This was a very disappointing book. I think this was a case in which the concept was far greater than the end product.

An alien virus is inadvertently unleashed over New York City in days following World War II. It kills 90% of those it infects, 9% are horribly mutated (Jokers), 1% receive remarkable abilities (Aces).

This book is an anthology of stories from various Science Fiction authors. I think this is the cause one of it's greatest flaws. The stories all seem to be incomplete and unfinished. In each story there is little in the way of a plot, as the stories all are part of a larger story. But, that larger story is just an idea rather than an ongoing narrative with a beginning, middle and end.

Each part of the book focuses on a specific event or period of time centered around a handful of characters. The characters are barely developed as there is little space in each story to explore any kind of character development or background. Every story just seems incomplete and then you move on to another story, unrelated except that they occur in the same fictional world.

I have no plan to read any of the many sequels that were published in this series. I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone to read, either. ( )

I am a big fan of Martin's, and I think some of his short stories are among the best in the scifi genre, so it seemed like a natural to try out this first book of his (as editor) Wild Card Series. Frankly, I was disappointed. The premise is that at the end of WWII an alien virus causes random mutations in much of the population of New York City; many die, others are tranformed in disgusting, disfiguring ways, and a few lucky ones are transformed in "good" ways. The stories in this volume, primarily about a variety of people with "good" mutations, are a pretty mixed bag. The Martin and Leigh stories were quite good; a couple of the others were not at all my cup of tea (most especially "The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato," a story about, I kid you not, a pimp turned avenging superhero whose superhuman powers are triggered by a bizarre tantric sexual act performed upon him by one of his girls). Martin's Afterward, explaining how he and a group of his freinds got hooked on a RPG that led to the Wild Cards concept was probably the most interesting part of the book. ( )

The premise is that an alien race released a virus (called the Wild Card virus) on earth to test it, as humans share most of their genetic makeup. Unfortunately the virus kills 90% of the people it infects, and gives special powers to the rest, but only 10% get useful super powers and are Aces, and the others are Jokers, deformed or quickly dying. One alien tried to stop it, and stays on earth to try and help for years afterward. The stories cover young kids, altruistic people, selfish people, the alien, and the people who want to use their powers for selfish reasons. Government regulation and control get covered as well. The only limit on the mutations are the author's imaginations, though some standard heroes tend to recur. It's a neat prose take on the superhero genre, and I'll be reading more in the series. ( )

I have read this many times. Brilliant stuff. A duel between alien ships, an experiment gone wrong, at least from our point of view. Born out of a superhero gaming group, Wild Cards is a shared world anthology series, in the main.

An alien experimental virus is released on Earth after Jetboy, a famous fighter pilot hero fails to stop it. This is the first story in this anthology "Thirty Minutes Over Broadyway".

For those affected by the virus, 90 are killed, 9 are deformed in some mannter, and 1 is given some sort of superhuman or enhanced ability.

This causes chaos and carnage, and changes history forever.

Various elements of American history do still happen, and the HUAC terror still happens, as one story involving Dr Tachyon, an alien telepath who comes to Earth to try and help. This leads to the tragedy of Golden Boy and the Four Aces see "Witness" by Walter Jon Williams.

The Turtle, Croyd Crenson, Yeoman, Fortunato, Captain Trips and Puppetman all appear here.

It will take some of them working together to defeat a menace.

If you have any sort of interest in the subject, this book is a must read.

Wild Cards : 01 Wild Cards - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 01 Prologue - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 02 Thirty Minutes Over Broadway! - Howard Waldrop
Wild Cards 01 : 03 The Sleeper - Roger Zelazny
Wild Cards 01 : 04 Witness - Walter Jon Williams
Wild Cards 01 : 05 Degradation Rites - Melinda M. Snodgrass
Wild Cards 01 : 06 Interlude One - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 07 Shell Games - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 08 Interlude Two - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 09 The Long Dark Night of Fortunato - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 01 : 10 Transfigurations - Victor Milán
Wild Cards 01 : 11 Interlude Three - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 12 Down Deep - Edward Bryant and Leanne C. Harper
Wild Cards 01 : 13 Interlude Four - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 14 Strings - Stephen Leigh
Wild Cards 01 : 15 Interlude Five - George R. R. Martin
Wild Cards 01 : 16 Comes a Hunter - John J. Miller
Wild Cards 01 : 17 Epilogue: Third Generation - Lewis Shiner
Wild Cards 01 : 18 Appendix - George R. R. Martin

Tachyon arrival denial.

3.5 out of 5

Jetboy: No Jolson, no Joy.

5 out of 5

Croyd Crenson waken, wedding shaken.

4.5 out of 5

Jack Braun, Four Aces Golden Judas Boy.

5 out of 5

Brain Trust no more.

4.5 out of 5

McCarthy's Wild Card Act disintegration.

3.5 out of 5

Turtle power, Tachyon cower. Team-up!

5 out of 5

Jokertown Clinic.

3.5 out of 5

Tantric power discovered, evil uncovered.

5 out of 5

Lizard King glad Mark Meadows is Radical.

5 out of 5

Hiram's food is Aces High.

3.5 out of 5

Bag lady and cat lady discovers that there really are werealligators in the sewers, and the odd mafioso.

5 out of 5

Jokertown activist politics.

3.5 out of 5

Puppetman, killer manipulator.

4.5 out of 5

Aces! quotes.

3.5 out of 5

Yeoman roamin'.

5 out of 5

Kid Dinosaur.

4 out of 5

Wild Card science.

5 out of 5

http://superprose.blogspot.com/2006/1... ( )

I'm stingy with the 5 stars, but I had no hesitation with this one. Superheroes, alternative history, and a Lovecraftian menace. What's not to love? ( )