Exotic aliens. Far-flung planets. Fifteen fabulous tales that will thrill and surprise you, some chosen from previous BEYOND THE STARS volumes, and some brand new. Come along as these award-winning authors sweep you along on adventures as broad as the universe and as deep as their imagination. Welcome to the Best of Beyond the Stars!

    When an oil rig drills too deep under the Gulf of Mexico it breaks the capstone separating our world from the UnderRealms - home to monsters, daemons and dark magiks. The nightmares of our long ago come flooding back into the world where they are met by automatic weapons fire, heating seeking missiles (they're hell on dragons, don'tcha know) and one drunken, dissolute son of a bitch called Dave. But this is not Dave's story. This is the story of the poor bastards who had to put up with him while he saved the world and acted like a jerk.

    The eight-hour work day, the Ponzi scheme and the rhythm and blues have risen from its streets. But Chicago is not just a city of the past. In this dynamic issue, GRANTA brings the one-time industrial hub to life through the eyes of exciting new writers, from home grown stars like George Saunders and Dave Eggers, to immigrants who have come to the city from Bosnia, China and Ethiopia.In this issue, Aleksandar Hemon plays football with Italians and Tibetans along Lake Shore Drive. Chicago born MacArthur 'genius' grant-winning photographer Camilo José Vegara captures the demolition of the city's massive public housing estates. Richard Powers recollects the flood of 1992. Don DeLillo remembers Nelson Algren. Alex Kotlowitz explores the cost of urban violence and Dinaw Mengestu describes moving back home to run his dying father’s messenger business. Plus a sneak preview of Peter Carey's new novel.Finally, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka meditates on the meaning of the city's most visible son, Barack Obama. Out of these stories, which will be wrapped in a beautiful cover by Chris Ware, will arise a vivid portrait of a city remaking itself: a city shredded by violence but poised for a new future; a city that once again has a legitimate claim to being the home of the world's best writers.

    12 stories by science fiction author Andre Norton, together in one collection, with an active table of contents:The Defiant AgentsThe Gifts of AstiKey Out of TimePlague ShipRalestone LuckRebel SpursRide Proud, Rebel!Star BornStar HunterStorm Over WarlockThe Time TradersVoodoo Planet

     Within these pages, you’ll find a treasure trove of myths, legends, folktales, urban legends, historical accounts, and stories about horrors, both ancient and modern, that have been hidden, ignored, or forgotten entirely. “The Monsters We Forgot” is a massive anthology of horror stories by an international team of authors ranging from award-winners and bestsellers to visionary newcomers. These stories draw inspiration from the folklore traditions of countries including Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Ireland, Wales, England, Norway, Nigeria, Greece, Poland, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States, the tales in this three-volume collection range from original folktales and chilling myths to information-age monsters and modern urban legends, and everything in between. Turn on the lights, check the locks, and settle in. You’re about to remember The Monsters We Forgot.

    This collection of short stories is our gift to bring you something positive and joyful with which to end the year.Soldiers stumbling upon mercy and miracles; children sharing gifts of friendship and love; romance finding its way into lonely, war-weary hearts; resistance fighters; spies; families on the home front—all bringing their own ray of hope in the darkest of times.For this holiday season, we offer you this collection of short stories to lift your spirit, and to remember a time when love and the strength of human spirit prevailed.We hope you will enjoy stepping back into the wartime Christmases in these stories with us.

    Povey - Masks- Rob Jacobsen - Hera's Tempest- Edward J. Knight - Roanoke Nevada- Jessi Rita Hoffman - Nectar of the Gods- Kenneth Schneyer - The Tortoise Parliament- David Tallerman - Black Sun- Curtis James McConnell - Pop Quiz

    The anthology contains 45 illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne, over 20 stories by the likes of Stephen King, Jack Ketchum, Ramsey Campbell, Gary A. Braunbeck, Mort Castle, Josh Malerman, Scott Edelman, Richard Thomas, Richard Chizmar and Gene O’Neill, and with 20 intertwined poems by the likes of Elizabeth Massie, Marge Simon, Bruce Boston, Erik T. Johnson, Stephanie M. Wytovich, and also includes an introduction by the extraordinary Chuck Palahniuk.

    Here is the lineup:AT CHRIGHTON ABBEY, by Mary Elizabeth BraddonTHE HAUNTED MILL, by Jerome K. JeromeTHE GHOST CLUB, by John Kendrick BangsTHE SHADOWS OF THE DEAD, by Louis BeckeTHE ROOM IN THE TOWER, by E. F. BensonTHE HAUNTED AND THE HAUNTERS, by Lord Edward Bulwer-LyttonTHE MIDDLE BEDROOM, by H. de Vere StacpooleTHE DRUMMER GHOST, by John William DeForestMISS JÉROMETTE AND THE CLERGYMAN, by Wilkie CollinsTHE SPECTRE BRIDE, by William Harrison AinsworthTHE TAPESTRIED CHAMBER; or, The Lady in the Square, by Sir Walter ScottTHE OLD NURSE’S STORY, by Elizabeth GaskellTHE JUDGE’S HOUSE, by Bram StokerAT THE END OF THE PASSAGE, by Rudyard KiplingTHE WITHERED ARM, by Thomas HardyJOHN CHARRINGTON’S WEDDING, by Edith NesbitTHE MAN OF SCIENCE, by Jerome K. JeromeWHAT DID MISS DARRINGTON SEE? by Emma B. CobbA GHOST STORY, by Mark TwainTHE SOUL OF ROSE DÉDÉ, by M.E.M. DavisTHE HOUSE OF THE NIGHTMARE, by Edward Lucas WhiteREALITY OR DELUSION? by Mrs Henry WoodFISHER’S GHOST, by John LangTHROUGH THE IVORY GATE, by Mary Raymond Shipman AndrewsTHE COLD EMBRACE, by Mary Elizabeth BraddonAnd don't forget to check out all the other volumes in the "Megapack" series! Search on "Wildside Megapack" in your favorite ebook store to see the complete list...covering adventure stories, military, fantasy, ghost stories, westerns, mysteries, and much more!

    This deliciously exclusive event has tongues wagging even amongst the who's who of the monster community. It will once again be held at an undisclosed location on All Hallows Eve.Don't worry all you underprivileged socialites, The Monster Ball isn't just for vampires, witches, and werewolves. Other creatures of the night have as much of a chance to attend. Watch for your ticket but not in the mail. The silvery slip of parchment is said to appear in your hand by the light of the moon.If you find yourself a fortunate recipient best to keep it to yourself. There are some who would kill for the chance to attend. Because as every good monster knows... what happens at the ball, stays at the ball.xoxo, ElviraFans of dark fantasy, paranormal intrigue, and romance will devour this story.Year 3 includes an all-new location & theme, new bartenders, and even a few familiar faces! Don't wait! 1-click now and be sure to reserve your "ticket" to the ball!

    Land of July tells the true story of a teacher/student sex scandal that not only shocked an entire school and small suburban community, but made national news. It’s a story filled with countless anecdotes about marriage, trust, infidelity, grief, and the desperate search for hope and family in the face of ruin. Practically ripped from the daily headlines, Land of July is as salacious as it is sobering. At its best, it’s a cautionary tale that might just inspire an awakening of morality; at its worst, it’s one man’s tumultuous journey to hell...and possibly back.

    Three days ago, his parents went out for supplies, leaving him and his older brother, Archie, behind. They haven't returned. A gang of looters has ransacked their house and set it on fire. The last thing their dad told them was to get to their nan's if there was any trouble. The boys decide their current situation looks like trouble. Setting out onto the streets of London, the boys quickly learn what a world looks like when capitalism has failed. It isn't pretty.

    A breathless, clothes-in-a-heap romp or a naughty tease before the elevator doors slide open. Even better when it’s a quick sex story you can read again and again. “Turn me on in 50 words or less and I’ll follow you home,” writes editor and erotica aficionado Alison Tyler about Got a Minute? The lovers in Marie Potoczny’s “The Other Side of Sleep” revel in the delicious pause between sleep and waking. Sharon Wachsler’s “Perfect” is a love story that happens to include ropes, rough play, and butterfly pillows. The 60 short and spicy stories in Got a Minute? will rev your motor and leave you aching for more. When it comes to hot sex, who doesn’t have a minute?

    Each day, it gets progressively more distracting. Just think for a moment. How many times have you checked your phone, your email, your Facebook, and other social networks... within the last hour? The upside of all these distractions has also created a lot of opportunities: More job opportunities, more creative outlets, and more social connectedness. To develop and maintain focus today, you must learn how to find balance in your life. You need the tools that will help you discipline yourself to step away periodically from the buzz and beeps of cell phones, the internet, and social media. You must assess and reassess what you want out of life, and focus on the different actions you can take to achieve those goals that you REALLY strive to achieve. Focus Forward - How to Focus Your Mind to Rid Yourself of Distractions, Maximize Your Time, and Achieve More contains long-term and short-term activities that will help manifest, cultivate, and maintain focus and flow in your daily life. Simple exercises like organization and outlining goals go a long way in helping you get through the day, but in order to achieve an overall sense of focus, you must also assess your passions, your inhibitions, and your fears. Becoming a conscious and concentrated individual means more than having a set plan -- it means having the fluidity to accept change, manage setbacks, and keep moving forward. Get Focus Forward - How to Focus Your Mind to Rid Yourself of Distractions, Maximize Your Time, and Achieve More today and get the tools you need to get yourself focused.

    What better way to spend his time than at the newly opened amusement park called Joyland. But the park's designer pride and joy is his "House of Darkness". A haunted house that reminds Queen of the set of Dr. Caligari. But what terror does the darkness hold? Ellery Queen and Djuna is about to find out!