September Publications

An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia, edited by S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, will please HPL purists, since it focuses on the weird writer's literary work with entries for individual stories, the more important poems and essays, fictional locales and characters (including every member of the German U-boat crew named in "The Temple"). Although Cthulhu and HPL's other "gods" don't receive separate entries, there's an essay-length entry on the Cthulhu Mythos. Other longer entries concisely treat such topics as HPL's juvenilia, letters and travels, but his philosophy gets short shrift for, as the editors state in their introduction: "No separate entry on Lovecraft's philosophical thought is included here, as the topic is too complex for succinct discussion." Despite such selective coverage, this is an indispensable volume. (Greenwood, $75 320p ISBN 0-313-31578-7)

In The Veil of Light: (The New Millennium), G.S. Mitchelsen's debut, earthling Anna is spirited off to the planet Vonbemar where, among other strange and dangerous happenings, she is pleased to make the acquaintance of Lucifer, who is not such a bad guy after all. Lucifer informs Anna that God put her on Earth to kill the anti-Christ (no small task), and what follows is the mother of all battles. (Robert D. Reed, $16.95 paper 272p ISBN 1-885003-82-X)

From deep within the comforts of their utopian society, Kobi and Merin are susceptible to the dark appeal of slavery, s&m and other activities officially deemed unseemly. As they find like-minded others, their civilization simultaneously opens trade with an oppressive, power-hungry society, and catastrophe may follow in The Velderet: A Cybersex S/M Serial by erotic sci-fi mistress Cecilia Tan (Black Feathers). (Circlet, $14.95 paper 192p ISBN 1-885865-27-9)

In Elfie Leddy's first novel, On Silver Wings: A Mystic Tale from Celtic Lore, the sorceress Taenacea, the Lady of Lianarth who lived in 15th-century Wales, seeks a later reincarnation of herself to set right a disaster that caused hundreds of deaths, including her own. She finds her woman in Tannis MacCrae, a Vancouver artist who, under her forebear's persistent if puzzling hand, travels to Ireland and meets the reincarnation of Taenacea's lover. Together they undo the wrongs of the ancient past and partake in a few other activities, besides. (Pelican Pond/Blue Dolphin, $21.95 520p ISBN 1-57733-080-3)

Former managing editor of Adbusters Jim Munroe (Flyboy Action Figure Comes with Gasmask) presents Angry Young Spaceman, in which post-slacker college grad Sam ditches Earth's power-brokering to teach English on the underwater world of Octavia in 2959. After becoming close with some of Octavia's eight-armed and robot inhabitants (and learning the pleasures of interplanetary romance), he decides to subvert Earth's cultural imperialism by playing unappealing earthlings in Octavian movies, and earns exile status as a result. (Four Walls Eight Windows, $13.95 paper ISBN 0-9686363-0-6)

Warrior queen Belinda, daughter of the leader of South Land, marries Lord Stuart, son of the most powerful lord in Enseha, to form an alliance and draw on their joint minions and psychic prowess to defeat the Hierarchy. Meanwhile, back on Earth (connected to Enseha via mystical gates), the end is near, but two enterprising people reach across dimensions into Medieval Enseha to recruit Belinda's healing abilities and save the planet in Britina Bovet's first novel, From Another Side of Time. (Pelican Pond/Blue Dolphin, $14.95 paper 184p ISBN 1-57733-088-9)

August Publication

Strange Days: Fabulous Journeys with Gardner Dozois, edited by Timothy P. Szczesuil and Ann A. Broomhead, features new and previously published short stories by the veteran and beloved SF editor of Asimov's and of numerous anthologies, who is the Guest of Honor for the Millennium Philcon on Labor Day weekend. Turns out, Dozois can write, too! Introduced by different authors, including James Patrick Kelly, Connie Willis and Paul McAuley, the stories will delight SF biz devotees. (NESFA, $30 544p ISBN 1-886778-26-4)