Best of
Science-Fiction-Fantasy

1999

Earthseed: Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents


Octavia E. Butler - 1999
    A multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner’s powerful saga of survival and destiny in a near-future dystopian America.One of the world’s most respected authors of science fiction imagines an apocalyptic near-future Earth where a remarkable young woman discovers that her destiny calls her to try and change the world around her. Octavia E. Butler’s brilliant two-volume Earthseed saga offers a startling vision of an all-too-possible tomorrow, in which walls offer no protection from a civilization gone mad. Parable of the Sower: In the aftermath of worldwide ecological and economic apocalypse, minister’s daughter Lauren Oya Olamina escapes the slaughter that claims the lives of her family and nearly every other member of their gated California community. Heading north with two young companions through an American wasteland, the courageous young woman faces dangers at every turn while spreading the word of a remarkable new religion that embraces survival and change. Parable of the Talents: Called to the new, hard truth of Earthseed, the small community of the dispossessed that now surrounds Lauren Olamina looks to her—their leader—for guidance. But when the evil that has grown out of the ashes of human society destroys all she has built, the prophet is forced to choose between preserving her faith or her family. The Earthseed novels cement Butler’s reputation as “one of the finest voices in fiction—period” (TheWashington Post Book World). Stunningly prescient and breathtakingly relevant to our times, this dark vision of a future America is a masterwork of powerful speculation that ushers us into a broken, dangerously divided world of bigotry, social inequality, mob violence, and ultimately hope.

The Icarus Hunt


Timothy Zahn - 1999
    They take a job on the odd-shaped ship Icarus. But the ragtag crew was found at taverns, the secret cargo sealed tight, the employer missing, and a saboteur is aboard. After a beautiful crew member helps uncover the nature of their cargo for Earth, Jordan suspects they are in a vast conspiracy set to change human history. Unfortunately, he's right.

The Newford Stories


Charles de Lint - 1999
    ~~~ Set in Newford, a quintessential North American city that might exist anywhere or nowhere, de Lint's stories wander amid the tenements and the music clubs, the waterfront and the alleyways, where ancient myths and magic spill into the modern world. Here, ghosts loiter under street lamps, gemmins live in abandoned cars, and goblins traverse the tunnels below. ~~~ You'll meet folks like Jilly Coppercorn, a painter who sees wonder on these mean streets; Christy Riddell, writer and collector of urban folk tales and odd stories; his brother Geordie, a street fiddler who calls up enchantment with his music; and many others, like the boy who saves feral bicycles, the girl who stumbles into "the city of bridges," an origami fortune teller, a serial killer of people's dreams, "bone woman," and a conjure man. ~~~ With The Newford Stories, de Lint weaves before you a mesmerizing tapestry of stark realism, fond hope, and illimitable dreams.

Broken Sky: #02


Chris Wooding - 1999
    An evil king and his daughter are tracking them down...the same way they tracked down their father. Kia wants revenge. Ryushi just wants to survive.

Legacy


Arnie Fenner - 1999
    This collection focuses on his influence in a variety of media and genres and on his place in 20th century art history. Coedited by Hugo Award-winning editor Arnie Fenner, it includes many of Frazetta's most memorable paintings as well as revised and previously unpublished works. The art is accompanied by the artist's own observations and commentary by a number of his contemporaries.

Eon / Eternity


Greg Bear - 1999
    The inner dimensions are at odds with the outer; there are different chambers to be breached, some containing deserted cities; and the furthest chamber contains the greatest mystery ever to confront the Stone's scientists.EternityHere, from the other side of time, come: THISTLEDOWN, the asteroid starship of a future that is not quite our future; GAIA, a parallel reality where Alexander the Great's empire has ruled for two thousand years; and THE WAY, an infinite corridor through space-time which traverses and encompasses whole universes. And as the strands of these mysteries are unravelled, so the ordering and the end of mankind -- and our entire Universe -- come into question.

The Terrorists of Irustan


Louise Marley - 1999
    In this brilliant novel from the author of Sing the Light, a talented medicant defies the rule of men -- and changes the lives of every woman on the planet.

Suppressed Transmission: The First Broadcast


Kenneth Hite - 1999
    -- Literally hundreds of ideas for using Secret History and Weird Science in games or fiction.-- A "crossover" title with appeal to anyone interested in conspiracy, coincidence, and untold history.-- The footnotes alone are worth the price of the book.How can Ken Hite be so academic yet so entertaining? We don't know, but we hope he keeps it up for a long, long time.

Chronicles of the Lensmen, Volume 2


E.E. "Doc" Smith - 1999
    The ancient races of Arisia and Eddore were at war, the battleground, Earth. Only a few earthlings knew of the struggle, or the decisive role they were to play. These were the Lensmen - bred to endure in the conflict with evil.Enter...Boskone, a network of brilliant interstellar criminals whose mania for conquest threatened the future of civilization. Time and again the Lensman's Galactic Patrol defeated their forces - and time and again, powerful Boskonian bases sprang up anew. Before long, the Lensmen were forced to face the truth; that minds mightier than their own, operating from an unknown planet, were waging a final war for supremacy. And were winning.But where was this Boskonian stronghold? It would be up to Lensman Kin Kinnison, using his fantastic mental powers, to infiltrate the enemy's inner circle, learn the location of their Grand Base - and smash it forever!With the Lensmen books, "Doc" Smith set the standard for all space opera to come. Chronicles of the Lensmen, Vol.2 completes the famous series, taking you behind the front lines of a titanic struggle for control of the Universe.

Quotable Star Trek


Jill Sherwin - 1999
    That's where ideas begin." -- Dr. David Marcus to Admiral James T. Kirk, Star Trek® II: The Wrath of Khan™ It makes us wonder. It makes us smile. But most of all, it makes us think. More than any other single aspect, Star Trek is defined by the strength of its ideas. For decades this television and movie phenomenon has reached out to its audience, spanning generations and inspiring them not simply with the power of its voice, but with the meaning behind it. Quotable Star Trek demonstrates the truly universal appeal of Gene Roddenberry's extraorinary creation. Words of wit, wisdom, and compelling insight applicable to everyday life from The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation®, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®, Star Trek Voyager®, and eight Star Trek motion pictures have been meticulously researched and collected in one volume. Intensely thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining, Quotable Star Trek has something for everyone, and is a must-have resource for every devoted fan.

Pixel Pixies (Newford Book 12)


Charles de Lint - 1999
    However, characters do reoccur, off center stage as it were, and their stories do follow a sequence."

Deadlands: Marshal's Guide


Shane Lacy Hensley - 1999
    In 2000, new products allow players to take on the role of operatives for the Agency, wrestle with the curses of lycanthropy and vampirism, and learn the secrets of the latest developments in the New Science.The Marshal's Handbook is the gamemaster's guide to the world of Deadlands: The Weird West. It tells you how to rope those broncos into your adventures and keep 'em on the run from the insidious horrors of the Weird West. It's also got a whole passel o' nasty critters to throw at those do-gooders, all drawn up in color. The Weird West Player's Guide is also required and should be available wherever you bought this book.

Doomsday


John Peel - 1999
    When his evil clone begins to build a virus that will be able to destroy everything in the fully computerized world of 2099, Tristan Connor must find a way to disable his creation and put a stop to his clone's horrific plan.

X Marks the Spot: On Location With The X-Files


Louisa Gradnitzer - 1999
    40 photos.

The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Twelfth Annual Collection


Ellen DatlowKaren Joy Fowler - 1999
    S. ByattCharles de LintKaren Joy FowlerNeil GaimanLisa GoldsteinStephen KingEllen KushnerPatricia A. McKillipSteven MillhauserMichael Marshall SmithPeter StraubJane YolenFor more than a decade, readers have looked to The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror to showcase the highest achievements of fantastic fiction. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling continue their critically acclaimed and award-winning tradition with another stunning collection of stories. The fiction and poetry here is culled from an exhaustive survey of the field, nearly four dozen stories ranging from fairy tales to gothic horror, from magical realism to dark tales in the Grand Guignol style. Rounding out the volume are the editors' invaluable overviews of the year in fantastic fiction, and a long list of Honorable Mentions, making this volume a valubale reference source as well as the best reading available in fantasy and horror

Fathom: Collected Editions Volume 1


Michael Layne Turner - 1999
    collects Fathom #0 & #1

Stars Inside Her: Lesbian Erotic Fantasy


Cecilia Tan - 1999
    Erotica by queer women for women that explores the real meaning of the word "fantasy" with goddesses, faraway worlds, and magic.

Fathom: Collected Editions Volume 2


Michael Layne Turner - 1999
    2 primarily focuses on the developments between the American government and the Blue. Volume 1 revealed that Admiral Maylander knew of the Blue's presence, and this series sees him take action against the underwater race. He does so by a sneak attack on the Blue city of Saba. Aspen, kidnapped by the Black, meets her father, Rahger, and learns that she is also part of the Black.collects #2 & 3

Spirit Singer


Edward Willett - 1999
    While she is still an apprentice her grandfather and tutor dies, slain by a mysterious creature in the Between World that is blocking access to the Upper World's Gate. Without a spirit singer her village cannot survive, so Amarynth embarks on a hazardous quest to find out what the creature is, how it can be defeated, and how she can become a full-fledged spirit singer--a quest that takes her not only from her tiny seacoast home to the soaring mountains of the south, but across the even more rugged terrain of her own soul.

Mars is No Place for Children


Mary A. Turzillo - 1999
    Kapera begins recording her diary on an ancient wrist computer when she discovers her parents are arranging cancer treatment for her at an Earth Orbit hospital. Because of the enormous expense, Kapera knows the family can only afford one-way passage for two--she and her mother would never see father, or Mars, again. Kapera, however, has a different plan: to run away to Sagan City at Ares Vallis and find the one thing on Mars that will make them wealthy ... the missing Sojourner rover from Earth's 1997 Pathfinder mission.

For a Few Dead Guys More


Shane Lacy Hensley - 1999
    Lansdale and Bruce "Evil Dead" Campbell! If you don't have these anthologies, you're wrong! But we'll cut you some slack.

Fathom: Collected Editions Volume 4


Michael Layne Turner - 1999
    collects #6 & 7

Fathom: Collected Editions Volume 3


Michael Layne Turner - 1999
    The one we know, and the one below. Aspen Matthews has always been drawn to the sea, that is why she became a marine biologist. But when an underwater experiment goes horribly wrong, Aspen discovers her connection to life under the sea is far more than scientific. She discovers that she is able to live and thrive beneath the sea.Collects #4 & 5

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream: The Voice from the Edge Vol. 1


Harlan Ellison - 1999
    Unabridged.

Traitor's Sun


Marion Zimmer Bradley - 1999
    Her most brilliant and popular creation, the Darkover books take readers to a planet torn by rebellion--and struggling for freedom...