But she survives--with the help of a mysterious savior from beneath the ice.Burdened with a dangerous, painful secret, Sophie and her ragtag group of exiles face the ultimate challenge--and they are running out of time.Welcome to the City in the Middle of the Night.

     In this anthology, you’ll find seventeen tales of conflict and heroism, exploration and discovery, endurance and triumph. Flee the apocalypse of modern-day Earth, fly a fighter in the cold emptiness of deep space, and find new life on the distant shores of an alien world. You might even discover something about yourself as each author opens a window on the soul of mankind. Who are we, really? Should we survive? How do we become something greater without losing what makes us human? Open this collection and take your first steps into tomorrow. Travel the cosmos to find amazing adventure. Walk beside unforgettable characters on the bridge across the stars… Featuring a Foreword by Kevin J. Anderson – David VanDyke – “As the Sparks Fly Upward” – Ann Christy – “Peace Force” – Felix R. Savage – “Guardians of Earth” – Lindsay Buroker – “Here Be Dragons” – Chris Dietzel – “The Gordian Asteroid” – Craig Martelle – “The Trenches of Centauri Prime” – Josi Russell – “Broken One” – Chris Pourteau – “The Erkennen Job” – Daniel Arenson – “The Firebug and the Pharaoh” – Rhett C. Bruno – “Interview for the End of the World” – Steve Beaulieu – “Night Shift” – Lucas Bale – “A Friend to Man” – Jason Anspach – “…Space Pirates” – Will McIntosh – “Drive” – Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff – “Water Babies” – David Bruns – “Take Only Memories” – Patty Jansen – “This Deceitful State of Truth”

    A detective on the edge of madness. The future of time travel at stake.January Cole’s job just got a whole lot harder.Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing’s simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their “flights” to the past.Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion—and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls.None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see.On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology—and the world’s most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims.January is sure the timing isn’t a coincidence. Neither are those “accidents” that start stalking their bidders.There’s a reason January can glimpse what others can’t. A reason why she’s the only one who can catch a killer who’s operating invisibly and in plain sight, all at once.But her ability is also destroying her grip on reality—and as her past, present, and future collide, she finds herself confronting not just the hotel’s dark secrets but her own.

    The 27th bestselling Kindle book of 2017--out of almost 6 million titles. What if you found a way to send something back in time? But not weeks, days, or even minutes back. What if you could only send something back a fraction of a second? Would this be of any use? You wouldn't have nearly enough time to right a wrong, change an event, or win a lottery.Nathan Wexler is a brilliant physicist who thinks he's found a way to send matter a split second back into the past. But before he can even confirm his findings, he and his wife-to-be, Jenna Morrison, find themselves in a battle for their very lives. Because while time travel to an instant earlier seems useless, Jenna comes to learn that no capability in history has ever been more profound or far-reaching.Now, as Jenna fights to defeat the powerful forces arrayed against her, nothing less than the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. . .SPLIT SECOND is a roller-coaster ride of a thriller, one that will have readers pondering the nature of time, and of reality, long after they've read the last page."Richards is a worthy successor to Michael Crichton." (SF Book.com)"Richards is an extraordinary writer," (Dean Koontz) who can "keep you turning the pages all night long." (Douglas Preston)Near Future Science Fiction Thrillers by Douglas E. RichardsWIRED (Wired 1)AMPED (Wired 2)MIND'S EYE (Nick Hall 1)BRAINWEB (Nick Hall 2)MIND WAR (Nick Hall 3) -- New in 2016SPLIT SECOND (Split Second 1)TIME FRAME (Split Second 2) -- New in January, 2018QUANTUM LENSGAME CHANGER -- New in 2016INFINITY BORN -- New in 2017Kids Science Fiction Thrillers (9 and up, enjoyed by kids and adults alike)TRAPPED (Prometheus Project 1)CAPTURED (Prometheus Project 2)STRANDED (Prometheus Project 3)OUT OF THIS WORLDTHE DEVIL'S SWORD

    Clandestine Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is forbidden to investigate. But Eliza Braun, with bulletproof corset, fondness for dynamite, remarkable devices, drags along timorous new partner Wellington Books, of encyclopedic brain, against Phoenix intent on enslaving Britons.

    Now mankind is reclaiming the galaxy, and a brave man or woman could become very wealthy. But there are wars springing up, with new tyrants seizing whole planets, while other planets are rebelling. And lurking in the dark spaces are pirates.

    Five futures. Two worlds. One ending. One year from now, Dylan develops a sixth sense that allows him to glimpse another world. Ten years from now, Brixney must get more hits on her social media feed or risk being stuck in a debtors' colony. Thirty years from now, Epony scrubs her entire online profile from the web and goes “High Concept.” Sixty years from now, Reef struggles to survive in a city turned virtual gameboard. And more than a hundred years from now, Quinn uncovers the alarming secret that links them all. Five people, divided by time, will determine the fate of us all. These are stories of a world bent on destroying itself, and of the alternate world that might be its savior--unless it's too late.

    All his life he has played it safe and done the right thing, but when faced with a terminal illness, he’s willing to take an insane gamble. He’s built a time machine in his garage, and if it works, he’ll face a world that challenges his understanding of what it means to be human, what it takes to love, and the cost of paradise. He could find more than a cure for his illness; he might find what everyone has been searching for since time began…but only if he can survive Hollow World. Welcome to the future and a new sci-fantasy thriller from the bestselling author of The Riyria Revelations.BEST OF & MOST ANTICIPATED LISTS• 2014 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science Fiction• 2014 The Qwillery's Brannigan Cheney’s Top 3 books• 2014 The Fictional Hangout’s Best Books of the Year• 2014 Ranting Dragon’s Ten Fantasy and Science-Fiction Novels worth reading in April• 2014 Barnes and Noble Top Fantasy and Science Fiction Picks for April• 2014 Ranting Dragon’s 30 Most Anticipated Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels• 2014 The Book Probe’s Most Anticipated Sci-Fi Novels• 2013 The BiblioSanctum’s Top 10 Reads• 2013 Fantasy Review Barn’s Barney Award for Outstanding Reads

    21st century: The two realities collide...

    Especially when a prince from the Jervai Province offers him a case on a dangerous colony world in exchange for clues that may lead him to his family's murderer.

    More than a hundred years earlier, the most violent cosmic collision ever recorded flattened a remote area in Tunguska, Siberia. Now, astrophysicist Jack Adler, conducting research at the site, discovers a tiny black hole at the center of the mysterious event, and alarmingly, the object has been burrowing its way through the Earth's core ever since. Meanwhile, secret agent Marianna Bonaventure enlists the help of Jonathan Knox, an analyst with an uncanny ability to find hidden relationships between seemingly disparate people and events, to search for three missing scientists and infiltrate the floating headquarters of a Russian industrialist.

    Her body is different, she has new magical abilities, and she’s told that the fate of known civilization is in her hands.An alien Darkness is corrupting entire worlds.Elle and a team of magically enhanced companions embark on an interstellar quest to seal the Master Archive—the only hope of restoring the infected planets.Ancient relics may hold the key to salvation.With only vague clues to guide them, Elle and her new friends must gather legendary artifacts to protect the Archive. But if they can’t unravel the ancient secrets in time, their worlds and loved ones will be lost in shadow forever.

    Yet there is one being Lane won't pursue for any fee - the Soul Eater. The Soul Eater, Dreamwish Beast, Starduster - it is known by many different names throughout the galaxy. But who has actually met this living legend? No - as far as Lane is concerned, the Soul Eater is a myth chased after by fools and madmen. Then Lane himself encounters the Soul Eater in the depths of space, and suddenly there is no turning back. For how can the greatest hunter in the galaxy ignore the challenge of overcoming the one creature than no one has ever been able to trap? And so the hunt is on - but before long even Lane can't tell who is the pursued and who the pursuer...

    Things went downhill from there, and he finally had to face the disheartening fact he had somehow been stranded in 1231 A.D. He would have been happier if he had known less history. But there was very bad news in his new future, so he set out to turn Medieval Poland into the most powerful country in the thirteenth century. It wouldn't be easy. He would be investigated by the Inquisition, be knighted, round up vassals, build a city, survive armed combat with the Champion of the Teutonic Knights, invent the steam engine and cloth factories, establish universal education, and organize an army. He needed the army most of all, because he knew that the Mongol hordes would attack in only ten years and destroy Medieval Poland-and that would really mess up Conrad's life.

    A spaceship that vanished years ago has been found, along with the bodies of its murdered crew—save one. Peter’s mission is to find the missing crew member, who fled through what appears to be a tear in the fabric of space. Beyond this mysterious doorway lies an even more confounding reality: a world that seems to be Earth’s twin.Peter discovers that this mirrored world is indeed different from his home, and far more dangerous. Cut off from all support, and with only days to complete his operation, Peter must track his quarry alone on an alien world. But he’s unprepared for what awaits on the planet’s surface, where his skills will be put to the ultimate test—and everything he knows about the universe will be challenged in ways he never could have imagined.