Sword & Planet

This eclectic anthology of a dozen original tales navigates the tricky passage of science fantasy, mixing far-future alien landscapes with knights on horseback. Ranging from sardonic dungeon crawls (D.J. Butler’s “Power & Prestige”) to grim pursuits across frozen wastes (“Bleeding from Cold Sleep” by Peter Fehervari), many of these tales take on a cynical, noir tone, but the occasional saga of martial prowess and honor (like R.R. Virdi’s “A Knight Luminary”) grants a less jaded view. Better, some pieces push into newer realms, where challenges to hereditary claims are resolved by choreographed fencing exhibitions that could trigger nuclear explosions (Susan R. Matthews’s “Operatrix Triumphans”) or the heart of a dead god meant to serve as a prison turns into a gateway for escape (Anthony Martezi’s “Chronicler of the Titan’s Heart”). Readers wanting the techno novelty of space opera mated with the familiarity of heroic fantasy will be in good company. (Dec.)