Anthologies
Fantastic adventure stories to stimulate the mind and imagination of Junior High School age readers.
In the heart of the new millennium, worlds beyond our imagination have opened up, blurring the line between life and art. Embracing the challenges and possibilities of cyberspace, genetics, the universe, and beyond, the world of science fiction has become a porthole into the realities of tomorrow. In The Year's Best Science Fiction Twenty-third Annual Collection, our very best SF authors explore ideas of a new world with such compelling stories as: "Beyond the Aquila Rift": Critically acclaimed author Alastair Reynolds takes readers to the edge of the universe, where no voyager has dared to travel before---or so we think. "Comber": Our world is an ever-changing one, and award-winning author Gene Wolfe explores the darker side of our planet's fluidity in his own beautiful and inimitable style. "Audubon in Atlantis": In a world not quite like our own, bestselling author Harry Turtledove shows us that there are reasons some species have become extinct. The twenty-nine stories in this collection imaginatively take us far across the universe, into the very core of our beings, to the realm of the gods, and the moment just after now. Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including:Neal Asher, Paolo Bacigalupi, Stephen Baxter, Elizabeth Bear, Chris Beckett, Dominic Green, Daryl Gregory, Joe Haldeman, Gwyneth Jones, James Patrick Kelley, Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold, Ken MacLeod, Ian McDonald, Vonda N. McIntyre, David Moles, Derryl Murphy, Steven Popkes, Hannu Rajaniemi, Alastair Reynolds, Robert Reed, Chris Roberson, Mary Rosenblum, William Sanders, Bruce Sterling, Michael Swanwick, Harry Turtledove, Peter Watts, Liz Williams, and Gene Wolfe. Supplementing the stories are the editor's insightful summation of the year's events and a lengthy list of honorable mentions, making this book both a valuable resource and the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination and the heart.
For nearly two decades, readers have turned to The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror to find the most rewarding fantastic short stories. Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link, and Gavin Grant continue this critically acclaimed and award-winning tradition with another stunning collection of stories. The fiction and poetry here is culled from an exhaustive survey of the field, nearly four dozen works ranging from fairy tales to gothic horror, from magic realism to dark tales in the Grand Guignol style. Rounding out the volume are the editors' invaluable overviews of the year in fantasy and horror, and sections on graphic novels, by Charles Vess; on anime and manga, by Joan D. Vinge; on media, by Ed Bryant; and on music, by Charles de Lint. With a long list of Honorable Mentions, this is an indispensable reference as well as the best reading available in fantasy and horror.Isabel Allende Laird Barron Elizabeth Bear Andrew Bonia Chaz Brenchley Tom Brennan Jack Cady Jennifer Chang Robert Coover Albert E. Cowdrey Kelly Everding Jeffrey Ford Theodora Goss Elizabeth Hand Joe Hill Glen Hirshberg Pentti Holappa Dave Hutchinson China Miéville, Emma Bircham, and Max Schäfer Sarah Monette Ralph Robert Moore Adam L.G. Nevill Kim Newman Reggie Oliver Chuck Palahniuk Stacey Richter Barbara Roden Deborah Roggie Jay Russell Geoff Ryman Mark Samuels Willa Schneberg Nisi Shawl Delia Sherman Bruce Sterling Howard Waldrop Daniel Wallace Marley Youmans
Enchanting and enchanted lovers, magical romance, dark desires, otherworldly sensations, ethereal encounters, paranormal thrills, sensual spells, supernatural suspense, sizzling speculations... Highly imaginative short fiction and novellas from the best fantasy romance writers ― both bestselling authors and new talent ― of 2005. Edited by award-winning editor Paula Guran. Juno is a new imprint from Wildside Press.
Science Fiction is the genre that looks at the implications of technology on society, which in this age of exponential technological growth makes it the most relevant branch of literature going. This is only the start, and the close of the 21st century will look absolutely nothing like its inception. It has been said that science fiction is an ongoing dialogue about the future, and the front line of that dialogue is the short story. The field has a long history of producing famous anthologies to showcase its distinguished short fiction, but it has been several years since there has been a prestigious all-original science fiction anthology series. Fast Forward is offered in the tradition of Damon Knights prestigious and influential anthology series, Orbit, and Frederik Pohls landmark Star SF. Fast Forward marks the start of a new hard science fiction anthology series, dedicated to presenting the vanguard of the genre and charting the undiscovered country that is the future. Contributors scheduled for the first volume include: Paolo Bacigalupi, Kage Baker, Tony Ballantyne, Stephen Baxter, Elizabeth Bear (Sarah B.E. Kindred), A.M. Dellamonica, Paul Di Filippo, Robyn Hitchcock, Louise Marley, Ken MacLeod, Ian McDonald, John Meaney, Larry Niven & Brenda Cooper, Mike Resnick & Nancy Kress, Justina Robson, Pamela Sargent, Mary A. Turzillo, Robert Charles Wilson, Gene Wolfe, George Zebrowski.
June 2007. Cover art by John Allemand, illustrating the story “Alien Archaeology” by Neal Asher. Also in this issue: “News from the Front” by Harry Turtledove ”Three Days of Rain” by Holly Phillips ”Studies in the Field” by R. Neube ”Don't Stop” by James Patrick Kelly ”Tideline” by Elizabeth Bear ”Scrawl Daddy” by Jack Skillingstead ”Marrying In” by Carrie Vaughn plus poetry by Debbie Ouellet, Sandra J. Lindow, and Greg Beatty FEATURES: “Heroes, Unsung” (editorial) by Sheila Williams; “Resurrecting the Quagga” (Reflections) by Robert Silverberg; “RAH” (On the Net) by James Patrick Kelly; “On Books” (reviews) by Peter Heck
Astounding Tales! (Also Amazing and Astonishing!) Tell the truth: you flat-out love science fiction and fantasy. Time travel. Space opera. Alternate history. Doesn't matter. What you love is the story. The great idea. The adventure and action. That good old-fashioned science fiction staple, the Sense of Wonder. We know exactly how you feel. Here's the best of the best: new science fiction tales told by the likes of David Drake, Gregory Benford, Gene Wolfe, Esther Friesner, Mike Resnick, John Barnes, and L. E. Modesitt, Jr. The list of award-winning story-tellers and brilliant new talent goes on and on. More important: here are stories that grip you. Transport you. Expand your universe. Make you late for important appointments like bedtime and supper! Edited by New York Times best-seller and creator of the hugely-popular "Ring of Fire" series, Eric Flint, a master story-teller in his own right, these tales are all taken from the e-pages of Jim Baen's Universe, the new standard in science fiction storytelling created and inspired by publisher and editor Jim Baen, whose nose for a great story made him a science fiction legend! At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). "[T]he story comes first and foremost." — Eric Flint, Jim Baen's Universe Editor-in-Chief Eric Flint is the author of the New York Times best seller 1634: The Galileo Affair (with Andrew Dennis)—a novel in his top-selling "Ring of Fire" alternate history series. His first novel for Baen, Mother of Demons , was picked by Science Fiction Chronicle as a best novel of the year. His 1632 , which launched the Ring of Fire series, won widespread critical praise, as from Publishers Weekly , which called him "an SF author of particular note, one who can entertain and edify in equal, and major measure." A longtime labor union activist with a master's degree in history, he currently resides in northwest Indiana with his wife Lucille.
The twenty-eight stories in this collection imaginatively take us far across the universe, into the very core of our beings, to the realm of the gods, and the moment just after now. Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including: * Cory Doctorow * Robert Charles Wilson * Michael Swanwick * Ian McDonald * Benjamin Rosenbaum * Kage Baker * Bruce McAllister * Alastair Reynolds * Jay Lake * Ruth Nestvold * Gregory Benford * Justin Stanchfield * Walter Jon Williams * Greg Van Eekhout * Robert Reed * David D. Levine * Paul J. McAuley * Mary Rosenblum * Daryl Gregory * Jack Skillingstead * Paolo Bacigalupi * Greg Egan * Elizabeth Bear * Sarah Monette * Ken MacLeod * Stephen Baxter * Carolyn Ives Gilman * John Barnes * A.M. Dellamonica Supplementing the stories are the editor's insightful summation of the year's events and a list of honorable mentions, making this book a valuable resource in addition to serving as the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination and the heart.
Cyberpunk is dead. The revolution has been co-opted by half-assed heroes, overclocked CGI, and tricked-out shades. Once radical, cyberpunk is now nothing more than a brand. Time to stop flipping the channel. These sixteen extreme stories reveal a government ninja routed by a bicycle repairman, the inventor of digitized paper hijacked by his college crush, a dead boy trapped in a warped storybook paradise, and the queen of England attacked with the deadliest of forbidden technology: a working modem. You'll meet Manfred Macx, renegade meme-broker, Red Sonja, virtual reality sex-goddess, and Felix, humble sys-admin and post-apocalyptic hero. Editors James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel ( Feeling Very Strange: The Slipstream Anthology ) have united cyberpunk visionaries William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, and Pat Cadigan with the new post-cyberpunk vanguard, including Cory Doctorow, Charles Stross, and Jonathan Lethem. Including a canon-establishing introduction and excerpts from a hotly contested online debate, Rewired is the first anthology to define and capture the crackling excitement of the post-cyberpunks. From the grittiness of Mirrorshades to the Singularity and beyond, it's time to revive the revolution.
Do you love the sound of a peg leg stomping across a quarterdeck? Or maybe you prefer a parrot on your arm, a strong wind at your back? Adventure, treasure, intrigue, humor, romance, danger and, yes, plunder! Oh, the Devil does love a pirate and so do readers everywhere! Swashbuckling from the past into the future and space itself, Fast Ships, Black Sails, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, presents an incredibly entertaining volume of original stories guaranteed to make you walk and talk like a pirate.
Widely regarded as the benchmark anthology for every science fiction fan, The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 21 continues to uphold its standard of excellence with over two dozen stories from the previous year. This years volume includes many bright young talents of science fiction, as well as a host of established masters. It covers every aspect of the genre soft, hard, cyberpunk, cyber noir, anthropological, military and adventure. Also included is a thorough summation of the year and a recommended reading list. PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS EDITIONS Its not often you get a book thats exactly what it says on the spine like this one is. Big, Crammed with the Best. Exactly so. SFX magazine 'Quantity as well as quality every piece is a treasure' The Times 'These 30 stories cover a tremendous amount of ground...the stories themselves are the stars.' 4-star rating! SFX Magazine
As in every year since 1988, the editors tirelessly scoured story collections, magazines, and anthologies worldwide to compile a delightful, diverse feast of short stories and poems. On this anniversary, the editors have increased the size of the collection to 300,000 words of fiction and poetry, including works by Billy Collins, Ted Chiang, Karen Joy Fowler, Elizabeth Hand, Glen Hirshberg, Joyce Carol Oates, and new World Fantasy Award winner M. Rickert. With impeccably researched summations of the field by the editors, Honorable Mentions, and articles by Edward Bryant, Charles de Lint and Jeff VanderMeer on media, music and graphic novels, this is a heady brew topped off by an unparalleled list of sources of fabulous works both light and dark.
The best stories of the year! Here is a collection of the best fantasy prose written in 2008, by some of the genre's greatest authors, as selected by Rich Horton, a contributing reviewer to many of the field's most respected magazines.
The thirty-two stories in this collection imaginatively take us far across the universe, into the very core of our beings, to the realm of the gods, and the moment just after now. Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including: John Barnes, Elizabeth Bear, Damien Broderick, Karl Bunker, Paul Cornell, Albert E. Cowdrey, Ian Creasey, Steven Gould, Dominic Green, Nicola Griffith, Alexander Irvine, John Kessel, Ted Kosmatka, Nancy Kress, Jay Lake, Rand B. Lee, Paul McAuley, Ian McDonald, Maureen F. McHugh, Sarah Monette, Michael Poore, Robert Reed, Adam Roberts, Chris Roberson, Mary Rosenblum, Geoff Ryman, Vandana Singh, Bruce Sterling, Lavie Tidhar, James Van Pelt, Jo Walton, Peter Watts, Robert Charles Wilson, and John C. Wright. Supplementing the stories are the editor's insightful summation of the year's events and a lengthy list of honorable mentions, making this book both a valuable resource and the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination, and the heart.
This is a collection of seven contemporary robot tales written by some of today's most acclaimed science-fiction authors. A sentient war machine combs a beach for trinkets to create memorials for its fallen comrades in the Hugo Award-winning story, "Tideline", by Elizabeth Bear. In "Balancing Accounts", by James Cambias, a small-time independent robotic space tug is hired by a mysterious client for a voyage between two of Saturn's moons. "The Seventh Expression of the Robot General", by Jeffrey Ford, involves a robot general coming to grips with his position in a world that no longer requires, or even understands, his role. A city awakens its ancient guardian as it is about to be invaded by a mining company in "Shining Armour" by Dominic Green. In "The Illustrated Biography of Lord Grimm", by Daryl Gregory, a country ruled by a super villain comes under attack by American super heroes. In "Sanjeev and Robotwallah", by Ian McDonald, a young boy becomes enamored with the armed robots that do the fighting in a Civil War and the celebrity boy-soldier's who pilot them. A robot acting as a scarecrow could be a desperate boy's one chance of staying alive in "The Scarecrow's Boy" by Michael Swanwick. These are unabridged readings by Amy Bruce and J. P. Linton.
An unabridged audio collection of the best of the best science fiction stories published in 2009 by current and emerging masters of the genre, as narrated by top voice talents. In Erosion, by Ian Creasey, A man tests the limits of his exo-suit prior to leaving a dying Earth. In As Women Fight, by Sara Genge, a hunter, in a society of body-switchers, has no time to train for a fight to inhabit his wife s body. In A Story, with Beans, by Steven Gould, the role of religion in a dystopian future plagued with metal-eating bugs is considered. In Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance, by John Kessel, a monk, in the far future, steals the only copy of a set of plays from a repressive regime and uses this loot to free his people. In On the Human Plan, by Jay Lake, a mysterious alien visits a far-future, dying Earth in search of the death of Death. Set in the Jackaroo sequence, Crimes and Glory, by Paul McAuley, a detective chases a thief to recover alien technology that both aliens and humanity are desperate to recover. Set in the Lovecraftian Boojum universe, Mongoose by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear, a vermin hunter and his tentacled assistant come on board a space station to hunt toves and raths. In Before My Last Breath, by Robert Reed, a geologist discovers a strange fossil in a coal mine that leads to the discovery of a peculiar graveyard. In The Island, by Peter Watts, a woman on a spaceship must decide whether to place a stargate near an alien society that will ultimately destroy it. Finally, This Peaceable Land; or, The Unbearable Vision of Harriet Beecher Stowe, by Robert Charles Wilson, is an alternate American Civil War history in which the war was never fought, slavery gradually disappeared, and Uncle Tom s Cabin was never published. More than 9.5 hours on 8 CDs, read by Tom Dheere, Vanessa Hart, and J. P. Linton.
Darkness surrounds us. We can find darkness anywhere: in a strange green stone etched with mysterious symbols; at a small town's annual picnic; in a ghostly house that is easy to enter but not so easy to leave; behind the dumpster in the alley where a harpy lives; in The Nowhere, a place where car keys, toys, people disappear to; among Polar explorers; and, most definitely, within ourselves. Darkness flies from mysterious crates; surrounds children whose nightlights have vanished; and flickers between us at the movie theater. Darkness crawls from the past and is waiting in our future; and there's always a chance that Halloween really is a door opening directly into endless shadow. Welcome to the dark. You may never want to leave. This inaugural volume of the year's best dark fantasy and horror features more than 500 pages of dark tales from some of today's finest writers of the fantastique. Chosen from a variety of sources, these stories are as eclectic and varied as the genre itself.
Starships come in many shapes and sizes. Their crews and passengers are an eclectic lot. They venture into the deep voids of space on their assigned missions. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they do not. This collection tells the stories of the crews and passengers aboard six of these starships. Those aboard the Mayflower II are determined to be the first generation ship to successfully reach another galaxy in a story ( Mayflower II ) by Stephen Baxter that takes place in the Xeelee universe. In Boojum, by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette, space pirates are on the prowl for booty aboard the living starship, Lavinia Whateley. In The Political Officer, by Charles Coleman Finlay, the crew aboard a military starship must contend with both the enemy and a political officer. In The Tomb Wife, by Gwyneth Jones, the navigator of the interstellar freighter, Pirate Jenny, hears a ghost from an alien tomb in its cargo hold. Two competitive physicists aboard the Kepler use uploads of themselves to probe the scientific mysteries of radiation-rich space in Shiva in Shadow by Nancy Kress. A wealthy woman explores the lives of the less fortunate aboard a starship larger than Earth in Robert Reed s The Remoras, part of the author s ongoing Marrow series. These are unabridged readings by Nicola Barber and Tom Dheere. The playing time is approximately nine hours on eight CDs..
In Whedonistas, a host of award-winning female writers and fans come together to celebrate the works of Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, Doctor Horrible s Sing-Along Blog). By discussing the impact of Whedon's work, their involvement with his shows fandoms and why they adore the worlds he's created, these essayists aim to misbehave in Whedon's rich, fantastical worlds. Essay topics include Sharon Shinn (Samaria series) and Emma Bull (Territory) elaborating on the perfection of Firefly, Jeanne Stein (the Anna Strong Chronicles) revealing Buffy's influence on Anna Strong, and Nancy Holder (October Rain, The Watcher s Guide) relating on-the-set tales of Spike menacing her baby daughter while Riley made her hot chocolate. Other contributors include Seanan McGuire (October Daye series), Elizabeth Bear (Chill), Catherynne M. Valente (Palimpsest), Maria Lima (Blood Lines), Jackie Kessler (Black and White), Mariah Huehner (IDW Comics), Sarah Monette (Corambis), and Lyda Morehouse (AngeLINK Series). Also featured is an exclusive interview with television writer and producer Jane Espenson.
A hit man who kills with coincidence... A detective caught in a war between two worlds... A man whose terrible appetites hide an even darker secret... Dark Horse once again teams up with Hugo and Bram Stoker award-winning editor Ellen Datlow (Lovecraft Unbound) to bring you this masterful marriage of the darkness without and the darkness within. Supernatural Noir is an anthology of original tales of the dark fantastic from twenty modern masters of suspense, including Brian Evenson, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Nick Mamatas, Gregory Frost, and Jeffrey Ford.
The Cthulhu Mythos is one of the 20th century''s most singularly recognizable literary creations. Initially created by H. P. Lovecraft and a group of his amorphous contemporaries (the so-called "Lovecraft Circle"), The Cthulhu Mythos story cycle has taken on a convoluted, cyclopean life of its own. Some of the most prodigious writers of the 20th century, and some of the most astounding writers of the 21st century have planted their seeds in this fertile soil. The Book of Cthulhu harvests the weirdest and most corpulent crop of these modern mythos tales. From weird fiction masters to enigmatic rising stars, The Book of Cthulhu demonstrates how Mythos fiction has been a major cultural meme throughout the 20th century, and how this type of story is still salient, and terribly powerful today. Table of Contents: Caitlin R. Kiernan - Andromeda among the Stones Ramsey Campbell - The Tugging Charles Stross - A Colder War Bruce Sterling - The Unthinkable Silvia Moreno-Garcia - Flash Frame W. H. Pugmire - Some Buried Memory Molly Tanzer - The Infernal History of the Ivybridge Twins Michael Shea - Fat Face Elizabeth Bear - Shoggoths in Bloom T. E. D. Klien - Black Man With A Horn David Drake - Than Curse the Darkness Charles Saunders - Jeroboam Henley''s Debt Thomas Ligotti - Nethescurial Kage Baker - Calamari Curls Edward Morris - Jihad over Innsmouth Cherie Priest - Bad Sushi John Hornor Jacobs - The Dream of the Fisherman''s Wife Brian McNaughton - The Doom that Came to Innsmouth Ann K. Schwader - Lost Stars Steve Duffy - The Oram County Whoosit Joe R. Lansdale - The Crawling Sky Brian Lumley - The Fairground Horror Tim Pratt - Cinderlands Gene Wolfe - Lord of the Land Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. - To Live and Die in Arkham John Langan - The Shallows Laird Barron - The Men from Porlock
For more than 80 years H.P. Lovecraft has inspired writers of supernatural fiction, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and gaming. His themes of cosmic indifference, the utter insignificance of humankind, minds invaded by the alien, and the horrors of history ― written with a pervasive atmosphere of unexplainable dread ― remain not only viable motifs, but are more relevant than ever as we explore the mysteries of a universe in which our planet is infinitesimal and climatic change is overwhelming it. In the first decade of the twenty-first century the best supernatural writers no longer imitate Lovecraft, but they are profoundly influenced by the genre and the mythos he created. New Cthulhu: The Recent Weird presents some of the best of this new Lovecraftian fiction ― bizarre, subtle, atmospheric, metaphysical, psychological, filled with strange creatures and stranger characters ― eldritch, unsettling, evocative, and darkly appealing.
For more than eighty years H.P. Lovecraft has inspired writers of supernatural fiction, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and gaming. His themes of cosmic indifference, the utter insignificance of humankind, minds invaded by the alien, and the horrors of history — written with a pervasive atmosphere of unexplainable dread — remain not only viable motifs, but are more relevant than ever as we explore the mysteries of a universe in which our planet is infinitesimal and climatic change is overwhelming it. In the first decade of the twenty-first century the best supernatural writers no longer imitate Lovecraft, but they are profoundly influenced by the genre and the mythos he created. New Cthulhu: The Recent Weird presents some of the best of this new Lovecraftian fiction — bizarre, subtle, atmospheric, metaphysical, psychological, filled with strange creatures and stranger characters — eldritch, unsettling, evocative, and darkly appealing.
Young love has always had its challenges, but even so, the world falling apart at its seams is a pretty big obstacle. This stellar collection of YA dystopian tales explores survival of the fittest in terms of love, passion, and humanity. When the survival of the human race is at stake, what will it take for the bond between two people to hold strong together? Featuring some of the most well known and best-selling names of the dystopian genre, as well as the hottest up-and-coming authors, this anthology includes works from Jeanne DuPrau ( City of Ember ), Kiera Cass ( The Selection ), William Sleator ( Interstellar Pig ), Jesse Karp ( Those That Wake ), Diana Peterfreund ( Secret Society Girl ), Carrie Vaughn ( The Kitty Norville Series), and Carrie Ryan ( New York Times bestseller The Forest of Hands and Teeth ).
Even before Karel Capek coined the term robot, the idea of mechanical people fascinated us: they wanted to play one, to use their ingenuity to create in their own image. While the actual robotics achievements have been stunning, the literary robots are even more amazing in the diversity of both function and metaphor. From Capek’s biotech machines of R.U.R. to Kuttner’s Proud Robot to the fictional assortment of mechanical sex toys, rebels, grandmothers, servants and masters, these machines have represented our dreams as well as our anxieties. In this anthology are the stories that represent all the many faces of robots: beautiful, hideous, and everything in between.
What if the fae were still here, living among us? Perhaps living in secret, doing their best to pass for human? Or perhaps their existence is acknowledged, but they're still struggling to fit in. How have they survived? Are they outcasts clinging to the edges of society, or do their powers ensure success in the mortal realm? Here are fourteen fabulous tales—ranging from humor to dark fantasy—that explore how the creatures of fae are fitting into the modern world. From a mortal who offers to do internet marketing for Oberon...to a woman bent on reclaiming her baby from the Queen of the fae...to a dryad grove menaced by urban expansion...to a Selkie in need of a new home and career...these are original looks at how the world of the imagination can survive and perhaps even thrive in the everyday mortal lands.
In this the twenty-fifth edition of his celebrated annual Mammoth Book of Best New SF (its 29th as The Year's Best SF in the United States), award-winning editor Gardner Dozois presents most outstanding pieces of short science fiction from 2011, along with his typically informative notes on each author. Many are the work of award-winning writers, but there are also some surprising newcomers. The collection is prefaced, as ever, by Dozois's Summation of 2011 in SF, a review of the year's highlights in publishing and film - including non-fiction, media and awards - obituaries and an insightful look at emerging trends. Includes stories from bestselling writers: Damien Broderick, Paul McAuley, Ian R. MacLeod, Catherynne M. Valente, Robert Reed, Alastair Reynolds, Michael Swanwick, Yoon Ha Lee and many more. Praise for previous editions: Quantity as well as quality . . . every piece is a treasure. The Times. For more than a quarter century, Gardner Dozois's Mammoth Book of Best New SF has defined the field. It is the most important anthology, not only annually, but overall. Charles N. Brown, publsiher of Locus Magazine. New authors rub shoulders with old hands, and strong work from relative novices Hannu Rajaniemi and Lavie Tidhar suggest that SF's future is as bright as ever. Financial Times.
When Night Shade Books unleashed The Book of Cthulhu onto an unsuspecting world, it was critically acclaimed as "the ultimate Cthulhu anthology" and "a 'must read' for fans of Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos," The Book of Cthulhu went where no collection of mythos tales had gone before: to the very edge of madness... and beyond. For nearly a century, H. P. Lovecraft's tales of malevolent Great Old Ones existing beyond the dimensions of this world, beyond the borders of sanity, have captured and held the imaginations of writers and aficionados of the dark, the macabre, the fantastic, and the horrible. Now, because you demanded more, anthologist Ross E. Lockhart has risked all to dive back into the Cthulhu canon, combing through mind-shattering manuscripts and moldering tomes to bring you The Book of Cthulhu II , with even more tales of tentacles, terror, and madness. Featuring monstrous stories by many of weird fiction's brightest lights, The Book of Cthulhu II brings you even more tales inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's greatest creation: The Cthulhu mythos. This year, the stars are right... Iä! Iä! Cthulhu Fhtagn!
A collection of some of the best original short fiction published in 2012. Includes stories by Elizabeth Bear, Adam Troy Castro, Paul Cornell, Kathryn Cramer, Brit Mandelo, Pat Murphy, Charles Stross, Michael Swanwick, Rachel Swirsky, and Gene Wolfe. At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
This Gaslamp Fantasy anthology features all-new stories set in a magical Victorian Era, with entries from Jeffrey Ford, Tanith Lee, and others. Renowned anthologist Ellen Datlow draws together some of today's most exciting historical fantasy authors for a bewitching journey into Victorian England. Queen Victoria's Book of Spells presents eighteen original stories ranging from steampunk adventures to Jane Austen-inspired works that some critics call Fantasy of Manners. Contributors to this volume include both bestselling writers and exciting new talents such as Elizabeth Bear, James Blaylock, Jeffrey Ford, Ellen Kushner, Tanith Lee, Gregory Maguire, Delia Sherman, and Catherynne M. Valente, who present a vision of a nineteenth century invested (or cursed ) with magic. A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of 2013
Under the countless billions of stars in the universe, what forms will alien life take? How will they live? And what will happen when we meet them? Aliens: Recent Encounters collects answers to these questions from some of today's best science fiction writers. From first encounters to life alongside aliens—and stories of the aliens' own lives—here are many futures: violent and peaceful, star-spanning and personal. Only one thing is certain: alien life will defy our expectations.
This fifth volume of the year's best science fiction and fantasy features thirty-three stories by some of the genre's greatest authors, including Elizabeth Bear, Aliette de Bodard, Ursula K. Le Guin, Jay Lake, Kelly Link, Robert Reed, Lavie Tidhar, Catherynne M. Valente, Genevieve Valentine, and many others. Selecting the best fiction from Analog, Asimov's, Clarkesworld, F&SF, Strange Horizons, and other top venues, The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy is your guide to magical realms and worlds beyond tomorrow.
In the new millennium, what secrets lay beyond the far reaches of the universe? What mysteries belie the truths we once held to be self evident? The world of science fiction has long been a porthole into the realities of tomorrow, blurring the line between life and art. Now, in The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirtieth Annual Collection the very best SF authors explore ideas of a new world through their short stories. This venerable collection brings together award winning authors and masters of the field such as Robert Reed, Alastair Reynolds, Damien Broderick, Elizabeth Bear, Paul McAuley and John Barnes. And with an extensive recommended reading guide and a summation of the year in science fiction, this annual compilation has become the definitive must-read anthology for all science fiction fans and readers interested in breaking into the genre. The multiple Locus Award-winning annual compilation of the year’s best science fiction stories
Once again, the finest SF short stories of the year have been collected in a single volume. With Year's Best SF 18, acclaimed, award-winning editor and anthologist David G. Hartwell demonstrates the amazing depth and power of contemporary speculative fiction, showcasing astonishing stories from some of science fiction's most respected names as well as exciting new writers to watch. In this anthology, prepare to travel light years from the ordinary into a tomorrow at once breathtaking, frightening, and possible with some of the greatest tales of wonder published in 2012.
Trade Paperback Halloween-themed science fiction anthology. Featuring a mix of classic science fiction reprints where the scary stuff happens in space. THE UNIVERSE MAY NOT BE A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD . . . “The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown,” the grand master of horror, H.P. Lovecraft, once wrote. And the greatest unknown is the vast universe, shrouded in eternal cosmic night. What things might be on other planets—or in the dark gulfs between the stars? Giving very unsettling answers to that question are such writers as Arthur C. Clarke, George R. R. Martin, Theodore Sturgeon, Tony Daniel, Robert Sheckley, James. H. Schmitz, Clark Ashton Smith, Neal Asher, Sarah A. Hoyt, and more, all equally masters of science fiction and of terror. One might hope that in the void beyond the earth will be found friendly aliens, benevolent and possibly wiser than humanity, but don’t be surprised if other worlds have unpleasant surprises in store for future visitors. And in vacuum, no one will be able to hear your screams—as if it would do any good if they could . . . At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Short novels are movie length narratives that may well be the perfect length for science fiction stories. This collection presents the best-of-the-best short science fiction novels published in 2012 by current and emerging masters of this vibrant form. In "In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns," by Elizabeth Bear, Police Sub-Inspector Ferron investigates the murder of genetics engineer, Dexter Coffin, who has been turned inside out, in a cutting edge biomedical lab set in a not too distant future India. In Jay Lake's "The Stars Do Not Lie," Morgan Abutti is soon in fear for his life when he tries to announce his discovery of something in the stars that contradicts the creation myth of a major religion on his planet. In "The Weight of History, the Lightness of the Future," also by Jay Lake, set in the author's "Sunspin" series, the Howard Immortal, Before Michaela Cannon, and an untrustworthy shipmind investigate the cause of the Mistake, an alien attack on human civilization with an EMP weapon that occurred more than a thousand years ago and wiped out most of its technology. In "Sudden, Broken and Unexpected," by Steven Popkes, a burnt-out, talented musician is hired to help a world-class rock star divaloid, an electronic construct, prepare for her new world tour. There's only one problem, the musician passionately despises divaloids. In Robert Reed's "Eater-of-Bone," marooned human colonists, from the "Great Ship," fight for dominance on a planet inhabited by smaller, weaker, and less intelligent aliens. Finally, in "The Boolean Gate," by Walter Jon Williams, set in the 19th century, an elderly Samuel Clemens escapes his Mark Twain persona through his friendship with Nicola Tesla. As Tesla's inventions come to fruition, Twain suspects that Tesla has opened up a gateway to an alien intelligence.
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.
The Time Traveler's Almanac is the largest and most definitive collection of time travel stories ever assembled. Gathered into one volume by intrepid chrononauts and world-renowned anthologists Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, this book compiles more than a century's worth of literary travels into the past and the future that will serve to reacquaint readers with beloved classics of the time travel genre and introduce them to thrilling contemporary innovations. This marvelous volume includes nearly seventy journeys through time from authors such as Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, William Gibson, Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, Michael Moorcock, H. G. Wells, and Connie Willis, as well as helpful non-fiction articles original to this volume (such as Charles Yu's "Top Ten Tips For Time Travelers"). In fact, this book is like a time machine of its very own, covering millions of years of Earth's history from the age of the dinosaurs through to strange and fascinating futures, spanning the ages from the beginning of time to its very end. The Time Traveler's Almanac is the ultimate anthology for the time traveler in your life. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Prepare to meet the wicked progeny of the master of modern horror. In Lovecraft's Monsters , H. P. Lovecraft's most famous creations--Cthulhu, Shoggoths, Deep Ones, Elder Things, Yog-Sothoth, and more--appear in all their terrifying glory. Each story is a gripping new take on a classic Lovecraftian creature. Contributors include such literary luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Karl Edward Wagner, Elizabeth Bear, and Nick Mamatas. Legions of Lovecraft fans continue to visit his bizarre landscapes and encounter his unrelenting monsters. Now join them in their journey...if you dare.
HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD! From a kill-or-be-killed gunfight with a vampire to an encounter in a steampunk bordello, the weird western is a dark, gritty tale where the protagonist might be playing poker with a sorcerous deck of cards, or facing an alien on the streets of a dusty frontier town. Here are twenty-three original tales—stories of the Old West infused with elements of the fantastic—produced specifically for this volume by many of today’s finest writers. Included are Orson Scott Card’s first “Alvin Maker” story in a decade, and an original adventure by Fred Van Lente, writer of Cowboys & Aliens . Other contributors include: Tobias S. Buckell * David Farland * Alan Dean Foster * Jeffrey Ford * Laura Anne Gilman * Rajan Khanna * Mike Resnick * Beth Revis * Fred Van Lente * Walter Jon Williams * Ben H. Winters * Christie Yant * Charles Yu *
Title: The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror Binding: Paperback Author: PaulaGuran Publisher: PrimeBooks
FEATURING KELLY LINK • HOLLY BLACK • KEN LIU • USMAN T. MALIK • LAUREN BEUKES • PAOLO BACIGALUPI • JOE ABERCROMBIE • GENEVIEVE VALENTINE • NICOLA GRIFFITH • CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN • GREG EGAN • K. J. PARKER • RACHEL SWIRSKY • ALICE SOLA KIM • GARTH NIX • KARL SCHROEDER • ELLEN KLAGES • KAI ASHANTE WILSON • MICHAEL SWANWICK • ELEANOR ARNASON • JAMES PATRICK KELLY • IAN MCDONALD • AMAL EL-MOHTAR • TIM MAUGHAN • ELIZABETH BEAR • THEODORA GOSS • PETER WATTS Science fiction and fantasy has never been more diverse or vibrant, and 2014 has provided a bountiful crop of extraordinary stories. These stories are about the future, worlds beyond our own, the realms of our imaginations and dreams but, more importantly, they are the stories of ourselves. Featuring best-selling writers and emerging talents, here are some of the most exciting genre writers working today. Multi-award winning editor Jonathan Strahan once again brings you the best stories from the past year. Within you will find twenty-eight amazing tales from authors across the globe, displaying why science fiction and fantasy are genres increasingly relevant to our turbulent world.
Famine. Death. War. Pestilence. These are the harbingers of the biblical apocalypse, of the End of the World. In science fiction, the end is triggered by less figurative means: nuclear holocaust, biological warfare/pandemic, ecological disaster, or cosmological cataclysm. But before any catastrophe, there are people who see it coming. During, there are heroes who fight against it. And after, there are the survivors who persevere and try to rebuild. THE APOCALYPSE TRIPTYCH will tell their stories. Edited by acclaimed anthologist John Joseph Adams and bestselling author Hugh Howey, The Apocalypse Triptych is a series of three anthologies of apocalyptic fiction. THE END IS NIGH focuses on life before the apocalypse. THE END IS NOW turns its attention to life during the apocalypse. And THE END HAS COME explores life after the apocalypse. THE END IS NIGH is about the match. THE END HAS COME is about what will rise from the ashes. THE END IS NOW is about the conflagration. • • • • THE END IS NOW table of contents: INTRODUCTION by John Joseph Adams | HERD IMMUNITY by Tananarive Due | THE SIXTH DAY OF DEER CAMP by Scott Sigler | GOODNIGHT STARS by Annie Bellet | ROCK MANNING CAN’T HEAR YOU by Charlie Jane Anders | FRUITING BODIES by Seanan McGuire | BLACK MONDAY by Sarah Langan | ANGELS OF THE APOCALYPSE by Nancy Kress | AGENT ISOLATED by David Wellington | THE GODS WILL NOT BE SLAIN by Ken Liu | YOU’VE NEVER SEEN EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Bear | BRING THEM DOWN by Ben H. Winters | TWILIGHT OF THE MUSIC MACHINES by Megan Arkenberg | SUNSET HOLLOW by Jonathan Maberry | PENANCE by Jake Kerr | AVTOMAT by Daniel H. Wilson | DANCING WITH BATGIRL IN THE LAND OF NOD by Will McIntosh | BY THE HAIR OF THE MOON by Jamie Ford | TO WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD by Desirina Boskovich | IN THE MOUNTAIN by Hugh Howey | DEAR JOHN by Robin Wasserman.
Better . . . Stronger . . . Faster . . . The doctors rebuilt Hugo Award-winning editor Neil Clarke and made him a cyborg. Now he has assembled this anthology of twenty-six original cyborg stories by Greg Egan, Madeline Ashby, Elizabeth Bear, Peter Watts, Ken Liu, Robert Reed, Yoon Ha Lee, and more!
Hieroglyph: Stories & Visions for a Better Future is an anthology of optimistic science fiction from some of today’s most hopeful visionaries. “This collection could be the shot in the arm our imaginations need. It's an important book and not just for the fiction.” — Wall Street Journal Born of an initiative at the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University, this remarkable collection unites a diverse group of celebrated authors, prominent scientists, and creative visionaries who contributed works of "techno-optimism" that challenge us to imagine fully, think broadly, and do Big Stuff—reigniting the iconic visions of the golden age of science fiction. Inside this volume are marvels of imagination and possibility, including a steel tower so tall that the stratosphere is just an elevator ride away . . . a drone-powered Internet . . . crowdfunded robots descending on the moon . . . cities that work like a single cell of algae powered entirely by the sun . . . and much more. Engaging, mind-bending, provocative, and imaginative, Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future offers a forward-thinking approach to the intersection of art and technology that has the power to change our world. Introduction by editors Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer Foreword by Lawrence M. Krauss Interview with Paul Davies Stories by Charlie Jane Anders, Madeline Ashby, Elizabeth Bear, Gregory Benford, David Brin, James L. Cambias, Brenda Cooper, Cory Doctorow, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Lee Konstantinou, Geoffrey A. Landis, Annalee Newitz, Rudy Rucker, Karl Schroeder, Viranda Singh, Neal Stephenson, and Bruce Sterling
The idea of time travel has been with us since ancient times; now, the concept of time travel seems almost... plausible. Today, tales of chrononauts are more imaginative and thought-provoking than ever before: new views, cutting-edge concepts, radical notions of paradox and possibility ― state-of-the-art speculative stories collected from those written in the twenty-first century. Forward to the past, back to the future ― get ready for a fascinating trip!
“Some stories are more explicitly Lovecraftian than others, but all demonstrate how Lovecraft's dark mythology continues to inspire outstanding tales of modern horror.” - Publisher's Weekly Many of the best weird fiction writers (and creators in most other media) have been profoundly influenced by the genre and the mythos H.P. Lovecraft created eight decades ago. Lovecraft's themes of cosmic indifference, minds invaded by the alien, and the horrors of history - written with a pervasive atmosphere of unexplainable dread - are more relevant than ever as we explore the mysteries of a universe in which our planet is infinitesimal and climatic change is overwhelming it. A few years ago, New Cthulhu : The Recent Weird presented some of the best of this new Lovecraftian fiction from the first decade of the twenty-first century. Now, New Cthulhu 2: More Recent Weird brings you more eldritch tales and even fresher fiction inspired by Lovecraft.
The sea is full of mysteries and rivers shelter the unknown. Dating back to ancient Assyria, folkloric tales of mermaids, sirens, rulsalki, nymphs, selkies, and other seafolk are found in many cultures, including those of Europe, Africa, the Near East and Asia. Dangerous or benevolent, seductive or sinister—modern masters of fantasy continue to create new legends of these creatures that enchant and entertain us more than ever. Gathered here are some of the finest of these stories. Immerse yourself in this wonderful—and sometimes wicked—watery world!