INCOMING

• Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, January 1977 and November 1978.  Two issues from the Ben Bova days.  The first features stories from Alan Skinner (his first, and only, short fiction listing on ISFDb), Bud Sparhawk (his second published SF story), Hayford Pierce (a Chap Foey Rider story), Alison Tellure (her first SF story), Arsen Darnay, Stephen Robinett, and Jack Williamson (a novelette later incorporated in the 1979 novel Brother to Demons, Brother to Gods).  The second has stories from Poul Anderson ("Hunter's Moon," a Medea's World story and the 1979 Hugo winner for Best Novelette), D. C. Poyer, Orson Scott Card (a Worthing Saga story), Lord St. Davids, Tom Sullivan (his first story), and Michael C. Kohn (his only story listed on ISFDb), as well as the conclusion to Spider and Jeanne Robinson's Stardance II,,(which took first place in the Analog Award for best serial or novella for that year, and was later included  in their 1979 novel Stardance) and an article by Joe Haldeman.  The November 1978 Analog was Bova's last issue as editor and he certainly went out on a high note but, then, his entire editorship was a high note.
• Martin Caidin, The Ragged, Rugged Warriors.  Nonfiction.  "American Curtiss Hawk biplanes against Japanese Zero fighters, jungle air strips barely long enough to get a plane off the ground, sky fighting soldiers of fortune in the shark-faced planes of the Flying Tigers -- this is the epic story of the early air was in the Pacific."
• Greg Cox, Infinite Crisis. Comic book (Justice League of America) tie-in novel.  "For years, the rift between the Justice League's leaders has been widening -- and their actions have placed the world in jeopardy.  Batman's paranoia has given birth to an army of robotic assassins attacking anyone possessing superpowers.  Wonder Woman has declared herself judge, jury, and executioner, taking a foe's life in an act broadcast on TV worldwide.  And Superman, the most powerful man alive, finds himself powerless to stop the chaos around him.  With the Justice league divided and a super-villain coalition determined to take advantage of the dire situation, ordinary citizens find themselves caught in the crossfire..."
• Loren Estleman, The Hours of the Virgin.  An Amos Walker mystery.  "An art expert hires Walker to ride shotgun on a blackmail transaction, involving a priceless illuminated manuscript called the Hours of the Virgin.  But when the deal goes down in a porn movie house, so does a hit.  Suddenly Walker is searching for not just some pricey old paper but a gun that could put his former partner's murderer behind bars."
• "Jack Kilborn" (J. A. Kornrath), Afraid.  Thriller.  "Welcome to Safe Haven, Wisconsin.  Miles from everything, with one road in and out, this peaceful town has never needed a full-time police force.  Until now...A helicopter has crashed near Safe Haven and unleashed something horrifying.  Now this merciless force is about to do what it does best. Isolate.  Terrorize.  Annihilate.  As residents begin dying in a storm of gory violence, Safe Haven's only chance for survival will rest with an aging county sheriff, a firefighter, and a single mom.  And each will have this harrowing thought:  Maybe death hasn't come to their town by accident..."
• Louis L'Amour, The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour:  The Adventure Stories:  Volume 4.  Forty-five stories.  Despite the confusing title, this is not Volume 4 of L'Amour's adventure stories, rather it's Volume 4 of his Collected Stories and "contains all of his masterful tales of adventure including, for the first time in print in more than seventy years, his first story ever to be published."  The previous owner of this 2006 book used as a bookmark a ticket to the Empire State Building Observatory, dated July 27, 2001.  The amazing things you find tucked into books.
• Elizabeth Linington, The Proud Man.  Historical novel.  "Shane O'Neill's physical and mental stature was as grand as his dreams, and in hi dreams he saw himself as not only the King of Ireland but -- as husband to Elizabeth -- King of England as well.  Around the fierce, towering figure of the O'Neill one of the most exciting and vivid casts in history assembled to play out the passionate drama of loyalty and betrayal, of battles won or lost, of bloody victory and tragic defeat."  This was Linington's first novel.  She went  to write many more historical novels and (as "Dell Shannon" and "Leslie Egan") some highly regarded police procedurals.
• Anne McCaffrey, Stitch in Snow.  Romance novel without a dragon in sight.  The snow storm hit Denver's airport just as Dana Jane Lovell did.  While she waited for news of emergency shelter, she pulled out her knitting.  It was what she did when she was feeling blue, and she had been feeling blue a lot lately.  Then she met him:  the riveting attractive Dan Lowell.  He was also marooned by the Blizzard.  The wintry weekend was magical, sheltered from the currents of their busy lives.  Then Dana realized that the currents of Dan's life were dark and powerful -- and that it would be up to her to save him."  My wife liked McCaffrey's romance novels.  I read one but wasn't that impressed.  It's up in the air whether I will actually read this one. 
• Mel Odom, The Threat from the Sea:  Book III:  The Sea Devil's Eye.  Gaming (Forgotten Realms) tie-in novel.  "Iakhovas has caused more destruction than any other force since the Time of Troubles, but his true objective has been a mystery...until now.  When a young sailor's journey is complete, an aging bard's final song is sung, and a malenti priestess faces her most challenging test, the Threat from the sea concludes in an explosive climax that will set all of Faerun reeling."
• Christopher J. Priest & Michael Ahn, Green Lantern:  Sleepers, Book Two.  Comic book tie-in novel.  "when the United States enters World War II Alan Scott -- aka Green Lantern -- enlists in the European Theater, he fights as Captain Scott of the Army Corps of Engineers, refusing to use the Lantern's power, succeeding in life-and-death situations through his native wit and intelligence.  And then Malvolio arrives.  Initially enemies, Malvolio and Scott agree to a truce, as each tries to convince the other to come over to his way of seeing things.  But Malvolio is insane.  He's not a Green Lantern, but a power-hungry madman with a GL ring.  He turns the tables on Scott and sends him into the nameless dimension in which Malvolio was imprisoned for centuries.  Hal Jordan, Earth's second Green Lantern, must free Scott and point him toward his destiny.  But by the time Scott has returned to Earth, Malvolio has tracked down an army of humans and made them into his agents.  Scott must now discover the full extent of his powers and use them to defeat both Malvolio and his army of sleeper agents, before they can destroy Earth and every other planet that a Green Lantern calls home."
• Brian Thomsen, editor, Tales of Ravenloft.  Gaming (Ravenloft) tie-in anthology with 18 stories and a prologue.  "From the dark domains and the files of Dr. Rudolph Van Richten come these new tales of terror featuring your favorite darklords and ladies.  Shudder at the sight of the Headless Horseman.  Scream at the shieks of the wailing banshee.  Cry at the moonlit attacks of the werebeasts.  Shpa\\apeshifting berserkers, manor-bound ghosts, even the vampire Count Strahd Von Zarovich -- they're all here in tales taken straight from the realm of terror itself -- Ravenloft."