Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others.When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.

    When you realize that the 33 stories are ordered chronologically, you begin to grasp the scale of Cordwainer Smith's creation. Regimes, technologies, planets, moralities, religions, histories all rise and fall through his millennia.These are futuristic tales told as myth, as legend, as a history of a distant and decayed past. Written in an unadorned voice reminiscent of James Tiptree Jr., Smith's visions are dark and pessimistic, clearly a contrast from the mood of SF in his time; in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s it was still thought that science would cure the ills of humanity. In Smith's tales, space travel takes a horrendous toll on those who pilot the ships through the void. After reaching perfection, the lack of strife stifles humanity to a point of decay and stagnation; the Instrumentality of Mankind arises in order to stir things up. Many stories describe moral dilemmas involving the humanity of the Underpeople, beings evolved from animals into humanlike forms.Stories not to be missed in this collection include "Scanners Live in Vain", "The Dead Lady of Clown Town", "Under Old Earth", "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal", "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons", and the truly disturbing "A Planet Called Shayol". Serious SF fans should not pass up the chance to experience Cordwainer Smith's complex, distinctive vision of the far future.--Bonnie BoumanContents:- Introduction by John J. Pierce- Editor’s Introduction by James A. Mann• Stories of the Instrumentality of Mankind- No, No, Not Rogov! (1959)- War No. 81-Q (rewritten version) - Mark Elf (1957)- The Queen of the Afternoon (1978)- Letter to Editor, Fantasy Book (March 9, 1948)- Scanners Live in Vain (1950)- The Lady Who Sailed The Soul (1960)- When the People Fell (1959)- Think Blue, Count Two (1963)- The Colonel Came Back from Nothing-at-All (1979)- The Game of Rat and Dragon (1955)- The Burning of the Brain (1958)- From Gustible’s Planet (1962)- Himself in Anachron- The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal (1964)- Golden the Ship Was — Oh! Oh! Oh! (1959)- The Dead Lady of Clown Town (1964)- Under Old Earth (1966)- Drunkboat (1963)- Mother Hitton’s Littul Kittons (1961)- Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (1961)- The Ballad of Lost C’Mell (1962)- A Planet Named Shayol (1961)- On the Gem Planet [Casher O'Neill] (1963)- On the Storm Planet [Casher O'Neill] (1965)- On the Sand Planet [Casher O'Neill] (1965)- Three to a Given Star [Casher O'Neill] (1965)- Down to a Sunless Sea (1975)• Other Stories- War No. 81-Q (original version) (1928)- Western Science Is So Wonderful (1958)- Nancy (1959)- The Fife of Bodidharma (1959)- Angerhelm (1959)- The Good Friends (1963)Cover art by Jack Gaughan

    Frank Herbert described it as 'the most valuable science fiction source book ever written' and Isaac Asimov said 'It will become the Bible for all science fiction fans.'. This new edition has taken years to prepare and is much more than a simple updating. The world of science fiction in the 1990s is much more complex than it was back in the late 1970s. The advent of game worlds, shared worlds, graphic novels, film and tv spin-offs, technothrillers, survivalist fiction, of horror novels and fantasy novels with of centres has necessitated a radical revision, and this has allowed the inclusion of related subjects, such as magic realism. Accordingly, the book has expanded dramatically in order to cope with the complexities and changes. It now contains well over 4,300 entries - a staggering 1,500 more than the original - and, at 1.2 million words, it is over half a million words longer than the first edition. This is the indispensable reference work not only for every reader who loves, uses and wishes to know more about science fiction, but for every reader of imaginative fiction at the end of this century.

    On an island with a glass shore - relic of some even more ancient conflict - she discovers she is to be hunted by the Huhsz, a religious cult which believes she is the last obstacle before their faith's apotheosis. She has to run, knowing her only hope of finally escaping the Huhsz is to find the last of the ancient, apocalyptically powerful but seemingly cursed Lazy Guns. But that is just the first as well as the final step on a search that takes her on an odyssey through the exotic Golterian system and results in both a trail of destruction and a journey into her own past, as well as that of her family and the system itself; a journey that changes everything.

    Zane and Luna go on a date and discover some deeply hidden secrets about one another.

    Return to Darkover, the planet of the Bloody Sun, with this collection of stories written by the originator of this world.Free Amazons"To Keep the Oath""Bonds of Sisterhood" aka "Amazon Fragment" (from the 1st draft of Thendara House)"House Rules""Knives"Hilary"Firetrap", w/Elisabeth Waters"The Keeper’s Price, w/Elisabeth Waters"The Lesson of the Inn""Hilary’s Homecoming""Hilary’s Wedding"Rohana"Everything but Freedom"Dyan Ardais"Oathbreaker""The Hawk-Master’s Son""Man of Impulse""The Shadow"

    an alternate cover edition can be found hereA tale of the second crossing.When the original colonists find that the Southern Continent is too geologically unstable, they need to find a way to transport the growing colony and its possessions to the Northern Continent.Working with the intelligent dolphins who helped to colonize Pern with humans is key if they are to be successful...With illustrations and border decorations by Pat Morrissey.

    In Ender's Game, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin begins his life as the result of genetic experimentation created for the sole purpose of saving the earth from an alien race seeking to destroy all humankind.After three thousand years have passed, Ender Wiggin continues his destiny to win humanity's war. In part two of The Ender Wiggin Saga, Speaker for the Dead, Ender becomes known as Ender Xenocide: the man who killed an entire race of thinking, feeling beings -- the only other sapient race found in the galaxy, until Lusitania was discovered. Wiggin finds himself having to unravel the secrets of the Pequeninos and face the specter of war against an alien race once again, threatening the lives of sapient beings.The third episode of The Ender Wiggin Saga is Xenocide. The Starways Congress declares war on Descolada (a deadly virus that thrives on the three sapient races co-existing on the planet Lusitania) and sends a fleet to destroy Lusitania. Mysteriously, the fleet disappears, and only a young girl, who is one of the godspoken humans gifted with enhanced intelligence, can unlock the mystery.Now included for the first time is the fourth installment, Card's Children of the Mind. Lusitania is threatened by a fleet carrying planet-destroying weapons that were used by Ender thousands of years in the past, and Ender's oldest friend, Jane, a computer intelligence that evolved with him for over 3,000 years, has her power threatened by the Starways Congress. Ender's siblings, Peter and Valentine, created by Enderon his first trip Outside, have come to join in the battle to save Lusitania and Jane.The Ender Wiggin Saga unleashes a millenium-long epic tale of loyalty, conflict, and deadly games -- a science-fiction buff's treasure.

    This new collection of stories from the multi-award-winning author of Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog contains:A Letter from the ClearysAt the RialtoDeath on the NileThe Soul Selects Her own SocietyFire WatchInside JobEven the QueenThe Winds of Marble ArchAll Seated on the GroundLast of the WinnebagosTen stories - which have all won the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award or both - are compulsory reading for the serious science fiction fan.

    The future of war, and the fate of man, lies with one machine: the Bolo. With plated armor, a laser cannon, an electronic brain, and wheels, it defends humanity from aliens that threaten the entire species. Now comes the amplified history of the Bolo in stories by David Drake, S.M. Stirling, Mercedes Lackey and others. Cover art by Paul Alexander.Contents:Lost Legion [Bethany Martins • 1] / novelette by S. M. StirlingCamelot / novelette by Shariann Lewitt [as by S. N. Lewitt]The Legacy of Leonidas / novella by Andrew Keith [as by J. Andrew Keith]Ploughshare / novella by Todd McCaffrey [as by Todd Johnson]Ghosts / short story by Mike Resnick and Barry N. MalzbergThe Ghost of Resartus / novelette by Christopher StasheffOperation Desert Fox [Bolo] / novelette by Mercedes Lackey and Larry DixonAs Our Strength Lessens [Bolo] / short story by David DrakeBased on the fighting machine created by Keith Laumer. .

    It is a huge cylindrical object, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredibly, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence. It will kindle their wildest dreams . . . and fan their darkest fears. For no one knows who the Ramans are or why they have come. And now the moment of rendezvous awaits - just behind a Raman airlock door.

    Travel rain-shot streets with a gang of hip malcontents, hooked on the most powerful drug you can imagine. Yet Vurt feathers are not for the weak. As the mysterious Game Cat says, ‘Be careful, be very careful’. But Scribble isn’t listening. He has to find his lost love. His journey is a mission to find Curious Yellow, the ultimate, perhaps even mythical Vurt feather. As the most powerful narcotic of all, Scribble must be prepared to leave his current reality behind. This edition also includes three additional short stories by Noon.

    Sassinak escaped from slavery to freedom, and then used that freedom to fight the evil that had wrecked her world, first as a cadet, later as a captain, and finally as an Admiral of the Fleet.Lunzie, one of the galaxy's greatest healers, is Sassinak's great-grandmother -- but in actual years she is her junior; Lunzie spent nearly a century in coldsleep waiting for rescue when her ship was destroyed. Imagine their mutual surprise when Sassinak rescued her.How together Sassinak and Lunzie save first a world, and then a confederation of worlds -- and almost in passing establish amity between the genetically engineered Heavy Worlders and normal humanity -- is the story of The Planet Pirates.Publisher's Note: Never in our experience has a new series met with such solid success as our national bestsellers, THE PLANET PIRATES: Sassinak, The Death of Sleep, and Generation Warriors. Now at last we are able to offer all five hundred thousand words in a single hardcover edition. Note that because of its sheer physical mass, The Planet Pirates can never be offered in a mass market paperback edition.

    Wolfe's new work returns to the world of his acclaimed Book of the New Sun and will captivate readers hungry for the magic of the future.

    This lavish volume, studded with graphics and nuggets of information, is the pleasing result. Science Fiction : The Illustrated Encyclopedia showcases the prophecy and pageantry of science fiction. It weaves together world history with literary history and technical developments with SF trends, providing a cultural context to the Zeitgeist of the genre. Words truly cannot do justice to the visual delights of this colorful tome: time lines, charts, author biographies and bibliographies complete with photos and signatures, illustrated analyses of SF traditions, magazine covers, classic book covers, film and television snapshots, and historical photos. Use it as a reference, read it through, or pick it up and enjoy it in bits. Science Fiction : The Illustrated Encyclopedia will arouse curiosity, joy, and pride in the hearts of SF lovers. --Bonnie Bouman

    While a computer guides their space tug, the crew of seven humans sleep - until scanners pick up a distress call from a remote dead planet. All the technology of the future cannot shield them from the nightmare of today.

    Telling the story of humanity's first attempts to colonise distant planets, this is the tale of Kim and his companions and the strange creatures and perilous dangers they face in the unknown worlds.

    Caliban is created... A robot without guilt or conscience. A robot with no knowledge of or compassion for humanity. A robot without the Three Laws.Caliban is a searing examination of Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, a challenge welcomed and sanctioned by Isaac Asimov, the late beloved genius of science fiction, and written with his cooperation by one of today's hottest talents, Roger MacBride Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Ambush at Corella, The Modular Man, and The Ring of Charon.

    Contents: Hellflower -- Darktraders -- Archangel blues.The Hellflower series features Butterfly St Cyr, a female starpilot trying to make a living as a tramp cargo hauler, as she befriends Valijon Starbringer (or, as Butterfly calls him, "Tiggy Stardust") a teenage hellflower (slang for a mercenary) who is totally out of his depth.

    The law was on their side. But a creative military bean-counter found a cheap solution. Instead of sending the requested Reserve battalion, he sent one man and an outmoded Bolo.

    There one can find the timeless themes of Good and Evil, Love and Hate, and Life and Death."

    Le Guin, Maureen F. McHugh, Mike Resnick, and others.Contents xi • Summation: 1992 • (1993) • essay by Gardner Dozois1 • Griffin's Egg • (1991) • novella by Michael Swanwick62 • Even the Queen • (1992) • shortstory by Connie Willis76 • The Round-Eyed Barbarians • (1992) • shortstory by L. Sprague de Camp87 • Dust • (1992) • novelette by Greg Egan113 • Two Guys from the Future • (1992) • shortstory by Terry Bisson123 • The Mountain to Mohammed • (1992) • shortstory by Nancy Kress137 • The Coming of Vertumnus • (1992) • novelette by Ian Watson175 • A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple • (1992) • novelette by Robert Silverberg195 • The Hammer of God • (1992) • shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke205 • Grownups • (1992) • novella by Ian R. MacLeod238 • Graves • (1992) • shortstory by Joe Haldeman245 • The Glowing Cloud • (1992) • novella by Steven Utley296 • Gravity's Angel • (1992) • shortstory by Tom Maddox312 • Protection • (1992) • novella by Maureen F. McHugh346 • The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee • (1990) • shortstory by Neal Barrett, Jr.357 • Birth Day • (1992) • shortstory by Robert Reed367 • Naming Names • (1992) • novelette by Pat Cadigan390 • The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa • (1992) • shortstory by Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger394 • The Territory • (1992) • novella by Bradley Denton432 • The Best and the Rest of James Joyce • (1992) • shortfiction by Ian McDonald448 • Naming the Flowers • (1992) • novella by Kate Wilhelm491 • Snodgrass • (1992) • novelette by Ian R. MacLeod511 • By the Mirror of My Youth • (1992) • shortstory by Kathe Koja519 • Outnumbering the Dead • (1990) • novella by Frederik Pohl583 • Honorable Mentions: 1992 • (1993) • essay by Gardner Dozois

    With hardly any fertile land remaining on Earth and a nearly vanished ozone layer, Phoenix and Madonna, two teenaged friends, flee Portland with the hope of reaching the hydroponics labs in Idaho.

    Ranade. Over the years science fiction has developed in other languages too, like in Tamil, but it has found strong roots in Marathi language primarily and this becomes evident in this anthology too. A comprehensive view of the trends in Indian science fiction can be obtained by going through this compilation of select stories in various Indian languages carefully culled by author-editor Bal Phondke, a prolific science communicator and former Director, CSIR, New Delhi.

    The publication of this book coincides with the arrival of the seventh "Red Dwarf" series in the spring of 1993. The author also wrote "Better Than Life", "Red Dwarf" and "Red Dwarf Omnibus".

    Sorayama is back with his latest collection of 68 erotic female cyborgs, or Gynoids, presented in dramatic, large format pages.

    Here's an unauthorized compendium for Trekkers who are unafraid of pointing the finger at oversights, and who know it's great fun to find the sloppy mistakes (or cost-cutting cheating) in a show that takes itself very seriously.

    In Spartan Run, an army patterned after the ancient Greek guard protects survivors in the wake of nuclear holocaust, but civil war forces Blade and the Warriors to intervene. In Madman Run, Blade, Hickok, and Geronimo set out to find the mysterious Castle Orm.

    Color dustjacket art by Tom Kidd.

    Bok achieved a luminous, stained-glass quality in his work through the use of an arduous glazing process, reminiscent of the work of his early mentor, Maxfield Parrish. Hannes Bok's fantastic illustrations graced the pages of many major science fiction magazines and books. A Hannes Bok Treasury features 45 full color and 50 distinctive black and white illustrations, including previously unpublished paintings and drawings. Also reproduced here are rare samples of Bok's work in costume design and his elaborate paper mache masks. This unique showcase edition is for every fan of science fiction and fantastic art.

    It's a thrivingnucleus of spiritual activity: neon temples withvideo preachers, street-corner messiahs and coin-fed confession machines, ghetto prophets, whiskeyevangelists and vendors selling salvation in a box.Jake Strait has always placed his faith in the devil.But when a gorgeous blond angel hires him toinfiltrate a religious sect and locate her twin sister, he decides to give a new and improved god a try.Hired to turn the sect's team of bumbling soldiersinto a hit squad, he plans to lead the attack againstthe city's criminal subculture.BUT WHEN THE ROBES OF SPIRITUAL RIGHTEOUSNESSFALL AWAY TO REVEAL A WILD-EYED PROPHET ON THEMAKE, JAKE's GOT TO PAWN HIS TICKET TO PARADISEAND GET HIS CONSCIENCE OUT OF HOCK.

    

    Fueled by the force of raging suns, driven by tortured dreams of murder and vengeance, Nexus hunts the ruthless killers in the universe -- while hoping to someday find the peace he craves. Now a close encounter with a black hole strands Nexus on a bizarre alien world where he must overcome dangers both mental and physical -- and come face-to-face with the most psychotic superhero of all: The Badger! This softcover collects the First Comics Nexus issues 6-10, and includes new material by Mike Baron and Steve Rude. This title contains: Nexus #6-10 (original series)

    There's even a video of Greg Bear himself, talking about the story, its writing and creativity. System Requirements: IBM or compatible; 386SX/25MHz processor or better; mouse; 4MB RAM; SVGA graphics card (640x480x256 colors) with compatible monitor; MPC compliant sound card; MPC CD-ROM drive; Windows 3.1.

    Covering in unprecedented detail over 2,000 years of spaceship design, the text chronologically documents thousands of events, with illustrations and photos graphically demonstrating the centuries-long evolution of an idea that has changed our world forever. Included are rare photos and illustrations from science fiction films, books, and magazines; unique drawings of Soviet spacecraft; NASA photos never before reproduced; and artwork specially commissioned for this book. The illustrations are reproduced in two colors throughout, with a sixteen-page full-color section, appendixes, bibliography, and index. It was the winner of the Booklist Editor's Choice 1994 Technology Award.

    

    

    R. Thompson• The Hypersonic Skyhook by Robert Zubrin• Generational Confict by Daniel Hatch• Small Victories by Linda Nagata• Cities, Food, and War by G. Harry Stine• Jake's Gift by Bud Sparhawk• A Glance Backward by Ian Randal Strock• With Time Comes Concord by Duncan Lunan•   Review: A Deeper Sea by Alexander Jablokov by Thomas A. Easton• The Reference Library by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Correspondence by Sue Thomas by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Crystal Line by Anne McCaffrey by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Retro Lives by Lee Grimes by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Unmasking by Nina Kiriki Hoffman by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Is Anyone Out There? by Frank Drake and Dava Sobel by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Full Spectrum 4 by Lou Aronica and Betsy Mitchell and Amy Stout by Thomas A. Easton• Brass Tacks by Stanley Schmidt• Upcoming Events by Anthony R. Lewis

    

    Life is sweeter in the fortified elite Hill section where the privileged few live, but elsewhere the city makes its own rules for life and death.Even in this ruthless, anything-goes world, Jake Strait has his limits-a line that he won't cross willingly. He won't do political jobs. But when a rich, pampered couple from Hill sets him up, he is drawn into a plot that plans to drench the city with blood.

    Original.

    Free online fiction from Harlan Ellison.As she had done every night since they met, she went in bare feet and a cantaloupe-meat-colored nightshift to the shore of the sea of mist, the verge of the ocean of smothering vapor, the edge of the bewildering haze he called the Brim of Obscurity.

    

    

    What if Columbus had stumbled upon a 21st century civilization in the New World? Continuing the story begun in The Others and Otherwhere, Otherwise explores the inevitable conflict that arises from such a clash of cultures through the eyes of two women, each from either world, whose love and courage transcend time and ideology.The third volume in The Others Series.

    Though the book focuses on works produced in English between 1895 and 1990, foreign language material and works produced before 1895 and after 1990 are included as well. The reference contains works in a range of media, with entries grouped in chapters on literature, literary criticism, drama and dramatic criticism, graphic and plastic arts, music, and background. Each entry includes an annotation that overviews the significance of the human/machine interface in the work cited. The usefulness of the work is increased by the thorough author, title, and keyword and theme indexes.

    

    Burns• Zhburtz'ming of Gawain by uncredited• Comes the Revolution ... by G. Harry Stine• R-TRNRD by Bud Sparhawk• One Picture Is Worth ... by Mike Moscoe• Pibloktoq by Paula Robinson• Biolog: Paula Robinson by Jay Kay Klein• The Moon Pyramid by G. Harry Stine• Puff by Jeffery D. Kooistra• Paper Virus by Joseph P. Martino• The Reference Library by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Ring of Swords by Eleanor Arnason by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: The Elementals by Morgan Llywelyn by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: In the Cube: A Novel of Future Boston by David Alexander Smith by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Rude Astronauts by Allen Steele by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Dinosaur Fantastic by Martin H. Greenberg and Mike Resnick by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Letters to Jenny by Piers Anthony by Thomas A. Easton• Review of the nonfiction work "The Hydrogen World View" by Roger E. Billings by Thomas A. Easton• Upcoming Events by Anthony R. Lewis

    Kooistra• The Mislaid Mastodon by L. Sprague de Camp• Is AIDS an Autoimmune Disease? by Dr. J. Kevin Steele• Fool's Errand by Sarah Zettel• Some Choices by Mark Rich• The Fate of Old Computers by G. Harry Stine• White Room by Stephen L. Burns• The Reference Library by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: The Harvest by Robert Charles Wilson by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: The Multiplex Man by James P. Hogan by Thomas A. Easton• A Tear in the Mind's Eye by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff•   Review: Mutagenesis by Helen Collins by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon by Lisa Goldstein by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Deus X by Norman Spinrad by Thomas A. Easton•   Review: Dream Protocols by Lee Ballentine by Thomas A. Easton• Upcoming Events by Anthony R. Lewis

    One day, a senior student asked Keiichi to mind his house during his absense. Keiichi tries to call for take-out food but my mistake, calls a strange institution called the "Goddess of Help Office". A Goddess named Belldandy appears in front of a shocked Keiichi. She tells him that she will grant him one wish. Without thinking, Keiichi screams: "I want a goddess like you to stay by my side forever!" From that moment on, Belldandy becomes Keiichi's personal goddess...

    Imagine the satisfaction of seeing Lobo coping with registration lines, cleaning his teeth with hologram trading cards and using polybags as only he can.