FICTIONCABAL by Clive Barker (Pocket: $4.50). The...

FICTION

CABAL by Clive Barker (Pocket: $4.50). The novella “Cabal” is the piece de resistance in this gathering of ghoulish stories by horror’s heir apparent.

THE BIG NOWHERE by James Ellory (Mysterious Press: $4.95). Homophobic serial killer has a stranglehold on L.A. city streets during the 1950s.

TEMPORARY SOJOURNER: And Other South African Stories by Tony Eprile (Fireside: $7.95). Fictional situations based on factual conditions that are tearing this country asunder.

PARTNERS by John Martel (Bantam: $4.95). Legal thriller, with a conservationist twist: The demise of a venerable law firm rests on a conviction in a toxic waste case.

BUCK COLTER by Matt Braun (Signet: $3.50). Col. John Covington, head of the Cattlemen’s Assn., erroneously believes he can obstruct the path of Buck Colter’s herd of 3,000 longhorns.

NONFICTION

ESCALANTE by Jay Mathews (Owl: $9.95). Jamie Escalante accomplished what many critics of inner-city schools said couldn’t be done: He taught children to excel in mathematics.

THREE SCIENTISTS AND THEIR GODS: Looking for Meaning in an Age of Information by Robert Wright (Perennial: $8.95). Wright profiles three erratic personalities and the innovative sciences they practice.

INSIDE THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL by Constantine C. Menges (Touchstone: $9.95). Menges, who served on the NSC from 1983-86, discloses the dubious activities that affected the Iran-Contra crisis and other foreign policy decisions.

COUNTING SHEEP: From Open Range to Agribusiness on the Columbia Plateau by Alexander Campbell McGregor (University of Washington Press: $14.95). Three generations of business records, sheep tally books, bills and other documents recount both a family’s history and ranching and farming in the Northwest.

SELF-HELP / REFERENCE

WHEN SAYING NO ISN’T ENOUGH: How to Keep the Children You Love Off Drugs by Ken Barun and Philip Bashe (Signet: $4.95). Barun, a former addict who assisted Nancy Reagan with her “Just Say No Program,” expands the concept to include prevention and intervention during the vulnerable years.

SUGAR-FREE CAKES AND BISCUITS by Elsie Lebrecht (Faber & Faber: $6.95). The parent of a diabetic child, Lebrecht finds innovative, naturally sweet ways to flavor desserts like cheese, banana and carrot cakes (Second edition).

THE OAT BRAN COOKBOOK by Linda Romanelli Leahy (Fawcett Gold Medal: $3.95). Slim volume of recipes ranging from appetizers to entrees using the cholesterol-lowering ingredient.