Rogues

Martin and Dozois (Dangerous Women) showcase 21 original cross-genre tales about scoundrels in this star-studded anthology. A hooker and faux clairvoyant is ensnared in a tangled web of who's conning whom in Gillian Flynn's "What Do You Do?" Scott Lynch's team of reformed scoundrels takes on an impossible heist with a deadline and severe consequences for failure in the highly entertaining "A Year and a Day in Old Theradane." Cherie Priest's "Heavy Metal" provides a unique alchemy of Southern Gothic and old gods in a mostly restored Tennessee mining pit. In Steven Saylor's "Ill Seen in Tyre," young Gordianus is educated about the power of stories via his tutor's tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Knight Sir Hereward and puppet-sorcerer companion Mister Fitz encounter a succession of unexpected difficulties as they endeavor to retrieve "A Cargo of Ivories" in Garth Nix's clever contribution. While the characters' undertakings fall within a pretty broad spectrum of shades of moral gray, the common theme of survival by one's wits will keep readers entertained throughout. (June)