Hartwell showcases new works by stellar literary artists--acknowledged masters of the genre and exceptionally talented newcomers alike. Astonishing worlds come alive in these pages--realms of strange creatures and remarkable sorceries, as well as twisted shadow versions of our inhabited earthly plane. A bold and breathtaking compendium of tales--including a new Earthsea story from the incomparable Ursula K. Le Guin--YEAR'S BEST FANTASY 2 is the state-of-the-art of a unique and winning genre, offering unforgettable excursions into new realities wondrous, bizarre, enchanting.. and terrifying.*"The Finder" by Ursula K. Le Guin*"Senator Bilbo" by Andy Duncan*"Big City Littles" by Charles de Lint*"What the Tyger Told Her" by Kage Baker*"In the Shadow of her Wings" by Ashok Banker*"The Heart of the Hill" by Marion Zimmer Bradley & Diana L. Paxson*"Queen" by Gene Wolfe*"The Black Heart" by Patrick O'Leary*"On the Wall" by Jo Walton*"Hell is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang*"The Man Who Stole the Moon" by Tanith Leen*"Firebird" by R. Garcia y Robertson*"My Case for Retributive Action" by Thomas Ligotti*"The Shadow" by Thomas M. Disch*"Stitchery" by Devon Monk*"To Others We Know Not Of" by Kate Riedel*"The Lady of the Winds" by Poul Anderson*"His Own Back Yard" by James P. Blaylock*"A Place to Begin" by Richard Parks*"Nucleon" by David D. Levine*"My Stolen Sabre" by Uncle River*"Apologue" by James Morrow

    This collection includes thirteen lean and mean stories from the fingertips of Garnett Elliott, Glenn Gray, John Hornor Jacobs, Patricia Abbott, Thomas Pluck, Brad Green, Ron Earl Phillips, Kent Gowran, Amy Grech, Benoit Lelievre, Kieran Shea, David Cranmer, and Wayne D. Dundee and a boiled down look at hardboiled fiction in an introduction by Ron Scheer. Edited by David Cranmer and Scott D. Parker.

    But with the encouragement of the goddess Persuasion, the magical races soon turned on the humans, pushing the magic-less race to the brink of destruction. In response, the gods chose to abandon the mortal world for Heaven. Before leaving, however, they gave mankind a gift to restore balance—a few select individuals with the power to actively wield magic. Persuasion, for her crimes, was banished to Limbo. Since then, the exiled goddess has made only one attempt to free herself, enthralling the human sorcerer Taida in a scheme that destroyed both a kingdom and the powerful Pankara Stone that the goddess required for escape. The young magic-wielder known as Rhyen Hyldhem, newly graduated from the great Academy in Ikha, knows of the story of Taida—but such events occurred millennia ago. As war brews, however, Rhyen will learn more about his powers…and the identity of the fearsome Dark Rider who has stalked him since childhood. Rhyen is about to discover the past isn’t dead—and that his destiny is intricately tied to Taida’s betrayal of humanity.

    Voracious and relentlessly, the Creednax consume everything in their path, including people, planets and themselves if necessary. Only the Rose of the Dawn has the smallest chance of stopping them — if the abducted captain and shanghaied crew can figure out how to run the alien ship in time. Unfortunately, time is the one thing they don’t have.

    The Roman Republic, or what remains of it, is in turmoil after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Powerful men vie for supremacy in the vacuum created by Caesar's death. Marcus Antonius, Octavius Caesar, and Marcus Lepidus form a ruling junta known as the Triumvirate. They are pitted against the assassins of Caesar, who call themselves the Liberators. Far to the north, on the German frontier, an obscure tribe raids the Roman province of Gaul. Meet Alderic, a towering young man out to prove himself on his first raid with the veteran warriors. A cohort of Roman legionnaires is waiting to ambush the German raiders, who are no match for the highly disciplined and armored legionnaires. It ends devastatingly for the Germans. Most are killed, but a few, including Alderic, survive. He is spared and sold to a gladiatorial school in Rome. Alderic's fate is intertwined with the Roman power struggle. In a series of improbable events, he is forced to flee Rome with the Triumvirate's men in hot pursuit. Running for his life, he heads to northern Italy. Here, he accidentally stumbles into a Roman army encampment, which is eager for new recruits to fill the ranks for the upcoming civil war. Alderic unwittingly enlists in the Fifteenth legion. He is now Artorus, no longer known as Alderic. Soon, he finds himself heading to Greece with his newfound comrades-in-arms to fight for the Triumvirate, the very forces that tried to kill him just months ago. Alderic not only finds an implausible destiny but shapes the future of the Roman Empire.

    His name is Caradoc.In Rome a new Emperor, Claudius, accedes the throne. But he is politically weak, enemies who would take his place circle and plot. If he is to survive Claudius needs a triumph, one that marks him as a leader of men.Claudius’s eye turns to the mysterious isle of Britannia, home of the supernatural Druids and brutal, wild-eyed warriors, reputed to fight naked. The place not even Julius Caesar could conquer.AD43 and a massive invasion force, commanded by Aulus Plautius, lands on a tiny corner of Britannia. Caradoc, King of the country’s most powerful tribe, assembles an army to throw his enemy back over the water and into Gaul. But divisions are rife and there are those who are secretly working with the Romans for their own benefit. The very future of the country is at risk and only one man can safeguard it…Praise for Keith Nixon’s WorkA hugely enjoyable debut novel from Keith Nixon.'Ian Ayris, author of Abide With Me'Moves faster than a speeding bullet. Can't wait for more from Keith Nixon.'Tony Black, author of The Last TigerCool, creative and downright crude, THE FIX will get your heart pumping.'Gerard Brennan, author of FIREPROOF'Sharply observed, fast paced. Hard as a knuckleduster.'Richard Godwin, author of Apostle Rising'A blast from first page to the last, this high-octane debut takes aim at the corporate world and is fast, furious and a lot of fun. If there’s a knack to writing dark comedy, Nixon surely has it.'Nick Quantrill, author of The Late Greats'The Fix is a gritty, multi-layered novel which features a glorious mix of characters - all with that great human quality of being flawed and unique. Nixon's writing is what really makes this stand out. A fast-paced and quite excellent debut novel. 'Luca Veste, author of Dead Gone

    Here you’ll find Indentured, Legacy, and Violation in a single affordable edition. Indentured introduces you to the crew of the USS Pioneer – the world’s first superluminal spacecraft. It eventually leaves you with a question as to what happened to the majority of the crew of that ship when it became stranded in the Beta Hydri system.Legacy brings you the tale of those descendants of the original Pioneer colony in the Beta Hydri System, introducing for the first time, the Mystics. When Legacy is invaded by a fleet of spacecraft, the primitive colony, nine-hundred years in the making, reacts in the only way it knows how. When it comes to the Mystics, this reaction could be quite deadly.Violation finishes up the overall “introduction” to the true Mystic Saga, bringing you the tale of about a dozen USSC assassins sent to a 1940’s Earth. Their sole purpose is to slip in, kill their list of targets, and slip out as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, a disgruntled soldier and a vengeful Mystic raise a significant amount of ruckus along the way.

     With the weight of his conscience growing by the mission and a fiancee who makes him want to be a better man, Carl Ramsey decides to try his hand at being one of the good guys. But there's a long line of enemies who won't forget so easily. Mission 13: Mission Inadvisable The Mobius crew gets a job offer so vile they not only turn it down, they set out to stop the secretive crime lord doing the hiring. Along the way, they manage to accidentally double-cross an old friend. Sometimes, no matter what you try, you're destined to be on the wrong side of the law. Mission 14: Moral and Orbital Decay Mort's son is on the run from the Convocation. He's fled to a remote mining station and looking for a quick ride from his father's old crew. But when magic gets out of hand, suddenly everyone's more concerned about stopping the space station from crashing into a planet than finding a fugitive. Mission 15: Planet Hustlers Pirates capture the stunnji homeworld, and Rai Kub's people turn to Carl Ramsey to find a way to convince them to leave. Carl's plan? A lot of fast talking, subterfuge, and the crookedest game of poker ever played. The stakes: the fate of a refugee planet. Mission 16: Eternity or Bust When your bride-to-be makes a simple request, a smart man makes it happen. When your outlaw fiancee wants her wedding on Earth, where most of the galaxy's top law enforcement agencies are headquartered, it's going to take bribery, back room deals, and ratting out some old associates. But Carl won't be able to live with himself unless he gets his friends out of the jam he puts them in. Bonus Short Story: For Old Time's Sake With retirement in full force, the crew of the Mobius take on a decidedly low-key villain: the interlopers who're looking to ruin their gig hustling simulator combat for free meals.

     A disgraced ex-cop, framed by a crooked politician, abandoned by his family, he’s forced into the life of a bounty hunter just to survive. Tracking down a traitor who stole military grade weapons to sell on the black market, Masterson finds out things aren’t as simple as the wanted poster made them seem. Because Delia Beckett isn’t a traitor, simply a patsy, and the forces manipulating her may be the same ones responsible for Masterson’s fall from grace. Can a beat-up bounty hunter and his robot dog find the truth chasing a fugitive in a backwater colony town? Or will their journey to Absolution be their last hunt? Find out in the first thrilling adventure of Grant Masterson, Interstellar Bounty Hunter!

    RevolutionSF.com Rating: 8/10http://www.revolutionsf.com/article.p...BOOK ONE OF THE OMNIVERSEEDITED BY VICTORIA CLEMENSWhen an immense alien spacecraft is discovered buried in the desert outside Laguna, New Mexico, the world is plunged into chaos.World leaders scramble to secure and study the Ship; the heads of the world's major religions meet in Rome to discuss the implications of the Ship's presence; terrorists and religious fundamentalists seek to use or destroy the Ship for their own ends, and ordinary men and women struggle to assimilate it all, as events unfold live and unfiltered across online news channels.When a survey team is sent in to examine and explore the Ship, they discover that not only is it still operational, but it is conscious and has been waiting for tens of millions of years.

    R. Martin had already established himself as a giant in the field of fantasy literature. Now in one exclusive eBook edition are both volumes of Dreamsongs, featuring the very best of Martin’s early works. This convenient bundle provides a rare treat for Martin’s devoted readers, offering fascinating insights into his journey from a young writer to the #1 New York Times bestselling force of nature.Gathered in Dreamsongs: Volume I are some of George R. R. Martin’s most time-honored tales, including Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker award–winning stories, cool fan pieces, and the original novella The Ice Dragon. Dreamsongs: Volume II contains acclaimed stories such as the World Fantasy Award winner “The Skin Trade,” as well as the first novella in the Ice and Fire universe, The Hedge Knight—plus two early screenplays. Featuring a dazzling array of subjects and styles, Dreamsongs is the perfect collection for both Martin devotees and a new generation of fans.

    But with no sign of the enemy for 25 years, the Joint Planetary Operations Command decides to decommission the old destroyers. But when Slade senses an impending attack, she defies orders to return to base, and JPOC sends a lone assassin to terminate her wayward command.But the Verge have returned, more powerful than ever. Their technology is more advanced. Their armor is indestructible. And they are determined to exterminate all human life.A rogue captain, a misfit crew, and a decrepit destroyer are mankind’s only hope of survival. If JPOC’s assassin succeeds, humanity will perish.

    Today’s top selling horror authors bring to you this boxed set of six full length apocalyptic tales and a teaser from award winning author Joe McKinney. Turn the lights off, enjoy the ride and find out what is lurking under your bed.Mark Tufo – Zombie FalloutHeath Stallcup – Return Of The Phoenix: Monster SquadJohn O’Brien – A New World: ChaosArmand Rosamilia – Darlene Bobich: Zombie KillerJoe McKinney – Dead Wait Teaser from Bram Stoker Award winning authorShawn Chesser – Trudge: Surviving The Zombie ApocalypseJames Cook- No Easy Hope: Surviving The Dead

    Jack encountered Gilbert Chesterton’s Father Brown tales a few years later and they ultimately became the prime influence in his science fiction. The issue with Father Brown was never a question of who committed the murder, but rather what in heaven’s name is going on here? Why does an astronaut, in “Cathedral,” sacrifice her life to collide with an asteroid that she knows poses no threat to the Earth? Why does a scientist who’s designed an actual working AI in “The Play’s the Thing,” hide what’s he’s done? How is it that the lives of two people working at Moonbase in “Blinker” depend on a quasar? In “Lucy,” Jack shows us why sending automated vehicles to explore the distant outposts of the solar system may not be a good idea. And in “Searching for Oz,” an alternate history story, how things might have been if SETI had gotten what it was looking for. He describes our reaction in “Listen Up, Nitwits,” when a voice begins speaking to us, apparently from Jupiter, in Greek. And in “The Lost Equation,” a Holmes adventure, we discover who really was first to arrive at e=mc2. Jack also provides two episodes, “Maiden Voyage” and “Waiting At the Altar,” from Priscilla Hutchins’ qualification flight; and an effort by a sixteen-year-old Alex Benedict, in the title story with his uncle Gabe and Chase Kolpath’s mom, Tori, who are trying to understand why a brilliant radio entertainer, lost in the stars when his drive unit suffered a malfunction, never said goodbye. These and fourteen other rides into odd places await the reader.

    There smuggling, bribes, and a wild-west live-free-or-die attitude prevails and an eye-for-an-eye is the preferred method of retribution. For Zenaida, a child of the Rim, the death of her father requires retribution. But she must first learn how to survive while trying to track down her snow leopard's stolen litter and her father's killers. But unknown to her, her father's killers spared her for a reason—a secret that could mean her death if she discovers it.