W200402 February 2004 Monthly Baen Bundle

This Scepter'd Isle

by Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis

The Rackham Files

by Dean Ing

Four and Twenty Blackbirds - Lackey

by Mercedes Lackey

The Warmasters

by David Weber, Eric Flint and David Drake

Conrad's Time Machine

by Leo Frankowski

Sergeant Kendra Pacelli is innocent, but that doesn't matter to the repressive government pursuing her. Mistakes might be made, but they are never acknowledged, especially when billions of embezzled dollars earned from illegal weapons sales are at stake. But where does one run when all Earth and most settled planets are under the aegis of one government? Answer: The Freehold of Grainne. There, one may seek asylum and build a new life in a society that doesn't track its residents every move, which is just what Pacelli has done. But now things are about to go royally to hell. Because Earth's government has found out where she is, and they want her back. Or dead.

W200401 January 2004 Monthly Baen Bundle

Ring of Fire

by Eric Flint

Demon's Gate

by Steve White

The Reaches

by David Drake

Freehold

by Michael Z. Williamson

Janus

by Andre Norton

Fallen Angels

by Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven and Michael Flynn

If the Demon Gate is Opened,
Nothing Can Ever Close it Again . . .

Valdar, heir to the throne of Dhulon, was in the fabled city-state of Schaerisa to pay his kingdom's respects to the recently deceased co-emperor. But then he ran into his old mentor, the sorcerer Nyrthim—who was supposed to be dead. The sorcerer's death had been faked so that he could be free to investigate tales that demons, once banished, were returning to the world. And unfortunately, the tales understated the danger. Once demons ranging from deadly imps to evil demigods had ruled the world. They had been cast out and confined to the nether world only with powerful sorcery, using spells long lost. Now someone is trying to summon the most powerful—and unspeakably dangerous—of these accursed creatures back to the world of men, hoping to conquer it through them. And unless Valdar and his companions at arms can thwart the plan, creatures evil beyond all human conception will return to rule the world. And this time, nothing will drive them back into the darkness. Instead darkness will rule the world forever . . .

Fantasy Adventure by the Co-Author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Shiva Option

[Steve White's The Disinherited is] "Highly recommended for [all readers] who like exciting extraterrestrial battle scenes served up with a measure of thought and science," —Kliatt

"White perfectly blends background information, technical and historical details, vivid battle scenes and well-written characters. . . a great package." —Starlog

"Mr. White commands our interest . . . and engages our empathy with his nicely developed cast of characters."
—Romantic Times

Thundering Space Adventure
from the Best-Selling Author
of Hammer's Slammers

A thousand years ago, the human empire collapsed. Now mankind is reclaiming the galaxy, and ships hurtle between the stars, hoping to reap the rich opportunities of this new age of trade and exploration. But there are wars springing up, with new tyrants seizing whole planets, while other planets are rebelling against the powers that hold them captive. And lurking in the dark spaces between the stars are pirates, plundering all sides in the conflicts. It is the golden age of space travel, and it is possible for a brave man or woman to become very wealthy-or very dead.

"A violent, hard-nosed swashbuckler, set forth with discernment and skill." —Kirkus Reviews

"Drake uses military language fluently to create vivid combat scenes." —Publishers Weekly

"Hard-hitting SF adventure-a tale that will appeal to fans of military SF." —Library Journal

"A cleverly set up, Poul Anderson-style reprise of the early Elizabethan period, when 'trade' and 'piracy' were synonyms . . . enormously entertaining!" —Detroit News

Return to the Alternate Universe of 1632 and 1633 as the Top Writers of Alternate History and Military SF Join Forces in the Shared-Universe Volume of the Year

The battle between democracy and tyranny is joined, and the American Revolution has begun over a century ahead of schedule. A cosmic accident has shifted a modern West Virginia town back through time and space to land it and its twentieth century technology in Germany in the middle of the Thirty Years War. History must take a new course as American freedom and democracy battle against the squabbling despots of seventeenth-century Europe.

Continuing the story begun in the hit novels 1632 and 1633, the New York Times best-selling creator of Honor Harrington, David Weber, the best-selling fantasy star Mercedes Lackey, space adventure author K. D. Wentworth, Dave Freer, co-author of the hit novels Rats, Bats & Vats and Pyramid Scheme (both Baen), and Eric Flint himself combine their considerable talents in a shared-universe volume that will be a "must-have" for every reader of 1632 and 1633.

Praise for 1632 and 1633:

"[Eric Flint's 1632 is] a rich complex alternate history with great characters and vivid action. A great read and an excellent book." -David Drake

"[1633 is] thoughtful and exciting . . . highly recommended. . . ." -Publishers Weekly

"[Readers] of Flint's 1632 will see its strengths in its sequel right from the beginning . . . The same formidable historiography, wit . . . intelligently ferocious women, and mouth-watering displays of alternate technology are again on view . . . [many readers] will turn every page and cry for more, which the authors intend to provide." -Booklist

". . . Weber and Flint take historic speculation to a new level in a tale [1633] that combines accurate historical research with bold leaps of the imagination. Fans of alternate history and military sf should enjoy this rousing tale of adventure and intrigue." -Library Journal

The Demon Chernobog—
Foiled but Not Conquered
in The Shadow of the Lion—
is Back to Conquer Sixteenth-Century Venice!

Chernobog had come within a hair of seizing absolute power in Venice, but was thwarted by the guardian Lion-spirit, who awoke to protect his city from the power-mad demon. But the power of the Lion is limited to Venice, and Chernobog has a new ally in the King of Hungary, who has beseiged the island of Corfu to seize control of the Adriatic from Venice. Trapped on the island is the small band of heroes who awoke the Lion and thwarted Chernobog before. Far from the Lion's help, Manfred and Erik lead guerrillas against the foe, and Maria discovers ancient magical powers on the island. If she can make alliance with them, she may be able to repel the invaders—but not without paying a bitter personal price. . . .

Praise for the Prequel, The Shadow of the Lion:

"The prolific Lackey and cohorts Flint and Freer whip up a luscious bouillabaisse of politics, intrigue, love and black magic set in an "Other-worldly, New-Age Venice. . . ." The authors' use of contemporary American vernacular . . . instead of pompous period speech keeps the pages turning fast. . . ."
—Publishers Weekly

"[A] massive concoction of alternate history, high fantasy, and historical romance set in the sixteenth-century Venice of an alternate world . . . rich plotting, vivid characterization, and splendid evocation of Renaissance ethics and culture should make readers turn all the pages."
—Booklist

". . . a sweeping alternate history. .. .The authors deftly wield the juxtaposition of fantasy and history into a finely crafted story."
—Romantic Times

"[A] top pick . . . fast-paced action and complex, believable settings." —The Bookwatch

Two complete novels in one huge volume: The Ship Who Won: Like Helva, the Ship Who Sang, Carialle was born severely physically disadvantaged; and like Helva, Carialle decided she would strap on a spaceship. Her brawn is a guy named Keff. Searching the galaxy for intelligent beings, they found fuzzy little aliens, polite and eager to please. Unfortunately, they were slaves to a race of sorcerers, who possess powers of frightening potency, and who were neither polite nor the least bit eager to please.

The Ship Errant: Carialle and Keff had succeeded in liberating the "globe-frogs" from their servitude to dictatorial humans, but now they must return them from whence they came. And to get there, they must transit a sector where Carialle was stopped and boarded, experiencing a trauma so intense it nearly destroyed her mind. And it's beginning to look as if the beings who caused this are the very globe-frogs they have just made friends with. . . .

ANNE McCAFFREY & JODY LYNN NYE

Two Top-Selling Sequels to Anne McCaffrey's The Ship Who Sang in One Volume

"Fast, furious and fun." —Chicago Sun-Times

"Bright and bubbly entertainment." —Kirkus Reviews

"Oodles of fun." —Locus

"Readers will find themselves riveted by the nonstop action adventure that constantly surpasses even the most jaded reader's expectations, and by a relationship as beautiful as it is indestructible." —Affaire de Coeur

TIMES OUT OF JOINT

All Will Sverdrup wanted was to play Hamlet in an amateur production. He never counted on getting sucked back in time, into the body of the original, historical Hamlet in 6th Century Denmark.

His fellow actors (along with the real Hamlet) never expected to be transported to an alternate universe where Shakespeare's play was real—with them perfectly placed to live (and die) their parts.

But that's what happened. Now they have to decide—do they play their roles out, all the way to the bloodbath at the end, or do they try to break the play and save their lives

The play may be stronger than they are. And if it's not, there's always the giant, tentacled monster that hitched a ride with them, a complication Shakespeare never foresaw....

Praise for Year of the Warrior by Lars Walker:

". . . many fierce battles, both with men and with sendings from the other gods ... a Norse saga . . . introspective and bloody." —VOYA

". . . rowdy action and a realistic look at the human and spiritual costs of religious and cultural conversion."
—Florida Today

DANGER HUMAN

The Universe is not a nice neighborhood, and the neighbors may be downright hostile—but you can't keep a good human down! A master of science fiction adventure looks at what happens when powerful aliens meet puny humans, with results ranging from chilling to utterly hilarious.

Getting along in the Universe can be pretty tricky, but those monkey-boys and girls from Earth can get pretty tricky themselves when the situation requires it. And if you bet on the side of the mighty alien armadas that have conquered half the galaxy, you're just liable to end up on the losing side, because you too have overlooked

THE HUMAN EDGE

"Dickson is one of SF's standard-bearers."
—Publishers Weekly

"Dickson has a true mastery of pacing and fine understanding of human nature."
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"A masterful science fiction writer."
—Milwaukee Journal

It's Time to Remember the
Alamo All Over Again!

In the long war against terrorism, the US Government had taken on extraordinary powers. And now that the war was won, powerful forces in the government had no intention of relinquishing those powers. As in 1860, the country was on the verge of civil war. And as in 1860, a leader arose to save the country—but it was not the President this time. Instead, the Governor of Texas was the woman of destiny. And, though the Federal Government had more guns and troops, David was about to give Goliath a run for his money. . . .

"Probably the most realistic depiction of a second American Revolution ever written." —John Ringo

W200312 December 2003 Monthly Baen Bundle

This Rough Magic

by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Dave Freer

A State of Disobedience

by Tom Kratman

The Ship Who Saved the Worlds

by Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye

Paying the Piper

by David Drake

Blood and Judgement

by Lars Walker

Two Top-Selling Sequels
to Anne McCaffrey's
The Ship Who Sang
in One Volume

Two novels in one large volume, both set in the same universe as The Ship Who Sang: The Ship Who Searched: Tia, a bright and spunky seven-year old contracted an unknown neural disorder which made her lose control of her body. So she became a shell person—controlling a spaceship as if it were her body and searching for the origin of the disease that laid her low, so that no other little girl will ever suffer the fate of The Ship Who Searched. PartnerShip: Nancia is a brand new member of the elite Courier Service of the Central Worlds. She's the "brains" of an advanced interstellar ship. The last thing she needed was a cynical "brawn" partner like Forister. But idealistic Nancia and worldly-wise Forister together just might save the galaxy. Neither of them would be satisfied to go through life in a glorified wheelchair; like Helva, The Ship Who Sang, they decided to strap on a spaceship!

"Quite entertaining . . . captures the spirit of The Ship Who Sang . . . a single, solid plot. . . ." —Locus

"Splendidly paced and filled with lively characters . . . [PartnerShip is] excellent entertainment." —Rave Reviews

"A perfect combination of SF, adventure, and romance, this is sure to please a wide variety of readers." —Kliatt

"[The Ship Who Searched is] superb . . . Lackey and McCaffrey have created a marvelous love story in an exciting science fictional setting and then topped it all off with an ingeniously spiffy resolution." —Rave Reviews

Paradise Lost

In the future there is no want, no war, no disease nor ill-timed death. The world is a paradise—and then, in a moment, it ends. The council that controls the Net falls out and goes to war. Everywhere people who have never known a moment of want or pain are left wondering how to survive.

But scattered across the face of the earth are communities which have returned to the natural life of soil and small farm. In the village of Raven's Mill, Edmund Talbot, master smith and unassuming historian, finds that all the problems of the world are falling in his lap. Refugees are flooding in, bandits are roaming the woods, and his former lover and his only daughter struggle through the Fallen landscape. Enemies, new and old, gather like jackals around a wounded lion.

But what the jackals do not know is that while old he may be, this lion is far from death. And hidden in the past is a mystery that has waited until this time to be revealed. You cross Edmund Talbot at your peril, for a smith is not all he once was. . . .

Praise for the Science Fiction of John Ringo

"MARVELOUS!" —David Weber

"Explosive. . . . Fans of strong military SF will appreciate Ringo's lively narrative and flavorful characters. . . . One of the best new practitioners of military SF." —Publishers Weekly

". . . since his imagination, clearly influenced by Kipling and rock and roll, is fertile, and his storytelling skill sound, [When the Devil Dances] is irresistible." —Booklist

". . . fast-paced military sf peopled with three-dimensional characters and spiced with personal drama as well as tactical finesse." —Library Journal

"If Tom Clancy were writing SF, it would read much like John Ringo . . . good reading with solid characterizations—a rare combination." —Philadelphia Weekly Press

"Ringo provides a textbook example of how a novel in the military SF subgenre should be written. . . . Crackerjack storytelling." —Starlog

W200311 November 2003 Monthly Baen Bundle

There Will be Dragons

by John Ringo

Tinker

by Wen Spencer

Brain Ships

by Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey and Margaret Ball

War of Honor

by David Weber

For King and Country

by Robert Asprin and Linda Evans

The Helverti Invasion

by John Dalmas

Vampires are Real—
but Everything You Thought You
Knew About Them is Wrong!

When freelance information specialist Jason Wood found that a suspected drug kingpin didn't appear on photographs, he decided to investigate, suspecting that the kingpin was actually a vampire. But things wouldn't turn out to be that simple, and he soon found he was in danger from the last person he would have suspected. Trying to survive in a bizarre night world, Jason learns not only that vampires and werewolves really exist, but that they are part of a universe stranger than he ever imagined. . . .

The new United States in central Germany launches a one-plane Doolittle Raid on Paris, France. The target: their arch-enemy, Cardinal Richelieu. Meanwhile, an ambassador from the Mughal Empire of northern India is being held captive in Austria by the Habsburg dynasty. Mike Stearns decides to send a mercenary company to rescue him, led by two seventeenth-century mercenary officers: an Englishman and a Irishman, who seem to spend as much time fighting each other as they do the enemy.

Mike Spehar's "Collateral Damage" and Chris Weber's "The Company Men" are just two of the stories contained in this second volume of the Grantville Gazette. In other stories:

— a prominent Italian musician decides to travel to Grantville to investigate the music of the future;

— an American archer and a Finnish cavalryman become friends in the middle of a battlefield;

— a Lutheran pastor begins a theological challenge to the establishment based on his interpretation of the Ring of Fire;

— American and German detectives become partners to investigate a murder;

— and, in the first part of Danita Ewing's serialized short novel, An Invisible War, the new United States founds a medical school in Jena despite resistance from up-timers and down-timers alike.

The second volume of Grantville Gazette also contains factual articles which explain some of the technical background for the 1632 series, including articles on practical geology, telecommunications, and seventeenth-century swordsmanship.

Breathtaking Space Adventure
 by a Master of
Interplanetary Science Fiction,
Including a Hugo Award-Winner

"Murray Leinster was not only a very good writer, he was a pioneer. . . . The wondrous thing about his work is that those great, trend-setting stories read as fresh and timely today as they did all those years ago." —Frederik Pohl

"The Dean of modern science fiction." —Time

". . . robust and adventurous." —The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

W200310 October 2003 Monthly Baen Bundle

The Far Side of the Stars

by David Drake

Expanded Universe

by Robert A. Heinlein

The Deed of Paksenarrion

by Elizabeth Moon

Digital Knight

by Ryk E. Spoor

Planets of Adventure

by Murray Leinster
edited by Eric Flint

The Immortality Option

by James P. Hogan

Move Over, Buffy! Tinker Not Only Kicks
Supernatural Butt—
She's a Techie Genius, Too!

Inventor, girl genius Tinker lives in a near-future Pittsburgh which now exists mostly in the land of the elves. She runs her salvage business, pays her taxes, and tries to keep the local ambient level of magic down with gadgets of her own design. When a pack of wargs chase an Elven noble into her scrap yard, life as she knows it takes a serious detour. Tinker finds herself taking on the Elven court, the NSA, the Elven Interdimensional Agency, technology smugglers and a college-minded Xenobiologist as she tries to stay focused on what's really important – her first date. Armed with an intelligence the size of a planet, steel toed boots, and a junk yard dog attitude, Tinker is ready to kick butt to get her first kiss.

Wen Spencer

"Each and every character is fascinating, extraordinarily well-developed, and gets right under your skin. . . . A terrific, memorable story." —Julie E. Czerneda, author of In the Company of Others

"Spencer takes her readers on a fast-paced journey into disbelief. [Her] timing is impeccable and the denouement stunning." —Romantic Times (four-star review)

"This novel [Alien Taste] is keeper-shelf material." —BookBrowser

"Wonderfully inventive . . . a fun protagonist." —Locus