On the surface, Thompson looks like any other blue collar New Jersey town. But beneath the working class exterior lies a bizarro world of fetishistic crime, sleazy motels, and squid. In these three bizarro-noir novellas, the reader is thrown into a world of murderers, drugs made from squid parts, deformed war veterans, and a mischievous apocalyptic donkey... THE HABERDASHER Red Henry Hooper just got out on parole. He meets his friends, fellow small-time criminals Dix Hayden and Grant Minissi, in a cheap motel to drink a couple beers and perhaps plan another job. Things go sour when Grant takes some bad drugs. Meanwhile, in the next room, strange things are happening that will make Henry's day even worse: a woman is missing her feet and a notorious local gangster Robert Hapertas (aka The Haberdasher) is on his way. And he's not pleased... THE LONGHEADS Tommy Pingpong knew it was a mistake sending his partner Jake into the meeting with their boss. Now they were on the run from Peachy, a diaper-wearing gangster who would like nothing better than to kill the both of them. On top of that, the deformed war veterans called the longheads are buying up all the guns in town, planning something big that'll have severe implications for the town of Thompson. THE APOCALYPSE DONKEY When Simon Palmer took the black envelope from the tall man in the parking lot, he didn't know that this case of mistaken identity would make his day take such a weird turn for the worst. When the man finally realizes that he gave the envelope to the wrong guy, Simon is thrown into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that finally leads to a sleazy carnival of squid violence...

    War Department, is thrust into a desperate chase surrounding the world’s deadliest secret…the atomic bomb. Against the steamy Panamanian backdrop, Rollie clashes with a ruthless adversary while negotiating a shadowy assemblage of spies, double agents, and alluring personalities. In a classic race against time, Rollie scrambles to prevent the secret from falling into enemy hands while trying desperately to discern friend from foe. The world, and his life, hangs in the balance. A sexy action thriller rich in espionage, intrigue, passion and romance, DEMON'S BLUFF rides a cracking plot all the way to an explosive climax.

    Sealed behind an impenetrable barrier in the south of Ireland, the Industrial Corporation of Eire startles the rest of the world with its efficiency, its brilliance ... and its utter ruthlessness.To penetrate the barrier is to invite a swift and silent death. Scientific reports on its methods of operation are found to be faked.One man is sent to challenge this mysterious and invincible syndicate. His name is Thomas Sherwood...

    He has earned an enemy-and the Mage of Four, Mage of Luck, is a powerful enemy indeed. Jack must flee to our world, where he gathers a small group of unlikely, sometimes unwilling allies. In the ultimate confrontation, their efforts will determine the fate of the universes.

    In fact, their new neighborhood seems too good to be true. Their neighbors are all polite and helpful, and the streets are eerily clean. Even the teenagers of Elysian Field are perfect. They don’t drink, they don’t smoke, and they are polite to their elders to a fault.But Justine is a more typical teenager, and while the new girl in town hasn’t yet learned how to behave like the teenagers of Elysian Fields, she will. Because in Elysian Fields, there are so many ways—horribly effective ways—to turn disobedient children into Perfect Little Angels.

    Enter Ryan Archer. As a former Marine and former FBI agent, Archer has a combination of skills and training few others can offer. When he is given the task of locating the missing girl and returning her safetly to her family, Archer finds himself investigating a mysterious, powerful, and ultimately deadly organization that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets.

    You can talk with her, embrace her, kiss her, and she is the perfect woman. Until she becomes the first conscious robot. No longer satisfied with the pretense, she wants legal recognition that she is a woman - among other reasons, to marry the man she loves. Novella.

    But is the result still human? Find the answer to this question in Randall Garrett's novel Anything You Can Do...

    Not on purpose; he never meant to hurt anyone. But when Mick gets angry, people die, even the people he loves the most. Now he's on the run from his own terrible talent, and from those who would use his power for their own obscene purposes. But Mick is not alone. There are others like him. And if he will not join them, they will make him pay.Orson Scott Card is one of the world's best-loved writers, winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards two years in a row. He is author of Ender's Game and many New York Times bestsellers. Card's latest novels are Shadow of the Giant and Magic Street. This recording features Stefan Rudnicki, narrator on numerous audiobooks and recipient of an Audie for his solo narration on Orson Scott Card's Lost Boys and an Earphones Awards for his productions of Card's Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead and Crystal City.

    Never have such signs attended the coming of age of a witchdame princess. And never have the dark forces mustered against an Earthly being as they do now...For Elizabeth is of woodwitch blood as well, and before the final battle, she will enter the ancient flames of the banished mysteries of the Heartwood, into the secret wisdom of the Goddess herself...