Wild Cards (Volume 1)

Book Description

The alien virus arrived on Earth just after World War II -- and the world was never the same. For those who become infected, there are two results: death, or transformation. And depending on the recipient, death is sometimes the preferable outcome. Only a few lucky ones become superhuman "aces" as a side effect of the virus; the rest are turned into horrible, grotesque "jokers." It's a strange and wonderful, terrible and terrifying world where anything can go. A world that, in a twist of fate, could lie just outside your door.

A world of Wild Cards.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-01

I have read this many times. Brilliant stuff. A duel between alien ships, an experiment gone wrong, at least from our point of view. Born out of a superhero gaming group, Wild Cards is a shared world anthology series, in the main.

An alien experimental virus is released on Earth after Jetboy, a famous fighter pilot hero fails to stop it. This is the first story in this anthology "Thirty Minutes Over Broadyway".

For those affected by the virus, 90 are killed, 9 are deformed in some mannter, and 1 is given some sort of superhuman or enhanced ability.

This causes chaos and carnage, and changes history forever.

Various elements of American history do still happen, and the HUAC terror still happens, as one story involving Dr Tachyon, an alien telepath who comes to Earth to try and help. This leads to the tragedy of Golden Boy and the Four Aces see "Witness" by Walter Jon Williams.

The Turtle, Croyd Crenson, Yeoman, Fortunato, Captain Trips and Puppetman all appear here.

It will take some of them working together to defeat a menace.

If you have any sort of interest in the subject, this book is a must read.

Wild Cards 01 : 01 Prologue - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 02 Thirty Minutes Over Broadway! - Howard Waldrop
Wild Cards 01 : 03 The Sleeper - Roger Zelazny
Wild Cards 01 : 04 Witness - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 01 : 05 Degradation Rites - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 01 : 06 Interlude One - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 07 Shell Games - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 08 Interlude Two - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 09 The Long Dark Night of Fortunato - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 01 : 10 Transfigurations - Victor Milán
Wild Cards 01 : 11 Interlude Three - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 12 Down Deep - Edward Bryant and Leanne C. Harper
Wild Cards 01 : 13 Interlude Four - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 14 Strings - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 01 : 15 Interlude Five - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 16 Comes a Hunter - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 01 : 17 Epilogue: Third Generation - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 01 : 18 Appendix - George R. R. Martin

Tachyon arrival denial.

3.5 out of 5

Jetboy: No Jolson, no Joy.

5 out of 5

Croyd Crenson waken, wedding shaken.

4.5 out of 5

Jack Braun, Four Aces Golden Judas Boy.

5 out of 5

Brain Trust no more.

4.5 out of 5

McCarthy's Wild Card Act disintegration.

3.5 out of 5

Turtle power, Tachyon cower. Team-up!

5 out of 5

Jokertown Clinic.

3.5 out of 5

Power discovered, evil uncovered.

5 out of 5

Lizard King glad Mark Meadows is Radical.

5 out of 5

Hiram's food is Aces High.

3.5 out of 5

Bag lady and cat lady discovers that there really are werealligators in the sewers, and the odd mafioso.

5 out of 5

Jokertown activist politics.

3.5 out of 5

Puppetman, killer manipulator.

4.5 out of 5

Aces! quotes.

3.5 out of 5

Yeoman roamin'.

5 out of 5

Kid Dinosaur.

4 out of 5

Wild Card science.

5 out of 5

Couldn't get into it..........2007-07-22

Wild Cards is a set of short stories that takes place in 20th century America after the release of virus that gives some humans superhuman powers while others are mutated or killed outright (often in grotesque ways).

While the premise is interesting each story is written by a different author and there is a lack of central cohesion especially since the tone is so varied. Some stories are light and whimsical, playing out like comic books, while others deal with the inner demons of characters and their decisions. In the end I just couldn't get interested in most of the stories. One of the hooks of the book is how these characters effect our known American history. For example in one story they are hunted down in the 50's in a McCarthism manner. The action is mediocre and the writing just didn't do it for me.....in the end it was kind of boring.

Supposedly the series really picks up in the second book and it has much less exposition but I don't think I would be interested in reading it at this point.

Bottom Line: Underwhelming light reading with some interesting ideas but failed execution.

Good but not great.......2006-06-28

First note that this book is not written by George R.R. Martin - but rather is edited by him. The book is written by many different authors.

The concept of the book is great and the variety of characters is interesting and unique. Although each author did a great job - the book seems choppy at times and as a reader I got lost as styles and characters changed with each chapter.

However- the book was a good read and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

A Whole New World..........2006-02-23

Wild Cards is where it all began.

The series relates an alternate history of the earth after World War II. In 1946 an alien virus that rewrites human DNA is accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It kills 90 % of those who come into contact with it (referred to as 'drawing the Black Queen'). However, 9 % mutate into deformed creatures (known as 'Jokers') and 1 % gain superpowers (known as 'Aces'). For example there is Peregrine - a woman who looks like an angel and can fly, and the Golden Boy who is the strongest man in the world. There are also mixtures such as the Sleeper -who changes every time he sleeps, forcing him to be afraid to rest, resulting in an amphetamine addiction. Dr. Tachyon, from the planet that infected us, is here trying to reverse the effects of the virus.
Wild cards are a shared world, with many authors contributing to the texts of 16 books. It is hard to propertly review these books are they are more like a television series. That being said, there is a litany of great stories in these books. The characters are seldom black and white, many times giving in to their personal greed or demons. Any fan of science fiction serials will love these books - they are out of this world!

Relic113

Slow in the first half, but makes up for it in the second........2003-07-25

Please note: This review was written for Wild Cards VI: Ace In The Hole, but Amazon in their wisdom seems to have lumped all Wild Cards reviews together so this may appear under the review sections for the other books. There are many Wild Cards novels out there (I think at least fifteen or more).

Wild Cards VI is a good, but not great continuation of this series of mosaic novels.

The sixth book is written in the same way that the third book was. The original idea behind the sets of books was that the first two books of each set of three were to be individual stories linked by an overarching storyline. The third book in each set of three was to be a true mosaic novel in that each author involved would be writing part of one story. No obvious story breaks would occur. These third novels would finish off the overarching storyline started in the first two books.

The sixth novel works a bit better than the third novel did in that regard. The story is more tightly woven together flowing cleanly between the events of each author.

The novel focuses on the Presidential campaign of Gregg Hartmann and the events of the Democratic National Convention of 1988. Hartmann, as readers of the series know, is the Ace Puppetman and has used his manipulative powers to get to this point in his political career. In this novel we get an extra helping of Puppetman and really get to delve into what makes this character work.

The other characters prominent in the events of this novel are Tachyon, Jack "Golden Boy" Braun, and James "Demise" Spector.

The build up is quite slow in this one and an awful lot of time at the beginning of the book is given up to Tachyon's continuing impotence problem and his associated self loathing. Jack doesn't fair much better as he is still playing the despised outcast role. The only one that really has some interesting moments in the first half is Puppetman, but he isn't really able to hold up the book by himself.

When things finally start rolling along in the second half the action flies fast and furious and events unfold that have large repercussions on the characters involved. It is just a bit of a chore getting to that point.

For those readers of previous books there are tantalizing glimpes of the problems that Hiram is going through with Ti Malice, but there is no resolution. Look to further books to solve that issue. Other than that no other Aces get much use.

I grappeled with giving the book a 3 or a 4 star rating. While I felt the last part of the book was 5 star stuff I didn't feel like it was enough to make up for the tedium of the 2 star first half. I'd probably give the book about a 3.5, but since I enjoy the series I bumped it upward to 4.

-H

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
A different approach
Solid stuff from Martin et al...
A pleasant surprise
Fans of GRRM need not apply

Jokers Wild (Wild Cards, Volume 3)
George R. R. Martin
Manufacturer: I Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743434897

Book Description

The streets of New York have erupted in celebration of Wild Card Day -- the annual event held every September 15th to remember the dead and cherish the living. It is a day for fireworks and street fairs and parades, for political rallies and memorial banquets, for drinking and fighting in the alleys. With each passing year, the festivities become larger and more fevered. And this year -- 1986, the fortieth anniversary -- promises to be the biggest and best Wild Card Day ever. The media and tourists have discovered the celebration, and taverns and restaurants expect record-setting business.

But lurking in the background is a twisted genius who cares nothing for fun and festivity. The Astronomer has only one concern: destruction...

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-04

The repercussions of the battle with The Astronomer continue in Jokers Wild. It is the fortieth anniversary of the release of the Wild Card Virus (scientically known as Xenovirus Takis-A), and The Astronomer is out for blood.

Fortunato is his main target, being his most powerful opponent and directly responsible for his previous defeat. He recruits killers, including Demise, and a woman that kills men with poontang, to start taking out his enemies.

A different approach.......2005-11-14

Last night I finished reading Joker's Wild, the third installment in the Wildcards series.

Joker's Wild reads a bit differently than the first two books of the series, in that instead of a collection of related short stories, this book reads like a regular novel. At the end of the book they have credits stating who wrote and invented what character, and each chapter is divided up into sections, so I'm guessing that each author wrote a "section" pertaining to one of their characters. It may be my untrained eye, or the fact that I was so into the subject matter, but I had a hard time telling the authors apart in this book. As I said, it read like a novel, but it was also quite a page turner, so I was swept up in the story most of the time, and perhaps not paying enough attention to the techniques of each particular section.

The plot centers around the Wild Card Day celebrations in New York City in 1986. I can't really get much deeper into it than that, because I don't want to add spoilers, but I really enjoyed the story. It spans a little more than 24 hours, but there is a ton of action and intrugue in that twenty-four hour span. As I said, I found myself swept up in the story many times, and can't really think of a part that I didn't enjoy.

All of the best known aces appear in this book, but we learn more about some of the jokers as well. I found myself watching the line between joker and ace blur in this book; for example, the character of Spector (aka Demise) is a big part of this book, but at times I could see how his power would be considered an ace power, but to others it would definately be seen as a joker. A deadly one, but still unwanted. Incedentally, I really like the character of Spector. He's very interesting and well written.

At times I found the focus on sex a bit much. Yes, I understand that Fortunato's tantric power relies on sexual energy, but we also have sexual murderers, sexual ice sculptures, old aces wanting to have sex with young aces, etc. I'm not a prude, but it was a bit much at times.

Other than that, this was a very satisfying addition to the Wildcards series. Now if I can just get my hands on the next book....

Solid stuff from Martin et al..........2004-04-20

The third book in the "Wild Cards" series by George R.R. Martin (editor), this is a "shared world" series, where various authors get together and write in the same world. The world is one where an alien virus was dumped into the air shortly after WWII, and still randomly infects people nearly forty years later.

The virus - called the Wild Card for its very random results - proliferated in earth's atmosphere. First, nine in ten people who contract the Wild Card virus "draw the Queen of Spades," and die. Of the survivors, nine in ten people "draw a Joker," and end up hideously disfigured. Of the non-Joker survivors, some draw a "deuce," and get a power or ability that's pretty much useless ("I can change my hair colour at will!"), but many who survive as non-jokers "draw an Ace," and gain super-powers. The massively telekinetic Turtle, the projective teleporter Popinjay (who I really liked in this book), the any-lizard shapeshifter Kid Dinosaur - these are some of the Aces. They're solid, fun to read, and quite well drafted.

This story all takes place in one day, and the novel is very well sewn together (especially given the different tones and styles of the various authors) and has a very complicated and complex interwoven plot. Kudos to Martin for wrapping it up so well.

This forty years later is the anniversary and what is likely to be the largest "Wild Card Day" celebration ever - except one recurring villain is using this day to kill off all the Aces who bested him in the previous books... Who will survive?

As Martin is well known for in his "A Song of Fire and Ice" series - there are no holds barred in these books - heroes die. And horribly. Very solid stuff.

'Nathan

A pleasant surprise.......2003-02-02

As a huge fan of Martin's SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series, I too picked up some of his older work. The WILD CARDS series was a pleasant surprise. The series has an interesting concept, and good writers participating (esp Roger Zelazny, who's Sleeper-character stole my heart).

The WILD CARDS stories are all different, dealing with different times and storylines, but they are without failing interesting and original. Some of the stories had me secretly wiping away some tears (the Turtle, Golden Boy), others had me chuckling (the Sleeper)or reading with my heart in my throat (Fortunato).

In retrospect, the first two books were a setup for the grand happenings of Book 3, when all hell bursts loose on Wild Card Day. I loved the way the stories were weaved together in JOKERS WILD, where everything seemed to come together. It had a superb story/tension arc, and the characterization was without failing very well done.

I have only read the first three books so far, but I'm definitely keeping an eye out for other installments of this series.

I give the authors involved a big thumbs up for an original project like this!

Fans of GRRM need not apply.......2002-03-01

My reason for writing this review is the others have missed the mark by a mile. They are all fans of George R.R. Martain's other more fantasy oriented work. This series is wildly removed from them. Of the entire line the 1st three are the absolute best. Only the 3rd book is realy one compleat story. The 1st 2 books are a collection of short stories. This simple fact seems to have escaped all the other reviewers. After words the series slowly degrades, as they all do, but there are still gems. It never gets bad just average at worst. If you are a fan of comic book heros and want to see a very well executed, realistic look at them this is the place to be. Now if they would just relase some new ones and get Allen Moore to write a story.

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
A Great Installment
Excellent addition to the series
Deal out another hand in a fantastic Sci-Fi series...
A Royal Flush

Aces High (Wild Cards, Volume 2)
George Martin
Manufacturer: I Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743423917

Book Description

It all began in 1946, when the bizarre, gene-altering Â³Wild CardsÂ² virus was unleashed in the skies over New York City. A virus that created superpowered Aces and bizarre, disfigured Jokers. Now, thirty years later, the victims face a new nightmare. From the far reaches of space comes The Swarm, a deadly menace that could very well destroy the planet. Putting aside their hatred and mistrust, Aces and Jokers must form an uneasy alliance and prepare for a battle they must not lose. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-01

Aces High is a high class, and high up restaurant catering to the Aces, the Wild Card victims with powers. It is expensive and snooty, run by one of their own, a man named Hiram Worchester, who has the ability to control weight.

The Aces have two serious problems in this book, and the stories all relate to these somehow, the menace of the alien Swarm, and the crazy black magic style power use of the Astronomer, a geeky crazed black magician type.

The other memorable nasty, Demise, with his death gaze and regeneration abilities, also is introduced in "If Looks Could Kill".

Wild Cards 02 : 01 Pennies from Hell - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 02 : 02 Jube: One - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 03 Unto the Sixth Generation: Prologue - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 04 Jube: Two - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 05 Ashes to Ashes - Roger Zelazny
Wild Cards 02 : 06 Unto the Sixth Generation: Part One - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 07 Unto the Sixth Generation: Part Two - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 08 Jube: Three - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 09 If Looks Could Kill - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 02 : 10 Jube: Four - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 11 Unto the Sixth Generation: Epilogue - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 12 Winter's Chill - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 13 Jube: Five - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 14 Relative Difficulties - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 02 : 15 With a Little Help From His Friends - Victor Milán
Wild Cards 02 : 16 Jube: Six - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 02 : 17 By Lost Ways - Pat Cadigan
Wild Cards 02 : 18 Mr. Koyama's Comet - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 02 : 19 Half Past Dead - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 02 : 20 Jube: Seven - George R. R. Martin

Fortunato meets a nice girl to go along with his geisha collection, but his pursuit of the Masons through rare coins has terrible consequences.

5 out of 5

Walrus boy ain't what he seems.

4 out of 5

An ally makes a desperate teleportation attempt to warn Jube of the Swarm.

4 out of 5

The death of his alien ally and the loss of the singularity shifter and a garbled message of warning distracts Jube from the xmas cheer.

4 out of 5

The death of his alien ally and the loss of the singularity shifter and a garbled message of warning distracts Jube from the xmas cheer.

4 out of 5

Jube hires Croyd to find the alien corpse, and anything with it. Devil John biffo.

4 out of 5

Modular Man made, Swarm invade.

4 out of 5

Singularity shifting. Don't try and mind-control androids.

3.5 out of 5

When Jube realises his ally meant the Swarm, he knows he needs the power of the Singularity Shifter rather more urgently.

3.5 out of 5

Astronomer hires Demise eyes.

4.5 out of 5

Jube enlists the transparent infobroker.

3 out of 5

Punks find Shifter.

2.5 out of 5

Girl shy Turtle.

4.5 out of 5

Astronomer, Swarm, Takisians all prove to be a little overwhelming.

3 out of 5

Captain Trips drops back in, as Tachyon's relatives show bad timing, capture them, Turtle, and others.

5 out of 5

Tachyon and Trips vs Takisians and Swarm for the fate of the world.

5 out of 5

On the Mason trail.

3 out of 5

Astronomer has hostages and Shakhti machine, but the Aces rally for a raid.

4 out of 5

Swarm sighting.

3 out of 5

Yeoman finds the Singularity Shifter while taking out Egrets. When Tachyon learns of this, he has a plan to take the fight to the Swarm.

5 out of 5

Jube tells Red about some aliens and decides his allegiances are local.

3.5 out of 5

A Great Installment.......2006-02-23

A great installment in the Wild Cards universe. An alien swarm is headed on a collision course with earth and the Aces must unite to fight the impending doom of the world. However, "the Astronomer" - a super-villain- is trying to stop the heroes, and employs any devious methods to reach his ends... There are new characters presented such as Demise - who can look in your eyes forcing you to relive his death, and thus die yourself...and Jube, the walrus-like newspaper salesman with bad taste in jokes and equally bad fashion sense... who knows what motives he has?

This is a great story, and I can't help but think that the wild cards would make an excellent series on the sci-fi channel.
I look forward to the next episode!

Relic113

Excellent addition to the series.......2005-11-03

This is the second book in the Wildcards series. This book focuses on the lives of many of the aces of the wildcards universe, with the main unifying plot of the stories being the threat of an alien invasion.

Aces High is a more focused book, dealing with a smaller group of aces and returning to them more often rather than the sampler that the first book was. Many of the favorites return; Fortunato, Dr. Tachyon, The Great and Powerful Turtle, but there are some really nasty villians that appear in this book, as well. The villians are not nice people, so be warned, but they are interesting characters. The leader is pretty much evil to the core, but his hirelings are much more human, each with their own motivations which are explained pretty well in the book. They aren't all evil; many are just looking to get ahead and backing the team that they think will win. Well, and perhaps are a bit more accepting of the "win at any cost" mentality.

I can't think of a story I didn't enjoy in this book, either. All were well written, and were tied together well. I think my favorite story may have been the exploits of Modular Man, but Captain Tripps is a very interesting character as well. I hope to see more of them in future books.

So far, it seems that these books should be read in order, so if you skip Wildcards 1 and start here, you may be lost. Just a word of warning, since I know the books can be hard to find.
I recommend this book to all Wildcards fans and any superhero fan that has not read this series yet is doing themselves a disservice.

Deal out another hand in a fantastic Sci-Fi series..........2004-04-05

The continuing short story collection set in the shared world as introduced in 'Wild Cards,' this is the continuing stories of those Aces and Jokers (and sometimes plain old natural humans) in the fallout of the genetic Wild Card virus. We're in the eighties now, and a new menace looms on the horizon - a dark alien organism is on its way, and the Swarm Mother sends terrible creatures down to attack earth in many places - and who else can stop them but the super-powered Aces?

The nice thing is the story-arc merely starts with the swarm assault, and from there, the weaving in of new and old characters is superb. We revisit some of the best characters from the first volume (The Great and Powerful Turtle is my favourite so far), and the story of the Swarm Mother certainly doesn't end in that single attack. This is solid stuff, and very well organized to say that it's a shared world.

Now I've ordered book three in with the last of my online gift certificates, and hope it arrives soon! Nothing quite like a new literary addiction.

'Nathan

A Royal Flush.......2001-08-28

Over a dozen years ago I received the first two Wild Cards books as a birthday present. I read the first one, enjoyed it, but wasn't so sure about the series. But I already had the second one, so I might as well give it a shot, right? What a difference a second chance made.

Wild Cards Volume 2 (Aces High) is, for me, where the Wild Cards series really began. Unlike the first book, which is a series of introductory and mostly unconnected plots, this one features several central plotlines as the storylines all begin to converge. An alien race known as the Swarm is heading for Earth. The Astronomer, leader of the Masons, is preparing for his own conquest. And when one of your greatest defenders is a pimp whose powers only activate when he engages in tantric sex, well, you're in big trouble.

There's so much great stuff in this book it's hard to leave any of it out. Lewis Shiner's "Pennies from Heaven" establishes the Astronomer as a real threat, setting the stage for both this and the next book. Walter Jon Williams's "Unto the Sixth Generation" is one of the cornerstones of the book, both introducing the Swarm into the Wild Cards universe, as well as Williams's robotic hero Modular Man. Several other stories introduce new, very-long-running characters; Walton Simons's "If Looks Could Kill" brings aboard the very dangerous James Spector (aka Demise). "By Lost Ways" has Pat Cadigan bring aboard Jane Dow, the Water Lily who really would be happy to just slink into the background and whose story is more important than one might think at first... Last but not least, George R.R. Martin's "Jube" story twists and turns its way through the book, uniting the short stories almost effortlessly.

Old favorites still abound, of course. Roger Zelazny's "Ashes to Ashes" is a hysterical romp through Jokertown as the ever-unpredictable Croyd tries to go on a simple seek-and-locate mission with predictably disastrous results. George R.R. Martin's "Winter's Chill" has Tom Tudbury discover that being an Ace doesn't make your life great at all; in fact, sometimes it can downright ruin it. Melinda M. Snodgrass and Victor Milan coordinate their stories "Relative Difficulties" and "With A Little Help From His Friends" as Dr. Tachyon and Dr. Trips have to join forces (not once but twice) to deal with Tachyon's not-very-happy relations. John J. Miller's "Half Past Dead" is both an epilogue to the Swarm story as well as continuing the story of Yeoman.

There are very, very few books in the Wild Cards series where every single story hits a home run, but this is one of them (the next book, Jokers Wild, also manages to do this). If you were on the fence after the first book, trust me--this is the one you definitely can't miss.

Average customer rating:

Super Reader

Eminently skippable

A Welcome Departure From the Original

Under rated pleasure!

This book is an abomination

DOUBLE SOLITAIRE (Wild Cards, No 10)
Melinda Snodgrass
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Dealer's Choice (Wild Cards XI)

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CARD SHARKS (WILDCARDS 1) (Wild Cards : Book I of a New Cycle)

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Wild Cards (Volume 1)

ASIN: 0553294938
Release Date: 1992-03-01

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-01

This is definitely the worst Wild Cards novel. Pretty much completely and utterly Tachyon focused again. Blaise, a psycho who now decides being a conqueror would be a good idea, steals Tachyon's ship Baby and heads for Takis. Yep, he's crazy.

The whole Jumper thing sees Tachyon in the body of a woman, and Blaise can do whatever he likes to such a vulnerable creature. Rape, impregnate, the whole deal. And on Takis, women are definitely second class citizens.

So, some Takisian politics and intrigue, a look at the background of Xenovirus Takis-A, and of Jubal the odd joker who isn't a joker.

Eminently skippable.......2006-05-15

It's odd, that with all of the great SF writers who took part in the Wild Cards series--editor George R.R. Martin, Chris Claremont, Walter Jon Williams, even the late, great Roger Zelazny--the two people who got to write entire books by themselves were the two most irritating writers in the entire series, Victor Milan and Melinda Snodgrass. Both writers are technically accomplished hacks whose characters and themes echo some of the most tired cliches of science fiction and fantasy fan-written stories, aka fanfic.

Snodgrass is probably best known for having been a writer and story editor on Star Trek: The Next Generation. After series creator Gene Roddenberry died, Snodgrass took the opportunity to insult Roddenberry's memory a couple of times in public, apparently because she disagreed with him about certain aspects of the characters. Based on the example of this book, keeping Snodgrass from ruining TNG was probably the second-best thing that Gene Roddenberry ever did.

Snodgrass seems to generally write in the manner of a bad fanfic author whose technical skill conceals, up to a point, her shoddy plotting and view of human interpersonal relations that is second only to John Norman's Gor books for sheer hideousness. Just to give you an idea of how bad her characterization is, let me tell you how the book starts out (not really a spoiler, since it's the basic premise of the book): Dr. Tachyon, an alien who is the central figure of the entire Wild Cards series, has had his mind transferred into the body of a young girl, following which he is savagely and repeatedly raped by his psychopathic grandson Blaise, who then steals Tachyon's living starship and goes off to conquer Tachyon's home planet of Takis. A pregnant Tachyon is going after Blaise to stop him--oh, did I mention that the fetus is telepathic? No, I'm not kidding, that's how the book starts out, and it gets worse as it goes along. You don't even want to know about the relationship between Tachyon and his evil cousin Zabb.

Amazingly, even after this book, Snodgrass was permitted to continue contributing to Wild Cards. Her later stories included a cute centaur who has sex with human women. Somewhere in fanspace, Ensign Mary Sue is beside herself with jealousy. I sure hope that John J. Miller's solo Wild Cards book is better than this.

A Welcome Departure From the Original.......2005-04-26

I am a long-time, HARDCORE fan of this old-but-still-good series. I've loved them since a friend first introduced the series to me waaaaay back in 1988 (OMG...was that really 17 years ago?!).

I was absolutely thrilled to learn that the series was being reissued, so a whole new generation of readers could enjoy it. And now I don't have to risk loaning out my own treasured out of print editions!

I hate to be a party pooper, but this book is actually my favorite of the entire old and new series. Part of the reason I loved this one so much is because it focuses almost entirely on my favorite character, Dr. Tachyon. And I really enjoyed the fact that it's a novel written by a single author (Melinda Snodgrass), rather than the usual anthology format of the rest of the series.

For me, it was really refreshing to be able to follow a single storyline for an extended time, rather than a short story. One of my (very tiny) complaints about the series was usually that my attention span was longer than the stories; they usually ended right when I was getting really into them! I was always eager to spend more time developing and expanding a single character or plotline, so this was a nice break.

Yes, some of the more violent scenes (like Tachyon's unwilling body swap and subsequent rape at the hands of his jumper grandson, Blaise) I could have done without, but honestly, they were no more violent or graphic than other Wild Cards stories in the series. The whole Mark-Meadows-in-Vietnam thing from Wild Cards XII was worse, if you ask me.

Anyway, as one of only two single-author volumes in the series (the other is Wild Cards XII: Turn of the Cards, by Victor Milan), it's a nice change of pace. I highly recommend it, and all of the others in this still-engaging series.

Under rated pleasure!.......2005-03-31

I was almost scared off from reading this by other reviews. However, I did read it and enjoyed it. Finally, we see Takisian society and that other great space-faring society of which Jubal is a member. The character depictions were heartfelt and sincere. Dr. T is treated well this outing compared with the higher-rated previous novel. Everything wraps up nicely and we actually have a happy ending for one of my favorite characters-- Popinjay. This was a nice break from the bleak and depressing storyline that is developing back on Earth. I recommend this book.

This book is an abomination.......2004-11-17

I love the Wild Card series to an embarrassing degree. There's something about clever, wise people having such fun from such ludicrous premises that gets to me. But this book I couldn't finish. Reading it is like being trapped in a room with a bad comedian for hour upon tedious hour.

It's not a good book.

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Not as good as the others
hooray the W.H.O. tour!...
An International Wild Card Novel

Wild Cards IV: Aces Abroad (Wild Cards)

Manufacturer: I Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743452410

Book Description

What would our world be like if superhuman heroes and villains had been real flesh-and-blood men and women who lived through the 20th century's most turbulent history? In Wild Cards 4: Aces Abroad, a fact-finding mission seeks the truth about how Wild Cards are treated in other nations. From the jungles of Haiti to the Great Wall of China and behind the Iron Curtain, the Wild Cards team investigates the fate of their fellow Aces and Jokers everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-01

Politics come to the forefront in the fourth Wild Cards book, as the World Health Organisation organises a fact finding junket to find out what impact the Wild Card Virus is having around the world.

There is also a story with an Australian flavor, "Down In The Dreamtime".

Senator Gregg Hartman, secretly 'Puppetman', a mind controlling ace. Along with his own plotting, his is caught up in violence and the plans of Ti Malice, a joker/ace with control powers of its own.

Wild Cards 04 : 01 The Tint of Hatred Prologue - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 04 : 02 The Journal of Xavier Desmond November 30 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 03 The Tint of Hatred One - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 04 : 04 The Journal of Xavier Desmond December 01 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 05 Beasts of Burden - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 04 : 06 The Journal of Xavier Desmond December 08 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 07 The Tint of Hatred Two - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 04 : 08 Blood Rights - Leanne C. Harper
Wild Cards 04 : 09 The Journal of Xavier Desmond December 15 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 10 The Tint of Hatred Three - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 04 : 11 The Journal of Xavier Desmond December 29 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 12 The Tint of Hatred Four - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 04 : 13 The Journal of Xavier Desmond January 16 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 14 Down by the Nile - Gail Gerstner-Miller
Wild Cards 04 : 15 The Journal of Xavier Desmond January 30 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 16 The Tint of Hatred Five - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 04 : 17 The Journal of Xavier Desmond February 07 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 18 The Teardrop of India - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 04 : 19 Down in the Dreamtime - Edward Bryant
Wild Cards 04 : 20 The Journal of Xavier Desmond March 14 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 21 Zero Hour - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 04 : 22 The Journal of Xavier Desmond March 21 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 23 The Journal of Xavier Desmond April 10 - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 04 : 24 Puppets - Victor W. Milán
Wild Cards 04 : 25 Mirror of the Soul - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 04 : 26 Legends - Michael Cassutt
Wild Cards 04 : 27 The Journal of Xavier Desmond April 27 - George R. R. Martin

Sister spots Succubus via Hartmann on tv.

3.5 out of 5

Considers his cancer and the WHO tour.

3 out of 5

Nur's family discussions of ambition, and Hartmann meets a Morgenstern ghost.

3.5 out of 5

The Deck is Stacked.

4 out of 5

Ti Malice gets a lift in Haiti.

5 out of 5

Discusses poet's political putdown and departure, and the minimal joker tour representation.

4 out of 5

Yucatan joker sacrifice news as Sara digs further at Hartmann.

4 out of 5

Mayan Hero Twins' powers seen as religious calling, put to good military use.

4 out of 5

Pondering the Guatemalan joker nation, and the possibilities of a Wild Card in politics.

4 out of 5

The dangers of Rio as Puppetman is loose, and the Nur's hero is impotent.

4 out of 5

Golden Boy not popular in Argentina.

3 out of 5

Sara comes across multiple apartheid.

3 out of 5

Ace powers can't stop droughts or AIDS.

3.5 out of 5

Pregnant Peregrine's power loss means she is no help during an attack on the Egyptian Living Gods. Father revealed.

4 out of 5

Jerusalem Jokertown horrible, as Xavier meets with the Black Dog and talks about opposing the Nur's fanatics.

3.5 out of 5

Puppetman scared as Hartmann feels the Nur's power, and violence erupts.

4 out of 5

Desmond and Braun visit monuments to heroes.

3.5 out of 5

Jayewardene makes surprising discovery about the identity of the King Kong now in Colombo.

4 out of 5

Cajun Cordelia, media girl, gets Dreamtime adventure with Wyungare.

4 out of 5

Paparazzi punchout, as Australia proves a pleasant change.

3 out of 5

Fortunato helps Hiram and others out of Yakuza ace problem.

3.5 out of 5

Jokertown sexual self-loathing.

3.5 out of 5

Desmond wonder what became of the Envoy and his secret peace work.

3.5 out of 5

Mackie the Knife and Gimli the dwarf come for Hartmann. Lucky for some of the others the Harlem Hammer was around.

4 out of 5

Tach and Jack have to come to an understanding France over bombs and Blaise.

3.5 out of 5

Cold war spooks and aces linger.

4 out of 5

A last message as tempers fray at the end of the tour.

3.5 out of 5

Not as good as the others.......2006-05-06

I have to admit, I was looking forward to reading about how the wildcard virus affected the rest of the world, and I guess a fact finding tour is a decent way to work it into the universe, but the premise seemed forced. Maybe the authors intended it that way; or maybe I'm a bit to cynical, but it seems like there would be a more creative way to fit Hartman in with the rest of the wildcard supers.

I liked the ideas that the book seemed to be reaching for...but in most cases the writing seemed flat and the tie-ins between the episodes felt awkward as well. I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the Diamond entries.

What really interested me was the possibility of some of the storylines where they are not shoehorned into the world of Tachyon and company. The idea of a joker nation in central america and the Russian superagent seem like they could really take off if explored further. I'm hoping that they are in future books.

hooray the W.H.O. tour!..........2002-11-15

I LOVED this book in the series, because it explores (for the first time) how Wild Cards affected the rest of the world. We get to travel along with a World Health Organization Fact-Finding Mission, charged with documenting the global affect of Wild Cards. And through their eyes, we get to see how cultures around the world changed and evolved as a result of the virus; I found that was really the final detail I needed to flesh out the Wild Cards universe in my head as a complete alternate reality. The Wild Cards were alive for me after the first three books, but after this one, they were talking to me. =;>

An International Wild Card Novel.......2000-03-18

Aces Abroad is exactly what the title says - American Aces going outside of the US. A delegation of Aces, Jokers, and Nats( all in a Boeing 747 names The Stacked Deck), goes abroad to see the situation of aces outside the US. They go to South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe - in short, a 'round the world' tour. After three books that focused on the US, the much needed international perspective to the story was finally given. Perhaps the highlight of the books was the return of Greg Hartmann, masterfully written by Stephen Leigh. I really liked Leigh's Strings in the first Wild Card book, and his story here, is every bit as well written, and if it isn't as tense, that's a fault of the narration, not opf the author - but wait, we'll get there. Other things worth mentioning - for the first time we get a Joker perpective. Both the continous Journal of Xavier Desmond, and John Miller's story, have an Joker narrater(Des and chrytalis, respectively). We also get answers to several nagging questions - about the Huge Ape with the passion for Blonds, about Tachyon's past, and best of all - a little more information about the Envoy. Priceless. The average level of story telling was rather high. I thought there were only 1 stincker in that pack - Down in Dreamtime, a terrible story about Jack the Aligator Man's niece. I must admit I forgot her name. Ok, but what's wrong witht he books? The greatest complain is the lack of real plot. We get basically adventures. The Stacked Deck arrives at a country, bad stuff happends. then it arrives at a new country, and a new aqdvanture starts. There's little feeling of a continuous story, despite some attempts there. Especially bothering is the fact that at the end, all the stories seem to be about Terrorists. That was somewhat of an overkill. Tachyon, for one, becomes annoying. I won't spoil anything, but he turns out more and more annoying. Snodgrass writes a nice story about him, but I don't like the direction they're taking the character. A Final complaint is that George R R Martin doesn't write a story for the book, but only the journal of Desmond, which isn't good enough for a Martin fan like me. Overall, this is a strong volume. Not as strong as ACES HIGH, maybe, but stronger then JOKERS WILD and then WILD CARDS. If you like the wild Card series, this is a good addition.

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
A thrilling ride

DEAD MAN'S HAND (Wild Cards, No 7)
George R.R. Martin , and John J. Miller
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553285696
Release Date: 1990-07-01

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-01

Dead Man's Hand is set at the same time as the events of Ace In the Hole, during the 1988 Democratic National Convetion.

Chrysalis, a club owner and information broker, has been murdered. She also happened to be a joker with invisible skin.

One time lover Yeoman sets out to find the killer, and so does Jay 'Popinjay' Ackroyd, a classic rumpled private investigator, who also happens to be an ace with teleportation powers.

It is a twisting, turning ride to finally get to the murderer.

A thrilling ride.......2000-11-20

Wild Cards 7, written by George R. R. Martin and John J. Miller is one of the best Wild Cards books so far. Eventhough I don't generally like the mosaic novels, this is a prime example on how it should be done.

It's possible that it is so succesful because there are only two writers, which clearly helps the pace. And ofcourse, the fact that half the book is written by my favorite writer George R. R. Martin, speaks for itself.

Dead Man's Hand is a 'parallel novel' to Wild Cards VI: Ace in the Hole. It follows a plotline that was mentioned in WC6, but not exploared - Chrysalis's murder, and the attempts by Martin's Jay 'Popinjay' Acroyd and Miller's 'Yeoman' Brennan to find the killer.

Popinjay, previously meerely a secondary character, proves to be a classic Martin hero - witty, clever and seemingly superficial, there is more to him than meets the eye, although that is only revealed slowly. I must admit I was disappointed that we won't see the Turtle in this story, but Jay was a suitable compensation.

Yeoman was a different story. Although I have allways liked him, his new love affair with Jennifer 'Wraith' Maloy, is not only unlikely but uninteresting, unlike his past relation with Chrysalis. Now Brennan is little but your average action hero running aroung beating people up and delivering one liners.

As a mystery, the novel works rather well. Certainly the identity of the killer is unexpected. On the other hand, the authors don't quite let you feel this is a Mystery novel - you're too focused on the action/thrilelr plots resolving the story of T-Malice, the master that enslaved so many Wild Cards characters, and the Shadow Fist gang - who try to benefit from Chrysalis's murder.

One of the things I liked best about this novel was the focus on jokers. Although the heros are an ace and a nat, there are more Jokers active in this Wild Cards novel than in any other, many of them showing strength and courage. The Wild Cards series tends to focus on Aces, but I personnaly like the Jokers at least as much, and quite possibly more. The dark side of the Virus, so to speak, can be more fascinating than the more obvious Superhero stuff.

Overall Dead Man's Hand is a thrilling ride, filled with action, advanture, cool ideas, and an extremely powerful climax, in which there is a confrontation between several major characters. The confrontation at the end is one of the Wild Cards' strongest moments, and this novel certainly holds up there with DOWN AND DIRTY, as the best of the Wild Cards so far.

Average customer rating:

Decent reference

RPG for the Wild Cards Book Series.

GURPS Wild Cards
John J. Miller , and Steve Jackson Games
Manufacturer: STEVE JACKSON GAMES
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Aces Abroad (GURPS Wild Cards RPG)

ASIN: 1556341512

Customer Reviews:

Decent reference.......2000-06-14

This GURPS Supers supplement, based on George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards universe, was good, but a little limited. There was an assumption that users would have read the books. Also, the character descriptions were pre-"Ace in the Hole" despite the fact that this book was published *after* "Ace in the Hole."

RPG for the Wild Cards Book Series........1996-09-10

This RPG suppliment details the world of George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards for the GURPS role playing game. The rules are provided in 1st edition format, so translation to 2nd edition is necessary. The time of this RPG suppliment sets it between book 3 and 4 of the first series. A copy of GURPS Basic set, GURPS Supers, and GURPS Psionics is required to play this game to it's full potential

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
enter the Jumpers...
One Eyed Jacks, One starred Reviews

ONE-EYED JACKS (Wild Cards, Vol 8)
George R.R. Martin
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553288520
Release Date: 1991-01-01

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-01

Easily the weakest Wild Card novel so far, there is a good story about the four people that are caught up in the body of the joker/ace, Oddity though. The detail about Jerry Strauss isn't bad, either.

The conflict between Dr. Tachyon and his extremely powerful and untrained relative Blaise, continues to escalate.

The main problem starting here is a group that is able to 'jump' into different bodies, in a mental sense. This makes them very hard to control. Shadowy figures are at the heart of this menace.

Wild Cards 08 : 01 Nobody's Girl - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 08 : 02 Luck Be a Lady - Chris Claremont
Wild Cards 08 : 03 Nobody Knows Me Like My Baby - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 08 : 04 Horses - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 08 : 05 Mr. Nobody Goes to Town - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 08 : 06 Snow Dragon - William F. Wu
Wild Cards 08 : 07 Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 08 : 08 Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing - Victor Milán
Wild Cards 08 : 09 You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 08 : 10 Sixteen Candles - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 08 : 11 My Name Is Nobody - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 08 : 12 The Devil's Triangle - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 08 : 13 Nobody's Home - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 08 : 14 Dead Heart Beating - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 08 : 15 Nobody Gets Out Alive - Walton Simons

Ape recovery

3.5 out of 5

A new Doc in Jokertown.

3.5 out of 5

Shapeshifter settling.

3.5 out of 5

Veronica tries the other team, but goes back.

3.5 out of 5

Jerry does some investigating.

3.5 out of 5

Lazy Dragon shows his other side, amidst aces and jumpers.

4 out of 5

Hiram's trial gets rowdy.

3.5 out of 5

Radical search means no Trips.

4 out of 5

Digging deeper into the Jumpers with Jay.

3.5 out of 5

Interior Oddity, Bloated.

4 out of 5

More PI type stuff.

3 out of 5

Doctors date as Blaise Jumps.

3.5 out of 5

Kenneth killed as Jerry watches.

3 out of 5

Kien's aces, conflicted.

4 out of 5

Jerry corners Latham, fends off Jump.

3.5 out of 5

enter the Jumpers..........2002-11-15

This definitely isn't the best the WC series has to offer, but I still found it a very enjoyable read, if for no other reason than the introduction of the Jumpers, and the Oddity. The story of the Oddity (three people merged into one gigantic, misshapen body) was both beautifully tragic and romantically entertaining, while the Jumpers (seemingly normal kids who have the ability to switch bodies with people by looking into their eyes) thrilled me with the creative possibilities that they presented. I remember when I read this book for the first time, hoping that these characters would be explored further. I was not dissappointed. This is only the beginning for the Jumpers, and in future volumes, it will be seen that they have a very important part yet to play.

One Eyed Jacks, One starred Reviews.......2001-04-04

Well, this is an unfortunate accident. In all eight Wild Cards books, this is easily the worst. Which is a shame, because it came after a series of above average Wild Cards novels (Down and Dirty/Ace in the Hole/The Dead Man's Hand), WC 5 and 7, especially, were the best in the series in my humble opinion.

The list of authors was by itself a bad sign: no George R. R. Martin, no Roger Zelazny, no Pat Cadigan or Walter Jon Williams. In other words, with the exception of Stephen Leigh, the heavy guns of the Wild Cards are missing.

Also, Leigh and Miller, who can generally guarantee entertaining stories about their characters, Greg Hartmann and Yeoman Brennan, aren't writing about them. This is particularly irritating in the case of Leigh, because his Hartmann stories are amoung the best things the WILD CARDS have to offer, and in this point in time, we're especially interested in where they're going.

OK, enough about what there ISN'T in this novel. What IS there? well, the sad truth is, not much, and sadly very little we haven't seen before.

About half of the novel is written by Walton Simons, and details the happening of that guy who used to be the giant Ape. I admit to have little urgent wish to learn about him, and his story, while not particularily bad, isn't very engaging. Also the titles, all puns based on the word Nobody, are particularily weak.

(BTW, I got a suspicion that all the stories'names here are based on titles of Rock songs. But that might just be because Lewish Shiner used 'Horses' the name of Patti Smith's classic, for a completely Horses free story).

Anyway, the plot, as far as there is one, focuses on a new bunch of ace kids, who can switch bodies with you and kill you. Sounds unexciting? It is. Not nearly as interesting as villains as the Astronomer was, they seem to be made of the 'forgettable' kind. I'm awfully uninterested in them.

Snodgras gives us another Tachyon soap opera. After I almost learned to like him again in Martin and Miller's The Dead Man's Hand, Snodgras abuses her little character again. She really shouldn't have been allowed to write any more Tachy stories after her very first 'Degredation Rites'. This one is particularily awful, as it involves Tachyon's falling for a doctor in the clinique ( who had LOVE INTEREST written all over her), and Blaise's final move into the dark side. This I found completely unappealing. Blaise seemed much more interesting as a guy who was neither here or there, someone both good and bad. Making him finally a villain just made him tedious. Although, Snodgras does give him some great lines "It was FUN being a terrorist'.

Miller gives us a story about conspiracies within the Shadow Fist organisation. That was pretty well executed, even if it didn't always make much sense. Definetly the best use of those jumper kids in the book.

The best piece here was, not unexpectedly, Leigh's story 'sixteen candles'. A pretty good tale about The Oddity, a threesome locked into one body, and their advanture. It is well written, but it suffers from a tame plot and uninteresting background character. Also the Oddity, as fun as he/she/it is, isn't nearly as interesting as the Puppetman.

Book Description

On September 15, 1946, a biological weapon created by an alien race was accidentally detonated above the streets of New York City, killing countless numbers of men, women, and children. But those who survived the initial explosion soon began to wish they had died also, once they discovered they had been forever mutated by the virus unleashed in the blast. . . .

When the first volume in the Wild Cards series made its debut in 1986, it caused a sensation in the science fiction and fantasy communities. Here were stories of superpowered beings in a real world setting, detailing the lives of Â³AcesÂ²?those given superhuman powers by the Â³Wild CardsÂ² virus?and Â³JokersÂ²?those whom the virus transformed into freaks and monsters. Over the course of fifteen volumes, the world created by editor George R.R. Martin and some of SFÂ¹s most talented writers was explored through the eyes of both Aces and Jokers across the globe.

In this all-new collection of Wild Cards stories, the spotlight is on the most unusual Wild Cards of them all?the Deuces. As youÂ¹ll discover in this thrilling collection, their role in the Wild Cards Universe is just as important as that of the Aces and the Jokers. In fact, their actions have affected the course of Wild Cards history.

Set in an alternate, shared-world universe, Deuces Down is the one place youÂ¹ll find such never-before-told tales as John J. MillerÂ¹s exciting 1969 World Series between the Baltimore Orioles and the Brooklyn Dodgers; Michael CassuttÂ¹s first moon landing, when the whole world wasnÂ¹t watching; Walton SimonsÂ¹ Great New York City Blackout of 1977; Melinda M. SnodgrassÂ¹s account of Grace KellyÂ¹s mysterious disappearance during the filming of The French LieutenantÂ¹s Woman. ItÂ¹s a strange and terrifying world, where anything can happen. A world of Wild Cards.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-01

Another good instalment in the Wild Card series, even if much delayed. Focusing on aces with powers of seemingly little consequence, some of whom are jokers as well, this book is a little more upbeat, or even lighthearted at times.

Plenty of aces make cameos, even Cameo, not to mention Demise. So lots of old favorites are around. Peregrine's son, also, as a teenager.

Fidel Castro has a different job, and Grace Kelly's husband has been very good for her, as two of the more tongue-in-cheek tales unfold.

You like Wild Cards, or this sort of thing, you will certainly like this. This book a series of stories, again.

Wild Cards 16 : 01 Storming Space - Michael Cassutt
Wild Cards 16 : 02 Four Days in October - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 16 : 03 Walking the Floor Over You - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 16 : 04 A Face for the Cutting Room Floor - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 16 : 05 Father Henry's Little Miracle - Daniel Abraham
Wild Cards 16 : 06 Promises - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 16 : 07 With a Flourish and a Flair - Kevin Andrew Murphy

Shoestring spaceflight triangle.

4 out of 5

Kid reporter baseball investigation.

3.5 out of 5

Comedy babe's secret Sleeper save.

3.5 out of 5

Centaur porn and the beauty secrets of the famous.

4 out of 5

Priest protection to prevent a Demise.

3 out of 5

Petrified of family life.

3 out of 5

Hats in fashion unto the seventh generation.

4 out of 5

Never received the book ..........2005-09-23

It has been 5 weeks since I ordered this book and I'vs not seen any sign of it or received any notice of a shipping delay.

I would not deal with this seller again.

3.5 stars really ... Worth a read..........2004-02-14

It was nice to visit the wild cards again... especially the Sleeper... However it was a bit sad knowing that Zelazny was not at the helm of that story... I also miss the Turtle and some of the other gang... but i guess this was a book for the deuces... i hope that there is another effort to revitalise this series. with GRR Martin's massive popularity (very deserved i might add) there should be an effot to get some writters together and have some adventures... Now that the jumpers and the rox is gone, hopefully we can get back to the 3 books per villain structure... although it will be hard to top the astromomer, or the swarm...

It was nice to go back and visit again... but next time i want aces and jokers...

One story stands out........2003-12-21

My perspective on this collection of stories is different than the other reviewers,because this is the first and only collection from the Wild Card series that I have read. To be honest, I did not think much of the stories in general, but one story stood out as excellent.

Daniel Abraham's story, "Father Henry's Little Miracle" is the best short story I have read in sometime. The two main characters of the story are Father Henry and Gina. When I had read the story, I really wanted to take Father Henry out for a beer, and I really wanted to sleep with Gina.

The Return of a Great Series.......2003-03-12

Browsing in a bookstore circa 1986 I came upon the first Wild Cards book. Curious, I bought it . .. and devoured it in a night.That set a patern I would follow with the release of all the subsequent books. The premise, the shared milieu, the contributions of the various writers, the twists, turns, and thrills, it was just so much fun. Like other fans, I was sorry when the series seemed to end, but I understood that the death of Roger Zelazny might want to make the others involved retire the concept. What cause for celebration then to see the Wild Cards resurrected! So, okay, this is not the most exciting entry in the series, dealing as it does with deuces, wild carders who powers seem to be useless. Not so, of course, the authors are quite ingenious at making those useless powers pivotal. There are cameos by some old favorite characters, and the last story, involving a frantic search for a specific top hat, is quite entertaining. But this book does differ from its predecessors in that it does not begin, suspensefully continue, or slam-bang conclude a story arc. I miss that Saturday serial kind of anticipatory excitement, and uneasily wonder if that means the series will not be continued any time soon. If not, too bad. I always left the Wild Cards world wanting more. I always hoped for a story about the Harlem Hammer, or the Troll, and like most fans, wondered whatever happened next to the Radical. C'mon, George R. R. Martin and co., don't leave us hanging!

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Welcome to the Rox...
Wild Cards Has "Jumped" the Shark
An Improvement

JOKERTOWN SHUFFLE (Wild Cards, Vol 9)
George R.R. Martin
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553291742
Release Date: 1991-08-01

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-01

Jokertown Shuffle is of similar quality to the last Wild Cards books. We learn more about Bloat and the Rox, and we discover who the man behind the Jumpers is.

Dr. Tachyon is still annoying, as he becomes involved with yet another woman, and Blaise is still causing problems.

The best part of the book is the mysterious character of Black Shadow getting a star turn, at last.

Wild Cards 09 : 01 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 01 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 02 And Hope to Die - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 09 : 03 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 02 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 04 Lovers 1 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 05 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 03 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 06 Lovers 2 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 07 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 04 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 08 Madman across the Water - Victor Milan
Wild Cards 09 : 09 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 05 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 10 Lovers 3 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 11 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 06 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 12 While Night's Black Agents to Their Preys Do Rouse 1 - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 09 : 13 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 07 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 14 Riders - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 09 : 15 Nobody Does It Alone - Walton Simons
Wild Cards 09 : 16 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 08 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 17 Lovers 4 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 18 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 09 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 19 While Night's Black Agents to Their Preys Do Rouse 2 - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 09 : 20 Lovers 5 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 21 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 10 - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 09 : 22 Lovers 6 - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 09 : 23 The Temptation of Hieronymus Bloat 11 - Stephen Leigh

Who is that Bloat guy, anyway?

3.5 out of 5

Brennan and Wraith attacked, Kien Fadeout.

4.5 out of 5

Inner circle looks at the situation.

3.5 out of 5

Docs do it as Blaise descends into Jumper incest crossgender rape.

4 out of 5

Bloat's Walls are shaky.

3 out of 5

Tach discovers gender bladder issues as Blaise continues.

3 out of 5

Latham strategises.

3 out of 5

Drug raids, Rox life, and Trips has to get Flash.

4 out of 5

Durg goes Rox as pressure builds.

3.5 out of 5

Tach pregnant, tad distressed.

3 out of 5

Prime discussions.

3 out of 5

Shadow shakes it, as Sleeper wakes.

4 out of 5

Cage doc.

3 out of 5

Revelations for Veronica and Jerry, sort of secret Aces.

3.5 out of 5

Jerry gets what he wants as he puts his finger on a large part of the problem.

4 out of 5

Gathering of forces.

3 out of 5

Tachyon resistance.

3.5 out of 5

Peanut's death changes Bloat.

3 out of 5

Durg vs Shad as the assault musters.

4 out of 5

Turtles swim better than Takisians.

3.5 out of 5

Bloat rallies as attack begins.

3.5 out of 5

The Turtle has a geometric intervensionist brainwave, and Tach has more than one Baby now.

3.5 out of 5

Penguin tells Bloat a new trick.

3.5 out of 5

Welcome to the Rox..........2002-11-15

The other reviews I've read here seem overly harsh to me. The only fantasy I've ever enjoyed was Tolkien, and I'm an avid reader (and critic) of Science Fiction, and I Loved this book, comic book elements and all. Yeah, Tachyon (or, more accurately, Melinda Snodgrass) is getting really boring really quickly, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything else about this book. We are first introduced to Bloat in this book and the events that unfold around him from here on out in the series (the Rox War) I thought were some of the most exciting and well-written of the entire series. I would say this book is well worth the read.

Wild Cards Has "Jumped" the Shark.......2002-08-21

I've read the first 5 or 6 books in the series, and with the possible exception of Aces Abroad, I would recommend them. But maybe something went wrong in the last few books, because this one just plain stinks.

Character development has largely been traded for character complication, especially in Tachyon's case.

The series has always been more sci-fi than science fiction, but you'll need a crane to suspend your disbelief at some of the contrivances here, including a gang of bodysnatchers, two trips to alternate worlds, and a joker who can apparently manifest anything at all from thin air.

The Black Shadow passages are the one bright spot. Shadow is long overdue for development, and it was worth the wait. He emerges as an interesting character, and delivers the most satisfying action sequences to boot.

And to be fair, Bloat is a well-developed and believable character. However, I found him surprisingly boring.

The Wild Cards series used to be well-written and fairly sophisticated. Not unlike Alan Moore's Watchmen, it was an interesting, adult, and very believable look at superheroes. Now it has degenerated into a typical comic book.

An Improvement.......2001-05-09

After the terrible 'One eyed Jacks', the Wild Cards make a return to form of a sort with 'Jokertown' shuffle. Of a sort, I say, because even though I enjoyed this book way more than the last one, I still think the Wild Cards have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

Start with the good? Well, the good is Walton Simon, who wrote another 'nobody' story, and this time more succesfully than other times, maybe because he doesn't have to carry a whole book on his back. Even Lewish Shiner surprises us with a story almost decent - how unbelievable is that?

The Really good is Stephen Leigh and Walter Jon Williams. Boy do these guys deliver. The Wild Cards need way many more writers like them. I've heard good things about 'Black Shadow', and it is all true. He's become one of my favorite characters. Strong, vicious, and ultimately just.

Leigh's Bloat is one of the main narratives in this Wild Cards book, and while I don't QUITE like his stuff as much as I like the Puppetman, but this is also high quality fiction.

The Bad, though, is the general story. The Jumpers were a mistake, making St. Lethem the villain was a mistake, some of the plot twists concerning Bloat seems like a mistake, and the entire Blaise character ark ( and some might say his entire character) have been misconcieved.

However, the REALLY bad is Melinda Snodgras's Tachyon.

What happened to the woman who wrote what is still one of the best Wild Cards stories out there 'Degredation Rites'? That story had real emotion, cleverness, subtlty. But this...

Her story in WC 9, 'Lovers' is an awful 'hit you over the head' feminist message thing. OK, so Tachy's a chauvinist, what else is new? The story is so weak, pathetic and uninteresting, it actually ruined several stories which were more or less related. The dignity of Tachyon is all gone ( I believe I've discussed the over-exosure of the character back in WC4. Boy, was I right). I do hope they'll kill Tach off and Snodgras will either try and write more stuff like 'degredation rites' or go away.

Because, at the end of the day, we need more stuff like 'Degredation Rites' to make the WC world interesting again. The Wild Cards aren't SUPERHERO stories - they're, at their best, an action and plot oriented attack on the problems of society using Science Fiction. Plotlines like the 'Jampers' only make the story weaker, because mindless action we can get elsewhere. The entire Jampers ark is, for this reader, insubstantial and reeking of Fantasy, not even wild Science Fiction.

Maybe this review has been too harsh. Jokertown Shuffle is entertaining. But to me, the Wild Cards can be much more than that, and I hope it'll return to form soon.

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