Fiction by Hugo and Nebula award winners and nominees as well as talented newcomers. Stories were selected by the Unidentified Funny Objects series curator Alex Shvartsman.

    Chesterton (famous for Father Brown) — and a handpicked selection of modern stories by contemporary masters, including Nora Charles, Marcia Talley, Elaine Viets, and many more! Included in this volume: A SENIOR DISCOUNT ON DEATH, by Nora Charles MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, by Art Taylor THE STOLEN VENUS, by Darrell Schweitzer REAR VIEW MURDER, by Carla Coupe THUBWAY THAM’S INTHULT, by Johnston McCulley THE IDES OF MARCH, by E.W. Hornung PINPRICK, by Skadi meic Beorh THE RED HERRING, by William Hope Hodgson DRAGON BONES, by Jacqueline Seewald THE GOLDEN SLIPPER, by Anna Katherine Green KALI, by Eric Taylor DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION, by Marcia Talley THE BLUE CROSS, by G.K. Chesterton THE WORST NOEL, by Barb Goffman MR. CLACKWORTHY’S POT OF GOLD, by Christopher B. Booth THE MONKEY GOD, by Seabury Quinn WEDDING KNIFE, by Elaine Viets THE MAD DETECTIVE, by John D. Swain THE ADVENTURE OF THE DIAMOND NECKLACE, by G. F. Forrest SECURITY BLANKET, by Toni L.P. Kelner A CROOK WITHOUT HONOR, by Johnston McCulley THE DAUGHTER OF HUANG CHOW, by Sax Rohmer ANCHORS AWAY, by C. Ellett Logan WAYS OF DARKNESS, by E.S. Pladwell THUBWAY THAM’S INTHANE MOMENT, by Johnston McCulley

    

    Joining together with a wizard, a druid, a necromancer, and a crusader, Morbed has arrived at a remote island to track down an elusive vagabond andreclaim valuable items pilfered from the city of Westmarch.But there is something loose on the island, something that has killed and is very close to killing again. In order to leave the island alive, Morbed will be forced to confront not only the terrifying creature that stalks the forests, but the darkest corners of his own spirit as well.

    They vow to restore and defend the ancient keep, even as an old enemy returns stronger than ever and creatures of darkness close in on them. Meanwhile, King Verlamer continues to expand his colossal, brutal empire, and Dremlock Kingdom remains his primary target. Yet the key to Dremlock's survival may exist in distant lands.

    Do not buy this "Sidekick" if you are looking for a full copy of this great book. "The Stormlight Archive" series from Brandon Sanderson began in 2010 with "The Way of Kings," a New York Times best seller. This sidekick to the next in the series, "Words of Radiance," helps you answer many of the questions left by the first in the series. The motives are deep in "Words of Radiance," and this sidekick is the ideal tool to walk you through the world of Roshar, as you delve into the mind and soul of each character. Years ago, during the celebration to honor the treaty between Parshendi and men, the Assassin in White murdered the Alethi king, at the behest of Parshendi. Now, the Assassin is back and looking for blood, especially the blood of he who is the backbone of the Alethi throne: Highprince Dalinar. No longer seen as a meaningless military pawn, Kaladin commands the king's bodyguards, a first for a lowly "darkeye." Now, he must not only protect Dalinar and the king from typical dangers, he must also find a way to keep the Assassin at bay. Take advantage of this sidekick as you travel to Shattered Plains to watch the Parshendi, led by Eshonai, rely on the same supernatural forces they once feared. Learn about the many ways the characters relate to the themes prejudice and religion in "Words of Radiance."

    18,000 words (72 pages)— Appearances can be deceiving… To Rolf, Mirabay is the city of dreams. Called the Jewel of the West, it is the place of kings and heroes and great deeds. The chance to visit is not an opportunity Rolf is willing to miss. At first glance, the city is everything he expects, but with an appearance and accent more suited to the Marches rather than the refined salons and sophisticated ballrooms of the city, he is met with the prejudice reserved for those from the rural provinces. Dreams and preconceptions rarely meet with reality, however and as the city begins to lose its lustre for Rolf, those he thought him an uncouth blow-in from the Marches learn the error of their ways.

    From bestselling author, Robert J Power, comes the first book in a new blockbuster dark fantasy world where evil reigns, demons roam, and enchantments cost your very soul. In the war-ravaged city of Dellerin, a strange book has survived The Dark One’s gaze. Veiled, warded and awaiting a warrior worthy enough to discover its mysteries, the pages of The Seven are about to open. They said The Seven were the greatest mercenary outfit in all of Dellerin. Respected, loved and feared. It was said that only they could accomplish the impossible, that the gods themselves blessed them. It was also said that only they would be the ones to stand in the darkness's way, but when The Seven disappeared, no warriors halted The Dark One’s emergence and his ruination of the world. Can one book hold more power than ever imagined? Can The Seven fulfil their prophesy? Dark, unpredictable and action-packed, The Seven is a dark fantasy, ideal for fans of Mark Lawrence, George RR Martin and Joe Abercrombie.

    Why not?Who cares. She has everything under control.Except she's not sure Will is really dead dead. And Detective Gavin Raines, her vampire-hunting crush, has popped back in her life to investigate an odd string of murders...and maybe finally ask her out on a real date.At least her her teaching job is straightforward. Or rather it was before the world's most perfect teacher joins the staff and seems to be noticing that her vampire traits are, well, a lot more apparent than she'd like them to be.Caught between two worlds and fitting into neither, Jo must risk it all to take her own path--before the next person dead is her. Buy your copy today!

    With a bloodthirsty AI running his advanced spaceship, those who love evil should start looking over their shoulders. Life just got a lot more fun. Vigilante, Book 1 On the planet now known as High Tortuga, the mine workers are far too close to being slaves so the ruler of the planet shut them down. Except for the mine owned by Venfirdri Lan. He's taken his mine off the grid and decided to keep everything running. With no need to pay the workers, profits should be good. After all, who's going to stop him? Sentinal, Book 2 Someone sent three fully armed ships to High Tortuga to back the slave-owners running the mines, and Barnabas and Shinigami are determined to find out who. And take them down. As they look deeper, however, they’ll find traces of an organization that controls whole mercenary syndicates, industries, and even governments: the Yennai Corporation. …Some people never learn. Warden, Book 3 Barnabas has uncovered one of the biggest players in this sector, the Yennai Corporation. Now he’s in for a surprise - it turns out that the alien who’s been pulling the strings against him is none other than Uleq, the Torcellan who escaped Bethany Anne’s clutches. Barnabas isn’t taking any chances now. He’s going to find the Yennai Corporation’s main base and bring them down. Paladin, Book 4 Barnabas has traced the influence of the Yennai Corporation from High Tortuga to their secret base, which he has destroyed, killing both heirs to the company. Who hasn’t he killed? Koel Yennai, the patriarch and founder…who has sworn vengeance on Barnabas for killing his children and destroying his legacy.Now, Koel gathers what remains of the Yennai Corporation to hunt Barnabas across known space and kill him. And Barnabas is more than ready for the confrontation. Justiciar, Book 5 After taking down the Yennai Corporation, Barnabas has earned a little break. On the way back to High Tortuga, however, he stops to answer a distress call. How long could it take, after all? Barnabas is about to find out.

    Falling apart and bowing down to the miseries of a broken family and a daunting past, at 24, they decided to move on. But life pulled out one trick after another to bring them back to each other and give one last chance to do what they couldn't do in the past twelve years. A choice had to be made and there was no going back. Could they learn from the echoing footsteps of their parents and speak their heart out or the fear of saying the unsaid killed it once again for them? Did their time to fall in love come, or like always, they met, greeted and departed to part forever?

    Quinn O'Brion and Kate Tassel, two small-town journalists, became the Prince of Sanheim and used that power to defeat a serial killer.In Band of Demons, Quinn and Kate battled a new threat, two legendary creatures who had already destroyed everyone in their path. But Kate and Quinn's victory came at a heavy price. In Give the Devil His Due, Kate's only hope to save Quinn is to trust the man who took him from her. Don't miss the epic finale to the trilogy that has readers raving about its great characters, plot twists and deft combination of urban fantasy, mystery and suspense.The Lord Sanheim rules forever...

     With hydraulics, armor and advanced vision, Navigators are soldiers of the future, and in the game of survival of the fittest, they become the only hope man has to fight for their right to dominate. Enemy Lines After nearly being executed in a war zone, Staff Sergeant Leon Shield finds himself urgently recalled from deployment, and lands back home to a defeated country. In a matter of days, and without a single shot being fired, a new species has taken over the world. Determined to survive Armageddon, the only chance to fight back is to find a man called Ark, and use an untested technology to become Navigators. Blind Sighted Leon and Ark elect to train their new Navigator squad outside the wire, while Bill works with the weapons engineers to solve the bigger problems. The medical team are taking the critters apart, desperately looking for anything that will give them an edge. Killer Edge Our team match the enemy by creating a little critter magic of their own. New forces join them, and survivors add their weight to the fight, further changing what becomes possible. First contact is made, and believing they are running headlong into failure, Ark learns to take the lesser loss. Broken Arrow The aliens take a step too far and Ark decides it's time to go all in. Sending all of their Navigator battle teams to the nests, they uncover unexpected allies in a final showdown that will determine which side will rule earth.

    This collection of delightfully twisted, supernatural short stories will captivate your imagination and entertain your darker side. A monster with a love of bakery, an old woman living in fear with her ex-con nephew, a widow with only one chance left, and a demon with a dark and powerful heart, are some of the characters wrestling with their darker selves in this enjoyable collection.

    Roland grew up halfway to nowhere. His father is human and his mother is elf. Being Half-Elf would always bring difficulties and it also brought about innate magic. He heads off for adventure joining the Adventures Guild. The world is tough and Roland is an innocent. He discovers he is unique in more than one way. Danger is everywhere especially for those who adventure. He makes a decision that will affect him for the rest of his life. The he realizes he has made a rash decision. It might turn out good or it might turn out bad. He just doesn't know enough but he is committed. His unique gifts are needed and he heeds the call for help.