Fiction by Hugo and Nebula award winners and nominees as well as talented newcomers. Stories were selected by the Unidentified Funny Objects series curator Alex Shvartsman.

    The raynids prey on humans as a food source, swarming through the universe like locusts from a nightmare. A small band of survivors of the distant planet of Gaviron hunt the monsters but they’re slowly losing the war. Biron, highly-trained and gifted warrior of Gaviron, reluctantly agrees to a last desperate strategy. The goal isn’t to defeat the raynids but to make sure a few small pockets of humanity survive. To do his part, Biron takes on the role of protector on the small Earthling colony of Blithe. In exchange, the people of Blithe must offer up one of their women as Biron’s bride so that a small piece of Gaviron will live on. Heartbroken by the years of fighting the raynids and losing everyone he’s loved, Biron doesn’t care who he marries. Esta Brunner, intelligent, brave and attractive, makes as good a choice as anyone. Esta agrees to the terms of their Gaviron saviors. And as she and Biron fight against their common foe, her alien husband’s easy charm and physical beauty ease the discomfort of the forced marriage. Their fledging relationship comforts them both until another danger intrudes on the planet. Once the fragile trust between them is broken, Esta realizes how much she’s come to care for her lonely husband. It will take Esta’s clever mind and Biron’s knowledge and skills together to defeat the raynids. Before they can trust each other again, Esta must accept the depth of her love for her husband and Biron must learn what love is. Other titles available by Susan Kelley through New Concepts Publishing: Recon Marines I: The Marine's Queen Recon Marines II: The Marine's Heiress Recon Marines III: The Marine's Doctor The Greater Good The Lesser Evil A Ruthless Good One Good Woman Book I: To Tame a Tiger Book II:Tiger's Mate Book III :A Tiger's Courage The Warrior and the Biologist Coming Soon to Amazon: The Warrior and the Governor (Now Available for Pre-Order) If you enjoyed this book, be sure to check out these other exciting titles available from New Concepts Publishing: The Men of Anderas I: Jardan, the King by C.J. Johnson The Men of Anderas II: Dak the Protector by C.J. Johnson The Men of Anderas III: Talon, the Assassin by C.J. Johnson Watchers by Kaitlyn O'Connor Dragons of the Dawn by Kaitlyn O'Connor Centaur Chronicles: Unbridled by Raven Willow-Wood The Forgotten Realms: Primal Instincts by Raven Willow-Wood Love's Captive by Myra Nour

    If they can’t come together to solve a disturbing mystery, they’ll have more to lose than their hearts. And more to rue than just a Christmas kiss.

    Throughout history, humans have been saved a moment before they died. Those that are taken, awake to find themselves in a strange new world different from anything they had ever seen. They discover that some agency has taken them out of the time they lived and dropped them into the early Cretaceous Age. They are now faced with surviving in a world that was called the Golden Age of the Dinosaurs. Not only must they learn how to survive the giant carnivores but also survive other humans. They are challenged to build a civilization ninety million years before the first Homo sapiens appeared on Earth. The humans struggling to survive wonder if the Time Takers are a larger danger than any they face in the prehistoric world they now inhabit. One of them is determined to find out why they were taken and his quest could endanger everyone. Excerpt from: The Time Takers Suddenly, the cave was filled with a deafening roar. Everyone in the cave turned, grabbed their ears and looked to the left, where they saw an opening in the cave wall at the end of a short corridor. Something was filling the opening. Andy was stunned at what he saw. This was a nightmare that could only come from an overdose of bad drugs. Everyone fled across the cave to the wall furthest from the opening. The Romans broke formation and ran with the others. The Roman Leader held his ground and Andy saw he was shocked and frightened out of his wits. It was easy to see why. Andy sprinted across the cave and moved into the short corridor leading to the opening where a giant head with rows of sharp teeth was being pushed further into the cave. He stopped twenty feet from the head, raised the bow and fired an arrow directly into the open mouth of the huge Allosaurus. The giant reptile screamed and jerked its head back out of the opening but not before Andy had notched another arrow and hit it between the eyes with an arrow that buried itself to the fletching. The giant’s roar was silenced as it straightened up and then fell backwards. Andy put the bow over his shoulder and ran toward the entrance. He saw a large stone wheel on the right side of the opening designed to block the entrance and he ran behind it and tried to push it forward. The roars from outside the cave were getting louder…and numerous; everyone inside could hear that there were more of the nightmares that had stuck its head in the cave outside the opening. He pushed as hard as he could but the wheel was just too heavy to move. There was a channel cut into the floor for it to roll in; but it was just too massive to budge. The Roman Leader sprinted over and started pushing with Andy. They looked out of the opening as they struggled to move the stone wheel and saw ten of the giant carnivores were just outside the entrance surrounding the dead Allosaurus,. They appeared to be trying to determine what killed it. One of them looked at the cave opening and started moving toward it. Ten Samurai and five Vikings arrived at that moment and began pushing with Andy and the Roman. The wheel started moving and then rolled over the entrance just before the dinosaur arrived. The men gathered at the wheel felt it lean into the cave for a moment…and then fall back against the opening. This book is dedicated to my brother, Wayne. I wish you could have read this one. Thanks for reading Science Fiction to me when I was five years old. You started me on the path that led me to all the stories that spring from my imagination, I miss you and love you. Visit us on face book at www.facebook.com/SaxonAndrewsUniverse or our website at www.annihilationseries.com. You may contact me directly at saxonandrew@msn.com

    He escaped Boston, with help from his mother, to head to the west coast and create a new life in Seattle. All that changes when he attends a party to celebrate his friend's new physics invention: a device that connects two universes together.Events quickly spiral out of control as Brett, and his best friend's ex-girlfriend, find themselves pulled by the device and end up in a different version of Earth, one that has been stripped of it's resources and population by an alien race. Will the Earth they came from share a similar fate? Can they escape the dimension they've been sent to and find a way back home? And do they want to escape after learning more about the universe they find themselves in? More importantly, can they change the SyStem that controls everything in that universe and many more?The SyStem: Multiverse is the first book in a series of the same name, where they fight monsters with psychic powers, deal with betrayal, survive on a barren world, and decide whether they will let things remain the same or take action to change their circumstances.Jon Svenson is the author of Biomedical Self-Engineering and other novels yet to be released.

    One thing is for sure, though, you’re in for a wild ride! The Atlantis Ship - by A.C. Hadfield Carson Mach, a former war hero turned freelancer, seeks the biggest payday of his life when he’s tasked to hunt down a ghost ship that has echoed through the centuries. The legendary Atlantis ship has become a reality, appearing at the Commonwealth frontier, and obliterating an orbital station. Failure to stop it is not an option! Prelude to Resistance - by Nick Webb Fighter Pilot Lieutenant Jacob Mercer learns the leader of the Resistance, Admiral Pritchard, has a secret that could change the course of the war. The question is, will he live long enough to find out what it is. The Terran Gambit - by Nick Webb Lieutenant Jacob Mercer likes fast motorcycles, faster women, and screaming space fighters. When Jake is put in the captain's chair of the most advanced warship in the galaxy, he has to face down a psychopathic Imperial Admiral bent on utterly destroying the Resistance and Earth itself. Hollow Space: Venture - by T.F. Grant & C.F. Barnes Forced to hyperjump during a brutal ambush, Sara Lorelle, navigator of the last human colony ship, discovers they’ve jumped to somewhere that shouldn’t exist. Trapped inside a pocket universe known only as Hollow Space, where technology inexplicably fails, Sara and her crew have to defy all odds to survive. Attack on Phoenix - by Megg Jensen Two hundred years ago, an interplanetary expedition crashed on a deserted planet. They caught the attention of the dragzhi, an aggressive alien species, and found themselves in the midst of a war they were doomed to lose. Unless Torsten Vikker, a soldier who’d rather read than fight, can find a way to stop them. Icarus - by Matt Verish Cole Musgrave’s dream of interstellar travel is about to become a nightmare. When a high-profile delivery is compromised aboard a state-of-the-art cargo vessel, the newly appointed captain finds himself embroiled in a deadly assignment far above his pay grade. But this unorthodox cargo pilot won’t go down without a fight—even after he is faced with a choice that will alter the course of his life forever. Containment - by Susan Kaye Quinn The Mining Master of Thebe is all alone… not counting the scavenger drones, foundry nanites, and magtread tractors. So when a spindly tower of rocks mysteriously appears at the pole, reporting it could mean reassignment to the Outer Belt… but probing the mystery further threatens to unlock something that might have been better left... contained. Light of the Earth - by Annie Bellet Ian and Jack Talley and the Prometheus Space Program set a record for the fastest manned flight to Jupiter. But the journey ended in disaster, crippling Jack and killing the rest of the team. Ten years later, an eccentric multi-billionaire offers them all his money, and a second chance, if they'll fly him to Pluto, which asks the question: are they making history? Or repeating it? The Hunted - by Melissa Lason On the dusty streets of Sentos thugs and thieves abound. One man who used to call those same streets home is sent into clean them up. Kyro is a bounty hunter of great reputation but when he returns to Sentos, his skills are truly tested.

    In the real world, Blake Masters isn't special, but when he discovers a portal in the middle of the Arizona desert, he will find himself in a world unlike any he's ever seen before.For one, it has dragons.For two, only a couple of men are born every generation.And for three? Well, he now has a superpower, class ability, magic, or whatever you want to call it.And yeah, his power to upgrade and enhance the dragons and people around him might not seem like much, but once he finishes his time at the academy, well, him, his lady friends, and all their dragons might just become the most powerful force the world has ever seen.

    All of them. Grab all four books in the thrilling Urban Fantasy series, Paradise Lost, for one low price, in this great value 1800+ pages box set! First the gods left. Then the Others came. Jean Matthias, ex-monster-killer, is now trying to help them adjust to this new godless world. Everyone from his past thinks he’s dead. In order to keep helping the displaced mythical creatures that now roam the world, he’s going to need it to stay that way. Except-something is terrorizing the night. A murderous creature is unearthing parts of his past best left dead and buried. If the wrong people find out he’s still breathing, he'll be forced back into a life he died to escape. And to make matters worse, if the creature isn't stopped, it might just trigger the apocalypse. Again. Jean didn’t start this fight, but he’s damn sure going to end it. If you like the Dresden Files, Mercy Thompson or want to read a throwback to Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then you’ll love the Paradise Lost Boxed Set. "Mythology, satire, and brutal honesty. Vance delivers a knockout punch of fun and fearlessness in every last one of his books. Not only does he make you laugh, he makes you think. That's a rare combination that few authors ever achieve, and Vance does it splendidly." — John P. Logsdon, author of the Paranormal Police Department series. The Paradise Lost Boxed Set includes the following novel: • GoneGod World (Keep Evolving - Book 1) • Keep Evolving (Keep Evolving - Book 2) • CrystalDreams (Keep Evolving - Book 3) • Penemue's Inferno (Keep Evolving - Book 4) NEW RELEASE

    His greatest concern was making the high school football, until an odd girl moves in next store, a girl whose secrets threaten not only his existence but the existence of everyone on the planet.

    Martin Searching for his stolen past in the Dying Earth. He calls himself Farouche, after a character from legend, but his reality is that his memories and identity were stolen from him by a secret enemy.In a far-future world of wizards and walled cities, he finds himself trailing a wealthy merchant's caravan across a dusty plain. Possessed of a soldier's skills, he hires on with the merchant and begins to build a life. But his efforts to discover his past reveal a dark prospect: was he a participant in a notorious massacre of innocents?Will Farouche come to know the truth? Will he survive the journey across a lawless land to the remote city of Olliphract, ruled by half-mad thaumaturges? And when he finally lays bare the plot in which he has been ensnared, will it be too late?Matthew Hughes delivers another dark fantastical adventure set in a decadent Dying Earth, where men and half-men and even the gods themselves contend for earthly power and unearthly prizes.A God in Chains is a Dying Earth adventure of men, half-men, and gods and is the latest Matthew Hughes' Archonate series novel."Hughes's boldness is admirable" -- New York Review of Science Fiction About the Author: Matthew Hughes writes fantasy and space opera, often in a Jack Vance mode.  Booklist has called him Vance's "heir apparent."His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, F&SF, Postscripts, Lightspeed, and Interzone, and invitation-only anthologies including Songs of the Dying Earth, Rogues, Old Mars, Old Venus, The Book of Swords, and The Book of Magic, all edited by George R. R. Martin and/or Gardner Dozois.He has won the Arthur Ellis Award, and has been shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick, Aurora, Nebula, Endeavour (twice), A.E. Van Vogt, and Derringer Awards.He spent more than thirty years as one of Canada's leading speechwriters for political leaders and corporate executives.  Since 2007, he has been traveling the world as an itinerant housesitter, has lived in twelve countries, and has no fixed address. Praise: "Hughes's boldness is admirable" - New York Review of Science Fiction "Hughes effortlessly renders fantastic worlds and beings believable" - Publishers Weekly "Heir apparent to Jack Vance" - Booklist "Criminally underrated" - George R.R. Martin ***

    But which one broke the timeline?In 2136 Madison Grace uncovers a key to the origins of CHRONOS, a time-travel agency with ties to her family’s mysterious past. Just as she is starting to jump through history, she returns to her timeline to find millions of lives erased—and only the people inside her house realize anything has changed.In 2304 CHRONOS historian Tyson Reyes is assigned to observe the crucial events that played out in America’s civil rights movement. But a massive time shift occurs while he’s in 1965, and suddenly the history he sees isn’t the history he knows.As Madi’s and Tyson’s journeys collide, they must prevent the past from being erased forever. But strange forces are at work. Are Madi and Tyson in control or merely pawns in someone else’s game?

    That is, until she’s accidentally woken up by a father and daughter on a vacation.Cars? Cell phones? What’s an Instagram? How can Craig and Alexis explain the world? No one said educating a teenage vampire would be easy. The Girl in The Back Row: High school means classes, making friends, hanging out, cutting classes… and keeping your fangs to yourself. Watch out world, this teen’s bite is worse than her bark. Welcome to public school Vampire teen. Keep an eye out for the ones who would rather put you back in a box, but this time forever.Vicki is getting a crash course in teenage life, if she can just keep her true nature hidden.Fortunately, she wants to make new friends more than mayhem. Too bad others aren’t going to make that so easy. The Girl With A Secret: Vickie’s a 400-year-old teenage vampire in a suburban public school. Combine that with vampire strength and speed, mix in typical teenage impulse control and trouble follows. Her new dad, Craig and adopted sister, Alexis are having trouble helping Vickie keep her identity under wraps – especially as classmates realize there’s something different about her. Is time running out? Reports of a Last Vampire are getting back to the centuries old Circle. Dedicated to hunting down vampires, they are getting closer to tracking her down. The GIrl In Plain Sight: New semester. New classes. New challenges. Can a 400-year-old teenage vampire learn to control her powers enough to manage the halls of public school? And not bite anyone of course… Vickie is making friends with a new girl, someone Alexis doesn’t trust. Alexis is starting a romance with Will, and Vickie smells trouble. Are the girls worried about the wrong things or can they help each other out? The Girl Unleashed: No matter the century, being a teenage vampire is hard when there’s no one around to teach you how to be cool, date and lift a car out of the way without getting caught. Vickie has grown into a rockstar vampire with her powers, but she can still cause harm. Not a good way to stay hidden when everyone has the number to TMZ and a camera in their pocket. Selfie with the teenage vampire anyone? Social media can bite worse than a vampire’s fangs. The Girl Revealed: Even though she’s a 400-year-old teenager, Vickie still hasn’t grasped the dangers of modern technology. Everyone has a cellphone and can catch anything on video… It’s only a matter of time before our favorite hero with fangs ends up on everyone’s small screen.

    Lieutenant Joshua Simpson receives his final order, “bond with it.”While “bonding with it” the Lieutenant discovers the frightening truth about humanity. Where did we come from? How did we get here? Who are these visitors?˃˃˃ Disclosure: October 16th, 2020 -One-thousand breeding couples are abducted.Why? How are these abductions related to Lieutenant Joshua Simpson?Book Two of this series is Refuge Planet: Colonization.You will believe.

    

    And like most criminals, he has one chance at freedom — to participate in The Darwin Games, a televised survival show which pits two players from each city against one another in The Barrens, the uninhabited areas outside the City Walls.He’ll also have to face another enemy — the zombies which still roam The Barrens.As he fights for his freedom against impossible odds, his daughter, Anastasia, stumbles into people who have information about her father — information which will change her life forever.But it will also put her in the crosshairs of her father’s enemies.