LITTLE GODS

In his debut collection, which includes 15 stories and four poems, newcomer Pratt shows genuine talent, even if he tends to overuse certain hallowed fantasy themes. Comic strip heroes and historical villains collide awkwardly in "Captain Fantasy and the Secret Masters." A western, "Bleeding West," treads heavily on caricature. Dark fantasy rambles on in the grotesque "Fable from a Cage." The Nebula-nominated title story and "Entropy's Paintbrush," with their sensitive depictions of human relationships, however, show why Pratt is a writer to watch: each hints at the secret of life and of the universe. (Nov.)

Forecast: The warm, eye-catching cover (of a child releasing a balloon from atop a pile of industrial waste), plus blurbs by Terri Windling and James Morrow, should help bring the book to the notice of fans of quality fantasy.