The clever princess will only marry the man who can ask her a question she cannot answer; the orphan boy outwits his greedy uncles with a bag of ash; and an old couple in distress is saved by a magic drum. Sudha Murty's grandparents told her some of these stories when she was a child; others she heard from her friends from around the world. These delightful and timeless folktales have been her favourites for years, and she has recounted them many times over to the young people in her life. With this collection, they will be enjoyed by many more readers, of all ages. Age group of target audience is 8+.

    Illustrated versions of "Home Delivery", "Jerusalem's Lot", and "The Reach"; graphic story adaptations of "The Road Virus Heads North", "Uncle Otto's Truck", and "Rainy Season".

    All demonstrate what the Chicago Tribune has praised: "the fierce originality of Oates's voice and vision, but also how she has imbued the American short story with an edgy vitality and raw social surfaces."

    Short story collection by the critically acclaimed author of Revelation Space and Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days.

    As longtime fans have come to expect, the stories are written with a grace and style similar to fantasy's most original voices, such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Fritz Leiber, and Kurt Vonnegut. Traditional themes are typically infused with modern sensibilities—reincarnated lovers and waning kings rub shoulders with heroic waifs; Schmendrick the Magician returns to adventure, as does the ghost of an off-Broadway actor and a dream-stealing shapeshifter; and Gordon, the delightfully charming "self-made cat," appears for the first time in print, taking his place alongside Stuart Little as a new favorite of the young at heart. This wide-ranging compilation contains sly humor and a resounding depth that will charm fans of literary fantasy.Contents"A Dance with Emilia""El Regalo""Four Fables: The Fable of the Moth, The Fable of the Octopus, The Fable of the Ostrich, The Fable of the Tyrannosaurus Rex""Gordon, the Self-Made Cat""Mr. Sigerson""Quarry""Salt Wine""Two Hearts"

    California Cooper writes about the search for fulfillment that propels peopleâ��s dreams and desires. In â��As Time Goes Byâ�� a young woman named Futila Ways grows up focusing her dream of a better future on material wealth, only to discover that having everything she ever wanted cannot compensate for the emptiness in her heart. â��The Eye of the Beholderâ�� recounts the story of an unattractive young girl, Lily Bea, whose search for love leads her to embrace her own brand of freedom. And in â��Catch a Falling Heartâ�� a woman mildly crippled in a fall endures loneliness and solitude until she finds a man and provides a resting place for his love. Each story beautifully conveys the profound human need to seek some sort of satisfaction, just as a wild star seeks a midnight sun.J. California Cooperâ��s insights into the hearts and souls of ordinary people and her irresistible storytelling voice have endeared her to fans and critics.

    This collection includes five of his best-loved tales in one volume.

    But in Snyder’s wondrous imagination there’s a thin membrane between the whimsical and the disturbing: the unlikely affair between a famous actress—in hiding after surgery—and a sporting goods salesman takes an ominous turn just as she begins to heal; an engaged couple’s relationship is fractured when one of them becomes obsessed with an inmate at the women’s prison next door. Dark, funny, powerful, this debut collection underscores the remarkable gifts of a fiercely original young writer.From the Hardcover edition.

    Whether he was trying to geld a spooked stallion in a blizzard or foundhimself in the middle of an all-out fracas involving a monkey’s abscessed toothand a shotgun, he took it in stride, with great affection for both hisfour-legged patients and his two-legged clients.

    Dupin is unrivalled."H. P. Lovecraft, a master of the modern horror story, wrote in 1932 that the perfect writer should have "the sheer genius of Poe."Tributes like these coming from such different writers indicate the widespread reputation for excellence enjoyed by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). During a short life shot through with personal tragedy, Poe managed to write virtuoso stories of detection, nightmarish tales of the macabre, brilliant poetry, and incisive criticism. In the totality of these achievements, few other American writers are his equal.Includes the following tales:The Tell-Tale HeartThe Black CatThe Fall of the House of UsherThe Pit and the PendulumThe Cask of the AmontilladoThe AssignationThe Masque of the Red DeathThe Premature BurialWilliam WilsonA Tale of the Ragged MountainsThe Gold-BugThe Murders in the Rue MorgueThe Mystery of Marie RogetThe Purloined LetterThe Facts in the Case of M. ValdemarThe Oblong BoxMS. Found in a BottleThe Oval PortraitBereniceMorellaLigeiaEleonaraThe Domain of ArnheimA Descent into the MaelstromIncludes the following poems:Spirits of the DeadSonnet-To Science"Alone"To HelenIsrafelThe City in the SeaLenoreTo One in ParadiseDream-LandThe RavenUlalume-A BalladThe BellsA Dream within a DreamThe Valley of UnrestAnnabel Lee

    Caitlín R. Kiernan first introduced Dancy in the pages of her award-winning second novel, Threshold (2001), then went on to write several more short stories and a novella about this unlikely heroine, each a piece, of which, has become an epic dark fantasy narrative. Alabaster finally collects all these tales into one volume, illustrated by Ted Naifeh (Gloomcookie, Courtney Crumrin)

    Ananthapadmanabhan, son of the master writer, made the selection.Stories are Lola, Choondal, Amruthethu, Swayam, Mazha, Mruthi, Oru Sthree Oru Purushan, Kunju, Soorpanakha, Kaikeyi, Nisasalabham, Kaivariyude Thekkeyattam, Banyan Avenue, Orma, Jeevithacharya, Oru Sameepakaladurantham, Ningalude Thavalangal Ningalkku, Ranimarude Kudumbam and Ore Chandranmar.

    Inhibitions melt away with these three deliciously erotic romance novellas that have something sweet in common: tempting chocolate.

    Now they're adults, thirty-three-year old women who are as different as can be. But they have one thing in common: they have never given up on the idea of one day finding each other. . .In "More Than This," by Donna Hill, we meet Leticia, whose time in group homes sharpened her street smarts and taught her to use her good looks to her advantage. Now she's on top of the world, ensconced in a lush apartment in the heart of New Orleans. Leticia knows what men want--she runs the most elite call girl operation in the Parrish. But when she learns that the new sheriff in town is planning a raid, she decides to close up shop, have some adventures, and find her family. She soon discovers that one of her sisters is a jazz singer slated to appear at Lincoln Center. Leticia buys a ticket--and gets much more than she bargained for. . .Parry "EbonySatin" Brown's [title tk] follows Jamilla, adopted by an upstanding family who loved her like their own. But despite a life of privilege, Jamilla was always haunted by a sense of foreboding. As a way to escape her demons, she turned to writing. Now she's landed a six-figure book deal. But Jamilla's joy is clouded by a series of disturbing dreams triggered by a woman she saw on television--a jazz singer with her face. . .In Gwynne Forster's "The Journey," Clarissa Holmes Medford has finally decided to kick out her cheating husband--and pick up her guitar. Maybe she can sing her way out of the unhappiness and poverty that have plagued most of her life. When she records a well-received demo, it's just the beginning of a fascinating journey that will take her far from home, and expose her to a captivating new world--and an audience that may include the family her heart has always longed for. . .

    Next, meet Gregory, whose home now includes a non-existing room. Add in a neighbor who screams for no apparent reason, the joys of purchasing photographs of events that never happened, and attempts to read the book, What You'll Never Finish, and you might begin to fathom this journey that describes the circle of life and death, isolation and romantic infatuation, and the discovery of who, or what, God really is. Like a modern day Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups. Ray Fracalossy is an absurdist and author of bizarro fiction from New Jersey. He says, "I want to dissolve the barriers separating reality and dream states." "Wow...this is f**cking rad...who is this writer?" --kurt k. heasley, fountainhead of acid rock legends LILLYS "Ray Fracalossy's ability to seamlessly blur the line between the irreal and real has made him one of the defining writers of the new absurdist movement. He possesses something rarely found in art today, a unique voice. Tales is a novel that will more than likely outlast us all." --polycarp kusch, author & founder of both oBook.org and the new absurdist website "Though Ray Fracalossy's work has an absurdist core reminiscent of the old school, it has a decidedly modern heart that makes you laugh and think at the same time." --Kevin Donihe, author of Shall We Gather at the Garden? and Grape City

    Feel the racing pulse in the primal desire of werewolves. Embrace the aura of two gifted women as they unleash power beyond imagining. Savor the aroma of otherworldly flora planted in a unique patch of earth. THEY WALK THE NIGHT...prepared to face terrors humans were never meant to confront. Chant with an African mystic as he protects his people from an entity of unbridled malice. Ride the dusty trails of the Old West in pursuit of monstrous legends. Sail on a ship of damned souls as it languishes in the depths of forbidden waters. From the untamed wilderness of ancient times to the concrete jungles of today, these seventeen excursions into nightmares will keep you awake long past the midnight hour--and praying for daylight... Featuring stories by Eric Jerome Dickey, Tananarive Due, L.A. Banks, Brandon Massey, Christopher Chambers, and many more, this is one collection you don't want to miss.

    In "Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera," an ornithologist being held hostage in the Colombian rain forest finds that he respects his captors for their commitment to a cause, until he realizes that the Revolution looks a lot like big business. In "The Good Ones Are Already Taken," the wife of a Special Forces officer battles a Haitian voodoo goddess with whom her husband is carrying on a not-entirely-spiritual relationship. And in "The Lion's Mouth," a disillusioned aid worker makes a Faustian bargain to become a diamond smuggler for the greater good. With masterful pacing and a robust sense of the absurd, each story in Brief Encounters with Che Guevara is a self-contained adventure, steeped in the heady mix of tragedy and danger, excitement and hope, that characterizes countries in transition.

    He gives copies to his wife, his friends, and colleagues, but does not offer them for sale. (When copies have been auctioned for charity, they have sold for hundreds of dollars.) The first gathering of these stories, Triskell Tales, has proven to be one of our most popular titles. We expect Triskell Tales 2 to be no less beloved. In addition to the stories themselves, each tale will be preceded by a reproduction of the chapbook cover art from its original release

    These luminous stories portray the contemporary lives of the children of Holocaust victims and perpetrators as they struggle with the legacy of their parents -- their questions of identity, family, and faith. "Awake in the Dark" is peopled by characters embarking on journeys of self-discovery; they unearth the past and the secrets that shaped them. In "The House on Kronenstrasse," a woman returns to Germany to find her childhood home; in "The Porcelain Monkey," the shocking origins of an Orthodox Jewish woman's faith are revealed; in "The Lamp," the harrowing experiences of a young woman leave her with the perfect daughter and a strange light; and in "Dark Urgings of the Blood," a patient is convinced that she shares a disturbing history with her psychiatrist.Rendered in clear, unaffected prose, Shira Nayman's powerful and heartbreaking collection explores the burden of history. "Awake in the Dark" is an illuminating and startling book about the disguises we don, the secrets we keep, and the consequences of our silences.

    One Great CD.Here are two magnificent stories in which John Cheever celebrates—with unequaled grace and tenderness—the deepest feelings we have.As Cheever wrote, "These stories seem at times to be stories of a long-lost world when the city of New York was still filled with a river light, when you heard the Benny Goodman quartets from a radio in the corner stationery store, and when almost everybody wore a hat."

    Few authors have matched the versatility and stylishness of Walter Jon Williams. His genre-defining novels have received wide critical acclaim and captured the rapt attention of fans worldwide. He has been nominated for every major SF award. The Green Leopard Plague and Other Stories contains nine bleeding-edge tales showcasing Williams’ flexibility, power-chord storytelling, and engagingly human and post-human characters. From Walter Jon Williams, author of more than twenty novels, including This Is Not a Game, Implied Spaces, and the definitive cyberpunk novel Hardwired, comes The Green Leopard Plague and Other Stories, a stunning collection of short fiction including the Nebula Award-winning stories “Daddy’s World” and “The Green Leopard Plague,” and featuring an introduction by Charles Stross, plus in-depth story notes.

    Seyersted's presentation of Chopin's writings and biographical and bibliographical information led to the rediscovery and celebration of this turn-of-the-century author. Newsweek hailed the two-volume opus--"In story after story and in all her novels, Kate Chopin's oracular feminism and prophetic psychology almost outweigh her estimable literary talents. Her revival is both interesting and timely." Now for the first time, Seyersted's Complete Works is available in a single-volume paperback. It is the first and only paperback edition of Chopin's total oeuvre. Containing twenty poems, ninety-six stories, two novels, and thirteen essays--in short, everything Chopin wrote except several additional poems and three unfinished children's stories--as well as Seyersted's original revelatory introduction and Edmund Wilson's foreword, this anthology is both a historical and a literary achievement. It is ideal for anyone who wishes to explore the pleasures of reading this highly acclaimed author.

    More than three hours of recordings in each collection capture the intimacy of live performance, with stories that are alternately exciting, poignant, and funny, making this the perfect accompaniment to any number of daily activities--driving, cooking, exercising, relaxing, or intently listening. Timeless Classics includes, among others, James Thurber's "The Night the Ghost Got In," read by Isaiah Sheffer; Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever," read by Maria Tucci; Jack London's "Make Westing," read by Steven Gilborn; D. H. Lawrence's "The Rocking Horse Winner," read by John Shea; Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," read by Marian Seldes; Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," read by Charles Keating; and Raymond Carver's "Cathedral," read by James Naughton.

    You Never Know by Niobia Bryant\Melanie Schuster\Kimberley White released on Feb 21, 2006 is available now for purchase.

    Like the flaming projectiles his protagonists often launch into the sky, these stories crackle with energy and violence and a furious beauty. Benjamin Percy is a force. -- Anthony Doerr

    The Guerreros are farm workers, soldiers, ski bums, students, and world travelers. They are a family unique to these stories, yet typical in their context. With simple, direct, and beautiful language, Tagatac explores both the essence of what makes a person an individual and the ties that create a family.

    Weir Mitchell --Nunc Dimittis / Roald Dahl --The lady, or the tiger? / Frank Stockton --The discourager of hesitancy / Frank Stockton --The lady and the tiger / Jack Moffitt --The blind spot / Barry Perowne --The mysterious card / Cleveland Moffett --The mysterious card unveiled / Cleveland Moffett --Karmesin and the meter / Gerald Kersh --One hundred in the dark / Owen Johnson --The whole town's sleeping / Ray Bradbury --At midnight, in the month of June / Ray Bradbury --Thimble, thimble / O. Henry --The Gioconda smile / Aldous Huxley --Tea for two / Laurie York Erskine --The lady and the dragon / Peter Godfrey --A medieval romance / Mark Twain --The moment of decision / Stanley Ellin.

    The coming-of-age stories in Thin Ice relate a range of experiences both good and bad, including happy memories and heartwarming recollections but also personal traumas, intergenerational and racial conflicts, the strictures of religious belief and practice, the joys and sorrows of young romance, and more. Above and beyond the stories of the more notable personalities -- Jim Harrison, Roger Wilkins, John Hockenberry, President Gerald Ford, Betty Ford, Al Green, Paul Schrader, William Brashler -- the book as a whole is chock-full of crisp, humorous, irreverent, and moving writing. Reinder Van Til and Gordon Olson have excerpted half of the pieces from previous publications, while they directly solicited the other half from active writers specifically for this book. The earliest stories go back to the 1830s and 1850s, and the most recent are a cluster of contemporary pieces that describe coming of age in the Grand Rapids of the 1960s through the 1980s. Together they paint a multifaceted, impressionistic portrait of a century and a half in the fair city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. All in all, Thin Ice is a nostalgic treasure for any Grand Rapidian and literary treasure for e v e r y one.Contributors   Albert Baxter Charles E. Belknap A. J. Muste Arnold Gingrich David Cornel DeJong Gerald R. Ford Betty Ford Edward V. Gillis John Thompson Roger Wilkins Jim Harrison Glen Peterson Max Apple John Otterbacher Reinder Van Til Al Green Paul Schrader Robert VanderMolen William Brashler Sheri Venema Hank Meijer Charles Honey Tom Rademacher Levi Rickert John Hockenberry Laura Kasischke Kaye Longberg Bich Minh Nguyen