Wild Cards V: Down and Dirty
Editor: George R. R. Martin
Authors: John J. Miller, Roger Zelazny, Leanne C. Harper, Arthur Byron Cover, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Edward Bryant, Stephen Leigh, Pat Cadigan, and Walter Jon Williams
Cover: Michael Komarck
As a gang war breaks out across the Jokertown ghetto, a new mutated version of the wild card virus strikes New York causing more deaths and transformations. Now the local Aces and Jokers find themselves fighting on two fronts just to stay alive. After the globe-trotting escapades of the previous volume, Martin and friends return us to New York and some fan favorite characters. It's great to see the Sleeper, Turtle, Bagabond, and others take the stage again. Like that earlier installment, this is a series of inter-related short stories, this time detailing the events around the gang war. We actually pick up with some characters during the events of the last book before everything moves forward in the timeline. Continuity is becoming a big part of this series now and each story builds on the previous like a literary house of cards. There are a number of stories that are serialized throughout this book, meaning they're kind of broken up in chapters between other stories. We've seen a little of that previously in the series, but this time Martin intertwines three different stories throughout the book. Disappointingly, the gang war story is really more of a background to this overall mosaic. Only a few stories really spotlight that storyline. The good news is the wild card virus outbreak and the escalating political intrigue more than make up for any lack in the gang war story. I found myself more interested in those plotlines as the book went on. There are also some very personal journeys for the Turtle and Dr. Tachyon in this book that really had me looking for the next chapter relating their stories. Most of the stories were very engaging and kept me actively turning pages. I felt Edward Bryant's "The Second Coming of Buddy Holley" was a bit of a weak point for me. Not only did the story not really fit into any of the storylines, but Cordelia Chaisson doesn't seem to make for a great protagonist. This is two books in a row where I hit a bump on stories focusing on her. I didn't think I was going to enjoy "Jesus was an Ace" by Arthur Byron Cover, but it really did give me a great insight into Reverend Leo Barnett. I'm sure there are bigger things in store for that character in future books. Overall, this was a better and more interesting read than the last one. While there was a bit of jumping around between stories, it still kept me interested and wanting to read more. My head was spinning at possibilities and I can't wait to see what the gang has in store for the future!