Fawcett, Bill & THOMSEN, Brian, eds. Masters of Fantasy.

FAWCETT, Bill & THOMSEN, Brian, eds. Masters of fantasy. Baen. 563p. c2004. 1-4165-0927-5. $7.99. SA*

In this who's who of the fantasy genre, authors such as David Weber, Janny wurts, Andre Norton, and David Drake enchant readers with new stories featuring the fantastic worlds and/or characters that made them famous. Short stories include Mercedes Lackey's "Out of the Deep," the tale of a prince of Valdemar's dangerous internship, and Alan Dean Foster's "Serenade," a new story in the Spellsinger series featuring a treacherous and surprising mission. A perfect introduction to the fantasy genre, this collection offers readers a starting place where they can explore a wide range of writing styles. Robert Asprin's and Jody Lynn Nye's whimsical senses of humor makes for hilarious reading in "Mything in Dreamland," while the suspense of Mickey Zucker Reichert's "Race for the Sky" will haunt readers who have personally visited or viewed the Empire State Building.

Readers to whom locations such as the Isles and Witchworld are new will be inclined to seek out the original novels in these series for additional details of these worlds. Longtime readers of these series will enjoy revisiting well-loved settings and finding familiar characters engaged in new adventures. They will also appreciate Brian Thomsen's introduction that describes the emerging respectability of the fantasy genre. Compelling and entertaining reading, this collection is highly recommended for fantasy readers who want to test an author's style before committing to an entire series and for new readers of fantasy who are looking for an overview of the genre. Ginger Armstrong, Prin. Lib. Assoc, County PL, Chesterfield, VA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.