Must have Books - Top Ten Most Popular Books in October

	1 Against This Vast Army: Book I of the Hand of God Series by Mark Allyn Stewart What if vampires were part of a war between Heaven and Hell being fought on Earth? How would The Church react and whom would they send to deal with these demonic Creatures of The Night? At the turn of the century, Manhattan is plagued by the arrival of a fearsome master vampire and the only person who can oppose him, a vampire hunter's apprentice named David, will discover that behind this vampire's power is a dark secret that could make the fiend impossible to destroy. Stranded in New York with no hope of reinforcements, David has little choice but to rely on his skill, his wits, and Sharon, a beat cop who has discovered that vampires are very, very real. This is a very unique take on the vampire story. Mr. Stewart, I have to take my hat off for you, you have created something new and refreshing. If this series continues in the same inventive and fun way, I will compare this work with the work of authors as distinguished as Bram Stoker and Anne Rice. This is an absolute Must have Book for everyone, especially people who has enjoyed a vampire story in the past. Keep up the good work Mr. Stewart! I am looking forward to the next installment of this series.
	2 Swords of Destiny: Tales of Fate and Endeavor by Bryan Kolar When the Great One created Dimbor, He planted two trees on its surface to project His power. One of them flourished and was held sacred by those around it. The other was swallowed by darkness and grew twisted and menacing. A cryptic prophecy is handed down from beyond the grave. The parchment predicts a series of events spanning more than two centuries. But by the time the heroes mentioned in the prophecy uncover its meaning, they realize that something has already broken the cycle of destiny. An evil army has been created with the power of The Black Tree; one that will surely level each of the cities in Dunland until the country is overtaken. They must fulfill the prophecy and send a select group into the dark lands north of Dunland. It is there in the midst of a city of tyranny that the evil tree exists. Sorcerers of terrible power guard it closely. Somehow the tree must be destroyed. A wizard from another realm, a gifted thief, an enslaved warrior, and a half-demon youth named Arnoland are among those who must journey to remote, dangerous places to uncover pieces of the puzzle. Those seven destined to make the final voyage into Phantom City must waste no time, for the army of evil is marching into their homelands with fervor. As they approach their destination, Arnoland becomes fearful that if The Black Tree is burnt down he will perish with it. What's more, since the prediction has been thrown off course, the party wonders if the prophecy can yet be fulfilled. This is one of those strange stories that take on a life of their own. It starts out just like any other story but when you have reached the last page of the book, all you can think about is that you need more of this. I really enjoyed this book, the characters are likable and real, and I really liked the way the different tales melted together to a greater story. It is a very unique experience Mr. Kolar are giving his readers and I hope there are more where this story comes from. There is no doubt, this is a Must have Book for everyone. We need more new fantasy stories like this one, when is the next book due?
	3 Sundiver by David Brin No species has ever reached for the stars without the guidance of a patron--except perhaps mankind. Did some mysterious race begin the uplift of humanity aeons ago? Circling the sun, under the caverns of Mercury, Expedition Sundiver prepares for the most momentous voyage in history--a journey into the boiling inferno of the sun. The rest of the Uplift Saga can be found here.
	4 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.
	5 Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson "Three Hearts and Three Lions" by Poul Anderson is a wonderful tale of a 20th century man who must fight chaos and evil in land full of magic and oddities in order to keep his dream alive. I personaly found my self lost in this book of high adventure as unimaginable events unfolded before my eyes. A great book for the first time fantasy / alternative history reader, and for the experienced as well.
	6 The Alien Years by Robert Silverberg Seven years from now, huge alien spaceships appear all over the Earth; in California, a ship's exhaust carelessly causes vast brushfires that pilot Mike Carmichael dies trying to extinguish. Mike's weird New Age wife, Cindy, goes aboard the alien vessel, relays a message of peace and friendship, and refuses to leave. All other attempts to communicate with the aliens fail. Meanwhile, Mike's brother, retired Colonel Anson Carmichael III, is summoned to the Pentagon to discuss the situation. The aliens come in three varieties: the dominant squid-like Entities; the balloon-like Spooks; and the huge blue Behemoths. Clearly, the aliens are highly advanced and cant be defeated, but what do they want? The Colonel returns to his California ranch none the wiser, but soon the aliens switch off the world's electricity, and governments, economies, and social orders collapse overnight. The Colonel gathers the Carmichael clan at his ranch and founds a center of resistance to the aliens, who can control anyone by means of the Touch (a telepathic inquisition) and the Push (an irresistible compulsion). Attempts to damage the aliens or their installations are met with devastating plagues and other brutal reprisals. The years pass. Some humans, like computer whiz Karl-Heinrich Borgmann, collaborate with the aliens. The Carmichaels continue to scheme and plotineffectually, but they never give up through more than half a century of aloof occupation.
	7 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.
	8 Gateway by Frederik Pohl Gateway opened on all the wealth of the Universe...and on reaches of unimaginable horror. When prospector Bob Broadhead went out to Gateway on the Heechee spacecraft, he decided he would know which was the right mission to make him his fortune. Three missions later, now famous and permanently rich, Robinette Broadhead has to face what happened to him and what he is...in a journey into himself as perilous and even more horrifying than the nightmare trip through the interstellar void that he drove himself to take! The rest of the Heechee Saga can be found here.
	9 Island in the Sea of Time by S. M. Stirling Well researched, this book oozes detail, and well drawn characters. Nantucket island is cast back in time 3000 and more years where the characters have to create a life for themselves from what is left of the 20th century. Not only that but they must find a way to trade and build a place for themsleves in this new/old world. The story is nicely paced and plotted in a way that makes you want to continue reading well into the night. It fascinates in the way it makes you wonder what you would do in a similar situation: how would you measure up to the dislocation and opportunities that 1250bc would bring to a 21st century individual? It's spring on Nantucket and everything is perfectly normal, until a sudden storm blankets the entire island. When the weather clears, the island's inhabitants find that they are no longer in the late 20th century, but have been transported instead to the Bronze Age. Now they must learn to survive with suspicious, warlike peoples they can barely understand and deal with impending disaster, in the shape of a would-be conqueror from their own time. The rest of the Islander Series can be found here.
	10 Farnham's Freehold by Robert A. Heinlein Farnham is a self-made man who sees nuclear war coming and who builds a shelter under his house; only to find it thrust into a strange universe when the bomb explodes. In this future world all civilization in the northern hemisphere has long been destroyed, and Farnham and his family are fit to be slaves under the new regime. Heinlein's story is as engrossing now as it was in its original form decades ago.