros in on a haunted Syrian town on the night before it falls in a Christian invasion. While the stories sometimes feel a little thematically and stylistically similar and some suffer from vague endings, this installment of the Tesseracts series is overall strong, and essential reading for anyone interested in the status of Canadian genre writing. The book also includes an informative—at times tedious—essay by Robert Knowlton on the history of Canadian horror and dark fantasy. (Sept.)

Our Reviewers

Barbara Axelson Daniel Bial Antonia Blair Patrick Brown Alexis Burling Rachell Carlisle Katrina Edenfeld Jonathan Ellowitz James Embry Christina Eng Kate Foster Shelley Gabert Isabelle Gason Adam Geiger Acacia Graddy-Gamel Gabrielle Gurley Christy Henry Christina Hinke Andrea Hoag Sarah Hoffman Joe Jeffreys Diane Langhorst Crystal Lassen Alex Masulis Stephen Milioti Nora Ostrofe Marisa Pagano Michael Popke Mythili Rao Shannon Reed Angelina Sciolla Joseph Shepley Diane Snyder Kyle Tonniges Carrie Wallace Carol White

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Submitted by:	E.S. Cenote 10/19/2009 12:02:09 PM PT
Location:	Campbell River, B.C. Canada
Occupation:	novelist

Have published an e-book combining erotica and science fiction. It's the first of five providing Vayna's story, who is born into slavery and slowly progresses towards the freedom she so ardently desires. The book's URL is www.eloquentbooks.com/Vayna of the Steppes.html The publisher can be reached at marketingmanager@eloquentbooks.com Thank-you.

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