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Horror/Fantasy/SF Book ReviewsPage Two of TwoHoly Fire by Bruce SterlingBantam Spectra, Nov., 1997.Paperback, 358 pages. ISBN: 055357549X. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
94-year-old Mia Zimmerman is a model citizen in
the late 21st century and therefore is entitled to
all the benefits accorded to the rich and elderly
in that society, including the right to undergo
the latest procedures in life-enhancement technology.
The procedure goes well -- she looks and feels
fabulous. There's only one problem: her
brain has also been rejuvenated and mind now
realizes the awful truth. Her lengthy, conservative,
model-citizen's life has been empty, devoid of
passion or artistry. Appalled at the idea of living
the next 94 years under the strict scrutiny of
the medical community which rejuvenated her,
Mia promptly escapes her keepers and heads off to
Europe, joining a youthful group of artistic anarchists,
living as a hippie and seeing life, all the while
keeping her true identity a secret as she searches
for meaning in her life. Her journey takes her
from the dregs of the underworld to the pinnacle
of chic, café society and introduces her to a lifestyle
she never dreamed existed in her prior lifetime which
includes bizarre forays into virtual reality. As
her past catches up to her, Mia is forced to make the
most difficult decisions of both her lives: to conform
and regain her life of ease and guaranteed medical
treatments or to remain a bohemian outcast -- free
but cut off from mainstream society.
Holy Fire is a dazzling display of societal satire of a future society that sounds eerily possible. With a chilling and yet realistic portrayal of a world where a rich gerontocracy rules a world where your behavior counts against you -- every time you drink alcohol or skip your vitamins it's recorded on your health records -- the temptation to conform to society's standards is intense. For those who don't comply and abuse their bodies with alcohol or nicotine or don't practice proper hygiene, society's response is simple: they don't get access to modern health care and usually die before 40. Mia is a compelling, vulnerable and ultimately endearing heroine who learns to trip the light fantastic with Europe's young artistes who are all in search of the "Holy Fire": the new sense of perception which will take the human race towards the next step in its evolution. A provocative look at our society's future, Holy Fire is an enthralling and vastly entertaining novel. The Stranger by Eric James FulliloveBantam Spectra, Nov., 1997.Paperback, 249 pages. ISBN: 0553575767. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
In The Stranger, Eric Fullilove continues the intriguing
saga of telepath Jenny Sixa who, with her unusual ability
to look inside the minds of humans whether alive or dead,
is a great asset in a police investigation. For Jenny, however,
the work is exhausting and upsetting because of the violent
images she gleans from the victims' minds about their
deaths. After gaining great wealth from her last case,
Jenny has retired to the life of a wealthy socialite
rubbing shoulders with the elite and famous. When
a teenage boy is found murdered, Jenny's old friend from the
L.A.P.D. convinces her to come out of retirement to
track the killer. But despite her impressive abilities, Jenny
can sense nothing from the young man's mind at all.
Even more disturbing are the thoughts of a predator
who preys on women and who projects his thoughts
of violence into Jenny's mind before each attack.
As Jenny struggles to determine if there is a link
between the dead boys and the Stranger in her mind
she will discover a bizarre plot including a strange
religious cult which could have cataclysmic
repercussions for the entire human race.
The latest outing of Jenny Sixa is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure set in the mean streets of future L.A. South Central has been walled off and those with money and power rule the day. Jenny is an appealing and cynical character whose thoughts are intriguing for readers to share. With sharp characterizations and an exciting plot, The Stranger is a quick, entertaining read. The Wiz Biz by Rick CookBaen Books, Oct., 1997.Paperback, 615 pages. ISBN: 0671878468. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
William Irving Zumwalt, better known as Wiz to
his friends, is a crack programmer from Silicon
Valley. One evening, while debugging some
recalcitrant code, he's snatched out of this
world entirely and landed in a forest at the feet of the
most beautiful girl he's ever seen. When she informs him
that she is a hedge witch and that he has been summoned
by one of that world's greatest Wizards to assist in
defeating the Dark League, Wiz is sure it's a dream. But
it's not and the next thing he knows he's on the
run from the Dark League in a world in which magic
is as commonplace as breathing. What Wiz ultimately
finds is that the magic in that world is subject to
programming protocols, so he sets out to write a
programming language which will enable him to compete with the
magic of the Dark League without being a real wizard at all.
Can a nerdy computer geek be transformed into one of the Mighty
and win the love of the beautiful hedge witch Moira? Wiz
Zumwalt is certainly willing to try!
The Wiz Biz is the first unitary edition of Rick Cook's popular books entitled Wizard's Bane and The Wizardry Compiled. The Wiz Biz is a lighthearted read featuring magic, adventures, romance, humor and dragons, with lots of programming lingo thrown in for the technically-minded. A fast, enjoyable read for lovers of traditional fantasy, humor and computer programming. Click Here for Fantasy/SF Book Reviews Page One Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of fantasy/sf books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |