Maxima Library

Although “Front Man” marks Greg Abraham’s first solo appearance in these pages, it is his second story for Asimov’s. His earlier tale, “Mr. Sartorious” (Mid-December 1994), was co-written with Mary Rosenblum. Mr. Abraham has sold stories to Aboriginal, Aberrations, Century, and New Legends. He’s just finished his first SF novel—it’s set in the same far future that Ms. Rosenblum borrowed for her story “Flight” (Asimov’s, February 1995)—and he’s embarking on a new book.

Charles L. Harness was born in West Texas in 1915. He has a BS in chemistry, and an LLB, and he is a member of the Maryland and DC bars. “Before I retired, I was a senior attorney in the patent department of a large chemical manufacturer. I’ve published about ten novels and several dozen shorter items, all SF. Major loves: my wife, our children, our grandchildren, music, chess.” The magical tale that follows is his first story for Asimov’s.

With his June 1995 novelette, “Think Like a Dinosaur,” James Patrick Kelly has entered the ranks of Hugo-Award-winning authors. He tells us his newest tale “is one of those stories with a long incubation period. Although it makes no reference to the stories, it is conceptually of a piece with ‘Home Front’ (June 1988) and ‘Pogrom’ (January 1991).” After walking around for two years with the title of the story on a scrap of paper in his wallet, the author “slammed out a first draft in five days while teaching at Clarion in 1996—just to prove to the whippersnappers (and myself) that I could still produce at panic speed.” The final version is about a third again as long and much changed from its original incarnation. Mr. Kelly’s first short story collection, Think Like a Dinosaur and Other Stories, is just out from Golden Gryphon Press.

Sonia Orin Lyris takes on our vast, and sometimes incomprehensible, universe in a compact tale that sweeps across the eons.

Two British writers add their own bizarre spin to a familiar American tale. Veteran Asimov’s author Paul J. McAuley’s most recent story for us, “Second Skin,” was published in our April 1997 issue. Kim Newman, who is making his first appearance j in our pages, is the author of a large number of fiction and nonfiction books, short stories, and articles.

Some of his most recent and best known works are The Bloody Red Baron (Carroll & Graf/Avon, 1995), Anno Dracula (Carroll & Graf/Avon, 1992), and with Stephen Jones, Horror: 100 Best Books (Carroll & Graf, 1992).

Mr. Newman and Mr. McAuley are also the co-editors of In Dreams (Gollancz, 1992), an anthology of stories about popular music/culture.

Rebecca Ore has published seven novels since 1988. The latest, Gaia’s Toys, has just come out in trade paperback from Tor Books. Her last story for Asimov’s, “Hypocaust & Baythesphere” (January 1995), was a time travel story set in medieval England. In her newest tale, Ms. Ore peers deep into America’s own past to reveal some complex and unsettling secrets.

The author began “writing stories in the fourth grade, some time around the Mesozoic Era, and kept on writing through degrees in biology (BA, Reed College) and psychology (MS, Portland State University), and work as a bacteriologist, a librarian, and a preschool gym teacher. In between two children, a black belt in kung fu, and a chiropractic career, I’ve sold two science fiction novels and three dozen short stories. My two novels from DAW are Jaydium and Northlight.” Her most recent sales include stories to F&SF, Realms of Fantasy, Sisters of the Night, Ancient Enchantresses, and Tales from Jabba’s Palace.

“Mother Africa” is her first tale for Asimov’s.