The ship contains an experimental quantum device, lost while en route to a research colony on Europa. On Earth, powerful corporate forces are moving to resume unrestricted, inter-AI communications, their objective being to gain complete dominion over the colonized solar system. But the outer worlds are mobilizing to prevent them from achieving their objective, a fight back which is being led by Solomon, a sentient quantum intelligence (QI), also on Europa. However, once word of the crew’s discovery gets out, they soon realize that ownership of this technology could fundamentally change the balance of power within the solar system, and they now find themselves at the very nexus of a system-wide conflict. Their fight for survival plays out across the solar system, from the mining outposts of the asteroid belt to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and from the great Martian city of Jezero to the irradiated wastelands on Earth. This is an epic tale of humanity’s struggle for survival and meaning in a time when artificial intelligence has finally out-paced our own ability to control it. About The Belt: The story is set a century or so into the future where humanity has colonized most of the inner solar system. The asteroid belt (The Belt) is now a hive of mining activity and ships ply the trade routes to Earth and Mars. The technology depicted, for the most part, is what I consider to be technically plausible, although I do stretch it a little with quantum entanglement. That said, you won’t need a calculator or a slide-rule to enjoy the story.

    From lush words to intricate landscapes, from lavish costumes to amazing creatures, the Star Wars design artists have pioneered the technological revolution, while never surrendering the dazzling sense of wonder. Filled with stunning examples of beautiful, never-before-seen movie artwork, The Art of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones takes us through an takes us through an incredible gallery of astonishing images. As an added bonus, this volume features the exclusive illustrated screenplay, as well as:• More than 500 extraordinary illustrations—including sketches, costume designs, set pieces, models, and brilliant full-color paintings• An in-depth look at the amazing new creatures introduced in Episode II• Fascinating behind-the-scenes accounts and anecdotes related by the artists themselves• Magnificent visuals of exotic new planets, exciting new spacecraft, and dramatic new characters such as Jango Fett, Count Dooku, and Jedi Luminara Unduli• Thrilling movie poster art art created especially for Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the ClonesExperience the Lucasfilm magic with visuals more striking than ever before, and become one of the first to witness the worlds and the wizardry of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.From the Hardcover edition.

     Dramatically raising the bar for realism and invention, his trademark battle-weary spacecraft, dramatic alien landscapes and crumbling brutalist architecture irrevocably changed the aesthetic of science fiction art and cinema. Featuring work for books by Isaac Asimov, E. E. ‘Doc’ Smith, Arthur C. Clarke, A. E. Van Vogt and Philip K. Dick, and film design for Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick, this volume brings together many rare and classic images that have never been seen or reprinted before. The first comprehensive retrospective of Chris Foss’s SF career. “Chris Foss’ name has become pre-eminent among sf artists... He is in love with the monstrous, with angular momentum, with inertia-free projectiles and irresistable objects.” — Brian Aldiss “[Foss’] creations are real machines, not just an artist’s dreams. They combine the two elements so essential to science fiction: realism and a sense of wonder... A medieval goldsmith of future eons.” — Alejandro Jodorowsky

    The Age of Star Wars - an epic series of adventures uniting your favorite characters from all eras - reaches the iconic heroes and villains of the original trilogy! Witness the moments that defined them, the incredible battles that shaped them - and their eternal conflict between light and darkness! Solo stories spotlight major figures from Star Wars Episodes IV-VI - from Luke, Leia and Han to Lando, Yoda and more! And on the dark side, Darth Vader is joined by Boba Fett, Jabba the Hutt, Grand Moff Tarkin and the cold, calculating bounty hunter known as IG-88! COLLECTING: STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION - BOBA FETT 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION - DARTH VADER 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION - HAN SOLO 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION - JABBA THE HUTT 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION - LANDO CALRISSIAN 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION - LUKE SKYWALKER 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION - PRINCESS LEIA 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION - GRAND MOFF TARKIN 1, STAR WARS: AGE OF REBELLION SPECIAL 1

    

    They found a habitable planet and erased everything in the colony ship’s data banks about Earth in the hopes that none of their descendants would ever attempt to find mankind’s home world. Now, thousands of years after Britannia was settled, a war is looming between the Union and Coalition. Captain Grady Henricks is given a secret mission to discover how a small scout ship’s hull survived destruction from powerful blaster beams that destroyed everything but the hull. However, time is running out for Grady to finish his mission; the Coalition is becoming more aggressive and the war is going to kick off before Grady can complete his assignment. During his mission, Grady discovers that the scout wasn’t attacked and destroyed by Coalition warships. An alien civilization has found Britannia and it quickly becomes clear that not only is the Union threatened by the Coalition but all of Britannia is in danger of being attacked by the aliens. War breaks out and the aliens decide to strike in the aftermath. The Fight for Britannia is on and it appears that the humans living on Britannia don’t have long to live. Grady is forced to do something that the original colonists prayed would never happen; he goes in search of an ancient planet that might be able to save the remaining humans on Britannia. Earth must be found and quickly. Excerpt from The Fight for Britannia: Taffy stood behind the Hermit and saw the computer’s screen activate. She saw the startup screen appear and then go dark, as the Hermit turned a nob on the keyboard. Each time it clicked, another dark screen appeared. After ten clicks, a view appeared on the display. She heard the Hermit mutter to himself, “They left the polar satellite alone.” He began moving the cursor and the view changed. An image began zooming in and she saw a city appear. The image grew larger and she recognized that it was the city she lived in just over the mountains; the Government Tower was in the center of the city and that building couldn’t be anywhere else. She suddenly saw three large shapes move out of the mountains toward the outskirts of the city. Suddenly, brilliant beams of light stabbed out of the three objects hitting the ground. Her heart started pounding harder; where those light beams hit, massive explosions erupted, and everything caught on fire. The three-large objects moved out over the city and the only thing left behind them was a fire bright enough to be seen from space. She watched the fires move out into the city and saw her parent’s neighborhood go up in massive flames. The Hermit moved the cursor again and she saw numerous star ships moving toward the monitor. The Hermit pressed a button on the wall turning on the lights in the giant facility as he jumped up out of his chair and ran across the huge room. She followed him and suddenly saw a small ship in the center of the large cavern. The Fight for Britannia is a thriller and is the latest novel from the international bestselling author Saxon Andrew.

    Can she save the remaining Alderaanians from the might of the Galactic Empire? Before master of charm Lando Calrissian joined the rebellion, or even ran Cloud City, he and faithful ally Lobot got by with the odd swindle and plenty of swagger. But this time, has Lando bitten off more than he can chew? Speaking of things getting Chewy, everybody's favorite Wookiee warrior also faces some alone time after the battle of Yavin. Stranded on an Imperial occupied planet, far away from Han Solo, will he make a new best friend?COLLECTING: PRINCESS LEIA 1-5, LANDO 1-5, CHEWBACCA 1-5

    For almost three years, the Federation and the Klingon Empire, allied under the Khitomer Accords, have contended with the nascent coalition on a predominantly cold-war footing. But as Starfleet rebuilds itself, factions within the Typhon Pact grow restive, concerned about their own inability to develop a quantum slipstream drive to match that of the Federation. Will leaders such as UFP President Bacco and RSE Praetor Kamemor bring about a lasting peace across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, or will the cold war between the two alliances deepen, and perhaps even lead to an all-out shooting war? Raise the Dawn After the disastrous events in the Bajoran system, Captain Benjamin Sisko must confront the consequences of the recent choices he has made in his life. At the same time, the United Federation of Planets and its Khitomer Accords allies have come to the brink of war with the Typhon Pact. While factions within the Pact unsuccessfully used the recent gestures of goodwill—the opening of borders and a joint Federation-Romulan exploratory mission—to develop quantum-slipstream drive, they have not given up their goals. Employing a broad range of assets, from Romulus to Cardassia, from Ab-Tzenketh to Bajor, they embark on a dangerous new plan to acquire the technology they need to take control of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. While UFP President Bacco and Romulan Praetor Kamemor work feverishly to reestablish peace, Captains Sisko, Jean-Luc Picard, and Ro Laren stand on the front lines of the conflict...even as a new danger threatens the Bajoran wormhole as it once more becomes a flashpoint of galactic history. Brinkmanship The Venette Convention has always remained independent, but it is about to become the flashpoint for a tense military standoff between the two power blocs now dominating interstellar space—the United Federation of Planets and the recently formed Typhon Pact. The Venetan government turns to the Typhon Pact’s Tzenkethi Coalition for protection in the new order, and has agreed to allow three of their supply bases for Tzenkethi use. But these bases—if militarized—would put Tzenkethi weapons unacceptably close to Federation, Cardassian, and Ferengi space. While Captain Ezri Dax and the crew of the U.S.S. Aventine are sent to investigate exactly what is happening at one of the Venette bases, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise are assigned to a diplomatic mission sent to the Venette homeworld in order to broker a mutually acceptable resolution. But the Cardassian delegates don’t seem particularly keen on using diplomacy to resolve the situation, which soon spirals out of control toward all-out war. . .

    Humanity is now at their mercy, but not all Space Force warships have been defeated. Wolfe Koenig’s light cruiser, Excalibur, is on a mission to acquire technology that just might enable the ragged remnants of the Fleet to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat—if he can find an alien race with that technology, if he can convince them to trade for it and if the technology can be exploited fast enough. Excalibur’s Quest is the story of that mission and the challenges, both alien and human, that Koenig faces. This is the second book in the action-packed military SF Swordships Odyssey series. Genre categories: space fleet, military SF, space opera, galactic empire, alien invasion, first contact, space exploration.

    At the same time, these new editions of THE ART OF STAR WARS books will arrive in stores, packed with all-new material, including new "Special Edition" text in The Empire Strikes Back by Mark Cotta Vaz, author of the Industrial Light & Magic: Into the Digital Realm and The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire.

    Informative captions give technical details for each scene, while anecdotes from Lehtimäki offer background insights to his creative process.LEGO Star Wars Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy is a breathtaking new look at a timeless icon that allows fans to see their favorite minifigures from the classic saga in an exciting new way.© & TM 2015 LUCASFILM LTD.LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2015 The LEGO Group. Produced by DK Publishing under license from the LEGO Group.Reviews:"Full of classic Star Wars views with quirky twists." - Space.com"A new kind of Star Wars book altogether." - StarWars.com"A showcase of positioning, perspective, focus, color, and imagination." - Star Wars Insider"These LEGO Star Wars photos are incredible." - Buzzfeed.com"A perfect storm of LEGO, Star Wars, imagination, creativity, photography and fandom." - Bricknerd"Will delight any aspiring Rebel pilot." - TechInsider"One of the greatest convergences of geek interests." - GeekDad"Elevates LEGO sets into breathtaking works of art." - Paste Magazine"The force is strong with this one." - USA Today"The kind of book that can inspire." - Forbes.com"[I]t should please would-be Jedi (or Stormtroopers) of all ages." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

     The wreck of a Sekar battleship and the intel contained within a subsurface alien facility could affect the outcome of a war which has so far claimed billions of lives. However, while the Raggers are defeated, they are not destroyed, and they are unwilling to give up the prize. What starts as a hard fight to claim invaluable alien tech turns into something with far higher stakes. The crashed battleship is called Nullifier and its control entity promises many things. Captains Jake Griffin and Tanner Conway will soon find that this mysterious craft has a mission of its own. A mission that requires a replacement for its dead crew. From the ice storms of Glesia to a planet in the throes of cataclysmic violence, the Nullifier takes Griffin and Conway on a journey where they will learn the history of a long-dead alien race and find that ancient threats still exist. Overcoming this new challenge will bring rewards unimagined and a chance to hold back the Sekar tide for a little longer. Beating the odds has never seemed harder or more important for humanity’s survival… Nullifier is a fast-paced military sci-fi shooter filled with spaceships, guns, tech and warfare. It follows on from book 5 in the Fire and Rust Series: Refuge 9.

    From David Gerrold's "The Martian Child" (winner of the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award, and HOMer Award) to brand new works published here for the first time by David Gerrold and Lawrence Watt-Evans to modern masterpieces by Pamela Sargent and Jay Lake to classics by E.E. "Doc Smith" and Alan E. Nourse -- we have everything a science fiction fan could want. Almost 1,500 pages of great reading!Fiction:TORQUING VACUUM, by Jay LakeCOLLECTORS, by Pamela SargentVICTORY, by Lester del ReyTHE TREE OF LIFE, by C. L. MooreYE OLDE RESIGNATION, by Rhys HughesFACE TO FACE, by Adrian ColeBEYOND THE THUNDER, by H. B. HickeyCAPTIVES OF THE THIEVE-STAR, by James H. SchmitzTHE DEEPS, by Keith RobertsMADMEN MUSTERED, by Connor Freff CochranEXILE FROM SPACE, by Judith MerrilTHROUGH TIME AND SPACE WITH FERDINAND FEGHOOT: THE CHAIRMAN DANCES, by David GerroldTHE FROZEN PLANET, by Keith LaumerTHE TAIL-TIED KINGS, by Avram DavidsonTHE GRAIN KINGS, by Keith RobertsHIS MASTER'S VOICE, by Randall GarrettBACK TO JULIE, by Richard WilsonBRIGHTSIDE CROSSING, by Alan E. NourseTHE SECRET OF THE SCARAB, by Ron GoulartREINVENTING CARL HOBBS, by James GlassTHE OLD SHILL GAME, by H.B. FyfeNOTES TOWARD A NEW TRAIT AS REVEALED BY CORRELATION AMONG ITEMS OF THE MMMPI, by M. Purrzillo, U. R. A. Ferball, and C. KitirunTHE SLEEPER IS A REBEL, by Bryce WaltonTHE TEACHER FROM MARS, by Eando BinderNIF'S WORLD, by Lawrence Watt-EvansA MAN OBSESSED, by Alan E. NourseFIRST LENSMAN, by E.E. “Doc” SmithREINCARNATE, by Lester del ReyTHE MAN WHO LIVED FOREVER, by R. DeWitt Miller and Anna HungerTHE MARTIAN CHILD, by David GerroldPoetry:I’VE NEVER SEEN, by Hannes Bok (poem)THOUGHT AND SPACE, by Ray BradburyNovel Serial:FIREBIRD, by Tony Rothman (part 1 of 3)If you enjoy this MEGAPACK™, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see the 240+ other entries in this series, including science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, adventure, horror, westerns -- and much, much more!

    Rapid expansion into habitable worlds brings immense prosperity and a new age of exploration unlike any humanity has seen. WAR Conflicts over control of the colonial worlds spawn a massive, generation-long war among humans. Under a shaky armistice, humanity has just begun to crawl out of the shadows of destruction, but suspicion and bitter hostility run deep. INVASION On a rocky, desolate planet, a small band of gold prospectors find themselves making a discovery they never expected—valuable and powerful relics of the galaxy's deep past. The prospectors also discover a hostile alien species, ruthless beings who do not tolerate humans and wipe them out on sight. Humanity's first contact with intelligent aliens becomes a war for survival. The invasion has begun...but the beginning of the invasion is also the beginning of the resistance. "Resistance is a terrific space opera adventure. It combines mystery, heart-pounding action, and a good dose of humor. It's Aliens meets Tremors. I can't wait to read the sequel." -Daniel Arenson, USA Today bestselling author of the Earthrise series

    Fortunately a deal struck: In exchange for a new home, the refugees will work to restore the planet to health under the watchful eye of Lei Organa Solo.While tempers flare between the Duros and the New republic, Han Solo, his son, Jacen and the Ryn called Droma arrive to keep the peace. They are unaware that Leia is on Duro…and that Luke, Mara and Anakin are on their way, searching for a missing Jedi apprentice. And none realize that the Yuuzhan Vong have chosen this embattled planet as the next target in their brutal coreward thrust.Now, as the fragile stability on Duro threatens to collapse into violence, Jaen Solo must face hisgreatest dilemma: At what point does the use of power become aggression? Whatever he decides, his next step could tip the galaxy’s destiny toward the light or toward the darkness-with the life of someone he loves hanging in the balance…