Anthologies

From historic fiction to scintillating erotica, from the dusty Old West to the pristine countryside of Iceland, from witches and shamans to selkies and skunks, the medley of stories in this collection of pagan fiction are as eclectic and wonderfully multifaceted as Paganism itself. The first fiction anthology dedicated exclusively to pagan voices and themes, this thirteen-tale pagan fiction sampler is the result of contest sponsored by book publisher Llewellyn and PanGaia magazine. These stories emerged from hundreds of submissions and were hand-selected by a jury of writers and editors, including renowned Neopagan leader and author Diana L. Paxson. Stories by A. C. Fisher Aldag • Vylar Kaftan  • Deborah Blake • Alex Bledsoe • C. S. MacCath • Eugie Foster • Linda Steele • Paula Stiles • Melodie Bolt • Sophie Mouette • April • A. L. Waldron

Containing original artwork by an award-winning comic artist, this anthology gathers an unexpected team of writers—both celebrated and emerging—to deliver 14 thrilling and distinctive variations on the classic theme of the hero story. These new heroes span the spectrum from postapocalyptic seer to posttraumatic arm-twister, from outcast vampire to steam-age avenger, and from two-fisted aviator to rabbi pirate; selfhood is tested, obstacles are shattered, and disorder is vanquished. The collection includes contributors such as RPG luminaries Monte Cook ( Dungeons & Dragons , Ptolus ) and Kenneth Hite ( Trail of Cthulhu , Star Trek RPG ) and also features Chuck Wendig's pathos-filled creation Mookie, the sad sack leg-breaker.

"Dark Light" is the light that shines through when some of the finest writers in horror use the power of their dark words for a bright cause. That’s the case with this anthology—42 writers coming together to help support the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the good the organization does for families year round. Make no mistake, though. These are horror writers and the stories they’ve written are not pretty. Traditional and non-traditional horror, dark humor, ghosts, serial killers, alternate universes, magic, zombies, and other creatures of the night hide between these pages. Shadows move and dead fingers stroke unsuspecting flesh, razor sharp knives shimmer in the moonlight, and unknown things hide in closets and under the bed. The stories here are as varied as the writers themselves. If you’re a fan of horror, you will not be let down. Despite the horrific nature of these tales, however, their very existence in "Dark Light" stands as proof there will always be a light at the end of every tunnel. Features stories by horror legend Graham Masterton, Bram Stoker winner Joe McKinney, John Shirley, author of the "Crow" screenplay, Ray Garton, Wrath James White, William Todd Rose, Scott Nicholson, Tim Lebbon, Deborah LeBlanc, Tim Curran, Nancy Kilpatrick, Stephen Graham Jones, Angeline Hawkes, Christopher Fulbright, Jeffrey Thomas, Lisa Morton, and many more.

With 13 thrilling stories of threatened identity and vanquished disorder, this second volume of the New Hero series boasts a diverse cast of top writers who tear apart and recombine the limits of the serial adventure form. The memorable, original characters range from a feminist painter-mercenary to steampunk cowgirls to a mutant paladin of the semiotic apocalypse. These stories, by authors including Jesse Bullington, Alex Bledsoe, Matt Forbeck, Tobias S. Buckell, are matched with the artwork of four-time Eisner Award–winning comic artist Gene Ha.

Where are your heroes? Are they trapped inside the stories in your head? Are you ready to share them, to brag of them, to tell of their deeds and battles, their daring and sacrifice? Are you a storyteller ready to write the tales of your own heroes? Fantasy heroes endure. They are embedded in our cultural fabric, dwarfing other literary figures and the mere men and women of history. Achilles and Odysseus, Gilgamesh and Beowulf. King Arthur and Robin Hood, Macbeth and Sherlock Holmes, Conan and Luke Skywalker. They dominate our legends, and tower over popular culture. The stories we tell each other begin and end with fantasy heroes, and the 21st Century is as thoroughly captivated with them as ever. From Batman to Gandalf, Harry Potter to Tyrion Lannister, the heroes of fantasy speak to—and for—whole generations. But what makes a fantasy hero? How do the best writers create them, and bring them to life on the page? In WRITING FANTASY HEROES some of the most successful fantasy writers of our time—including Steven Erikson, Brandon Sanderson, Janet Morris, Cecelia Holland, Orson Scott Card, Paul Kearney, and Glen Cook—pull back the curtain to reveal the secrets of creating heroes that live and breathe, and steal readers' hearts. Whether you're an aspiring writer or simply a reader who loves great fantasy and strong characters, this book is for you.

The most important characters don't always get top billing... Sidekicks: We know them, and we ignore them. They sit courtside, they wait in the shadows, they ride on the coattails. They have nothing to offer. Or do they? Heroes and heroines perform world shaking deeds, but sidekicks? Sidekicks are the unseen glue holding those powerhouses together. They are the backbones. They are the voices of reason. It's long past time for them to shine. Here, the fangirls, the trusted associates, the loyal assistants, and the imperiled wards have their moment in the spotlight. Join them as they shake up the world in unexpected and understated ways. Let the heroes sit this one out. Celebrate the Sidekick!

Thirty-three science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories grab readers by their emotional cores to star deep into the source of our humanity and inhumanity. Well-known authors like Ken Liu, Genevieve Valentine, Catherynne M. Valente, Lavie Tidhar, and Alethea Kontis, along with newer voices, sketch surreal pasts, presents, and futures full of characters with familiar and outsized desires and fears. The Book of Apex Volume 4 collects the original fiction from Hugo-winning editor Lynne M. Thomas's first fifteen issues at the helm of Apex Magazine , which included two Hugo Award nominations for the magazine. Table of Contents: "The Bread We Eat in Dreams" by Catherynne M. Valente "The Leavings of the Wolf" by Elizabeth Bear "The 24 Hour Brother" by Christopher Barzak "Faithful City" by Michael Pevzner "So Glad We Had This Time Together" by Cat Rambo "Sweetheart Showdown" by Sarah Dalton "Bear in Contradicting Landscape" by David J. Schwartz "My Body Her Canvas" by A.C. Wise "A Member of the Wedding of Heaven and Hell" by Richard Bowes "Copper, Iron, Blood and Love" by Mari Ness "The Second Card of the Major Arcana" by Thoraiya Dyer "Love is a Parasite Meme" by Lavie Tidhar "Decomposition" by Rachel Swirsky "Tomorrow's Dictator" by Rahul Kanakia "Winter Scheming" by Brit Mandelo "In the Dark" by Ian Nichols "The Silk Merchant" by Ken Liu "Ironheart" by Alec Austin "Coyote Gets His Own Back" by Sarah Monette "Waiting for Beauty" by Marie Brennan "Murdered Sleep" by Kat Howard "Armless Maidens of the American West" by Genevieve Valentine "Sexagesimal" by Katharine E.K. Duckett "During the Pause" by Adam-Troy Castro "Weaving Dreams" by Mary Robinette Kowal "Always the Same. Till it is Not" by Cecil Castellucci "Sprig" by Alex Bledsoe "Splinter" by Shira Lipkin "Erzulie Dantor" by Tim Susman "Labyrinth" by Mari Ness "Blood from Stone" by Alethea Kontis "Trixie and the Pandas of Dread" by Eugie Foster "The Performance Artist" by Lettie Prell Cover art provided by Julie Dillon.

When you talk about outsiders, it's easy to think about that sense of isolation when you're not one of the "popular kids" in high school, when you're the new person on the job, when you stand out in a bad way.But there's more than that. There's the sense of wonder at a new, alien place. There's seeing everything you know through a new, different point of view. These stories defy expectations and easy genre boundaries. But if you want that sense of wonder and amazement when you first encountered speculative fiction, that idea that there is something different, something more just around the corner, just out of sight, that sense of coming home to the unfamiliar, then this is the book you want to read.

A missing intergalactic artifact valuable enough to inspire murder. A cartoon gag gone bad that leads to a gruesome death. Greek deities unraveling a divine mystery in New York City. A human detective navigating the temptations of Faerie in pursuit of a magical killer. Call them sleuths, call them gumshoes, call them shamuses or dicks or beagles—these private investigators prowl the back alleys of imagination, explaining the unexplainable, seeking answers and justice for two hundred dollars a day plus expenses. In Noir , speculative fiction authors Hal Bodner, Jessie Kwak, Esther M. Friesner, Travis Wade Beaty, John Zakour, Alex Bledsoe, Erik Grove, Andrija Popovic, Julie E. Czerneda, Aprilynne Pike, D.B. Jackson, Justin Jordan, Steven Harper, R.S. Belcher, and Eve Golden-Woods spin tales of intrigue and danger, introducing you to worlds where information is currency and life is cheap. So put on your fedora, raise your trench coat collar against the evening chill, and come explore the shadows. But remember, in this seedy business, you can trust no one…sometimes not even yourself.