Books

11:32 AM CDT on Monday, May 22, 2006

By STEVE POWERS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Christopher Golden (Bantam Spectra, $12)

We're all familiar with Jack Frost, the mythical creature who brings on the sting of winter. But what if Jack Frost were real? Christopher Golden bases his fantasy novel on this premise, but that's only the beginning. The "winter man," as he is often referred to in the book, accosts Oliver Bascombe on the eve of Oliver's wedding and asks for help. Oliver, though dumbfounded by the idea of Jack Frost's being real, agrees, and Jack whisks him away to an alternate world. There, he meets legends as well as people who have disappeared, such as Amelia Earhart. All of this makes for a fast-paced and highly original book as Jack and Oliver battle for this peculiar world's very existence. This book is the first book of a planned trilogy.

Barth Anderson (Bantam Spectra, $13)

With the threat of bird flu making headlines, the public is all too aware of the deadly potential of a plague outbreak. Plagues are nothing new in fiction, but Barth Anderson takes the concept to a new level. It's the near future, and an oppressive Catholic-based government controls Mexico. A viral outbreak adds to the trouble, and Henry Stark, head of the American Center for Disease Control, is sent to investigate. Stark is shocked to discover that the outbreak is caused by a biological weapon aimed at shutting down the government. Not only that, but the perpetrator is someone Stark knows well. It's an exciting journey full of surprises.

Paul Levinson (Tor, $25.95)

Imagine going back in time to save a historical figure and changing the course of history. But what if the person did not want to be rescued and resists all efforts to do so? That's the case with Socrates. Sierra Waters lives in New York in 2042. Through a series of incidents, she and her boyfriend track a time travel machine that can save Socrates. So the pair go time-hopping, from Victorian London to Alexandria of ancient Egypt and finally to Greece in Socrates' time. This is a fun book to read, though the reader may get a minor headache from trying to keep up with the many complications and time loops.

Steve Powers, a freelance writer in Burleson, can be reached at stevenpowers@sbc global.net.