He couldn't be more wrong.Forced by a powerful executive to steal a priceless dataset, Maddox uncovers the shocking truth of a secret war between AIs, raging inside the digital universe known as virtual space. Plunged headlong into the deadly conflict, he’ll have to use every trick he’s ever learned—and a few he’s never tried before—if he wants to survive.Sprawling megacities, rogue AIs, black market tech, modded mercenaries, and a pulse-pounding story filled with unexpected twists. If you love gritty, hardcore cyberpunk, you won’t want to miss this series!

    The wise will listen.” —Stephen Coonts From New York Times bestselling author, William R. Forstchen: In the span of a single second, the United States is plunged into darkness as an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) wipes out all electricity. Trains, planes, cars, phones, computers, power plants, electronics and electrical equipment—all comes to a screeching halt. The country is in chaos, and everyone wants to know why. Whatever the cause, looting, food riots, and global insurrection are the order of the day. The New Dark Ages are suddenly upon us in this series exploring the potential aftermath of a very real threat.One Second After — In the novel that was cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read, professor John Matherson struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina mountain town after America loses a war in one second, a war that will send the country back to the Dark Ages.One Year After — Two years after nuclear weapons were detonated above the United States and brought America to its knees, the survivors of Black Mountain, North Carolina, are beginning to recover technology and supplies they had once taken for granted, like electricity, radio communications, and medications. When a “federal administrator” arrives in a nearby city, they dare to hope that a national government is finally reemerging. But the new regime is beginning to look a lot like tyranny.The Final Day — Since the detonation of nuclear weapons above the United States more than two years ago, the small town of Black Mountain, North Carolina has suffered famine, civil war, and countless deaths. Now, after defeating a new, tyrannical federal government, John Matherson and his community intend to restore their world to what it was before the EMP apocalypse. For the most part, they are succeeding . . . but progress is halted when the national government overturns the Constitution and a terrible truth is revealed: the people in power may have seen the EMP strike coming all along. Other Tor books by William R. ForstchenPillar to the SkyWe Look Like Men of WarAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    Not everyone can. Who decides? Desperate to save his daughter from a mysterious sickness, Daniel applies for the Methuselah Treatment. If she gets it, his daughter won’t just recover, she’ll live forever. But the drug is tightly controlled, and only the special, the talented, and the truly deserving ever receive it. There is nothing special about Daniel’s destitute ten- year-old girl—or is there?

    When Owen Deathstalker, unwilling head of his clan, seeks to avoid the perils of the Empire's warring factions, he unexpectedly finds a price on his head. He flees to Mistworld, where he begins to build an unlikely force to topple the throne. With the help of his crew, Deathstalker takes the first step on a far more dangerous journey to claim the role for which he has been destined since before his birth.

    They've become obsessed with Viator to the point that the world beyond seems of consequence only as it relates to the ship. When their putative leader, Thomas Willander, is afflicted by a series of disturbing dreams, he concludes that something on board may be responsible for their erraticism. He seeks the help of a woman in the nearby village of Kaliaska and together they initiate an investigation into the history of Viator, hoping to learn, among other things, why the ship was run aground and who was the mysterious man who hired the four. But their efforts may be too late. The men, whose eccentrities are now verging on the insane, show no sign of intending to abandon their new home, compelled by Viator's eerie allure. To make matters worse, winter will soon be setting in, ominous incidences of sound and light are issuing from the forest surrounding the ship, and Willander's dreams may be coming true...Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

    Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins. Can a group of criminals the galaxy doesn't want become the heroes the galaxy needs? *SPECIAL NEW RELEASE PRICE FOR A LIMITED TIME.* Book one - HELL’S REJECTS: The most powerful starships ever constructed are missing. Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins... Lieutenant Abigail Cage never expected to find herself in Hell. There was a time when she was one of the most respected soldiers in the military. Now she's doing hard labor on the most miserable planet in the universe. Not for long. The Earth Republic is looking for the most dangerous individuals it can control. The best of the worst, and Abbey is one of them. The mission is simple. Find the missing ships and kill the traitors who stole them. It's most likely suicide, but she has nothing to lose. There's only one problem... A new evil is rising in the galaxy. One with a power unlike anything anyone has ever seen. One that's been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time. And they want Abbey too. Book Two - FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: Abbey is pissed. You would be too if you had been blamed for something you didn’t do, given something you didn’t want, and changed into something else. She still isn’t even quite sure what that else is. The one thing she does know? Things are getting messy, and this is only the beginning. Gant is gone, Captain Mann has been captured, her so-called team is ready to make a run for the stars, and she’s pretty sure the gift that saved her life is no gift at all. Even worse? The enemy didn't just steal the two most powerful starships in the galaxy. They’re building a whole fleet of them. Book Three - THE DEVILS DO The devil you know or the one you don’t? For Abbie and the Rejects, things are guaranteed to get ugly whichever they choose. On the plus side: They know where the enemy fleet is being built, they’ve got a killer new ride, a few surprising new allies, and they don’t all hate one another quite as much as they used to. On the minus: The enemy fleet is coming online faster than they hoped, the new ride is running on backup life support, the new allies can barely be trusted, and there isn't anywhere in the galaxy where Thraven can't reach. There’s nowhere to rest. There’s no time to reload. The stakes are higher, the pressure is up, and only one thing is certain: One way or another, there’s going to be hell to pay. The rest of the CHAOS OF THE COVENANT series (not included): 4. Kill the Queen! 5. Damned If You Don’t 6. Good Intentions 7. Queen of Demons Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or anyone who enjoys a hearty blend of military science-fiction and space opera spiced with magic. Pick it up today, and then try to put it down.

    Falkenberg was created by Jerry E. Pournelle and made his first appearance in “Peace With Honor” in Analog Science Fiction and Fact in 1972. That and other Falkenberg stories appeared in his fix-up novel, The Mercenary. Colonel Falkenberg and his 42nd Marine Regiment served as the last line of defense of the CoDominium and its many colonial words. This book continues the Falkenberg story, detailing his adventures and those of the 42nd CoDominium Marines on Haven (War World) and on Churchill, as Falkenberg and Admiral Lermontov struggle to keep the CoDominium from fracturing. On Haven the Colonel finds himself set between the Mahdi and his fanatical forces, on one hand, and Dover Minerals and the Bronson family, on the other hand. While on Churchill, Falkenberg is called upon to rectify the problems caused by the CoDominium Bureau of Relocations wholesale dumping of antagonistic populations on the hardscrabble world of Churchill, previously settled by British subjects in favor of the monarchy. Nor, does it help when the Brotherhood, a conspiracy of colonial CD military officers, gets involved providing weapons and money to the rebels.

    Jai has joined the rebellion while Peyton is amassing a pirate fleet. But when an old friend brings the twins back together, they learn of Zona's sinister plan to quell the rebellion and institute an iron grip over the entire solar system.Peyton has found her calling as a pirate captain. She's building a fleet with ships she's stolen and people she's saved. But when both the Zona fleet and other pirate clans come at Peyton from every angle, it'll take every ounce of skill-and a whole lot of luck-to stay in the game.Jai's computer skills are among the best in the system. His work is crucial to the rebellion, but when he's infected with deadly nanites, he finds himself in a race against time to save himself from becoming a cyber-zombie.The Epic Finale of the Space Troopers series is here. A no-holds-barred adventure where the fate of the solar system is dependent on the twins. To win, an inexperienced pirate captain must face a battle-hardened general, and an injured computer hacker must take on the galaxy's most advanced AI. If either fails, Zona wins.

    That was always going to be complicated since he was a Prince of the Realm. Complicated turned into almost impossible when the Empress is attacked. What is a simple lieutenant supposed to do with his mother in a coma, a seemingly invincible enemy on the offensive, a darkness from the past stirring and his paranoid older brother trying to assassinate him. The lieutenant remembers his oath and with a former spy, a handful of Marines, his uncle and most importantly, his father, decides to defend the Empire from all enemies whether foreign or domestic.

    Take it, if you can. Mason Sims is a freelance three dimensional printing and nano design tech, one of the most complex jobs available. Most days he simply focuses on his work, his one friend, virtual reality, and lives a quiet life, untroubled by other people. Right up until his best friend, Sam, who lives life as a gender neutral person, gets him involved in a situation far more intense and dangerous than Mason would have ever dreamed possible. Ripped from his old life, he must now figure out how to save the world from certain destruction. Can he survive trying? Could anyone?

    You’d think that would be a good thing, but in truth, not so much. You see, a Protected World is a sentry world. One located along the edge of human space, there to sound the alarm if there’s an alien invasion. A world that is marginally habitable, so unlikely to be a target, yet well connected to the rest of humanity, so able to sound the alarm.And that’s the real problem. Marginally habitable worlds can’t support a significant population. And for the few of us that live here, it’s difficult to scrape out a living.You might ask why anyone would want to live in such a place. I ask that question all the time. The short answer is that these worlds were given away to anyone that had the means to claim and settle them. A lot of adventurers couldn’t resist the opportunity. My grandfather, six generations back, was one of those people.There are many stories about my ancestral grandfather. He was apparently quite a character, eccentric as well. Many of his sayings are built deeply into our culture, and most involve the number six. Spend a day in town and you’re likely to hear them. ‘Better to do one thing well than six things poorly.’ Or ‘better to have six good days than one good week.’Of his many sayings, there’s the one my mother quotes all the time. ‘The sixth son of the sixth generation will stand above them all.’Well, it turns out that I’m the sixth son of the sixth generation. My father, and all his forefathers, were first sons of first sons down the line from the great Jared Daan. I was my father’s sixth son. Sixth son of the sixth most direct connection to our founder. My parents gave me the name of my ancestor, Jared Daan. I’m the first to bear that name since the great man passed. My mother says I’m destined for greatness. I think that’s crazy talk. But my five brothers hate me for it.

    While I fully intend to end up in a dive, I think there is only one way to get rid of the pent up aggression I’m feeling.”“Well, considering how you're decked out,” Eric said, “I think you believe we need to work out our aggression?"“What I’m thinking,” John said, “Is that the best way to get rid of aggression is to mess up some people who desperately need to be messed up. So, I’ve had Frank help me locate a few places that need help. Now, we might not make it to all of them, but by the end of the night we will have done some major good, and I’ll start feeling a little Karmic balance restored. If you guys aren’t full up, well, we will just have to schedule it again.” Bellatrix A young woman, a bad boyfriend, a small black female german shepherd puppy.One of these has got to go...The story of Yelena, her relationship with Bellatrix and how they met the Bethany Anne while the two were trying to save her brother from a Wechselbalg.And beer...Let's not forget the beer.For fans of The Kurtherian Gambit series and world. This is set between books 13 and 14 in The Kurtherian Gambit and explains how Ashur's mate Bellatrix comes to be in the group.And why Bellatrix knows how to properly respond to terrorists in outer space. (For those who LOVED that scene!) Challenges Tabitha has one night to challenge her past, and her belief in herself. Normally, a person would fail. However, Tabitha has an ace in the hole. A female vampire with hundreds of years of life and wisdom and she is willing to protect Tabitha and tell her the truth. Whether Tabitha wants it, or not.And whether the Vampire wants to hurt others is not in question. It is what her Queen would expect. And Gabrielle will make it happen, like it or not. "We kind of thought you have covered that with shoes…"Bethany Anne has a challenge for her team, it’s just they don’t know what it is, exactly.At first, the thought of a seedvault doesn't excite the team much. But the Queen has demanded a less stressful, more enjoyable opportunity to accomplish a needed goal for her people. Then, they add inefficiency into the project on purpose.

    Kath and Nolan are looking for answers, trying to find ways to protect Earth from the possibility of an invasive alien species overrunning the planet. The US Presidential Election changes the political landscape. With new, hostile leadership, Kath and Nolan find themselves out of favor. Lies continue to dominate social media. Perhaps the greatest threat doesn't come from the stars. Perhaps there's already a generation of vipers here on Earth.FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. It is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.Although Generation of Vipers is a sequel it has been written so it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

    A galactic empire of a quarter of a million worlds stumbles across the Earth. Their philosophy on life is totally unexpected. With the help of intelligent automatons, they've turned a reviled political system into a utopia for the masses, but are they a force for good or evil? A Daragnen university graduate, Yol Rummy Blin Breganin, discovers that Earth failed in its attempt to join the Federation, and, for some unknown reason, members are forever banned from visiting or contacting the planet. Rummy had never heard of a whole world being outlawed. Perhaps it would be sensible to leave well enough alone but no, he decides to investigate… FEDERATION is the first in a series of near-future, hard science-fiction novels by Tony Harmsworth, the First Contact specialist. Immerse yourself in humankind’s cultural and economic dilemma by buying FEDERATION today.

    Set two weeks before Descent’s extraordinary events, the series reveals the lives of seven seemingly unrelated men, and their everyday challenges.In the world of 7th Son, “everyday” challenges are far from ordinary. Each of these seven stories stars a unique John Michael Smith. Witness criminal profiler Dr. Mike’s quest to hunt an unstoppable serial killer. Watch blue-collar musician John realize a lifelong dream. Ride shotgun with USMC captain Michael on a dangerous black ops mission in the Middle East. Behold the worldwide influence of deranged computer hacker Kilroy2.0 … and more.7th Son: 7 Days represents the creative reboot of the popular 7th Son thriller series. Designed to tightly integrate with 7th Son: Descent’s print novel storyline, 7 Days is a perfect introduction to the 7th Son universe. Meet the Beta clones … before they knew they were clones.