Book picks similar to
More Than One Universe by Arthur C. Clarke
science-fiction
sci-fi
anthology
short-stories
The Robert Silverberg Science Fiction MEGAPACK®
Robert Silverberg - 2016
Fan. Author. Editor. Creative force. He has been an integral part of the field for longer than most of his readers have been alive. Earlier this year, he kindly agreed to put together a MEGAPACK® of his short stories, so here, then, is a selection of early works by one of the all-time greats. Included are:ALAREEBIRDS OF A FEATHERBLAZE OF GLORYDELIVERY GUARANTEEDTHE DESSICATORTHE HAPPY UNFORTUNATETHE HUNTED HEROESTHE IRON STARTHE ISOLATIONISTSTHE LONELY ONETHE MAN WHO CAME BACKNEUTRAL PLANETOZYMANDIASTHE PAIN PEDDLERSTHE PLEASURE OF THEIR COMPANYPOINT OF FOCUSPOSTMARK GANYMEDEPRIME COMMANDMENTTHE SONGS OF SUMMERSPACEROGUETHERE WAS AN OLD WOMANTHE WOMAN YOU WANTEDVALLEY BEYOND TIMEWE KNOW WHO WE AREIf you enjoy this ebook, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 300+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more![Version 1.4]
Anticopernicus
Adam Roberts - 2011
4-chapters in total; only available for e-purchase.First contact: despite our cosmic littleness, the aliens have come to visit. But they have parked their interstellar craft on the outskirts of the solar system, and despite friendly interaction (their English if fluent and idiomatic) they will come no closer. So an Earth ship, the "Leibniz", crewed by the best and the brightest, begins the slow haul towards the Oort cloud, in the hopes that meeting these alien creatures will answer the most profound questions humanity can ask. “Anticopernicus” is not their story, though. It is the story of Ange Mlinko, an ordinary individual working the Earth-Mars trade routes, largely uninterested in the arrival of alien intelligences. And because the focus is on her, it remains to be seen whether this short novel can answer the following questions: why have the aliens come? Why won't they come any closer than the furthest edges of the solar system? What does this have to do with the nature of the mysterious ‘dark energy’ pervading the cosmos? What about the celebrated Fermi Paradox? And most pressingly: could Copernicus have been wrong all along?
The Man Who Had No Idea
Thomas M. Disch - 1982
The Man Who Had No Idea (1978)The Black Cat (1976)The Santa Claus Compromise (1974)The Vengeance of Hera or, Monogamy Triumphant (1980)Concepts (1978)The Apartment Next to the War (1975)The Foetus (1980)The Fire Began to Burn the Stick, the Stick Began to Beat the Dog (1976)At the Pleasure Centre (1974)The Grown-Up (1981)How to Fly (1977)Planet of the Rapes (1977)The Revelation (1980)Pyramids for Minnesota (1974)Josie and the Elevator: A Cautionary Tale (1980)An Italian Lesson (1982)Understanding Human Behavior (1982)
July 20, 2019: Life in the 21st Century (Omni Book)
Arthur C. ClarkePamela Weintraub - 1986
Clarke rejects any label as prophet; as per Profiles' subtitle, he deals with "limits of the possible." In July 20, 2019, he views a day in the life of the 21st century. The oversize, illustrated book forecasts how people are born, live, and die. We ride orbiting space stations, watch 60-year-old, 8-foot athletes, see that people have been replaced with computers and robots, view most aspects of life—schools, transportation, medicine, work, movies. These are astonishing but realistic perceptions by a master of the craft who as always writes with skill, wit, clarity, and remarkable intelligence.
Visions of Distant Shores: An Andre Norton Collection
Andre Norton - 2010
In most of Norton's works, alienated outsiders undertake a journey through which they realize their full potential. Many planets in the books are Earth-like places, where humans can live without special protection, and have extensive flora and fauna which are described in considerable detail and often have substantial bearing on the plot.On February 20, 2005, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, which had earlier honored her with its Grand Master Award in 1983, announced the creation of the Andre Norton Award, to be given each year for an outstanding work of fantasy or science fiction for the young adult literature market, beginning in 2006. Nobody today is telling better stories of straight-forward interstellar adventure.Included in this volume:Book One: Storm Over Warlock - Stranded on the alien world of Warlock, Shann Lantree's expedition camp has been wiped out by the Throgs, beings so alien that humans have yet to communicate with them. Lantree must quickly learn how to survive under harsh conditions while being chased by the Throgs -- and how to distinguish the real from the dreamed when he meets the mysterious Wyverns. A satisfying and mature novel which readers will seize upon if they want to enjoy a good adventure story...Book Two: Star Born - When the oppressive global dictatorship of Pax took over Earth they put a stop to space exploration. Still, a few rebels escaped in the sleeper ships to found free new colonies -- or perish in the attempt. Those few colonists that reached inhabitable worlds were cut off for centuries, and in that isolation and freedom they developed the mysterious mental powers that "civilization" had all but destroyed...Book Three: Star Hunter - Somewhere on the jungle world of Jumala, there was a man in hiding--a man whose mind had been reconditioned with another's brain pattern and for whom there was a fabulous reward. Star Hunter is a thrill-packed account of that other-worldly game of hide-and-seek between a man who did not know all his own powers and an interstellar safari that sought something no man had a right to find...Book Four: Plague Ship - A fast-moving suspense tale, full of unusual detail and unexpected turns. Several highlights make the book really shine: the sunset gorp hunt on the reefs of an oily sea; a raid on an asteroid's emergency station; and a landing in the Big Burn, resulting in an encounter with the mutant life-forms that reside there...Book Five: Voodoo Planet - Dane Thorson of the space-trader 'Solar Queen' found himself embroiled in a desperate battle of minds between the rational science of the spaceways and the hypnotic witchcraft of the mental wizard that ruled the Voodoo Planet...Book Six: The Gifts of Asti - Varta, the last priestess of Asti, lives alone with Lur, a telepath of the lizardfolk, in Asti's isolated mountain retreat. Decadent Memphir has long since drifted away from the austere paths of Asti, and now the barbarians of Klem are sacking the city, and the smoke of its burning drifts up to the temple...Book Seven: The People of the Crater - "Send the Black Throne to dust; conquer the Black Ones, and bring the Daughter from the Caves of Darkness." These were the tasks Garin must perform to fulfill the prophecy of the Ancient Ones--and establish his own destiny in this hidden land!This are the original and unabridged versions of these tales.
Thousandth Night / Minla's Flowers
Alastair Reynolds - 2009
This new double volume from Subterranean Press stands squarely in that distinguished tradition, offering a pair of colorful, fast-paced stories from the reigning master of the intergalactic space opera: Alastair Reynolds. Thousandth Night, the genesis for the epic novel House of Suns, is quintessential Reynolds. A visionary account of intrigue, ambition, and technological marvels set within a beautifully realized far-future milieu, it combines world-class storytelling with a provocative meditation on the mystery, grandeur, and inconceivable immensity of the universe.The masterful novella Minla s Flowers features Merlin, a familiar figure to Reynolds s readers. Diverted by technical difficulties to a planet known as Lecythus, Merlin finds himself forced to play a part in the moral and military dilemmas of a world on the verge of extinction.
Paingod and Other Delusions
Harlan Ellison - 1965
Passion is the keynote as you encounter the Harlequin and his nemesis, the dreaded Tictockman, in one of the most reprinted and widely taught stories in the English language; a pyretic who creates fire merely by willing it; the last surgeon in a world of robot physicians; a spaceship filled with hideous mutants rejected by the world that gave them birth. Touching and gentle and shocking stories from an incomparable master of impossible dreams and troubling truths.Contents:7 · New Introduction: Your Basic Crown of Thorns · in 19 · Spero Meliora · in 24 · Paingod · ss Fantastic Jun ’64 35 · “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman · ss Galaxy Dec ’65 49 · The Crackpots [Kyben] · nv If Jun ’56 89 · Sleeping Dogs · ss Analog Oct ’74 100 · Bright Eyes · ss Fantastic Apr ’65 112 · The Discarded [“The Abnormals”] · ss Fantastic Apr ’59 125 · Wanted in Surgery · nv If Aug ’57 156 · Deeper Than the Darkness · nv Infinity Science Fiction Apr ’57
The Worlds of H. Beam Piper
H. Beam Piper - 1983
Beam Piper) • (1983) • essay by John F. Carr9 • Time and Time Again • (1947) • shortstory by H. Beam Piper29 • The Mercenaries • (1950) • novelette by H. Beam Piper57 • Dearest • (1951) • shortstory by H. Beam Piper77 • Hunter Patrol • (1959) • novelette by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire111 • Flight from Tomorrow • (1950) • novelette by H. Beam Piper135 • Operation R.S.V.P. • (1951) • shortstory by H. Beam Piper147 • Genesis • [Paratime Police] • (1951) • novelette by H. Beam Piper171 • The Answer • (1959) • shortstory by H. Beam Piper185 • Crossroads of Destiny • (1959) • shortstory by H. Beam Piper199 • Day of the Moron • (1951) • novelette by H. Beam Piper
The Gabble And Other Stories
Neal Asher - 2008
No one does monsters better than Neal Asher, so be prepared to revisit the lives and lifestyles of such favourites as the gabbleduck and the hooder, to savour alien poisons, the walking dead, the Sea of Death, and the putrefactor symbiont. Through these stories, welcome to a universe of unbridled imagination, each one of them a delight in itself.Contents: Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck [Polity Universe] (2005) / novelette by Neal Asher Putrefactors [Polity Universe] (1999) / novelette by Neal Asher Garp and Geronamid [Polity Universe] (2005) / novelette by Neal Asher (variant of Garp & Geronamid) The Sea of Death [Polity Universe] (2001) / short story by Neal Asher Alien Archaeology [Polity Universe] (2007) / novella by Neal Asher Acephalous Dreams [Polity Universe] (2005) / novelette by Neal Asher Snow in the Desert [Polity Universe] (2002) / novelette by Neal Asher Choudapt [Polity Universe] (2000) / novelette by Neal Asher Adaptogenic [Polity Universe] (1994) / short story by Neal Asher The Gabble [Polity Universe] (2006) / novelette by Neal Asher.
The Third Time Travel MEGAPACK ™: 18 Classic Trips Through Time
Philip K. Dick - 2015
Even if you're jaded with time-travel (Dinosaurs? Again?) you'll find something new in these pages. Included are:THE CHILDREN'S ROOM, by Raymond F. JonesSIDETRACK IN TIME, by William P. McGivernGEORGE ALL THE WAY, by Richard WilsonABSOLUTELY NO PARADOX, by Lester del ReyTHE HOHOKAM DIG, by Theodore PrattGUARANTEED TENURE, by H.B. FyfeTHROUGH TIME AND SPACE WITH FERDINAND FEGHOOT: 42, by Grendel BriartonNEVER GO BACK, by Charles V. de VetTHE ANCESTRAL THREAD, by Emil PetajaTHE SONS OF JAPHETH, by Richard WilsonMEDDLER, by Philip K. DickTHE MAN WHO LIKED LIONS, by John Bernard DaleyFLAME FOR THE FUTURE, by William P. McGivernDINOSAUR GOES HOLLYWOOD, by Emil PetajaTIME OUT FOR TOMORROW, by Richard WilsonREMEMBER THE ALAMO! by R. R. FehrenbachGUN FOR HIRE, by Mack ReynoldsTHROUGH TIME AND SPACE WITH FERDINAND FEGHOOT: 63, by Grendel BriartonIf you enjoy this volume of classic stories, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see the 220+ other entries in this series, science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, westerns -- and much, much more!
Exile- and Glory
Jerry Pournelle - 2008
But the governments and power structures didn't yet control space, where bold new techniques could freely be applied and the vast resources of the solar system could be utilized by such courageous men and women as: • Aneas MacKenzie—he had believed in the man he had helped to reach the office of the presidency of the United States, and had tirelessly rooted out corruption wherever he found it, until the trail led straight back to the White House. After that, no place on Earth was safe for him. • Laurie Jo Hansen—she controlled a multi-national corporation more powerful than many governments. Unlike those governments, she wanted to see Earth’s problems solved and reaching the high frontier was the only way to do that. • Kevin Senecal—he had made the mistake of fighting back against a juvenile gang, and accidentally killing one of them while escaping. Both the gang and the law were after him, and on all of Earth there was no place to hide. • Ellen MacMillan—a young employee of the Hansen Corporation who fascinated Kevin, she was on a secret mission, and the biggest secret was her real name. Two complete novels—High Justice and Exiles to Glory—in one volume by a New York Times best-selling author, telling of an Earth sinking into a morass of corruption, red tape, and failure of nerve, while a dedicated few dare to reach for the stars.
The Year's Top Hard Science Fiction Stories
Allan KasterCraig DeLancey - 2017
In “Vortex,” by Gregory Benford, astronauts find a once thriving microbial lifeform that carpets the caves of Mars dying off. A code monkey tracks down the vain creator of a pernicious software virus that people jack cerebrally in “RedKing,” by Craig DeLancey. In “Number Nine Moon,” by Alex Irvine, illicit scavengers on Mars are on a rescue mission to save themselves after one of their team members dies. A young girl’s thirst for vengeance becomes a struggle for survival when she is swallowed by a gigantic sea creature on an alien planet in “Of the Beast in the Belly,” by C.W. Johnson. In “The Seventh Gamer,” by Gwyneth Jones, a writer immerses herself into a MMORPG community to search for characters being played by real aliens from other worlds. A woman armed with a rifle stalks a herd of cloned wooly mammoths in British Columbia in “Chasing Ivory,” by Ted Kosmatka. In “Fieldwork,” by Shariann Lewitt, a volcanologist struggles with her research on Europa where both her mother and grandmother suffered dire consequences. A daughter pays homage to her mother with mega-engineering projects to deal with climate change over eons in “Seven Birthdays,” by Ken Liu. In “The Visitor from Taured,” by Ian R. MacLeod, a cosmologist in the near future is obsessed with proving his theory of multiverses. The citizens of a small town on a “Jackaroo” planet object to a corporation placing a radio telescope near local alien artifacts in “Something Happened Here, But We’re Not Quite Sure What It Was,” by Paul McAuley. And finally, in “Sixteen Questions for Kamala Chatterjee,” by Alastair Reynolds, a graduate student defends her dissertation on a solar anomaly that threatens humanity.
Misbegotten Missionary
Isaac Asimov - 2016
Moreover, it had the answer! But what man ever takes free advice?
Antinomy
Spider Robinson - 1980
with life life as the prize?PLUS * seven other superb stories * four horrible puns * a trible feghoot * four original songs, with E-Z Play chords * foreword, afterwords, illustrations, and a weapons list9 • Introduction: Welcome to the Antinomy Mine • essay by Spider Robinson13 • Antinomy • (1978) • novelette by Spider Robinson48 • Afterword to "Antinomy" • essay by Spider Robinson51 • Half an Oaf • (1976) • novelette by Spider Robinson79 • Rhythms and 'Rithms • short fiction by Spider Robinson79 • Tidbit: two puns • short story by Spider Robinson80 • The Shamin' of the Shaman • short fiction by Spider Robinson81 • Too Soon We Grow Old • (1978) • short story by Spider Robinson98 • Valkyrie Ride • poem by Spider Robinson98 • Tidbit: two songs • poem by Spider Robinson102 • Feed Me Fire • poem by Spider Robinson105 • When No Man Pursueth • (1974) • novelette by Spider Robinson139 • Tidbit: afterword to "When No Man Pursueth" • essay by Spider Robinson144 • Nobody Likes to Be Lonely • (1975) • novelette by Spider Robinson186 • Tidbit: interleaf • essay by Spider Robinson188 • Satan's Children • (1979) • novella by Spider Robinson229 • Three-Time Winner • short fiction by Spider Robinson229 • Tidbit: a triple Feghoot and a cartoon • short story by Spider Robinson231 • Cartoon: "Sorry, Mr. Griffin: he says he can't see you now." • interior artwork by Spider Robinson232 • Apogee • (1978) • short story by Spider Robinson236 • A Standing Joke • short fiction by Spider Robinson237 • The Snoopy Scientist • short fiction by Spider Robinson238 • Tidbit: two puns (includes some artwork) • short story by Spider Robinson240 • No Renewal • (1977) • short story by Spider Robinson246 • Tidbit: afterword (to "No Renewal"), an illo, and a weapons list • essay by Spider Robinson247 • Through My Eyes- illustration of Mike Callahan • essay by Spider Robinson248 • Silly Weapons Throughout History • (1980) • essay by Spider Robinson251 • Overdose • (1975) • short story by Spider Robinson262 • Perspective • poem by Spider Robinson262 • Tidbit: two more songs • poem by Spider Robinson265 • Mountain Lady • poem by Spider Robinson268 • Tin Ear • (1977) • short story by Spider Robinson277 • Tidbit: foreword to "The Magnificent Conspiracy" • essay by Spider Robinson280 • The Magnificent Conspiracy • (1977) • novelette by Spider Robinson310 • This Time Next Year • poem by Spider Robinson311 • Come to My Bedside • poem by Spider Robinson
The Eighth Science Fiction Megapack: 25 Modern and Classic Stories
Pamela Sargent - 2013
Here are 25 stories (plus a bonus interview with best-selling author George R.R. Martin) by some of the field's greatest authors. Included are:THE TRUE DARKNESS, by Pamela SargentPERMANENT FATAL ERRORS, by Jay LakeADJUSTMENT TEAM, by Philip K. DickROBOTS DON’T CRY, by Mike ResnickNO GREAT MAGIC, by Fritz LeiberESCAPE HATCH, by Brenda W. CloughBACKLASH, by Winston K. MarksTHE PICK-UP, by Lawrence Watt-EvansPOPULATION IMPLOSION, by Andrew J. OffuttWAY DOWN EAST, by Tim SullivanTHROUGH TIME AND SPACE WITH FERDINAND FEGHOOT: 28, by Grendel BriartonTO INVADE NEW YORK, by Irwin LewisTHEY WERE THE WIND, by C.J. HendersonSTOPOVER, by William GerkenCONSEQUENCES OF STEAM, by Michael HemmingsonOUTSIDE LOOKING IN, by Mark E. BurgessDEAD WORLD, by Jack DouglasNEFERTITI'S TENTH LIFE, by Mary A. TurzilloQUICKSILVER, by Lonni LeesAFTER ALL, by Robert ReginaldTHE BARBARIANS, by Algis BudrysEX MACHINA, by Cynthia WardMONKEY ON HIS BACK, by Charles V. De VetTHE SURVIVORS, by Tom GodwinTHROUGH TIME AND SPACE WITH FERDINAND FEGHOOT: 99, by Grendel BriartonSPEAKING WITH GEORGE R.R. MARTIN: Interview conducted by Darrell SchweitzerAnd don't forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see more entries in this series, covering classic authors and subjects like mysteries, science fiction, westerns, ghost stories -- and much, much more!