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I've just finished a really really good book by my favourite writer.

Due to the wonders of the internet, I was able to grab myself a copy of the US edition ofThe Cycle of Fire Trilogy by Janny Wurts, published together in one volume. Like all of Wurt's books I've read, I could hardly put the thing down.

This author writes with a lyrical quality that's a joy to read. Every page drips with richly spun images and carefully crafted lyrical touches. She writes fantasy the way it should be written, with clear enthusiasm for the genre rather than the disdain that shows through the works of many others. Rather than use a variation on the tired 'lost heir seeks inheritance' theme, her plots are always complex and finely honed. The smallest detail she describes might come back to have greater significance later; like the an elegant description of a prince's nimble fingers as a clue to his future musical talents.

One detail I always enjoy is the way the author describes spell casting. There's no waving of a wand or clicking of fingers in Wurts-Magic, but pages and pages of intense description. An enchanter really has to work at his craft, weaving his spells into a complex form that practically leaps off the page with power.

Her characters are just as complex as the plots. Rather than show a stumbling barbarian who whips out his sword and kills without feeling or remorse, Wurts allows her readers to see what truly drives her characters and governs their reactions. She writes characters so alive I'm continually amazed they exist in two dimensional form.

I can hardly wait for the next Janny Wurts book, which will be the next installment in her epic Wars of Light and Shadow series. It's going to be titled 'Peril's Gate' and a glance at Amazon seems to indicate we Brits will see it in book shops before the usually more fortunate Americans.

This writer enthralls me.

Trek BBS Today

Below are some of the topics currently being discussed at the Trek BBS:

-Where do you think Captains make their log entries?

-What do we know about Enterprise's Writing staff?

-Pick your own name for a TNG movie.

More topics can be found at the Trek BBS!

Trek Two Years Ago

Below are some of the most important headlines that appeared on TrekToday on Thursday June 17th 1999:

• Disasterous DS9 Ratings
  Greg Fuller publshed the ratings for DS9's 'The Dogs of War':

  I'm not sure what to say in this report -- when I found the ratings for "The Dogs of War," I thought there might have been a misprint, but alas, these seem to be correct. Unbelievably, "Dogs" fell to a series-low 3.7 rating, ranking 14th.

  
  You can still read his report over at the Star Trek Neilsen Ratings Database.

• Nicole deBoer Future Projects
  A report on the former Ezri Dax actress' future plans revealled her intentions to star in Showtime film 'Rated X, starring Emilio Estevez. Two years later, deBoer will next be seen on TV in the Michael Piller produced 'Stephen King's Dead Zone' which will start on UPN in January.

• The Sci-Fi Channel will be showing the Original Series episode 'And The Children Shall Lead' at 10:00am Eastern Time.

• In Canada, Space! will be showing the Original Series' 'Day of the Dove' at 10:00am Eastern Time and TNG's 'Legacy' at 11:00am.

• In the United Kingdom, Sky Premier 1 will be showing 'Star Trek: Insurrection' at 7:30 and at 19:00 GMT. At 11:15, BBC Two will be showing the Original Series' 'Wolf in the Fold,' while at 14:00 Sky One will be showing three TNG episodes, beginning with 'Darmok,' followed by 'Ensign Ro' and 'Silicon Avatar.' Thanks go out to the Great Link for this!

Tomorrow's Television Listings

• The Sci-Fi Channel will be showing the original series episode 'Is there no truth in beaty?' at 5:00 p.m Eastern Time.

• In Canada, Space! will be showing the Original series episode 'For the World is Hollow...' at 10:00 a.m Eastern Time, repeated at 4:00 p.m. The Next Generation's 'Renunion' will be shown at 12:00 p.m. DS9's 'Crossover is at 5:00 p.m, with Voyager's 'Day of Honour' at 10:00 p.m.

• In the United Kingdom, Sky One will be showing the Next Generation's 'The Bonding' at 17:00 GMT. Voyager's 'Human Error' will be shown at 20:00. Thanks go out to the Great Link for this!

• In Germany, Sat.1 will be showing the Next Generation's 'Begegnung mit der Vergangenheit' at 16:00 ECT.

• In the Netherlands, Nederland 2 will show Voyager's 'The Fight' at 17:05 ECT, and rtl5 will show ds9's 'The Dogs of War' at 18:00. Thanks go out to StarTrek.nl for this!

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