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Wild Cards Volume IV — Aces Abroad
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Published By
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Bantam Books
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First Published
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1988 (softcover)
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Aces Abroad is the fourth volume in the Wild Cards shared universe fiction series edited by George R.R. Martin.
Plot[]
Published in 1988, Aces Abroad dealt with a 1987 world tour, sponsored by the United Nations and the World Health Organization, featuring many of the main characters from the previous novels and introducing new ones. Aboard a chartered jet airliner dubbed the "Stacked Deck" a veritable who's who of wild card personalities, including Dr. Tachyon, Peregrine, Golden Boy, Hiram Worchester, and Senator Gregg Hartman, set out to assess the conditions of wild card victims in around the world.
Many of the events in this volume, such as the debut of Blaise Andrieux, the Living God's prophecy concerning John Fortune, and Ti Malice's arrival in New York, would all have larger repercussions further on in the series. The two standout villains introduced in this go around were the human buzzsaw, Mackie Messer, and the extremist Muslim ace, Nur al-Allah.
Trivia[]
In the late 1980s, Steve Jackson Games published two Wild Cards game books for the GURPS role-playing system. The second was called "Aces Abroad" and revisited many of the locations touched on in the W.H.O. world tour from Book IV.
Quotes[]
Stories[]
Aces Abroad contains the following stories:
| Story | Author | Description |
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| The Tint Of Hatred | Stephen Leigh | The sister of one of Puppetman's earlier victims seeks revenge, with surprising results. |
| From The Journal Of Xavier Desmond | George R.R. Martin | Xavier Desmond’s chronicle of the tour. Serves as interludes between the other stories. |
| Beasts Of Burden | John J. Miller | Introduces Ti Malice. Takes place in Haiti, the first stop of the tour. |
| Blood Rights | Leanne C. Harper | Two brothers in Guatemala become national heroes as they lead a revolution. |
| Down By The Nile | Gail Gerstner-Miller | Peregrine gets surprising news in Egypt. Introduces the Living Gods. |
| The Teardrop Of India | Walton Simons | Dr. Tachyon gives treatment to an unusual wild card victim. Introduces J.C. Jayewardene. |
| Down In The Dreamtime | Edward Bryant | In Australia, Cordelia Chaisson meets Wyungare, a man who can live his dreams. |
| Zero Hour | Lewis Shiner | In Japan, Fortunato reappears to save an old friend's life. |
| Puppets | Victor W. Milán | In Germany, an attempt at kidnapping Senator Hartmann grants him a deadly ally instead. Introduces Mackie "Mack the Knife" Messer. |
| Mirrors Of The Soul | Melinda M. Snodgrass | Dr. Tachyon meets a lost grandson, Blaise Andrieux. |
| Legends | Michael Cassutt | An ex-KGB agent has a very important secret. |
Reprint[]
| Story | Author(s) | Description |
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| Always Spring in Prague | Carrie Vaughn | Follows Lady Black. |
| Warts and All | Kevin Andrew Murphy | Follows Troll |
Cover Gallery[]
| Previous Novel Wild Cards Volume III: |
Wild Cards Volume IV: Aces Abroad (novel) |
Next Novel Wild Cards Volume V: |
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