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Fort Freak, the latest and greatest installment of the Wild Cards series, will hit shelves on June 21.  I really mean it when I say “latest and greatest”—personally, of the four (so far) new WC volumes published by Tor, I think Fort Freak is the strongest.  (And that’s saying something.  We worked hard on the others.) The lineup is stellar, and the stories terrific.  (Probably because I didn’t even pitch for this book.  I wasn’t there to drag down the quality.)

This volume takes place in and around a previously unexplored piece of the WC universe: the NYPD’s Fifth Precinct, square in the heart of Jokertown.  (Think Fort Apache, The Bronx with mutants and superpowers.)  It’s a great entry to the universe.

But if you’re on the fence about it, you can read the first story in the book for free…

That would be smoke from the Wallow Fire that I’m inhaling.  And I’m lucky—I’m in another state and not in any direct danger.

It’s weird, though, the way every morning and evening takes on this sickly yellow hue, as though the world itself has a case of jaundice.

A few days ago, I mentioned my enduring fondness for crackpot conspiracy theories.  I have also mentioned my fascination with fringe pseudoscience, fringe history, fringe archeology, and wacko academic pursuits.  The weirder and more outlandish the better!  I’m truly fascinated by this stuff.  The pathology of incredible beliefs, the seductive notion that there’s a hidden truth that could make sense of the world…

Back in the day, I was also an avid fan of the X-Files. (Although, just for the record, I knew it was fiction.  I have never believed the show was secretly priming the American people for major revelations about the truth behind UFOs.  Nor did I ever view it as a documentary.  I just feel the need to make that clear.)

All of which means that I was absolutely powerless when I stumbled across Nick Cook’s mind-shattering book, The Hunt for Zero Point: Inside the Classified World of Antigravity Technology.

(Below the cut: this baby will Flip. Your.  Wig.  But only keep reading if you’re positive that you’ll be comfortable living THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS.)

Oh, I do love some crazy wacky conspiracy theories.  The crazier the better.

And they don’t come any crazier than “the world is secretly controlled by shape-changing lizards from inside the hollow earth”.

In the immortal words of the brilliant Emo Philips:  “I used to think the human mind was the most amazing, awe-inspiring thing in all of nature.  But then I realized… well, look what’s telling me that.” 

This sprang to mind today while I read this article about a pair of conjoined twins who are believed to share sensory information, and possibly even thoughts, through a neural bridge between their brains.  Amazing, fascinating stuff.  Touching, too.  I’m particularly stricken by  the musings over whether the twins will become more or less individual as they age.