In “Vortex,” by Gregory Benford, astronauts find a once thriving microbial lifeform that carpets the caves of Mars dying off. A code monkey tracks down the vain creator of a pernicious software virus that people jack cerebrally in “RedKing,” by Craig DeLancey. In “Number Nine Moon,” by Alex Irvine, illicit scavengers on Mars are on a rescue mission to save themselves after one of their team members dies. A young girl’s thirst for vengeance becomes a struggle for survival when she is swallowed by a gigantic sea creature on an alien planet in “Of the Beast in the Belly,” by C.W. Johnson. In “The Seventh Gamer,” by Gwyneth Jones, a writer immerses herself into a MMORPG community to search for characters being played by real aliens from other worlds. A woman armed with a rifle stalks a herd of cloned wooly mammoths in British Columbia in “Chasing Ivory,” by Ted Kosmatka. In “Fieldwork,” by Shariann Lewitt, a volcanologist struggles with her research on Europa where both her mother and grandmother suffered dire consequences. A daughter pays homage to her mother with mega-engineering projects to deal with climate change over eons in “Seven Birthdays,” by Ken Liu. In “The Visitor from Taured,” by Ian R. MacLeod, a cosmologist in the near future is obsessed with proving his theory of multiverses. The citizens of a small town on a “Jackaroo” planet object to a corporation placing a radio telescope near local alien artifacts in “Something Happened Here, But We’re Not Quite Sure What It Was,” by Paul McAuley. And finally, in “Sixteen Questions for Kamala Chatterjee,” by Alastair Reynolds, a graduate student defends her dissertation on a solar anomaly that threatens humanity.

    Dickson's future history of humankind and its ultimate destiny. Now one of its central novels return to print in a two-volume corrected edition.In The Final Encyclopedia the human race is split into three Splinter cultures: the Friendlies, fanatic in their faith; the truth-seeking Exotics; and the warrior Dorsai. But now humanity is threatened by the power-hungry Others, whose triumph would end all human progress.Hal Mayne is an orphan who was raised by three tutors: an Exotic, a Friendly, and a Dorsai. He is the only human capable of uniting humanity against the Others. But only if he is willing to accept his terrifying destiny...as savior of mankind.A towering landmark of future history, The Final Encyclopedia is a novel every SF fan needs to own.

    Her brother is missing. One retired assassin must confront her past to save his future… Immortal Kat Dubois has traded in her sword for a flask. Hard drinking helps ease the grisly memories of her former trade: an assassin of immortals. She’s perfectly content to spend eternity in her Seattle tattoo parlor…until the mysterious disappearance of her brother finally brings her out of retirement. With a charmed deck of tarot cards and her trusty sword, Kat sets off to track down her brother and save his soul. A wicked corporation and a laundry list of old rivals stand in the way of her quest. For someone with an eternity to live, Kat's chances of unraveling the mystery become less likely with each passing second… The Kat Dubois Chronicles is a tough-girl urban fantasy series set in Seattle, WA. If you like intense action, gritty characters, unconventional magic, and Egyptian mythology, then you'll love this unique, fast-paced adventure. Perfect for fans of Kim Harrison, Karen Marie Moning, and Nalini Singh! This collection includes 350,000 words of mythology, action, and supernatural suspense: Ink Witch Outcast Underground Soul Eater Judgement Afterlife Also written in the Echo World: The Echo Trilogy Collection: The Complete Series What readers are saying: "I love, love, love, LOVE THIS SERIES!!!" "I love stories where the female is anything but a damsel in distress! She kicks butt and takes no excuses from those whose butts are being kicked!" "Loved the Puget Sound setting! Also loved the wonderful use of mythology!" "If you want a great escape from reality for awhile, I highly recommend this series." "So beyond amazing!! MUST READ!!"

    Clothing, muscle, bone remain untouched. When the number of these bodies increases in the city of New Orleans, Lt. Crwys Holliard suspects the murderer isn't part of the Material Plane, but from a Plane he believed was destroyed centuries ago. He and his partner, Lt. Levi Tulose, vow to put a stop to the murders and send the creature back to the plane from whence it escaped. But will Crwys succeed when he finds himself pitted against a Dijin, a Witch, and his own infamous past?

    And now that Bethany's proposed a marriage of convenience to Tony, Christopher may have an instant family.Tony's having second thoughts about the wedding since Bethany confessed her secret. It shouldn't make a difference—their marriage is supposed to be temporary anyway. But he's finding it harder to imagine a future without her. What dreams must he give up to make the marriage work?The story concludes in Marriage by Contract Part 3.

    However, after a bout of unfortunate events and even more unfortunate decisions, Titus finds himself at the backwater edge of the galaxy, tracking an elusive heretic that will bring about his strange demise, a very strange demise indeed...Originally published in Hammer and Bolter: Issue 1

    Scott Fitzgerald's first book of short stories, Flappers and Philosophers, published in 1920 after his debut novel, This Side of Paradise. The main character, Samuel Meredith, is a man who, as Fitzgerald says, "is certain that at various times in his life hitable qualities were in his face, as surely as kissable qualities have ever lurked in a girl's face." From boarding school to the business world, he gets into confrontations that lead to him being punched in the face, and these four major conflicts in his life lead him to be the type of man about whom the narrator eventually says, "At the present time no one that I know has the slightest desire to hit Samuel Meredith...."

    Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The production called for the casting of many dwarfs to play the Munchkins of the mythical Land of Oz and the studio began recruiting 'small persons' from all over the world. During production, rumours spread around Hollywood of wild Munchkin sex orgies, drunken behavior and general dwarf debauchery. More sinisterly, a Munchkin is said to have committed suicide by hanging himself on the set during filming - what appears to be a small human body is clearly visible hanging from a tree in the Tin Man scene. It is a claim that has passed into Hollywood legend. Set in a hotel room in Culver City, California, Babylon Heights is Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh's scabrous and hilarious imagining of what could, very possibly, have led to that dwarf suicide. Babylon Heights premiered at the Exit Theatre, San Francisco, in June 2006.

    and romance. All burned-out film star Mathias Carter wants for Christmas is peace and a quiet place to brood on the disaster of his love-life. But when that disaster in the shape of Eve Langan arrives on his doorstep, Matt finds one kiss rocks his world... and now he has a fight on his hands to convince Eve he's the man of her dreams.As Christmas approaches all Bronte Ferranti wants is to spend it with Nico and her twins, while she awaits the birth of her third child... everything is going to plan... until her baby decides to be born too soon... is Bronte and Nico's Christmas going to be filled with heartbreak? Or will the magic of the festive season create a miracle?Meanwhile Rosie is having fun preparing for her first Christmas as Mrs. Alexander Ludlow... she's got everything organised and ready for the festivities... except she's forgotten something crucial... Rosie's going to give Alexander a Christmas he'll never forget.

    But with it has come the legend of a family curse. Now, according to the legend, the current far-flung Suslands are the last with a chance to lift the curse . . . whether they believe in it or not.To fulfill the legend’s demands, these cousins must face personal challenges and risk their hearts, all for the sake of … A Place Called HomeBook 1: Lost and Found GroomLost - And - Found Groom (A Place Called Home, #1)Currently ReadingMy rating:1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars[ 4 of 5 stars ]5 of 5 starsLost - And - Found Groom (A Place Called Home #1)by Patricia McLinn (Goodreads Author)3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 59 ratings · 12 reviewsLOST-AND-FOUND GROOM is Book 1 in "A Place Called Home" trilogy from SpecialEdition. Book 2 is AT THE HEART'S COMMAND in September, and Book 3 is HIDDENIN A HEARTBEAT in October.Once and only once, hardheaded Kendra Jenner let down her defenses with a perfect stranger. In a foreign land, in a deadly storm, they shared life's most intimate act 151and created a baby. But Kendra's beloved stranger vanished into the night, and Kendra retreated to her family home in Wyoming to raise her son. Then, three years later, their lives collided once again when daring,breathtaking pilot Daniel Delligatti descended upon Kendra's ranch, wanting o claim his son�and to claim Kendra as his wife. How could Kendra risk her heart�and her child's future �on this beloved lost-then-found groom? Book 2: At the Heart's CommandColonel John Griffin Jr. is a good and honorable soldier, determined to protect Ellyn Sinclair at all costs – especially from himself.Once, he’d rejected a young Ellyn’s advances, because he could not give her the life she deserved. Instead, Grif stood up as best man when Ellyn married his best friend. Then, he became a member of the family, godfather to her children.But now Ellyn is a widow, back in Far Hills, Wyoming with her two young children, and having a tough time. And no matter what it costs him, Grif will do his duty – help Ellyn and her children, while ignoring that he has never stopped wanting her.Book 3: Hidden in a HeartbeatRebecca Dahlgren comes to Far Hills Ranch hoping for answers to her unknown heritage. But from the first moment, she finds foreman Luke Chandler hard to miss. The sexy cowboy with the sleepy eyes that aren't interested in sleeping means just the sort of trouble her patrician grandmother has always warned about.Luke has his own reasons for wanting to steer clear of anything like commitment. But the secrets behind Rebecca’s dark eyes keep luring him on … even if it means baring his own heart.

    The 39 Clues - 1-11 Book Set - The 39 Clues Card Pack - The Maze of Bones - One False Note- The Sword Thief- Beyond The Grave - The Black Circle - 39 Clues 6: In Too Deep - 39 Clues 7: The Viper's Nest - 06 39 Clues 8 - 39 Clues 9: Storm Warning - 39 Clues 10: Into the Gauntlet - plus new 11th book Vespers rising

    

    Each casebook reprints documents relating to a work's historical context and reception, presents the best critical studies, and, when possible, features an interview with the author. Accessible and informative to scholars, students, and nonspecialist readers alike, the books in this series provide a wide range of critical and informative commentaries on major texts. Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude is arguably the most important novel in twentieth-century Latin American literature. This Casebook features ten critical articles on Garcia Marquez's great work. Carefully selected from the most important work on the novel over the past three decades, they include pieces by Carlos Fuentes, Iris Zavala, James Higgins, Jean Franco, Michael Wood, and Gene H. Bell-Villada. Among the intriguing aspects of the work discussed are its mythic dimension, its "magical" side, its representations of women, its relationship with past chronicles of exploration and discovery, its portrayals of Western power and imperialism, its astounding diffusion throughout the globe and the media, and its simple truth-telling, its fidelity to the tangled history of Latin America. The book incorporates several theoretical approaches--historical, feminist, postcolonial; the first English translation of Fuentes's renowned, oft-cited, eight page meditation on the work; a general introduction; and a 1982 interview with Garcia Marquez.

    Another opportunity to get things right. If only he can convince her to give him a second chance. *This title has been previously published as Solitary Man**

    Fiercely handsome. Powerful.The pull between us borders on primal.I need to be careful, he’s a dangerous man with even more dangerous enemies.We were only supposed to be pretend, a ruse to protect me.But when his lips touch mine, I taste only truth.When he pulls me into his arms, it feels like forever.Filthy Riches is an epic tale of love, danger, adventure, and a hard-won forever.ScorpioScott Danger. His name even comes with a warning label.Handsome, rich, and sexier than any man should be, he’s pursuing me hard and fast. Little ol' me, a bartender with a penchant for makeup and old country music.He’s a predator caged in gilded threads, and I want to run just so he’ll chase me… catch me… take me. I’m in so much trouble, but I think I like it.Do I tempt fate?Power Play is a romance collection consisting of Filthy Riches and Scorpio, two former top 100 Amazon Romances that'll run you through a gambit of emotions. Buckle up for a wild ride.