Wild Cards II - Aces High

New York: Bantam Books, 1987. First Edition . Hard Back. Very Good/Very Good. 6" X 8 1/2. Velez, Walter - Jacket Painting. 346 Pages. Dust jacket is taped to book. There is an Ex-libris sticker on front endpaper. Beyond that is a very good book with flawless interior text pages. This anthology is signed on the title page by the authors Walter Williams, Melinda Snodgrass, Victor Milan, and George R. R. Martin. Just after WW II, the alien Wild Card virus was released over New York. Most of those susceptible died horribly, or survived as bizarrely mutated Jokers; a lucky few, called Aces, were endowed by the capricious infection with extraordinary mental or physical abilities. In a 1980s world very different from ours, Aces are struggling to stop the invasion of the Swarm Mother, devourer of worlds. But in addition to the relentless alien monsters they must battle the Astronomer - an evil Ace who is using the invasion to advance his own plans for world domination. Nine contributors: Lewis Shiner, Roger Zelazny, Walter Jon Williams, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Victor Milan, Pat Cadigan, John J. Miller, George R. R. Martin and Walton Simons. Signed editions of this book are rare.