The same aliens who almost destroyed Earth once are coming back to get the whole job done this time. But we aren't going to just sit and die. The international military is taking our best and brightest to mold them into the finest military minds ever - and they're taking them young.

    The three stories in this omnibus tell the tale of Inquisitor Gideon Ravenor and his lethal band of operatives, whose investigations take them from the heart of the Scarus Sector to the wildest regions of space beyond, and even through time itself. Wherever they go, and whatever dangers they face, they will never give up until their mission succeeds.Contains the novels Ravenor, Ravenor Returned and Ravenor Rogue, plus two short stories and an introduction by the author.

    This is a tale of street smarts, survival instincts and the inevitable meeting with the Interstellar Fleet's battle-hardening school for children, where Ender Wiggin holds court as rising star.

    A short story about the universe and your place in it.

    Growing up in suburban Boston he enjoys the trials and tribulations that all adolescents go through. From the seemingly tyrannical mother, to girl problems to run-ins with the law. From there he escapes to college out in Colorado with his best friend, Paul, where they begin to forge new relationships with those around them. It is one girl in particular that has caught the eye of Michael and he alternately pines for her and then laments ever meeting her. It is on their true 'first' date that things go strangely askew. This is where the story truly takes a paranormal twist. Mike soon finds himself captive aboard an alien vessel, fighting for his very survival. The aliens have devised gladiator type games. The games are of two-fold importance for the aliens. One reason, being for the entertainment value, the other reason being that they want to see how combative humans are, what our weaknesses and strengths are. They want to better learn how to attack and defeat us. The battles are to the death on varying terrains that are computer generated. Follow Mike as he battles for his life and Paul has he battles to keep main stream US safe.

    Dick’s best science fiction novels:The Man in the High Castle • The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? • Ubik • Martian Time-Slip • Dr. Bloodmoney • Now Wait for Last Year • Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said • A Scanner Darkly • A Maze of Death • VALIS • The Divine Invasion • The Transmigration of Timothy Archer

    In a society where the ability to see the higher end of the color spectrum denotes a better social standing, Eddie Russet belongs to the low-level House of Red and can see his own color—but no other. The sky, the grass, and everything in between are all just shades of grey, and must be colorized by artificial means. Eddie's world wasn't always like this. There's evidence of a never-discussed disaster and now, many years later, technology is poor, news sporadic, the notion of change abhorrent, and nighttime is terrifying: no one can see in the dark. Everyone abides by a bizarre regime of rules and regulations, a system of merits and demerits, where punishment can result in permanent expulsion. Eddie, who works for the Color Control Agency, might well have lived out his rose-tinted life without a hitch. But that changes when he becomes smitten with Jane, a Grey, which is low-caste in this color-centric world. She shows Eddie that all is not well with the world he thinks is just and good. Together, they engage in dangerous revolutionary talk.

    Now, from the far future, they have sent their creation back to rule the Malwa Empire, then to conquer and shape the world of the sixth century A.D. into the form that will make their own foul existence possible. Those in the future who never were human have sent their own messenger to the past: Aide, a gleaming jewel who has come to Belisarius, the greatest general of the sixth century and perhaps any century. Between them they have forged an alliance of all the world against the evil fro the far future—and an army that can be the spear through evil’s heart. The Dance of Time: The Malwa and their evil have been driven back to their Indian heartland, but there they coil to strike again. Ruled by a monster from the future that is part computer and part demon, they prepare a fresh attack whose success will leave them rulers of the world—and the monster that guides the Malwa will rule the whole future. Guided by Aide, Belisarius has arrayed the forces of Mankind against the Malwa evil. There is no hope for Mankind if he fails—so he must not fail! The triumphant conclusion of the Belisarius saga.

    Having reached the end of their usefulness his beloved Corps, the last remaining ACS, are destroyed at the order of the Darhel, by their own Fleet. His staff are shot before his eyes, and he is arrested on the charge of war crimes. He faces a short, one-sided, trial, a trip to the Fleet Penal Facility and a bullet to the back of the head while trying to 'escape'. Yet all is not lost. Just as O'Neal faces certain death an entirely new and more powerful alien enemy threatens the galactic status quo, including the dominant Darhel themselves. This new threat requires that O'Neal take command of all military forces and wage war to save his enemies and humanity.

    Night Shade Books PresentsFor your 2009 Hugo Award"Best Short Story" considerationTed Chiang’s "Exhalation"As Published inEclipse Two:New Science Fiction and FantasyEdited by Jonathan Strahan

    Rugal is an orphaned Cardassian who has been raised by the people his race once conquered, the Bajorans. Reluctantly repatriated to Cardassia as a teenager, Rugal becomes the living witness to the downfall of the proud people to whom he was born, first by the invading Klingons, then during the Cardassians’ unholy pact with the Dominion—a partnership that culminated in a near-genocide. Through it all, Rugal’s singular perspective illuminates the choices that brought the Cardassians to their ruin...even as he learns that the Cardassian soul is not as easy to understand as he imagined.

    It grew, as such things do, into a small novella. On publication, it proved widely popular and widely criticized. Be warned that the story, as it wrote itself, ended up containing some profanity and PG-13 content.

    Humanity is enhanced and improved, but also battered and bitterly divided. Technology allows the re-shaping of bodies and minds, but also creates opportunities for oppression and puts the capability for mass destruction in the hands of everyone. And other threats lurk in the devastated habitats of the Fall, dangers both familiar and alien. In this harsh setting, the players participate in a cross-faction conspiracy called Firewall that seeks to protect transhumanity from threats both internal and external. Along the way, they may find themselves hunting for prized technology in a gutted habitat falling from orbit, risking the hellish landscapes of a ruined earth, or following the trail of a terrorist through militarized stations and isolationist habitats. Players may even find themselves stepping through a Pandora Gate, a wormhole to distant stars and the alien secrets beyond.

    Gene Wolfe, of whom The Washington Post said, “Of all SF writers currently active none is held in higher esteem,” has selected the short fiction he considers his finest into one volume.  There are many award winners and many that have been selected for various Year’s Best anthologies among the thirty-one stories, which include: “Petting Zoo,” “The Tree Is My Hat,” “The Island of Dr. Death and Other Stories,” “The Hero as Werewolf,” “Seven American Nights,” “The Fifth Head of Cerberus,” “The Detective of Dreams,” and “A Cabin on the Coast.” Gene Wolfe has produced possibly the finest and most significant body of short fiction in the SF and fantasy field in the last fifty years, and is certainly among the greatest living writers to emerge from the genres.  This is the first retrospective collection of his entire career.  It is for the ages.Contents11 • The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories • [Archipelago] • (1970) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe23 • Afterword (The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories) • essay by Gene Wolfe25 • The Toy Theater • (1971) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe30 • Afterword (The Toy Theater) • essay by Gene Wolfe31 • The Fifth Head of Cerberus • (1972) • novella by Gene Wolfe76 • Afterword (The Fifth Head of Cerberus) • essay by Gene Wolfe78 • Beech Hill • (1972) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe83 • Afterword (Beech Hill) • essay by Gene Wolfe84 • The Recording • (1972) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe86 • Afterword (The Recording) • essay by Gene Wolfe88 • Hour of Trust • (1973) • novelette by Gene Wolfe112 • Afterword (Hour of Trust) • essay by Gene Wolfe114 • The Death of Dr. Island • [Archipelago] • (1973) • novella by Gene Wolfe158 • Afterword (The Death of Dr. Island) • essay by Gene Wolfe159 • La Befana • (1973) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe162 • Afterword (La Befana) • essay by Gene Wolfe163 • Forlesen • (1974) • novelette by Gene Wolfe201 • Afterword (Forlesen) • essay by Gene Wolfe202 • Westwind • (1973) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe208 • Afterword (Westwind) • essay by Gene Wolfe209 • The Hero as Werwolf • (1975) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe221 • Afterword (The Hero as Werwolf) • essay by Gene Wolfe222 • The Marvelous Brass Chessplaying Automaton • (1977) • novelette by Gene Wolfe236 • Afterword (The Marvelous Brass Chessplaying Automaton) • essay by Gene Wolfe237 • Straw • (1975) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe243 • Afterword (Straw) • essay by Gene Wolfe244 • The Eyeflash Miracles • (1976) • novella by Gene Wolfe291 • Afterword (The Eyeflash Miracles) • essay by Gene Wolfe292 • Seven American Nights • (1978) • novella by Gene Wolfe331 • Afterword (Seven American Nights) • essay by Gene Wolfe333 • The Detective of Dreams • (1980) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe346 • Afterword (The Detective of Dreams) • essay by Gene Wolfe347 • Kevin Malone • (1980) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe355 • Afterword (Kevin Malone) • essay by Gene Wolfe356 • The God and His Man • (1980) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe360 • Afterword (The God and His Man) • essay by Gene Wolfe361 • On the Train • [Redwood Coast Roamer] • (1983) • shortfiction by Gene Wolfe362 • Afterword (On the Train) • essay by Gene Wolfe363 • From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton • (1983) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe367 • Afterword (From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton) • essay by Gene Wolfe368 • Death of the Island Doctor • [Archipelago] • (1983) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe372 • Afterword (Death of the Island Doctor) • essay by Gene Wolfe373 • Redbeard • (1984) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe377 • Afterword (Redbeard) • essay by Gene Wolfe379 • The Boy Who Hooked the Sun • (1985) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe381 • Afterword (The Boy Who Hooked the Sun) • essay by Gene Wolfe382 • Parkroads—A Review • (1987) • shortfiction by Gene Wolfe384 • Afterword (Parkroads—A Review) • essay by Gene Wolfe385 • Game in the Pope's Head • (1988) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe390 • Afterword (Game in the Pope's Head) • essay by Gene Wolfe391 • And When They Appear • (1993) • novelette by Gene Wolfe408 • Afterword (And When They Appear) • essay by Gene Wolfe409 • Bed and Breakfast • (1996) • shortfiction by Gene Wolfe (variant of Bed & Breakfast)426 • Afterword (Bed and Breakfast) • essay by Gene Wolfe427 • Petting Zoo • (1997) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe431 • Afterword (Petting Zoo) • essay by Gene Wolfe433 • The Tree Is My Hat • (1999) • novelette by Gene Wolfe452 • Afterword (The Tree Is My Hat) • essay by Gene Wolfe454 • Has Anybody Seen Junie Moon? • (1999) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe464 • Afterword (Has Anybody Seen Junie Moon?) • essay by Gene Wolfe466 • A Cabin on the Coast • (1984) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe475 • Afterword (A Cabin on the Coast) • essay by Gene Wolfe

    Eva's great desire is to go aboveground, and her wish comes true, though not as she had imagined. On the surface, Eva goes in search of other humans--she has never met one--and soon meets both friend and foe.

    Today, as the new worlds, alternate universes, and synthetic pleasures Sheckley foretold become our reality, his vision begins to look less absurdist and more prophetic. This retrospective selection, chosen by Jonathan Lethem and Alex Abramovich, brings together the best of Sheckley’s deadpan farces, proving once again that he belongs beside such mordant critics of contemporary mores as Bruce Jay Friedman, Terry Southern, and Thomas Pynchon.

    Nightmarish female warriors with blue skin, fangs, and razor sharp talons, the Kreelans have technology that is millennia beyond that of the Confederation, yet they seek out close combat with sword and claw, fighting and dying to honor their god-like Empress. Captured and enslaved, Reza must live like his enemies in a grand experiment to see if humans have souls, and if one may be the key to unlocking an ages old curse upon the Kreelan race. Enduring the brutal conditions of Kreelan life, Reza and a young warrior named Esah-Zhurah find themselves bound together by fate and a prophecy foretold millennia before they were born.

    But are they? Can this deadly menace that has hovered over humanity for decades truly be gone? Might some shadow of the Caeliar remain? The Federation decides that they have to know, and Starfleet is ordered to find out. The Starship Voyager leads a fleet into a region of space that has lived in fear of instant annihilation for generations: the Delta quadrant, home of the Borg. Afsarah Eden -- the new captain of Voyager -- is charged with getting answers, to reach out to possible allies and resolve old enmities in the Delta quadrant. The perfection that was given to the Borg was withheld from Seven of Nine. Left behind, she is living a twilight existence -- neither Borg nor human -- and slowly going mad. The whispers of the Collective, comforting murmurs she has always known, are replaced with a voice deep within her that keeps insisting she is Annika Hansen. Chakotay, the former captain of Voyager, offers to help Seven rendezvous with the ships that Starfleet Command has sent into the Delta quadrant, the probable destination of the mysterious Caeliar. These are not the friendly stars of the Federation; the unknown and the unexpected are the everyday.

    But Aurora is disabled by gigantic alien warships and boarded by blue-skin females with fangs and claws. The warriors slaughter the crew in ritual one-on-one combat. The sole survivor is returned to Earth. This Messenger bears a real-time globe device that counts down to an impending attack. That is the way of the Kreelan Empire. For centuries before man have they waged war, seeking a prophesied savior. Soon to be extinct, the ancient species wages their last war, hoping for redemption of sins long past.

    The first in a six-volume series, Volume 1: Threshold contains all of Zelazny's short works from his early years through the mid 1960s--a period of experimentation and growth that flowered into gems such as "A Rose for Ecclesiastes," "The Graveyard Heart," "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth," and "He Who Shapes." The stories in this series are enriched by editors' notes and Zelazny's own words, taken from his many essays, describing why he wrote the stories and what he thought about them in retrospect.

    Alone in this knowledge, he comes of age in rural Maine grappling with the question: Does anything I do matter? While the voice that has accompanied him since conception appraises his choices, Junior's loved ones emerge with parallel stories-his anxious mother; his brother, a cocaine addict turned pro-baseball phenomenon; his exalted father, whose own mortality summons Junior's best and worst instincts; and Amy, the love of Junior's life and a North Star to his journey through romance and heartbreak, drug-addled despair, and superheroic feats that could save humanity. While our recognizable world is transformed into a bizarre nation at endgame, where government agents conspire in subterranean bunkers, preparing citizens for emigration from a doomed planet, Junior's final triumph confounds all expectation, building to an astonishing and deeply moving resolution. Ron Currie, Jr., gets to the heart of character, and the voices who narrate this uniquely American tour de force leave an indelible, exhilarating impression.

    Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away. Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens -- town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing -- even murder -- to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

    Omnibus edition collecting the novels, Grey Knights, Dark Adeptus and Hammer of Daemons from the popular Warhammer 40,000 Grey Knights series.

    Voyager is dispatched on an urgent mission to the planet Kerovi, Captain Chakotay and his first officer, Commander Thomas Paris, must choose between following their orders and saving the lives of two of those dearest to them. B'Elanna Torres and her daughter, Miral, are both missing in the wake of a brutal attack on the Klingon world of Boreth. With the aid of their former captain, Admiral Kathryn Janeway -- as well as many old friends and new allies -- Voyager's crew must unravel an ancient mystery, placing themselves between two warrior sects battling for the soul of the Klingon people...while the life of Miral hangs in the balance. But these events and their repercussions are merely the prelude to even darker days to come. As Voyager is drawn into a desperate struggle to prevent the annihilation of the Federation, lives are shattered, and the bonds that were forged in the Delta Quadrant are challenged in ways that none could have imagined. For though destiny has dealt them crushing blows, Voyager's crew must rise to face their future...and begin a perilous journey in which the wheel of fate comes full circle.

    

    He is property, bought and paid for in an Earth under sharia law. All faiths but one have been banned. And the rule of the great Imam is supreme. As a debugger, Sandfly has an implant in his head that connects him to the world's technology-and doles out mental shocks to keep him obedient. All he wants is to fix bots and avoid shocks Now he's been called into Earth orbit. The masters have a new spacecraft-one capable of interstellar flight. On its maiden voyage, the only robot on board went mad and tore itself apart. Why? Better question: does it pose any risk to humans? When Sandfly reviews the bot's final moments, he perceives something unexpected. Something impossible. As Sandfly pieces together the clues, a trap spreads beneath his feet. If he solves the mystery, he may doom himself. And if he fixes the robot, he may shatter his world. Suspenseful, unique, and awash in cyberpunk jive, A Star Curiously Singing presents a bleak future that might be closer than we think.

    The Wide, Wide Sea is set in the past, at a time before the Spackle War, and we get a first look at the fishing village on the sea where some very important things happen at the end of Monsters of Men.Best read after The Ask and the Answer but before Monsters.(again, hints of things to come) - Patrick Ness

    This new double volume from Subterranean Press stands squarely in that distinguished tradition, offering a pair of colorful, fast-paced stories from the reigning master of the intergalactic space opera: Alastair Reynolds. Thousandth Night, the genesis for the epic novel House of Suns, is quintessential Reynolds. A visionary account of intrigue, ambition, and technological marvels set within a beautifully realized far-future milieu, it combines world-class storytelling with a provocative meditation on the mystery, grandeur, and inconceivable immensity of the universe.The masterful novella Minla s Flowers features Merlin, a familiar figure to Reynolds s readers. Diverted by technical difficulties to a planet known as Lecythus, Merlin finds himself forced to play a part in the moral and military dilemmas of a world on the verge of extinction.

    WELLS includes 33 novels and novellas by British "father of science fiction" H.G. Wells. Several of Wells' books have become classics of science fiction, including THE TIME MACHINE, THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, and THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON. Wells was also an accomplished writer in other genres, with works like KIPPS and TONO-BUNGAY often considered among his finest as well. This collection also includes several of Wells' lesser-known novellas and novels, including his first time-travel story, THE CHRONIC ARGONAUTS. • The Chronic Argonauts • The Time Machine • The Wonderful Visit • The Island of Doctor Moreau • The Wheels of Chance • The Invisible Man • The War of the Worlds • When the Sleeper Wakes • Love and Mr. Lewisham • The First Men in the Moon • The Sea Lady • The Food of the Gods and How it Came to Earth • A Modern Utopia • Kipps • In the Days of the Comet • The War in the Air • Ann Veronica • Tono-Bungay • The History of Mr. Polly • The Sleeper Awakes • The New Machiavelli • Marriage • The Passionate Friends • The Wife of Sir Isaac Harmon • The World Set Free • Bealby • Boon • The Research Magnificent • Mr. Britling Sees it Through • The Soul of a Bishop • Joan and Peter • The Undying Fire • The Secret Places of the Heart Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) was a prolific 19th- and 20th century British science fiction writer. Together with French author Jules Verne, Wells has been called "The Father of Science Fiction." Wells was an outspoken socialist and sympathetic to pacifist views. Best known for his early works of science fiction, his later works became increasingly political in nature. This expanded Third Edition includes additional works as well as a number of editorial corrections.

    It is the world's best-kept secret-and its most terrifying. Trying to regain his life in the Alaskan wilds, ex-con/ex-cop Travis Chase stumbles upon an impossible scene: a crashed 747 passenger jet filled with the murdered dead, including the wife of the [resident of the United States.Though a nightmare of monumental proportions, it pales before the terror to come, as Chase is dragged into a battle for the future that revolves around an amazing artifact. Allied with a beautiful covert operative whose life he saved, Chase must now play the role he's been destined for-a pawn of incomprehensible forces or humankind's final hope-as the race toward Apocalypse begins in earnest. Because something is loose in the world. And doomsday is not only possible...it is inevitable.

    Ellen May Ngewthu has a plan to rid humanity of these beings, but she must first travel the entirety of the Solar Union, convincing others that post-humans are the threat she knows they are...The Sky Road: Her rockets redundant, her people rebellious, and her borders defenseless against the Sino-Soviet Union, Myra Godwin appeals to the crumbling West for help as she faces the end of the space age. And, centuries in the future, as humanity again reaches into space, a young scholar could make the difference between success and failure. For his mysterious new lover has seduced him into the idea of extrapolating the ship's future from the dark archives of the past.The Sky Road won the British Science Fiction Association Award.The Fall Revolution Series:1. The Star Fraction2. The Stone Canal3. The Cassini Division 4. The Sky Road

    12 stories by science fiction author Andre Norton, together in one collection, with an active table of contents:The Defiant AgentsThe Gifts of AstiKey Out of TimePlague ShipRalestone LuckRebel SpursRide Proud, Rebel!Star BornStar HunterStorm Over WarlockThe Time TradersVoodoo Planet

    This retrospective volume includes "All Summer in a Day,” Ray Bradbury’s lasting tale of what happened on one special day; "Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, describing what happened to Charlie Gordon when he was made into a genius; "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut’s absurdist cautionary tale of mandatory equality; and "The Electric Ant" by Philip K. Dick, concerning what Garson Poole learned after the accident that hospitalized him. This remarkable collection also features some of the most highly acclaimed, award-winning authors, including Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, Shirley Jackson, Peter S. Beagle, Karen Joy Fowler, Ursula K. Le Guin, Theodore Sturgeon, and Roger Zelazny. Hand-picked by the magazine’s current editor, this is an unmatched assemblage of appealing, first-rate fiction.ContentsIntroduction by Gordon Van Gelder"Of Time and Third Avenue" by Alfred Bester"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury"One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts" by Shirley Jackson"A Touch of Strange" by Theodore Sturgeon"Eastward ho!" by William Tenn"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes"Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut"This Moment of the Storm" by Roger Zelazny"The Electric Ant" by Philip K. Dick"The Deathbird" by Harlan Ellison"The Women Men Don't See" by James Tiptree, Jr."I See You" by Damon Knight"The Gunslinger" by Stephen King"The Dark" by Karen Joy Fowler"Buffalo" by John Kessel"Solitude" by Ursula K. Le Guin"Mother Grasshopper" by Michael Swanwick"macs" by Terry Bisson"Creation" by Jeffrey Ford"Other People" by Neil Gaiman"Two Hearts" by Peter S. Beagle"Journey into the Kingdom" by M. Rickert"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang

    And he enjoys baffling his readers with enigmas like why, after so many years of listening with no results, would a SETI director hear an artificial signal and keep it quiet? Why might an astronomer at a space station, facing imminent death from a solar radiation blast, send off a frantic message that he had discovered a Clyde Tombaugh Special? Tombaugh, of course, was the discoverer of Pluto.What really happened to Christopher Sim, the George Washington of the war against the Ashiyyur? Why had a beloved artist at the top of his profession, with everything to live for, killed himself? Why had a brilliant young biologist discovered how life got started on Earth, but neglected to tell anyone?And there are of course other anomalies to be encountered in McDevitt's work: A computer threatens the literary world, while a time traveler worries the churches. One artificial intelligence runs for president, and another claims to be a Catholic and demands access to the sacraments. Two friends discover that whenever they get together, shuttles crash, wars break out, or tidal waves hammer a coastline.A researcher watches endless fighting on another world and finally rebels against the Academy's hands-off doctrine. Meantime, a crewman stranded light-years from Earth, entertains himself by intercepting radio broadcasts from home, originally transmitted during World War II.Among other questions these tales will answer: What might happen when people in a research lab literally try to play God. Why you don't ever, ever, want to turn out the lights at Bolton's Tower in the Dakotas. Why someone might want to blow up a star. And why it would be a really good idea if Hatch kept his hands off the mallet. These, and twenty-three other cosmic rides, await the reader.Contents:Cryptic (1983)The Fort Moxie Branch (1988)Nothing Ever Happens in Rock City (2001)Tweak (2007)Melville on Iapetus (1983)Lighthouse (2006) by Jack McDevitt and Michael SharaCool Neighbor (2007) by Jack McDevitt and Michael SharaWhistle (1989)In the Tower (1987)Ignition (2005)Indomitable (2008)Last Contact (1988)Never Despair (1997)Windows (2004)Dutchman (1987)The Tomb (1991)Promises to Keep (1984)To Hell with the Stars (1987)The Mission (2004)Report from the Rear (1998)Black to Move (1982)The Far Shore (1982)Sunrise (1988)Kaminsky at War (2006)Fifth Day (2007)Deus Tex (1996)Gus (1991)Welcome to Valhalla (2008) by Jack McDevitt and Kathryn LanceTyger (1991)Auld Lang Boom (1992)Cruising through Deuteronomy (1995)The Candidate (2006)Act of God (2004)Ellie (1995)Time's Arrow (1989)Dead in the Water (1999)Henry James, This One's for You (2005)Time Travellers Never Die (1996)

    "Crystal Nights" portrays a driven man s moral compromises as he chases an elusive technological breakthrough, while in "Steve Fever" the technology itself falls victim to its own hype."TAP" brings us a new kind of poetry, where a word is more powerful than a thousand images. "Singleton" shows us a new kind of child, born of human DNA modeled in a quantum computer who, in "Oracle", journeys to a parallel world to repay a debt to an intellectual ancestor."Induction" chronicles the methods and motives behind humanity s first steps to the stars. "Border Guards" reflects on the painful history of a tranquil utopia. And in the final story, "Hot Rock", two immortal citizens of the galaxy-spanning Amalgam find that an obscure, sunless world conceals mind-spinning technological marvels, bitter factional struggles, and a many-layered secret history.Greg Egan is the author of seven novels and over fifty short stories. He is a winner of the Hugo Award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award.

    H.M.S. Thunder Child steams towards her glorious destiny in this 'War of the Worlds' pastiche! The War of the Worlds contains a small section on the Thunder Child battleship that attacks three tripods to save a paddle steamer. This story takes place a few days before the event and leads up to the final dramatic moment. The clever build-up leads to this final battle of ironclad v three Martian tripods. The story moves between the crew of the HMS Thunder Child at sea, and Mister Stanley, the man from the War Office. He is moving across the land to various semaphore stations. He is linked to the ship because he delivered the mission orders before the story starts. If you have read War of the Worlds and enjoyed it, you will like this story too.

    For Ky, it's no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern can't hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. It's adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her family's misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down. Expelled from the Academy in disgrace-and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future—Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunity's door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride—and a shot at redemption-as captain of a Vatta Transport ship. It's a simple assignment: escorting one of the Vatta fleet's oldest ships on its final voyage...to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Ky's style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to baby-sit the fledgling captain on her maiden milk run, they can't stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture—in the name of turning a profit for Vatta Transport, of course. By snapping up a lucrative delivery contract defaulted on by a rival company, and using part of the proceeds to upgrade her condemned vehicle, Ky aims to prove she's got more going for her than just her family's famous name. But business will soon have to take a backseat to bravery, when Ky's change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, it's her military training and born-soldier's instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny...

    Now the lessons she learned in that trial by fire are about to pay off - because this time, the war has come to her. Someone has launched a full-throttle offensive against Vatta Transport Ltd., Ky's father's interstellar shipping empire. In short order, most of Ky's family is killed, and subsequent attacks sever vital lines of communication, leaving Ky fighting, in every sense, to survive. Ky is determined to identify the ruthless mystery enemy and avenge her family's name, but she needs not only firepower but information. And she gets both in spadesfrom the band of stranded mercenaries she hooks up with; from her black-sheep cousin, Stella, who has been leading a secret life; and from Stella's roguish ex-lover, Rafe. Together they struggle to penetrate the tangled web of political intrigue that is wreaking havoc within InterStellar Communications, on whose effective operation their own livelihoodsand perhaps livesdepend. But the infighting proves to be infectious, and it isn't long before Ky's hired military muscle are turning their suspicions on the enigmatic Rafe, whose wealth of knowledge about ISC's clashing factions and startling new technologies has begun to make him smell like a rat...or a mole. With swift, violent destruction a very real possibility, the last thing Ky needs is a crew divided against itselfand she's prepared to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that Vatta stays in business, as well as in one piece. What she is not prepared for is the shocking truth behind the terrorand a confrontation with murderous treachery from a source as unexpected as it is unrelenting.

    Life on the red planet is not always easy, but it is definitely exciting. Tyce finds that the mysteries of the planet point to his greatest discovery--a new relationship with God. He talks about his growing faith and curiosity in a manner that kids can relate to as they are probably wondering some of the same things. Each book contains two exciting adventures. In the first adventure, the Mars project is in trouble and only Tyce holds the key. In the second adventure, Tyce has discovered there may be killer aliens on the loose. Robot Wars is a repackaged and updated version of Mars Diaries. There are now five books in the series; each book contains two stories. These new books contain a foreword about how far science has brought us.

    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.

    To find each work in the anthology, you must go to the "Go To" section of your Nook, and then select "Chapter." It might get a blank screen--if it does, then hit the page forward button and the work will appear. Eight works by classic sci-fi author E.E. Smith collected in one book with an active table of contents.Works include:The Galaxy PrimesMasters of SpaceThe Skylark of SpaceSkylark ThreeSpacehounds of IPCSubspace SurvivorsTriplanetaryThe Vortex Blaster

    Stations and plot seeds are provided for each of the inner worlds and the factions that occupy them. Background and information on the Planetary Consortium, the most powerful political and economic force in the solar system, is also provided.

    with his skin intact. For three years he's lived by his wits and the fall of the cards in the criminal underworld of South America, but jumping planet for Space Station Sidon means walking into a ambush more dangerous than any he's yet faced: A man named Alex Hart wants to play cards with him.Their meeting will fling Joss into a game playing for highest stakes in town: control entire solar system. Chased by a revolutionary leader, agents of a corrupt senator, and an underworld boss known only as The Green Lady, he quickly discovers that in the looking-glass world above the gravity well, survival, like poker, is just another sport. And in this contest, it isn't whether you win or lose, it's how you rig the game.

    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.

    The Babylonian Trilogy is a novel divided in three loosely related parts, each dealing with a particular aspect of the bizarre metropolis. In The Birth of Television according to Buddha, a collection of characters try to make some sense of their lives through the cacophony of a seemingly endless war in a far away place, crazed-fueled medias prepared to do anything for a good audience rating and a patchwork of cryptic messages told by a mysterious narrator... Commissioner Georg Ratner is the main character of Yellow Bull, a twisted crime fiction homage in which a modern Jack the Ripper tries to bloodily gain his way to fame. The only problem is that Georg Ratner has other, more important things on his mind than to catch him. Finally, three characters crisscross each other in The Gardens of Babylon, trying to find their way out of the suffocating concrete labyrinth. Which they finally do, but not the way they expected to...

    Conspiracy 365 Set of Four Books: January, February, March, and April.

    But proverbs have to start somewhere... This story was originally published in the Darkover anthology SNOWS OF DARKOVER, Apr 1994.

    The planet of Coyote has become the last, best hope of humankind, but it has also become the principal point of contact with the hjadd, the alien race encountered by a European starship many years earlier. Although the hjadd have built an embassy near the original colony, they remain a mystery. And as the colonists make preparations to explore the rest of the new world, ex-convict Hawk Thompson discovers more about the hjadd than anyone has learned before-and his knowledge will change human history...

    She's out to make a name for herself and her line of intoxicating human snacks. Not easy in A-Ki s tightly controlled society. Her task gets even more delicate when she rushes to the aid of a dying alien and finds herself the unwilling guardian of a shunned alien ghost named Kenjan. And the new owner of his slave.The danger mounts when Kenjan's grieving lover, the powerful leader of the Kishocha, offers her a dream and a nightmare rolled into one: a new store all her own with a strange double purpose: half snack bar, half shrine. The catch? She must spend the rest of her life there, tending Kenjan the Heretic's ghost. Or the entire station will be destroyed.There's only one way to gain both her freedom and justice for Kenjan: teach both the powerful government elite and the Kishocha theocracy a lesson in "uncivil disobedience".

    and see through the eye of the monster.- The Sioux Spaceman: Kade Whitehawk chose to join the battle for Ikkinni freedom, even though that choice made him a renegade to his own people, and would almost certainly mean his death. Publisher's Note: The Game of Stars and Comets was originally published in parts as The X-Factor, The Sioux Spaceman, Eye of the Monster and Voorloper.  This is the first time these novels have appeared in one volume.

    This ebook includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.DeathworldDeathworld 2Planet of the DamnedArm of the LawThe K-FactorThe Misplaced BattleshipNavy DayThe RepairmanToy ShopThe Velvet Glove

    Run. The last message from Central Command was more a plea than an order, and running is exactly what the last remnants of humanity did to escape The Death as Earth was destroyed. Among the survivors is James Ursidae, a fearsome warrior whose despair now outweighs his expectations for the future. After months of drifting through intergalactic space, Ursidae and what humanity remains have found a spark of hope on the planet Lintalla and in the company of its native Illani. Unfortunately, starting anew comes at a price, and even in a strange system violence and war are a constant. A new enemy, the Tarin’Tal, hold the system’s inhabitants in a vice-like grip that continues to tighten. Can Ursidae and the Earthlings burn bright yet again and save their new world from the destruction they’d hoped to leave behind?This science fiction novel contains some of the most epic warfare you could ask for in a SciFi. By combining a style similar to Orison Scott Card with a practical, down to earth feel of Jim Butcher The Exile Empire throws you into a new world of real people, real machines, and real sci-fi action. If you enjoy the adventure and technology of science fiction but are tired of contrived drama and characters who act according to desires, motivations, and morals different then actual people then you will enjoy The Exile Empire. If you like advanced weaponry, technology, and gadgetry but are tired of unrealistic assumptions and deus ex machina application of indescribable concepts then you will enjoy The Exile Empire. The Exile Empire is jam packed with non-stop action pushing the reader to the edge of their metaphorical, literal, and digital seat. With alien armadas, incalculably powerful warships, antimatter, plasma, and energy weapons the Exile Empire has everything a scifi fan can ask for and more.Rather than rely only on endless grunt soldiers, or orbiting starships the Exile Empire takes a more practical look at life and warfare in the future.With machines and technology entwining every soldier and every aspect of life the Exile Empire takes a truly scientific look at fiction, building a practical world of might and mind. In the war for survival every life counts. If every life counts one must protect it with all one’s power, and in science fiction, that power can change the course of human events."

    Kindle edition of the works of Burroughs with an active table of contents.Included works in the massive collection:The Barsoom Series (5 Books)The Caspak Series (3 Books)The Mucker Series (3 Books)The Pellucidar Series (2 Books)The Tarzan Series (8 Books)Lesser Known Novels (4 Books)Lesser Known Sci-Fi (2 Books)

    Full-color, hard-back and coffee-table-sized at over 10" by 12", its 304 pages are brimming with hundreds of color and B&W illustrations that span BattleTech's 25-year legacy. Additionally, the book contains:# An 8-page, detailed treatise on the evolution of the BattleTech/MechWarrior computer games and the creation one of the most successful franchises in history: from The Crescent Hawks Inception to MechWarrior 2, Virtual World Entertainment Cockpits to MechWarrior 4 and more!# A 25-page bibliography detailing every rulebook, box set, scenario pack and more ever sold for BattleTech/MechWarrior by FASA, FanPro, WizKids or Catalyst Game Labs; an era stamp with each entry allows for easy time period identification.# A universe timeline from the launching of Crippen Station in 2005 until the reformation of the shattered Free Worlds League in 3139# 18 all new stories from best selling, perennial authors Michael Stackpole, Robert Charrette, William H. Keith, Loren L. Coleman and authors; stories set from the time of the Star League to the Succession Wars, Clan Invasion to The Dark Age.# A look at a host of licensed products over the years, from comic books to the cartoon, toys to patches, and more.

    Only the League's ruling body, the Sisterhood of Light, has been able to counter their evil. When a Black Hat is taken prisoner aboard Captain Davage’s ship, the Sisters have every intention of executing her, to put her to a slow, painful death. That is what's done to Black Hats. And no one dares challenge the Sister's authority. They are astounded when the Captain refuses to allow it. Using his Gift of Sight, Captain Davage, the Lord of the Great House of Blanchefort, has gotten a glimpse of the Black Hat’s face, and is shocked. Though no one but a Sister would ever willingly face a Black Hat and hope to survive, he enters her cell. The woman sitting there bears an exact resemblance to a beloved friend of the Captain’s—a friend who is dead, murdered, lost in space along with her ship and her crew. There she sits, Captain Davage's friend, apparently reborn as a Black Hat murderess, identical in every way except for the Black Hat's mark on her face. The Black Hat known as Sygillis of Metatron, vile and evil, immediately plots Captain Davage’s killing and, though the Sisters are near, none can protect him from her fury. She will come for his soul.

    Table of Contents: * Editor's Introduction (Rick Katze) 6 * Poul Anderson (Greg Bear) 7 * Call Me Joe 11 * Prayer in War 36 * Tomorrow's Children 37 * Kinnison's Band 57 * The Helping Hand 58 * Wildcat 77 * Clausius' Chaos 100 * Journey's End 101 * Heinlein's Stories 107 * Logic 108 * Time Patrol 129 * The First Love 156 * The Double-dyed Villains 157 * To a Tavern Wench 177 * The Immortal Game 178 * Upon the Occasion of Being Asked to Argue That Love and Marriage Are Incompatible 186 * Backwardness 187 * Haiku 195 * Genius 196 * There Will Be Other Times 222 * The Live Coward 223 * Ballade of an Artificial Satellite 240 * Time Lag 241 * The Man Who Came Early 266 * Autumn 283 * Turning Point 284 * Honesty 294 * The Alien Enemy 295 * Eventide 307 * Enough Rope 308 * The Sharing of Flesh 329 * Barbarous Allen 353 * Welcome 354 * Flight to Forever 360 * Barnacle Bull 399 * To Jack Williamson 411 * Time Heals 412 * MacCannon 425 * The Martian Crown Jewels 426 * Then Death Will Come 438 * Prophecy 439 * Sea Burial 444 * Einstein's Distress 444 * Kings Who Die 445 * Ochlan 466 * Starfog 467

    Though primarily a novelist throughout his long and distinguished career, this Hugo, Nebula, Edgar and World Fantasy Award-winning Grand Master also produced many short and mid-length works.Wild Thyme, Green Magic collects an alien s handful of these wondrous tales, among them the author s first-ever sale, The World-Thinker, the unforgettable Chateau D If, the stylish Green Magic, the macabre, gothic Seven Exits from Bocz, and The Seventeen Virgins, a rousing adventure with Cugel the Clever set in the author s acclaimed far-future Dying Earth.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Terry Dowling and Jonathan StrahanAssault on a CityRumfuddleThe Augmented AgentGreen MagicUllward's RetreatCoup de GraceChateau d'IfThe Potters of FirskThe World-ThinkerSeven Exits from BoczWild Thyme and Violets

    Tolerance now rules the five colonies. Thanks to the secret police, no one has been bothered by so much as a hymn in two generations-much less a Torah, Koran, or that most dangerous of books, a Bible. Baden is a teenager with an attitude. He spends his spare time salvaging wrecks in deep space, claiming for himself whatever the pirates leave behind. One day, Baden finds a book. A strange and very old book, preserved carefully against the ravages of deep space. Thinking he'll become rich if only for the value of the paper, he takes it. He counts himself lucky beyond all imagining. Until it begins talking to him. Amidst an interstellar war that threatens to overthrow the monarchy and drive great families to oblivion, Baden must evade the secret police and their attempts to get that book. Baden never had much use for religion. But it seems one has use of him. *** Steve Rzasa was born and raised in South Jersey, and fell in love with books-especially science fi cti on novels and historical volumes-at an early age. He and his wife, Carrie, have two boys and live in Buff alo, Wyoming. Steve's short story, "Rescued," which is set in the universe of The World Reclaimed, won the 2009 G.K. Chesterton Award in the Athanatos Christi an Ministries Writi ng Contest.

    Included are these classic tales: "He Walked Around the Horses," "Police Operation," "Time Crime," "Last Enemy," "Temple Trouble," "Genesis."

    Beam Piper with active table of contents.Works include:The AnswerThe Cosmic ComputerCrossroads of DestinyDay of the MoronDearestThe Edge of the KnifeFlight From TomorrowFour-Day PlanetGenesisGraveyard of DreamsHe Walked Around the HorsesThe KeeperLast EnemyLittle FuzzyThe MercenariesMinistry of DisturbanceMurder in the GunroomNaudsonceNull-ABCOomphel in the SkyOmnilingualOperation R.S.V.P.PatrolPolice OperationRebel RaiderThe ReturnA Slave is a SlaveSpace VikingTemple TroubleTime and Time AgainTime CrimeUllr Uprising

    They have been published in a variety of places online and in short story compilations, and are also available as audio plays on Drabblecast.In the future, humanity has established space stations throughout the solar system using a combination of mechanical and organic technology. Life is a constant struggle: danger comes not only from competition over limited resources and the remorseless vacuum of space, but also inter-dimensional predators, brain-stealing aliens, Space Pirates in Living Ships, feuding between various ideological sects and cults, and the warped creations of their own eldritch science turning against them.Each story is stand-alone, featuring a different protagonist and containing only passing reference to the others. There are three stories in the Boojumverse so far:- "Boojum"- "Mongoose"- "The Wreck of the Charles Dexter Ward"

    history. Designed by Professor Archibald Campion in 1893 as a prototype, for the self-proclaimed purpose of “preventing the deaths of men in the conflicts of nations,” Boilerplate charged into combat alongside such notables as Teddy Roosevelt and Lawrence of Arabia. Campion and his robot also circled the planet with the U.S. Navy, trekked to the South Pole, made silent movies, and hobnobbed with the likes of Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla. You say you’ve never heard of Boilerplate before? That’s because this book is the fanciful creation of a husbandand-wife team who have richly imagined these characters and inserted them into accurate retellings of history. This full-color chronicle is profusely illustrated with graphics mimicking period style, including photos, paintings, posters, cartoons, maps, and even stereoscope cards. Part Jules Verne and part Zelig, it’s a great volume for a broad range of fans of science fiction, history, and robots.

    Focusing on The Telepath War, and appropriately titled "Wars of the Mind," JMS' notes reveal the background of the conflict -- teeps vs. teeps, the cast of characters -- including the identity of the Interstellar Alliance's Vice President, and the explosive deaths of two B5 regulars -- something hinted at, but never stated in an official series document.* The lost tale from The Lost Tales. Did you know that there were originally three lost tales, not two? The middle segment, never produced due to production considerations, featured Michael Garibaldi making a startling discovery on Mars. Only a handful of people involved in the production have ever read this script, but now you can enjoy this "lost" installment.* The original short story on which The Lost Tales segment "Over Here" was based. It's called "The Darkness Between the Stars" and was originally published in the now out-of-print seventh issue of The Book of Dark Wisdom (Fall 2005). See how JMS adapts a story from one medium to another and witness a different ending than the one that concludes the B5 version.* J. Michael Straczynski's personal, behind-the-scenes photos taken on the set of The Lost Tales and The Legend of the Rangers -- included in these 36 images are the last pictures taken of Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar.YES, WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED "JOE CUTS"Because there are many differences between the scripts and what you see on the DVDs, you also get the Script/DVD Variations inventory, which catalogs all the changes, deletions, and additions that were made as the stories traveled from script to screen. It's all in this handy, easy-to-reference grid, just like the ones in JMS' Volume 15 and the Other Voices series.The TV Movie book includes 12 pages of "Joe Cuts" chronicling 78 of these variations exposing B5 data you never knew.BUT WAIT THERE'S MOREInstead of episode analysis, J. Michael Straczynski answers frequently asked questions about each of the TV movies. Here's just a sample of what you'll discover:* How JMS had to "spread the cast" over the movies and how that affected the stories.* What one theme JMS finds most intriguing about the Babylon 5 universe.* How much Lyta knew about Vorlon history.* Why Thirdspace is set after the Shadow war.* Learn about H.P. Lovecraft's influences on JMS in general and Thirdspace specifically.* A detailed description of JMS's headspace when writing The River of Souls after he had just said goodbye to B5 with the final episodes of season five.* What drew JMS back to the Soul Hunter idea after five years and 90 teleplays.* How Joe crafted The River of Souls to explore the archaeological science fiction ideas that would later be found in Crusade.* Why Lieutenant Corwin gets a bigger spotlight in The River of Souls.* How the Love Bat came to be.* How The River of Souls relates to the essential B5 question of "Who are you?"* What it was like to work with Martin Sheen and what he felt everyone he met should involve themselves in.* Why the Rangers of LotR were supposed to learn about "dying for the One."* How The Hand was differed from the the Shadows in the grand scheme of things.* Reflection from JMS about his days on the Ranger set with Andreas Katsulas, the very last time he would be Citizen G'Kar.* Londo's intention in sending Vintari to Sheridan in The Lost Tales.* What it was like being in the Babylon 5 universe during The Lost Tales after so many years had passed.* How the alliance got the quantum space technology from the Vorlons.* Who was first in line to succeed Londo (remember that Vir was second in line and Vintari was third).* Why JMS decided to base one of The Lost Tales on his short story "The Darkness Between the Stars" (note that the original short story is also included as a bonus).

    For outsiders, Pyrrus usually means a quick and painful death, but DinAlt is fleeing the crooked casino masters of Cassylia - where he just broke the bank. But DinAlt is not prepared for the hellish Pyrrus, where every living thing seems bent on exterminating mankind.In DEATHWORLD 2 (originally published as THE ETHICAL ENGINEER), Jason DinAlt finds himself on a hostile, barbarian planet where technology and civilization have almost disappeared. Using his skills, DinAlt literally reinvents the wheel in his quest to escape and return to his friends on Pyrrus.

    Imagine future explorers from among the stars interpreting that. The astronauts' footprints should last longer than the fossils in the Olduvai Gorge. Here are twenty-one views of that. Stories by Brenda Cooper, James Van Pelt, Lawrence M. Schoen, Heather McDougal, and more. Edited by Jay Lake and Eric T. Reynolds. Presented by Hadley Rille Books.

    Why would their father leave them frozen? How is cryonic suspension even possible? Why doesn't the world know about the process fifty years later? How will the Emersons ever fit into the 21st century world of cell phones and microwave dinners? And why does it feel like they're all suddenly being followed?Winner of Blue Peter's Book That I Couldn't Put Down and Book of the Year Award 2010 .

    

    My story "Little Girl Down the Way (from HELL IN THE HEARTLAND) is in it. The book is a compilation of 15 stories the editors of the British audio site, STARSHIPSOFA.COM decided are the best from the series' first two years. It's recommended for all fans of science fiction, fantasy & horror.Contents:“Into the Blank Where Life Is Hurled” by Ken Scholes“London Bone” by Michael Moorcock“The Second Coming of Jasmine Fitzgerald” by Peter Watts“Lester Young & The Jupiter’s Moons’ Blues” by Gord Sellar“Vampire Kiss” by Gene Wolfe“Vinegar Peace or The Wrong-Way Used-Adult Orphanage” by Michael Bishop“Godzilla’s 12 Step Program” by Joe R. Lansdale“Jesus Christ, Reanimator” by Ken MacLeod“The Sledge-Maker’s Daughter” by Alastair Reynolds“Mars: A Travelers Guide” by Ruth Nestvold“The Empire of Ice Cream” by Jeffrey Ford“The Ant King: A California Fairytale” by Benjamin Rosebaum“In the Olden Days” by Spider Robinson“Tideline” by Elizabeth Bear“Little Girl Down the Way” by Lawrence SantoroObviously, I'm thrilled to be one among this group of writers. Of the 15 stories represented here, I did the narration on four of them. As an added treat, Tony C. Smith, SSS editor/founder has asked me to do a novella the StarShip will publish as a stand-alone book in late 2009, the proceeds for which will go to Spider & Jeanne Robinson. The novella-in-progress--scheduled for about 10-12,000 words--is inspired by the SSS Stories cover illustration by Skeet Scienski.Go to http://www.starshipsofa.com/anthology/ to order a copy of the book &/or download a free PDF file of it.Oh...you'll enjoy the inter-tale ads & story illustrations too.

    Norton (1912-2005) was the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award.This ebook is DRM free and includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.Contents:The Gifts of AstiAll Cats are GrayKey Out of TimePlague ShipRalestone LuckStar BornStar HunterStorm Over WarlockThe Defiant AgentsThe Time TradersVoodoo PlanetRebel SpursRide Proud, RebelThe People of the CraterAlice Andre Norton (1912-2005) published her first novel in 1934, and was the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society in 1977, and won the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award from the SFWA in 1983.

    Never a one-note novel, we are treated to moments of sadness and elation, fear and relief. Engen Books always explore a wider range than their base classification would suggest.”Jay Paulin, Ink’d Well Comics, October 2011“LeDrew’s work is horror that emerges from the urban fantasy tradition — the introduction of a fantastical element into a true-to-life, modern setting.”The Telegram, Aug 13, 2010“I’m getting to be very fond of these books .”The Northeast Avalon Times, January 2010

    A surreal glimpse into the spiritual growth of a warrior-soldier from an emerging Black nation. It is a startling vision of ethnic conflict, voudon technologies, and soul bending revelations. Retro-KM is novel that embodies a brand new genre of speculative fiction; cifer-RA (High-Science-Entertainment), brought to you by Daathrekh Publishing.

    The works of Andre Alice North in one collection with active table of contents.Works include:All Cats Are GrayThe Defiant AgentsThe Gifts of AstiKey Out of TimePlague ShipRalestone LuckRebel SpursRide Proud, Rebel!Star BornStar HunterStorm Over WarlockThe Time TradersVoodoo Planet

    Wells through the classic cover art of pulp magazines from the 1920s and 30s, to graphic novels in the 60s and 70s, and right up to contemporary film posters, movies, and television shows.Chapters bring to light the most groundbreaking and talked about sci-fi art in media ranging from comic books, movies, and TV programs to art, posters, toys, literature, collectibles, board games and video games. Sci-Fi Art is a comprehensive compilation that reveals fascinating background information, anecdotes, ideas, and inspirations relied on by iconic artists from Chris Foss, Jim Burns, and David Mattingly to Moebius, Albert Robida, and Frank Kelly Freas. Illuminating analyses of these sci-fi masters' use of technique, tools, materials, and media are also featured.All images are richly illustrated and seemingly three-dimensional making Sci-Fi Art the perfect nostalgia book for sci-fi fans and collectors, as well as an inspiring resource for art lovers, designers, illustrators, writers and creative minds.

    Nick will do whatever it takes to bring Michael home. He'll lay down his life, if that's the cost to reveal the truth and stop the Areth.Now, he cares. And if he ever finds the Areth that stole his son from him, she'll pay.

    This Eisner Award-nominated series by Terry Moore is hot! Julie Martin wakes up in a desert motel covered in skintight radioactive atomic alloy capable of fantastic destruction. Pursued by a maniacal killer and a sexy government mercenary, Julie discovers the spirit of another woman is living inside her - and the two of them must stop the alloy from destroying the world!

    With potential suitors with dangerous intent, buisiness negotiations, alien pitates and determined military personel, Elena finds herself in high demand. Can she navigate the lines between without disaster?

    But strange forces have come through the ages to finish what was started. The opposing forces have their eyes on these special sisters who are unaware of what is on the horizon. These visitors will do anything to acquire the secrets of this ancient culture. These women are unique in many respects, but none of their abilities can outweigh their ancient methods of reproduction. This, and the very thing that makes them strong, are what the visitors seek. The sisters must go back through the annals of cycles gone to learn what they’d forgotten. It is in the past that they might be able to save their future. When We Were One takes readers on a tour through memories of days gone. It is a journey that uncovers the soul of women and the spiritual miles they’ve trod. When We Were One honors nature and the vastness of the many universes that speckle the darkness. This story honors women and their relationships. And it honors men and their connection to women.

    Now his victims are forced to keep him alive in order to get their answers… or accept that it may not have been him to begin with.-----------------------------------------“[Smoke and Mirrors] is a mature and complex tale with many twists and turns that is sure to please fans of action, drama, horror and mystery.”Jay Paulin, Ink’d Well Comics, June 2011“LeDrew’s work is horror that emerges from the urban fantasy tradition — the introduction of a fantastical element into a true-to-life, modern setting.”The Telegram, Aug 13, 2010“Matthew LeDrew has taken an intriguing concept and appears to know where it’s going.”The Northeast Avalon Times, May 2009“This is the coalescence of what Black Womb is about… the best of the series so far and leaves me wanting more.”Steve Lake, Sci-Fi on the Rock TV

    An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft, they run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves. So a hot tip on a cargo freighter loaded with valuables seems like a great prospect for an easy heist and a fast buck. Until the heist goes wrong, and the freighter explodes. Suddenly Frey isn't just a nuisance anymore - he's public enemy number one, with the Coalition Navy on his tail and contractors hired to take him down. But Frey knows something they don't. That freighter was rigged to blow, and Frey has been framed to take the fall. If he wants to prove it, he's going to have to catch the real culprit. He must face liars and lovers, dogfights and gunfights, Dukes and daemons. It's going to take all his criminal talents to prove he's not the criminal they think he is ...

    Stranded and alone on the far side of the universe, the mismatched team of scientists, technicians, and military personnel have only one objective: staying alive. As personalities clash and desperation takes hold, salvation lies in the hands of Dr. Nicholas Rush, the man responsible for their plight.

    You and your fellow Troubleshooters will have lots of fun rooting out Communist mutant traitors. The Computer says so. The 25th Anniversary of Paranoia is celebrated by this marvellous tome - new rules to ignore, and new missions to be excited by, all dedicated to those staunch defenders of Alpha Complex, the Troubleshooters! PARANOIA: A light-hearted game of backstabbing, treachery and guile, where trusting other players is a sure route to the termination centre. Get paranoid starting in August 2004. Or else! PARANOIA IS FUN. OTHER GAMES ARE NOT FUN. BUY PARANOIA

    The only thing that can stop this evil from prevailing is the Federation's elite warriors called Arcs. In the first book, a unique young man named Traiven, who has no knowledge of his origin is thrown into a life of adventure and danger, where he faces unknown challenges and a new life style. He starts as an average high school student with a good future and a good family. Until one day he encounters two dark strangers, who reveal his unearthly origin. He is then taken against his will from his life on Earth and is trained to become an Arc in order to replace his missing twin brother Raven, who he's never knew about his entire life. Since Raven was a big asset with his unique abilities Traiven is expected the same. With the help of a fellow Arc Shawn and Mentor Rukaryo, Traiven must learn in a few weeks what took Raven a life time, in order to prevent the evil empire from raising their powerful dark lord. This story not only entertains the readers but inspires them opening the door to new creative possibilities and showing that nothing is impossible no matter how big the goal is. It is the first in its series of six original books.

    could you do it? What if the future of the entire human race depends on your decision? When space colonists from Earth crash-land on a planet orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani, they must wrestle with an ethical dilemma. They've emerged from their stasis pods 33 years older than when they started. They could harvest stem cells from alien infants to counteract the effects of human aging... but the process will kill the infants. As factions develop among the astronauts, the scientists race ahead with experiments to restore their youthful vigor-and must face the unexpected consequences of their choices. "Entertaining and thought-provoking. Groundwater uses engaging characters to adeptly contrast the intellectual, biological, and emotional urges we have to protect our species." -Laura E. Reeve, author the Major Ariane Kedros Novels.

    Although fossil fuels have been depleted, humanity has obtained a new source of energy to replace them in the form of a large-scale solar power generation system based on three huge orbital elevators. However, the benefits of this system are available only to a handful of major powers and their allies. The three orbital elevators belong to three superpower blocs. These are the Union, led by the United States of America; the Human Reform League, led by China, Russia, and India; and the AEU, led by Europe. These superpower blocs continue to play a grand zero-sum game for the sake of their own prestige and prosperity. In this world of never-ending conflict, a private armed organization appears, dedicated to the elimination of war through armed force. Its name is Celestial Being, and it is in possession of "Gundam" mobile suits. With these Gundams, it begins armed intervention into all acts of war.

    These memories…which involve a captive rebel fighter being held on their ship…bring with them complex human feelings and awaken a desire for her to discover her origins. Radian is the long lost love of the woman from which Nebula was made. He’s vowed to avenge his finance’s death and rescue her sister from the Gryphonites, a fierce race out to enslave the galaxy.Nebula grapples with her identity and how much of who she is comes from someone else’s past. She is not the woman that died, yet she is undeniably drawn to Radian. Together Nebula and Radian seek to rescue his fiancé’s sister and end the Gryphonites’ cruel reign. But can Radian learn to love again and can Nebula accept a past made from someone else’s memories?

    

    The same aliens who almost destroyed Earth once are coming back to get the whole job done this time. But we aren't going to just sit and die. The international military is taking our best and brightest to mold them into the finest military minds ever - and they're taking them young. 8-year-old Ender Wiggin is the best they've ever found. Can he save the Earth? Can he survive Battle School and the game that they will force him to play? The legendary sci-fi epic by New York Times Bestseller Orson Scott Card comes to comics, courtesy of hot writer Christopher Yost (X-Force) and superstar Pasqual Ferry! Issue 4

    

    Three people flee into the mountains after a major terrorist attack brings the country to its knees, but are shocked when strange things begin happening to one of their dogs.

    In questioning its origins, he was put in contact with Ariel Sharpe, one of the team's members, who agreed to meet with him in a secret location to share the story of the team, and that of her own life. Ariel's life is one of isolated existence, both physically in the Arizona desert and emotionally from her surrounding peers. The isolation becomes even greater when she volunteers to become among the first wave of the nation's new Super Soldiers, only to wind up bound to a genetically-engineered dragon, complete with the scaly complexion and beastly abilities. When she escapes this sinister project she crosses paths with a Navy man who steers her into Special Forces. This team of professional soldiers, all of which embody legendary archetypes, becomes her new family, a place where she truly feels welcomed among people for the first time. The team's adventures in the shadowy supernatural world, though, hold the fate of the entire world in the balance, culminating in their final mission to stop Armageddon itself from commencing in the place where Ariel's story first began, the deserts and mesas of the American southwest. Through pain and joy, through suicide attempts and vicious fighting, Ariel survived to tell her tale. Learn how she not only reached a peaceful existence ... she truly earned it.

    His peace is quickly shattered, though, as all nine of his previous incarnations show up as well - accompanied by many of their companions. Naturally, such a confluence of criss-crossing timestreams is impossible, and so they set about attempting to determine how it all happened.

    Protests. Rebellion. All in the day of a sixteen-year-old girl. Danielle Kelson is not your ordinary elf. An orphan, a rebel, and a total genius, Dan has more than just potential. . . she has magic. In a world where male dominance is not just socially acceptable, but necessary to survival, Dan is the glitch in her worlds perfect system. Set beyond the stars of the Milky Way Galaxy, the story unfolds on a day like any other. In a matter of hours, Dan is jerked from her routine life and thrown into a world she does not understand where everyone hates her, and the secret of her magic is exposed. Against all the odds, and in the face of adversity, can she withstand the pressure? Or will the lies and cheating win? Surrounded by men with magic beyond her own, who have physical capability and each others support, Dan is unavoidably isolated. Each day becomes a trial, a test of her ability, a door slamming shut in her face. Stuck in the middle of a corrupt system that is turned against her, quitting begins to look like a comfort. But when disaster strikes, Dan finds herself suddenly pushed into the real world, where lives hang in the delicate balance between what she knows she can do and what she could be capable of. With her magic raging out of control, but her mind racing and clear, Dan and her friends embark on the adventure of a lifetime. . . An adventure that may be their last.

    It outlines major writers, movements, and texts in the genre, established critical approaches and areas for future study. Fifty-six entries by a team of renowned international contributors are divided into four parts which look, in turn, at:history - an integrated chronological narrative of the genre's development theory - detailed accounts of major theoretical approaches including feminism, Marxism, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, postcolonialism, posthumanism and utopian studies issues and challenges - anticipates future directions for study in areas as diverse as science studies, music, design, environmentalism, ethics and alterity subgenres - a prismatic view of the genre, tracing themes and developments within specific subgenres. Bringing into dialogue the many perspectives on the genre The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction is essential reading for anyone interested in the history and the future of science fiction and the way it is taught and studied.

    This Halcyon Classics ebook collection contains three classic science fiction stories by Frank Herbert, author of 'Dune.' Includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.Contents:Missing LinkOperation HaystackOld Rambling HouseThis unexpurgated edition contains the complete text, with minor errors and omissions corrected.

    Martin and Gardner Dozois, with the full cooperation of Jack Vance, his family, and his agents, suggest a Jack Vance tribute anthology called Songs of the Dying Earth, to encourage the best of today's fantasy writers to return to the unique and evocative milieu of The Dying Earth, from which they and so many others have drawn so much inspiration, to create their own brand-new adventures in the world of Jack Vance s greatest novel.Half a century ago, Jack Vance created the world of the Dying Earth, and fantasy has never been the same. Now, for the first time ever, Jack has agreed to open this bizarre and darkly beautiful world to other fantasists, to play in as their very own. To say that other fantasy writers are excited by this prospect is a gross understatement; one has told us that he'd crawl through broken glass for the chance to write for the anthology, another that he'd gladly give up his right arm for the privilege that's the kind of regard in which Jack Vance and The Dying Earth are held by generations of his peers.

    Everyone and anyone can have a VidNet show, but it’s the people who are rated, not the shows, on a scale from Purple to Red. The central character, Gordy has a problem. His girlfriend, Poppy Nicole, wants to meet him in REALITY (TM). Poppy just knows that if she and Gordy meet in REALITY (TM), and better yet, have sex in REALITY (TM), on her show, it’s sure to boost her rating. But the prospect makes Gordy so nervous he fails to heed the warning signs of a worldwide economic collapse (caused by a bubble in imaginary toothpaste sales). Will Gordy be able to save VidNet Society? More importantly, will he and Poppy have sex in REALITY (TM)? The answers lie in Rate Me Red.

    Pursued by an unstoppable HeNRI agent named Ivy, Julie runs and hides in the Nevada desert, aided by the unlikely allies of a gang of bikers and park ranger Dillon. But there is another: a nameless madman who stalks Julie and her precious alloy, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his path. It's a race against time in the new hit series by Eisner Award winning creator, Terry Moore.

    The Darkside Universe is a speculative world which tells the tale of what happens in the United Sates of America when the country discovers that African Americans have been secretly living on the backside of the moon since before Neil Armstrong arrived.The story combines politics, intrigue, science and romance into a compelling, character-driven tale that both men and women are praising. The action begins in a science lab at the University of Chicago and takes the reader through the power corridors of Washington, D.C., an all Black women's college in the Atlanta suburbs, outside Iraq's no-fly zone, and in a secret underground government installation in a remote region of Utah.The characters are varied and three-dimensional, the kinds of people readers have more than likely met in their own lives, who provide the action that drives a plot that's never been read before.

    It's effective. It's foolproof. It's safe. First it records your brain patterns, then kills you. Saves on life support in the deep reaches. The DupliPod will grow you a new body when it's safe; you will awake refreshed and renewed. Sometimes, it doesn't work quite right. Duplicate: would you die to save your own life?

     Reg Stratton is a bouncer eking a life out in the decaying Wilds just outside of Detroit in a pseudo post-oil collapse. But when he gets sucked into a making a little money on the side by tasking out his time via an anonymous app, he finds himself in the middle of a riot that could change his life, the city, maybe even the world… as long as Reg keeps cool and makes the right choice. This novella was originally a part of the award nominated Metatropolis series, edited by John Scalzi and Jay Lake. Now on sale for the first time ever! "...a fascinating shared urban future..." -Booklist (on METAtropolis) "Each story shines... - Publishers Weekly (on METAtropolis) "Metatropolis is about as Green Punk as it can get..." -Booktionary.com