Martin, George R. R. (ed): Wild Cards, intro and books 1-3

[rachelmanija]

At long last and as promised, I am beginning to write up one of my more guilty pleasures, the 15-book (or so) Wild Card series edited by George R. R. Martin

Comments

[coffeeandink]

I await v12 with vast anticipation.

[rachelmanija]

It was written by Melinda Snodgrass, who was also responsible for a Star Trek novel called Tears of the Singers, in which Lt. Uhura meets a tormented and temperamental genius musician with a disease that will kill him if he over-exerts himself. He insults her, she puts him in his place, and then it turns out that there are these baby seal aliens who are being clubbed because when they die, they shed a single tear that turns into a beautiful gem. Only they are also engaged in singing a song that prevents their sun from going nova, and now their song is being disrupted because they're being clubbed.

So the tormented genius musician-- did I mention that he has tousled black hair and brilliant green eyes?-- is drafted to back up Uhura as she communicates with them via music.

SPOILERS

He overexerts himself and dies in her arms. A baby seal alien spontaneously sheds a single tear, which Uhura makes into a memorial necklace.

Many bits I encountered in fanfic were familiar to me solely due to having previously read Melinda Snodgass.

[coffeeandink]

I am pretty sure I read that in my phase of reading Trek novels because the ones by Diane Duane, Barbara Hambly, and John M. Ford were pretty good.

[juliansinger]

Janet Kagan wrote one, too. _I_ liked it, at least.

[rachelmanija]

Uhura's Song. I liked it too.

[juliansinger]

Until this moment, I would have said that book was indescribable.

I long ago gave it away (because owning it embarrassed me) but occasionally, I get an echo of it that makes me grin.

[lnhammer]

Which makes clear something I'd long suspected: that Snodgrass learned too much from reading Tiptree.

---L.

[rachelmanija]

How's that?

[adrian_turtle]

_Brightness Falls From The Air_