Within hours, the plague has spread throughout most of Texas and shows no signs of slowing down.San Antonio police officer Eddie Hudson finds himself in the middle of the outbreak, along with a few other survivors. Eddie does his best to fight off the zombie horde and locate his wife and son, who he believes still are safe and haven’t been infected by the virus.

    From the Book of Revelation to The Road Warrior, from A Canticle for Leibowitz to The Road, storytellers have long imagined the end of the world, weaving eschatological tales of catastrophe, chaos, and calamity. In doing so, these visionary authors have addressed one of the most challenging and enduring themes of imaginative fiction: The nature of life in the aftermath of total societal collapse. Gathering together the best post-apocalyptic literature of the last two decades from many of today's most renowned authors of speculative fiction - including George R. R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, Orson Scott Card, Carol Emshwiller, Jonathan Lethem, Octavia E. Butler, and Stephen King - Wastelands explores the scientific, psychological, and philosophical questions of what it means to remain human in the wake of Armageddon. Whether the end of the world comes through nuclear war, ecological disaster, or cosmological cataclysm, these are tales of survivors, in some cases struggling to rebuild the society that was, in others, merely surviving, scrounging for food in depopulated ruins and defending themselves against monsters, mutants, and marauders. Wastelands delves into this bleak landscape, uncovering the raw human emotion and heart-pounding thrills at the genre's core. --back coverContains the following stories:Introduction by John Joseph AdamsThe End of the Whole Mess by Stephen KingSalvage by Orson Scott CardThe People of Sand and Slag by Paolo BacigalupiBread and Bombs by M. RickertHow We Got In Town and Out Again by Jonathan LethemDark, Dark Were the Tunnels by George R. R. MartinWaiting for the Zephyr by Tobias S. BuckellNever Despair by Jack McDevittWhen Sysadmins Ruled the Earth by Cory DoctorowThe Last of the O-Forms by James Van PeltStill Life With Apocalypse by Richard KadreyArtie’s Angels by Catherine WellsJudgment Passed by Jerry OltionMute by Gene WolfeInertia by Nancy KressAnd the Deep Blue Sea by Elizabeth BearSpeech Sounds by Octavia E. ButlerKillers by Carol EmshwillerGinny Sweethips’ Flying Circus by Neal Barrett, Jr.The End of the World as We Know It by Dale BaileyA Song Before Sunset by David GriggEpisode Seven... by John LanganAppendix: For Further Reading

    Not particularly excited by human anatomy, he seeks nothing more for himself than the occasional slaking of his needs with some anonymous female - which shouldn't be a problem, since she'll have to face the other way to accommodate his special anatomical needs.Dr. Monica Teague is thrilled with her ten-year assignment caring for Garathan's sexual recruits. Her quirky looks and childish excuse for a body guarantee she'll never be expected to put out - which is kind of a bummer, now that she's up to her armpits in horny alien beefcake.But, when an overdose of alien pheromones makes Monica drunk off her ass, Kellen quickly claims the odd little doctor before another Garathani realizes what she is. The overdose sparks a violent chain reaction in her, and when Monica finally wakes, she's got the body of a porn star - and two sexy alien mates who are determined to tame her.If only she were as determined not to let them.Reader Advisory: Contains menage a trois sexual scenes.

    Everyone over the age of fourteen has succumbed to a deadly zombie virus and now the kids must keep themselves alive.When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, politician - every adult fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive.Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait.But can they make it there - alive?This edition contains the first chapter of the second book The Dead.

    Everyone is a suspected foe, and the ones unlucky enough to be infected are nothing more than walking corpses.Mason and Asher found each other at an unlikely time. An ex-Navy SEAL and a back-alley fighter, the two never considered themselves gay. But they find pleasure in each other's arms and don't take that for granted. Then comes Sparrow, and both realize they want her as badly as they want each other, and they're not about to let her go.Their trip is filled with fear, pain, and everything in between. But then Sparrow is taken by men who want to degrade and violate her. Can Mason and Asher get to her before all hell breaks loose?

    But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things -- the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.Meet the Zombies.Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

    She sat up as one of the reptilian aliens entered. Giselle backed up and looked around realizing she was alone in a gilded cage. "What's going on?" She stammered. "If you're wise you'll keep quiet, pets don't speak on this planet." The creature admonished. A pet? Giselle's eyes widened. She hadn't misheard. Her cage was moved into a large tent. There were hundreds of aliens gathered for the auction, and these creatures were the largest yet. Their flesh was red like some kind of demon might be, with hair a uniform dark black. From what Giselle could see their eyes were a stone cold obsidian hue. Giselle noticed the fearsome creatures had long tails that rose out from what looked like chain mail kilts. Giselle shrunk back when she saw the creatures also had sharp fangs. How in the hell could she get out of this and if she did how could she possibly survive on an alien planet? Kagan beheld his pet. Nothing like her kind had ever set foot on Cadi. Kagan wondered where in the universe her unique species hailed from. Giselle refused to behave and even enjoyed his attempts to rebuke her, reveling in the rough handling a male usually held back with females. Giselle was brave instead of meek, standing up for herself in a sea of foreigners. Kagan had at first insisted that Giselle understand her place in Cadi society. But something more valuable than precious metal or jewels would be lost if Giselle was forced into the role everyone thought she belonged. Can Giselle find acceptance and love on an alien planet or will she always be nothing more than a warrior's pet?This book has adult content and may have triggers for some.

    Then came a final blow no one could have expected: all the world’s corpses rising up to make more.Born into this bleak and bloody landscape, twelve-year-old Julie struggles to hold on to hope as she and her parents drive across the wastelands of America, a nightmarish road trip in search of a new home.Hungry, lost, and scared, sixteen-year-old Nora finds herself her brother’s sole guardian after her parents abandon them in the not-quite-empty ruins of Seattle.And in the darkness of a forest, a dead man opens his eyes. Who is he? What is he? With no clues beyond a red tie and the letter “R,” he must unravel the grim mystery of his existence—right after he learns how to think, how to walk, and how to satisfy the monster howling in his belly. The New Hunger is a glimpse of the past and a path to an astonishing future…

    Males created to be tall, muscled, sexy, and… enhanced. They come in one of three levels pure sensual pleasure, games and wicked fun, or the ultimate barbarian complete with whip. They know how to bring a woman to ecstasy and exactly how to keep her there.When Lady Talan d'Urvey reads the diary of a woman who spent one wicked week with a Shareem, she longs to experience the same carnality in one last fling before she takes her vow of celibacy. She goes in search of a Shareem and finds Rees, tall and blond, with Shareem-blue eyes. Just looking into those eyes makes Talan wild with need.But Rees is a Shareem experiment that never should have been made. Rees is all the Shareem levels rolled into one, and then some. Rees is uncontrollable, Rees is unpredictable. Even Rees's creators could never, ever be sure exactly what he would do.

    Using the suit that gives her the ability to fly and turn invisible, she takes photos of superheroes in combat with their deadliest enemies. Some of Meg's subjects aren't exactly delighted with her work. Cougar and his sidekick Lynx, for example, find themselves the butt of the late-night talk show circuit because of one of Meg's photos.They decide to take erotic revenge, and soon Meg finds herself in a delicious hero sandwich. Candy for her Soul by Sheri Gilmore: There's a reason mama always said not to take candy from a stranger. Natalie Pesqua accepts candy from a persuasive stranger, never guessing she's traded her soul to the devil. In exchange for her soul, he grants the desire of her heart: two men to fulfill her every erotic fantasy. Love wasn't part of the bargain. Fortune's Star by Morgan Hawke: In the heart of the Imperial Stars, past and future collide, as ghosts converge in battle for a fortune-teller's soul ... on Port Destiny Station. Luxi Emery was perfectly happy with her position as the receptionist for Armored Media Corp. Then her hidden talent for seeing the future awakened--and exposed a black-mailing con-artist haunted by a malevolent ghost. It was a lose-lose situation, and Luxi had only a single shred of hope. Her future awaits on Port Destiny Station. A future intertwined with Amun, the handsome diplomatic telepath, and Leto, a ghost-haunted cyborg with very human carnal appetites. If they can resolve a few ...intimate ... details. Yet a darker future is chases Luxi: they are not alone, and Leto's is not the only hungry ghost. [Publisher's Note: This book contains BDSM themes and content, menage, and same-sex sexual practices.]

    A. Thorn and Detective Cameron Martinez are prepared to put their bodies to the task and give gorgeous Brenna Sheridan everything she needs. An exchange they never anticipated becomes an experience none can forget-or walk away from. Sexual hunger sizzles the threesome, but the stakes and danger rise as a mafia bad-ass stalks Brenna. Soon, their "deal" is no longer about information-or sex. Emotions bind Brenna, Cam and Thorn together more tightly than they ever imagined as the men protect-and serve-the beloved woman neither can live without. "Reader advisory: Book contains some scenes of same-gender sex. "

    What better reason to give up men when her previous long-term relationship had not only been lackluster in the bedroom but he had cheated?Logan Reed, a successful business owner, can't believe that he's attracted to the woman in the ugly, Pepto-Bismol pink bridesmaid dress. And to boot, she's more than tipsy. After turning down her invitation for a one-night stand, he finds her in the parking lot too impaired to drive. He rescues her and takes her home. "His" home.The next morning Quinn's conservative life turns on its ear when Logan introduces her to pleasures she never even considered before. And to make things more complicated, Logan already has a lover.Tyson White, ex-pro football player, is completely in love with Logan. He has mixed emotions when Logan brings home Quinn. But the dares keep coming..."Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, BDSM theme & content, male/male sexual practices, menage (m/m/f)."

    Several days later, after a surgically neat kidnapping, she awoke to find that her world has been turned upside down. Told that she was mated to both men and altered to carry their children she finds herself thrown into a world and culture she knows nothing about, one where science, myth, and religion seem to blend seamlessly.As she tries to accept her new life with Kyrin and Daeshen, her new husbands, a hidden danger stalks the human women. For not all of the Ta’e’sha are happy to accept these women, and one expresses his contempt with rape.Note: The Ta'e'sha Chronicles: Daughters of Terra contains subject matter that may be objectionable to some readers: menage, homoerotic sexual situations, BDSM, sex while in shapeshifted form, violence.

    Jasmine left the Sweetwater Ranch and the Morgan brothers, no longer able to bear the painful dilemma of loving them both. After a year away, in which she gains new perspective, she returns home with one goal. To make Seth and Zane Morgan hers. Jaz may have left an innocent girl, but she's returned a beautiful, sensual woman. Seth and Zane arent prepared for the full on assault she launches and each battle an attraction they've fought for years. She wants them both, but Seth has no intention of sharing his woman. It's up to her to change his mind because she can't and won't choose between two men she loves with equal passion. For her, it's all or nothing.

    Her parents—vanished. The government—obsolete. Societal structure—nonexistent. No one knows where They came from, but these vicious creatures have been rapidly devouring mankind since They appeared. With fierce survivor instincts, Amy manages to stay alive—and even rescues "Baby," a toddler who was left behind. After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope. On the surface, it appears to be a safe haven for survivors. But there are dark and twisted secrets lurking beneath that could have Amy and Baby paying with not only their freedom... but also their lives.