In the Distance, and Ahead in Time

Zebrowski keeps a relatively low profile for so able an author, and the great black hole Out-of-Print has swallowed much of his work. So these 10 stories rescued from oblivion constitute another shot by Five Star on behalf of the good guys and their readers. A repeating character, Christian Praeger, figures in three unpretentious but intelligent space adventures: "The Water Sculptor," "Parks of Rest and Culture," and "Assassins of Air." "The Sea of Evening" addresses Fermi's paradox: if there are no intelligent aliens, why don't they contact us? "Wayside World" connects one of Zebrowski's own creations with the late grand master Poul Anderson's created world named Cleopatra. "The Soft Terrible Music" is played out in a fantastic house in Antarctica, while the title story wanders out to a new planet on which human settlers have made claims that may not help the native population or environment. Finally, "Transfigured Night" and "Between the Winds" are fine variations on the theme of virtual reality. Roland Green


Genre: Science Fiction