Book picks similar to
Dark Masques by J.N. WilliamsonDennis Hamilton
horror
short-stories
fiction
anthologies
From the Heart: Tonight and Always / Endings and Beginnings / A Matter of Choice
Nora Roberts - 1996
This collection will appeal to a new generation of Nora Roberts fans.Tonight and AlwaysWhen a renowned anthropologist agreed to help a writer research his new novel, she wasn't prepared for the passion their collaboration would spark...A Matter of ChoiceAn international smuggling ring traps a beautiful antiques dealer and a New York City cop in a web of danger and desire...Endings and BeginningsTwo Washington television reporters try to protect their love from their own professional rivalry-and the hazards of their celebrity...
The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy
Leah WilsonCara Lockwood - 2011
From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to fashion and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss' world really is.• How does the way the Games affect the brain explain Haymitch's drinking, Annie's distraction, and Wiress' speech problems?• What does the rebellion have in common with the War on Terror?• Why isn't the answer to "Peeta or Gale?" as interesting as the question itself?• What should Panem have learned from the fates of other hedonistic societies throughout history and what can we?The Girl Who Was On Fire covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy.
Primal
Lora Leigh - 2010
#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds in an all-new novella that explores just how savage, and how far, a man is willing to go in the name of desire. Plus three other stories of irresistible passions from three masters of hot paranormal romance.
Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury
Sam WellerKelly Link - 2012
. . Bradbury?You might see rockets to Mars. Or bizarre circuses where otherworldly acts whirl in the center ring. Perhaps you travel to a dystopian future, where books are set ablaze . . . or to an out-of-the-way sideshow, where animated illustrations crawl across human skin. Or maybe, suddenly, you're returned to a simpler time in small-town America, where summer perfumes the air and life is almost perfect . . . "almost."Ray Bradbury--peerless storyteller, poet of the impossible, and one of America's most beloved authors--is a literary giant whose remarkable career has spanned seven decades. Now twenty-six of today's most diverse and celebrated authors offer new short works in honor of the master; stories of heart, intelligence, and dark wonder from a remarkable range of creative artists.TABLE OF CONTENTSSam Weller and Mort Castle - IntroductionRay Bradbury - Second HomecomingNeil Gaiman - The Man Who Forgot Ray BradburyMargaret Atwood - HeadlifeJay Bonansinga - HeavySam Weller - The Girl In The Funeral ParlorDavid Morrell - The CompanionsThomas F. Monteleone - The ExchangeLee Martin - Cat on a Bad CouchJoe Hill - By The Silver Water Of Lake ChamplainDan Chaon - Little AmericaJohn McNally - The Phone CallJoe Meno - Young PilgrimsRobert McCammon - Children Of The Bedtime MachineRamsey Campbell - The Page Mort Castle - LightAlice Hoffman - ConjureJohn Maclay - MaxJacqueline Mitchard - Two Of A KindGary Braunbeck - Fat Man And Little BoyBonnie Jo Campbell - The TattooAudrey Niffenegger - Backwards In SevilleCharles Yu - Earth: (A Gift Shop)Julia Keller - Hayleigh's DadDave Eggers - Who Knocks?Bayo Ojikutu - Reservation 2020Kelly Link - Two HousesHarlan Ellison - Weariness
A People's Future of the United States: Speculative Fiction from 25 Extraordinary Writers
Victor LaValleTananarive Due - 2019
K. Jemisin, Charles Yu, Jamie Ford, and more.
For many Americans, imagining a bright future has always been an act of resistance. A People's Future of the United States presents twenty never-before-published stories by a diverse group of writers, featuring voices both new and well-established. These stories imagine their characters fighting everything from government surveillance, to corporate cities, to climate change disasters, to nuclear wars. But fear not: A People's Future also invites readers into visionary futures in which the country is shaped by justice, equity, and joy.Edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams, this collection features a glittering landscape of moving, visionary stories written from the perspective of people of color, indigenous writers, women, queer & trans people, Muslims and other people whose lives are often at risk.Contributors include: Violet Allen, Charlie Jane Anders, Ashok K. Banker, Tobias S. Buckell, Tananarive Due, Omar El Akkad, Jamie Ford, Maria Dahvana Headley, Hugh Howey, Lizz Huerta, Justina Ireland, N. K. Jemisin, Alice Sola Kim, Seanan McGuire, Sam J. Miller, Daniel José Older, Malka Older, Gabby Rivera, A. Merc Rustad, Kai Cheng Thom, Catherynne M. Valente, Daniel H. Wilson, G. Willow Wilson, and Charles Yu.
Saffron and Brimstone: Strange Stories
Elizabeth Hand - 2006
This new collection (an expansion of the limited-release Bibliomancy, which won the World Fantasy Award in 2005) showcases a wildly inventive author at the height of her powers. Included in this collection are "The Least Trumps," in which a lonely women reaches out to the world through symbols, tattooing, and the Tarot, and "Pavane for a Prince of the Air," where neo-pagan rituals bring a recently departed soul to something very different than eternal rest. Written in the author's characteristic poetic prose and rich with the details of traumatic lives that are luminously transformed, Saffron and Brimstone is a worthy addition to an outstanding career.* Elizabeth Hand's work has been selected as a Washington Post Notable Book and a New York Times Notable Book, and she has been awarded a Nebula Award and two World Fantasy Awards.
Four and a Half Shades of Fantasy
W.J. May - 2014
May - each shade is a different genre of the fantasy, paranormal and romance – all from different series! Rae of Hope – The Chronicles of Kerrigan, Book 1 How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past? Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed. Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter? As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future. Seventh Mark - Part 1 – Hidden Secrets, Book 1.1 Like most teenagers, Rouge is trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to be. With little knowledge about her past, she has questions but has never tried to find the answers. Everything changes when she befriends a strangely intoxicating family. Siblings Grace and Michael, appear to have secrets which seem connected to Rouge. Her hunch is confirmed when a horrible incident occurs at an outdoor party. Rouge may be the only one who can find the answer. An ancient journal, a Sioghra necklace and a special mark force life-altering decisions for a girl who grew up unprepared to fight for her life or others. All secrets have a cost and Rouge’s determination to find the truth can only lead to trouble…or something even more sinister. Shadow of Doubt - Part 1 – Shadow of Doubt, Book 1What happens when you fall for the one you are forbidden to love? Erebus is a bit of a lost soul. He's a guy so he should be out to have fun but unlike the rest of his kind, he is solemn and withdrawn. That is, until he meets Aurora, a law student at Cornell University. His entire world is shaken. Feelings he's never had and urges he’s never understood take over. These strange longings drive him to question everything about himself. When a jealous ex stalks back into his life, he must decide if he is willing to risk everything to be with Aurora. His desire for her could destroy her, or worse, erase his own existence forever. Radium Halos: Part 1 – The Senseless Series, Book 1Everyone needs to be a hero at one point in their life. The small town of Elliot Lake will never be the same again. Caught in a sudden thunderstorm, Zoe, a high school senior from Elliot Lake, and five of her friends take shelter in an abandoned uranium mine. Over the next few days, Zoe’s hearing sharpens drastically, beyond what any normal human being can detect. She tells her friends, only to learn that four others have an increased sense as well. Only Kieran, the new boy from Scotland, wasn’t affected. Their senses develop into stronger, supernatural powers. Fashioning themselves into superheroes, the group tries to stop the strange occurrences happening in their little town. Muggings, break-ins, disappearances, and murder begin to hit too close to home. It leads the team to think someone knows about their secret – someone who wants them all dead. An incredulous group of heroes. A traitor in their midst. Some dreams are written in blood. Courage Runs Red – Excerpt, from The Blood Red Series, Book 1 What if courage was your only option? When Kallie lands a college interview with the city’s new hot-shot police officer she has no idea everything in her life is about to change. The detective is young, handsome and seems to have an unnatural ability to stop the increasing local crime rate.When a raging blood feud between vampires spills into her home, Kallie gets caught in the middle.
Engraved on the Eye
Saladin Ahmed - 2012
A gun slinging Muslim wizard in the old West. A disgruntled super villain pining for prison reform. A cybernetic soldier who might or might not be receiving messages from God. Prepare yourself to be transported to new and fantastical worlds.The short stories in this collection have been nominated for the Nebula and Campbell awards. They’ve been reprinted in The Year’s Best Fantasy and other anthologies, recorded for numerous podcasts, and translated into several foreign languages. Now they are collected in one place for the first time. Experience for yourself the original voice of one of fantasy’s rising stars!STORIES IN THIS ANTHOLOGYWhere Virtue LivesHooves and the Hovel of Abdel JameelaJudgment of Swords and SoulsDoctor Diablo Goes Through the MotionsGeneral Akmed’s Revenge?Mister Hadj’s Sunset RideThe Faithful Soldier, PromptedIron Eyes and the Watered Down World
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance
Trisha TelepJenna Black - 2008
Authors include Sherri Erwin, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Jenna Black, Jenna Maclaine, Raven Hart, Delilah Devlin, Keri Arthur, Kimberly Raye, Alexis Morgan, Lilith Saintcrow, C.T. Adams, Cathy Clamp, Susan Sizemore, Dina James, Colleen Gleason, Barbara Emrys, Savannah Russe, Shiloh Walker, Vicki Pettersson, Rebecca York, Rachel Vincent, Amanda Ashley, Karen Chance, and Nancy Holder. These ain’t your mother’s vampires!*** "Fade to Black" - Sherri Erwin - A professor's tryst with a gorgeous student brings a whole new meaning to `unsafe sex' when he infects her with the `vampire' virus.*** "Ode to Evdard Munch" - Caitlin Kiernan - A man shares his blood with a mysterious vamp for a piece of her dreams.*** "Fangs for Hire" - Jenna Black - When a vampire hit woman finds her oh so sexy prey is not what he seems, she just might have to consider rewritting her `contract'.*** "The Righteous" - Jenna Maclaine - A sorceress and a King put events in play to establish a group of vampires to police their own, which is the catalyst to bring a vampire and a woman who stakes them together in Paris.*** "Knowledge of Evil" - Raven Hart - An ancient vampire with a passion for learning meets a gorgeous professor who shares his thirst for knowledge.*** "Viper's Bite" - Delilah Devlin - A solitary vampire and a lonely woman connect but he must steal her memories to keep her safe.*** "Dreams" - Keri Arthur - Arthur's Riley Jensen and her sometimes lover vampire Quinn share dreams and danger.*** "Love Bites" - Kimberly Raye - From her Dead End Dating world, a hereditary vampire slayer flunks her final test when instead of finishing off the vampire she's staked she takes him her home to heal.*** "What's at Stake" - Alexis Morgan - A legal enforcer must either prove the innocence of the vampire she's secretly loved or she must put him to death.*** "Coming Home" - Lilith Saintcrow - Dante Valentine's foster daughter Liana is hired by the Nichtvahren who broke her teenage heart to kill his maker.*** "To Ease the Rage" - CT Adams & Cathy Clamp - A police officer will join with her undead partner to find the strength to protect her city from vamps that threaten the peace.*** "Dancing with the Star" - Susan Sizemore - A vampire's dreams of a dancing movie star may signal the end of her loneliness.*** "Play Dead" - Dina James - A vampire finds his soulmate and challenges the leaders of his clan for the right to choose his own bride.*** "In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead" - Colleen Gleason - Gleason's vampire hunting debutante Victoria tries to persue her attraction to Rockley while fighting off vamps at a masquerade ball with a little help and snide remarks from Max. *** "A Temporary Vampire" - Barbara Emrys - A vampire discovers a captivating `vampire' actress in New Orleans.*** "Overbite" - Savannah Russe - A vampire patient gives a dentist a chance to expand his practice to the undead and to pursue his secret fantasies.*** "Hunter's Choice" - Shiloh Walker - Seems like a spinoff from her series the leading man is a vampire and a 'hunter'. A grieving/vengeful woman turned vamp-slayer must reexamine her beliefs about vamps to keep the star of her passionate dreams when they meet again.*** "The Sacrifice" - Rebecca York - A princess becomes a willing sacrifice to a `monster' to save her father's kingdom under seige and gains not only her kingdom's freedom but her own salvation.*** "Remember the Blood" - Vicki Petterson - Two vampires are reborn without memories each year but strive to bring forward clues to `remember' each other and their love.*** "The Midday Mangler Meets his Match" - Rachel Vincent - An ordinary everyday vampire teen and her younger sister discover a use for their vestigal fangs when they have a run in with a killer.*** "The Music of the Night" - Amanda Ashley - A phantom of the opera obssesed woman gets a chance to star in her favorite fantasy when she meets her own phantom.*** "The Day of the Dead" - Karen Chance - From the Cassandra Palmer series, vampire Thomas seeks to rid the world of his evil former master and to aide a magical mercenary with a forbidden power to save her missing brother from the evil vamps yearly human hunt.*** "Vampire Unchained" - Nancy Holder - A return to Holder's House of the Blood/Shadows/Flame/Phoenix world. Vampire Liam's secret negotiations with the House of Phoenix cause him to be accused of treason against his clan, his punishment is imprisonment with his human lover as the only source of blood, but their love holds the key that may free them.*** "A Stand-up Dame" - Lilith Saintcrow - A soft touch for a dame in danger, this PI returns from the dead to solve his case.*** "Untitled 12" - Cailtlin R. Kiernan - A sick woman searches until a vampire finds her.
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Jacob Grimm - 1909
By 1807 there was a growing interest in German folk tales. The Grimm brothers were academics who invited friends to their home and asked them to relate stories they had heard. They soon published their first collection of tales and from there several more volumes followed.This compilation of fairy tales which includes the complete canon of over 200 tales has become a beloved set of classical stories the world over. Included in this collection are Hansel and Gretel, Briar Rose, The Fisherman and His Wife, Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Tom Thumb, and many more. These stories are a delight to read and will rekindle up many childhood memories as they are reread. Presented here in this edition is the faithful translation of Margaret Hunt.
Let the Old Dreams Die
John Ajvide Lindqvist - 2011
Now at last, in “Let the Old Dreams Die,” the title story in this absolutely stunning collection, we get a glimpse of what happened next to the pair. Fans of Let the Right One In will have to read the story, which is destined to generate much word of mouth both among fans and online.“Let the Old Dreams Die” is not the only stunner in this collection. In "Final Processing," Lindqvist also reveals the next chapter in the lives of the characters he created in Handling the Undead. “Equinox” is a story of a woman who takes care of her neighbor’s house while they are away and readers will never forget what she finds in the house. Every story meets the very high standard of excellence and fright factor that Lindqvist fans have come to expect. Totally transcending genre writing, these are world class stories from possibly the most impressive horror writer writing today.
Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Tales
Bram Stoker - 2006
Comprised of spine-chilling tales published by Stoker’s widow after his death, as well as The Lair of the White Worm, an intensely intriguing novel of myths, legends, and unspeakable evils, this collection demonstrates the full range of Stoker’s horror writing.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Wild Ducks Flying Backward
Tom Robbins - 2005
Collected here for the first time in paperback, the essays, articles, observations—and even some untypical country-music lyrics—offer a rare overview of the eclectic sensibility of an American original. Whether rocking with the Doors, depoliticizing Picasso’s Guernica, lamenting the angst-ridden state of contemporary literature, or drooling over tomato sandwiches and a species of womanhood he calls “the genius waitress,” Tom Robbins’s briefer writings exhibit the five traits that perhaps best characterize his novels: an imaginative wit, a cheerfully brash disregard for convention, a sweetly nasty eroticism, a mystical but keenly observant eye, and an irrepressible love of language. Embedded in this primarily journalistic compilation are brand-new short stories, a sheaf of largely unpublished poems, and an offbeat assessment of our divided nation. Wherever you open Wild Ducks Flying Backward, you’ll encounter the serious playfulness that percolates from the mind of a self-described “romantic Zen hedonist” and “stray dog in the banquet halls of culture.”
The Third Bear
Jeff VanderMeer - 2010
Exotic beasts and improbable travelers roam restlessly through these darkly diverting and finely honed tales.In “The Situation,” a beleaguered office worker creates a child-swallowing manta-ray to be used for educational purposes (once described as Dilbert meets Gormenghast). In “Three Days in a Border Town,” a sharpshooter seeks the truth about her husband in an elusive floating city beyond a far-future horizon; “Errata” follows an oddly familiar writer who has marshaled a penguin, a shaman, and two pearl-handled pistols with which to plot the end of the world. Also included are two stories original to this collection, including “The Quickening,” in which a lonely child is torn between familial obligation and loyalty to a maligned talking rabbit.Chimerical and hypnotic, VanderMeer leads readers through the postmodern into a new literature of the imagination.
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2015 Edition
Paula Guran - 2015
There need be no monsters for us to be terrified in the dark, but if there are, they are just as often human and as supernatural. Join us in this outstanding annual exploration of the year's best dark fiction that includes stories of quiet fear, the utterly fantastic, the weirdly surreal, atmospheric noir, mysterious hauntings, seductive nightmares, and frighteningly plausible futures. Featuring tales from masterful authors and talented new writers sure to make you reconsider walking in the shadows alone . . .