Be careful what you put in your ears...In this humorous short story, a trip to the pawnshop sends Bob Hanks on an unexpected adventure.Also from this author: The World of Godsland fantasy seriesThe Dawning of Power trilogy (Omnibus Edition available)Call of the HeraldInherited DangerDragon OreThe Balance of Power trilogy (Omnibus Edition available)RegentFeralRegal

    He lives for the moment, indulging in temporary pleasures. Until Lady Caroline Seton sets her eyes on him and the heat of her gaze lures him in. Now he wants more than one stolen kiss, he wants forever. But Caroline hides a dangerous secret, one that could cost him his life. Will his love be enough to save them both...?Genres: Dark Fantasy / Vampire / Historical / Regency

    The climate is changing. But hidden away deep inside a forest in the heart of Canada sits a home with everything you need. You can survive here. You can start a new life. But you must make a terrible sacrifice ..."Ashes to Ashes" (previously unpublished)Justin Breneview's job search led him to what seems like an easy job: take bodies out of the morgue, throw them in the furnace. Nothing to it. But when complications arise, he quickly learns that there is no such thing as an "easy job.""High Stakes" (first published in Diabolic Tales)The gambler arrived in Kansas City for a game with high stakes and a high payout. Everyone else was there for blood."Enjoy Your Job!" (first published in Dark Moon Rising)All little Timmy wants is to be an astronaut. But in the future, those types of decisions no longer rest in the hands of the individual. That would be irresponsible. No, economies must thrive in order for society to progress, and that means planning ahead."Ten-Four" (first published on Homepage of the Dead)"This is Jack Hutchingston, ace trucker at your service. Boy oh boy, do I have a story for you. It all started when I was passing through the largest graveyard on the planet. You like zombies? Good. This story's got plenty of 'em."Fans of Stephen King, John Shirley, Harlan Ellison and Suzanne Collins will feel right at home in this collection.

    An alien invasion comes to one man’s doorstep in the form of a story-creature, followed by death and rebirth in a transformed Earth.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    The whole world is a nerd.''Are you mad because other people like Star Wars? Are you mad because people like me like Star Wars?' 'Maybe.' If you broke Elena's heart, Star Wars would spill out. So when she decides to queue outside her local cinema to see the new movie, she's expecting a celebration with crowds of people who love Han, Luke and Leia just as much as she does. What she's not expecting is to be last in a line of only three people; to have to pee into a collectible Star Wars soda cup behind a dumpster or to meet that unlikely someone who just might truly understand the way she feels. Kindred Spirits is an engaging short story by Rainbow Rowell, author of the bestselling Eleanor & Park, Fangirl and Carry On, and is part of a handful of selected short reads specially produced for World Book Day.

    When her story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail. It became known as one of the greatest short stories ever written. Have you read her yet?'Shirley Jackson's stories are among the most terrifying ever written' Donna Tartt'An amazing writer ... if you haven't read any of her short stories ... you have missed out on something marvellous' Neil Gaiman'Her stories are stunning, timeless - as relevant and terrifying now as when they were first published ... 'The Lottery' is so much an icon in the history of the American short story that one could argue it has moved from the canon of American twentieth-century fiction directly into the American psyche, our collective unconscious' A. M. Homes Shirley Jackson was born in California in 1916. When her short story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail; it has since become one of the greatest American stories of all time. Her first novel, The Road Through the Wall, was published in the same year and was followed by five more: Hangsaman, The Bird's Nest, The Sundial, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, widely seen as her masterpiece. Shirley Jackson died in her sleep at the age of 48.

    She will be on her own, in a new place hopeful to meet new friends. On the night she moves in, she is taken off the street by two masked men. She is placed in a room which is little more than a cell. A pink cell. A room made for a doll. She is now part of their collection.

    But every wish has a consequence, and the White family finds they are completely unprepared for what comes next. The Monkey’s Paw is a classic horror tale that gives new meaning to the phrase “be careful what you wish for.”The Monkey’s Paw has become a classic horror story and has been adapted numerous times, including into episodes of such popular television series as The X-Files, The Twilight Zone, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and Tales from the Crypt.HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short-stories collection to build your digital library.

    These stories feature cats, bees, wolves, dogs, and even that most capricious of animals, humans, and have been reprinted in The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror, Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, and The Secret History of Fantasy. Kij Johnson's stories have won the Sturgeon and World Fantasy awards. She has taught writing; worked at Tor, Dark Horse, and Microsoft; worked as a radio announcer; run bookstores; and waitressed in a strip bar.Contents:The Man Who Bridged the Mist (2011)Wolf Trapping (1989)The Empress Jingu Fishes (2004)The Bitey Cat (2012)Chenting, in the Land of the Dead (1999)My Wife Reincarnated as a Solitaire—Exposition on the Flaws in my Spouse's Character—The Nature of the Bird—The Possible Causes—Her Final Disposition (2007)Schrödinger's Cathouse (1993)Names for Water (2010)Fox Magic (1993)Spar (2009)The Horse Raiders (2000)26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss (2008)At the Mouth of the River of Bees (2003)The Evolution of Trickster Stories among the Dogs of North Park after the Change (2007)The Cat Who Walked a Thousand Miles (2009)Ponies (2010)

    Tales of everyday people caught up in indomitable situations. Dread-inducing moments with an air of plausibility—while you hope to god they aren’t actually true. Urban legends, modern folklore, or creepypasta. Whatever you call them, they represent shards of our deepest anxieties as individuals, as a society.Corpse Cold: New American Folklore evokes the spirit of the campfire tales you heard as a kid. This 20-story anthology offers refreshing, mature reinterpretations of time-tested stories, and wholly original legends that explore the twisted labyrinth of modern myth. Each tale is brought to life and made all the more unsettling by the striking, grisly illustrations of artist Chad Wehrle.

    Now she’s determined to be a yes girl. Yes, she’d love to flat sit while the owner is away, but one look at the mess and she wishes she’d said no.No is the last thing Tristan expects to hear when he proposes in front of his girlfriend’s family. Humiliated, he hides out in his brother’s empty flat without asking because he really doesn't want to hear another no.What he needs is a woman who’ll say yes...yes...yes... Could that be Zadie?

    When he is joined by another of the inn's guests, he is captivated and shocked by the superstitious tale he hears; of a place which looms large nearby, where things which should not be walk at night, and of a shadow which casts its foul darkness on all below. Prepare for the terror which awaits you, 'On a Hill'...

    The mean girls made sure of it. To this day, for a haunted local mother, the most unsettling Halloween costume of all is an urban legend they call Hannah-Beast. It’s a reminder of the past she can’t forget. Especially tonight when it’s come back, so close to home.Jennifer McMahon’s Hannah-Beast is part of Dark Corners, a collection of seven heart-stopping short stories by bestselling authors who give you so many new reasons to be afraid. Each story can be read in a single sitting. Or, if you have the nerve, you can listen all by yourself in the dark.

    In the groundbreaking Amber books, he turned to fantasy, creating one of the most beloved series of all time.Sadly, Roger Zelazny was taken from us too soon. But his genius blazes on—not only in his own enduring fiction, but also in the work of fellow authors influenced by his example and touched by his friendship. Now twenty-five of those writers—including some of the most acclaimed names in SF and fantasy—come together to pay tribute to Roger Zelazny with original stories evoking the magic and wonder of his own best work.

    It was formerly published in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance.