Review: Mississippi Roll, edited by George R.R. Martin

It might not be actually written by George R.R. Martin or be the next A Song of Ice and Fire book, but Mississippi Roll is still entertaining.

Part of the appeal, when Tor offered me the chance to look at an advance copy of Mississippi Roll, was that, despite never having read a Wild Cards book before, this book apparently is enough of a standalone that newbies to the series, like me, could follow along and enjoy the story and the world without having to know every tiny bit of the 23 preceding volumes listed on the website. “Fair enough,” thought I, “I’ll give it a shot.”

The fact that I’m bringing this up almost immediately should tip you off to my actual experience of reading the book, which ended up more like what happens when you walk in on someone about halfway through a Netflix binge and sit down to watch along because things look interesting. You have to try and cobble together some understanding of the greater universe and its terminology (and boy, is there a lot of terminology), but can still understand the basics of the plot. Of course, when reading a book, it takes a little more effort to find out what’s going on than turning to your binge-watching companion and asking some questions.

This is not to say that Mississippi Roll is bad because of this. Six separate authors contributed to the book: Stephen Leigh, John Joseph Miller, Carrie Vaughn, Cherie Priest, Kevin Andrew Murphy and David D. Levine, in order of appearance. Leigh’s “In the Shadow of Tall Stacks” appears in several parts, while the other authors get one story apiece that helps break up “Tall Stacks.” However, the narratives weave together extremely well, with characters acting quite consistently despite being in the hands of different authors. It’s a sign that Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass, who gets the credit of “assisted by” beneath his name, are pretty strong editors, all told.

The story centers around the Natchez, a steamboat haunted by its builder, Wilbur Leathers, that is carrying all kinds of people — refugees, passengers, some entertainers and many a person infected with the wild card virus, which gives people strange abilities (and the . And here’s where Mississippi Roll runs into an issue with its marketing. The book throws around terms like “joker,” “ace” and “nat” without much in the explanation of what those terms actually mean.

Granted, a reader can come to close approximations of the definitions — I did, even without going on the Internet and asking the great powers that be about the series. But, when all you want to do is sit back, relax, and go through the stories (although Leigh’s is the longest, I have to say that I enjoyed Murphy’s “Find the Lady,” Priest’s “Death on the Water” and Vaughn’s “A Big Break in the Small Time” more), it’s a bit troublesome to have to try and puzzle out something that the book treats as completely obvious.

And, indeed, for someone who has read the earlier volumes, and for these authors and editors, it is completely obvious. That’s not in dispute. But for a book that’s presenting itself as something for newbies, too, it’s a bit disquieting to lack that basic context and information. Do we need to know exactly what happened to the Midnight Angel? Not necessarily. Do we probably need a brief explanation, even if it has to come before the book proper starts off, of what terms mean? Yes.

To talk a little more about the different stories themselves, “Tall Stacks,” while long, does well with tying everything together. Leigh’s Wilbur has gone through some development in his afterlife on the Natchez, and his steam-based poltergeisting makes for a fascinating look at a different kind of ghost. Wilbur also can interact with all the other characters that feature in the book, including helping out the Kazakh refugees who are trying to hide from ICE and join the greater community of wild card infectees in the States.

But, if I had to pick some favorites, and I suppose I have to, “A Big Break in the Small Time” is lighthearted and fun while still confronting some intriguing issues — such as how one can be a hero. “Find the Lady” has a great take on what it’s like to be a faded star. Finally, “Death on the Water” is effectively a miniaturized murder mystery, well-crafted by Priest in terms of pacing.

Next: Review: Weave a Circle Round, Kari Maaren

It’s more than possible to enjoy Mississippi Roll as a newcomer, like I did. But I can’t say that I recommend going in without much in the way of foreknowledge.