Inside Straight
Edited by George R.R. Martin.
In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent of those who survived mutated into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited since 1987 by New York Times #1 bestseller George R. R. Martin along with Melinda Snodgrass, is the tale of the history of the world since then – and of the heroes among that one percent.
Originally begun in 1987, long before George R. R. Martin became a household name among fantasy readers ("The American Tolkien" – Time magazine), the Wild Cards series earned a reputation among connoisseurs for its smart reimagining of the superhero idea. Now, with Inside Straight, the Wild Cards continuity jumps forward to a new generation of major characters, entirely accessible to Martin's hundreds of thousands of new readers, with all-original stories by Martin himself, along with Daniel Abraham, Michael Cassutt, and Stephen Leigh, among others.
Contents:
- Who the Fuck Was Jetboy? by Daniel Abraham
- Dark of the Moon by Melinda M. Snodgrass
- Jonathan Hive Sells Out by Daniel Abraham
- Chosen Ones: Part One by Carrie Vaughn
- First Among Losers by Daniel Abraham
- Chosen Ones: Part Two by Carrie Vaughn
- Better Than Television by Daniel Abraham
- Looking for Jetboy by Michael Cassutt
- Metagames by Caroline Spector
- All the Best Stories Start, 'This One Time, We Were Really Drunk...' by Daniel Abraham
- Star Power by Melinda M. Snodgrass
- Wakes the Lion by John J. Miller (as by John Jos. Miller)
- A Bad Day in Cairo by Daniel Abraham
- Crusader by George R. R. Martin
- Real People, Really Dying by Daniel Abraham
- The Tin Man's Lament by Ian Tregillis
- Hey, Guys. My Dad's Got a Warehouse! Let's Put on a War! by Daniel Abraham
- Incidental Music for Heroes by Stephen Leigh (aka Masquerade of Heroes; as by S. L. Farrell)
- Blood on the Sun by Melinda M. Snodgrass
- Looking for Jetboy: Epilogue by Michael Cassutt
- Give the Wookie a Medal by Daniel Abraham
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George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin is one of the most influential and celebrated authors in the world of fantasy literature. Known for his epic storytelling, intricate world-building, and morally complex characters, Martin has captured the imagination of millions of readers globally. Born on September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey, he began his writing career as a young man and quickly became known for his distinctive narrative style. With works spanning across novels, short stories, and television scripts, Martin has established himself as a master of fantasy and speculative fiction.
Wild Cards
Into a world hungry for peace, comes a spaceship ferrying chaos...
An alien bomb is detonated above the planet, shedding an indiscriminate gene virus on an Earth barely recovered from the horrors of World War ll. The result: Wild Cards. ACES blessed with superhuman powers and JOKERS cursed with bizarre physical and mental disfigurements.
This is their story.
Wild Cards consists of thirty-one books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
