Across the Sky
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\ Publishers WeeklyRich turns out new wrinkles on common genre themes in this eloquent debut collection. There's some entertaining satire-such as "The Real Thing," where "cash" is a dirty word and clones are sent out as dating surrogates-but more impressive are the ruminations on human-alien connection. In the particularly notable "Forever Down the Ringing Grooves," astronaut and diplomat Jack Lackstrum rushes jealously back to Earth after the alien Transtellars ignore his welcome signals and begin communicating directly with anyone they meet, but he finds first contact is nothing like he imagined. This diverse collection also includes "Smoking Gun," a well-constructed and clever SF mystery, and plausible political struggles over the future of humanity's space ventures in "Impossible Alone" and "The Never-Winner." Readers who enjoy old-fashioned SF will appreciate these short, straightforward tales. (Jan.)\ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalFrom an alien's mind-changing encounter with an earth child ("Across the Sky") to a hard-science tale in the classic sf mode ("The Apples of Venus"), the 15 stories and four poems that make up this collection demonstrate the author's exuberant style and genuine feel for character. With many selections published first in periodicals; a good addition to large sf collections.\ \ —Jackie Cassada\ \
