Paradigms Lost

In this episodic expansion of Spoor's SF novel Digital Knight, set in Morgantown, N.Y., in 1999, the author expounds upon and slightly retools the events that shaped the life and world of Jason Wood, a master of pattern recognition. Jason's business, Wood Information Service, specializes in the use of computer technology for investigative purposes. A photo enhancement job for a local police lieutenant reveals the existence of vampires, werewolves, and other beings formerly consigned to fantasy. Jason can't deny them, and in fact he must face them head on%E2%80%94and figure out why he was let in on the secret. The fantastical runs rampant through the story with a breathtaking lack of subtlety. Shapeshifting call girls and millennia-old beings twist folklore in new and interesting ways, with only the bulletproof nature of the main character and occasionally clumsy dialogue detracting from the over-the-top fun. Agent: Marisa Corvisiero, Corvisiero Literary Agency. (Dec.)