Elliott is a highly-compelling voice in genre fiction, an innovative author of historically-based narratives set in imaginary worlds. This first, retrospective collection of her short fiction is the essential guide to Elliott's shorter works. Here her bold adventuresses, complex quests, noble sacrifices, and hard-won victories shine in classic, compact legends. In "The Memory of Peace," a girl's powerful emotions rouse the magic of a city devastated by war. Meeting in "The Queen's Garden," two princesses unite to protect their kingdom from the blind ambition of their corrupted father. While "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" a chieftain's daughter finds an unlikely ally on her path to self-determination. Elliott's many readers, as well as fantasy fans in search of powerful stories featuring well-drawn female characters, will revel in this unique gathering of truly memorable tales.

    In conversation with legendary rock critics and authors he respected, Reed’s interviews are as pithy and brilliant as the man himself.

    Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including: Daniel Abraham • Eleanor Arnason • Pauolo Bacigalupi • Kage Baker • Stephen Baxter • Terry Bisson • James L. Cambias • Albert E. Cowdrey • Colin P. Davies • Paul Di Fillipo • Brendan DuBois • Michael F. Flynn • Peter F. Hamilton • M. John Harrison • James Patrick Kelly • Caitlin R. Kiernan • Nancy Kress • Paul Melko • David Moles • Pat Murphy • Robert Reed • Benjamin Rosenbaum • Mary Rosenbaum • Christopher Rowe • William Sanders • Vandana Singh • Vernor Vinge • Walter Jon WilliamsSupplementing the stories are the editor's insightful summation of the year's events and a list of honorable mentions, making this book a valuable resource as well as the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination and the heart.Cover design by Shea M. KornblumCover illustration by Stephan MartiniereDescription from back cover Contents xi • Acknowledgments (The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Second Annual Collection) • (2005) • essay by Gardner Dozoisxiii • Summation: 2004 • essay by Gardner Dozois1 • Inappropriate Behavior • (2004) • novelette by Pat Murphy27 • Start the Clock • (2004) • shortstory by Benjamin Rosenbaum42 • The Third Party • (2004) • novelette by David Moles72 • The Voluntary State • (2004) • novelette by Christopher Rowe105 • Shiva in Shadow • (2004) • novelette by Nancy Kress153 • The People of Sand and Slag • (2004) • novelette by Paolo Bacigalupi172 • The Clapping Hands of God • (2004) • novelette by Michael F. Flynn214 • Tourism • (2004) • shortstory by M. John Harrison228 • Scout's Honor • (2004) • shortstory by Terry Bisson244 • Men Are Trouble • (2004) • novelette by James Patrick Kelly283 • Mother Aegypt • [Company] • (2004) • novella by Kage Baker348 • Synthetic Serendipity • (2004) • shortstory by Vernor Vinge366 • Skin Deep • (2004) • shortstory by Mary Rosenblum389 • Delhi • (2004) • shortstory by Vandana Singh405 • The Tribes of Bela • [Colonel Kohn] • (2004) • novella by Albert E. Cowdrey465 • Sitka • (2004) • shortstory by William Sanders478 • Leviathan Wept • (2004) • shortstory by Daniel Abraham499 • The Defenders • (2004) • shortstory by Colin P. Davies504 • Mayflower II • [Xeelee] • (2004) • novella by Stephen Baxter562 • Riding the White Bull • (2004) • novelette by Caitlín R. Kiernan588 • Falling Star • (2004) • shortstory by Brendan DuBois603 • The Dragons of Summer Gulch • (2004) • novelette by Robert Reed628 • The Ocean of the Blind • (2004) • shortstory by James L. Cambias649 • The Garden: A Hwarhath Science Fictional Romance • [Hwarhath] • (2004) • novella by Eleanor Arnason688 • Footvote • (2004) • shortstory by Peter F. Hamilton706 • Sisyphus and the Stranger • (2004) • shortstory by Paul Di Filippo (aka Sisyphe et l'étranger)718 • Ten Sigmas • (2004) • shortstory by Paul Melko726 • Investments • [Dread Empire's Fall] • (2004) • novella by Walter Jon Williams811 • Honorable Mentions: 2004 • essay by Gardner Dozois

    Includes all four of the Skylark Series, Skylark of Space, Skylark Three, Skylark of Baleron, Skylark Duquesne

    Recognized by one of the top talents in Nashville, it seemed the band might be on its way to a real recording career.But then Candy McAlester, their bass player, was arrested and charged with the murder of her ex-husband, her own son being the star witness against her. In desperation, the band turned to Sam to find the proof that she was innocent, and he returned to PI work to try to clear her name. Only then could he admit to himself that he'd been missing it, that he'd been craving it and the thrills and excitement that it brought along.The case took some surprising turns, and when the dust finally settled, Sam had learned one thing above everything else: being an investigator wasn't just something he had done, it was something that was part of him. No matter how things turned out on this case, Sam knew it wouldn't be his last.Or would it?

    But if, by chance, an insider led you to the White Hart on a Wednesday night, you would have found yourself in the midst of a select gathering or writers, editors, scientists and interested laymen—drinking, swapping odd bits of information, and, like as not, listening to Harry Purvis' memorable stories. A scientist by profession, Harry Purvis has had or heard about some of the most astonishing experiences—like the story of the carnivorous orchid that was used in a murder plot, or the one about the military computer that was converted to pacifism. There's SILENCE PLEASE, involving a spurned lover and a device that was supposed to destroy sound; and BIG GAME HUNT, in which an ambitious researcher becomes so wrapped up in his latest projest—controlling animal behavior with electrical impulses— that he overlooks one tiny important detail. Such stories may challenge your powers of logic and strain your imagination. Yet even if you doubt their veracity, they're guaranteed to provide you with hours of SF reading. Baron Munchausen, step aside.Contains: Silence Please; Big Game Hunt; Patent Pending; Armaments Race; Critical Mass; The Ultimate Melody; The Pacifist; The Next Tenants; Moving Spirit; The Man Who Ploughed the Sea; The Reluctant Orchid; Cold War; What Goes Up; Sleeping Beauty & The Defenestration of Ermintrude

    Be one of the first to get to know the unlikely brother and sister duo as they fight their way across the globe with the help of their well connected friends to overcome the might of an extremely powerful and resourceful enemy.Don't miss 'Assassin', the next exciting installment in 'The Billionaire Series'

    But one thing all of those campaigns—boringly!—had in common was: They abided by the physical laws of the universe! HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!! is an anthology of science fiction/fantasy stories told in the form of fictional crowdfunding project pitches, using the components (and restrictions) of the format to tell the story. This includes but is not limited to: Project Goals, Rewards, User Comments, Project Updates, FAQs, and more. The idea is to replicate the feel of reading a crowdfunding pitch, so that even though the projects may be preposterous in the real world, they will feel like authentic crowdfunding projects as much as possible.So if what you’ve always been looking for in a Kickstarter—and couldn’t find—was a project that allowed you to SUMMON DEMONS, DEFY GRAVITY, WIELD MAGIC, or VIOLATE CAUSALITY, then HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!! & Other Improbable Crowdfunding Projects may be just the thing you’ve been looking for.

    This might explain why she fell for a no good womanizer like Jason James. When their short painful marriage comes to a heartbreaking end, Delia must find the courage to start her life again. A new successful career as a high school teacher and a passionate summer romance with sexy Chase Donovan finally make her feel like she’s more than just a nobody. But her world is shattered once again when Chase turns out to be one of her students.

    To others he was a soldier, forged in the flames of war. But to Manon, who needed his help, he was her ultimate Choice of Weapon.Garrett had spent most of his adult life fighting other people’s wars. Now he lives in the highlands of Scotland. Alone but not lonely. Reclusive. Hiding from the person that he had become. Eschewing the violence that was once his way of life. But then he receives a phone call from a friend who needs his help. An orphanage in South Africa is missing some of its children, suspected kidnapped, and the local corrupt police will not help. It is up to Garrett. And he is once more drawn into a world of dark and deep brutality as he tries to do what is right. Together with the guard from the children’s home and an old combat compatriot, he discovers a world of darkness and depravity that threatens to overwhelm him, forcing him to react in the only way that he knows how. The way that he swore never to follow again… because someone has to protect the children.

    Now he's starring in a big-budget action thriller that offers him the chance to become a box-office titan.Except the action and the thrills aren't just in the movie. Dangerous and destabilizing new technology is floating around behind the scenes. Police and cartel lords lurk in the shadows. An assassin is on the loose, and has already claimed his first victim.Sean could be next in the killer's sights, unless he can find out what the bad guys want, who's hiding it, and how many people he's going to have to betray in order to save his life--- and more importantly, his celebrity!

    Along with a motley collection of survivors (including a sex-crazed female samurai modified to resemble a bipedal stegosaurus) they take refuge in the only safe haven left: Telos . . . a strange town near the end of the world, where the citizens have televisions instead of heads.

    All she knows is that she's being hunted. When she stumbles, bloody and beaten, onto Abram Yoder's Lancaster County farm, she is not only given a chance at safety, but also the possibility of love. Will the ghosts of Sofia's past keep her from seizing a new future?Abram Yoder is a man trapped in the past. His wife Rebekah died in childbirth two years back, and even through prayer, he hasn't been able to absolve his grief and allow himself to live. When a mysterious woman comes to his Lancaster farm needing help, will Abram find the faith to love again?Join Sofia and Abram as they confront the past, embrace the future and with God's help, bridge the gap between their two worlds and maybe even find love. If you like Amish Romance Novels, Scroll Up and Click "Buy Now" to start Reading this Christian Amish Romance Book Today!

    Only...Just as her terrible uncle announces her betrothal to a very lecherous Earl, Lady Ivy Marple knows that her life cannot get any worse. And due to the tragic loss of her family, she stopped believing in miracles long ago...Burdened with an impossible task by his late friend, Charles Landon, the Duke of Nelson, has to ensure Lady Ivy is happy. The problem? How does a man with an illegitimate child save a damsel in distress?Just as he approaches her with his preposterous plan, Ivy is certain her brother’s friend has no moral qualms. But if she has to choose to become a governess over her upcoming nuptials, then that she will. Even if she is sure to lose more than her reputation in the process...

    Or, at least, that is the point Lady Alexandra is determined to prove. And she is more than ready to pose as a governess if it is to seduce the Marquess of her dreams.As a man that never wishes to wed, Simon Windsor, the Marquess of Pembley, accepts his horrifying reputation with gratitude. With very few people aware of his strange condition, he relishes the peace and quiet of the countryside.With the new governess for his hellion niece and nephew feeling disturbingly familiar to the masqued Lady he seduced at a ball, he fears that the worst side of his will be exposed. The one that should have remained hidden till his last drawing breath...