New Worlds, 2 [Paperback]

This second volume in the New Worlds series edited by Garnett offers further journeys from the age of AIDS into the future. Paul Di Filippo introduces a hi-tech soldier of tomorrow who writes his mother from the front lines of a "short war" that involves biochemical weapons. The earnest young patriot is exposed to a genetically designed virus that constantly mutates, thus eluding any cure. As he experiences various symptoms, including aphasia, and Alzheimer's Disease, his life becomes as censored as the letters he sends home. Another disease without a cure haunts gay lovers in a story by Simon Ings. Though Simon, a young hustler, supposedly loves Jerry, a time-travelling agent for the government, he can't bear to stay by Jerry's side when Jerry is infected by a virus that roams through time. In a change of locale, Jack Deighton tells the story of the first man to build water-filled canals on the surface of Mars. Deighton's story lacks realism and drama, but it is an amusing stop on this otherwise sobering and satisfying tour. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ian McDonald's story of a young woman's frightening discovery in a world where the dead dwell alongside the living ("Innocence") sets the tone for this artful collection of 13 tales by the genre's most innovative authors. First published in Britain, this anthology of original stories also includes a pair of novel outlines by the late Philip K. Dick, as well as an editorial commentary on the state of British and American sf. Libraries seeking to expand their collection of short sf will find this a useful addition to their holdings.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A relaunch of the science fiction magazine of the late 1960s and 1970s, with the intention of publishing the most innovative and original stories by new and well-known writers from all over the world. Authors featured include Brian Aldiss, Michael Moorcock, Ian McDonald and Philip K. Dick.