Charisma [Paperback]

Steven Barnes has been around a while, having penned some collaborations with Larry Niven in 1981 and 1982, with Stretlethal, his first solo out (at least according to his web site) being released in 1983. Other books of his I've read and enjoyed include Gorgon Child, FireDance, and Blood Brothers. Lately though, it seems he's been very busy, with numerous book being released over the last few years. You can find reviews on www.SFReader.com of his recent novels Lion's Blood and Zulu Heart.

Well versed in martial arts, Barnes characters are often unique and intense individuals caught up in violent struggles. He's one of the best action/fight writers out there, with a special ability to create characters that are at once strong and vulnerable. His books reflect the abundant energy that Barnes obviously possesses. He also seems fascinated with the concept of the Japanese term Bushido, or The Way of the Warrior; that undeniable Warrior Spirit that pushes some people to the peak of their potential, be it for good or evil. I've enjoyed everything of his I've read, and Charisma is no exception.

The magic of childhood, the gritty reality of growing up, love, honor, ambition, redemption.... You'll find all that and more here in a book you won't want to put down.

Lynn Nicole Louis
Read the full review at www.SFReader.com

The alternative is that Barnes is again having problems with a publisher being reluctant to show a Negro on the cover. Now if you have never read any of his books, or you have read little science fiction, you might think this is absurd. But experienced readers may know what I mean. Barnes' first novel was Streetlethal, published in the early 80s. It was quite well received.

But within some SF circles, it was wryly cited as another example of residual racism in the publishing industry. The lead character, as here, was a Negro. But that cover showed a bare chested man, facing the reader. His upper body was in shadow. He looked more like a dark skinned European than a Negro. As a result, in the Los Angeles SF Conventions of the late 80s, you could incite an argument by mentioning Streetlethal.

Perhaps here, we are seeing a subtler example. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not accusing the publisher of racism per se. After all, it published Charisma, where many characters are Negro, and so is the author. But there still seems to be a perception by publishers that putting a Negro on a cover can diminish sales. (Look for example at the covers of Steve Stirling's Nantucket trilogy. The lead character is a female Negro, but the covers show white Americans.)

His central premise of using the essential nature of a hyper sucessful person as a template to be transferred a group of young "at risk" children is described a bit vaguely. However as the cornerstone of the story it does have impact as he unfolds all the clever twists that expose the flaw in the template's character. As we follow several of the children through several harrowing experiences the dark truth unfolds in a fine example of the thriller mystery form.

His acute observations of character details and inner emotional dialog draw you inside each of the central characters very rapidly. Each character - particularly the children have story arcs that pull you relentlessly forward. This is a true page turner, very hard to put down!