The Mutant Files - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 075640004X ISBN 13: 9780756400040

Publisher: DAW, 2001

Synopsis

Cahrles de LInt, Tanya Huff, Alan Dean Foster, David Bischoff, Fiona Patton, and other popular authors traces the sometimes offbeat paths of human evolution in sixteen original tales of genetic mutation, evolutionary errors, and superhuman powers. Original.

About this title

About the Author

Martin H. Greenberg���was honored in 1995 by the Mystery Writers of America with the Ellery Queen Award for lifetime achievement in mystery editing. He is also the recipient of two Anthony awards. Mystery Scene magazine called him "the best mystery anthologist since Ellery Queen." He has compiled more than 1,000 anthologies and���is the president of TEKNO books.���He lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Reviews

"The word mutant carries different connotations depending upon the point of view of the person who hears it," Helfers (Star Colonies) notes in his introduction. Unfortunately, the title of this well-balanced anthology of 16 short stories may mislead readers. Indeed, freaky alien beings and comic book characters are in short supply here. Rather, these tales (which are written by the likes of Alan Dean Foster, Charles de Lint and Michelle West) draw readers into the worlds of everyday people who possess extraordinary powers: a Native American Indian who hits the jackpot on slot machines because he can smell the flow of electrons; a lithograph salesman whose ability to read people's minds is both a blessing and a curse; a newlywed wife who finds herself trapped in a New England version of Brigadoon; and a meteorologist who can control the weather through his moods. Elements of SF, horror and even fantasy are woven throughout these stories, making them appealing to fans of all three genres. Even though a few entries depict mutants that have the same bizarre physical abilities, these characters are drawn so eloquently and sympathetically that it's difficult not to feel an affinity for each of them.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

This modest set of 16 new stories about mutants has the tenor of a genteel riposte to X-Men. Its basic premises are that there is seldom a Professor Xavier to help those who are different find acceptance (granted, he had a mixed track record), and that usually each different being has to find its own way of coping. The tone predominant in the stories, however, is not as somber as those premises seem to promise, and the book turns out to be a good introduction to sf and fantasy treatments of mutants for readers who are transcending X-Men. The stories are varied in quality. A few are outstanding, and none is less than readable. Charles de Lint's entry stands well in front of the pack, which is to be expected, and other welcome contributions come from Janet Berliner, a greatly gifted writer who isn't published enough, and comparative newcomers Brendan DuBois and Marc Bilgrey. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From Charles de Lint's tale of a young man whose ability to hear thoughts proves both a blessing and a curse (Freak) to Jody Lynn Nye's story of mutants exiled from a hostile earth ( Rite of Passage), the 16 original tales in this collection examine the plight of individuals born with psychic powers and strange talents. Contributions from Tanya Huff, Janet Berliner, Alan Dean Foster, and other sf and fantasy veterans ensure a strong and varied anthology that belongs in most sf collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: DAW
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 075640004X
• ISBN 13: 9780756400040
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320
• Editor: Martin H. Greenberg, John Helfers