Eating Memories

Anthony's SF novels (God's Fires; Forecasts, March 24) have earned her a well-deserved reputation for plainly told yet evocative tales. Here, readers have the chance to enjoy her earlier, shorter fiction and also to observe how she has honed her skills over the past 10 years. An introduction by Charles Ryan, editor of Aboriginal Science Fiction magazine, reinforces that point, and brief intros by Anthony to each story provide an inside view on her fiction. The collection opens strongly with ""Blood Brothers,"" in which a case of Martian flu offers a clue about early life on both Mars and Earth. ""What Brothers Are For,"" like ""Sweet Tooth at Io,"" depicts characters whose simple humanity sets them far apart from those around them, while ""Good Neighbor"" offers a touching look at the friendship between two lonely old men from different worlds. In the title tale, a human ambassador finds his trouble solved--though not in the way he expected--when he seeks help from an alien shaman. Anthony's stories are surprising and challenging, sweeping readers into the minds of a paranoid schizophrenic, a retarded man, a young Air Force pilot kidnapped by extraterrestrials, a boy who remembers the future and a Victorian-era lady whose passion for scientific research is her downfall and her salvation. This is a well-balanced collection with a high percentage of excellent stories. (Sept.) FYI: A signed, limited edition hardcover of Eating Memories is also available ($85 -15-8)