Callsign - Doubleshot


Jeremy Robinson - 2014
    **In 2011, Jeremy Robinson released a series of eight novellas—deemed the 'Chesspocalypse.' Each novella follows a single member of the Chess Team from his Jack Sigler thriller series. The stories take place after the events of Threshold, the third full-length novel in the series, and before the events of Ragnarok, the fourth. The novellas are all co-authored by Jeremy Robinson and one of six other fantastic authors. The Chesspocalypse novellas are designed to introduce readers to the series. If you haven't read the novels, no worries. Enjoy the ride!The stories were released in the following order:Callsign: King–Book 1Callsign: QueenCallsign: RookCallsign: King–Book 2–UnderworldCallsign: BishopCallsign: KnightCallsign: Deep BlueCallsign: King–Book 3–BlackoutThis collection contains the Knight and Deep Blue stories.The three King books were collected in the bestselling Callsign: King–The Brainstorm Trilogy. The Queen, Rook and Bishop stories were collected in the Callsign–Tripleshot collection.CALLSIGN: KNIGHTWhen a team of Delta operators goes missing in Shenhuang, one of China's newly constructed ghost cities, Shin Dae-jung—Callsign: Knight, is called in to assist. But the Osprey transporting him to the scene falls prey to an EMP attack and is forced to crash land atop a parking garage. With a wounded pilot in tow, Knight explores the empty city for signs of life and finds two terrified children, who warn him that something monstrous is stalking the city. When the pilot disappears, leaving a pool of blood and spent bullet casings behind, Knight doesn't doubt their story.As bullets fly and bodies drop, Knight must protect the children, uncover the fate of the missing Delta team and defend against an unstoppable killer, whose ability to regenerate and whose horrible appearance reminds him of something he's faced before—the mythological Hydra. But he's not alone in the surreal abandoned city. A team of SAS soldiers, along with Anna Beck, a former member of Manifold Genetics' private security force, join the fray. Together, they fight—and die—against a nightmare that follows its objective to the end: kill them all.CALLSIGN: DEEP BLUETom Duncan—Callsign: Deep Blue, former Army ranger, former president of the United States and handler of the black ops force known as Chess Team, is visiting the team's new secret headquarters. The underground facility, known as Alpha, once belonged to Manifold Genetics, a corrupt corporation shut down by Chess Team. But despite being abandoned for years, Alpha still hides secrets.Security doors slam shut and lock, sealing Duncan and his assistants inside. As Matt Carrack, the leader of Duncan's security team, attempts to gain access, Duncan discovers they are not alone inside the abandoned facility. High tech intruders have infiltrated the base, their goal unknown. But a far greater threat rises from the subterranean depths beneath Alpha—failed regenerative experiments from the days of Manifold, and they're fast, hostile and hungry.While the security team are beset by ingenious death traps, determined mercenaries and vicious creatures that defy their imaginations, Duncan and his personal bodyguard must battle the growing tide of creatures, stave off the incursion of enemy forces and prevent the violent intruders from releasing the horror currently contained inside Alpha, to an unsuspecting outside world.

Mangled Meat


Edward Lee - 2011
    His world is one of torture, bizarre fetishes, and alien autopsies. Prepare yourself, as these three novellas from the king of splatterspunk are guaranteed to make you gasp, gag, and laugh your ass off. The Decortication Technician What secrets do a crashed alien spaceship hold? One man and his surgical tools will find out. The Cyesolagniac A man with a pregnancy fetish meets the girl of his dreams-and his worst nightmares. Room 415 From his hotel room window, Flood will see his darkest desires become real.

Luna


Garon Whited - 2007
    It's not as bad as we thought. From the very first line, "Luna" grabs the reader. Where most books start with a world in trouble and ride the story on into a happy ending or to the ultimate destruction, "Luna" starts with the end of the world. Things can only get better, right? With the world destroyed, the story centers on six survivors in the first lunar shuttle, on their way to shake down and tune up a robot-built underground tunnel complex on the Moon. They have to face a number of issues, not the least of which is the self-destruction of their homeworld and the survival of the species. Fortunately, any culture advanced enough to have a lunar colony and the capability to destroy its own civilization is likely to have people who are not on the planet at any given time. From these few survivors, the human race will have to either survive and grow, or wither away into nothing. They have to face many difficulties, ranging from purely scientific ones such as genetics, mechanics, chemistry, and nutrition, to the more complex difficulties of human nature, such as love, sex, and loneliness. The conflict between politics and military command also rears its ugly head, with uncertain results, aside from the obvious: War. Told from the point of view of Max, the officer in charge of the mechanical aspects of the lunar base, "Luna" takes us on a fast-paced tour of our own Moon, the LaGrange points, a number of habitable satellites, as well as the light and dark places in the human soul. Any science fiction reader will delight in the near-future possibilities of lunar colonization, along with the superb character development, snappy dialogue, and the dry humor that are so characteristic of Garon Whited's work.A gripping page-turner, Whited's "Luna" is more than a little reminiscent of Robert Heinlein, mixed with a dash of E.E. "Doc" Smith, and stirred with a sardonic sense of humor uniquely his own. Fans of Garon Whited's "Nightlord: Sunset" will want to add this one to the collection!

The Jacobite Lass


Janet MacLeod Trotter - 2014
    That child is the passionate and free-spirited Flora, daughter of Marion. Flora’s early years are spent roaming around her father’s cattle farm, running wild and free with her brother and his friends. From early on she adores fair Neil MacEachen. But when her father dies suddenly, Flora and her mother are plunged into poverty and it seems beautiful Flora is destined to skivvy in the kitchen and dairy for her harsh aunt. Until one night dashing soldier, One-eyed Hugh, her mother’s former lover, kidnaps mother and daughter and takes them to Skye where he swiftly marries Marion.Back on the Outer Isles they settle into family life and Flora is taken under the wing of the lively Lady Clan, the chief’s wife, who teaches her the skills of a noblewoman. Flora still dreams of the day she might marry the handsome Neil, who has by now disappeared to France. But when the Clanranalds are invited to the grand wedding of the MacDonald chief of Sleat in Skye, Flora finds herself irresistibly drawn to dark-haired, teasing and passionate Allan of Kingsburgh, one of the mighty Skye MacDonalds, who makes no secret of his desire for her. Her heart is torn; she loves the mysterious and increasingly elusive Neil but struggles to control her attraction to Allan, who is meanwhile being groomed for a prestigious match with the chief of MacLeod’s daughter.Before affairs of the heart can be resolved, the exiled Prince Charles Stuart lands on the Outer Isles in his bid to win back the crown and his arrival ignites the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Scotland is plunged into bloody civil war; families and clans are torn apart in their loyalties and Flora’s fate is changed forever. She faces the biggest decision of her life – whether or not to help the now fugitive Prince to escape the islands and certain execution – knowing that to do so will not only put her own life in danger, but those of the people she loves most in the world.Deeply emotional and uplifting, The Jacobite Lass is set in the turbulent times of 18th century Scotland and is based on the true story of Scottish heroine, Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie.

The Galactic Peace Committee


L.G. Estrella - 2016
    In another universe, humanity is overrun by monsters so evil that their very presence dims the light of the stars. In yet another universe, humanity is drawn into an endless battle for dominion over the galaxy. This is not one of those universes. In this universe, humanity is in charge of the Galactic Peace Committee. In theory, the Committee is an unmatched force for good, bringing peace and prosperity to countless worlds and ensuring that conflicts between different races are settled with words and not planet-cracking weaponry or super plagues designed to turn everyone into goo. In theory. Jake Smith is a diplomat. He works for the Committee. This is his story – and it goes about as well as you’d expect. In other words, it doesn’t go very well at all. Can Jake survive petty aliens? Sure. He’s a diplomat. It’s all part of the job. What about angry aliens? Probably. He does have a killer robot for a secretary, and he’s not bad with a shock staff. How about a fleet of aliens out for blood? That… that might be a little bit trickier. The Galactic Peace Committee… keeping peace (sort of) throughout the galaxy.

The SF Collection


Richard K. Morgan - 2013
    Dick award and was optioned by Hollywood. He followed this up with two further novels continuing the adventures of Takeshi Kovacs - BROKEN ANGELS and WOKEN FURIES. He also wrote two further standalone SF novels, MARKET FORCES and BLACK MAN (which won the Arthur C. Clarke award).All five of these novels are collected here as the perfect introduction to Richard's work, or a welcome reminder of his power as a writer. Richard has also written two computer games (CRYSIS 2 and SYNDICATE), comics for MARVEL and is currently working on a fantasy trilogy comprising OF THE STEEL REMAINS, THE COLD COMMANDS, THE DARK DEFILES.

Return from the Portal: A time travel story


John Gschwend - 2018
     Sam believes she will soon have to adjust from the slow-paced, farm life of East Arkansas to follow her track scholarship to the University of Arkansas. Her life now is laid-back and predictable just the way she wants it. However, that will soon change as she goes for a morning run down a familiar, rural road and stops for a brief rest at an old, abandoned farm. There at that lonely, isolated place, so peaceful, so familiar, Sam has an experience that will change the course of her life. What will she do and where will she turn as she discovers she is not who or what she thought and this world is not the only one? Are they even her choices to make when a strange, dimension portal proves time travel and other worlds are real? Return from the Portal is the sequel to the time travel novel Portal to the Forgotten. In that story Luke, a reclusive Arkansas Constable, while searching for a missing girl, discovers a time travel portal in the Ozark Mountains that opens to another dimension. He and a reporter are pulled into that world and find it is almost impossible to get back. Return from the Portal is a stand alone novel, but would be better enjoyed by first reading Portal to the Forgotten. Visit John Gschwend at Johngschwend.com to see more of his stories.

Running Black


Patrick Todoroff - 2010
    Based in the Belfast Metro Zone, they're the best black contract outfit on the planet. Stable nano-technology: the melding of man and machine on a microscopic level. It's a break-through worth billions no one's been able to achieve. Until now. The Dawson Hull Conglomerate has finally developed a viable Nanotech Neural Network; an interface system that exponentially increases a person's cyber-capabilities. They're days away from unveiling the prototype to the world. And Eshu International just got hired to steal it. Video Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OFb28...

Dark Run


Mike Brooks - 2015
    And nobody talks about their past.But when a face from Captain Ichabod Drift’s former life send them on a run to Old Earth, all the rules change.Trust will be broken, and blood will be spilled.

Kami no Kodomo


Nishioka Kyoudai - 2010
    The latest work by the Nishioka siblings depicts the gruesome life story of a ruthless and brilliant serial killer as he grows up from a sociopathic child to a messiah-like figure.(Source: Kotonoha)

The Conan Chronicles 2


Robert Jordan - 1999
    An omnibus edition of the last three Conan novels by Robert Jordan, author of the bestselling Wheel of Time series

The Electric Ant


Philip K. Dick - 1969
    Dick. First published in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine in October 1969. In 2010 Marvel Comics adapted "The Electric Ant" as a limited series. The comic books were produced by writer David Mack (Daredevil) and French artist Pascal Alixe (Ultimate X-Men), with covers provided by artist Paul Pope (THB).

Ack-Ack Macaque


Gareth L. Powell - 2012
    The trouble is, Ack-Ack Macaque is a cynical, one-eyed, cigar-chomping monkey, and he's starting to doubt everything, including his own existence. A century later, in a world where France and Great Britain merged in the late 1950s and nuclear-powered Zeppelins encircle the globe, ex-journalist Victoria Valois finds herself drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the man who butchered her husband and stole her electronic soul. Meanwhile, in Paris, after taking part in an illegal break-in at a research laboratory, the heir to the British throne goes on the run. And all the while, the doomsday clock ticks towards Armageddon.

Pines (Digital Sample) (The Wayward Pines #1)


Blake Crouch - 2015
    Night Shyamalan, starring Matt Dillon and premiering May 14th on FOX. Secret service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a clear mission: locate and recover two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels…off. As the days pass, Ethan’s investigation into the disappearance of his colleagues turns up more questions than answers. Why can’t he get any phone calls through to his wife and son in the outside world? Why doesn’t anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what is the purpose of the electrified fences surrounding the town? Are they meant to keep the residents in? Or something else out? Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan further from the world he thought he knew, from the man he thought he was, until he must face a horrifying fact—he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive. 2013 International Thriller Award Nominee

Neat


Russell Zimmerman - 2012
    Like so many people in the shadows of Seattle, he’s trying to get by with what he has. In his case, that includes a lively spirit, a sadly diminished magical talent, quick wits, and good knowledge of the twists and turns of Seattle’s dingy streets and back alleys. He puts all that to the service of whatever clients he can dig up, solving whatever cases they’re willing to pay him to take on. With any luck, he’ll scrape up enough nuyen to buy a few rounds of his favorite drink—whiskey, neat.His latest case seems simple enough—find a girl who’s gone missing. But throw in a couple of feuding megacorporations, a few organized crime families, and a full selection of the odd denizens of Seattle’s streets, and you’ve got a case that’s anything but easy. It’s up to Kincaid to see how many people he can keep alive—including (and especially) himself.Neat is a brand-new Shadowrun novella plunging readers into the cold, sharp environs of the Sixth World. Elves, trolls, orks, and dwarves mix with humans in the shadowy streets of a near-future world altered by magic, trying to survive on the crumbs dropped by the megacorporations that dominate the world. Whether you’re new to Shadowrun fiction or a longtime fan, Neat is your ticket back to the Sixth World in all its dark, desperate glory.