Melissa Scott, winner of the John W. Campbell

Award for Best New Writer, has been holding down a

position as "one of science fiction s most talented

newcomers" (The Baltimore Sun) through a string

of paperback original successes. With her last

novel, Dreamships, she broke into hardcover to

widespread acclaim, taking her place among the

established names in the field. "A thoughtful, chal-

lenging story," said Elizabeth A. Lynn. "She creates

a complex world, and her characters are believable

and subtle. This is a talent to watch."

Now, in Burning Bright, Scott tells a passionate,

colorful tale of love and death, her best yet. Setting

her tale on the free-port planet of Burning Bright,

nexus of trade, politically balanced between the

human and Hsai empires in space, and center of

virtual-reality-gaming for all of civilization, Scott

weaves a network of intrigue and suspense.