Fata Morgana

Writer Boyett and film director Mitchroney team up for this fast-paced alternate-world tale that opens at the height of WWII. Capt. Joe Farley and the crew of Fata Morgana, a B-17 “flying fortress,” are in the midst of a harrowing bombing mission when they’re hurled across time and space into a strange new world. Once there, they must adapt to their environment while fighting off villains wielding centuries-old destructive technology. The prose is energetic, combining some of the gentler wit of Catch-22 with riffs on dystopian fiction clichés. Boyett and Mitchroney elevate the pulpy vibe with unusual and fully developed protagonists. The fated-romance plotline is familiar to the point of triteness, but it only drags the rest of the story down a bit. Fans of fun SF will enjoy this tale in the tradition of Forstchen and Morrison’s Crystal Warriors books and Taylor Anderson’s Destroyermen series. Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Associates. (June)