A decade's worth of prolific short stories are showcased in this compilation of Robert Reed's best work. Among the dozen thought-provoking tales is the never-before-published "Abducted Souls," about a college student who becomes increasingly unsure of himself and his self-worth when the alien abduction he experienced as a child is questioned. Also included is the "Asimov's Science Fiction Reader's Choice Award-"winning "Savior," about a military commander who is held accountable for tortuous acts that may have saved the human race. The hot topic of cloning is discussed in futuristic terms in the title tale, "The Cuckoo's Boys," which tells of a lonely genius who clones himself, not once, but millions of times, and of a teacher who tests and challenges three of these clones. Two ageless aliens become friends with Ash, an immortal human, as he strives to help them recover lost memories in "Night of Time," a selection taken from the popular "Marrow" book. The collection closes with an afterword by the author, in which he details the genesis of each story.<BR>

"The dozen stories in Reed's second Golden Gryphon collection (after 1999's The Dragons of Springplace) showcase this prolific author's ability to put a fresh spin on traditional SF themes. A dazzling variant on Harry Bates's classic Farewell to the Master is the spell-binding 'Night of Time,' in which the apparent servant is actually the master. Whereas the discovery of a message from an alien world would once have been story enough, in the ironically titled 'On the Brink of That Bright New World' that revelation allows a man to get away with murdering his unfaithful wife and her lover. Sometimes, though, Reed's soaring imagination drops too easily into cloying preciosity and self-conscious wordplay, as in 'River of the Queen' (a sequel of sorts to 'Night of Time') or into didacticism, as in 'Coelacanths.' Still, Reed at his best ranks high in the SF firmament. Agent, Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House. (Nov.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)