Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Spider-Man Emerald Mystery by Dean Wesley Smith Emerald Mystery. Death is an ugly business, and no one knows that better than the amazing Spider-Man. In a city like New York-crammed to the rafters with thugs, pugs, and superpowered losers-the chilling embrace of the Grim Reaper comes with the territory. Death can also be a personal matter, coming from the muzzle of a gun, or the razor-sharp point of a knife. No one knows that better than private detective Barb Lightner, whose partner was just killed for a mysterious trinket. But it's not just merder on Spider-Man's mind: something is turning ordinary people into zombie-like bank robbers, and one of the poor unfortunates is a friend of Spidey's wife, Mary Jane. Could this strange behavior, as well as the death of Lightner's partner, have anything to do with the arrival of a new crime boss on the scene-one who calls himself "The Jewel"? Pooling their resources, the wall-crawling wonder and the hard-boiled detective are going to turn New York City upside-down to find some answers, and heaven help the bad guy who gets in their way! Genre: Science Fiction. Spider-Man: Emerald Mystery. This "all-new-novel" is by Dean Wesley Smith, who (according to the front cover of this 2000 Byron Preiss paper-back) is the best-selling author of "The Jewels of Cyttorak". The back of the book expands on this, claiming that Mr. Smith has sold over 100 short stories, and 25 novels. Well, I guess he must be pretty good then! Story Details. Spider-Man: Emerald Mystery. Editor: Dwight Jon Zimmerman, Keith R.A. DeCandido Writer: Dean Wesley Smith Illustrator: Bob Hall. First, the basics. This is a smallish paperback. 4.25" x 6.75" and only 206 pages of story. That makes it one of the shortest page-counts out of all of the Byron Preiss novels. Obviously, what it lacks in length, it will make up in pace through its 18 chapters. Chapter One: It's snowing in New York. Spidey finds a corpse next to a circular melted patch in the snow. Corpse is Billy, or Bob, or somebody. He's the employee of tough-talking drop-dead-gorgeous female P.I. Barb Lightner. Spidey knows that, 'cos Barb turns up, and mourns poor Bob. Spidey thinks Barb is a babe, but she always gets the last word in any conversation. Chapter Two: Peter Parker is at a bank, which is robbed by some ordinary citizens using their own licenced firearms. They don't get away with any cash, since they're all zombified, hypnotised. They snap out of it when shaken. Peter gets some good pics. But what is making them do strange things? The police want people to leave their guns at home. The zombie robbers are released on bail. One was a friend of MJ, so Peter investigates, which he would have done anyhow. Peter is tired and cold, but MJ loves him. Peter earns enough money with his pics so he doesn't need to worry about cash the next two months. Chapter Three: Nothing new really happens. Peter/Spidey investigates. He makes more contact with Barb to investigate Bob's death. He, she, and the police all investigate the zombie robberies. A man calling himself "The Jewel" sends the Bugle a note. The Bugle starts investigating. More robberies. Spidey is cold, doesn't get enough sleep. MJ still loves him. Chapter Four: More robberies by zombies with guns. More investigating. More Barb, police, cold, no sleep, Jewel letters. MJ loves Peter. Chapter Five: See Chapter Four. Chapter Six: See Chapter Five. At some stage, some people are shot by zombies with guns. Chapter Seven and Eight: See Chapters Five and Six. Chapters Nine, Ten, Eleven: See Previous Chapters. Chapter Twelve: Aha! Spidey tracks The Jewel to a hotel. More Barb, police, cold, no sleep, MJ loves Peter. Chapter Thirteen: The police assault the hotel. Police zombies with police guns. Chapter Fourteen: Zombies with guns attack the Daily Bugle. Spidey and friends slap them one by one, nobody is hurt. Chapter Fifteen: Spidey assaults the hotel, and is nearly zombified. Chapter Sixteen: Spidey assaults the hotel, armed with police-provided gas cannisters. He is nearly zombified, and falls off the building, and is hurt a bit. The Jewel is immune to gas. Chapter Seventeen: Spidey assaults the hotel, looks in the top right desk draw of the study in enthouse suite. The Jewel's source of power is there, a green jewel. He steals it and throws it to the ground. Barb shoots it, and it vanishes in an explosion. The Jewel loses his power, and his eyes. Chapter Eighteen: Wrap-up. Peter says heart-tugging goodbye to Barb. Oh, we learn that the emerald jewel that gave The Jewel his power was highly radio-active, and had made the melted circle of snow. Bob, who was monitoring a nearby building, had spotted it. So had some petty crook, who shot Bob and took the jewel, becoming The Jewel. As a rather dull footnote, this jewel was the same (apparantly) as one of the jewels from "The Jewels of Cyttorak", also by Mr. Smith. General Comments. It's fairly impressive that a book so short could be so dull! Nothing really happens at all, but more impressively, that same nothing happens again chapter after chapter. The zombies are a completely ineffective bunch of villains, they only manage to cause a bit of random damage through the story, but there's no real tension or sense of menace. I guess it's perfectly reasonable that most New Yorkers carry concealed hand-guns on the subway. I couldn't say. I guess that's the price of freedom. Me, I'll be leaving my handguns at home now, after reading this little cautionary tale. I don't want to end up a zombie! The Jewel himself is a bit of a wash-out too. He turns out to be a pretty dim petty criminal. Indeed, he's hardly the criminal genious type. With all that power, he does almost nothing of iterest. He eventually manages to get a few of his zombies to steal some money and drop it off to him. But given that he could persuade people to give him whatever he wanted, why go to all that fuss to recruit ineffective zombies! He gets captured because he keeps turning up and watching all the failed robberies, always wearing the same outfit. He's just so stupid! In the end, The Jewel bunkered up in a hotel. all the police need to do is snipe him through a window. But no, they send in troops, knowing that this guy can zombify and control anybody in close proximity. Then they send in Spidey! Oh, that's clever! Let's give the guy a super-human zombie! Just whack the little crim and get it over and done with. The story could have been finished three chapters sooner. By about chapter nine, I must admit I was reading quite eagerly. but only because I was absolutely hungry for something to happen. Anything! By the end, only a morbid sense of completeness kept me going. I was getting about as much enjoyment out of reading as I would playing solitaire. It was passing the time, that was about all. The other characters were fairly unconvincing too. The story was told from in the first person, Spidey's point of view. But this wasn't really Spidey as I knew him. This Spidey was very cool and self-assured. In the first chapter or two he had earned enough money for the next two months. Nobody really fazed him during the story, except for Barb, who always seemed to get the last word. Clearly, Barb was supposed to be the tough ex-cop with a heart of gold, and Spidey was supposed to fall for her a bit. None of that was at all convincing. Spidey was also totally buddy-buddy with the cops. In the end, he went into the hotel more like Captain America would do. as part of a structured, planned exercise. Not at all like Spidey. Oh, and as for Spidey's science savvy, check this out for a line. "I hoped my gloves would shield me from the radiation". Yep, Spidey picks up the "incredibly radioactive" jewel which melts through snow in seconds flat, and hopes his cloth gloves will protect him! Bwahahaha! Overall Rating. Hopefully I can save you from deciding to buy this book. The characters are far too flat, and the book is far too thick. One and a half webs! Spider-Man Emerald Mystery PB (2000 Novel) comic books. This item is not in stock. If you use the "Add to want list" tab to add this issue to your want list, we will email you when it becomes available. 1st printing. Written by Dean Wesley Smith. Art by Bob Hall. Webs, women, and murder! Something is turning ordinary people into zombie-like bank robbers, and Spider-Man plans to find out what, or who, is behind it. In a related mystery, hard boiled private detective Barb Lightner's partner has just been murdered. Lightner wants in on the case, whether Spidey likes it or not.. Softcover, 4-in. x 7-in., 218 pages, Text (with B&W Chapter Illustration). Cover price $6.99. Customer Testimonials Our customers have some nice things to say about us: Customer Testimonials Mailing List Join our Mailing List for news and sales. We’ve been selling comics since 1961 (our first sale: Fantastic Four #1 at $0.25, see one of our first ads) and on the web since 1996. Copyright © 1996 - 2021 Lone Star Comics Inc. Character images copyright © their respective owners. Emerald Mystery — Dean Wesley Smith. Death is an ugly business, and no one knows that better than the amazing Spider-Man. In a city like New York--crammed to the rafters with thugs, pugs, and superpowered losers--the chilling embrace of the Grim Reaper comes with the territory. Death can also be a personal matter, coming from the muzzle of a gun, or the razor-sharp point of a knife., No one knows that better than private detective Barb Lightner, whose partner was just killed for a mysterious trinket. But it's not just murder on Spider-Man's mind: something is turning ordinary people into zombie-like bank robbers, and one of the poor unfortunates is a of Spidey's wife, Mary Jane. Could this strange behavior, as well as the death of Lightner's partner, have anything to do with the arrival of a new crime boss on the scene--one who calls himself "The Jewel"? Pooling their resources, the wall-crawling wonder and the hard-boiled detective are going to turn New York upside down to find some answers, and heaven e p the bad guy who gets in their way! The Locus Index to Science Fiction: 2000. Darwin’s Blade Dan Simmons (HarperCollins/Morrow 0-380-97369-3, Nov 2000, $25.00, 368pp, hc) Associational thriller about car insurance fraud and weird automobile accidents. Psycho Paths: Tracking the Serial Killer Through Contemporary American Film and Fiction Philip L. Simpson (Southern Illinois University Press 0-8093-2329-X, Oct 2000, $18.95, 244pp, tp) Non-fiction, a critical examination of serial killers as part of a contemporary mythology, rising out of the same Gothic traditions as vampires and werewolves. A hardcover edition (-2328-1, $49.95) was announced but not seen. Order from Southern Illinois University Press, PO Box 3697, Carbondale IL 62902-3697; 618-453-6633; website: [www.siu.edu/˜siupress]. The Millennium: A Comedy of the Year 2000 Upton Sinclair (Seven Stories Press 1-58322-021-6, May 2000, $16.95, 196pp, hc) Reprint (Haldeman-Julius 1924 in three volumes) utopian SF novel, based on Sinclair’s play of the same name. Introduction by Carl Jensen. The Circus Lunicus Marilyn Singer (Holt 0-8050-6268-8, Oct 2000, $17.00, 168pp, hc, cover by Janet Drew) Young-adult fantasy novel. A boy uncovers the mystery of his unusual heritage when a circus comes to town. Deal with a Ghost Marilyn Singer (Avon Tempest 0-380-73183-5, Sep ’99, $6.99, 179pp, tp) Reprint (Holt 1997) young-adult ghost story. This is dated 1999, but not seen until now. Regeneration L. J. Singleton (Berkley Jam 0-425-17302-X, Jan 2000, $4.50, 176pp, pb) [ Regeneration ] Young-adult SF novel. Five “perfect” cloned children join to stop the madman who made them. Regeneration #2: The Search L. J. Singleton (Berkley Jam 0-425-17368-2, Mar 2000, $4.50, 177pp, pb) [ Regeneration ] Young-adult SF novel of cloning, second in the series. Regeneration #3: The Truth L. J. Singleton (Berkley Jam 0-425-17415-8, May 2000, $4.50, 183pp, pb) [ Regeneration ] Young-adult SF novel of cloning, third in the series. Regeneration: The Imposter L. J. Singleton (Berkley Jam 0-425-17635-5, Sep 2000, $4.50, 180pp, pb) [ Regeneration ] Young-adult SF novel of cloning, fourth in the series. Regeneration: The Killer L. J. Singleton (Berkley Jam 0-425-17864-1, Jan 2001, $4.50, 180pp, pb) [ Regeneration ] Young-adult SF novel of cloned teens, fifth in the series. Vampire Nation Thomas M. Sipos (XLibris 0-7388-1141-6, Feb 2000, $18.00, 556pp, tp) Vampire novel. A visitor to Communist Transylvania discovers the communists are really vampires. A hardcover edition (-1140-8, $25.00) was announced but not seen. This is copyrighted 1998, but not published until now. A first novel. A print-on-demand book, available online from www.Xlibris.com; 888-7-Xlibris. Gates of Hell Susan Sizemore (Speculation Press 0-9671979-2-9, Jan 2000, $11.50, 268pp, tp, cover by Judith Huey) SF novel. A space pirate and a telempathic healer join forces to find a cure for plague. This is an on-demand edition, available online at www.speculationpress.com, or from Speculation Press, PO Box 543, DeKalb IL 60115. Laws of the Blood: Partners Susan Sizemore (Ace 0-441-00783-X, Nov 2000, $5.99, 279pp, pb, cover by Dave Dorman) [ Laws of the Blood ] Vampire novel, second in a series about vampire Enforcers. The Boxes William Sleator (Penguin/Puffin 0-14-130810-9, Aug 2000, $4.99, 196pp, pb, cover by Victor Lee) [ Boxes ] Reprint (Dutton 1998) young-adult SF/horror novel. Into the Dream William Sleator (Penguin/Puffin 0-14-130814-1, Aug 2000, $4.99, 127pp, pb, cover by Broeck Steadman) Reprint (Dutton 1979) young-adult fantasy novel of two teens having the same nightmare. Brain Plague Joan Slonczewski (Tor 0-312-86718-2, Aug 2000, $24.95, 384pp, hc, cover by Alan Pollack) SF novel of intelligent microbes colonizing the human race. A Door Into Ocean Joan Slonczewski (Tor/Orb 0-312-87652-1, Oct 2000, $15.95, 403pp, tp, cover by Alan Pollack) [ Door Into Ocean ] Reprint (Arbor House 1986) SF novel. The Year of the Lemming Robert Smart (Xlibris Corporation 0-7388-1569-1, May 2000, $14.40, 254pp, tp) Dystopian SF novel of a future in which all men are psychopathic killers and women hide in armed safe houses. This is a print-on-demand book, also available in hardcover (-1568- 3, $25.00); order online at www.xlibris.com; or from Xlibris Corporation, 426 Walnut St., Philadelphia PA 19106; credit card orders 888-7- xlibris; add $4.00 shipping. VOR: The Playback War Lisa Smedman (Warner Aspect 0-446-60489-5, Jan 2000, $6.50, 286pp, pb, cover by Donato Giancola) [ VOR ] SF novelization based on the computer game. Copyrighted by FASA. Gothic Radicalism: Literature, Philosophy, and Psychoanalysis in the Nineteenth Century Andrew Smith (St. Martin’s/Palgrave 0-312-23042-7, Aug 2000, $59.95, 188pp, hc) Non-fiction, critical analysis of Frankenstein , Dracula , etc. This is the same as the Macmillan UK edition, with both publishers listed on the copyright page. Men in Black: The Grazer Conspiracy Dean Wesley Smith (SFBC #11451, May 2000, $9.98, 263pp, hc) [ Men in Black ] Reprint (Bantam 2000) novelization based on the movie based on the comic book. Copyrighted by Columbia Pictures Industries. This has ISBN 0-7394-0980-8; it lacks a price and has the SFBC number on the back jacket. Spider-Man: Emerald Mystery Dean Wesley Smith (Berkley Boulevard 0-425-17037-3, Oct 2000, $6.99, 206pp, pb, cover by Vince Evans) [ Spider-Man ] Novelization based on the comic book characters. Packaged by Byron Preiss Multimedia Company; copyrighted by Marvel Characters. VOR: Island of Power Dean Wesley Smith (Warner Aspect 0-446-60490-9, Apr 2000, $6.50, 255pp, pb, cover by Donato Giancola) [ VOR ] SF novelization based on the role-playing game. Copyrighted by FASA. The Tenth Planet: Final Assault Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Ballantine Del Rey 0-345-42142-6, Dec 2000, $6.50, 247pp, pb, cover by David Mattingly) [ Tenth Planet ] SF novelization, third in a trilogy based on the computer game from Bethesda Softworks. Copyrighted by Creative Licensing Corporation and Media Technologies Ltd. The Tenth Planet: Oblivion Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Ballantine Del Rey 0-345-42141-8, Feb 2000, $6.50, 261pp, pb) [ Tenth Planet ] SF novelization, second in a trilogy based on the computer game from Bethesda Softworks. Copyrighted by Creative Licensing Corporation and Media Technologies Ltd. ix · Introduction: The Class of 2000 · Dean Wesley Smith · in * · STAR TREK 3 · If I Lose Thee. · Sarah A. Hoyt & Rebecca Lickiss · nv * 24 · Aliens Are Coming! · Dayton Ward · ss * 39 · Family Matters · Susan Ross Moore · nv * · STAR TREK: The Next Generation 61 · Whatever You Do, Don’t Read This Story [ Star Trek, the Next Generation ] · Robert T. Jeschonek · nv * 86 · A Private Victory [ Star Trek, the Next Generation ] · Tonya D. Price · ss * 95 · The Fourth Toast [ Star Trek, the Next Generation ] · Kelly Cairo · ss * 106 · One of Forty-seven [ Star Trek, the Next Generation ] · E. Catherine Tobler · vi * 110 · A Q to Swear By [ Star Trek, the Next Generation ] · Shane Zeranski · nv * 132 · The Change of Seasons [ Star Trek, the Next Generation ] · Logan Page · ss * 138 · Out of the Box, Thinking [ Star Trek, the Next Generation ] · Jerry M. Wolfe · nv * · STAR TREK: Deep Space Nine 163 · Ninety-three Hours [ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ] · Kim Sheard · ss * 181 · Dorian’s Diary [ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ] · G. Wood · ss * 189 · The Bottom Line [ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ] · Andrew (Drew) Morby · ss * 204 · The Best Defense. [ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ] · John Takis · ss * 218 · An Errant Breeze [ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ] · Gordon Gross · ss * · STAR TREK: Voyager 231 · The Ones Left Behind [ Star Trek: Voyager ] · Mary Wieck · ss * 246 · The Second Star [ Star Trek: Voyager ] · Diana Kornfeld · ss * 260 · The Monster Hunters [ Star Trek: Voyager ] · Ann Nagy · ss * 268 · Gift of the Mourners [ Star Trek: Voyager ] · Jackee Crowell · ss * · If Klingons Wrote Star Trek 285 · jubHa’ · Lawrence M. Schoen · vi * 289 · Hints · Dean Wesley Smith · ms * 295 · Contest Rules · Misc. · ms 301 · About the Contributors · Misc. · bg. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Second Edition Johanna M. Smith (St. Martin’s/Bedford 0-312-22762-0, 2000, $39.95, 470pp, hc) [ Frankenstein ] Reprint (Bedford 1992) non-fiction, part of the “Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism” series. This contains the complete 1831 text, but now adds a number of documents that help place the novel in its cultural contexts; two of the critical essays have been revised; the critical perspectives (Marxist, feminist, psychoanalytic, etc.) have been updated to include “Gender Criticism” and a broader view that combines various schools of criticism. A trade paperback edition (-19126-X) was announced but not seen. [Mary W. Shelley] Code of Conduct Kristine Smith (SFBC #02164, Feb 2000, $9.98, 346pp, hc, cover by Jean Pierre Targete) [ Jani Kilian ] Reprint (Avon Eos 1999) SF novel. An ex-soldier with a body rebuilt by aliens uncovers high-level conspiracies. This has ISBN 0-7394-0711-2; it lacks a price and has the SFBC number on the back jacket. Rules of Conflict Kristine Smith (HarperCollins/Eos 0-380-80784-X, Sep 2000, $6.50, 373pp, pb, cover by Jean Pierre Targete) [ Jani Kilian ] SF novel, sequel to Code of Conduct . Jani is captured and returned to Earth to face political games and medical problems. Forge of the Elders L. Neil Smith (Baen 0-671-57859-6, Apr 2000, $25.00, 534pp, hc, cover by Bob Eggleton) SF novel. A socialist Earth meets capitalist aliens from a parallel Earth. Only Forward Michael Marshall Smith (Bantam Spectra 0-553-57970-3, Sep 2000, $6.50, 341pp, pb, cover by Chris Moore) SF novel. A detective seeks a missing VIP. First US edition (HarperCollins UK 1994). Voyage of the Basset: Journey to Otherwhere Sherwood Smith (Random House 0-375-80051-4, Aug 2000, $3.99, 202pp, tp, cover by James C. Christensen) [ Voyage of the Basset ] Young-adult fantasy novel, third in a series based on James C. Christensen’s Voyage of the Basset . Copyrighted by Christensen and The Greenwich Workshop. 1 · The Death of Pamela · Kim Wilkins · na * 53 · The Little Demon · Louise Katz · nv * 87 · Poisoned Chalice · Ian Irvine · na * 147 · Ghostwriting · Traci Harding · nv * 181 · Goddess and the Geek · Louise Cusack · na * 229 · Festival of Lights · Beverley Harper · na * 281 · Out of Time Come Prophets · Tess Williams · na * 325 · The Mountain of Myrrh · Caiseal Mór · na * Legend of the Five Rings: The Crane Ree Soesbee (Wizards of the Coast 0-7869-1659-1, Nov 2000, $6.99, 312pp, pb, cover by Gerald Brom) [ Legend of the Five Rings: Clan War ] Novelization based on the card game, “The Clan War” #3. Copyrighted by Wizards of the Coast. The Crow: Temple of Night S. P. Somtow (SFBC #17719, Dec ’99, $10.98, 221pp, hc, cover by Cliff Nielsen) [ Crow ] Reprint (HarperEntertainment 1999) novelization based on the movies about the comic-book character. Copyrighted by Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation. This has ISBN 0-7394-0735-X; it lacks a price and has the SFBC number on the back jacket. The Crow: Temple of Night S. P. Somtow (HarperEntertainment 0-06-105993-5, Dec 2000, $6.99, 287pp, pb, cover by Cliff Nielson) [ Crow ] Reprint (HarperEntertainment 1999) novelization based on the movies about the comic-book character. Copyrighted by Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation. 9 · Gingerbread · nv The Ultimate Witch , ed. Byron Preiss & John Betancourt, Dell, 1993 41 · The Ugliest Duckling · ss Urban Nightmares , ed. Josepha Sherman & Keith R. A. DeCandido, Baen, 1997 57 · A Thief in the Night · ss Peter S. Beagle’s Immortal Unicorn , ed. Peter S. Beagle, Janet Berliner & Martin H. Greenberg, HarperPrism, 1995 75 · The Hero’s Celluloid Journey · ss Weird Tales Fll ’98 111 · Dr. Rumpole · ss Realms of Fantasy Aug ’98 127 · The Sleeping Ice Princess · ss * 145 · Though I Walk Through the Valley · nv The Ultimate Zombie , ed. Byron Preiss & John Betancourt, Dell, 1993 171 · Mr. Death’s Blue-Eyed Boy · nv Phobias , ed. Wendy Webb, Richard Gilliam, Edward E. Kramer & Martin H. Greenberg, Pocket Books, 1994 197 · A Hummingbird Among Angels [“The Voice of the Hummingbird”] · na The Beast Within , ed. Stewart Wieck, Stone Mtn., GA: White Wolf, 1994; revised. 235 · Tagging the Moon · ss Asimov’s mid-Dec ’93 257 · The Other City of Angels · pi * 9 · Prologue · pr 15 · A Day in Mallworld [as by Somtow Sucharitkul] · nv IASFM Oct ’79 43 · Sing a Song of Mallworld [as by Somtow Sucharitkul] · nv IASFM Jul ’80 79 · The Vampire of Mallworld [as by Somtow Sucharitkul] · nv Amazing May ’81 115 · Rabid in Mallworld [as by Somtow Sucharitkul] · nv IASFM Jun ’80 147 · Mallworld Graffiti [as by Somtow Sucharitkul] · nv IASFM Aug 31 ’81 193 · The Dark Side of Mallworld [as by Somtow Sucharitkul] · nv IASFM Oct 26 ’81 235 · The Jaws of Mallworld [as by Somtow Sucharitkul] · nv Mall World , Starblaze, 1981 269 · A Mall and the Gneiss Visitors · nv 297 · Bug-eyed in Mallworld [“The Mallworld Falcon”] · nv The Ultimate Alien , ed. Byron Preiss & John Betancourt & Keith R. A. DeCandido, Dell/DTP, 1995 331 · Epilogue · aw 335 · Author’s Bio · Misc. · bg 337 · Interior Illustrator’s Bio · Misc. · bg. To Bury the Dead Craig Spector (Harper Paperbacks 0-380-79305-9, Dec 2000, $6.99, 335pp, pb) Associational horror novel of a firefighter obsessed by his daughter’s murder. Be First in the Universe Stephanie Spinner & Terry Bisson (Delacorte 0-385-32687-4, Feb 2000, $14.95, 133pp, hc, cover by Eric Brace) [ Be First in the Universe ] Young-adult SF/fantasy novel of aliens and magic. Twins discover a weird store run by aliens at the mall. Greenhouse Summer Norman Spinrad (Tor 0-812-56656-4, Sep 2000, $6.99, 311pp, pb, cover by Shelley Eshkar & Jan Uretsky) Reprint (Tor 1999) near-future SF novel about the greenhouse effect. 9 · Mr. Aberystwyth and the Three Weird Sisters · ss Terminal Fright Sum ’96 21 · Chimaera’s · ss * 31 · The Messenger · ss Pirate Writings #13 ’97 40 · Ladylove and the Old Nick of Time · nv * 64 · Cu Anuee · ss * 73 · Tin-Can Molly · vi * 76 · Midnight Sharp · ss * 81 · Bugs · ss Flesh & Blood v1 #4 ’99 87 · Kingdoms in the Wind · ss * 95 · Richard Culpepper’s One-Man Show · ss * 103 · Nocturne Eterne · vi * 106 · Bobo’s Monsters · ss Stygian Articles Win ’96 112 · The Bottle · ss * 130 · Her and Him in the Cold Dark Underneath · vi * 133 · The Butler · ss Going Postal , ed. Gerard Daniel Houarner, Space & Time, 1998 142 · Becoming Father · vi * 145 · Tillman’s Little Devil · nv * 166 · Kudzu and Poison Ivy · vi * 168 · Eater of Hearts · ss Cenotaph #2 ’99 175 · Mother and Sun · vi * 178 · Return of the Red Death · ss Space & Time #90 ’99 197 · Hither and Yon · ss * 204 · The Hungry Purpose of Peculiar Urges · ss Not One of Us Sep ’98 211 · A Moondance for Angus · ss * 219 · Cinema Surrendari · nv * Plumage Nancy Springer (HarperCollins/Morrow 0-380-80120-5, Dec 2000, $23.00, 234pp, hc, cover by Cathleen Toelke) Fantasy novel. A woman’s life changes when she starts seeing people in mirrors as birds. Sky Rider Nancy Springer (HarperCollins 0-380-97565-6, Jul 2000, $4.95, 117pp, pb, cover by Griesbach & Martucci) Reprint (Avon Tempest 1999) young-adult ghost story. 1 · Foreword · Nancy Springer · fw 3 · Old Jim Croaker Jumps Over the Moon · Robert J. Harris · ss * 15 · Delia Broom and the Frog-People of Quicksand Pond · Janet Taylor Lisle · ss * 33 · It Came from Outer Little Pond · Brian Jacques · ss * 43 · Green Plague · Jane Yolen · ss * 53 · A Boy and His Frog · David Lubar · ss * 61 · In the Frog King’s Court · Bruce Coville · ss * 79 · Polliwog · Stephen Menick · ss * 99 · Ahem · Nancy Springer · ss * 114 · About the Authors · Misc. · bg. Architects of Emortality Brian Stableford (Tor 0-812-57643-8, May 2000, $6.99, 356pp, pb, cover by Donato Giancola) [ Emortality ] Reprint (Tor 1999) SF novel. The Fountains of Youth Brian Stableford (Tor 0-312-87206-2, May 2000, $24.95, 352pp, hc, cover by Donato Giancola) [ Emortality ] SF novel in the future of Inherit the Earth . In the 31st century, an Emortal historian writes the memoir of his five centuries of life. The Dark Glory War Michael A. Stackpole (Bantam Spectra 0-553-57807-3, Mar 2000, $5.99, 402pp, pb, cover by Stephen Youll) Fantasy novel. Young men undergoing a coming-of-age test encounter invaders and a magic sword.