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Wild Card Volume XXII - Lowball
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Published By
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Tor Books
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First Published
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November 03, 2015
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Lowball is the 22nd volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R.R. Martin. It is the second novel in the Mean Streets Triad.
Plot[]
Published in 2014, Lowball deals with the discovery of the joker fight club being run by Baba Yaga. Various stories revolve around disappearing jokers, until they eventually come together with Stuntman and Francis Black's raid on the casino in Kazakhstan where the fight club is held.
The book contains stories by Carrie Vaughn, Ian Tregillis, David Anthony Durham, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Mary Anne Mohanraj, David D. Levine, Michael Cassutt, and Walter John Williams.
New characters introduced in the book include Wheels, Eddie Carmichael, Steely Dan.
Book Cover[]
The cover of the book shows Marcus, the Infamous Black Tongue springing in to action.
Trivia[]
Quotes[]
Stories[]
Lowball contains the following stories:
| Story | Author(s) | Description |
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| "The Big Bleed" | Michael Cassutt | Follows Jamal Norwood, the Stuntman as he investigates a mysterious joker death for SCARE, leading to underground American Hero Uncensored DVDs, and to a joker fight club in Kazakhstan, all while dealing with his powers fading. |
| "Those About to Die..." | David Anthony Durham | The Infamous Black Tongue investigates missing jokers at the urging of Father Squid, eventually running into the joker fight club. |
| "Galahad in Blue" | Melinda M. Snodgrass | Francis Xavier Black investigates missing jokers - a case that the brass at Fork Freak will lead nowhere, and ends up working with Stuntman as their investigations cross paths. |
| "Ties that Bind" | Mary Anne Mohanraj | Detective Michael Stevens tries to balance the demands of his unorthodox family life with police duties, perhaps leaving his new partner, Franny Black hung out to dry. |
| "Cry Wolf" | David D. Levine | Eddie Carmichael, a joker-ace with the ability to create characters he draws works as a sketch artist for the police of Fort Freak, getting a little more involved than he expected in the case of the missing jokers, while trying to conceal his own illicit activities. |
| "Road Kill" | Walter Jon Williams | Gordon the Ghoul, Fort Freak's medical examiner, working with Steely Dan and K-10, runs afoul of some of the people running the joker fight club at his remote home where he is trying to build a rocket to reach space. |
| "Once More, for Old Times Sake" | Carrie Vaughn | Earth Witch, Curveball, Drummer Boy, and John Fortune reunite, and look in to who could have released the American Hero Uncensored DVDs - which have images of many of the contestants in compromising positions. |
| "No Parking..." | Ian Tregillis | Rustbelt tries to hunt down whoever is taking jokers in his own inimitable way, running afoul of the Sleeper on his way to a showdown with the kidnappers. |
The stories "The Big Bleed," "Those About to Die...", "Galahad in Blue," and "Ties that Bind" are told in recurring chapters, while the other stories are each individual chapters.