This monumental fantasy follows the story of two age-old opposing destinies locked in a seven-thousand-year war for control of the world, its gods, and its men. Indeed the victor will determine nothing less than the fate of all creation.Troubles mount as King Garion, Belgarath, and Polgara pursue Zandramas, the Child of Dark, across the known world. The wicked creature has abducted the King’s infant son for sinister purposes. If Garion and his companions cannot reach the Place Which Is No More, as the Seeress of Kell has warned, then Zandramas will use Garion’s son in a rite that will raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal dominion over the universe. Only the Seeress of Kell can reveal the mysterious locale, but first Garion and Polgara must fulfill an ancient prophecy in the mountain fastness of the Seers. Although Kell is closed to Zandramas, her dark magic can forcefully extract the intelligence she needs from one of Garion’s party. Setting traps and dispatching her foul minions, she is determined to claim the world for the Dark Prophecy. But Garion will let nothing stand between himself and his son. . . .

    Now the first three Malloreon books appear in a single volume, taking us on an epic quest across strange lands among gods, kings, sorcerers, and ordinary men. It is a gripping tale of two ancient warring destinies fighting a battle of good against evil.Garion has slain the evil God Torak and is now the King of Riva. The prophecy has been fulfilled–or so it seems. For there is a dire warning, as a great evil brews in the East. Now Garion once again finds himself with the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. When Garion’s infant son is kidnapped by Zandramas, the Child of Dark, a great quest begins to rescue the child. Among those on the dangerous mission are Garion and his wife, Queen Ce’Nedra, and the immortal Belgarath the Sorcerer and his daughter, Polgara. They must make their way through the foul swamps of Nyissa, then into the lands of the Murgos. Along the way, they will face grave dangers–captivity, a horde of demons, a fatal plague–while Zandramas plots to use Garion’s son in a chilling ritual that will make the Dark Prophecy supreme. . .

    Five hundred years in the future, Captain Mal Reynolds and the crew of the transport-for-hire ship Serenity take on two new passengers and soon find themselves in a crossfire between an invincible military force and cannibalistic savages.

    The characters are based on the science fiction TV series Firefly, which has achieved cult status.Five hundred years in the future, Captain Mal Reynolds, a hardened war veteran (on the losing side), ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family -- squabbling, insubordinate, and undyingly loyal.When Mal takes on two new passengers -- a young doctor named Simon and his unstable, telepathic sister, River -- he gets much more than he bargained for. The pair are fugitives from a coalition that dominates the universe with unlimited wealth and power -- and that will stop at nothing to control River and her abilities. The crew of mercenaries, used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed, soon find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Caught up in the fight to stay alive, they don't yet realize that their greatest danger may be on board Serenity herself....

    Volume 1 also features an introduction by Gene Wolfe and an original Slammers story, “A Death in Peacetime.”Contents:* Introduction by Gene Wolfe* Foreword: Becoming a Professional Writer by Way of Southeast Asia* Under the Hammer* Supertanks* The Butcher’s Bill* The Church of the Lord’s Universe* But Loyal to His Own* Powerguns* Caught in the Crossfire* Backdrop to Chaos* Cultural Conflict* The Bonding Authority* Hangman* Table of Organization and Equipment, Hammer’s Regiment* Standing Down* Code-Name Feirefitz* The Interrogation Team* The Tank Lords* Liberty Port* Night March* The Immovable Object* The Irresistible Force* A Death in Peacetime* Afterword: Accidentally and by the Back Door

    The alien Arachnids were an enemy whose like no civilized race had ever confronted. Like some carnivorous cancer, the "Bugs" had overrun planet after planet . . . and they regarded any competing sentient species as only one more protein source. Defeat was not an option. . . . The Grand Alliance of Humans, Orions, Ophiuchi, and Gorm, united in desperate self-defense, have been driven to the wall. Billions of their civilians have been slaughtered. Their most powerful offensive operation has ended in shattering defeat and the deaths of their most experienced military commanders. Whatever they do, the Bugs just keep coming. But the warriors of the Grand Alliance know what stands behind them and they will surrender no more civilians to the oncoming juggernaut. They will die first-and they will also reactivate General Directive 18, however horrible it may be. Because when the only possible outcomes are victory or racial extermination, only one option is acceptable. The Shiva Option.And peace isn't always wonderful Once the enemy is defeated, the central governments of the Inner Worlds were anything but willing to relinguish their wartime powers. To insure that their grip on the reins of power remained firm, the bureaucrats are allowing the non-human beings of the Khanate in, while keeping the Fringe Worlds out, smugly confident that this will keep the colonial upstarts in their place. The Fringers have only one answer to that: Insurrection.

    Now, after twenty-one annual collections, comes the ultimate in science fiction anthologies, The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction, in which legendary editor Gardner Dozois selects the very best short stories for this landmark collection. Contributors include: * Stephen Baxter * Greg Bear * William Gibson * Terry Bisson * Pat Cadigan * Ted Chiang * John Crowley * Tony Daniel * Greg Egan * Molly Gloss * Eileen Gunn * Joe Haldeman * James Patrick Kelly * John Kessel * Nancy Kress * Ursula K. Le Guin * Ian R. MacLeod * David Marusek * Paul McAuley * Ian McDonald * Maureen F. McHugh * Robert Reed * Mike Resnick * Geoff Ryman * William Sander * Lucius Shepard * Robert Silverberg * Brian Stableford * Bruce Sterling * Charles Stross * Michael Swanwick * Steven Utley * Howard Waldrop * Walter Jon Williams * Connie Willis * Gene WolfeWith work spanning two decades, The Best of the Best stands as one of the ultimate science fiction anthologies ever published.Contents xi • Foreword (The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction) • essay by Robert Silverbergxvii • Preface (The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction) • essay by Gardner Dozois1 • Blood Music • (1983) • novelette by Greg Bear19 • A Cabin on the Coast • (1984) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe28 • Salvador • (1984) • shortstory by Lucius Shepard42 • Trinity • (1984) • novella by Nancy Kress78 • Flying Saucer Rock and Roll • (1985) • novelette by Howard Waldrop (aka Flying Saucer Rock & Roll)93 • Dinner in Audoghast • (1985) • shortstory by Bruce Sterling103 • Roadside Rescue • (1985) • shortstory by Pat Cadigan109 • Snow • (1985) • shortstory by John Crowley121 • The Winter Market • (1985) • novelette by William Gibson137 • The Pure Product • (1986) • novelette by John Kessel152 • Stable Strategies for Middle Management • (1988) • shortstory by Eileen Gunn162 • Kirinyaga • [Kirinyaga • 2] • (1988) • novelette by Mike Resnick177 • Tales from the Venia Woods • [Roma Eterna] • (1989) • shortstory by Robert Silverberg191 • Bears Discover Fire • (1990) • shortstory by Terry Bisson199 • Even the Queen • (1992) • shortstory by Connie Willis213 • Guest of Honor • (1993) • novelette by Robert Reed238 • None So Blind • (1994) • shortstory by Joe Haldeman246 • Mortimer Gray's History of Death • (1995) • novella by Brian Stableford (aka Mortimer Gray's "History of Death")293 • The Lincoln Train • (1995) • shortstory by Maureen F. McHugh303 • Wang's Carpets • (1995) • novelette by Greg Egan328 • Coming of Age in Karhide • [Hainish] • (1995) • novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin342 • The Dead • (1996) • shortstory by Michael Swanwick352 • Recording Angel • (1996) • shortstory by Ian McDonald363 • A Dry, Quiet War • (1996) • novelette by Tony Daniel380 • The Undiscovered • (1997) • novelette by William Sanders400 • Second Skin • (1997) • shortstory by Paul J. McAuley418 • Story of Your Life • (1998) • novella by Ted Chiang454 • People Came from Earth • (1999) • shortstory by Stephen Baxter464 • The Wedding Album • [Cathy] • (1999) • novella by David Marusek502 • 10 to 16 to 1 • (1999) • novelette by James Patrick Kelly (aka 1016 to 1)520 • Daddy's World • (1999) • novelette by Walter Jon Williams541 • The Real World • [Silurian Tales] • (2000) • shortstory by Steven Utley561 • Have Not Have • (2001) • novelette by Geoff Ryman577 • Lobsters • [Macx Family] • (2001) • novelette by Charles Stross597 • Breathmoss • (2002) • novella by Ian R. MacLeod647 • Lambing Season • (2002) • shortstory by Molly Gloss

    Strength, passion. goodness. For in the land of Paragor an oppressor travels closer. Four is the sacred number, and it is only by looking beyond ourselves that we will find salvation, and only through love that we will defeat the darkness that threatens to consume us forever. - Words of the Great One. It has been foretold. Two worlds will collide when six mortals from Earth enter Paragor through a portal. They will face forces of terrifying darkness. Their journey will become the stuff of legends. It is time.

    Original.Cuckoo's EggThey named him Thorn. They told him he was of their people, although he was so different. He was ugly in their eyes, strange, sleek-skinned instead of furred, clawless, different. Yet he was of their power class: judge-warriors, the elite, the fighters, the defenders.Thorn knew that his difference was somehow very important -- but not important enough to prevent murderous conspiracies against him, against his protector, against his caste, and perhaps against the peace of the world. But when the crunch came, when Thorn finally learned what his true role in life was to be, that on him might hang the future of two worlds, then he had to stand alone to justify his very existence.Serpent's ReachWithin the Constellation of the Serpent, out of bounds to all spacefarers, humans live among the insect-like aliens--and one of them, a woman named Raen, is bent on a revenge that will tear apart the truce between human and alien. "Brisk pacing . . . and genuinely brilliant world-building."--ALA Booklist. Reissue.

    Oh, not the mere love spells used by country folk, but real sorcery capable of thwarting ambitions and destroying life. In Sorcery & Cecilia, a great deal is happening in London and the country this season. For starters, there's the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. There's also the man who seems to be spying on Cecelia. (Though he's not doing a very good job of it--so just what are his intentions?) And then there's Oliver. Ever since he was turned into a tree, he hasn't bothered to tell anyone where he is. Clearly, magic is a deadly and dangerous business. And the girls might be in fear for their lives . . . if only they weren't having so much fun! Cecy and Kate are determined to discover who the stranger with the lethal chocolate is and how to put a stop to the malevolent flow of sorcery before anyone else can be harmed. But there are forces at work that are equally determined to put a stop to them...In The Grand Tour, Kate and Cecy and their new husbands, Thomas and James, are off on a Grand Tour. Their plans? To leisurely travel about the Continent, take in a few antiquities, and--of course--purchase fabulous Parisian wardrobes.But once they arrive in France, mysterious things start to happen. Cecy receives a package containing a lost coronation treasure, Thomas's valet is assaulted, and Kate loses a glove. Soon it becomes clear that they have stumbled upon a dastardly, magical plot to take over Europe. Now the four newlyweds must embark on a daring chase to thwart the evil conspiracy. And there's no telling the trouble they'll get into along the way. For when you mix Kate and Cecy and magic, you never know what's going to happen next!

    

    It has been eight hundred years since The Great War. There are small groups of people scattered in isolated pockets around the world, but most are too suspicious of each other for any intimacy. If they don’t stop hiding, and learn to help each other, there won’t be anyone left on earth.Liberty has grown up in this post-apocalyptic world. Her home is an airship built by her adopted father. Since his death, each day is just another day trying to survive in a hostile environment. That is until her father's dying friend asks if she’ll take custody of a small, child-like robot.The last thing Liberty needs is another responsibility. Surprisingly, once the endearing robot is aboard Airus, she discovers there is more to life than just living, and loving someone can be as easy as breathing.Reviewed By Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite“Have you ever wondered what the world would be like in eight hundred years time? Have you wondered what humanity would be like after an Armageddon or apocalyptic disaster? Would the human race even exist? And what in what manner would those surviving humans thrive?In I Will Breathe, Regina Puckett has written a story that reveals a futuristic look at life on a planet ravaged by war. As the main character, Liberty, struggles to survive and continue with the trading life that she learned from her adopted father, the possibility of a civilized human race once again existing evolves. The entire story makes you really think about 'what if?'. And it makes the reader hopeful that all will not be lost in the future. An interesting read.”

    Moore ever published. It features a frontispiece by Richard Powers, and an introduction by the book’s editor, David Curtis. The stories, ranging from across their entire career, include: Shambleau, The Graveyard Rats, Mimsy Were the Borogoves, Vintage Season, Private Eye, and more.Contents7 • Introduction (Two-Handed Engine) • (2005) • essay by David Curtis9 • Shambleau • [Northwest Smith] • (1933) • novelette by C. L. Moore39 • The Graveyard Rats • (1936) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner47 • A Gnome There Was • (1941) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Henry Kuttner ]75 • The Twonky • (1942) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]99 • Compliments of the Author • (1942) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]137 • Mimsy Were the Borogoves • (1943) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]173 • Shock • (1943) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]191 • Reader, I Hate You! • (1943) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner207 • The World Is Mine • [Gallegher] • (1943) • novelette by Henry Kuttner [as by Lewis Padgett ]243 • When the Bough Breaks • (1944) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]271 • The Cure • (1946) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]285 • The Code • (1945) • novelette by C. L. Moore [as by Lawrence O'Donnell ]331 • Line to Tomorrow • (1945) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]345 • Clash by Night • [Keeps • 1] • (1943) • novella by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lawrence O'Donnell ]407 • Ghost • (1943) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner425 • The Proud Robot • [Gallegher] • (1943) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]463 • Nothing But Gingerbread Left • (1943) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Henry Kuttner ]483 • No Woman Born • (1944) • novelette by C. L. Moore533 • Housing Problem • (1944) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Henry Kuttner ]549 • What You Need • (1945) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]565 • Absalom • (1946) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Henry Kuttner ]581 • Call Him Demon • (1946) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Keith Hammond ]607 • Daemon • (1946) • shortstory by C. L. Moore633 • Vintage Season • (1946) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lawrence O'Donnell ]681 • The Dark Angel • (1946) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Henry Kuttner ]697 • Before I Wake • (1945) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner (variant of Before I Wake . . .)715 • Exit the Professor • [Hogben • 2] • (1947) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Henry Kuttner ]731 • The Big Night • (1947) • novelette by Henry Kuttner [as by Hudson Hastings ]763 • A Wild Surmise • (1953) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore775 • Don't Look Now • (1948) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner789 • Private Eye • (1949) • novelette by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett ]821 • By These Presents • (1953) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner835 • Home Is the Hunter • (1953) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore847 • Or Else • (1953) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Henry Kuttner ]857 • Year Day • (1953) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner871 • A Cross of Centuries • (1958) • shortstory by Henry Kuttner885 • Two-Handed Engine • (1955) • novelette by C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner

    Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including: Daniel Abraham • Eleanor Arnason • Pauolo Bacigalupi • Kage Baker • Stephen Baxter • Terry Bisson • James L. Cambias • Albert E. Cowdrey • Colin P. Davies • Paul Di Fillipo • Brendan DuBois • Michael F. Flynn • Peter F. Hamilton • M. John Harrison • James Patrick Kelly • Caitlin R. Kiernan • Nancy Kress • Paul Melko • David Moles • Pat Murphy • Robert Reed • Benjamin Rosenbaum • Mary Rosenbaum • Christopher Rowe • William Sanders • Vandana Singh • Vernor Vinge • Walter Jon WilliamsSupplementing the stories are the editor's insightful summation of the year's events and a list of honorable mentions, making this book a valuable resource as well as the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination and the heart.Cover design by Shea M. KornblumCover illustration by Stephan MartiniereDescription from back cover Contents xi • Acknowledgments (The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Second Annual Collection) • (2005) • essay by Gardner Dozoisxiii • Summation: 2004 • essay by Gardner Dozois1 • Inappropriate Behavior • (2004) • novelette by Pat Murphy27 • Start the Clock • (2004) • shortstory by Benjamin Rosenbaum42 • The Third Party • (2004) • novelette by David Moles72 • The Voluntary State • (2004) • novelette by Christopher Rowe105 • Shiva in Shadow • (2004) • novelette by Nancy Kress153 • The People of Sand and Slag • (2004) • novelette by Paolo Bacigalupi172 • The Clapping Hands of God • (2004) • novelette by Michael F. Flynn214 • Tourism • (2004) • shortstory by M. John Harrison228 • Scout's Honor • (2004) • shortstory by Terry Bisson244 • Men Are Trouble • (2004) • novelette by James Patrick Kelly283 • Mother Aegypt • [Company] • (2004) • novella by Kage Baker348 • Synthetic Serendipity • (2004) • shortstory by Vernor Vinge366 • Skin Deep • (2004) • shortstory by Mary Rosenblum389 • Delhi • (2004) • shortstory by Vandana Singh405 • The Tribes of Bela • [Colonel Kohn] • (2004) • novella by Albert E. Cowdrey465 • Sitka • (2004) • shortstory by William Sanders478 • Leviathan Wept • (2004) • shortstory by Daniel Abraham499 • The Defenders • (2004) • shortstory by Colin P. Davies504 • Mayflower II • [Xeelee] • (2004) • novella by Stephen Baxter562 • Riding the White Bull • (2004) • novelette by Caitlín R. Kiernan588 • Falling Star • (2004) • shortstory by Brendan DuBois603 • The Dragons of Summer Gulch • (2004) • novelette by Robert Reed628 • The Ocean of the Blind • (2004) • shortstory by James L. Cambias649 • The Garden: A Hwarhath Science Fictional Romance • [Hwarhath] • (2004) • novella by Eleanor Arnason688 • Footvote • (2004) • shortstory by Peter F. Hamilton706 • Sisyphus and the Stranger • (2004) • shortstory by Paul Di Filippo (aka Sisyphe et l'étranger)718 • Ten Sigmas • (2004) • shortstory by Paul Melko726 • Investments • [Dread Empire's Fall] • (2004) • novella by Walter Jon Williams811 • Honorable Mentions: 2004 • essay by Gardner Dozois

    Dreamsbane of Tamalor is a light fantasy tale that pits brave adventurers against the evil darkness that threatens to engulf the world.

    Contains: The Dreamthief's Daughter The Skrayling Tree The White Wolf's Son

    Tolkien. Using key episodes in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, readers are taken back to the works of Old, Middle English and Old Norse literature that so influenced Tolkien. The original texts are presented with helpful new translations to help the reader approach the medieval poems and tales, and introductory essays draw on recent scholarship and Tolkien's own unpublished notes.

    From Aslan, the great lion, to Zardeenah, the mysterious lady of the night, this comprehensive and accessible companion contains hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries covering all the characters, events, places, and themes that Lewis magically wove into his timeless and magical world.This little book will be perfect for the millions of kids and parents who already love the Narnia books and want to go deeper into that world, as well as for those newly drawn to the story by the Narnia movie. The Pocket Companion is a perfect gift book, a natural movie tie-in, and will continue to help readers and fans get closer to the magical world of Narnia for years to come.

    So why did he dream the other night--and dream that he has a son?At one time, Batou had a human love for his partner, the legendary Major, before he witnessed her transfiguration into something beyond humanity. Now he has only his job, and his beloved basset hound, Gabriel. But when Batou has a near-death experience in an arranged car "accident," he returns home to find Gabriel has gone missing--perhaps, to go look for her owner's lost soul.Batou's desperate search for Gabriel leads him down surreal streets where homeless men fight tanks and yakuza racing hounds chase rabbits downloaded into their heads. Batou fears his poor dog has made a horrible mistake out of innocence--for Batou has taken a cold look inside himself...and decided that he never truly had a soul...Innocence, After The Long Goodbye is the prequel to the Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence film, also available as a four-volume Ani-Manga box set from VIZ Media. The Innocence novel contains a special bonus discussion between the director, Mamoru Oshii, and the author, Masaki Yamada.

    The first batch of the Golden Age Sandman's adventures are chronicled in this volume reprinting stories from ADVENTURE COMICS #40-57, NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR 1939, and NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR 1940 (circa 1940-41).

    Romero and co-writer John Russo - and the story everyone was dying to see: a prequel to the original film! Written by Russo and fully-approved by Romero, this is the horror series of the decade from the men who defined the genre! We heard the eyewitness accounts and were shocked by the television news reports, but now for the first time we will experience the horrifying events which led to that first Night of the Living Dead! A strange mist brings the unburied dead back to life, hungry for the flesh of the living! There is nowhere safe to run, and no one could possibly prepare for the onslaught of the ghouls, ungering for human flesh! This incredible prequel to the blockbuster classic Night of the Living Dead gives new insight into many of the film's characters and locations, including horrific encounters at the farm house and Beekman's diner and, introducing us for the first time to The Cemetery Zombie, Sheriff McClellan, and Night's original hero, Ben!

    A top-secret unit who were tasked with what others would call suicide missions. They were the men who had nothing to lose. Captain Jim Vaughn is a soldier in disgrace. Commanding a special forces mission to capture terrorists in the Philippines, Vaughn's team is destroyed, and when the smoke clears, he is the one made the scapegoat. Forced into the shadows by the scandal, Vaughn is offered a chance to redeem himself when he is approached by an enigmatic government agent looking for a few desperate men.Vaughn is recruited into a new team, but is shocked to meet his new teammates, a group of men outside of the regular chain of command. These were men who had used up all their second chances. These are men who have crossed the line one too many times. Drug users. Felons. The insane. The terminally ill. These are now the men that Vaughn must trust with his life.This group of outcasts and misfits has been assembled for two reasons--they are skilled, and they are expendable. These are the kinds of men who are needed to attempt missions the government can't acknowledge, the country can't condone, and the team cannot fail. But the deeper Vaughn gets into the unique group, the more he realizes that the organization may be concealing more than the rap sheets of its most unusual operators. A team of such unique properties is the perfect tool to use againt America's enemies...and possibly America itself.

    Used to the big city with its constant action and excitement, Eric found the slow pace of the rolling farms frustrating. He kept looking for ways to move back to the city, back to his friends and all his familiar activities.But when Eric helped a tall, blond-haired stranger escape from a pack of wild dogs, he took the first step in an adventure that took him out of the mundane world of Eastern Pennsylvania and dropped him in the middle of Norse mythology; right at the heart of a centuries old war between the Norse Gods and their ancient enemy, the Frost Giants.

    Original.