Readers only familiar with such masterpieces as The Dragonbone Chair and Talchaser’s Song will be delighted to discover that in his short fiction, Williams has been able to explore myriad new possibilities and adventures.Previously collected in multiauthor anthologies and limited hardcover editions, these superlative talks of dragons, super-soldiers, wizards, cyberpunks, heroes, and fools are now available together for the first time in an affordable trade paperback edition. These stories showcase the exhilarating breadth of Williams’ imagination, in stories hearkening to the tales of such classic fantasists as J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Ray Bradbury, and Peter S. Beagle. Included is an original tale written specifically for this volume.The Very Best of Tad Williams is a true delight to those who have imagined themselves in fantastic worlds beyond the everyday and mundane.TABLE OF CONTENTSThe Old Scale GameThe Storm DoorThe Stranger’s HandsChild of an AncientCityThe Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland StoryThree Duets for Virgin and NosehornDiary of a DragonNot with a Whimper, EitherSome Thoughts Re: Dark DestroyerZ is for...Monsieur Vergalant’s CanardThe Stuff that Dreams are Made OfFish Between FriendsEvery Fuzzy Beast of the Earth, Every Pink Fowl of the AirA Stark and Wormy KnightBlack SunshineAnd Ministers of Grace

    From fairy tales to fims to fiction, witches cast their spells and capture our imaginations.Now the biggest names in fantasy and young adult literature have come together to make a little magic of their own. Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Diana Peterfreund, Margo Lanagan, Peter S. Beagle, and Garth Nix are just a few of the authors who have toiled over their cauldrons and conjured up bewitching new creations inspired by and celebrating the might and mystery of the witch. Assembled by one of the most well-regarded anthologists in the science fiction/fantasy world, this rich, intelligent collection will enchant readers of all ages.Contents: Stray Magic by Diana PeterfreundPayment Due by Frances HardingeA Handful of Ashes by Garth NixLittle Gods by Holly BlackBarrio Girls by Charles de LintFelidis by Tanith LeeWitch Work by Neil GaimanThe Education of a Witch by Ellen KlagesThe Threefold World by Ellen KushnerThe Witch in the Wood by Delia ShermanWhich Witch by Patricia A. McKillipThe Carved Forest by Tim PrattBurning Castles by M. RickertThe Stone Witch by Isobelle CarmodyAndersen’s Witch by Jane YolenB is for Bigfoot by Jim Butcher (also included in Brief Cases)Great-Grandmother in the Cellar by Peter S. BeagleCrow and Caper, Caper and Crow by Margo Lanagan

    Written may 1948.First published in Saturn, October 1957 as The Elephant Circuit.First collected into The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, 1959.

    Each short story cultivates a whimsical sense of imagination and reveals a mature, darker voice than previously experienced from this legendary author. In one tale the Angel of Death enjoys newfound celebrity while moonlighting as an anchorman on the network news, while in another the shortsighted ruler of a gentle realm betrays himself in dreaming of a "manageable war." Further storylines include an American librarian who discovers that, much to his surprise and sadness, he is the last living Frenchman, and rivals in a supernatural battle who decide to forgo pistols at dawn, choosing instead to duel with dramatic recitations of terrible poetry. Featuring several previously unpublished stories alongside a bevy of recently released works, this haunting compilation is appealing to both genre readers and mainstream literature lovers.Includes "By Moonlight," Locus Award-winner for Best Novelette.

    During a look through the freak show, they come across what was believed to be extinct: a Rakosh. Or is it? Jack had made sure that the Rakoshi were dead -exterminated. Jack style. But now, somehow, there appears to be evidence of a Rakosh. The Last Rakosh puts Jack back on the trail of this new mystery that will thrill and entertain, in Repairman Jack style. Previously available as a short story, this version has been completely revised into novella length for this special publication. Previously available in hardcover, The Last Rakosh now being published in an affordable trade paperback.

    

    Unfortunately, she’s going to find out that’s not quite enough…

    Feist. This bundle includes the complete Riftwar Legacy.The bundle includes: Krondor: The Betrayal (1), Krondor: The Assassins (2), Krondor: Tear of the Gods (3) and the new novella Jimmy and the Crawler.From the endlessly inventive mind of one of fantasy’s all time greats, comes a spellbinding new adventure featuring old favourites Jimmy, Locklear and Pug.It is nine years on from the aftermath of Sethanon. There has been peace awhile and it’s been needed. But news is feeding through to the people of the Kingdom of the Isles that deadly forces are stirring on the horizon. The bringer of the latest tidings is Gorath, a moredhel.The bloodletting has started. Nighthawks are murdering again. Politics is a dangerous, cut-throat game once more. At the root of all this unrest lie the mysterious machinations of a group of magicians known as The Six.Meanwhile, renegade Tsurani gem smugglers, a rival criminal gang to the Mockers led by someone known only as The Crawler, and traitors to the crown are all conspiring to bring the Kingdom of the Isles to its knees.Join the adventure with all four books in the Riftwar Legacy series which includes the new novella, Jimmy and the Crawler!

    Set between Skin Game and Peace Talks, but doesn’t require knowledge of either.

    Well, it’s complicated...

    Originally published in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine #23.Diana and Andre must work together to stop a "vampire" preying on teenage girls he finds on the Internet--and to convince an imaginative fifteen-year-old that vampires aren't necessarily romantic.

    Until all spell broke loose! Cool party? Check. Boy of my dreams? Check. First kiss? Not so fast.Because that’s when I discovered I was a witch. And not a very good one.Just ask Peter, the ghost I can now see haunting my bedroom, or the zombies I accidentally raised from their graves.And then there’s Fletch.GorgeousBroodyWerewolf!And he wants me to lift his curse.Am I ready for this? No.Do I hesitate? No.Does it go well? Big fat No!And now, instead of being at the party, I’m dancing naked on the town common with a coven of witches and my new familiar, in a race against time to put things right.Sounds crazy. Is crazy. But I kinda heart crazy… Author note: 2018 Edition. Previously released as Halloween Magic & Mayhem by Stella Wilkinson.

    All four stories in this volume have been previously published.Volume One Contents•The Girl in the Carnival Gown•Last Stand•Nos Galan Gaeaf•A Haunted House of Her Own

    * The Rizzoli Bag -- A sad young man in a Roman cafe is offered a once-in-a-lifetime bargain... * Out of the Frying Pan -- The life of a part-time witch working in a shopping mall is turned upside down in a day... * The Queen and the Thief and the Dragon -- A (fairy) tale of the True West, and a young monarch's solution to a thorny diplomatic problem... * Bears -- An ancient sorrow (with a modern twist) wanders through the tumult of a pre-Lenten street carnival... * The Fix -- In the dark guts of Rome's Colosseum, a slave boy with an impossible dream becomes entangled in the machinations of immortals... * Herself -- In the heart of Dublin, something is killing the People of the Hills -- and it's going to take Ireland's only superhero to stop it... * Hopper Painting -- Desolation and redemption in a midnight diner... * The Back Door -- Two terrorists meet in Zurich to carry out a very unusual heist with a confederate who's more dangerous than they imagine......And of course, the title story, beloved and sought after for a quarter century by Young Wizards fans, and finally available in an ebook -- along with the only other Young Wizards short story, Theobroma.

    Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn.Bestselling author Patricia A. McKillip (The Riddle-Master of Hed) is one of the most lyrical writers gracing the fantasy genre. With the debut of her newest work, Dreams of Distant Shores is a true ode to her many talents. Within these pages you will find a youthful artist possessed by both his painting and his muse and seductive travelers from the sea enrapturing distant lovers. The statue of a mermaid comes suddenly to life, and two friends are transfixed by a haunted estate.Fans of McKillip’s ethereal fiction will find much to delight them; those lucky enough to be discovering her work will find much to enchant them.