Must have Books - Top Ten Most Popular Books in January

	1 The Mission by Robert G. Pielke What might have been; might actually have been, in this alternate history of a doomed alien mission to earth.
	2 When the Devil Dances by John Ringo This latest in a series depicting the invasion of our galaxy by a rapacious alien species isn't as much fun as its predecessors. Five years after the Posleen made their first landings, most of the world lies under their control. By squandering precious resources, the leaders of North America have contained the enemy to several bridgeheads. Major Mike O'Neal commands the only force capable of engaging the Posleen in a war of maneuver. Even "Mighty Mite" O'Neal despairs of victory, as clueless politicians and self-serving "allies" cause his soldiers to die in battle against hopeless odds. We were living in a Golden Age, muses O'Neal, before the Posleen came, and he struggles to prevent his troops from becoming mere killing machines by keeping alive the memory of what was once and might be again. Despite the novel's somber tone, there's hope that the schemes of our supposed allies to see the Posleen and us destroy one another may fail. For thoughtful readers, Ringo raises some tough and highly relevant questions about the conflicts of interest between Americans and allies who don't share our ideas of individual dignity and freedom and about our leaders' inability to advance beyond narrow parochial interests toward the common good. Military SF fans should be well satisfied. The rest of the Posleen War Series can be found here.
	3 Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer In this polished anthropological SF yarn, the first of a trilogy from Nebula Award winner Sawyer (The Terminal Experiment), Neanderthals have developed a radically different civilization on a parallel Earth, as both sides discover when a Neanderthal physicist, Ponter Boddit, accidentally passes from his universe into a Canadian underground research facility. Fortunately, a team of human scientists, including expert paleoanthropologist Mary Vaughan, promptly identifies and warmly receives Ponter. Solving the language problem and much else is a mini-computer called a Companion implanted in the brain of every Neanderthal. A computerized guardian spirit, however, doesn't eliminate cross-cultural confusion permanent male-female sexuality, rape and overpopulation are all alien to Ponter nor can it help his housemate and fellow scientist back in his world, Adikor Huld, when the authorities charge Adikor with his murder. Ponter's daughter Jasmel believes in Adikor's innocence, but to prevent a horrendous miscarriage of justice (Adikor could be sterilized), she must try to reopen the portal and bring her father home. The author's usual high intelligence and occasionally daunting erudition are on prominent display, particularly in the depiction of Neanderthal society. Some plot points border on the simplistic, such as Mary's recovering from a rape thanks to Ponter's sensitivity, but these are minor flaws in a novel that appeals to both the intellect and the heart.
	4 On the Beach by Nevil Shute The most shocking fiction I have read in years. What is shocking about it is both the idea and the sheer imaginative brilliance with which Mr. Shute brings it off. They are the last generation, the innocent victims of an accidental war, living out their last days, making do with what they have, hoping for a miracle. As the deadly rain moves ever closer, the world as we know it winds toward an inevitable end....
	5 Devil's Tower by Mark Sumner The turning point of the Civil War had come when the bodies got up at Shiloh. Dangerous magic had risen on a flood of blood and violence, and it swept across the land, washing away all but the strong and the lucky. Unnatural powers had been loosed, and nothing would ever be the same again. Towns out west were dying faster than mayflies in June. To survive the perils of the frontierbandits, hexes, marauders, and conjurations, folks needed a strong sheriff. And any lawman who expected to survive had better have a fast gun and a talent for magic. Jake Bird wasn't aiming to pin any star to his chest. He had a talent, maybe a strong one. But before he could search out his future, he'd have to face his past--and stand up against the man who'd killed his father. That would mean a showdown against the most dangerous wielder of magic in all the West: General George Armstrong Custer!
	6 Ruled Britannia by Harry Turtledove It is the year 1597, and Spain has been ruling the British Isles for 10 years, the Spanish Armada of this timeline having succeeded where the fleet from our time failed. Queen Isabella and King Albert are the new monarchs, while Elizabeth languishes in the Tower of London. Catholicism is the state religion, and an English Inquisition deals with any heretics. Many things have changed for the average Londoner. But they still enjoy their entertainment, and the stage flourishes. And, certainly, William Shakespeare is the reigning genius of the boards. Surrounded by his troupe, including the clownish yet evil-tempered Will Kemp and the noble Dick Burbage, as well as the irreplaceable "tireman," or costumer, Jack Hungerford, and dozens of others, Shakespeare has gone from triumph to triumph, with such plays as If You Like It and Prince of Denmark. Currently he is at work on Love's Labours Won. But then he is suddenly given two new, contradictory assignments. British loyalists, led by Lord Burghley, enlist Shakespeare to write Boudicca, a play about an ancient English queen resisting Roman invaders. The performance of this allegorical call to arms will be the signal for general riot, during which the English will hopefully retake their land. At the same time, a Spanish commander commissions Will to create a play to honor the dying Spanish monarch, King Philip. How will the playwright manage to honor both requests, and which way will his loyalties ultimately veer? A thoroughly magisterial work of alternate history.
	7 Children of the Lens by E. E. "Doc" Smith This book introduces the five children (Kit Kinnison and his sisters) who will lead the final battle against the evil Eddorians. This story is the slam-bang conclusion of the series in which ever greater powers of good and evil are called into action. My only criticism is that in this book Kimball Kinnison's time is past, and he remains on center stage too long. Once the most powerful man in Civilization, even he is no match for an Eddorian. In the previous two books, his adventures were the deeds of a superhuman second-stage Lensman. But now he seems almost irrelevant, as his far more powerful kids have to protect him. The attitude is, well, we'd better keep an eye on Dad - he's too feeble-minded to know we're actually fighting Eddore. A priceless scene occurs when Clarissa Kinnison introduces one of her daughters to the evil matriarch of Lyrane II. The villainess thinks as she attacks, "Ah, the daughter is younger and less experienced. She will be easy prey." Oops! The last fifty pages are worth rereading over and over, as the combined forces of good slug it out with the last bastion of evil in the galaxy. It is the climax of six novels, and it does not disappoint. Enjoy the slang and the hokey dialog, as most modern writers don't have the jets to swing this load. The rest of the Lensmen Saga can be found here.
	8 Timegate by W. L. Hesse The year is 2044. The German Occupation Authority has held the United States in a tyrannical grip for the past 100 years, ever since the Nazis emerged victorious in World War II. Loner rebel, Scott Hanover hates the GOA for destroying his family, and regularly defies its harsh rule. Jailed for general crimes against the state, he awaits execution in a New Mexico prison. Then one day, Hanover is given the chance to "escape". There is, however, a price to pay for his freedom. Hanover must travel back in time to 1944 to thwart the plans of the Nazis. But there are GOA police on his tail, and one man in particular who will stop at nothing to see Hanover dead. The task is impossible, and no one expects Hanover to come back alive. Can he survive the Timegate and change the course of history? In the end, it is Hanover alone who must risk everything to claim a new future for America.
	9 Rally Cry by William R. Forstchen This book almost defies description: a magnificent adventure novel, a science fiction novel that manages to be intelligent and to include true science and wonderful fiction, a military fiction novel with some of the best battle scenes I have ever read, "Rally Cry" is the opening shot in the "Lost Regiment" series and one of the best reads in any genre you'll find in the last decade. One of the most troubling aspects of science fiction -a genre I really like- is the simplistic treatment that most authors give their books, and their cavalier attitude toward the reader. Even authors with scientific background, like Asimov, wrote wrong science, as in "Nightfall", or dealt with insipid plots and flat characters that were mere copies of other characters. Forstchen has used stereotypes here, too, but his way of dealing with them is far superior to that of other writers. His Union Regiment lost in a world where humans are food to the native inhabitants, and where the Yankees spark a revolution that eventually reaches planetary proportions, is not only entertaining. It's intelligent, as well, with solid documentation of industry and warfare, and a very credible alien society of nomads. The best is, perhaps, the idealism of some of those Yankees (and Forstchen), who see their country as what it should be and fight for it, and also die for it. Stranded in a hostile world, these bluecoats will turn out to be the titans all countries want but few get. And their cause, to free people from serfdom and slaughter, is a magnified vision of the most noble aspect of the American Civil War, whose origins were somewhat removed from freedom itself, but that ended up becoming a war where a country almost tore itself apart in order to get rid of slavery. Forstchen knows that and is proud of the New England tradition of patriotism and freedom. His extraordinary science fiction, adventure, military history book is a homage to those who fought for the ideal of making this country a better place. The rest of the Lost Regiment Series can be found here.
	10 The Domination by S. M. Stirling The Draka series (dubbed The Domination in this collection) still requires a strong stomach--you'll find no shortage of blood and bullets or sex and violence here. But it's prudish to argue with Stirling's choices. A skilled writer and rigorous thinker, he's spun a compelling--not to mention plausible and well-researched--alternate history for earth: in this timeline, the Loyalists losers in the American Revolution set up shop in South Africa and then proceed to subjugate and industrialize the continent, eventually exporting their brutal system of slavery and conquest through WWI, WWII, and beyond to cover the better part of the globe. Page-turning, blood-pumping, realistic, and masterfully written combat SF, The Domination is part of the genre's canon. This omnibus edition contains the three first books in the Draka series. The books are Marching Through Georgia, Under the Yoke , and The Stone Dogs. The rest of the Draka Series can be found here.