Shoggoths in Bloom and Other Stories


Elizabeth Bear - 2008
    This collection, showcasing Bear’s unique imagination and singular voice, includes her Hugo- and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award-winning story “Tideline” and Hugo-winning novelette “Shoggoths in Bloom,” as well as an original, never-published story. Recipient of the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, the Locus Award, a World Fantasy, British Fantasy, and Philip K. Dick nominee, Bear is one of speculative fiction’s most acclaimed, respected, and prolific authors.ContentTidelineSonny Liston Takes the FallSoundingThe Something-Dreaming GameThe Cold BlacksmithIn the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal BurnsOrm the BeautifulThe Inevitable Heat Death of the UniverseLove Among the TalusCryptic ColorationThe LadiesShoggoths in BloomThe Girl Who Sang Rose MadderDollyGods of the ForgeAnnie WebberThe Horrid Glory of Its WingsConfessorThe Leavings of the WolfThe Death of Terrestrial Radio

The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 5


Jonathan StrahanDiana Peterfreund - 2011
    A multitude of astonishingly creative and gifted writers are boldly exploring the mythic past, the paranormal present, and the promises and perils of myriad alternate worlds and futures. There are almost too many new and intriguing stories published every year for any reader to be able to experience them all. So how to make sure you haven’t missed any future classics?Award-winning editor and anthologist Jonathan Strahan has surveyed the expanding universes of modern sf and fantasy to find the brightest stars in today’s dazzling literary firmament. From the latest masterworks by the acknowledged titans of the field to fresh visions from exciting new talents, this outstanding collection is a comprehensive showcase for the current state of the art in both science fiction and fantasy. Anyone who wants to know where the future of imaginative short fiction is going, and treat themselves to dozens of unforgettable stories, will find this year’s edition of Best Science Fiction and Fantasy to be just what they’re looking for!The depth and breadth of what science fiction and fantasy fiction is changes with every passing year. The twenty-nine stories chosen for this book by award-winning anthologist Jonathan Strahan carefully maps this evolution, giving readers a captivating and always-entertaining look at the very best the genre has to offer. Jonathan Strahan has edited more than twenty anthologies and collections, including The Locus Awards, The New Space Opera, The Jack Vance Treasury, and a number of year's best annuals. He has won the Ditmar, William J. Atheling Jr., and Peter McNamara Awards for his work as an anthologist, and is the reviews editor for Locus.

If I Were An Evil Overlord


Martin H. GreenbergFiona Patton - 2007
    Certain to appeal to role-playing gamers, fantasy lovers, and megalomaniacs who want to rule the world.

The Long List Anthology Volume 3: More Stories From the Hugo Award Nomination List (The Long List Anthology Series)


David SteffenSarah Pinsker - 2017
    Every year, supporting members of WorldCon nominate their favorite stories first published during the previous year to determine the top five in each category for the final Hugo Award ballot. This is an anthology collecting more of the stories from that nomination list to get them to more readers The Long List Anthology Volume 3 collects 20 science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories from that nomination list, totaling over 500 pages of fiction by writers from all corners of the world. From intelligent appliances gone feral to Lovecraftian detective noir, from tech-enhanced wilderness races to Egyptian science fantasy steampunk, from hard science fiction to fairy tale to humor and more. There is a wide variety of styles and types of stories here, and something for everyone. The stories included are: "Red in Tooth and Cog" by Cat Rambo "A Salvaging of Ghosts" by Aliette de Bodard "Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station | Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0" by Caroline M. Yoachim "Razorback" by Ursula Vernon "We Have a Cultural Difference, Can I Taste You?" by Rebecca Ann Jordan "Lullaby for a Lost World" by Aliette de Bodard "Terminal" by Lavie Tidhar "Ye Highlands and Ye Lowlands" by Seanan McGuire "Things With Beards" by Sam J. Miller "The Venus Effect" by Joseph Allen Hill "The Visitor From Taured" by Ian R. MacLeod "Blood Grains Speak Through Memories" by Jason Sanford "Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea" by Sarah Pinsker "A Dead Djinn in Cairo" by P. Djèlí Clark "Red as Blood and White as Bone" by Theodora Goss "Foxfire, Foxfire" by Yoon Ha Lee "Forest of Memory" by Mary Robinette Kowal "Chimera" by Gu Shi, translated by S. Qiouyi Lu and Ken Liu "Hammers on Bone" by Cassandra Khaw "Runtime" by S.B. Divya

The Persistence of Vision


John Varley - 1977
    Introduction · Algis Budrys · in The Phantom of Kansas · nv Galaxy Feb ’76 Air Raid [as by Herb Boehm] · ss IASFM Spr ’77 Retrograde Summer · nv F&SF Feb ’75 The Black Hole Passes · nv F&SF Jun ’75 In the Hall of the Martian Kings · na F&SF Feb ’77 In the Bowl · nv F&SF Dec ’75 Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance · nv Galaxy Jul ’76 Overdrawn at the Memory Bank · nv Galaxy May ’76 The Persistence of Vision · na F&SF Mar ’78

Larque on the Wing


Nancy Springer - 1994
    But Larque, wife, mother and painter isn't like most 40-year-olds. All her life she's been generating "doppelgangers," psychic manifestations of her thoughts that can impact and, as she suddenly realizes, impede, the reality of her own life. She embarks on a journey of self-exploration that culminates in her transformation--a common occurrence in this world--into an attractive gay man. In the end, she must weigh the attractions of this existence against the good aspects of her actual life. A 1995 James Tiptree Award winner.

Unburied Fables


Rachel SharpMoira C. O'Dell - 2016
    From students to seasoned professionals, these writers came together to raise awareness and reinvent classic stories. While they showcase a wide variety of origins, styles, and endings, all the tales in this anthology have one classic element in common: a happily ever after.Fifty percent of this collection's proceeds will be donated to the Trevor Project, a non-profit focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual and other queer youth.

Witches: Wicked, Wild & Wonderful


Paula GuranT.A. Pratt - 2012
    No longer confined to the image of a hexing old crone, witches can be kindly healers and protectors, tough modern urban heroines, holders of forbidden knowledge, sweetly domestic spellcasters, darkly domineering, sexy enchantresses, ancient sorceresses, modern Wiccans, empowered or persecuted, possessors of supernatural abilities that can be used for good or evil—or perhaps only perceived as such. Welcome to the world of witchery in many guises: wicked, wild, and wonderful. Includes two original, never-published stories.ContentsThe Cold Blacksmith • (2006) • shortstory by Elizabeth BearThe Ground Whereon She Stands • (2011) • shortfiction by Leah BobetThe Witch’s Headstone • (2007) • novelette by Neil GaimanLessons with Miss Gray • (2006) • novelette by Theodora GossThe Only Way to Fly • (1995) • shortstory by Nancy HolderBasement Magic • (2003) • novelette by Ellen KlagesNightside • [Diana Tregarde] • (1989) • shortstory by Mercedes LackeyApril in Paris • (1962) • shortstory by Ursula K. Le GuinThe Goosle • (2008) • shortstory by Margo LanaganMirage and Magia • (1982) • shortstory by Tanith LeePoor Little Saturday • (1956) • shortstory by Madeleine L'EngleCatskin • (2003) • shortstory by Kelly LinkBloodlines • shortfiction by Silvia Moreno-GarciaThe Way Wind • (1995) • novelette by Andre NortonSkin Deep • (2008) • novelette by Richard ParksIll Met in Ulthar • shortfiction by Tim Pratt [as by T. A. Pratt ]Marlboros & Magic • shortfiction by Linda RobertsonWalpurgis Afternoon • (2005) • novelette by Delia ShermanThe World Is Cruel, My Daughter • (2011) • shortstory by Cory SkerryThe Robbery • (1995) • shortstory by Cynthia WardAfterward • (1999) • shortstory by Don WebbMagic Carpets • (1995) • shortstory by Leslie WhatBoris Chernevsky's Hands • (1982) • shortstory by Jane Yolen

The Starry Rift: Tales of New Tomorrows


Jonathan StrahanKelly Link - 2008
    With this in mind, noted anthologist Jonathan Strahan (who is also the reviews editor of Locus magazine) asked sixteen of today's most inventive, compelling writers to look past the horizon of the present day. Neil Gaiman (Anansi Boys), Kelly Link (Magic for Beginners), Garth Nix (the Abhorsen Trilogy), Scott Westerfeld (Uglies; Pretties; Specials) and their colleagues have crafted a dazzling range of stories. Whether on spaceships, in suburbia, or in simulated gaming worlds, whether about cloning, battle tactics, or corporate politics, the stories of The Starry Rift will give every reader something to consider. This original anthology is crucial reading for those who want to see where the future (and the future of science fiction) is headed.CONTENT"Ass-Hat Magic Spider" by by Scott Westerfeld"Cheats" by Ann Halam"Orange" by Neil Gaiman"The Surfer" by Kelly Link"Repair Kit" by Stephen Baxter"The Dismantled Invention of Fate" by Jeffrey Ford"Anda's Game" By Corey Doctorow"Sundiver Day" by Kathleen Ann Goonan"The Dust Assassin" by Ian McDonald"The Star Surgeon's Apprentice" by Alastair Reynolds"An Honest Day's Work" By Margo Lanigan"Lost Continent" by Greg Egan"Incomers" by Paul McAuley"Post--Ironic Stress Syndrome" by Tricia Sullivan"Infestation" by Garth Nix"Pinocchio" by Walter Jon Williams

Asimov's Science Fiction, September/October 2017


Sheila WilliamsJames E. Gunn - 2017
    Garcia y Robertson"Books of the Risen Sea" by Suzanne PalmerShort Stories"Riding the Blue Line with Jack Kerouac" by Sandra McDonald"Disturbance in the Produce Aisle" by Kit Reed"Dead Men in Central City" by Carrie Vaughn"Arriving at Terminal: Xi's Story" by James Gunn"The Ganymede Gambit: Jan's Story" by James Gunn"Zigeuner" by Harry Turtledove"The Fourth Hill" by Dennis E. Staples"The Cabinet" by William Preston"An Incident in the Literary Life of Nathan Arkwright" by Allen M. Steele"Squamous and Eldritch Get a Yard Sale Bargain" by Tim McDaniel"First Contact" by Stuart GreenhousePoetry"Jump-Point Failure" by John Richard Trtek"Poaching Country" by Bethany Powell"Your Clone Finds Her Stray" by Robert Frazier"Locked in Amber" by Jane Yolen"X Marks the Spot" by Robert Borski"Sleeping Beauty Attains Bliss" by Leslie J. AndersonDepartments"Editorial: Thirty-First Annual Readers' Awards' Results" by Sheila Williams"Reflections: The Last Hittite" by Robert Silverberg"On the Net: Remembering Bertie!" by James Patrick Kelly"On Books: Outside America" by Norman Spinrad"SF Conventional Calendar" by Erwin S. StraussAsimov's Science Fiction, September/October 2017, Vol. 41, Nos. 9-10 (Whole Nos. 500-501)Sheila Williams, editorCover art by Cynthia Sheppard

Masked


Lou AndersMike Carey - 2010
    This brilliant new collection features original stories and novellas from some of today’s most exciting voices in comics, science fiction, and fantasy. Each marvelously inventive tale shows us just how far our classic crusaders have evolved—and how the greatest of heroes are, much like ourselves, all too human. In “Call Her Savage,” MARJORIE M. LIU enters the dark heart of a fierce mythic heroine who is forced, by war, to live up to her own terrible legend. In “A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too),” BILL WILLINGHAM presents a fully-realized vision of a universe where epic feats and tragic flaws have transformed the human race. In “Vacuum Lad,” STEPHEN BAXTER unveils the secret origins of the first true child of the space age—and disproves the theory that “nothing exists in a vacuum.” In “Head Cases,” PETER DAVID and KATHLEEN DAVID blast through the blogosphere to expose the secret longings of a Lonely Superhero Wife. In “The Non-Event,” MIKE CAREY removes the gag order on a super-thief named Lockjaw . . . and pries out a confession of life-altering events. Also includes stories by Mike Baron • Mark Chadbourn • Paul Cornell • Daryl Gregory • Joseph Mallozzi • James Maxey • Ian McDonald • Chris Roberson • Gail Simone • Matthew Sturges . . . and an introduction by Lou Anders, “one of the brightest and best of the new generation of science fiction editors” (Jonathan Strahan, The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year).

Sword & Laser Anthology


Veronica BelmontJeffrey N. Baker - 2014
    From living space ships to hapless thieves getting more than they bargained for, this collection has something for every genre reader.Table of Contents:Foreword — Patrick RothfussSword:Introduction — Veronica BelmontSoft as a Feather When Done Right — Nicole FeldringerA Night for Spirits and Snowflakes — Aidan MoherSaltwater Skin — Kristy SutherlandPartly Petrified — Auston HabershawThe Lesser Evil — Day Al-MohamedWhite Flame — Jeffrey N. BakerHow Fox Fixed the Sky — Stephen CaseA Good Man — Zachary TringaliKnowing Better — Paul KruegerThe Novice’s Guide to Adventuring — Sean TadsenLaser:Introduction — Tom MerrittThe Osiris Paradox — Sarina DorieLeviathan! Leviathan! — Jacob A. BoydJonah’s Daughter — Adam CallawayBirdy — Rebecca J. ThomasThe Same International Orange — Luke R. PeblerAfterword — Mike MurphyData Dump — Trisha L. SenbastianHoneybun — Austin MaloneFalse Lights — Victoria HooperOnly Darkness — David Emery

Citizen in Space


Robert Sheckley - 1955
    ContentsThe Mountain Without a NameThe AccountantHunting ProblemA Thief in TimeThe Luckiest Man in the WorldHands OffSomething for NothingA Ticket to TranaiThe BattleSkulking PermitCitizen in SpaceAsk a Foolish Question

Suite 606


J.D. Robb - 2008
    RobbLieutenant Eve Dallas plunges into the violent aftermath of a ritualistic murder--and into the mind of an alleged witness who can't remember a thing to save his life."Love Endures" / Mary BlayneyInvestigates the connection between a ghost, a magic coin, and a deliberate deception that has kept two lovers apart for years."Cold Case" / Ruth Ryan LanganBrings a lost man out of a pounding storm and into the arms of a welcoming woman for a breathtaking twist of fate."Wayward Wizard" / Mary Kay McComasFollows a mother and son lost in the threads of history and an impaired wizard who must return them to their own world to fulfill his own destiny--in time.

Prayer for the Living


Ben Okri - 2019
     Is what you see all there is? Look again. Playful, frightening, even shocking – the stories in this collection blur the lines between illusion and reality. This is a writer at the height of his power, making the reader think, making them laugh, and sometimes making them want to look away while holding their gaze. Stories here are set in London, in Byzantium, in the ghetto, in the Andes, in a printer's shop in Spain. The characters include a murderer, a writer, a detective, a man in a cave, a man in a mirror, two little boys, a prison door, and the author himself. There are twenty-three stories in all. Each one will make you wonder if what you see in the world is all there is...