Bending the Landscape: Original Gay and Lesbian Writing Volume 1: Science Fiction

In 1997, White Wolf published Bending the Landscape: Fantasy, edited by Griffith and Pagel. Overlook is continuing the series with an SF volume, to be followed by a horror collection and then a reprint of the White Wolf book. Again, the editors have assembled stories by both mainstream and genre, and straight and gay, authors--this time to examine one of SF's most enduring themes, that of the other or the alien in so-called ""normal"" society. Fear of commitment, among other matters, haunts the virtual-reality-addicted main character of Rebecca Ore's evocative ""Half in Love with Easeful Rock and Roll."" Ellen Klages's lesbian-themed time-travel romance, ""Time Gypsy,"" offers a high-spirited reminder that each era poses its own challenges for those who are different. ""The Rendez-Vous,"" by Nancy Johnston, with its news article format, makes a wry statement about basing conclusions on false assumptions. Hard SF writers Stephen Baxter (""Sun-Drenched"") and Allen Steele (""The Flying Triangle"") present spacefarers whose sexual persuasion inevitably affects their work. Elisabeth Vonarburg's ""Stay Thy Flight"" and Shariann Lewitt's ""A Real Girl"" feature artificial intelligences whose longing for human love leads to tough decisions. Also represented among the 21 stories are Charles Sheffield, Nancy Kress, Jim Grimsley and other well-known writers. Like its predecessor in the series, and like Things Invisible to See (reviewed below), this is a fine collection that will please readers in search of fiction that stretches assumptions about gender as well as about humanity. (Sept.)