War divides families, friends, lovers. It takes no prisoners and offers no mercy. So when Theophile Nundaemon faces his former lover in thaumaturgical battle between airships and floating cities, he knows the rules of war still apply. But the rules of love still apply as well. “Love in the Balance” originally appeared in the critically acclaimed anthology All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories.

“Love in the Balance,” a short story, is also available as part of Space Magic, an award-winning collection of science fiction and fantasy stories by David D. Levine.

Praise for Love in the Balance:

“This tale, with its exquisite prose and beautifully imagined details, evokes a very dark Jack Vance.” —Sherwood Smith, SF Site

“The formality of this setting, interhouse warfare with the feel of Dune, and love between a man and an intelligent airship forced to fight make this a truly great SF tale.” —Jason Fischer, Tangent Online

“A few stories here feature zeppelins as living beasts — an idea I find irresistible. … In David D. Levine’s ‘Love in the Balance’, intelligent zeppelins are ships in a war between floating ‘houses,’ involving zombies, a hint of baroque politics, and ex-lovers on opposite sides.” —Rich Horton, Locus

“[T]he anthology is a lot of fun in a sly, sardonic way; the best stories here are by David D. Levine and Benjamin Rosenbaum…” —Gardner Dozois, Locus