Lavery comes a collection of darkly mischievous stories based on classic fairy tales. Adapted from his beloved "Children's Stories Made Horrific" series, The Merry Spinster takes up the trademark wit that endeared Lavery to readers of both The Toast and his best-selling debut Texts from Jane Eyre. The feature become among the most popular on the site, with each entry bringing in tens of thousands of views, as the stories proved a perfect vehicle for Lavery’s eye for deconstruction and destabilization. Sinister and inviting, familiar and alien all at the same time, The Merry Spinster updates traditional children's stories and fairy tales with elements of psychological horror, emotional clarity, and a keen sense of feminist mischief.Readers of The Toast will instantly recognize Lavery's boisterous good humor and uber-nerd swagger: those new to Lavery's oeuvre will delight in his unique spin on fiction, where something a bit mischievous and unsettling is always at work just beneath the surface.Unfalteringly faithful to its beloved source material, The Merry Spinster also illuminates the unsuspected, and frequently, alarming emotional complexities at play in the stories we tell ourselves, and each other, as we tuck ourselves in for the night.Bedtime will never be the same.The daughter cells --The thankless child --Fear not: an incident log --The six boy-coffins --The rabbit --The merry spinster --The wedding party --Some of us had been threatening our friend Mr.Toad --Cast your bread upon the waters --The frog's princess --Good fences make good neighbors

    Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities. Editors Ann and Jeff Vandermeer have gathered together a spectacular array of exhibits, oddities, images, and stories by some of the most renowned and bestselling writers and artists in speculative and graphic fiction, including Ted Chiang, Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy), China Miéville, and Michael Moorcock. A spectacularly illustrated anthology of Victorian steampunk devices and the stories behind them, The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities is a boldly original, enthrallingly imaginative, and endlessly entertaining entry into a hidden world of weird science and unnatural nature that will appeal equally to fantasy lovers and graphic novel aficionados.

    Mist-shrouded, wrapped in magic. The legendary island of the Goddess, resting place of Arthur. This mystical island's legacy has remained strong over the centuries, becoming a symbol of hope and wonder.Out of Avalon presents fifteen original stories of magic, adventure, and romance from an era lost to history - yet always remembered by those with imagination...

    Bitter Gold Hearts: The Stormwarden's son has been kidnapped, and Garrett must brave a host of ogres and assassins to rescue him. Cold Copper Tears: There's a new cult in town: worshippers of a godlike Destroyer who think Garrett would make an ideal sacrifice!

    Toss them together in one anthology. Add a dash of romance, a pinch of humor and a dollop of mystery. Stir in a few ghosts, a handful of sorcerers and garnish with magic for the perfect witch's brew. A Tale of Two Witches ~ Christiana Miller and Barbra AnninoTwo young witches join forces to take on a soul-stealer when he threatens the small town of Amethyst, IL.Black Magic Wiccan ~ Toni LoTempioOn one of her last assignments before leaving PSI, Wiccan witch Morgan Hawkes calls upon her Voodoo heritage to battle a vengeful spirit.The Kiss ~ Edie RamerIn this modern-day version of Sleeping Beauty, a woman whose ancestor was accused of being a witch in Salem is the only hope of a dying man with unusual powers.The Trouble With Spells ~ Camilla ChaferA witch couple must solve a family mystery using both their magic and their wits.Rianna's Revenge ~ Dale MayerA young hydromancer must win a challenge to save her place as rightful heir to her elemental house. When she discovers her ex--the man she still loves--is one of the judges, she wonders just how many enemies she's really fighting.A Ghostly Match ~ Misty EvansWhen a Voodoo matchmaker looking for her soul mate pleads to her dead grandmother for help, she opens the door to a ghostly client with an impossible demand.A Samhain Surprise ~ Debora GearyEnchanter's Realm is an online game for witches. And the creators have a surprise ready this Hallow's Eve.The Witch is Back ~ Rose PresseyStormy Sanders discovers a beautiful crystal, but with it comes a witchy fairy godmother. When Stormy attempts her first magic spell on Halloween night, mysterious Gavin Wickcliffe shows up at her door. That's when she realizes there's a lot more to magic than she expected.Cats and Dogs ~ J.L. BryanEnchanted cookies from a witchy neighbor help connect Sadie with her own pets--and that handsome neighbor she's been eyeing.The Hazards of Desire ~ Wren EmersonIn a town full of witches, a young witch learns that love can be dangerous.Orion's Moon ~ Teri ReidWhen blood-born witch Cassidy Maguire opens her home to a stray dog she names Orion, little does she realize that she will not only be the hunter, but the hunted.

    I hop to avoid either and to entertain you while I'm doing it."Here she has succeeded!

    William and Mary was later adapted for Roald's American television series 'Way Out and several of the stories appeared in British television adaptations for the series Tales of the Unexpected in the 1980s. Also included here is The Champion of the World - the first time Roald wrote about the man who would go on to become Danny's dad in Danny the Champion of the World.The stories featured in Kiss Kiss are: The LandladyWilliam and MaryThe Way up to HeavenParson's PleasureMrs Bixby and the Colonel's CoatRoyal JellyGeorgy PorgyGenesis and CatastropheEdward the ConquerorPigThe Champion of the World--roalddahl.com

    One girl instilled with supernatural strength and abilities so that she may protect the world from the forces of darkness. But the Chosen One leads a brief, violent life. When one Slayer dies another is called, creating an eternal line of powerful female warriors stretching all the way back to the beginning of time. From ancient Greece to present day, Tales of the Slayer chronicles their stories in which each girl has a personal history, a shared moral code, and a commitment to conquer evil, regardless of the cost…

    While working on the set of a ghost-busting reality show in a haunted castle, she meets a sexy vampire, and together they prevent a Master Demon from killing everyone in the castle. In “Undead Sublet” by Molly Harper, executive chef Tess Maitland is banned from her five-star kitchen in Chicago to recover from “exhaustion.” Choosing a random rental house in Half-Moon Hollow to spend time in, she’s unaware that the house comes with a strange man. Even though Sam Masden’s ex-wife has rented the house out from under him, the divorce settlement allows him access to it for another ninety days. With Tess unable to go anywhere else, and Sam unwilling, a war of epic proportions is declared—and romantic sparks and heavy pots fly. Jessica Sims’s “Out With a Fang” features Ruby Sommers, a lonely were-jaguar who signs up for a blind date through the paranormal dating agency Midnight Liaisons. When she arrives, she finds out that her date, a vampire, was the human she’d been in love with four years ago but was forced to dump.

    Tourists flock to the cities within the city: the Magic City of the World’s Fair on an island created of artifice and illusion; the forbidden city of Chinatown, a separate, alien world of exotic food and nightclubs that offer “authentic” experiences, straight from the pages of the pulps; and the twilight world of forbidden love, where outcasts from conventional society can meet.Six women find their lives as tangled with each other’s as they are with the city they call home. They discover love and danger on the borders where mystery, science, and art intersect.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    Most of the stories are modern, with many especially written for this collection. The book also includes classic reprints and rare gems from comic fantasy's roots in past years.

    How could it be otherwise? For every Frodo, there is a Gandalf ... and a Saruman. For every Dorothy, a Glinda ... and a Wicked Witch of the West. What would Harry Potter be without Albus Dumbledore ... and Severus Snape? Figures of wisdom and power, possessing arcane, often forbidden knowledge, wizards and sorcerers are shaped — or misshaped — by the potent magic they seek to wield. Yet though their abilities may be godlike, these men and women remain human — some might say all too human. Such is their curse. And their glory.In these pages, seventeen of today's top fantasy writers — including award-winners Elizabeth Bear, John Crowley, Kate Elliott, K.J. Parker, Tim Powers, and Liz Williams — cast wondrous spells that thrillingly evoke the mysterious, awesome, and at times downright terrifying worlds where magic reigns supreme: worlds as far away as forever, and as near as next door.Contents:- The Return of the Pig by K.J. Parker- Community Service by Megan Lindholm- Flint and Mirror by John Crowley- The Friends of Masquelayne the Incomparable by Matthew Hughes- The Biography of a Bouncing Boy Terror, Chapter II: Jumping Jack in Love by Ysabeau S. Wilce- Song of Fire by Rachel Pollack- Loft the Sorcerer by Eleanor Arnason- The Governor by Tim Powers- Sungrazer by Liz Williams- The Staff in the Stone by Garth Nix- No Work of Mine by Elizabeth Bear- Widow Maker by Lavie Tidhar- The Wolf and the Manticore by Greg Van Eekhout- The Devil's Whatever by Andy Duncan- Bloom by Kate Elliott- The Fall and Rise of the House of the Wizard Malkuril by Scott Lynch

    From wizards to weathermen, many know the powers of the four elements-natural forces that can direct the fates, change destiny, and unite lovers in the most unexpected ways. Now, those magical elements-air, fire, water, and earth-come together in perfect balance, and a perfectly unique romance anthology, from four charmed authors. In Air find romance in a breathless retelling of the Cinderella fable from award-winning Sharon Shinn, "an amazing writing talent"(Best Reviews). In Fire blazes adventure in a parallel dimension of werewolves and love-slaves from USA Today bestselling Rebecca York, "a true master" (Rave Reviews). In Water resides fantasy and a remarkable universe of magic, demons, and dangerous passion from "thoroughly original" (Starburst) award-winner Carol Berg. And in Earth discover the ultimate in profound pleasure from Jean Johnson, "a fresh new voice in fantasy romance" (Robin D. Owens).

    Here are seventeen shopping trips you?ll never forget, from a store that sells the highest quality familiars?to the non-magical daughter of a magic-filled family who is left to mind the family jewelry store though she has no means to defeat an enchanting thief?to a woman running a Wiccan supply store who is suddenly faced with an IRS audit?

    Anderson, and Rob Thurman—nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil..Unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes it so easy to cross the line.In #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s Cold Case, Molly Carpenter—Harry Dresden’s apprentice-turned-Winter Lady—must collect a tribute from a remote Fae colony and discovers that even if you’re a good girl, sometimes you have to be bad...New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s Sleepover finds half-succubus Elsie Harrington kidnapped by a group of desperate teenage boys. Not for anything “weird.” They just need her to rescue a little girl from the boogeyman. No biggie.In New York Times bestselling Kevin J. Anderson’s Eye of Newt, Zombie P.I. Dan Shamble’s latest client is a panicky lizard missing an eye who thinks someone wants him dead. But the truth is that someone only wants him for a very special dinner...And New York Times bestselling author Rob Thurman’s infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals wih some overdue—and nightmarish—vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters .ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BYTanya Huff * Kat Richardson * Jim C. Hines * Anton Strout * Lucy A. Snyder * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Erik Scott de Bie *From the Trade Paperback edition.