Silenced, by Nicole Givens Kurtz, $10.95. I discovered books by a couple of interesting small-press authors at the recent MileHiCon — the 40th anniversary of the annual Denver convention. “Silenced” is a private-detective novel, the first in a promised series, set in 2146, released by a publisher that specializes in popular African-American fiction.
Cybil Lewis has her office in Washington, D.C., where “the White House has been obliterated and the Capitol, although still standing, has been assaulted and abandoned.” The United States has split into regional territories. There is a Territory Alliance with its own force of regulators.
Cybil very reluctantly takes a case from the mayor of Memphis, which is an area much larger than just the city. The mayor is the aunt of Cybil’s assistant, Jane. Cybil knows it’s a mistake to work a case with a personal involvement, but she succumbs to Jane’s pleas.
The mayor’s daughter has disappeared and the local authorities aren’t taking it seriously. Soon there is a murder investigation and fraying nerves between Cybil and Jane.
Cybil has several violent visitors demanding to know the whereabouts of her ex-boyfriend, a former Territorial Alliance agent who has vanished. She thought she had put him behind her, but he continues to haunt.
“Silenced” has all the hard-boiled elements of sex, violence, crooked politicians and dishonest cops and a story told by an engaging but difficult heroine. It is an excellent start to what promises to be a very interesting series.
Entranscing, by Robert Stikmanz, $13.95. An Austin publisher’s toehold in fantasy is a universe of infinite planets, some populated with dwarves and elves. The traditional creatures are part of a universe tied together with a notion of consensual realities and “metamathemagics.”
Meg Christmas is one of five transcers who are able to travel through realities at will. She travels to the personal quarters of a leading general of the Rataxian horde, but is always is forced to leave before explaining why she is there.
Meg lives on an Earth duplicate (everything is repeated in infinity) with witches, dwarves and a pair of demons who tread the line between humorous and overbearing. Before Meg’s purpose is revealed, the horde is attacking the duplicate Earth and some of their intelligence is due to Meg’s visits to the general.
Stikmanz has created an elaborate world complete with its own oracle. Nod’s Way is an aid in decisions — dice and interpretive booklet available separately. Casting the oracle for this review returned, “Do not attempt to exceed your reach.” I interpret this as meaning I shouldn’t jump to any conclusions about the whole series because I started without first reading the earlier story, “Prelude to a Change of Mind,” about how Meg became part of this world. It’s all part of a grand vision with three more books announced.
There is some swift action in “Entranscing,” while at other times the characters talk a lot while doing little. Stikmanz is a careful author, obviously concerned with every word. He is also a graphic artist who has made this a very attractive book.
Ender in Exile, by Orson Scott Card, $25.95. Card has written a novel to fill the gap between his Hugo- and Nebula- winning “Ender’s Game” and “Speaker for the Dead.”
Ender Wiggins, the boy who annihilated an alien race, is a controversial figure and it could be very dangerous for him to return to Earth. Instead, he goes on the first colony ship to settle the planet of the hive race he destroyed.
Ender is a 15-year-old admiral but does not challenge the ship captain who resents his rank. The planet they will settle has been named Shakespeare, and Ender organizes a dramatic reading of “The Taming of the Shrew.” There are possibilities of shipboard romance between Ender and an Italian girl being pushed toward Ender by her domineering mother.
There is an existing colony of soldiers who never returned to Earth and they enthusiastically accept Ender and the new settlers from the colony ship. Explorations on Shakespeare show what leads to Ender’s later career as Speaker for the Dead.
If “Ender in Exile” ended on Shakespeare, it would have been a satisfying story, but the voyage goes on and ties in a story line from Card’s parallel “Ender’s Shadow” series. It leads to another parable of Ender helping someone break free of a domineering mother.
The planet Shakespeare was referred to as “Colony 1” previously, but later editions of “Ender’s Game” will be changed to reflect the new name. I don’t see the need to tie every last thing together, and the conceit leaves “Ender in Exile” pretending to be more than it really is.
Fred Cleaver is a freelancer who writes regularly about new science fiction releases.
