Anthologies

A collection of tales by the best new science fiction writers of the eighties, including Greg Bear, Pat Cadigan, William Gibson, Rudy Rucker, Lewis Shiner, Tom Maddox, and John Shirley

Science Fiction Anthology

When Rob and Dave "invented" the new literary form, the DRABBLE, in the Birmingham University SF Society they had no idea where it would lead. Their initial thought of a small fanzine with a dozen or so stories was soon left far behind. With their hearts in their mouths and their hands in their pockets they approached Roger at BECCON Publications, and together this trio launched themselves into the unknown by committing themselves to publish a book containing 100 drabbles.With much trepidation The Drabble Project was published on April Fool's Day 1988 in a limited edition of 1000 copies.

Massive and overbearingly hip anthology of post-cyberpunk science fiction and other matter. Varied and largely critically-acclaimed material by the obscure, the overexposed and the justly renowned. Take your pick from the likes of Ballard, Bey, Burroughs, Di Filipo, Farmer, Gibson, Metzger, Rabinowitz, Rucker, Shirley, Stang and all the Wilsons (Colin, Peter Lamborn and Robert Anton).

Since its founding, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction has been acclaimed as one of the pinnacles of the field, the source of fantastic fiction of the highest literary quality. Now the magazine known to its readers as "F&SF" celebrates its fiftieth anniversary with a spectacular anthology of the best recent work from the magazine. Included are stories from major writers like Bruce Sterling, John Crowley, and Harlan Ellison. Also here are award-winners like Ursula K. Le Guin's Nebula-winning "Solitude," Maureen F. McHugh's Hugo-winning "The Lincoln Train," and Elizabeth Hand's Nebula- and World Fantasy Award-winning "Last Summer at Mars Hill." The fiftieth anniversary collection for the most distinguished magazine of the science fiction and fantasy world. Contributors include: Dale Bailey Terry Bisson Michael Blumlein Ray Bradbury John Crowley Bradley Denton Paul Di Filippo S.N. Dyer Harlan Ellison Esther M. Friesner Elizabeth Hand Tanith Lee Ursula K. Le Guin Maureen F. McHugh Rachel Pollack Robert Reed Bruce Holland Rogers Bruce Sterling Ray Vukcevich Kate Wilhelm Gene Wolfe

For years, The Year's Best Science Fiction has been the most widely read short science fiction anthology of its kind. Now, after twenty-one annual collections, comes the ultimate in science fiction anthologies, The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction, in which legendary editor Gardner Dozois selects the very best short stories for this landmark collection. Contributors include: * Stephen Baxter * Greg Bear * William Gibson * Terry Bisson * Pat Cadigan * Ted Chiang * John Crowley * Tony Daniel * Greg Egan * Molly Gloss * Eileen Gunn * Joe Haldeman * James Patrick Kelly * John Kessel * Nancy Kress * Ursula K. Le Guin * Ian R. MacLeod * David Marusek * Paul McAuley * Ian McDonald * Maureen F. McHugh * Robert Reed * Mike Resnick * Geoff Ryman * William Sander * Lucius Shepard * Robert Silverberg * Brian Stableford * Bruce Sterling * Charles Stross * Michael Swanwick * Steven Utley * Howard Waldrop * Walter Jon Williams * Connie Willis * Gene Wolfe With work spanning two decades, The Best of the Best stands as one of the ultimate science fiction anthologies ever published. Contents xi Foreword (The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction) essay by Robert Silverberg xvii Preface (The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction) essay by Gardner Dozois 1 Blood Music (1983) novelette by Greg Bear 19 A Cabin on the Coast (1984) shortstory by Gene Wolfe 28 Salvador (1984) shortstory by Lucius Shepard 42 Trinity (1984) novella by Nancy Kress 78 Flying Saucer Rock and Roll (1985) novelette by Howard Waldrop (aka Flying Saucer Rock & Roll) 93 Dinner in Audoghast (1985) shortstory by Bruce Sterling 103 Roadside Rescue (1985) shortstory by Pat Cadigan 109 Snow (1985) shortstory by John Crowley 121 The Winter Market (1985) novelette by William Gibson 137 The Pure Product (1986) novelette by John Kessel 152 Stable Strategies for Middle Management (1988) shortstory by Eileen Gunn 162 Kirinyaga [Kirinyaga 2] (1988) novelette by Mike Resnick 177 Tales from the Venia Woods [Roma Eterna] (1989) shortstory by Robert Silverberg 191 Bears Discover Fire (1990) shortstory by Terry Bisson 199 Even the Queen (1992) shortstory by Connie Willis 213 Guest of Honor (1993) novelette by Robert Reed 238 None So Blind (1994) shortstory by Joe Haldeman 246 Mortimer Gray's History of Death (1995) novella by Brian Stableford (aka Mortimer Gray's "History of Death") 293 The Lincoln Train (1995) shortstory by Maureen F. McHugh 303 Wang's Carpets (1995) novelette by Greg Egan 328 Coming of Age in Karhide [Hainish] (1995) novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin 342 The Dead (1996) shortstory by Michael Swanwick 352 Recording Angel (1996) shortstory by Ian McDonald 363 A Dry, Quiet War (1996) novelette by Tony Daniel 380 The Undiscovered (1997) novelette by William Sanders 400 Second Skin (1997) shortstory by Paul J. McAuley 418 Story of Your Life (1998) novella by Ted Chiang 454 People Came from Earth (1999) shortstory by Stephen Baxter 464 The Wedding Album [Cathy] (1999) novella by David Marusek 502 10 to 16 to 1 (1999) novelette by James Patrick Kelly (aka 1016 to 1) 520 Daddy's World (1999) novelette by Walter Jon Williams 541 The Real World [Silurian Tales] (2000) shortstory by Steven Utley 561 Have Not Have (2001) novelette by Geoff Ryman 577 Lobsters [Macx Family] (2001) novelette by Charles Stross 597 Breathmoss (2002) novella by Ian R. MacLeod 647 Lambing Season (2002) shortstory by Molly Gloss

China Miéville, Michael Moorcock, Paul Di Filippo, and Geoff Ryman: These award winners are on any list of the most inventive, popular, and critically acclaimed talents writing in the realms of fantasy and science fiction today. Their four original creations for this collection range from surreal visions of the infinite to high-tech nightmare; from apocalyptic ruins stalked by heroes and vampires to a near future where the aged terrorize the young.

Brave New Worlds To Explore and Conquer The astonishingly possible is once again showcased in a breathtaking volume of the best short form SF the past year had to offer. Contributed by some of the most revered and exciting voices in the genre -- and compiled by acclaimed editor and anthologist David G. Hartwell -- these stories of wonder and terror, astounding technologies and miraculous discovery, stretch the imagination into realms and universes never dreamed of before. Each tale is a dazzling gem, rocketing readers across light years and into unknown dimensions -- exploring the intricate cultures of alien races and the strange, secret workings of the human mind. And together they form an unparalleled whole -- a collection of luminous visions that shines more brightly than a newborn sun. New tales from: Nancy Kress Ursula K. Le Guin Greg Egan Bruce Sterling Michael Swanwick Gene Wolfe and many more

"In celebration of Golden Gryphon Press's 25th book, writers who contributed to the first 24 books were asked to write a story that best defines them as writers. The result is an anthology of stories ranging from fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horror to genres that are often a combination of all four. Warren Rochelle portrays a struggle between magical and normal humans. George Zebrowski questions how to reclaim one's life when thrust two and a half years into the past. Andy Duncan combines literary style with southern heritage in a strange tale of courtship on a ghost trolley car. Michael Bishop spins the sad tale of a dead Vietnam soldier who wonÆt die and continues to lay down his life to help others. James Patrick Kelly paints a world where people are regulated, even in their ability to become parents, and there is no place for dissenting views. The wide range in style, tone, and content in these tales provides genre fans with a diverse spectrum of short fiction."

The stories in this collection imaginatively take readers far across the universe, into the very core of their beings, to the realm of the Gods, and to the moment just after now. Included are the works of masters of the form and the bright new talents of tomorrow. This book is 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.

Here are 25 stories of science fiction that push the envelope, by the biggest names in an emerging new crop of high-tech futuristic SF - including Charles Stross, Robert Reed, Alastair Reynolds, Peter Hamilton and Neal Asher. High-tech SF has made a significant comeback in the last decade, as bestselling authors successfully blend the super-science of 'hard science fiction' with real characters in an understandable scenario. It is perhaps a reflection of how technologically controlled our world is that readers increasingly look for science fiction that considers the fates of mankind as a result of increasing scientific domination. This anthology brings together the most extreme examples of the new high-tech, far-future science fiction, pushing the limits way beyond normal boundaries. The stories include: "A Perpetual War Fought Within a Cosmic String", "A Weapon That Could Destroy the Universe", "A Machine That Detects Alternate Worlds and Creates a Choice of Christs", "An Immortal Dead Man Sent To The End of the Universe", "Murder in Virtual Reality", "A Spaceship So Large That There is An Entire Planetary System Within It", and "An Analytical Engine At The End of Time", and "Encountering the Untouchable."

The Unitied States is divided, blue statesagainst red states. In the wake of the2004 Presidential election the citizensof America take matters into their ownhands, and secession becomes reality.In this volume of fiction, you will findtales that address the question: what ifthe blue states left the republic? What ifthe greatest country in the world split-up?What would this mean for the rest of theworld? How would the parts of the formerUSA fair in a new world where theyʼre nolonger the single superpower?What would this startling future hold?Read stories by Paul Di Filippo, RobertLopresti, Tara Kolden, Douglas Lain, Carole McDonnell, Gene Stewart, C.J.Henderson, Cody Goodfellow, EdwardJ. McFadden III, David Bartell, J. Stern, Patrick Thomas, Ruth Nestvold & JayLake, K.M. Praschak, Michael Jasper, Erin Fitzgerald, Paul G. Tremblay, DarbyHarn, and Seth Lindberg.Join these authors as they let theirfrustrations seethe, and discover the new world order

The best stories of the year: here is a collection of the fantasy prose written in 2005, by some of the genre's greatest authors, and selected by Rich Horton, a contributing reviewer to many of the field's most respected magazines. In this volume you'll find stories Peter Beagle, Paul Di Filippo, Neil Gaiman, Theodora Goss, Kelly Link, Gene Wolfe and more.

Expand your vision of what a fantasy story can be with tales by Peter S. Beagle, Lucius Shepard, Catherynne M. Valente, Paul Di Filippo, and others. Winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology Inspired by the literary salons of eighteenth-century France, Salon Fantastique brings together renowned authors to create and share new tales that show the fantasy form at its best. The resulting stories form a conversation between established and emerging writers, historical and contemporary fiction, timeless folklore themes and the immediacy of modern politics, traditional linear narratives, and more experimental storytelling. Kicking off the collection is Delia Sherman’s “La Fée Verte,” in which a nineteenth-century prostitute takes a lover among the other women in a Parisian bordello, a mysterious wraith who sees the past, present, and future. In Catherynne M. Valente’s “A Gray and Soundless Tide,” a woman shelters a selkie and learns her tragic story, while in Paul Di Filippo’s “Femaville 29,” a tsunami gives birth to a glorious new city rising from the imagination of children. In the intimate company of today’s master fantasists, you’ll be gifted with stories that will take the genre in directions you never could have imagined . . . “Bring[s] together mostly new fantasy writers, most of them contributors to previous Datlow/Windling books and perhaps forming a distinct ‘school.’ Call it American magic realism.” — Publishers Weekly “A roster of fifteen contributors to make any lover of literary fantasy go weak at the knees. . . . an anthology that rewards reflection.” — Strange Horizons

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 Knight’s prestigious and influential anthology series, Orbit, and Frederik Pohl’s 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.

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.

For twenty years this award-winning compilation has been the nonpareil benchmark against which all other annual fantasy and horror collections are judged. Directed first by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling and for the past four years by Datlow and Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant, it consistently presents the strangest, the funniest, the darkest, the sharpest, the most original—in short, the best fantasy and horror. The current collection, marking a score of years, offers more than forty stories and poems from almost as many sources. Summations of the field by the editors are complemented by articles by Edward Bryant, Charles de Lint, and Jeff VanderMeer, highlighting the best of the fantastic in, respectively, media, music, and comics, as well as honorable mentions—notable works that didn’t quite make the cut, but are nonetheless worthy of attention. The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror: Twentieth Annual Collection is a cornucopia of fantastic delights, an unparalleled resource and indispensable reference that captures the unique excitement and beauty of the fantastic in all its gloriously diverse forms, from the lightest fantasy to the darkest horror.

In extreme fantasy anything can happen . In Mike Ashley's breathtaking new anthology the only rules are those the writer makes - these are stories to liberate both the writers' and readers' imagination. They will take you to hell and back (literally - two of the stories involve hell in ways never explored before). For too long fantasy fiction has become synonymous with vast heroic-fantasy adventures in imitation of The Lord of the Rings , but the genre has always been far greater than dwarves and elves. Today many writers are rediscovering the wider world of fantasy and creating bold new ideas or magically reworking older arts. Ashley selects 25 stories by the likes of Orson Scott Card, Paul Di Filippo, A. A. Attanasio, Michael Swanwick, Christopher Priest and Peter Crowther, arranged in ascending order of 'extremeness'. The anthology opens with a story that takes us beyond Middle Earth in 'Senator Bilbo' by Andy Duncan - showing what happens when a radical descendant of his famous namesake tries to introduce immigration control - and reaches the ultimate in 'The Dark One' by A. A. Attanasio, a rite of passage story where you, the reader, discover you are being tested to become the successor to Satan. Other stories include: A man with a terminal disease looks for a cure in a world where Edward Lear meets Lewis Carroll. A man decides to banish all language. A tour of Hell by the boatman himself. The great comic stars of Hollywood find themselves seeking their lost world. A magical experiment recreates the Crucifixion. Suddenly all colour drains out of the world. A magical recreation of Chinese fantasy cinema where a magician and his adepts fight the flying dead.

The 2008 Edition of The Year's Best Science Fiction contains: INTRODUCTION, Rich Horton (Editor) DARK INTEGERS, Greg Egan A PLAIN TALE FROM OUR HILLS, Bruce Sterling AN EYE FOR AN EYE, Charles Coleman Finlay ALWAYS, Karen Joy Fowler AN OCEAN IS A SNOWFLAKE, FOUR BILLION MILES AWAY, John Barnes VIRUS CHANGES SKIN, Ekaterina Sedia WIKIWORLD, Paul Di Filippo ARTIFICE AND INTELLIGENCE, Tim Pratt JESUS CHRIST, REANIMATOR, Ken MacLeod NIGHT CALLS, Robert Reed EVERYONE BLEEDS THROUGH, Jack Skillingstead ART OF WAR, Nancy Kress THREE DAYS OF RAIN, Holly Phillips BRAIN RAID, Alexander Jablokov FOR SOLO CELLO, OP. 12, Mary Robinette Kowal PERFECT VIOLET, Will McIntosh VECTORING, Geoffrey Landis THE SKYSAILOR'S TALE, Michael Swanwick

Edited by a 2007 Hugo Award nominee, an assemblage of alternative history mysteries features crime stories that are set in universes that are somewhat different from our own and includes works by Stephen Baxter, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kage Baker, Jack McDevitt, S. M. Sterling, Mike Resnick and Eric Flint, Pat Cadigan, and other notable authors. Original.

Many readers are attracted to science fiction for that singular moment when a story expands your imagination, enabling you to see something in a new light. Not all SF works this way! This volume collects the very best of it that does, with 25 of the finest examples of mind-expanding and awe-inspiring science fiction. The storylines range from a discovery on the Moon that opens up vistas across all time to a moment in which distances across the Earth suddenly increase and people vanish. These are tales to take you from the other side of now to the very end of time - from today's top-name contributors including Stephen Baxter, Alastair Reynolds, Robert Silverberg, Gregory Benford and Robert Reed.

Last Drink Bird Head is a variation on a surrealist writing game: we gave the phrase to over 70 writers and asked them “Who or what is Last Drink Bird Head?” The results run the gamut from the hilarious to the terrifying, with each writer bringing their signature style and voice to the enterprise. All proceeds on Last Drink go to ProLiteracy.org. WHAT IS PROLITERACY? Help promote worldwide literacy through the ProLiteracy organization. ProLiteracy “champions the power of literacy to improve the lives of adults and their families, communities, and societies. We envision a world in which everyone can read, write, compute, and use technology to lead healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives.” For more information, visit ProLiteracy.org. Contributors: Daniel Abraham, Michael Arnzen, Steve Aylett, KJ Bishop, Michael Bishop, Desirina Boskovich, Keith Brooke, Jesse Bullington, Richard Butner, Catherine Cheek, Matthew Cheney, Michael Cisco, Gio Clairval, Alan M. Clark, Brendan Connell, Paul Di Filippo, Stephen R. Donaldson, Rikki Ducornet, Clare Dudman, Hal Duncan, Scott Eagle, Brian Evenson, Eliot Fintushel, Jeffrey Ford, Richard Gehr, Felix Gilman, Jon Courtney Grimwood, Rhys Hughes, Paul Jessup, Antony Johnston, John Kaiine, Henry Kaiser, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Tessa Kum, Ellen Kushner, Jay Lake, Tanith Lee, Stina Leicht, Therese Littleton, Beth Adele Long, Dustin Long, Nick Mamatas, JM McDermott, Sarah Monette, Kari O’Connor, Ben Peek, Holly Phillips, Louis Phillips, Tim Pratt, Cat Rambo, Mark Rich, Bruce Holland Rogers, Nicholas Royle, G Eric Schaller, Ekaterina Sedia, Ramsey Shehadeh, Peter Straub, Victoria Strauss, Michael Swanwick, Mark Swartz, Alan Swirsky, Rachel Swirsky, Sonya Taaffe, Justin Taylor, Steve Rasnic Tem, Jeffrey Thomas, Scott Thomas, John Urbancik, Genevieve Valentine, Kim Westwood, Leslie What, Andrew Steiger White, Conrad Williams, Liz Williams, Neil Williamson, Caleb Wilson, Gene Wolfe, Jonathan Wood, Marly Youmans, and Catherine Zeidler

Happily Ever After is a star-studded book of fairy tales, featuring an introduction by Bill Willingham (Fables) and stories by Gregory Maguire, Susanna Clarke, Karen Joy Fowler, Charles de Lint, Holly Black, Garth Nix, Kelly Link, Peter Straub, Neil Gaiman, Patricia Briggs, and many other fantasy luminaries.

In his Foreword, Rich Horton says: "First rate stories..." "Time Considered as a Series of Thermite Burns in No Particular Order" is a clever and very funny time travel romp; "The Beancounter's Cat" is set in a far future with Clarkean science sufficiently advanced to appear magical; "Walls of Flesh, Bars of Bone" (with Barbara Lamar) is another look at the mystery of human destiny; "Under the Moons of Venus" is a remarkable, evocative homage to one of SF's greats." Well-known editor Gardner Dozois has said of "The Beancounter's Cat" that it "...starts out reading like fantasy, and gradually turns into very far-future SF." Also included is an original tale with Paul Di Filippo, "Luminous Fish," taking Mike Moorcock's famous character Jerry Cornelius for a spin in the 21st century! Nine scintillating science fiction stories by a major writer in the field.

A collection of 14 stories from the 1940’s to the present by such masters of science fiction as Fredric Brown, John Christopher, Poul Anderson, Gordon R. Dickson, and Paul Di Filippo, as well as others. These tales explore the evolution of sentient animal characters in modern fiction through comedy, drama, and suspenseful tales. Here you will find talking cats, elephants, mice, and wolves; experimental subjects, and twisted fairy tales; creatures of science and fantasy, all for your enjoyment.

The Wildside book of Fantasy presents 20 great fantasy tales by modern masters. Included are stories by Tanith Lee, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Gene Wolfe, Fritz Leiber, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Robert E. Howard, and many more. A choice selection of tales! THE DEAD MAN, by Gene Wolfe BRIGHT STREETS OF AIR, by Nina Kiriki Hoffman THE DOLPHIN AND THE DEEP, by Thomas Burnett Swann THE SWORDSMEN OF VARNIS, by Clive Jackson THE EMPEROR OF GONDWANALAND, by Paul Di Filippo SPACE-TIME FOR SPRINGERS, by Fritz Leiber RED NAILS, by Robert E. Howard ARMS AND THE WOMAN, by Lawrence Watt-Evans THE BRIDE OF THE MAN-HORSE, by Lord Dunsany THE WOMAN, by Tanith Lee DREAMTIME IN ADJAPHON, by John Gregory Betancourt THE BLACK ABBOT OF PUTHUUM, by Clark Ashton Smith BLACK HAWK OF VALKARTH, by Lin Carter THE DEVIL’S CRYPT, by E. Hoffmann Price VANDIBAR NASHA IN THE COLLEGE OF SHADOWS, by Darrell Schwetizer THE POWER OF PRAYER, by Brian Stableford THE SECRET OF KRALITZ, by Henry Kuttner LIGHT, by Achmed Abdullah THE LOST RACE, by Robert E. Howard RINGARD AND DENDRA, by Brian McNaughton

NOVELLAS Success Michael Blumlein NOVELETS Through Mud One Picks a Way Tim Sullivan Hell for Company Albert E. Cowdrey The Soul in the Bell Jar KJ Kabza Stones and Glass Matthew Hughes Baba Makosh M. K. Hobson SHORT STORIES Hard Stars Brendan DuBois Sing Pilgrim! James Patrick Kelly DEPARTMENTS Books to Look For Charles de Lint Books Chris Moriarty Plumage from Pegasus: More Than Bookman Paul Di Filippo Films: The Modest Pleasures of a Summer Bomb Kathi Maio Coming Attractions COMPETITION #86 Index to Volumes 124 & 125 Curiosities Douglas A. Anderson CARTOONS: Danny Shanahan, Bill Long, David Keck, Arthur Masear, Arthur Masear. COVER BY MONDOLITHIC STUDIOS FOR "SUCCESS"

George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards rampage through unrecorded history! Mike Mignola's Hellboy battles the fiendish Nuckelavee! Can Camille Alexa's Pinktastic prevent the end of the world? Will Jonathan Lethem's Dystopianist cause the end of the world? In these pages, you'll find the exploits, machinations, and epic mêlées of these superpowered aliens, undead crusaders, costumed crime fighters, unholy cabals, Amazon warriors, demon hunters, cyberpunk luchadores, nefarious megalomaniacs, daredevil sidekicks, atavistic avatars, adventuring aviators, gunslinging outlaws, love-struck adversaries, and supernatural detectives.In these twenty-eight astounding Super Stories, join larger-than-life heroes and villains in the never-ending battle of good versus evil!ContentsIntroduction: "The Return of the Super Story" by Claude Lalumière"Übermensch!" by Kim Newman"A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" by Chris Roberson"Trickster" by Steven Barnes & Tananarive Due"They Fight Crime!" by Leah Bobet"The Rememberer" by J. Robert Lennon"The Nuckelavee: A Hellboy Story" by Christopher Golden & Mike Mignola"Faces of Gemini" by A.M. Dellamonica"Origin Story" by Kelly Link"Burning Sky" by Rachel Pollack"The Night Chicago Died" by James Lowder"Novaheads" by Ernest Hogan"Clash of Titans (A New York Romance)" by Kurt Busiek"The Super Man and the Bugout" by Cory Doctorow"Grandma" by Carol Emshwiller"The Dystopianist, Thinking of His Rival, Is Interrupted by a Knock on the Door" by Jonathan Lethem"Sex Devil" by Jack Pendarvis"The Death Trap of Dr. Nefario" by Benjamin Rosenbaum"Man oh Man - It's Manna Man" by George Singleton"The Jackdaw's Last Case" by Paul Di Filippo"The Biggest" by James Patrick Kelly"Philip José Farmer's Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke" by Win Scott Eckert"The Zeppelin Pulps" by Jess Nevins"Wild Cards: Prologue & Interludes" by George R.R. Martin"Wild Cards: Just Cause" by Carrie Vaughn"Bluebeard and the White Buffalo: A Rangergirl Yarn" by Tim Pratt"The Pentecostal Home for Flying Children" by Will Clarke"Pinktastic and the End of the World" by Camille Alexa "The Detective of Dreams" by Gene Wolfe

An astonishing amount of the science and technology in vintage science fiction has come to pass. But an awful lot has not. Where's your invisibility suit? Your space train? Your very own personal robot? But those old, never-happened ideas are still fun. For a fresh take on those old ideas, try Impossible Futures! Includes stories by Rev DiCerto, Paul Di Filippo, Debra Doyle & James D. Macdonald, Duncan Eagleson, Jeff Hecht, Edward M. Lerner, Shariann Lewitt, Jack McDevitt, James Morrow, Mike Resnick, Sarah Smith & Justus Perry, Allen M. Steele, and Fran Wilde.

A collection of all original stories inspred by the Fermi Paradox, written by some of science fiction's biggest names and scientists, with an introduction by the astronomer Marek Kukula (Royal Observatory, Greenwich). Full contents: 1. Introduction by Marek Kukula 2. Catching Rays - Dave Clements 3. The Big Next - Pat Cadigan 4. Baedecker's Fermi - Adam Roberts 5. Zeta Reticuli - Paul Cornell 6. The Ambulance Chaser - Tricia Sullivan 7. Lost to Their Own Devices - Adrian Tchaikovsky 8. In the Beginning - Gerry Webb 9. The Trail of the Creator, the Trial of Creation - Paul di Filippo 10. Stella by Starlight - Mike Resnick & Robert T Jeschoenek 11. Fermi's Doubts - George Zebrowski 12. Audiovisionary - Stephanie Saulter 13. Aether - Robert Reed 14. The End of the World - Keith Brooke & Eric Brown 15. The Worldmaker - Rachel Armstrong 16. Atonement, Under the Blue-White Sun - Mercurio D Rivera

Fiction 1. 2-Dava by Lisa Tuttle 2. Dissecting the Alien by Gregory Benford 3. The Herple is a Happy Beast, or, "Neighbors are Delicious!" by Paul Di Filippo 4. Spark by R.B. Payne 5. That Part of the Brain by John Shirley 6. The Scepter of Nowhere by John C. Wright Non-Fiction 1. "A Conversation with Paul Di Filippo" by K. H. Vaughan 2. "The World of Neil Clarke" by K. H. Vaughan 3. "The Future Event of Global Transcendence" by Aaron J. French 5. "Trans-Beauty: An Interview with Nelli Kowalik" by Leah Jung 6. Horror in a Hundred Stories 7. "A Virtual Fireside Chat with David Brin: Intelligent Aliens and What it Means to be Human" 8. "Introduction to Bizarro" by Bizarro Pulp Press 9. "PKD" by Ted Hand 10. "Hubbard, Parsons, and Scientology" by Mike Lester 11. "World Horror Convention 2015 Wrap-Up" by John Palisano Columns 1. Double X Chromosome: "Metawoman" by Yvonne Navarro 2. "What Makes Not-So-Good Horror...Not So Good" by Michael R. Collings 3. "What the Hell Ever Happened to...T. Chris Martindale" by Robert Morrish 4. "Transhumanism and Video Games" by Richard Dansky 5. Murmurs in the Dark: "Frankenstein Transcendent" by Donald Tyson 6. Gary Braunbeck Column Hellnotes Reviews Hellnotes/Horror World Reviews Film Reviews

We're part of the cover-up! Did you know that there is a secret government agency dedicated to creating conspiracy theories? It's true! It's on Facebook! But it's not in this book. Our conspiracy theories are all fiction. At least, that's what we want you to think! Certainly, we did invite fiction writers to weigh in on conspiracy theories. The result includes (of course) the Masons and dragons (David Clements), the Bavarian Illuminati (Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald) and the New World Order Shariann Lewitt). There's also the Shaver Mystery (science writer Jeff Hecht), cell phones and weather control (Rev DiCerto), Atlantis and Lemuria (Paul DiFilippo), Roswell (H. Paul Shuch of SETI fame), mermaids (Cat Rambo and Mike Resnick), ancient immortals who guide our breeding (Steven Popkes), quality management (Allen Steele), and of all things! Santa Claus (James Cambias). Not to mention the squirrels (Sarah Smith).

NOVELLAS Coyote Song Pat MacEwen NOVELETS More Heat Than Light Charlotte Ashley Last Of The Sharkspeakers Brian Trent Steamboat Gothic Albert E. Cowdrey The Long Fall Up William Ledbetter The Stone War Ted Kosmatka SHORT STORIES The Nostalgia Calculator Rich Larson The Great Silence Allora & Calzadilla and Ted Chiang Caribou: Documentary Fragments Joseph Tomaras Ash Susan Palwick The Secret Mirror Of Moriyama House Yukimi Ogawa DEPARTMENTS Books To Look For Charles de Lint Books Elizabeth Hand Films: Alternating Currents David J. Skal Competition 91 Coming Attractions Curiosities Paul Di Filippo CARTOONS: Bill Long, Arthur Masear, Nick Downes. COVER by Max Bertolini For "The Stone War"

The Year's Best Military and Adventure SF series continues! Selected from the top print and online markets, these stories represent the best in modern military sf, space opera, and adventure sf. Tales of brave military men and women, thrilling derring-do, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. Selected from the top markets, both print and digital, The Year’s Best Military and Adventure SF Volume 3 offers up the cream of the crop in short science fiction today. Stories to get your blood racing, your heart pounding, and your fingers turning the pages. Stories to challenge, provoke, thrill, and entertain. Stories that prove the new Golden Age is now! Plus, you be the judge! INTERACTIVE READER VOTING. One story from this anthology will be chosen via proctored online voting for The Best Military and Adventure Science Fiction Reader's Choice Award, presented at DragonCon in Summer 2017. For more information, go to Baen.com. About The Year’s Best Military and Adventure Science Fiction 2015 : “Baen’s fan-guided anthology series roars into its second year with a collection of stories just as eclectic as the first. . . . Afsharirad has put together a refreshing military and SF anthology that will be enjoyed by a wide range of readers.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) About The Year's Best Military SF and Space Opera Volume 1: “This intriguing anthology explores the human race’s violent potential [but] also bends toward exploration and the triumph of the human spirit, with brave tales [that] take the reader on a fascinating, thought-provoking, enjoyable journey . . . ”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[A] nice eclectic mix of magazines—hardcopy and digital—and original anthologies. Afsharirad seems to have cast his nets admirably wide. . . . The variety of styles and topics and themes, and the high level of craft in this assemblage, prove that this subgenre is flourishing. . . . [The collection] should be welcome by raw recruits and veterans alike.” —Locus

NOVELLAS Freezing Rain, a Chance of Falling – L.X. Beckett NOVELETS Visible Cities – Rachel Pollack Broken Wings – William Ledbetter SHORT STORIES The Phobos Experience – Mary Robinette Kowal The Prevaricator – Matthew Hughes The Queen of the Peri Takes Her Time – Corey Flintoff The Adjunct – Cassandra Rose Clarke Bedtime Story – James Sallis Morbier – R.S. Benedict Hainted – Ashley Blooms POEMS Red Rising – Mary Soon Lee DEPARTMENTS Books to Look For – Charles de Lint Musing on Books – Michelle West Science: Why Do Kites Fly? – Jerry Oltion Films: In the Queue – David J. Skal Coming Attractions – Curiosities – Paul Di Filippo CARTOONS Nick Downes, Bill Long, Danny Shanahan, . COVER "Big Mars" By Bob Eggleton

Sinister tales, ghost stories, thrillers and vignettes that reach back as far as the Victorian era, all steeped in the essence of London’s urban community, its industrial heritage, the docks, Victoriana, the Blitz and the War. Nine original stories and seven classic reprints that explore the capital’s dark underbelly but also celebrate its character and charm. E.F. Benson’s “The Tube” (1922), is a mystery that centres on conjectures regarding time and our perception of it, examining concepts that would provide fertile ground for many an SF writer decades later. From Henry Mayhew’s simple but oh-so-revealing interview with a young girl selling watercress, to George Gissing’s tale of a Camden bibliophile whose obsession puts his wife’s life at risk, from Arthur Morrison’s keenly observed “The Street” and “Behind the Shade” – the latter a cautionary tale of how pernicious the gossip of wagging tongues can be – to T.G. Jackson’s chilling story of a family split asunder by a well-intentioned will and the unexpected terms it sets out, and Hume Nisbet’s ghostly masterpiece “The Phantom Model”, all seven classic pieces demand attention. Reggie Oliver’s “A Maze for the Minotaur” might almost have been lifted from the Victorian age itself, so effectively does the author evoke the period in a perfectly judged tale, while Rose Biggin features Dr Samuel Johnson in a story of deceit involving a supernatural hoax with a man’s life at stake, as told by a ghost. Juliet E. McKenna’s story is of a children’s governess dismissed for no good reason and without recourse, who is directed to an institute with surprisingly progressive attitudes, while Paul Di Filippo delivers a delicious slice of Sherlock Holmes, told from the perspective of Wiggins, leader of the Baker Street Irregulars, and Bryony Pearce tells of a man whose sustenance requires unique measures. Fortunately, on the streets of the capital the dead and the dying are never in short supply. David Rix takes us beneath those streets, to the malodorous world of the sewer rats and the mudlarks, while Terry Grimwood spins a steampunk fairy tale featuring a young Prince Albert, newly wed to Queen Victoria. Susan Boulton’s “Blood and Bone” is set during World War II, focusing on efforts by the fire watch to protect St Paul’s Cathedral and a reporter’s determination to capture the perfect picture, while Paul StJohn Mackintosh brings us up to date with a contemporary saga of young love between two students in Southall, with more at stake than one of them could possibly imagine... Sixteen stories, one city. Welcome to London as you’ve never seen her before. 1. Introduction by Ian Whates 2. Hunger – Bryony Pearce 3. A Street – Arthur Morrison 4. A Maze for the Minotaur – Reggie Oliver 5. The Phantom Model (A Wapping Romance) – Hume Nisbet 6. The Ghost of Cock Lane – Rose Biggin 7. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle – Juliet E. McKenna 8. Watercress Girl – Henry Mayhew 9. Queen Rat – David Rix 10. Christopherson – George Gissing 11. From The Casebook of Master Wiggins, Esq. – Paul Di Filippo 12. Albert And The Engine Of Albion – Terry Grimwood 13. In the Tube – E.F. Benson 14. A Romance of the Piccadilly Tube – T.G. Jackson 15. Blood and Bone – Susan Boulton 16. Behind the Shade – Arthur Morrison 17. Southall Tantra – Paul StJohn Mackintosh About the Authors

Have you ever wondered what the fairy tales of alien cultures are like? For hundreds of years scholars and writers have collected and retold folk and fairy stories from around our world. They are not alone. On distant planets alien chroniclers have done the same. For just as our world is steeped in legends and half-remembered truths of the mystic and the magical, so are theirs. Now, for the first time, we can share some of these tales with you… 1. Introduction – David Gullen 2. The Little People – Una McCormack 3. Lost in the Rewilding – Paul Di Filippo 4. Goblin Autumn – Adrian Tchaikovksy 5. Myths of Sisyphus – Allen Ashley 6. The Land of Grunts and Squeaks – Chris Beckett 7. The Blood Rose – Susan Oke 8. Starfish – Liz Williams 9. The Raveller’s Tale – Neil Williamson 10. The Tiny Traveller – Aliya Whiteley 11. The Tale of Suyenye the Wise, the Ay, and the People of the Shining Land – Gaie Sebold 12. Wanderlust – Kim Lakin-Smith 13. Pale Sister – Jaine Fenn 14. Alpha42 and the Space Hermits – Stephen Oram 15. The Teller and the Starborn – Peter Sutton 16. The Winternet – Ian Whates 17. The Awakening – Bryony Pearce 18. About the Authors

A fresh post-apocalyptic anthology of 18 stories: the end of the world seen through the salvage and ruins. Featuring Emily St John Mandel, Carmen Maria Machado, Clive Barker, China Mièville, Charlie Jane Anders and more. WHAT WOULD YOU SAVE FROM THE FIRE? In the moments when it all comes crashing down, what will we value the most, and how will we save it? Digging through the layers of ruined cities beneath your feet, living in the bombed-out husk of a city, hiding from the monsters on the other side of the wall, can we turn the cataclysm into an opportunity? Featuring new and exclusive stories, as well as classics of the genre, Grassmann takes us through the fall and beyond, to the things that are created after. Calling on the finest traditions of post-apocalyptic fiction, this anthology asks us what makes us human, and who we will be when we emerge out of the ruins? Featuring work from China Miéville, Emily St John Mandel, Clive Barker, Carmen Maria Machado, Charlie Jane Anders, Samuel R. Delaney, Ramsey Campbell, Lavie Tidhar, Kaaron Warrern, Anna Tambour, Nina Allan, Jeffrey Thomas, Paul Di Filippo, Ron Drummond, Nikhil Singh, John Skipp, Autumn Christian, Chris Kelso, Rumi Kaneko, Nick Mamatas and D.R.G. Sugawara.

A fascinating and unsettling anthology of 32 science fiction short stories in tribute to the prophetic dystopias of New Wave sci-fi pioneer, and literary titan of the twentieth century, J. G. Ballard—featuring Will Self, Iain Sinclair, Christopher Fowler, Chris Beckett, and a new Jerry Cornelius story from Michael Moorcock. Few authors are so iconic that their name is an adjective – Ballard is one of them. Master of both literary and science fiction, his novels such as Empire of the Sun , Crash and Cocaine Nights show a world out of joint – a bewildering, alienating and yet enthralling place. From his rapturously weird takes on contemporary reality to his classic dystopias like The Drowned World and High Rise , Ballard’s legacy shaped the future of literature. This first-of-its-kind anthology, featuring our greatest literary and science fiction authors, pays tribute to the unique visions of humanity’s uncanny and uneasy clash with the future – our empires of concrete – seen through the warped lens of J. G. Ballard. Edited by renowned editors Maxim Jakubowski and Rick McGrath, this collection includes stories by: Will Self Iain Sinclair Christopher Fowler Chris Beckett Michael Moorcock Jeff Noon Preston Grassmann Toby Litt Christine Poulson David Gordon Hanna Jameson James Lovegrove Ramsey Campbell Barry N. Malzberg Paul Di Filippo Samathan Lee Howe Nick Mamatas Adrian McKinty Rhys Hughes Adrian Cole Pat Cadigan Adam Roberts George Sandison Geoff Nicholson A.K. Benedict Andrew Hook David Quantick Lavie Tidhar James Grady