Wild Cards (book)

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The 2003 ibooks printing of Wild Cards, featuring Dr. Tachyon
The 2003 ibooks printing of Wild Cards, featuring Dr. Tachyon

The first volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R. R. Martin. It was published in 1987 and contains several short stories establishing the Wild Cards universe, introducing the main characters, and setting up plot threads that continue to play out over the course of the rest of the series.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Stories

Wild Cards contains the following short stories:

Story Author(s) Description
"Prologue" George R. R. Martin Introduces Dr. Tachyon and Xenovirus Takis-A.
"Thirty Minutes Over Broadway!" Howard Waldrop Introduces Jetboy and his failed attempt to prevent the release of Xenovirus Takis-A.
"The Sleeper" Roger Zelazny Introduces Croyd Crenson, "the Sleeper".
"Witness" Walter Jon Williams Introduces Golden Boy and the Four Aces.
"Degradation Rites" Melinda M. Snodgrass Details Dr. Tachyon's doomed love story with Blythe van Renssaeler
"Shell Games" George R. R. Martin Introduces the Great and Powerful Turtle.
"The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato" Lewis Shiner Introduces Fortunato and the Masonic conspiracy that will influence the plot of the next two books in the series.
"Transfigurations" Victor Milán Introduces Mark Meadows, aka Captain Trips.
"Down Deep" Edward Bryant
Leanne C. Harper
Introduces Rosemary Muldoon, "Sewer" Jack Robicheaux and Bagabond. Sets up the mob storyline that will come to fruition in later books.
"Strings" Stephen Leigh Introduces Puppetman and Gimli and sets up the political plot threads that will play out in later books.
"Comes a Hunter" John J. Miller Introduces Yeoman and Chrysalis and sets up the Asian gang plot threads.
"Epilogue: Third Generation" Lewis Shiner Introduces Kid Dinosaur.

In addition, there are several interludes (written by Martin) between stories that expand upon the background of the Wild Cards world and an appendix on "The Science of the Wild Card Virus" (written by Milán) that explains how Xenovirus Takis-A works. Both the interludes and the appendix take the form of excerpts from literature within the universe.

Preceded by
(none)
Wild Cards
1987
Succeeded by
Aces High