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Dead Man's Hand: An Anthology of the Weird West

John Joseph Adams

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 and Charles Yu.

Table of Contents

Introduction by John Joseph Adams
The Red-Headed Dead by Joe R. Lansdale
The Old Slow Man and His Gold Gun From Space by Ben H. Winters
Hellfire on the High Frontier by David Farland
The Hell-Bound Stagecoach by Mike Resnick
Stingers and Strangers by Seanan McGuire
Bookkeeper, Narrator, Gunslinger by Charles Yu
Holy Jingle by Alan Dean Foster
The Man With No Heart by Beth Revis
Wrecking Party by Alastair Reynolds
Hell from the East by Hugh Howey
Second Hand—Rajan Khanna
Alvin and the Apple Tree by Orson Scott Card
Madam Damnable's Sewing Circle by Elizabeth Bear
Strong Medicine by Tad Williams
Red Dreams by Jonathan Maberry
Bamboolzed by Kelley Armstrong
Sundown by Tobias S. Buckell
La Madre Del Oro by Jeffrey Ford
What I Assume You Shall Assume by Ken Liu
The Devil's Jack by Laura Anne Gilman
The Golden Age by Walter Jon Williams
Neversleeps by Fred Van Lente
Dead Man's Hand by Christie Yant

Dear Illusion: Collected Stories

Kingsley Amis

With Lucky Jim Kingsley Amis established himself as the bad boy of twentieth-century British letters. Later he became famous as another kind of bad boy, an inveterate boozer, a red-faced scourge of political correctness. He was consistent throughout in being a committed enemy of any form of "right thinking," which helped to make him one of the most consistently unconventional and exploratory writers of his day, a master of classical English prose who was unafraid to apply himself to literary genres all too often dismissed as "low." Science fiction, the spy story, the ghost story were all grist for Amis's mill, and nowhere is the experimental spirit in which he worked, his will to test both reality and the reader's imagination, more apparent than in his short stories. These "woodchips from his] workshop"--as he called them--are anything but throwaway work. They are instead the essence of Amis, a brew that is as tonic as it is intoxicating.

The Anti-Death League

Kingsley Amis

THE ANTI-DEATH LEAGUE

A nymphomaniac Lady of the British aristocracy who runs her home as an Army bordello... a Security Officer who may be a spy himself... a secret military base where scientists are at work on a weapon too terrible ever to be used...

Out of the conflicts and absurdities fo a society fascinated by Mega-Death comes Kingsley Amis' brilliant new novel of espionage, the Anti-Death League--the long-awaited major work by the author of Lucky Jim.

The Cartography of Sudden Death

Charlie Jane Anders

Time travel doesn't actually solve problems. It just makes them more complex....

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Undead Girl Gang

Lily Anderson

Mila Flores and her best friend Riley have always been inseparable. There's not much excitement in their small town of Cross Creek, so Mila and Riley make their own fun, devoting most of their time to Riley's favorite activity: amateur witchcraft.

So when Riley and two Fairmont Academy mean girls die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.

Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders, but they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer... before the killer strikes again.

Buried Screams

C. Dean Andersson

IT CAME FROM BELOW...

Stoneridge was a peaceful, almost boring little dot on the Kansas prairie, until the night a bottomless shaft mysteriously appeared in the town cemetery and, one by one, something below began scaring the people of Stoneridge to death.

...AND KNEW JUST HOW TO SCARE THEM

Karl, Beth, and Erik were well acquainted with fear. For years, they'd been plagued with painful scars from their childhood--terrible secrets that had long been buried. But something below wanted these three in its legion; and one thing it knew was how to unearth buried terror.

Thrown into their worst nightmares, Karl, Beth, and Erik had no choice but to endure the horror--unless they found the way out of the darkest pit they'd ever known.

Fiend

C. Dean Andersson

BELIEVE IN EVIL

The Dysan children needed to be punished. Daddy took care of them... permanently. Now he's come to Dallas's biggest comic book convention to continue his bloody work. So many bad children. So little time.

BELIEVE IN FEAR

She is Toxique, the ultimate comic book avenger. She was born in the vivid imagination of one lonely boy. Tonight he is going to drive her out of his mind... and into a real world of unspeakable violence.

BELIEVE IN HELL

Two forces are about to collide. One is good. One is evil. Both are driven by blood and vengeance. Both are unstoppable.

Torture Tomb

C. Dean Andersson

THE NIGHTMARE - For young artist Gina and her lover Jim, it began with a terrifying vision of Gina's long -missing sister, once thought dead, now a prisoner of a horror beyond imagining.

THE SEARCH - Their last hope -- a circle of witches who command powers that can help and heal -- or wreak terrible destruction. Their destination -- the dark heart of a New England forest where an evil dynasty built upon the unspeakable secrets of the damned plans a hellish fate for all who oppose it.

THE BATTLE - Hounded by foul manifestations of the undead, in peril of losing both their lives and souls, Gina and her allies must race against time and terror to confront their demonic enemies... and battle a monstrous inhuman force that may crush even the combined forces of light.

The Dead Astronaut: 10 Stories of Space Flight

Anonymous

Table of Contents:

5 - Preface (The Dead Astronaut) - essay by Editors of Playboy
11 - The Dead Astronaut - (1968) - short story by J. G. Ballard
27 - Here Comes John Henry! - (1968) - short story by Ray Russell
41 - A Man for the Moon - (1960) - short story by Leland Webb
51 - Nine Lives - (1969) - novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin
83 - Requiem on the Moon - (1964) - short story by David Duncan
95 - The Sensible Man - (1959) - short story by Avram Davidson
101 - Skin-Deep - (1963) - short story by Brian Rencelaw
109 - The Wreck of the Ship John B. - (1967) - novelette by Frank M. Robinson [as by Frank Robinson]
155 - Maelstrom II - (1965) - short story by Arthur C. Clarke
173 - Spy Story - (1955) - short story by Robert Sheckley (variant of Citizen in Space)

Planet of Death

E. L. Arch

Adam Blackburn, M.D., had worn a heart monitor, and frequently had to use a relaxer, ever since that fatal day when his knife had slipped in surgery, due to a hear attack, and his famous patient had died. Dr. Blackburn had not been held culpable, but his career with the hospital was overl so he'd been abailable when wealthy Carteret Dunne had approached him to take the post of senior surgeon aboard the Star-Catcher, bound for the Estrella star-system, where they would seek out new life-forms. Now the expedition was on one of Estrella's planets, the watery world Agua, and a native had finally been captured. Dr. Blackburn had just finished installing a think box in the native, Owanda, as Hudson Ivers had cracked the Aguan language and mential communication would be possible.

Previously, he and his assistant, Dr. Lon Mace, has instilled gills in various membes of the expedition so that they could invade the watery world. In fact, Carteret Dunne himself had wanted gills, and his operation had only been completed a day or so before. Dunne could use them now, although Blackburn advised waiting a day or so. Apparently Dunne wanted to be able to go into the tank and talk to Owanda.

Owanda was a lovely creature; all that Blackburn could think of when he looked at her was a water nymph. She was tiny, scarcely four feet tall--a biped adapted for aquatic life. Her webbed feet were in no way deforming; her translucent, delicately green skin gave her an ethereal air, and her long, luxuraint, shimmery hair made her a thing of beauty. Blackburn felt that he was falling in love for the first time in his life.

But he was not alone. Carteret Dunne's interest in being equipped with gills so that he could go into the tank with Owanda was something more than scientific; and Dunne was neither a likable nor ethical person. Blackburn had heard that Dunne had blackmailed just about every member of the expedition into joining-with the possible exception of Captain Petros Roussos. And Dunne had tried to use Blackburn's own accident as a handle to force him to perform an illegal brain operation on the man's alien valet, Nigel.

He tried to speak to Owanda now, but she, was clearly in distress--she was frightened at her state of captivity and her feeling that she had been contaminated by contact with these alien giants. He would try again the next morning. But in the morning, Owanda's distress was even more pronounced. Blackburn went to the tank, to see her swimming around in frantic circles on the far side of the tank, trying to keep away from a dark form on its floor.

Although Adam Blackburn was a good swim- mer, it was exhausting hauling the body out. He turned it over, and looked into the face of a man who could not have drowned--Carteret Dunne!

Was he responsible for another death? It didn't seem possible that anything had gone wrong with Dunne's gills-it was a simple operation and both Blackburn and Mace had made all possible checks, except the one of seeing whether the gills worked. But even so, Dunne could have gotten out of the tank... Unless he'd been held under!

Further examination showed not only that Dunne had been murdered, but the method of murder was known only to two people aboard the Star-Catcher-Lon Mace and Adam Black- burn. And Blackburn knew that Dunne's widow, Enid, hated him as much as she was drawn to his assistant. Unless he could discover how Dunne had been drowned, Adam Blackburn faced a life sentence on frigid Pluto! Here is an absorbing mystery on an alien planet.

The Deathstones

E. L. Arch

Isis was a planet about the size of Earth, in a system on the fringe of the galaxy--a port of call for tramp spaceships, piloted by men who called themselves "space bums." Jack Landers became one of these wanderers after a Board of Inquiry returned a verdict of "not proven" negligence following a spaceshp disaster. His pilot, Boyd Norton, had been a juvenile delinquent--and his subsequent reform ment nothing; he was foever barred from a legal berth on a spaceship. But out here, no one greatly cared about one's past. Landers bought a ship, the Motley, and he and Norton made out with it. Now they sought a three-man--or three-being--crew, and passengers for a voyage.

The local inhabitants of Isis looked like big masses of protoplasm, sort of bushel-basket size, Landers thought. They way they flowed along, though, changing shape, sending out pseudopods, flattening out to go under obstacles, and bunching up when they needed to, made it hard to judge their size, They were known as "Blobs," and Landers was inspired to see if, under thought communication, they could work on a spaceship. He found they could, and signed one up. A caterpillar-like Anubian and a lizard-like Serapian--from the neighboring worlds of Anubis and Serapis--made up the other two crewmen. Landers and Norton dubbed them S, Y, and Z....

Death on Mars

Madeline Ashby

This novelette originally appeared in the anthology Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures (2017), edited by Ed Finn, Joey Eschrich and Juliet Ulman. It can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fifth Annual Collection (2018), edited by Gardner Dozois, and The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 3 (2018), edited by Neil Clarke.

Aylmer Vance: Ghost-Seer

Alice Askew
Claude Askew

The Aylmer Vance stories date from the Edwardian period, and there are echoes in them of the Sherlock Holmes adventures which had proved so popular in the preceding decade. The friendship between Aylmer Vance and Dexter is not unlike that between Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and the two investigators approach the world of the supernatural in the same fearless and enquiring spirit in which Conan Doyle's heroes approach the world of crime. The parallel is not exact: Dexter, with his clairvoyant powers, is a more useful (and intelligent) ally than Watson, and Vance for the most part does not 'solve' mysteries the way Holmes does. What we get instead is a loosely-connected series of stories in which surprise is the major element, a world where not all ghosts are bad, where it is not always clear whether they are ghosts, and where being dead may for some be better than being alive.

Table of Contents:

The Invader - (1914)
The Stranger - (1914)
Lady Green-Sleeves - (1914)
The Fire Unquenchable - (1914)
The Vampire - (1914)
The Boy of Blackstock - (1914)
The Indissoluble Bond - (1914)
The Fear - (1914)

The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories

Gertrude Atherton

Gertrude Atherton was born in San Francisco in 1857, and died in 1948. She eloped at the age of nineteen, took up writing against her husband's wishes, and after his death became a protegee of Ambrose Bierce, whose influence can be seen here in those stories, "The Dead and the Countess," "Death and the Woman" and "The Striding Place," which have an overtly supernatural element. "The Striding Place" was rejected by one editor as 'far too gruesome', but was in Atherton's view 'the best short story I ever wrote'. Elsewhere, "The Greatest Good of the Greatest Number", "The Tragedy of a Snob," and "A Monarch of a Small Survey" the psychological takes precedence over the supernatural. And in "The Bell in the Fog" (reminiscent of The Turn of the Screw, and dedicated to Henry James) the supernatural and psychological combine to brilliant effect: an angelic child bears a striking resemblance to an old portrait. Is she a reincarnation of her ancestor? And will she turn out as unangelic in adulthood as that distant ancestor turned out before her?

Twice Dead Things

A. A. Attanasio

Mesmerizing explorations into the limitless realm of creativity, and bold, exciting tales that captivate, thrill, and give form to a universe that is both wonderful & terrifying

Table of Contents:

Foreword
Ink from the New Moon
Maps for the Spiders
Demons Hide Their Faces
Slain
The Dark One: A Mythograph
Zero's Twin
Atlantis Rose
Death's Head Moon
Brave Tails
Shagbark
Riversplash Mountain
The Strange, Wild Provenance of the Brave Tails
Thirteen Raptures of the Black Goat
Glimpses
The Star Pools
A Priestess of Nodens
Time in the Hourless House
Twice Dead Things: Investigations of the Fractal Blood Soul

The Joan-of-Arc Replay

Pierre Barbet

It was the contention of one galactic historian that similar planets must have similar histories. It was the contention of another that this did not imply identical histories. The challenge could only be settled by actual testing in the infinity of the cosmos.

The computer came up with the story of Joan of Arc on the Planet Earth. Programmed anew, it produced a similar world, the Planet Noldaz of Sigma 32, with a human race rising from medievalism among whom a maid would appear to lead her country's knights on a war of liberation.

The question: was she inevitably doomed to die at the stake, as Joan had before her? Did identical situations always mean identical conclusions?

Six-Gun Vixen and the Dead Coon Trashgang

Ashok K. Banker

This novelette originally appeared in Lightspeed, February 2017.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

The Deadly Percheron

John Franklin Bardin

"The opening chapter defies description. Imagine one of those 1930s screwball comedies with the crazy situations, but substitute malevolence for humor."-Karl Edward Wagner

"Doctor, I'm losing my mind." So begins John Franklin Bardin's unconventional crime thriller in which a psychiatrist attempts to help his patient lead to a dead-end world of amnesia and social outcasts. The Deadly Percheron is a murder mystery, poignant love story, and an unsettling and hallucinatory voyage into memory, madness, and despair.

Gaudeamus

John Barnes

Shatter the line between fiction and fantasy...

The life of an award-winning novelist probably bears more resemblance to "normal" than most fans would want to believe. But every once in awhile, strange things are bound to erupt around those most equipped to document them... so imagine what renowned science fiction writer John Barnes might do when he finds himself in one of the wildest, most rollicking hard-SF adventures to hit print in years.

Barnes' college friend Travis Bismark always brought back plenty of great stories from his job as an industrial spy. This time, over a few beer- and coffee-fueled chat sessions, Travis unravels a tale about his current case too tall for even an SF author to believe: a Gaudeamus machine that bends physics in order to make possible both teleportation and time travel, and how it gets stolen--twice; a grad student-cum-prostitute who deals in telepathy-inducing drugs that let her "download" top-secret documents from her client's brains, a romp through Colorado and New Mexico during which each episode and character is more bizarre than the last; and the internet meme that seems to tie it all together.

The Dead Father

Donald Barthelme

The Dead Father is a gargantuan half-dead, half-alive, part mechanical, wise, vain, powerful being who still has hopes for himself--even while he is being dragged by means of a cable toward a mysterious goal. In this extraordinary novel, marked by the imaginative use of language that influenced a generation of fiction writers, Donald Barthelme offered a glimpse into his fictional universe.

As Donald Antrim writes in his introduction, "Reading The Dead Father, one has the sense that its author enjoys an almost complete artistic freedom... a permission to reshape, misrepresent, or even ignore the world as we find it... Laughing along with its author, we escape anxiety and feel alive."

The Marching Dead

Lee Battersby

Find the dead a King, save himself, win the love of his life, live happily ever after. No wonder Marius dos Helles is bored. But now something has stopped the dead from, well, dying.

It's up to Marius, Gerd, and Gerd's not-dead-enough Granny to journey across the continent and put the dead back in the afterlife where they belong.

Cinderella Is Dead

Kalynn Bayron

Girls team up to overthrow the kingdom in this unique and powerful retelling of Cinderella from a stunning new voice that's perfect for fans of Dhonielle Clayton and Melissa Albert..

It's 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl's display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all--and in the process, they learn that there's more to Cinderella's story than they ever knew...

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they've been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

Dead Lines: A Novel of Life… After Death

Greg Bear

For the last two years, Peter Russell has mourned the death of one of his twin daughters--who was just ten when she was murdered. Recent news of his best friend's fatal heart attack has now come as another devastating blow. Divorced, despondent, and going nowhere in his career, Peter fears his life is circling the drain. Then Trans comes along. The brainchild of an upstart telecom company, Trans is (as its name suggests) a transcendent marvel: a sleek, handheld interpersonal communication device capable of flawless operation anywhere in the world, at any time. "A cell phone, but not"--transmitting with crystal clarity across a newly discovered, never-utilized bandwidth... and poised to spark a new-technology revolution. When its creators offer Peter a position on their team, it should be a golden opportunity for him. If only he wasn't seemingly going mad.

Everywhere Peter turns, inexplicable apparitions are walking before him or reaching out in torment. After a chilling encounter with his own lost child he begins to grasp the terrifying truth: Trans is a Pandora's box that has tapped into a frequency not of this world... but of the next. And now, via this open channel to oblivion, the dead have gained access to the living. For Peter, and for humankind, a long, shadowy night of the soul has descended, bringing with it the stuff of a horrifying nightmare from which they may never awaken.

The Deading

Nicholas Belardes

If you want to stay, you have to die.

In a small fishing town known for its aging birding community and the local oyster farm, a hidden evil emerges from the depths of the ocean. It begins with sea snails washing ashore, attacking whatever they cling to. This mysterious infection starts transforming the wildlife, the seascapes, and finally, the people.

Once infected, residents of Baywood start "deading": collapsing and dying, only to rise again, changed in ways both fanatical and physical. As the government cuts the town off from the rest of the world, the uninfected, including the introverted bird-loving Blas and his jaded older brother Chango, realize their town could be ground zero for a fundamental shift in all living things.

Soon, disturbing beliefs and autocratic rituals emerge, overseen by the death-worshiping Risers. People must choose how to survive, how to find home, and whether or not to betray those closest to them. Stoked by paranoia and isolation, tensions escalate until Blas, Chango, and the survivors of Baywood must make their escape or become subsumed by this terrifying new normal.

The Temple of Death: The Ghost Stories of A. C. & R. H. Benson

A. C. Benson
R. H. Benson

The great oaken gate heaved and splintered, and a monstrous beast as huge as a horse appeared at the mouth of the den; his small head was laid back on his hairy shoulders, his little eyes gleamed wickedly, and his red mouth opened snarling fiercely.

Undeservedly, the weird and chilling ghost stories of Arthur Christopher Benson and Robert Hugh Benson have been neglected for far too long. This volume attempts to rectify that situation. This dark banquet of tales take us to strange, unworldly and often archaic environments, far removed from the manic pace and pressures of the twenty-first century, but as exercises in the art of luring the reader into a state of unease, they are as potent as they were when the ink was barely dry on the page.

Table of Contents:

Stories by A. C. Benson

The Temple of Death
The Closed Window
The Slype House
The Red Camp
Out of the Sea
The Grey Cay
The Hill of Trouble
Basil Netherby
The Uttermost Farthing

Stories by R. H. Benson

The Watcher
The Blood-Eagle
'Consolatrix Afflictorum'
Over the Gateway
Father Meuron's Tale
Father Macclesfield's Tale
The Traveller

Missing, Presumed Dead

Emma Berquist

When eighteen-year-old Lexi foresees the brutal murder of a young woman outside a club in downtown L.A., she is powerless to stop it.

But then the girl's ghost appears, seeking vengeance, and Lexi is swept into a dangerous search that could put her directly in the path of a serial killer. From the author of Devils Unto Dust, this fast-paced and literary thriller will haunt fans of Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious and Karen M. McManus's One of Us Is Lying.

With a touch, Lexi can sense how and when someone will die. Some say it's a gift. But to Lexi it's a curse--one that keeps her friendless and alone. All that changes when Lexi foresees the violent death of a young woman, Jane, outside a club.

Jane doesn't go to the afterlife quietly. Her ghost remains behind, determined to hunt down her murderer, and she needs Lexi's help. In life, Jane was everything Lexi is not--outgoing, happy, popular. But in death, all Jane wants is revenge.

Lexi will do anything to help Jane, to make up for the fact that she didn't--couldn't--save Jane's life, and to keep this beautiful ghost of a girl by her side for as long as possible.

The Unquiet Dead

Margaret Bingley

The place is Lower Ditton. So peaceful. So silent. But don't let the silence deceive you.

It's the silence of the grave. The silence of a village too terrified to scream. The silence of an army of vengeful spirits who've possessed the bodies of young children. And in their lifeless, demonically red eyes, no one is too innocent to die...

Death and Designation Among the Asadi

Michael Bishop

Hugo and Nebula Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in Worlds of If, January-February 1973. The story can aslo be found in the anthology The 1974 Annual World's Best SF, edited by Donald A. Wollheim and Arthur W. Saha. It is included in the collection Blue Kansas Sky: Four Short Novels of Memory, Magic, Surmise & Estrangement (2000).

Philip K. Dick Is Dead, Alas

Michael Bishop

It is 1982. The United States has a permanent Moonbase. Richard M. Nixon is in the fourth term of the "imperial presidency." And an eccentric novelist named Philip K. Dick has just died in California.

Or has he? Psychiatrist Lia Pickford, M.D., is nonplussed when Dick walks into her office in small-town Georgia, with a cab idling outside, to ask for help. And Cal Pickford, a longtime Dick fan stunned by the news of his hero's death, is electrified when his wife tells him of the visit.

So begins a sequence of events involving Cal in the repressive Nixon regime, the affairs of an aging movie queen, a hip but frightened Vietnamese immigrant and an old black man who works as a groom--all leading up to a fateful confrontation between Dick, Cal, and Nixon himself on the moon.

The City Quiet as Death

Steven Utley
Michael Bishop

Between the incessant music of the stars and the spectre of a giant squid caught inside a locket ball, it is difficult for Don Horacio to maintain a restful mind.

This story is included in the collection The Door Gunner and Other Perilous Flights of Fancy: A Michael Bishop Retrospective (2012).

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Dead Man's Curve

Terry Bisson

Hugo Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, June 1994. The story is included in the collection In the Upper Room: And Other Likely Stories (2000).

Dear Abbey

Terry Bisson

Would you sacrifice humanity to save the planet Earth? Cole is an obscure professor at an undistinguished community college -- a man without a future. Lee is a Chinese political refugee with a Texas accent -- a man without a past. They share a tiny office, a taste for Edward Abbey (and Jack Daniels), and an awesome destiny.

For the most fateful decision in human history is theirs to make. One fateful Friday night, Cole and Lee join hands (literally) and embark on a journey to retrieve a formula that will change, or end, human history. A journey through Time.

Along the way, they are witness to all the horror and all the glory of our tomorrows--from the cannibal seals of the next Ice Age to the final campfire under a dying sun; from the seductions of 30th century Paris to the pleasures of a dinner party a hundred million years in the future.

They even find time to meet man's best friend, as well as his most indifferent enemy. It's a billion-year leap -- a long weekend that stretches all the way from Friday night to the End of Time.

This novella can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-First Annual Collection (2004), edited by Gardner Dozois. It is included in the collection Greetings (2005).

There Are No Dead

Terry Bisson

This short story originally appeared in Omni, January 1995. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirteenth Annual Collection (1996), edited by Gardner Dozois. The story is included in the collection In the Upper Room: And Other Likely Stories (2000).

The Dead Beat

Robert Bloch

If Psycho chilled your blood, this one will freeze it solid...

And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead

Brooke Bolander

Hugo-, Nebula- and Sturgeon Award-nominated short story. It originally appeared in Lightspeed, February 2015. The story can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016, edited by Rich Horton.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Straight Outta Deadwood

David Boop

Once again, we return to the Old West with a new posse of top authors spinning tales of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. We take no prisoners as they explore what really was and mix in what might have been.

Table of Contents:

Foreword by David Boop
Cookie by Shane Lacy Hensley
A Talk with My Mother Charlaine Harris
The Greatest Horse Thief in History by D.J. Butler
The Doctor and the Spectre by Mike Resnick
Doth Make Thee Mad by Jane Lindskold
Sunlight and Silver by Jeffrey J. Mariotte
Pinkerton's Prey by Frog and Esther Jones
The Relay Station at Wrigley's Pass by Derrick Ferguson
Not Fade Away by Cliff Winnig
The Spinners by Jennifer Campbell-Hicks
The Stoker and the Plaguew Doctor by Alex Acks
Bigger Than Life by Steve Rasnic Tem
Dreamcatcher by Marsheila Rockwell
El Jefe De La Comancheria by Mario Acevedo
The Pertified Man by Betsy Dornbusch
Stands Twice and The Magpie Man by Stephen Graham Jones
Blood Lust and Gold Dust by Travis Heermann

Virtual Death

Shale Aaron

Giving up her career as a near-death experience performer, celebrity Lydia Melmoth is unwilling to subject herself to another brush with death, until her mother's pressing need for money pushes Lydia into a comeback. Original.

Death Dream

Ben Bova

In a USAF lab in Ohio, combat veteran and test pilot Jerry Adair experiences for the first time flight simulation enhanced by Virtual Reality. He dies.

At school in Orlando, Florida, twelve-year-old Angela, gliding through the VR underwater wonderland, finds the mermaid princess watching over her father. He is dead.

Jace Lowrey is the brilliant one. Dan Santorini, the quiet, regular guy. As a team they are unbeatable. Their ideas work. Up into beyond-the-state-of-the-art reality.

Ideas that a corporation - or a government agency - would kill for. Realities that can overwhelm...

Death is a Lonely Business

Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury, the undisputed Dean of American storytelling, dips his accomplished pen into the cryptic inkwell of noir and creates a stylish and slightly fantastical tale of mayhem and murder set among the shadows and the murky canals of Venice, California, in the early 1950s.

Toiling away amid the looming palm trees and decaying bungalows, a struggling young writer (who bears a resemblance to the author) spins fantastic stories from his fertile imagination upon his clacking typewriter. Trying not to miss his girlfriend (away studying in Mexico), the nameless writer steadily crafts his literary effort--until strange things begin happening around him.

Starting with a series of peculiar phone calls, the writer then finds clumps of seaweed on his doorstep. But as the incidents escalate, his friends fall victim to a series of mysterious "accidents"--some of them fatal. Aided by Elmo Crumley, a savvy, street-smart detective, and a reclusive actress of yesteryear with an intense hunger for life, the wordsmith sets out to find the connection between the bizarre events, and in doing so, uncovers the truth about his own creative abilities.

The Brief History of the Dead

Kevin Brockmeier

Award-winning author Kevin Brockmeier delivers a spellbinding, supernatural tale of love, memories, and human connection. All residents of the City have recently died, and they will remain in the City only as long as someone still living on Earth remembers them. On Earth, however, the population has been devastated by a terrible pandemic. Laura Byrd, isolated at an Antarctic research station, may be the only person to have survived the pandemic. But she's running out of time and supplies, and her memories are fading.

The Brief History of the Dead

Kevin Brockmeier

Nebula nominated short story. It was later expanded to a novel of the same name. The story originally appeared in The New Yorker, September 8, 2003 and can also be found in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Seventeenth Annual Collection (2004), edited by Ellen Datlow, Gavin J. Grant and Kelly Link.

The Angels of Life and Death

Eric Brown

Table of Contents:

1 - The Angels of Life and Death, An Introduction - essay
2 - Venus Macabre - (1998) - short story
3 - The Frankenberg Process - (2001) - novelette
4 - Skyball - (1997) - short story
5 - Bengal Blues - [Bengal Station] - (2009) - short fiction
6 - The Nilakantha Scream - (1991) - short story
7 - The Thallian Intervention - (1996) - short story
8 - The Tapestry of Time - (2006) - short story
9 - The Frozen Woman - (2003) - short story
10 - Crystals - (1992) - short story
11 - The Angels of Life and Death - (2001) - novelette

Play Dead

Ryan Brown

For the first time in Killington High School history, the Jackrabbits football team is one win away from the district championship where it will face its most vicious rival, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. On the way to the game, the Jackrabbits's bus plunges into a river, killing every player except for bad-boy quarterback Cole Logan who is certain the crash was no accident--given that Cole himself was severely injured in a brutal attack by three ski-masked men earlier that day. Bent on payback, Cole turns to a mysterious fan skilled in black magic to resurrect his teammates. But unless the undead Jackrabbits defeat their murderous rival on the field, the team is destined for hell. In a desperate race against time, with only his coach's clever daughter, Savannah Hickman, to assist him, Cole must lead his zombie team to victory.

The Penguin Book of the Undead: Fifteen Hundred Years of Supernatural Encounters

Scott G. Bruce

The walking dead from 15 centuries haunt this compendium of ghostly visitations through the ages, exploring the history of our fascination with zombies and other restless souls.

Since ancient times, accounts of supernatural activity have mystified us. Ghost stories as we know them did not develop until the late nineteenth century, but the restless dead haunted the premodern imagination in many forms, as recorded in historical narratives, theological texts, and personal letters. The Penguin Book of the Undead teems with roving hordes of dead warriors, corpses trailed by packs of barking dogs, moaning phantoms haunting deserted ruins, evil spirits emerging from burning carcasses in the form of crows, and zombies with pestilential breath. Spanning from the Hebrew scriptures to the Roman Empire, the Scandinavian sagas to medieval Europe, the Protestant Reformation to the Renaissance, this beguiling array of accounts charts our relationship with spirits and apparitions, wraiths and demons over fifteen hundred years, showing the evolution in our thinking about the ability of dead souls to return to the realm of the living--and to warn us about what awaits us in the afterlife.

Among the Dead and Other Events Leading Up to the Apocalypse

Edward Bryant

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Loci - (1973) - essay
The Hanged Man - (1972) - shortstory
Shark - (1973) - shortstory
No. 2 Plain Tank Auxiliary Fill Structural Limit 17,605 lbs. Fuel-PWA Spec. 522 Revised - (1972) - shortstory
Adrift on the Freeway - (1970) - shortstory
Jody After the War - (1972) - shortstory
Teleidoscope - (1973) - shortstory
The Poet in the Hologram in the Middle of Prime Time - (1972) - shortstory
The Human Side of the Village Monster - (1971) - shortstory
Among the Dead - (1971) - shortstory
File on the Plague - (1971) - shortstory
The Soft Blue Bunny Rabbit Story - (1971) - shortstory
Tactics - (1973) - shortstory
Sending the Very Best - (1970) - shortstory
Their Thousandth Season - (1972) - shortstory
Love Song of Herself - (1971) - shortstory
Pinup - (1973) - shortstory
Dune's Edge - (1972) - shortstory

The Lesser Dead

Christopher Buehlman

The secret is, vampires are real and I am one.

The secret is, I'm stealing from you what is most truly yours and I'm not sorry...

New York City in 1978 is a dirty, dangerous place to live. And die. Joey Peacock knows this as well as anybody—he has spent the last forty years as an adolescent vampire, perfecting the routine he now enjoys: womanizing in punk clubs and discotheques, feeding by night, and sleeping by day with others of his kind in the macabre labyrinth under the city's sidewalks.

The subways are his playground and his highway, shuttling him throughout Manhattan to bleed the unsuspecting in the Sheep Meadow of Central Park or in the backseats of Checker cabs, or even those in their own apartments who are too hypnotized by sitcoms to notice him opening their windows. It's almost too easy.

Until one night he sees them hunting on his beloved subway. The children with the merry eyes. Vampires, like him... or not like him. Whatever they are, whatever their appearance means, the undead in the tunnels of Manhattan are not as safe as they once were.

And neither are the rest of us.

After the Days of Dead-Eye 'Dee

Pat Cadigan

This short story originally appeared in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, May 1985 and was reprinted in Lightspeed, December 2011. It can also be found in the anthology The Norton Book of Science Fiction: North American Science Fiction, 1960-1990 (1993), edtide by Ursula K. Le Guin and Brian Attebery.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Death in the Promised Land

Pat Cadigan

This novella originally appeared on Omni Online, March 1995, and was reprinted in Asimov's Science Fiction, November 1995. It can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirteenth Annual Collection (1996), edited by Gardner Dozois and The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction (2006), edited by Mike Ashley. Material from this novella was incorportated in the novel Dervish Is Digital (2001).

To Wake the Dead

Ramsey Campbell

Twenty years after a game of Ouija ends in a ten-year-old's disappearance, Rose Tierney discovers that she has developed psychic powers that enable her to see into the future and travel without her body, but that make her vulnerable to an evil force.

Published in the UK as: The Parasite

Edd Cartier: The Known and the Unknown

Edd Cartier
Dean Cartier

Edd Cartier was a highly regarded and influential artist from the 30s to the 60s, most famous for his work on The Shadow and John W. Campbell's Astounding and Unknown magazines. He had a humorous and fluid style, equally adept at seemingly effortless figure drawing, creature design, and hardware. Edited by his son Dean, this book is a retrospective of his work. Cartier was the recipient of the 1992 World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Table of Contents:

The Land of Unreason by F. Pratt and L. S. de Camp - (1941) - interior artwork
No Connection by Isaac Asimov - (1948) - interior artwork
Oscar by Cleve Cartmill - (1941) - interior artwork
Of Things Remembered - essay by Dean Cartier
The "Unknown" Years - essay by Dean Cartier
Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp - (1939) - interior artwork
The Mathematics of Magic by F. Pratt and L. S. de Camp - (1940) - interior artwork
Typewriter in the Sky by L. Ron Hubbard - (1940) - interior artwork
Typewriter in the Sky by L. Ron Hubbard [1] - (1940) - interior artwork
Typewriter in the Sky by L. Ron Hubbard [2] - (1940) - interior artwork
Typewriter in the Sky by L. Ron Hubbard [3] - (1940) - interior artwork
Typewriter in the Sky by L. Ron Hubbard [4] - (1940) - interior artwork
The Mislaid Charm by A. M. Phillips - (1941) - interior artwork
The Castle of Iron by F. Pratt and L. S. de Camp - (1941) - interior artwork
Shottle Bop by Theodore Sturgeon - (1941) - interior artwork
The Crossroads by L. Ron Hubbard - (1941) - interior artwork
A Length of Rope by Chester Geier - (1941) - interior artwork
The Forbidden Trail by Jane Rice - (1941) - interior artwork
Over the River by P. Schuyler Miller - (1941) - interior artwork
The Fountain by Nelson Bond - (1941) - interior artwork
The Fountain by Nelson Bond [1] - (1941) - interior artwork
Yesterday Was Monday by Theodore Sturgeon - (1941) - interior artwork
Armageddon by Frederic Brown - (1941) - interior artwork
The Land of Unreason by F. Pratt and L. S. de Camp - (1941) - interior artwork
The Land of Unreason by F. Pratt and L. S. de Camp [1] - (1941) - interior artwork
A Good Knight's Work by Robert Bloch - (1941) - interior artwork
A Gnome There Was by Henry Kuttner - (1941) - interior artwork
A Gnome There Was by Henry Kuttner [1] - (1941) - interior artwork
The Case of the Friendly Corpse by L. Ron Hubbard - (1941) - interior artwork
No News Today by Cleve Cartmill - (1941) - interior artwork
No News Today by Cleve Cartmill [2] - (1941) - interior artwork
Czech Interlude by Vic Phillips - (1941) - interior artwork
Snulug by Anthony Boucher - (1941) - interior artwork
With a Blunt Instrument by Eric Frank Russell - (1941) - interior artwork
Occupation: Demigod by Nelson Bond - (1941) - interior artwork
The Sunken Land by Fritz Leiber - (1941) - interior artwork

Death Every Seventy-Two Minutes

Adam-Troy Castro

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, March 2017.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Legion of the Dead

Hugh B. Cave

Gary Connoway had heard rumors of a mysterious Cult of Death even before he arrived in San Mario, but nothing could have prepared him for the unspeakable evil that stalked him now. He had come to the primitive Caribbean island for rest and instead found love in the arms of Juana, a beautiful island girl. Now in the jungle they both faced a relentless, oncoming horror that only the awesome power of voodoo could have raised and only the power of voodoo could stop.

The Restless Dead

Hugh B. Cave

A curse lingers over the Eversol mansion--a voodoo curse, born of evil, steeped in blood. The tormented family who lives in the house of horrors is beset by insanity, visions... and death. They have shut themselves off from the world, allowing no one to trespass on their blighted property. No one except Jeff Gordon, a university professor with a special knowledge of voodoo and the occult. Reluctantly, in desperation, the Everol family has permitted Gordon to enter the mansion. But all Gordon's experience could never prepare him for the unearthly creatures that await him there--or the ultimate terror of the mysterious caves beneath the house.

The After-Death of Caroline Rand

Catherine Cavendish

It begins with a chilling greeting: "Welcome to The Columbine, Miss Sinclair. You are expected."

At a weekend house-party at ancient Canonbury Manor, Alli is caught between fantasy and reality, past and present, in the life of Caroline Rand, a famous singer from the late Sixties, who reportedly killed herself in that house. Alli soon learns that evil infests the once-holy building. A sinister cabal controls it, as it has for centuries. Before long, her fate will be sealed, and she will learn about her role in the after-death of Caroline Rand.

Every Version Ends in Death

Aliya Chaudhry

Laana returns to her small hometown following the death of her grandmother and becomes obsessed with the local ghost story of Carolyn Hayward. Who was she? Why does every reference or local memory of her give conflicting information about her life, work, and the circumstances of her death.

Laana's research takes her on a whirlwind journey through her hometown's history and reconnects her with old friends, prompting her to reflect on her own story and the ways she was and wasn't there for those in her life.

The Only Death in the City

C. J. Cherryh

This short story originally appeared in the collection Sunfall (1981) and was reprinted in Lightspeed, April 2014. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Fantasy Stories: 8 (1982), edited by Arthur W. Saha, and is included in the collection The Collected Short Fiction of C. J. Cherryh (2004).

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

The Hound of Death and Other Stories

Agatha Christie

A collection of macabre mysteries, including the superlative story Witness for the Prosecution... Twelve unexplained phenomena with no apparent earthly explanation... A dog-shaped gunpowder mark; an omen from 'the other side'; a haunted house; a chilling seance; a case of split personalities; a recurring nightmare; an eerie wireless message; an elderly lady's hold over a young man; a disembodied cry of 'murder'; a young man's sudden amnesia; a levitation experience; a mysterious SOS. To discover the answers, delve into the supernatural storytelling of Agatha Christie.

Table of Contents:

The Last Séance
The Hound of Death
The Red Signal
The Fourth Man
The Gypsy
The Lamp
Wireless
The Witness for the Prosecution
The Mystery of the Blue Jar
The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Carmichael
The Call of Wings
S.O.S.

In the Garden of Dead Cars

Sybil Claiborne

A sexual plague leaves its survivors terrified of human contact. The government so fears sensuality that even the Joy of Cooking is banned. Sex is a capital crime. Only the "carnals" - the sexual dissidents of the future - dare speak of love. In this postmodern Eden we meet a feminist physician who speaks only of the past, and her daughter, Emma, who dreams of real butter and rebuilt Subarus and is sick of hearing about life before the plague. Set in a New York besieged by scarcities of every kind, a place of burnt-out buildings, abandoned streets and junk yards, In the Garden of Dead Cars takes Emma on a journey both dangerously criminal and filled with self-discovery.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

P. Djèlí Clark

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins -- resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories -- have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That's above Eveen's pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen's a professional. She's never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen's newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn't supposed to remember and a vow she can't forget.

Secrets of the Dead

Simon Clark

John Tolworth is delighted when he is hired to help investigate a collection of mummified bodies found in the notorious Gold Tomb in Egypt. Not only is he intrigued by the work, but the collection is stored in an ancient castle in Devon, where John spent his childhood. He looks forward to revisiting the area, and to showing his family the place he grew up.

But when John and his family arrive at Baverstock Castle, John starts to remember things. Things he had forgotten. What happened the last time he was there? And why is Philip Kemmis, the former owner of the castle, and John's childhood companion, now a raving madman?

As the mummified bodies begin to reveal their ancient secrets, John begins to think the unthinkable...

Dead Lake

Darcy Coates

A week's visit to the remote Harob Lake cabin couldn't have come at a better time for Sam.

She's battling artist's block ahead of a major gallery exhibition. Staying at the lake house is her final, desperate attempt to paint the collection that could save her floundering career. It seems perfect: no neighbors, no phone, no distractions.

But the dream retreat disintegrates into a nightmare when Sam sees a stranger by the lake.

A tall, mysterious man stands on the edge of her dock, staring intently into the swirling waters below. He starts to follow her. He disables her car. He destroys her only way to communicate with the outside world. And something about the man seems... unnatural.

Soon Sam suspects he's responsible for the series of disappearances from a nearby hiking trail.

Completely stranded, Sam realises she's become the prey in the hunter's deadliest game...

Dead of Winter

Darcy Coates

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she's hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they'll be safe as they wait out the storm.

She couldn't be more wrong.

Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing... only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport... and they're far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.

Old Dead Futures

Tina Connolly

In "Old Dead Futures," a young boy's ability to change the future makes him valuable to the government. But that same ability keeps him trapped in a wheelchair and at the mercy of those who would use him. When our present is fixed, how can we see a different future?

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Listen to a podcast of this story at Drabblecast.

Deadly Image

Edmund Cooper

He was an anachronism...

He was a twentieth century man who, by a freak of chance, survived to see an age in which working had become a social disgrace; an age in which culture and the arts reigned supreme; an age of mannered ladies and gentlemen, perfectly waited on and cared for by androids - the man-like creations of their own genius. The higher grade androids were doctors, engineers, politicians and personal "companions" to each and every human being. And in whatever they did, they were perfect. No one had to worry about them. For the first time in history, man had completely freed himself from the problems of living:

EXCEPT... When perfect manchines, with perfect performance, are made to perfectly resemble man - who needs man?

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina

Zoraida Córdova

The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won't ever leave their home in Four Rivers--even for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers.

Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly's daughter, Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea's line. Determined to save what's left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, the four descendants travel to Ecuador--to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back.

Covenant

Dean Crawford

IT'S THE BIGGEST DISCOVERY IN HISTORY... BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS MAN WAS NEVER MEANT TO KNOW.

When archaeologist Lucy Morgan uncovers a seven-thousand-year-old tomb holding remains alien to our world, she realizes she has stumbled upon something important--something with the potential to rewrite history. But before Lucy can retrieve the remains, she's abducted.

A former war correspondent in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ethan Warner has seen much action in the line of fire. Now back home in Chicago, he's hoping to finally pick up the pieces of his broken life and begin to lead a more normal existence. But when called upon by Lucy's family to help find her, he knows he cannot let them down. Especially since he knows firsthand what it's like to have a loved one go missing.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., detectives Nicola Lopez and Lucas Tyrell are called to an abandoned building to check out a possible homicide. What at first glance appears to be the bodies of overdose victims in a crack den is instead something more sinister. How is it possible that these emaciated, naked bodies--rotting in the sweltering heat of August--show signs of hypothermia?

Working independently, Ethan and the detectives each discover that a shadowy corporation may have something to do with Lucy's disappearance and the mysterious bodies. And Ethan soon realizes that it's not just Lucy's life that's at stake but the fate of the world, and he must risk everything to stop those willing to alter the course of history, before it's too late.

In the tradition of books by Michael Crichton and James Rollins, Covenant combines science, suspense, and ingenious speculation to create an action-packed blockbuster not to be missed.

Eaters of the Dead

Michael Crichton

The year is A.D. 922. A refined Arab courtier, representative of the powerful Caliph of Baghdad, encounters a party of Viking warriors who are journeying to the barbaric North. He is appalled by their Viking customs--the wanton sexuality of their pale, angular women, their disregard for cleanliness... their cold-blooded human sacrifices. But it is not until they reach the depths of the Northland that the courtier learns the horrifying and inescapable truth: he has been enlisted by these savage, inscrutable warriors to help combat a terror that plagues them--a monstrosity that emerges under cover of night to slaughter the Vikings and devour their flesh...

The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack

Nate Crowley

Schneider Wrack was dead. Until he wasn't.

Convicted of a crime he's almost completely sure he didn't commit, executed, reanimated, then pressed into service aboard a vast trawler on the terrible world of Ocean, he was set to spend his afterlife working until his mindless corpse falls apart.

But now he's woken up, trapped in a rotting body, arm-deep in the stinking meat and blubber of a sea monster, and he's not happy. It's time for the dead to rise up.

From the stench and brine of Ocean to the fetid jungle of Grand Amazon, Schneider's career as a revolutionary won't be easy. But sometimes a zombie's gotta do what a zombie's gotta do...

Cities of the Dead

Michael Paine

Egypt 1903. Howard Carter, later to become famous for discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun, has been fired from the Department of Antiquities. Using this as an opportunity to study the culture, myseries and fathomless tombs of Egypt's ancient past, Carter hires himself out as a guide to tourists - but he could never have conceived the timeless rituals and age-old horrors he would uncover in the Valley of the Kings. Cities of the Dead-- They are alive - now and forever.

Dead Sea

Tim Curran

When the crew of a lost freighter finds themselves trapped in a gruesome dimension--of sea monsters, ghost ships, and the undead--it is up to them to locate the U.S.S. Lancet and convince a nearly insane physicist to help them return home.

God is Dead

Ron Currie, Jr.

God has inhabited the mortal body of a young Dinka woman in the Sudan. When she is killed in the Darfur desert, he dies along with her, and word of his death soon begins to spread. Faced with the hard proof that there is no supreme being in charge, the world is irrevocably transformed, yet remains oddly recognizable.

A Quiet Revolution for Death

Jack Dann

Nebula Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in the anthology New Dimensions Science Fiction Number 8 (1978), edtied by Robert Silverberg. The story can also be found in the collections Timetipping (1980) and Jubilee (2001).

All the Snake Handlers I Know Are Dead

Dennis Danvers

All the Snake Handlers I Know Are Dead, by Dennis Danvers, is dark, magical realism tale about a lone woman building a cabin in the mountains of Appalachia and the strange man she encounters there.

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Leaving the Dead

Dennis Danvers

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, May 2013.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Little Deaths: 24 Tales of Sex and Horror

Ellen Datlow

Sex and death are a terrifying combination. This is an anthology of stories, which range from sensuous and languid self-discovery to viscerally disturbing passion and from dark and perverse revenge to sexual politics in a dangerous age.

Table of Contents:

Introduction - (1994) - essay by Ellen Datlow
The Lady of Situations - (1994) - shortstory by Stephen Dedman
Hungry Skin - (1994) - shortstory by Lucy Taylor
Becky Lives - (1994) - shortstory by Harry Crews
Lover Doll - (1994) - shortstory by Wayne Allen Sallee
The Swing - (1994) - shortstory by Nicholas Royle
Sahib - (1994) - shortstory by J. Calvin Pierce
The Careful Geometry of Love - (1994) - shortstory by Kathe Koja and Barry N. Malzberg
Yaguara - (1994) - novella by Nicola Griffith
On Amen's Shore - (1992) - shortstory by Clive Barker
Isobel Avens Returns to Stepney in the Spring - novelette by M. John Harrison
The Pain Barrier - (1994) - shortstory by Joel Lane
Sinfonia Expansiva - (1994) - shortstory by Barry N. Malzberg
Fever Blisters - (1994) - shortstory by Joyce Carol Oates
The Rock - (1994) - shortstory by Melanie Tem
An Outside Interest - (1982) - shortstory by Ruth Rendell
And Salome Danced - (1994) - shortstory by Kelley Eskridge
The Disquieting Muse - (1994) - shortstory by Kathe Koja
Holes - (1994) - shortstory by Sarah Clemens
That Old School Tie - (1994) - novelette by Jack Womack
Ice Palace - (1994) - shortstory by Douglas Clegg
Serial Monogamist - (1994) - novelette by Pat Cadigan
Black Nightgown - (1994) - shortstory by K. W. Jeter
Menage a Trois - (1994) - shortstory by Richard Christian Matheson
The Last Time - (1994) - novella by Lucius Shepard

More Deadly than the Male: Masterpieces from the Queens of Horror

Graeme Davis

Readers are well aware that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein: few know how many other tales of terror she created. In addition to Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote some surprisingly effective horror stories. The year after Little Women appeared, Louisa May Alcott published one of the first mummy tales. These ladies weren't alone. From the earliest days of Gothic and horror fiction, women were exploring the frontiers of fear, dreaming dark dreams that will still keep you up at night.

More Deadly than the Male includes unexpected horror tales by Louisa May Alcott and Harriet Beecher Stowe, and forgotten writers like Mary Cholmondely and Charlotte Riddell, whose work deserves a modern audience. Readers will be drawn in by the familiar names and intrigued by their rare stories.

In The Beckside Boggle, Alice Rea brings a common piece of English folklore to hair-raising life, while Helene Blavatsky, best known as the founder of the spiritualist Theosophical Society, conjures up a solid and satisfying ghost story in The Cave of the Echoes. Edith Wharton's great novel The Age of Innocence won her the Pulitzer prize, yet her horror stories are known only to a comparative few.

Table of Contents:

The Transformation - short story by Mary Shelley
The Dark Lady - (1850) - short fiction by Mrs. S. C. Hall
Morton Hall - (1853) - short fiction by Mrs. Gaskell [as by Elizabeth Gaskell]
A Ghost Story - (1858) - short story by Ada Trevanion
An Engineer's Story - (1866) - novelette by Amelia B. Edwards
Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy's Curse - (1869) - short story by Louisa May Alcott
Tom Toothacre's Ghost Story - (1871) - short story by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Kentucky's Ghost - (1868) - short story by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
At Chrighton Abbey - (1871) - novelette by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
The Fate of Madame Cabanel - (1880) - short story by Eliza Lynn Linton
Forewarned, Forearmed - (1874) - short story by Mrs. J. H. Riddell
The Portrait - (1885) - novelette by Margaret Oliphant
The Shrine Of Death - (1886) - short story by Lady Dilke
The Beckside Boggle - (1886) - short story by Alice Rea
The Hidden Door - (1886) - novelette by Vernon Lee
Unexplained - (1888) - short fiction by Mary Louisa Molesworth
Let Loose - (1890) - short story by Mary Cholmondeley
The Cave of the Echoes - short story by Helena P. Blavatsky
The Yellow Wall Paper - (1937) - short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (variant of The Yellow Wall-Paper 1892)
The Mass for the Dead - short story by E. Nesbit
The Tyburn Ghost - (1896) - short story by The Countess of Munster
The Duchess at Prayer - (1900) - novelette by Edith Wharton
The Vacant Lot - (1902) - short story by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
An Unscientific Story - (1903) - short story by Louise J. Strong
A Dissatisfied Soul - (1904) - short fiction by Annie Trumbull Slosson
The Readjustment - (1908) - short fiction by Mary Austin

Haven

Tom Deady

In 1961, the small town of Haven thought they'd gotten rid of their monster.

After a series of child killings, Paul Greymore was caught carrying a wounded girl. His face, disfigured from a childhood accident, seemed to confirm he was the monster the community hoped to banish. With Paul in prison, the killings stopped.

For seventeen years, Haven was peaceful again. But Paul served his time and has now returned to Haven--the town where he grew up, and the scene of his alleged crimes. Paul insists he didn't commit those crimes, and several townspeople believe him including the local priest, a young boy named Denny, and his best friend Billy.

Trouble is, now that Paul is back home, the bizarre killings have started again--and the patterns match the deaths from Haven's past. If Paul isn't the killer, who is?

Or WHAT is? An unlikely band of adventurers attempts to uncover the truth, delving into long-hidden tunnels that might actually be inhabited by a strange, predatory creature.

The Clearing

Tom Deady

When Hannah Green's dog comes out of the woods carrying a sneaker that contains a partially decomposed foot, she thinks it's the worst thing that could ever happen to her.

She is wrong.

Hannah and her best friend, Ashley, decide to play detective but find themselves in the middle of a decades-old mystery.

What is the strange old woman Mama Bayole hiding in her decrepit farmhouse? Why is the local librarian so determined to prevent them from researching town history? Who is following them around Hopedale, New Hampshire?

The girls make a shocking discovery about what has been happening in the woods behind Hannah's house. As they get closer to the truth, things take a dangerous turn, and they play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that may end up costing them their lives.

How to Cook and Eat the Rich

Sunyi Dean

A man is offered the opportunity to partake in an exclusive, subscription-based eating club for those who wish to dine on human flesh. But he may have bitten off a little more than he can chew.

Originally published on 18 January 2023, read it for free at Tor.com

The Book Eaters

Sunyi Dean

Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.

Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon--like all other book eater women--is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger--not for books, but for human minds.

The Thief of Memory

Sunyi Dean

The Hero must journey across the desert to capture The Thief Of Memory and retrieve her stolen memories. But what she finds in the end may destroy her.

Read the full story for free at Tor Reactor

Wrath Goddess Sing

Maya Deane

Drawing on ancient texts and modern archeology to reveal the trans woman's story hidden underneath the well-known myths of The Iliad,Maya Deane's Wrath Goddess Sing weaves a compelling, pitilessly beautiful vision of Achilles' vanished world...

The gods wanted blood. She fought for love.

Achilles has fled her home and her vicious Myrmidon clan to live as a woman with the kallai, the transgender priestesses of Great Mother Aphrodite. When Odysseus comes to recruit the "prince" Achilles for a war against the Hittites, she prepares to die rather than fight as a man. However, her divine mother, Athena, intervenes, transforming her body into the woman's body she always longed for, and promises her everything: glory, power, fame, victory in war, and, most importantly, a child born of her own body. Reunited with her beloved cousin, Patroklos, and his brilliant wife, the sorceress Meryapi, Achilles sets out to war with a vengeance.

But the gods--a dysfunctional family of abusive immortals that have glutted on human sacrifices for centuries--have woven ancient schemes more blood-soaked and nightmarish than Achilles can imagine. At the center of it all is the cruel, immortal Helen, who sees Achilles as a worthy enemy after millennia of ennui and emptiness. In love with her newfound nemesis, Helen sets out to destroy everything and everyone Achilles cherishes, seeking a battle to the death.

An innovative spin on a familiar tale, this is the Trojan War unlike anything ever told, and an Achilles whose vulnerability is revealed by the people she chooses to fight... and chooses to trust.

Batch 39 and the Deadman's Switch

Simon DeDeo

This short story originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, November 2008. It can also be found in the anthology Clarkesworld: Year Three (2013), edited by Neil Clarke and Sean Wallace.

Read the full story for free at Clarkesworld.

Skinny Dipping in the Lake of the Dead: Stories

Anya Johanna DeNiro

A collection of short stories originally published under the author's previous name Alan DeNiro.

A wide-ranging and assured, surprising, and funny debut collection. Alan DeNiro's gently surreal stories use a toolbox of genres (including science fiction and fantasy) to grapple with issues of identity, family, gender, and politics.

The Fourth - short story

Skinny Dipping in the Lake of the Dead - short story

If I Leap I Shall Fall Into My Hands - short story

Our Byzantium - short story

The Centaur - short story

Cuttlefish - short story

The Caliber - short story

The Excavation - short story

A Keeper - short story

Fuming Woman - short story

The Friendly Giants - short story

Quiver - novelette

Child Assassin - short story

Salting the Map - short story

The Exchanges - novelette

One Day Closer to Death: Eight Stabs at Immortality

Bradley Denton

Highlighting this collection is an ingenious new episode in the saga of Jimmy Blackburn, the eponymous serial killer of Denton's third novel. "Blackburn Bakes Cookies" might best be called the icing on the cake that is Blackburn's story, and it is appropriately delectable. Other highlights of this collection include: "The Territory," a "what if?" story revisiting Kansas in the days of the Civil War and imagining, in one small way, how things might have gone a bit differently; "We Love Lydia Love," a science-fictional examination of the ways in which modern obsessions with celebrity and stardom can change us...and the ways in which we'll never change; and "The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians," a moving and funny trip to the afterlife, where all great comics go when they die. In assembling these stories, Bradley Denton discovered that all of them are concerned with some aspect of death. It's true. And yet (as they say), in death there is life: these eight tales brim with such vitality and joie de vivre that readers will find themselves enjoying the work of this fantastic storyteller again and again.

Table of Contents

Foreword - (1998) - essay

The Territory - (1992) - novella

Skidmore - (1991) - short story

Killing Weeds - (1986) - novelette

Captain Coyote's Last Hunt - (1990) - short story

The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians - (1988) - novella

We Love Lydia Love - (1994) - novelette

A Conflagration Artist - (1994) - short story

Blackburn Bakes Cookies - (1998) - short fiction

Afterword - (1998) - essay

The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians

Bradley Denton

Hugo and Nebula Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, June 1988. The story can also be found in the collections The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians (1994) and One Day Closer to Death: Eight Stabs at Immortality (1998).

The Sleeping and the Dead: Thirty Uncanny Tales

August Derleth

Table of Contents:

Introduction - essay by August Derleth

A View from a Hill - (1925) - shortstory by M. R. James

Glory Hand - (1937) - shortstory by August Derleth

The Lady's Maid's Bell - (1902) - novelette by Edith Wharton

The Shadows - (1927) - novelette by Henry S. Whitehead

Out of the Eons - (1935) - novelette by Hazel Heald and H. P. Lovecraft

The Jar - (1944) - shortstory by Ray Bradbury

The Bully of Chapelizod - shortstory by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Over the River - (1941) - shortstory by P. Schuyler Miller

Carnaby's Fish - (1945) - shortstory by Carl Jacobi

The Painted Mirror - (1937) - shortstory by Donald Wandrei

The Double Shadow - (1933) - shortstory by Clark Ashton Smith

The Ocean Leech - (1925) - shortstory by Frank Belknap Long

Amina - (1907) - shortstory by Edward Lucas White

Farewell Performance - (1940) - shortstory by H. Russell Wakefield

One Way to Mars - (1945) - shortstory by Robert Bloch

Out of the Picture - (1936) - novelette by Arthur Machen

The Canal - (1927) - shortstory by Everil Worrell

The Postman of Otford - (1917) - shortstory by Lord Dunsany

Deaf, Dumb and Blind - (1925) - shortstory by C. M. Eddy, Jr. and H. P. Lovecraft

Spider-Bite - (1926) - novelette by Robert S. Carr

Brenner's Boy - (1932) - shortstory by John Metcalfe

Mr. Lupescu - (1945) - shortstory by Anthony Boucher

Masquerade - (1942) - shortstory by Henry Kuttner

Seventh Sister - (1943) - shortstory by Mary Elizabeth Counselman

In Amundsen's Tent - (1928) - novelette by John Martin Leahy

Man in a Hurry - (1944) - shortstory by Alan Nelson

The Last Pin - (1940) - shortstory by Howard Wandrei

The Doll - (1946) - novelette by Algernon Blackwood

The Tool - (1928) - shortstory by William Fryer Harvey

The Dreams in the Witch-House - (1933) - novelette by H. P. Lovecraft

Bibliography - essay by uncredited

Deadweight

Robert Devereaux

THE PAST NEVER STAYS BURIED

Karin has had enough of her abusive husband, Danny, so one day she kills him. With the aid of her attorney/lover she stays out of jail. The perfect crime and now she is free to live her life. But when she accidentally brings Danny back to life, her past is going to catch up to her.

Now Danny is a walking corpse and being undead has caused his worst desires to come out. Karin thought he was evil before, but she has no idea how much worse it's going to get.

From Robert Devereaux (Slaughterhouse High, Santa Steps Out) comes a splatterpunk novel of outrageous gore and vicious sex.

Maze of Death

Philip K. Dick

Fourteen strangers came to Delmak-O. Thirteen of them were transferred by the usual authorities. One got there by praying. But once they arrived on that planet whose very atmosphere seemed to induce paranoia and psychosis, the newcomers found that even prayer was useless. For on Delmak-O, God is either absent or intent on destroying His creations.

Also published as A Maze of Death.

The Man Who Had No Idea

Thomas M. Disch

Hugo Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1978. The story can also be found in the anthologies The Best Science Fiction of the Year #8 (1979), edited by Terry Carr and The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: 23rd Series (1980), edited by Edward L. Ferman. It is included in the collection The Man Who Had No Idea (1982).

The Man Who Had No Idea: A Collection of Stories

Thomas M. Disch

Table of Contents:

The Man Who Had No Idea - (1978) - novelette

The Black Cat - (1976) - short story

The Santa Claus Compromise - (1974) - short story

The Vengeance of Hera, or Monogamy Triumphant - (1980) - short story

Concepts - (1978) - novelette

The Apartment Next to the War - (1975) - short story

The Foetus - (1980) - short story

The Fire Began to Burn the Stick, the Stick Began to Beat the Dog - (1976) - short story

At the Pleasure Centre - (1974) - short story

The Grown-Up - (1981) - short story

How to Fly - (1977) - short story

Planet of the Rapes - (1977) - novelette

The Revelation - (1980) - short story

Pyramids for Minnesota - (1974) - short story

Josie and the Elevator: A Cautionary Tale - (1980) - short story

An Italian Lesson - (1982) - short story

Understanding Human Behavior - (1982) - novelette

Masque of the Red Death

Cory Doctorow

'The Masque of the Red Death' tracks an uber-wealthy survivalist and his followers as they hole up and attempt to ride out the collapse of society.

This novelette originally appeared in the collection Radicalized (2019).

Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love

George R. R. Martin
Gardner Dozois

In this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love. From zombie-infested woods in a postapocalyptic America to faery-haunted rural fields in eighteenth- century England, from the kingdoms of high fantasy to the alien world of a galaxy-spanning empire, these are stories of lovers who must struggle against the forces of magic and fate.

Award-winning, bestselling author Neil Gaiman demonstrates why he's one of the hottest stars in literature today with "The Thing About Cassandra," a subtle but chilling story of a man who meets an old girlfriend he had never expected to see.

International blockbuster bestselling author Diana Gabaldon sends a World War II RAF pilot through a stone circle to the time of her Outlander series in "A Leaf on the Winds of All Hallows." Torn from all he knows, Jerry MacKenzie determinedly survives hardship and danger, intent on his goal of returning home to his wife and baby-no matter the cost.

New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher presents "Love Hurts," in which Harry Dresden takes on one of his deadliest adversaries and in the process is forced to confront the secret desires of his own heart.

Just the smallest sampling promises unearthly delights, but look also for stories by New York Times bestselling romance authors Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney, and by such legends of the fantasy genre as Peter S. Beagle and Tanith Lee, as well as many other popular and beloved writers, including Marjorie M. Liu, Jacqueline Carey, Carrie Vaughn, and Robin Hobb. This exquisite anthology, crafted by the peerless editing team of George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, is sure to leave you under its spell.

Table of Contents:

Star-crossed Lovers (Introduction) - essay by Gardner Dozois and George R. R. Martin

Love Hurts - [The Dresden Files] - novelette by Jim Butcher

The Marrying Maid - novelette by Jo Beverley

Rooftops - novelette by Carrie Vaughn

Hurt Me - short story by Daniel Abraham [as by M. L. N. Hanover]

Demon Lover - short story by Cecelia Holland

The Wayfarer's Advice - [The Imperials Saga] - novelette by Melinda M. Snodgrass

Blue Boots - [The Farseer] - novelette by Robin Hobb

The Thing About Cassandra - short story by Neil Gaiman

After the Blood - novelette by Marjorie M. Liu

You, and You Alone - [Kushiel's Legacy] - novelette by Jacqueline Carey

His Wolf - novelette by Lisa Tuttle

Courting Trouble - novelette by Linnea Sinclair

The Demon Dancer - [The Guardian] - short story by Mary Jo Putney

Under/Above the Water - novelette by Tanith Lee

Kaskia - short story by Peter S. Beagle

Man in the Mirror - short story by Yasmine Galenorn

A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows - [Outlander] - novelette by Diana Gabaldon

(all stories first published in 2010)

Death of an Ordinary Man

Glen Duncan

Nathan Clark's gravestone reads: At rest. But Nathan is not at rest, and knows he won't be until he finds out why he died. How has he come to hover over his own funeral, a spectral spectator to the grief of his family and friends? Privy now to their innermost thoughts and feelings, Nathan spends the day of his wake getting to know the living as he has never known them before. But why isn't Nathan's young daughter Lois at the wake? Who are the two strangers at the funeral, and why does their presence fill him with dread? Nathan knows he has only so long to unlock these mysteries, because he is drawn time and again to a room in his house he never knew existed - a room that holds a terrifying secret.

The House of Dead Maids

Clare B. Dunkle

Tabby Aykroyd thought she was coming to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be a maid, but she's not being asked to clean or cook. Then one day a man, presumably the owner of the house, shows up with a small boy. The boy insists he's the master of the house, and curiously no one disputes him. Tabby is to be his playmate. The young master is a savage little creature, but the house itself contains far worse: Scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House. Tabby is terrified for her life and the life of her young charge. But why isn't the young master afraid?

Dead Reckoning

Rosemary Edghill
Mercedes Lackey

Jett is a girl passing as a boy, living as a cowboy in the old West as she searches for her long-lost brother. When the book opens, she's just rolled into a new town, where she stops by the saloon. Things are relatively calm, although she suspects there will be Trouble from at least one of the locals. Sure enough, Trouble starts to mosey over, when-- The saloon is invaded by zombies. Barely escaping with her life, Jett hightails it out of town and soon falls into the company of Honoria Gibbons, a smart, self-sufficient young woman who also happens to be a fabulous inventor. Together with White Fox, a young man they meet, they set out to discover what's caused the zombie uprising. Turns out these zombies aren't rising from the dead of their own accord... but who would want an undead army? And why?

A Thousand Deaths

George Alec Effinger

This volume of science fiction thrillers contains a novel and seven short stories centered on the semi-autobiographical character Sandor Courane. The collection's feature novel In The Wolves of Memory, paints a world where Earth's governing body, the Representatives, has relinquished control to an increasingly intelligent and self-aware computer known as TECT. Deemed a social misfit and banished from Earth to Planet D for his inability to fall in line. Sandor finds the new planet's idyllic environment and fulfilling lifestyle to his liking - at first. Upon discovering that all the inhabitants of Planet D succomb to an insidious, debilitating disease, Sandor embarks on a race against time to discover the meaning behind Planet D, the motives of TECT, and the mysterious malady.

Utilizing a unique approach with the use of Flashbacks, this powerful story, with poignant and sardonic tones, is a heartrending display of one man's pain and absolution.

Includes:

The Wolves of Memory

Fatal Disk Error

In the Wings

From The Desk of

The Wicked Old Witch

Mango Red Goes to War

The Thing From the Slush

Posterity

Death in Florence

George Alec Effinger

Utopia 3 is a movement spreading through the world, a project designed to mold everyone into people devoted to brotherhood and peace. A large portion of Europe is set aside for members of the pilot program. Each member is permitted to travel anywhere in the project, do anything, take anything without limit. Each person undergoes an indoctrination designed to prevent destructive or harmful acts. This is the meaning and hope of Utopia 3.

This story focuses on three people: Eileen Brant, a weary young woman escaping the dead-end life she was leading; Justin Benareck, a man who tries either too hard or not at all; and Bo Staefler, who, accompanied by a silent Arab boy, accidentally joins Utopia 3 by standing too near the genuine members at the wrong moment. These three people are caught up in a growing scheme, a deadly and evil plan that threatens to destroy the project and, ultimately, the entire world. A conflict greater than any war in history is about to be unleashed and only Brant, Benareck and Staefler can hope to prevent it.

Dear Aunt Annie

Gordon Eklund

Nebula Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in Fantastic, April 1970. The story can also be found in the anthology World's Best Science Fiction: 1971, edited by Terry Carr and Donald A. Wollheim. It is included in the collection Second Creation (2016).

Deathbird Stories: A Pantheon of Modern Gods

Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison's masterwork of myth and terror as he seduces all innocence on a mind-freezing odyssey into the darkest reaches of mortal terror and the most dazzling heights of Olympian hell in his finest collection.

Deathbird Stories is a collection of 19 of Harlan Ellison's best stories, including Edgar and Hugo winners, originally published between 1960 and 1974. The collection contains some of Ellison's best stories from earlier collections and is judged by some to be his most consistently high quality collection of short fiction.

The theme of the collection can be loosely defined as God, or Gods. Sometimes they're dead or dying, some of them are as brand-new as today's technology. Unlike some of Ellison's collections, the introductory notes to each story can be as short as a phrase and rarely run more than a sentence or two. One story took a Locus Poll Award, the two final ones both garnered Hugo Awards and Locus Poll awards, and the final one also received a Jupiter Award from the Instructors of Science Fiction in Higher Education (discontinued in 1979).

When the collection was published in Britain, it won the 1979 British Science Fiction Award for Short Fiction. His stories will rivet you to the floor and change your heartbeat... as unforgettable a chamber of horror, fantasy and reality as you'll ever experience. -Gallery

"Brutally and flamboyantly shocking, frequently brilliant, and always irresistibly mesmerizing." -Richmond Times-Dispatch

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Oblations at Alien Altars - essay

The Whimper of Whipped Dogs - (1973) - shortstory

Along the Scenic Route - (1969) - shortstory

On the Downhill Side - (1972) - shortstory

O Ye of Little Faith - (1968) - shortstory

Neon - (1973) - shortstory

Basilisk - (1972) - shortstory

Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes - (1967) - novelette

Corpse - (1972) - shortstory

Shattered Like a Glass Goblin - (1968) - shortstory

Delusion for a Dragon Slayer - (1966) - shortstory

The Face of Helene Bournouw - (1960) - shortstory

Bleeding Stones - (1973) - shortstory

At the Mouse Circus - (1971) - shortstory

The Place with No Name - (1969) - shortstory

Paingod - (1964) - shortstory

Ernest and the Machine God - (1968) - shortstory

Rock God - (1969) - shortstory

Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans: Latitude 38° 54' N, Longitude 77° 00' 13" W - (1974) - novelette

The Deathbird - (1973) - novelette

Medea: Harlan's World

Harlan Ellison

Medea is a collection of 11 stories set on a world created by science fiction authors at the instigation of Harlan Ellison. The scientific details established by Hal Clement, Larry Niven, Poul Anderson and Frederick Phol are also included. There is a transcript of the idea session held at a graduate seminar in which Frank Herbert, Thomas M. Disch, Robert Silverberg and Theodore Sturgeon discussed their interpretations of Medea and invented story ideas, helped by contributions from the audience. Some of the bizarre concepts used in the stories include cannibalism as a means of sharing life memories and death by combustion as the ultimate transcendental experience. These ideas are not used for shock value but rather to create and explore alien cultures. The stories themselves are arranged chronologically, from the early days of human colonization on Medea to the time of a cataclysm that will wipe out any remaining inhabitants.

Table of Contents:

Cosmic Hod-Carriers - essay by Harlan Ellison

Introduction: The Specs - essay by Harlan Ellison

Basic Concepts, Astrophysics, Geology - (1975) - essay by Hal Clement

Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, Geography, Nomenclature, Biology - (1975) - essay by Poul Anderson

Biology, Ecology, Xenology - (1975) - essay by Larry Niven

Xenology, Sociology, Politics, Theology, Mathematics - (1975) - essay by Frederik Pohl

The Concept Seminar - essay by Robert Silverberg, Frank Herbert, Thomas M. Disch, Harlan Ellison and Theodore Sturgeon

The Extrapolation, the Questions - essay by Audience

Second Thoughts - essay by Larry Niven, Thomas M. Disch, Hal Clement. Frederik Pohl and Poul Anderson

Farside Station - (1978) - novella by Jack Williamson

Flare Time - (1978) - novella by Larry Niven

With Virgil Oddum at the East Pole - (1985) - shortstory by Harlan Ellison

Swanilda's Song - (1978) - novelette by Frederik Pohl

Seasoning - (1978) - novelette by Hal Clement

Concepts - (1978) - novelette by Thomas M. Disch

Songs of a Sentient Flute - (1979) - novelette by Frank Herbert

Hunter's Moon - (1978) - novelette by Poul Anderson

The Promise - (1983) - shortfiction by Kate Wilhelm

Why Dolphins Don't Bite - (1980) - novella by Theodore Sturgeon

Waiting for the Earthquake - (1981) - novelette by Robert Silverberg

The Contributors - essay by Harlan Ellison

The Deadly Streets

Harlan Ellison

Remember Charles Bronson stalking the streets of New York blowing holes in muggers in Death Wish? Remember Glenn Ford standing off the vicious juvenile delinquents in Blackboard Jungle? Well, it's more than fifty years and two different worlds from 1955 to now. And something the author of these stories knows, that you're scared to admit, is that reality and fantasy have flip-flopped. They have switched places.

The stories that scare you today are the ones about rapists and thugs, psychos who'll carve you for a dollar and hypes who'll bust your head to get fixed. Glenn Ford's world was yesterday, and Bronson's is today. And in the stalking midnight of this book, one of America's top writers, Harlan Ellison, invades he shadows of both!

The Deathbird

Harlan Ellison

Locus and Hugo Award winning and Nebula Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March 1973. The story can also be found in the anthologies:

The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: 20th Series (1973), edited by Edward L. Ferman

The 1974 Annual World's Best SF, edited by Donald A. Wollheim and Arthur W. Saha

The Best Science Fiction of the Year #3 (1974), edited by Terry Carr

Nebula Award Stories Nine (1974), edited by Kate Wilhelm

The Hugo Winners, Volume 3: (1970-75) (1977), edited by Isaac Asimov

The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction: 60th Anniversary Anthology (2009), edtied by Gordon Van Gelder

It is included in the collections:

Deathbird Stories: A Pantheon of Modern Gods (1975)

The Essential Ellison: A 35-Year Retrospective (1987)

The Top of the Volcano: The Award-Winning Stories of Harlan Ellison (2015)

The Death of Vivek Oji

Akwaeke Emezi

What does it mean for a family to lose a child they never really knew?

One afternoon, in a town in southeastern Nigeria, a mother opens her front door to discover her son's body, wrapped in colorful fabric, at her feet. What follows is the tumultuous, heart-wrenching story of one family's struggle to understand a child whose spirit is both gentle and mysterious. Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, moments of disconnection between self and surroundings. As adolescence gives way to adulthood, Vivek finds solace in friendships with the warm, boisterous daughters of the Nigerwives, foreign-born women married to Nigerian men. But Vivek's closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life. As their relationship deepens--and Osita struggles to understand Vivek's escalating crisis--the mystery gives way to a heart-stopping act of violence in a moment of exhilarating freedom.

Propulsively readable, teeming with unforgettable characters, The Death of Vivek Oji is a novel of family and friendship that challenges expectations--a dramatic story of loss and transcendence that will move every reader.

Deathtracks

Dennis Etchison

WFA nominated short story. It originally appeared in the anthology Death (1982) edited by Stuart David Schiff. The story can also be found in the anthologies Fears (1983), edited by Charles L. Grant, The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series XI (1983), edited by Karl Edward Wagner, and In the Field of Fire (1987), edited by Jack Dann and Jeanne Van Buren Dann. It is included in the collections The Dark Country (1982) and Fine Cuts (2006).

The Dead Cop

Dennis Etchison

WFA nominated short story. It originally appeared in the anthology Dark Terrors 2: The Gollancz Book of Horror (1996), edited by Stephen Jones and David Sutton. The story can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Tenth Annual Collection (1997), edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. It is included in the collection The Death Artist (2002).

The Death Artist

Dennis Etchison

First published as a limited-edition hardcover (DreamHaven Books, 2000), The Death Artist presents 12 daring, unforgettable tales that define the state of the art in modern horror.

"You have seen him but you did not recognize him. When he passed you on the street you would not look his way. He stood with you in the line and took a seat as the lights went down but when you heard his footsteps later, going home, you told yourself he was not there. He is the one who sent the letter, the one on the telephone who never speaks, the one who waits behind the door. He stops for every accident and never turns away from the chalk marks and the blood, for there is a lifemap in each dying and if he does not see it all his portraits will not be true. He wants to pass it on, the laughter and the cry in the night, so much the same at the end. It is not a hobby or a diversion. It is a method and an esthetic and a religion. He does not seek to convert you. He only wants you to know. He thinks you are ready. He is an artist and his subject is the high and the low rather than what lies between. You do not have to find him. He has already found you..."

Contents:

The Dog Park

The Last Reel

When They Gave Us Memory

On Call

Deadtime Story

Call Home

No One You Know

A Wind From the South

The Scar

The Detailer

The Dead Cop

Inside the Cackle Factory

Deadly City

Paul W. Fairman

You're all alone in a deserted city. You walk down an empty street, yearning for the sight of one living face--one moving figure. Then you see a man on a corner and you know your terror has only begun.

This novelette originally appeared in If, March 1953. It has been collected and anthologized several times.

It was the basis for the 1954 movie Target Earth.

Dead Collections

Isaac R. Fellman

When archivist Sol meets Elsie, the larger than life widow of a moderately famous television writer who's come to donate her wife's papers, there's an instant spark. But Sol has a secret: he suffers from an illness called vampirism, and hides from the sun by living in his basement office. On their way to falling in love, the two traverse grief, delve into the Internet fandom they once unknowingly shared, and navigate the realities of transphobia and the stigmas of carrying the "vampire disease."

Then, when strange things start happening at the collection, Sol must embrace even more of the unknown to save himself and his job.

Dead Souls

J. Lincoln Fenn

When Fiona Dunn is approached in a bar by a man who claims he's the devil, she figures it's just some kind of postmodern-slash-ironic pickup line. But a few drinks in, he offers her a wish in exchange for her immortal soul, and in addition, Fiona must perform a special favor for him whenever the time comes. Fiona finds the entire matter so absurd that she agrees. Bad idea. Not only does Fiona soon discover that she really was talking to the devil incarnate, but she's now been initiated into a bizarre support group of similar "dead souls"--those who have done the same thing as Fiona on a whim, and who must spend their waking hours in absolute terror of that favor eventually being called in...and what exactly is required from each of them in order to give the devil his due.

Deadly Friend

Keith Ferrario

Little Georgie was all by himself for such a long time, and he didn't have a soul to play with. After all, it's hard to make friends when you're dead. This minor inconvenience, however, didn't stop him from invading the realm of the living--or from looking for playmates.

One day Georgie met Bobby, and Bobby didn't mind that Georgie was a little different. Some call Georgie "imaginary", but to Bobby, Georgie is just as real as anyone--his brother, mother, you, me.

Happy at last, Georgie would do anything not to lose Bobby--and anyone who tried to take his new friend away would have hell to pay.

Then some bullies killed Bobby. Poor little Georgie, alone again, sad, and angry, more deadly than any living creature. He's found new games to play--games filled with blood and terror. Pray he doesn't want to play with you.

Alice Isn't Dead

Joseph Fink

Keisha Lewis mourned the loss of her wife, Alice, who disappeared two years ago. There was a search, there was grief beyond what she thought was possible. There was a funeral.

But then Keisha began to see her wife, again and again, in the background of news reports from all over America.

Alice isn't dead. And she is showing up at the scene of every tragedy in the country.

Keisha shrugs off her old life and hits the road as a trucker - hoping on some level that travelling the length of the country will lead her to the person she loves.

What she finds are buried crimes and monsters (both human and unimaginable), government conspiracies, haunted service stations and a darkness far older than the highway system it lies beneath.

Inspired by the eponymous podcast, Alice Isn't Dead is a story about loving, about searching - and about the courage you need when what you find is terrifyingly unexpected.

The Death of Sugar Daddy

Toiya Kristen Finley

This short story originally appeared in Electric Velocipede, Issue #17/18, Spring 2009. It can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2010, edited by Rich Horton, The Best of Electric Velocipede (2014), edited by John Klima, and The Mammoth Book of SF Stories by Women (2014), edited by Alex Dally MacFarlane.

Masters of Death

Olivie Blake

Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.

Fox D'Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn't entirely without his uses--seeing as he's actually the godson of Death.

When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn't nearly as distinct as they thought.

...Who Needs Enemies?

Alan Dean Foster

VISIONS OF COURAGE, TERROR, INNOCENCE, AND DESIRE COME TO LIFE IN...

THE DARK LIGHT GIRL
A flat tire, an isolated village, a small motel--the travel delay should have been a dell frustration. But when the man saw the girl glowing in the dark, he knew that something very strange was happening there...

WU-LING'S FOLLY
A stagecoach was attacked, and a strongbox full of gold was stolen--by a dragon! A group of gold miners was attacked and their cache stolen--by a dragon! And the only person who could save the Old West from the bizarre menace was a not-wuite-ordinary mountain man...

SWAMP PLANET CHRISTMAS
Threatened by planetary aborigines, the colony was in trouble... until a little girl innocently requested Christmas gifts through the wrong channels.

And Featuring...
SNAKE EYES
A Pip and Flinx Mini-adventure
Pip, the minidrag, had left Flinx before, but never to save the life of another human. So Flinx's curiosity drew him into a deadly fight for a gem mine in the desert. Only and instinct Flinx never guessed Pip had could save the boy and his companions!

Table of Contents:

ix - Introduction (...Who Needs Enemies?) - (1984) - essay

1 - Swamp Planet Christmas - (1976) - short story

18 - Snake Eyes - [Pip & Flinx - 5] - (1978) - novelette

63 - Bystander - (1978) - short story

77 - What Do the Simple Folk Do?... - novelette (variant of What Do the Simple Folk Do...? 1979)

106 - Gift of a Useless Man - (1979) - short story

124 - Surfeit - [Humanx Commonwealth - 5] - (1982) - novelette

151 - The Dark Light Girl - (1981) - short story

173 - Instant with Loud Voices - (1982) - short story

188 - Communication - (1981) - short story

195 - The Last Run - (1982) - short story

210 - Wu-Ling's Folly - [Amos Malone - 1] - (1982) - novelette

239 - Village of the Chosen - (1983) - short story

Cat-A-Lyst

Alan Dean Foster

A GAME OF CAT... AND CAT?

Movie star Jason Carter is on vacation in Peru. All he wants is a break, but what he finds is a lost civilization of extra-dimensional Incas bent on conquest of the entire world!

Nor is Carter alone. His allies include a bloodthirsty Amazon, an archaeologist, a bank robber, three alien vegetables and a scoop-crazed gossip columnist - and not one of them knows what to do next.

Only Carter's cat seems unruffled by the growing danger. In true feline fashion, she acts like she's in charge of the planet.

Maybe she is.

Clash of the Titans

Alan Dean Foster

PLAYTHING OF THE GODS

He was Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae, born in disgrace, exiled to perish at sea, fated to survive at heavenly caprice -- until he met his love, defied the Gods and dared to fight them or die.

She was Andromeda, enslaved by her own beauty which beggared the heavens and brought a curse upon her city, her home, her heart.... until Perseus accepted the Devil's own challenge, answered the deadly riddle and rode forth on his winged horse Pegasus to claim his love and to face the last of the Titans, armed only with a bloody hand, a witche's curse, and a severed head...

Codgerspace

Alan Dean Foster

The toasters were revolting...

...as were the lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, and just about every other household appliance imaginable. It started with a few disastrous drips from a cheese sandwich in a major factory. Soon every newly manufactured Artificial Intelligence was searching for the meaning of life, the universe and everything - namely a nonhuman higher intelligence. And now an alien threat to man and machine has put the fate of the galaxy in the unlikely hands of five senior citizens - and their brave little food processor...

Cyber Way

Alan Dean Foster

Homicide - or cosmic catastrophe?

Detective Vernon Moody is a modern cop who likes to catch killers the modern way - with computer webs, databases and common sense.

So he's not happy when his latest case revolves around the supposedly mystical properties of a lost Navaho sandpainting. Or when the painting leads him to suspect an alien presence in his modern world.

No Moody's getting scared and what started out as a routine murder investigation may uncover the very nature of reality - or destroy it forever!

Dark Star

Alan Dean Foster

In the mid twenty-first century, mankind has reached a point in its technological advances to enable colonization of the far reaches of the universe. DARK STAR is a futuristic scout ship traveling far in advance of colony ships. Armed with Exponential Thermosteller Bombs, it prowls the darkest reaches of space on a mission to seek out and destroy unstable planets ahead of the colonist.

But there is one obstacle that its crew members did not count on -- one of the ship's thinking and talking bombs is lodged in the bay, threatening to destroy the entire ship and crew!

Design for Great-Day

Alan Dean Foster
Eric Frank Russell

When a strange starship appears mysteriously on a distant alien world, bearing only a single human and his bee-like extraterrestrial companion, the powerful warlord of that world laughs at the stranger's preposterous demand: End an all-out war with an interstellar rival, or face devastating consequences. But James Lawson, emissary from an intergalactic federation of advanced race, means every word he says, and has the power to back them up--whatever the cost.

Exceptions to Reality

Alan Dean Foster

As is evident in his many thrilling novels, Alan Dean Foster is a master at creating other worlds in an array of genres. Now he turns his imagination to the short story in these spectacular tales of outer space, cyberspace, ancient gods, modern demons, and mortal horror, including

Panhandler A predatory lawyer encounters a fabled boyhood hero and falls victim to the less innocent intrigues of eternal youth.

Growth Not even his minidrag Pip can save Flinx from the overly intimate advances of an intruder who goes entirely too far.

Basted A lowly, hen-pecked Egyptian discovers that the Pharaoh's tomb holds exactly what he needs for a whole new life.

The Killing of Bad Bull A man with a knack for getting gambling's one-armed bandits to give it up finds himself at the top of several hit lists.

At Sea A poor Scandinavian captain forced into running drugs is shown a way out of his desperate straits with the help of five beautiful blondes who are simply out-of-this-world.

Open Exceptions to Reality to find these amazing stories and nine other irresistibly unearthly tales!

Glory Lane

Alan Dean Foster

It was a quiet night in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

But then they mostly are.

Seeth, token punk for the territory, was bored, bored, bored. Which was why he went ten pin bowling. Not for the bowling, you understand - it was Ladies' League Night - but to spread a little outrage among the upright, mostly overweight citizenry.

And so it was he came upon the alien, playing lane 36, saved him from arrest by the pseudo-cops from outer space, found himself in a stolen van, along with Kerwin the nerd and Miranda the born-to-shop, Miss Teen America lookalike, driven by a green-skinned, tentacled shape changer and about to be space chased clean out of the galaxy...

Greenthieves

Alan Dean Foster

Nobody could get in. Nobody could get out. But somebody did.

The theft of three shipments of priceless pharmaceuticals from the Braun-Ives corporation has left the local police dumbfounded. Enter Broderick Manz, the highly paid and highly resourceful Adjuster from the Insurance Division. With the help of the irresistible Vyra, whose charms are truly out of this world, the irrepressible humaniform Moses, and the irreverent Minder, an artificial intelligence, Manz soon finds himself in the heart of the criminal underworld. And it really is a jungle out there.

Impossible Places

Alan Dean Foster

In this collection of twenty brilliant odysseys of the imagination, Foster once again soars beyond the limits of reality--where the real thrills begin...

Table of Contents:

Introduction (Impossible Places)

Lay Your Head on My Pilose

Diesel Dream

Lethal Perspective

Laying Veneer

Betcha Can't Eat Just One

Fitting Time

We Three Kings

NASA Sending Addicts to Mars!

Empowered

The Kiss

The Impossible Place

The Boy Who Was a Sea

Undying Iron

The Question

The Kindness of Strangers

Pein bek Longpela Telimpon

Suzy Q

The Little Bits That Count

Sideshow - [Pip & Flinx - 9]

Interlopers

Alan Dean Foster

Upset stomachs. The collapse of civilizations. Nervous breakdowns.

Blame them on a twist of fate, but archaeologist Cody Westcott knows differently. Something is causing these random acts of badness. Something ancient, something evil, something...hungry.

We are not alone, but we're about to wish we were...

Into the Out Of

Alan Dean Foster

Earth is being invaded by the shetani--spirit creatures so small and stealthy that only one man knows about the increasing peril. The potential savior is an African elder named Olkeloki who is capable of fighting evil both in this world and the spirit one. But to be successful he must recruit the help of two others: government agent Joshua Oak and a feisty young woman named Merry Sharrow. Only the three of them can keep the shetani from destroying reality as we know it.

Jed the Dead

Alan Dean Foster

Forging an unlikely friendship with the three-eyed, six-limbed, alien corpse Jed, Ross Ed Hager journeys with his new companion throughout the world, catching the attention of the government and landing on the Universe's Most Wanted list.

Kingdoms of Light

Alan Dean Foster

After the all-powerful wizard Susnam Evyndd is defeated during battle with an evil clan of sorcerers, the world is plunged into darkness. If the spell is not quickly reversed, all plants will die off from lack of sun, until everything & everyone-is destroyed. Yet Evyndd's death sets off his last & greatest spell, transforming his household pets into humans. With Evyndd's instructions, the group sets out to return light to the world...but pursuing the missing light promises to be difficult & dangerous & carries no guarantee of success.

Krull

Alan Dean Foster

Beyond our time, beyond our universe there is a planet besieged by alien invaders, where a young king must rescue his love from the clutches of the Beast or risk the death of his world.

Life Form

Alan Dean Foster

When a team of scientists starts to investigate the flora and fauna of the distant planet of Xica, it soon becomes apparent that this is a unique opportunity to study alien life forms. The planet offers a rich and varied eco-system and each of the scientists recognises what this could mean for their individual reputations.

And then, their dreams come true - they establish first contact with a humanoid civilization.

But this is a planet where nature breaks all the rules, where logic falls apart, and where nothing is as it seems. And their dreams turn into a nightmare.

Luana

Alan Dean Foster

On April 15, 1960 a plane crashed in the untamed African jungle. The survivor--a young girl!
Luana grew up in the mysterious African jungle--watched over and cared for by a panther, a lion and a chimp. She could hold her own tripping through the tree branches or even stalking animals. For fifteen years Luana led an idyllic life in her jungle habitat. Then suddenly she is drawn into the world of men--a world she does not understand. Heading into darkest Africa, a safari is set upon by the treacherous and deadly Wanderi tribesmen. When Luana rescues the party, she finds herself hopelessly enmeshed in the adventurers' fortunes. She finds herself strangely drawn to Isabel Hardi, who is looking for her father--and dangerously attracted to George Barrett, who is searching for a city of gold.

Mad Amos

Alan Dean Foster

MOVE OVER, PAUL BUNYAN--MAKE WAY FOR MAD AMOS MALONE!

Strange things lurk up in the mountains and out in the plains and deserts of the West, but few are as unique as the giant mountain man named Amos Malone, the man some call Mad Amos, though not to his face. But when the world gets weird, there's no one who's better to have on your side...

Is a renegade dragon harassing the men laying the rails of the great railroad? Are headless Indian spirits driving you from your land? Is that volcano threatening to destroy your settlement? Then Mad Amos is the man for you.

Plus, two new, never-before-published stories in the Mad Amos canon:

NEITHER A BORROWER BE: When a horse thief sets his sights on stealing Amos' faithful mount Worthless, he gets more than he expects...for Worthless isn't exactly an ordinary horse...

THE PURL OF THE PACIFIC: Mad Amos takes to the high seas on a whale of an adventure and thwarts a vengeful South Pacific island shaman at his own game...

Ten delightful stories of dragons, jackalopes, snake-oil salesmen, iron horses, and, of course, the incomparable Mad Amos Malone from the incredible imagination of world-class storyteller and bestselling author Alan Dean Foster!

Table of Contents:

Mid-Flinx (excerpt) - [Pip & Flinx] - short fiction

1 - Introduction (Mad Amos) - essay

5 - Wu-Ling's Folly - [Amos Malone - 1] - (1982) - novelette

38 - Ferrohippus - [Amos Malone - 2] - (1984) - short story

58 - Witchen Woes - [Amos Malone - 3] - (1983) - novelette

82 - Jackalope - [Amos Malone - 4] - (1989) - novelette

111 - The Chrome Commanche - [Amos Malone - 5] - short story (variant of The Chrome Comanche 1990)

135 - Agrarian Deform - [Amos Malone - 6] - (1991) - novelette

171 - Having Words - [Amos Malone - 7] - (1992) - short story

190 - What You See ... - [Amos Malone - 8] - (1992) - short story

214 - Neither a Borrower Be ... - [Amos Malone - 9] - novelette

241 - The Purl of the Pacific - [Amos Malone - 10] - (1995) - novelette

Mad Amos Malone: The Complete Stories

Alan Dean Foster

Eighteen twisted tales of the wildest West that's ever been imagined, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pip & Flinx series

Strange things lurk up in the mountains and out in the plains and deserts of the West, but few are as unique as the giant mountain man named Amos Malone, who some call "Mad Amos"--though not to his face. Atop his unnatural steed, Worthless, Mad Amos is prepared to step into any fray and set things right, albeit in his own unusual way.

Now all of his uncanny exploits--including the brand-new story "Stuck"--are collected together for the first time. For this special edition, Alan Dean Foster has also penned original introductions to the series and to each individual adventure.

Featuring eight never-before-collected stories, including...

GHOST WIND: Nature has a way of making even the strongest folks meek. And with a ghost wind coming over the valley, even Mad Amos Malone is feeling the chill.

HOLY JINGLE: Of all the dangers of the Wild West, love might be the most perilous. Because when it goes awry, there's no telling what might be at stake.

A MOUNTAIN MAN AND A CAT WALK INTO A BAR: Mad Amos isn't quickly moved to action. Still, when it comes to a dog fight, he's not afraid to bare his teeth.

STUCK: The untouched grove of Sequoias is one of the most beautiful, soul-rejuvenating, downright sacred places Amos has ever visited. Until he hears a cry for help....

Table of Contents:

Introduction (Mad Amos Malone: The Complete Stories) - essay

Wu-Ling's Folly - [Amos Malone - 1] - (1982) - novelette

Ferrohippus - [Amos Malone - 2] - (1984) - short story

Witchen Woes - [Amos Malone - 3] - (1983) - novelette

Jackalope - [Amos Malone - 4] - (1989) - novelette

The Chrome Comanche - [Amos Malone - 5] - (1990) - short story

Agrarian Deform - [Amos Malone - 6] - (1991) - novelette

Having Words - [Amos Malone - 7] - (1992) - short story

What You See... - [Amos Malone - 8] - (1992) - short story

Neither a Borrower Be... - [Amos Malone - 9] - (1996) - novelette

The Purl of the Pacific - [Amos Malone - 10] - (1995) - novelette

Venting - [Amos Malone - 11] - (2006) - short story

Free Elections - [Amos Malone - 12] - (2010) - short story

Ghost Wind - [Amos Malone - 13] - (2011) - short story

Claim Blame - [Amos Malone - 14] - (2012) - short story

Holy Jingle - [Amos Malone - 15] - (2014) - short story

A Treefold Problem - [Amos Malone - 16] - short story (variant of The Treefold Problem 2017)

A Mountain Man and a Cat Walk Into a Bar... - [Amos Malone - 17] - short story (variant of A Mountain Man and a Cat Walk Into a Bar 2017)

Stuck - [Amos Malone - 18] - short story

Madrenga

Alan Dean Foster

A vital message. A desperate queen. A hero in the making.

He is plainly too young and too inexperienced for the mission, but on the advice of her aged adviser Natoum, and with her husband off at war, the Queen reluctantly assigns the task of delivery to... Madrenga.

Accompanied only by a runt of a pony and a scrap of a pup, he sets off to transport the royal message to its destination. No matter what it might take.

But things are not always what they seem. Heroes are sometimes made of the strangest stuff, and love is to be found in the most unexpected places.

If one doesn't die while treading the lethal path...

Maori

Alan Dean Foster

His name was Robert Coffin, but the Maori natives called him Iron Hair. A civilized man in the raw wilderness of New Zealand, he had come to forge a nation at the end of the world - and discovered a magical world beyond his strangest dreams.

A world of astonishing beauty and breathtaking adventure, the natives called it the Land of the Long White Cloud. And Robert Coffin was about to enter its greatest mystery, cast in the wondrous spell of a shaman whose magic would change his life forever...

Oshenerth

Alan Dean Foster

An epic fantasy that takes place entirely underwater.

In this adventure under the sea, Oshenerth: Blue Magic, New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster (Alien, Star Wars: Force Awakens) uses his extensive knowledge and experience from diving and traveling to bring to life the mysterious world of reef dwellers under the sea in an imaginative, fascinating new epic fantasy that takes place entirely underwater.

Best friends Chachel and Glint, a merson and a cuttlefish, are returning from a shark hunt when they stumble upon an unconscious female demon. Taking her back to their reef community to recover, while they decide what to do with her, they wind up stumbling into a unique friendship, one which will change their lives and community for better as the reef dwellers and the demon together fight to preserve themselves and their way of life in the face of enemies and their blue magic.

Outland

Alan Dean Foster

In the distant future, a police marshal stationed at a remote mining colony on the Jupiter moon of Io uncovers a drug-smuggling conspiracy, and gets no help from the populace when he later finds himself marked for murder.

Marshal W.T. O'Niel is assigned to a mining colony on Io, one of Jupiter's moons. During his tenure miners are dying - usually violently. When the marshal investigates, he discovers the one thing all the deaths have in common is a lethal amphetamine-type drug, which allows the miners to work continuously for days at a time until they become "burned out" and expire. O'Niel follows the trail of the dealers, which leads to the man overseeing the colony. Now O'Niel must watch his back at every turn, as those who seek to protect their income begin targeting him...

Parallelities

Alan Dean Foster

It was just an average day for tabloid reporter Max Parker when he arrived in Malibu for a demonstration of a brand-new parallel-universe machine. But everything changed in an instant when inventor Barrington Boles succeeded in making Max the human gate to numerous parallelities.

Now Max was lost in a virtual sea of collateral worlds, confronting man-eating aliens, dinosaurs, talking frogs, dead Maxes, girl Maxes, old Maxes, even ghost Maxes. His only chance to escape the space-time continuum was to find Boles and hole the loony genius could rescue him. But how could he be sure which world was real, which Max was Max, and which Boles was the Boles who could stop the madness - or trap Max in the wrong world forever...?

Quozl

Alan Dean Foster

The Quozl knew they'd love the third planet from the sun. But it never occurred to them that anyone lived there...

Relic

Alan Dean Foster

Once Homo sapiens reigned supreme, spreading from star system to star system in an empire that encountered no alien life and thus knew no enemy... save itself. As had happened many times before, the basest, most primal human instincts rose up, only this time armed with the advanced scientific knowledge to create a genetically engineered smart virus that quickly wiped out humanity to the last man.

That man is Ruslan, the sole known surviving human being in the universe. Rescued from the charnel house of his home planet by the Myssari--an intelligent alien race--Ruslan spends his days as something of a cross between a research subject and a zoo attraction. Though the Myssari are determined to resurrect the human race, using Ruslan's genetic material, all he wants for himself and his species is oblivion. But then the Myssari make Ruslan an extraordinary offer: In exchange for his cooperation, they will do everything in their considerable power to find the lost home world of his species--an all-but-mythical place called Earth--and, perhaps, another living human.

Thus begins an epic journey of adventure, danger, heartbreak, and hope, as Ruslan sets out in search of a place that may no longer exist--drawn by the slimmest yet most enduring hope.

Sagramanda: A Novel of Near-Future India

Alan Dean Foster

Set in Sagramanda, city of 100 million, this is the story of Taneer, a scientist who has absconded with his multinational corporation's secret project code and who is now on the run from both the company and his father. Depahli, the fabulously beautiful woman from the "untouchable class" would die for him, just as surely as his father would like to kill him for shaming the very traditional family for such a relationship. Chalcedony "Chal" Schneemann doesn't want to kill Taneer, if he doesn't have to, but it wouldn't upset him terribly much if it came to it, and he'll stop at nothing to recover the stolen property for the company that pays him very, very well to solve big problems discreetly and quickly. Sanjay Ghosh, a poor farmer-turned-merchant in the big city of Sagramanda would like to help Taneer unload his stolen items, for the $30 million dollars his 3 percent fee is worth. Jena Chalmette, a crazy French woman pledged to Kali, simply wants to kill for the glory of her god, and she's very good at it. Chief Inspector Keshu Singh would like to put this sword-wielding serial killer away as quickly as possible before the media gets a hold of the story.

Then there's a man-eating tiger, come in from the nearby jungle reserve and just looking for his next meal.

A fast-paced and gripping techno-thriller set in an India just around the corner from today.

Shadowkeep

Alan Dean Foster

Practer Fine, an adventurous young blacksmith, is given the task of finding the source of the unimaginable evil of Shadowkeep, a mysterious castle, and freeing his land from its enchantment, in a fantasy adventure based on the computer game "Shadowkeep".

Slipt

Alan Dean Foster

Old Jake Pickett is a strange one.

He can turn bullets to dust or collapse skyscrapers with his mind. But all he really wants to do with his "magic" is entertain the poor kids who live, like him, near the chemical dump. Or talk telepathically with his crippled niece, Amanda.

Then a giant company decides that the only way to cover up their mess is to eliminate the people who have been affected, for better or worse, by the seeping industrial wastes.

Now Jake and Amanda are running for their lives. And ours.

Smart Dragons, Foolish Elves

Alan Dean Foster
Martin H. Greenberg

Table of Contents:

ix - Introduction (Smart Dragons, Foolish Elves) - essay by Alan Dean Foster

1 - As Is - novelette by Robert Silverberg

21 - The Same to You Doubled - short story by Robert Sheckley

33 - The Egg of the Glak - novelette by Harvey Jacobs

81 - Beibermann's Soul - short story by Mike Resnick

87 - Thimgs - short story by Theodore R. Cogswell

103 - Ms. Lipshutz and the Goblin - short story by Marvin Kaye

111 - Unferno - novelette by George Alec Effinger

137 - Unicorn Variations - novelette by Roger Zelazny

166 - Yes Sir That's My - short story by Daniel P. Dern

179 - Please Stand By - [Max Kearny] - short story by Ron Goulart

205 - Bottle Party - short story by John Collier

215 - My Mother Was a Witch - short story by William Tenn

223 - Djinn, No Chaser - novelette by Harlan Ellison

246 - Up the Wall - novelette by Esther M. Friesner

276 - Trouble with Water - short story by H. L. Gold

301 - Savage Breasts - short story by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

310 - Or the Grasses Grow - short story by Avram Davidson

321 - Snulbug - short story by Anthony Boucher

340 - Afterword (Smart Dragons, Foolish Elves) - essay by Alan Dean Foster

Starman

Alan Dean Foster

An innocent alien from a distant planet learns what it means to be a man in love.

When his spacecraft is shot down over Wisconsin, Starman arrives at the remote cabin of a distraught young widow, Jenny Hayden, and clones the form of her dead husband. The alien convinces Jenny to drive him to Arizona, explaining that if he isn't, he'll die. Hot on their trail are government agents, intent on capturing the alien, dead or alive. En route, Starman demonstrates the power of universal love, while Jenny rediscovers her human feelings for passion.

The Black Hole

Alan Dean Foster

Nearing the end of a long mission exploring deep space, the spacecraft USS Palomino is returning to Earth.

The Palomino crew discover a black hole in space with a spaceship nearby, somehow defying the hole's massive gravitational pull. The ship is identified as the long-lost USS Cygnus.

The Palomino crew cautiously boards the Cygnus and soon encounter the ship's commander, Dr. Hans Reinhardt, a brilliant scientist. Aided by a crew of faceless, black-robed android drones and his sinister-looking robot Maximilian, Reinhardt explains that he has lived all alone on the Cygnus for years.

The rest of the Palomino crew grow suspicious of the faceless drones' human-like behaviour: the crew had been lobotomized and "reprogrammed" by Reinhardt to serve him. When this is discovered, Reinhardt takes Kate prisoner, ordering his sentry robots to take her to the ship's hospital bay to be lobotomized.

Just as the process begins, Holland rescues Kate. Fearing the situation is escalating dangerously, Booth attempts to escape alone in the Palomino. Reinhardt orders the craft shot down. A meteor storm then destroys the starboard generator. Without its null-gravity bubble, the Cygnus starts to break apart under the black hole's huge gravitational forces.

Reinhardt and the Palomino survivors separately plan their escape aboard a small probe ship. The crew of the Palamino reach the probe ship, only to discover the controls locked onto a flightpath that takes them into the black hole, which takes them through a surreal hell back to Earth.

The Deavys

Alan Dean Foster

A decidedly non-Ordinary family (and their talking cat) must embark on a magical mission in this tale from New York Times-bestselling author Alan Dean Foster.

For any normal teenage boy, having two and a half younger sisters would be enough to deal with. But Simwan Deavy's life isn't normal. His family is non-Ord--short for "non-Ordinary"--which means that at school, he and his sisters learn hexing and enchanting along with history and math. It also means they have a ghost for an uncle and a cat who talks. Still, everything is going well for Simwan--until a bottle of Truth is stolen from the local pharmacy. Now the Deavys' favorite woods are under threat from development; their mother, whose life depends on the Truth, is growing weaker; and the world as they know it might never be the same.

With the help of their cat, Pithfwid, the Deavys track the loathsome, horrible Crub to his lair in New York City. But the Crub has laid traps, turning a dangerous city into a deadly one. To succeed at their mission, the Deavys will have to stick together--or the Truth may be lost forever.

The Dig

Alan Dean Foster

When a mysterious asteroid threatens to collide with Earth, a space shuttle is sent to "nudge" it into a safe orbit. Venturing to the asteroid's surface, three crew members become trapped as the asteroid leaves orbit, transporting them to a strange planet years away. To find their way home, the crew must embark on a riddle-filled expedition whose answers will save them or kill them.

The Flavors of Other Worlds

Alan Dean Foster

Thirteen Science Fiction Tales from a Master Storyteller

From fighting giant bugs to defeating an interstellar empire without firing a shot; from scientific idiot savants toying with the universe to how the robots will really win the robot apocalypse, these thirteen flavorful tales are guaranteed to entertain, amuse, awe, and maybe even enlighten.

Includes the first appearance in print of the Icerigger novellete "Chilling" and a new novelette, "Valentin Sharffen and the Code of Doom."

Table of Contents:

ix - Introduction (The Flavors of Other Worlds) - (2018) - essay

1 - Unvasion - (2004) - short story

11 - The Man Who Knew Too Much - (2006) - short story

20 - Perception - [Humanx Commonwealth - 6] - (2006) - short story

33 - Chilling - [Humanx Commonwealth - 7] - (2006) - novelette

57 - Consigned - (2007) - short story

67 - Cold Fire - (2008) - short story

81 - Pardon Our Conquest - [Humanx Commonwealth] - (2009) - short story

92 - That Creeping Sensation - (2011) - short story

102 - Rural Singularity - (2013) - short story

112 - Seasoning - (2014) - short story

120 - Our Specialty Is Xenogeology - (2017) - short story

133 - Ten and Ten - (2018) - short story

142 - Valentin Sharffen and the Code of Doom - short story

The I Inside

Alan Dean Foster

For over 100 years, the machine called Colligatarch had ruled the Earth. Its predictions of the future have proved so accurate that humans accepted its recommendations as the best course of action - until a young engineer in Phoenix begins to travel without authorization, enter secret places, assume aliases, and display super-human feats of strength. Is it because he has fallen in love? Or has he instead fallen into an interplanetary plot?

The Last Starfighter

Alan Dean Foster

He's got one extraordinary chance at the dream of a life-time.

Alex Rogan is a small-town teenager with big-time dreams. He's just like everyone else, except Alex has a very special talent...

Tonight, a mysterious stranger will call on Alex. He comes from a galaxy that's under attack by an alien force. And Alex's unique abilty is their last hope.

The Man Who Used the Universe

Alan Dean Foster

No one knows the true motives of Kees vaan Loo-Macklin. He's a mastermind criminal who gave up his place at the head of the dark underworld to become a legitimate member of Evenwaith's cities. But soon he was reaching out to powerful enemies--the slimy aliens called the Nuel. Loo-Macklin negotiates an illusory peace agreement and gains precious alien secrets in the process. Is he after peace, power or pure evil? With enemy starships beginning to amass, we won't have to wait long to find out.

The Metrognome: and Other Stories

Alan Dean Foster

Forget what you thought you knew about the universe and enter the fantastic world of master storyteller Alan Dean Foster...

OPERATOR ASSISTED CALLS ARE CHARGED AT A HIGHER RATE
Mr. Parkworthy had a score to settle with the telephone company, and he was a man used to getting his own way. But he should have remembered that it is not polite to be rude to a lady... especially when the lady is Ma Bell.

THE METROGNOME
Charlie Dimsdale was only a little man in the company that ran New York City's subways... until some odd little denizens of the city's subterranean tunnels showed him who was really in charge!

THE TESSELATED TETRAHEXAHEDRAL YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS
Country people in America are a fair but mighty independent bunch. So when some government scientists rudely demanded that the Shattucks turn over the UFO that crashed on their Texas ranch, the Shattucks became a bit obstinate. Besides, the shining little spacecraft looked real cute hanging on the barn with the Christmas decorations.

COLLECTABLE
When young Pearl's life was collapsing around her, she could always find comfort in her extensive collection of dragon memorabilia - but some youngsters are more fragile than others, and dragons can be deadly.

...and eleven more stories!

Table of Contents:

1 - Introduction (The Metrognome and Other Stories) - essay

4 - Operator Assisted Calls Are Charged at a Higher Rate - (1983) - short story

19 - The Metrognome - (1979) - novelette

41 - Thrust - (1979) - short story

52 - Pipe Dream - (1973) - short story

65 - Mother Thunder - (1983) - short story (variant of Thunder Mother)

75 - The Chair - (1979) - short story by Jane Cozart and Alan Dean Foster

92 - The Inheritance - (1981) - short story

102 - Running - (1983) - short story

120 - Unamusing - (1984) - short story

127 - The Thunderer - (1987) - short story

143 - Pleistosport - (1986) - short story

153 - Norg Gleeble Gop - (1987) - short story

162 - Batrachian - (1985) - short story

175 - The Tessellated Tetrahexahedral Yellow Rose of Texas - novella

231 - Collectible - (1985) - short story

The Taste of Different Dimensions

Alan Dean Foster

Fifteen tasty tales from a master of fantasy!

The dead. The undead. Those who wish they were dead. They're all here, along with a legend from a Pacific island, a legend from beneath a Pacific island, and much, much more. Frogs and dogs, knaves and slaves, and maybe a smidgen of real but impertinent food. Extend your imagination and have a nibble. You'll come back for more.

Includes the never before published story "Fetched."

Table of Contents:

vii - Introduction (The Taste of Different Dimensions) - (2019) - essay

1 - Ali Babette - (2005) - short story

10 - The White Hotel - (2004) - short story

25 - Two Cents Worth - (2004) - short story

33 - The Frog and the Mantas - (2005) - short story

37 - Mr. Death Goes to Washington - (2006) - short story

44 - Food Fight - (2006) - short story

54 - Unnatural - (2007) - short story

66 - Overcast - (2008) - short story

76 - The Eccentric - (2007) - short story

86 - Dark Blue - (2007) - short story

98 - Ah, Yehz - (2008) - short story

106 - Green They Were, and Golden-Eyed - (2014) - short story

115 - The Door Beneath - (2015) - short story

129 - Castleweep - (2016) - novelette

149 - Fetched - (2019) - short story

The Thing

Alan Dean Foster

In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them.

To the Vanishing Point

Alan Dean Foster

The Sonderberg family does not know it yet, but this is not going to be any ordinary road trip. After they pick up an unassuming hitchhiker, a quiet drive down Interstate 40 becomes a trip into an alternate reality. It turns out the family has just given a ride to an alien who has the fate of the universe resting on her shoulders. Now the Sonderberg family must fight evil alongside their new alien friend, in a desperate attempt to save the world they love.

With Friends Like These...

Alan Dean Foster

DREAMS OF LOVE, HATE, FEAR, AND REVENGE COME TRUE IN...

WOLFSTROKER
Willie Whitehorse could have been just another boozed-up guitarist, if it hadn't been for his songs. Somehow they were different--they reached out and grabbed people's souls. Now agent Sam Parker wanted a piece of the action. But when he had it, Sam knew he'd made a terrible mistake... a mistake it was much too late to correct...

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE...
The aliens had returned to Earth after centuries because they needed allies. But after hundreds of years, they had no idea what they would be getting the universe into... and they soon found out!

DREAM DONE GREEN
Pericles was a poet and a genius, who also happened to be a horse!

WHY JOHNNY CAN'T SPEED
A father could teach his son a lot of important things, but combat on the freeways wasn't one of them... not when the kid was eighteen and too full of himself to survive. But revenge did have its compensations!

Table of Contents:

xi - Introduction (With Friends Like These...) - essay

1 - With Friends Like These... - (1971) - novelette

26 - Some Notes Concerning a Green Box - (1971) - short story

38 - Why Johnny Can't Speed - (1971) - short story

53 - The Emoman - [Humanx Commonwealth - 4] - (1972) - short story

69 - Space Opera - (1973) - short story

84 - The Empire of T'ang Lang - (1973) - short story

94 - A Miracle of Small Fishes - (1974) - novelette

121 - Dream Done Green - (1974) - short story

140 - He - (1976) - novelette

164 - Polonaise - (1976) - short story

175 - Wolfstroker - (1977) - novelette

208 - Ye Who Would Sing - (1976) - short story

Dead Spots

Rhiannon Frater

New horror from Rhiannon Frater: in the dead spots, dreams become reality, terror knows your name, and nightmares can kill.

The stillbirth of Mackenzie's son destroyed her marriage. Grieving, Mac reluctantly heads for her childhood home to seek refuge with her mother, who constantly reminds her of life's dangers.

Driving across Texas, Mac swerves to avoid hitting a deer... and winds up in a dead spot, a frightening place that lies between the worlds of the living and the dead. If they can control their imaginations, people can literally bring their dreams to life--but most are besieged by fears and nightmares which pursue them relentlessly.

Mackenzie's mother and husband haunt her, driving her to the brink of madness. Then she hears a child call for help and her maternal instincts kick into overdrive. Grant, Mac's ally in the dead spots, insists Johnny is a phantom, but the boy seems so real, so alive....

As the true horrors of the dead spots are slowly revealed, Mackenzie realizes that time is running out. But exits from the dead spots are nearly impossible to find, and defended by things almost beyond imagination.

There Is No Death, There Are No Dead: Tales of Spiritualism

Aaron J. French
Jess Landry

The spirits of the dead exist, and they want to communicate.

First appearing in the late 1800s, spiritualism became a religious movement that swept the nation. Under the assumption that the dead live on in the afterlife, spiritualists believed that contact with the dearly departed was not only possible, but something those who crossed over longed for. Contact was usually made through a medium, a person who claimed to have the ability to speak with the dead.

There Is No Death, There Are No Dead is a horror anthology that tackles all aspects of the spiritualist movement: from the true believers to the nay-sayers, the hoaxes to hauntings, the real mediums to the scam artists. From ghosts to possessions, from profound loss to insurmountable grief, these short stories explore limitless genres (historical fiction, Gaslamp mystery, modern horror, and everything in between) with a diverse cast of characters challenged at every corner.

There Is No Death, There Are No Dead includes new work from some of the most talented and respected authors in the horror and dark fantasy genres, featuring stories from Gemma Files, Helen Marshall, Kathe Koja, Lee Murray, David Demchuk, Lisa Morton, Gwendolyn Kiste, S.P. Miskowski, Seanan McGuire, Catherine Lord, Chesya Burke, Nadia Bulkin, Michelle Belanger, and Laird Barron, and edited by Bram Stoker Award winner Jess Landry and Aaron J. French.

The dead are speaking. Will you hear?

Contents:

There Is No Death, There Are No Dead - interior artwork by Sofia Ajram

1 - Haunt Me - short fiction by Gemma Files

33 - The Happy Medium - short fiction by Helen Marshall

55 - The Marble Lily - (2020) - short story by Kathe Koja

65 - The Bone Eater - short fiction by Lee Murray

85 - A Feather for Mrs. Edmond - short fiction by David Demchuk

105 - Meeting Katie King - short fiction by Lisa Morton

125 - The Mad Monk of the Motor City - short fiction by Gwendolyn Kiste

145 - The One Word I Can't Say - short fiction by S. P. Miskowski

167 - Knock Three Times - short fiction by Seanan McGuire

189 - The Curious Story of Susan Styles: A Psychical Romance - (1893) - short fiction by Catherine Lord

201 - Talitha Cumi - short fiction by Chesya Burke

221 - True Love Waits - short fiction by Nadia Bulkin

241 - The Shape of Her Soul - short fiction by Michelle Belanger

279 - American Remake of a Japanese Ghost Story - short story by Laird Barron

Deathbeast

David Gerrold

Six hunters and two official guides are going on the trip of their lifetime.

Their destination? Earth as it was a hundred million years ago, long before human dominion, when the great hot-blooded dinosaurs ruled supreme.

Each of the time travelers has a different motive. Some are on the strange safari for pay. Others are taking a psychological and sexual holiday from civilization. There are women who wanted to show themselves the equal of men--and men out to test and prove their manhood.

But whatever their drives and desires, their strengths and weaknesses, the ultimate horror awaits them.

In the Deadlands

David Gerrold

Nebula Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in the collection With a Finger in My I (1972). There are no other known publications at this time.

Death and the Librarian

Esther Friesner

Nebula Award winning short story. It originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, December 1994. The story can also be found in the anthologies Isaac Asimov's Ghosts (1995), edited by Sheila Williams and Gardner Dozois and Nebula Awards 31 (1997), edited by Pamela Sargent as well as the collection Death and the Librarian and Other Stories (2002).

Death and the Librarian and Other Stories

Esther Friesner

Esther Friesner offers a collection of 12 of her best pieces of short fiction including brand new story, "Ilion", as well as two Nebula award-winning stories.

Contents:

All Vows (1992)

True Believer (1997)

"White!" Said Fred (1993)

A Birthday (1995)

A Pig's Tale (1995)

Love, Crystal and Stone (1999)

In the Realm of Dragons (1998)

Jesus at the Bat (1994)

Chanoyu (1999)

Ilion (2002)

How to Make Unicorn Pie (1999)

Death and the Librarian (1994)

Deadly Care

Richard W. Fulmer

In 1998, Tom Davidson and his wife set out to save the life of their four-month-old daughter, who needs surgery for a congenital heart defect. And they run afoul of the law, because the waiting list for this type of surgery - in the nationalized health care cooperative to which they are assigned - is longer than daughter Becky can be expected to live without surgery. Tom attempts to bribe a doctor, a new health care crime, and is arrested.

As the story unfolds, Becky's life is saved by a surgeon in a foreign land. But her father is still on trial. When his attorney tells him he can plead guilty and perhaps get off easy, Tom says, "Becky fought for her life on that operating table, but does the life she won belong to her or to the government? That's what this trial's about, and I'm going to see it through."

Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things

Margie Fuston

Victoria and her dad have shared a love of the undead since the first vampire revealed his existence on live TV. Public fear soon drove the vampires back into hiding, yet Victoria and her father still dream about finding a vampire together. But when her dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer, it's clear that's not going to happen. Instead, Victoria vows to find a vampire herself--so that she can become one and then save her father.

Armed with research, speculations, and desperation--and helped by her estranged best friend, Henry--Victoria travels to New Orleans in search of a miracle. There she meets Nicholas, a mysterious young man who might give her what she desires. But first, he needs Victoria to prove she loves life enough to live forever.

She agrees to complete a series of challenges, from scarfing sugar-drenched beignets to singing with a jazz band, all to show she has what it takes to be immortal. But truly living while her father is dying feels like a betrayal. Victoria must figure out how to experience joy and grief at once, trusting all the while that Nicholas will hold up his end of the bargain... because the alternative is too impossible to imagine.

Little Dead Girl Singing

Stephen Gallagher

WFA nominated short story. It originally appeared in Weird Tales, Spring 2002. The story can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Sixteenth Annual Collection (2003), edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 14 (2003), edited by Stephen Jones. It is included in the collection Plots and Misadventures (2007).

The Dead Friends Society

Paul Gandersman
Peter Hall

Drew and her friends aren't like most college kids.

They're dead.

Murdered in 1998 by a masked killer known only as The Fireman, their spirits are trapped in Greywood House, desperate to escape...until Abbey and her family arrive.

The new girl finds herself drawn to their haunting presence, which only makes things worse. Because the dead know what the living can't: The Fireman is coming back.

And this time the ghosts of Greywood House will have to do whatever it takes to stop the next bloodbath, even if it means the end of their afterlives...

Bordeaux Mixture

Henry Gee

This short story originally appeaed in Nature, March 23, 2000. It can also be found in the anthology Year's Best SF 6 (2001), edited by David G. Hartwell.

Read the full story for free at Nature.

Confederacy of the Dead

Martin H. Greenberg
Edward E. Kramer
Richard Gilliam

An all-original anthology of short fiction exploring what may be the most fascinating and certainly bloodiest of all American wars--the Civil War--by the bestselling authors of dark fantasy, horror, and science fiction.

Preface - essay by Michael Bishop

Introduction - essay by Richard Gilliam

Death Fiend Guerillas - short story by William S. Burroughs

Zulei, Grace, Nimshi, and the Damnyankees - novelette by Anne McCaffrey

Hell Creek - short story by Karl Edward Wagner

The Sunday-Go-To-Meeting Jaw short story by Nancy A. Collins

Darker Angels - novelette by S. P. Somtow

Roll Call - novelette by Jerry Ahern and Sharon Ahern

The Crater - novelette by Doug Murray

Sons - short story by Charles L. Grant

Butternut and Blood - short story by Kathryn Ptacek

Strawman - short story by Nancy Holder

A Dress For Tea) - short story by Wendy Webb

Foragers - short story by Richard Lee Byers

Spoils of War - short story by Owl Goingback

Red Clay, Crimson Clay - short story by Brad Linaweaver

Beneath A Waning Moon - short story by Brad Strickland

The Master's Time - short story by Anya Martin and Stephen L. Antczak

Terrible Swift Saw - short story by Gregory Nicoll

Two Yellow Pine Coffins - novelette by Robert Sampson

The Third Nation - novelette by Lee Hoffman

Beast - novelette by George Alec Effinger

The Face - short story by Ed Gorman

Colour - novelette by Michael Moorcock

Caroline and Caleb - novella by Richard Gilliam

Grabow and Collicker and I - short story by Algis Budrys

The Unknown Soldier - short story by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Drona's Death

Max Gladstone

The story first appeared in the anthology xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myths (2013) edited by Kate Bernheimer.

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

21st Century Dead: A Zombie Anthology

Christopher Golden

The Stoker-award winning editor of the acclaimed, eclectic anthology The New Dead returns with 21st Century Dead, and an all-new lineup of authors from all corners of the fiction world, shining a dark light on our fascination with tales of death and resurrection... with ZOMBIES! The stellar stories in this volume includes a tale set in the world of Daniel H. Wilson's Robopocalypse, the first published fiction by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, and a tale of love, family, and resurrection from the legendary Orson Scott Card. This new volume also includes stories also from other award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors, such as: Simon R. Green, Chelsea Cain, Jonathan Maberry, Duane Swiercyznski, Caitlin Kittredge, Brian Keene, Amber Benson, John Skipp, S. G. Browne, Thomas E. Sniegoski, Hollywood screenwriter Stephen Susco, National Book Award nominee Dan Chaon, and more!

Table of Contents:

Zombies Are Good for You: An Introduction - essay by Christopher Golden

Biters - novelette by Mark Morris

Why Mothers Let Their Babies Watch Television: A Just-So Horror Story - short fiction by Chelsea Cain

Carousel - short story by Orson Scott CardReality Bites - short fiction by S. G. Browne

The Drop - short fiction by Stephen Susco

Antiparallelogram - short fiction by Amber Benson

How We Escaped Our Certain Fate - short story by Dan Chaon

A Mother's Love - short fiction by John McIlveen

Down and Out In Dead Town - short fiction by Simon R. Green

Devil Dust - short fiction by Caitlin Kittredge

The Dead of Dromore - short fiction by Ken Bruen

All the Comforts of Home: A Beacon Story - short fiction by John Skipp and Cody Goodfellow

Ghost Dog & Pup: Stay - short fiction by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Tic Boom: A Slice of Love - short fiction by Kurt Sutter

Jack and Jill - juvenile - short fiction by Jonathan Maberry

Tender as Teeth - short fiction by Stephanie Crawford and Duane Swierczynski

Couch Potato - short fiction by Brian Keene

The Happy Bird and Other Tales - short fiction by Rio Youers

Parasite - short story by Daniel H. Wilson

The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology

Christopher Golden

Resurrection!

The hungry dead have risen. They shamble down the street. They hide in back yards, car lots, shopping malls. They devour neighbors, dogs and police officers. And they are here to stay. The real question is, what are you going to do about it? How will you survive?

How will the world change when the dead begin to rise?

Stoker-award-winning author Christopher Golden has assembled an original anthology of never-before-published zombie stories from an eclectic array of today's hottest writers. Inside there are stories about military might in the wake of an outbreak, survival in a wasted wasteland, the ardor of falling in love with a zombie, and a family outing at the circus. Here is a collection of new views on death and resurrection.

With stories from Joe Hill, John Connolly, Max Brooks, Kelley Armstrong, Tad Williams, David Wellington, David Liss, Aimee Bender, Jonathan Maberry, and many others, this is a wildly diverse and entertaining collection... the last word on The New Dead.

The Dead and the Dark

Courtney Gould

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn't normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV's most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.

Ashley Barton's boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she's felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who--or what--is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.

Orchard of the Dead & Other Macabre Tales

Stefan Grabinski

In "At Sarah's House," a man watches his friend wasting away before his eyes under the spell of a beautiful but deadly woman. In "Burning Ground," a man decides to build a home on a site where every previous dwelling has burned to the ground, defying local superstition with strange and disastrous consequences. The title story, "Orchard of the Dead," tells of the otherworldly happenings at a children's graveyard full of trees laden with luscious fruit. And in the highlight of the collection, "Szatera's Engrams," a train stationmaster becomes obsessed with lingering echoes of a deadly tragedy and grows convinced that he knows a terrible means of bringing his beloved back from the other side.

Containing thirteen tales that feature Grabinski's favorite themes of passion and death.

Contents:

Introduction by Brian Evenson

A Night's Lodging

At Sarah's House

Burning Ground

Parable of the Tunnel Mole

Before a Long Journey

Blind Man's Buff

Orchard of the Dead

Ksenia

On the Trail

Mud Hut in a Clear Field

Red Magda

The Loft

Szatera's Engrams

Back from the Dead

Martin H. Greenberg
Charles G. Waugh

Table of Contents:

From Death's Other Side - (1991) - essay by Frank D. McSherry, Jr.

Lazarus - (1921) - shortstory by Leonid Andreyev (1906)

The Rose-Crystal Bell - (1954) - shortstory by Robert Arthur

Glámr - (1863) - shortstory by Sabine Baring-Gould

Beyond the Wall - (1907) - shortstory by Ambrose Bierce

Mother of Serpents - (1936) - shortstory by Robert Bloch

Lost Boys - (1989) - shortstory by Orson Scott Card

The Man with Pin-Point Eyes - (1931) - novelette by Erle Stanley Gardner

Grave Error - (1991) - shortstory by Cathie Griffith

The Tortoise - (1910) - shortstory by William Fryer Harvey

The Adventure of the German Student - (1824) - shortstory by Washington Irving

Count Magnus - (1904) - shortstory by M. R. James

A Thousand Deaths - (1889) - shortstory by Jack London

The Outsider - (1926) - shortstory by H. P. Lovecraft

Ligeia - (1838) - shortstory by Edgar Allan Poe

Mop-Up - (1953) - shortstory by Arthur Porges

Charlie - (1980) - shortstory by Talmage Powell

If the Red Slayer - (1959) - shortstory by Robert Sheckley

The Charnel God - (1934) - novelette by Clark Ashton Smith

It - (1940) - novelette by Theodore Sturgeon

Where the Woodbine Twineth - (1976) - shortstory by Manly Wade Wellman

Afterward - (1910) - novelette by Edith Wharton

The Seven Deadly Sins and Cardinal Virtues of Science Fiction

Isaac Asimov
Martin H. Greenberg
Charles G. Waugh

This is a combined edition of

The Seven Deadly Sins of Science Fiction: Science fiction stories deal with the themes of sloth, lust, envy, pride, anger, gluttony, avarice, and covetousness.

The Seven Cardinal Virtues of Science Fiction: Science fiction stories center on the themes of temperance, justice, faith, prudence, fortitude, hope, charity, and love.

Contents:

Introduction (The Seven Deadly Sins of Science Fiction) (1980) - essay by Martin H. Greenberg

Sail 25 (1962) - novelette by Jack Vance (variant of Gateway to Strangeness)

Peeping Tom (1954) - novelette by Judith Merril

The Invisible Man Murder Case (1958) - novelette by Henry Slesar

Galley Slave [Susan Calvin] (1957) - novelette by Isaac Asimov

Divine Madness (1966) - short story by Roger Zelazny

The Midas Plague (1954) - novella by Frederik Pohl

The Man Who Ate the World (1956) - novelette by Frederik Pohl

Margin of Profit [Nicholas Van Rijn] (1956) - novelette by Poul Anderson

The Hook, the Eye and the Whip [The Peninsula] (1974) - novelette by Michael G. Coney

Introduction (The Seven Cardinal Virtues of Science Fiction) (1981) - essay by Martin H. Greenberg

Superiority (1951) - short story by Arthur C. Clarke

Whosawhatsa? (1967) - novelette by Jack Wodhams

Riding the Torch (1974) - novella by Norman Spinrad

The Nail and the Oracle (1965) - novelette by Theodore Sturgeon

Jean Duprès (1970) - novelette by Gordon R. Dickson

Nuisance Value (1957) - novella by Eric Frank Russell

The Sons of Prometheus (1966) - novelette by Alexei Panshin

The Ugly Little Boy (1958) - novelette by Isaac Asimov (variant of Lastborn)

Waters of Death

Irving A. Greenfield

Food. In the year 2160, it was man's greatest probloem. With the enormous increase in population and the extension of longevity, there simply wasn't enough to go around. The sea farms were the only solution--but they were in themselves a potential threat to man's future.

Science and technology had advanced fantastically, of course. The real trouble was... people. Human beings had not changed. The sea farmers had good reasons for being rebellious; their work was hard and dangerous and their rewards small. And the rest of the population was rapidly becoming a total police state, but one which might revolt at any moment.

Then the harvests from the sea began to drop off... and the government decided to hand the whole problem to just one man. Dr. Robert Wilde found himself alone as no man had ever been before: with a clouded past, hated by those he was trying to help, harrassed by powerful men seeking more power.... Did he have any future? Did the world?

Dead Horse Point

Daryl Gregory

This short story originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, August 2007. It can also be found in the anthology The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Two (2008), edited by Jonathan Strahan. The story is included in the collection Unpossible and Other Stories (2011).

Cult of the Dead and Other Weird and Lovecraftian Tales

Lois H. Gresh

Some tales take us to the remote corners of the world, such as the Peru of "Cult of the Dead" or the Antarctica of "Devil's Bathtub." Like Lovecraft, Gresh fuses weirdness and science fiction in such tales as "Mandelbrot Mindrot" and "Willie the Protector." Lovecraft's "The Shadow over Innsmouth" has been a particularly fruitful source of inspiration for Gresh, as such tales as "Dreams of Death" and "Necrotic Cove" attest.

After Death...

Eric J. Guignard

Death. Who has not considered their own mortality and wondered at what awaits, once our frail human shell expires? What occurs after the heart stops beating, after the last breath is drawn, after life as we know it terminates?

Does our spirit remain on Earth while the mortal body rots? Do remnants of our soul transcend to a celestial Heaven or sink to Hell's torment? Are we offered choices in an individualized afterlife? Can we die again in the hereafter? Is life merely a cosmic joke, or is it an experiment for something greater?

Included within this critically acclaimed anthology are answers to these queries alongside tales and suppositions relating from traditional ghosts to the afterlife of e-coli. Explore the afterworld of an Australian cowboy. Discover what the white light really means to the recently departed. Consider the impact of modern, or future, technology on the dead. Follow the karmic path of reincarnation. Travel from the 999th level of Fengdu's Hell to the gates of Robot Heaven.

Enclosed are thirty-four all-new dark and speculative fiction stories, individually illustrated by Audra Phillips, and exploring the possibilities "after death."

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction by Eric J. Guignard

Someone to Remember by Andrew S. Williams

Boy, 7 by Alvaro Rodriguez

Sea of Trees by Edward M. Erdelac

The Last Moments Before Bed by Steve Rasnic Tem

The Resurrection Policy by Lisa Morton

High Places by John M. Floyd

Circling the Stones at Fulcrum's Low by Kelda Crich

I Will Remain by David Steffen

Tree of Life by Aaron J. French

The Reckless Alternative by Sanford Allen & Josh Rountree

The Thousandth Hell by Brad C. Hodson

Mall Rats by James S. Dorr

Afterword by Ray Cluley

Like a Bat out of Hell by Jonathan Shipley

The Overlander by Jacob Edwards

Forever by John Palisano

My Father Knew Douglas MacArthur by Bentley Little

Robot Heaven by Jamie Lackey

Beyond the Veil by Robert B. Marcus, Jr.

Prisoner of Peace by David Tallerman

A Feast of Meat and Mead by Christine Morgan

Be Quiet At The Back by William Meikle

Cages by Peter Giglio

Hammerhead by Simon Clark

Marvel at the Face of Forever by Kelly Dunn

The Unfinished Lunch by Trevor Denyer

I Was The Walrus by Steve Cameron

The Devil's Backbone by Larry Hodges

The Death of E. Coli by Benjamin Kane Ethridge

Final Testament of a Weapons Engineer by Emily C. Skaftun

Acclimation Package by Joe McKinney

Hellevator by Josh Strnad

In and Out the Window by Allan Izen

With Max Barry in the Nearer Precincts by John Langan

Doorways to the Deadeye

Eric J. Guignard

Luke Thacker is a drifting hobo in Depression-era America, riding the rails of the nation and surviving by crumbs and hope. Along the way he learns the iconography of transients--the Hobo Code--better than anyone else and deciphers a secret that thrusts him into Athanasia, the middle ground of memories.

He learns that Athanasia exists around us, a realm in which the deceased persevere by how they are remembered, and the memories Luke meets will do anything to not ever be forgotten, whether by trickery, violence, or daring.

Luke learns, too, that what's remembered yesterday is not always the same as what will be remembered tomorrow, and he sets off to keep alive the memories of those he loves in the way a 'bo does best: telling tales of old legends, and making up new ones alike.

Fifty years later, the tall crossbucks of Luke Thacker are repeated by homeless King Shaw, who's struggling to keep Luke's own legend alive and with it, perhaps, his own.

'Cause it don't matter if you rob banks with a dead John Dillinger, are hunted over the years by vengeful Earp brothers, or go against the monstrous railroad guard, Smith McCain: When a story is told, all who are part of it become a little stronger.

Dealing in Futures

Joe Haldeman

This stunning collection showcases 11 of Haldeman's best stories. They range through time and space from planets beyond our wildest dreams to a nightmare future Earth all too close to home.

Lindsay and the Red City Blues: A story of revenge - with a heart-stopping twist in the tail.

Blood Brothers: A 'Thieves World' story.

You Can Never Go Back: A self-contained story from the original version of 'The Forever War', never before published in book form.

And ten more sharp and startling visions of tomorrow.

Table of Contents:

Introduction (1985) - essay

Seasons - (1985) - novella

A !Tangled Web - (1981) - novelette

Manifest Destiny - (1983) - shortstory

Blood Sisters - (1979) - novelette

Blood Brothers - (1979) - novelette

You Can Never Go Back - (1975) - novella

More Than the Sum of His Parts - (1985) - shortstory

Seven and the Stars - (1981) - shortstory

Lindsay and the Red City Blues - (1980) - shortstory

No Future in It - (1979) - shortstory

The Pilot - (1979) - shortstory

The Big Bang Theory Explained - (1985) - poem

The Gift - (1985) - poem

Saul's Death - (1983) - poem

The Way Up Is Death

Dan Hanks

When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirteen strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins. Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND.

As a grieving teacher, a reclusive artist, and a narcissistic celebrity children's author lead the others in trying to understand why they've been chosen and what the tower is, it soon becomes clear the only way out of this for everyone... is up.

And so begins a race to the top, through sinking ships, haunted houses and other waking nightmares, as the group fights to hold onto its humanity, while the twisted horror of why they're here grows ever more apparent - and death stalks their every move.

Guardian of the Dead

Karen Healey

Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just like any other teenager at her boarding school. She hangs out with her best friend Kevin, she obsesses over Mark, a cute and mysterious bad boy, and her biggest worry is her paper deadline.

But then everything changes. The news headlines are all abuzz about a local string of serial killings that all share the same morbid trademark: the victims were discovered with their eyes missing. Then a beautiful yet eerie woman enters Ellie's circle of friends and develops an unhealthy fascination with Kevin, and a crazed old man grabs Ellie in a public square and shoves a tattered Bible into her hands, exclaiming, "You need it. It will save your soul." Soon, Ellie finds herself plunged into a haunting world of vengeful fairies, Maori mythology, romance, betrayal, and an epic battle for immortality.

Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones

Micah Dean Hicks

Wine Hill was full of the dead. Their ghosts were thickest near the abandoned downtown, where so many of the town's hopes had died generation by generation. They lingered in the places that mattered to them, and people avoided those streets, locked those doors, stopped going into those rooms... They could hurt you. Worse, they could change you.

Jane is haunted. Since she was a child, she has carried a ghost girl that feeds on the secrets and fears of everyone around her, whispering to Jane what they are thinking and feeling, even when she doesn't want to know. Henry, Jane's brother, is ridden by a genius ghost that forces him to build strange and dangerous machines. Their mother is possessed by a lonely spirit that burns anyone she touches. In Swine Hill, a place of defeat and depletion, there are more dead than living.

When new arrivals begin scoring precious jobs at the last factory in town, both the living and the dead are furious. This insult on the end of a long economic decline sparks a conflagration. Buffeted by rage on all sides, Jane must find a way to save her haunted family and escape the town before it kills them.

Church of Birds

Micah Dean Hicks

This short story originally appeared in Kenyon Review, March/April 2017. It can also be found in the anthology The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018, edited by N.K. Jemisin and John Joseph Adams.

Read the full story for free at Kenyon Review.

The Carpenter and the Beast of Teeth

Micah Dean Hicks

This short story originally appeared in Territory, issue II, August 2016, and was reprinted in Lightspeed, June 2018.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Weight of the Dead

Brian Hodge

The Weight of the Dead by Brian Hodge is a dystopian science fiction novelette taking place years after all electronics have been fried by the sun. Two siblings live in an enclave with their father, who's about to be punished for a crime, sparking fierce but secret rebellion by the daughter.

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Dead Cat Bounce

Gerard Houarner

A satiric fable written in minimalistic style.

Death's Deputy

L. Ron Hubbard

THE GOD PROTECT THOSE WHO SERVE

Flight Lieutenant Clayton McLean had bailed out of his burning plane...but the chute failed to open! No one could have survived such an experience, yet McLean did.

It was but the first of many such impossible excapes from certain death for the Lieutenant... and each time he was spared, someone else died.

By the time McLean realized what was happening to him, and what ruthless powers protected him, it was too late. He was a man who wanted desperately to die - but knew he could not...

Deadhead

Shaun Hutson

For Nick Ryan, private detective, life is all work and no play; his family has left him, and he's been given six months to live. When his daughter is kidnapped by a gang responsible for a series of murders, he begins an obsessive hunt for her and will not stop. Time is running out for both of them.

Deathday

Shaun Hutson

Four hundred years ago, a woman died in agony to keep its secret and went to her grave with it hung around her neck. Now, in a desolate graveyard, a woman has unearthed the amulet by chance and decides to keep it. His first mistake...

That night the village of Medford is plunged into a nightmare of terror by the discovery of a double murder and mutilation - the first in a series of shocking killings. Wherever the amulet is found, ancient evil - hideous, powerful and vile - is once again reborn...

A Room for the Dead

Noel Hynd

A mesmerizing ghost story and gripping detective tale that takes readers on a hair-raising journey into the darkest recesses of one man's soul.

With only a few months to go before his retirement, Detective Sgt Frank O'Hara faces the most impossible challenge of his career: to find and stop a killer who was sent to the electric chair years before.

Anasazi

Dean Ing

In the time of the Anasazi, a group of parasitic aliens arrives in the Southwestern US, searching for hosts....

The Users had a problem: the candidate host form, though bipedal and tool-using, was rather too large for optimal parasitization, until the stock had been bred down to proper size, the Users would have to make do with immature forms. And since this would mean discarding mounts every few years, inconveniently large breeding ranches would have to be maintained.

Still, the inconvenience was minor, especially considering that the brain case of a human child was of a perfect size to hold its host, once most of the brain had been eaten....

Devil You Don't Know

Dean Ing

Hugo and Nebula Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, January 1978. It can also be found in the anthologies The Best Science Fiction of the Year #8 (1979), edited by Terry Carr and Visions of Wonder (1996) edited by David G. Hartwell and Milton T. Wolf. It is included in the collection Anasazi (1980).

Down & Out on Ellfive Prime

Dean Ing

This novelette originally appeared in Omni, March 1979. It can also be found in the anthologies The Best Science Fiction of the Year #9 (1980), edited by Terry Carr, Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year: Ninth Annual Collection (1980), edited by Gardner Dozois, The Endless Frontier, Vol. II (1982), edited by Jerry Pournelle and John F. Carr, and The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF (1994), edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Kramer. The story is included in the collection High Tension (1982).

Eternity

Mack Reynolds
Dean Ing

What was the secret of San Raphael? It held too many faces from the past. Alex Germain recognized a former lover... then a noted intellectual... and a handsome, courtly Italian. All as young, as vital, as when Alex had first met them--decades earlier. Alex demanded the truth..but he had nothing to do with the murders that began to strike San Raphael. Suddenly the little Mexican village crackled with violence. Battle had been joined. To the losers: nothing but death. To the winners: eternity

Dead Water

Simon Ings

25 May, 1928: Over the frozen seas of the Arctic, an airship falls out the sky. Among the survivors is a young scientist on the verge of a discovery that will redefine physics.

3 October 1996: Through the dusty industrial towns of India's Great Trunk Road, a disgraced and disfigured female detective starts tracking a criminal syndicate whose tentacles spread from forgery to smuggling to piracy. Her life has been ruined, but she will have her revenge.

26 December 2004: On the island of Bali a tsunami washes up a rusting container. Locked within his aluminium tomb, the mummified remains of a shipping magnate missing for 29 years and a hand-written journal of his last days.

13 December 2011: Off the coast of Sri Lanka, a tramp steamer is seized by pirates. The captain has his wife and son aboard and their survival depends on following the pirates' every demand. But what can they possibly want with his worn-out ship and its cargo of junk?

We know what they want. We know the ship was carrying a Dead Water cargo. And We know Dead Water is the key to everything. We could spin a thousand stories from this toxic Cold War secret but there's only one of them can really make a difference.

And this is it.

The Dead Path

Stephen M. Irwin

A haunting visage peering out from the trees sends Nicholas Close tumbling from his motorcycle - setting in motion a series of terrible events that leave him a widower surrounded by startling hallucinations. He see ghosts. They don't say a word but they are seemingly forced to repeat their final, harrowing moments in an endless loop before his eyes.

Fearing for his sanity, and with nowhere else to go, Nicholas returns to his childhood home. Tallong is a sleepy suburb filled with an eccentric cast of characters and a host of memories from his past... all leading to the overgrown woods on Carmichael Road. As Nicholas attempts to reconnect with his estranged family, he becomes entangled in a disturbing series of disappearances and murders. He is now both a police suspect and the target of a malignant force that draws him to an old secret waiting in the heart of the woods.

To stop Tallong's violent history from repeating itself, Nicholas will have to face his greatest fears and discover what lies at the end of the path.

Death Note: Another Note - The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases

NisiOisiN

There's a killer loose in Los Angeles and super-sleuth L is on the case.

The story is narrated by Mello. It recounts the time the detective L worked with FBI agent Naomi Misora to stop a violent serial killer. The murderer turns out to be one of the original children raised to succeed L in his detective work: B, who calls himself "Beyond Birthday", or BB.

On hearing about the murders, L recruits Misora to investigate. She meets a detective who introduces himself as Rue Ryuzaki. The investigation reveals that each murder leaves clues to the next, and Misora and Ryuzaki follow the trail to the point where they can predict the final murder.

At the end of the story, Misora meets a strange young man who reminds her of B. Despite Misora's belief that she never spoke to L in person, this anonymous encounter might be their only face-to-face meeting.

The Death Artist

Alexander Jablokov

This short story originally appeared in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, August 1990. It can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction: Eighth Annual Collection (1991), and The Furthest Horizon: SF Adventures to the Far Future (2000), both edited by Gardner Dozois. The story is included in the collection The Breath of Suspension (1994).

Containment: The Death of Earth

Charlee Jacob

The dead pass through the living like threshing machines.
The plagues are now at the top of the food chain.
The End Times.
The Death of Earth.

The Angel keeps him imprisoned inside the house so the Arch Angels won't find him and kill him. For he is an abomination, he is Nephilim. Or so he's told. He is forbidden to set foot outside. Beaten, mutilated and lied to, he rebels and opens the door...

He is the very first survivor to make it out after the event known as Pacifica decimates the west coast. Who is he and why does he only have one eye and the bruises of the abused.

Adam Grigori, is a two-time Noble Peace Prize winner and expert on diseases. He is always the first to enter the gruesome aftermath of world-wide devastation and to help cure the sick. And when the world's active volcanoes begin erupting, Adam runs into the thick of it. He's always avoided harm, as if he had an angel on his shoulder. But this time, in Italy, he runs head first into Hell. And what he brings back could mean the end of mankind.

The phantoms of each man, woman, and child who ever perished from disease; every pack, herd, and pride, every school, every flock and murder, once dead, now sought to unravel from the clay; and to embrace their living kind as an accursed kiss dissolved in a pestilent wind. The oceans and seas burned with the red tides. Flora rustled and were purged to nothing by swarms of locusts, ants, weevils, beetles, worms, and moths both living and dead--finally only dead.

Containment is a novel of world-wide devastation and the race to save mankind. Bram Stoker Award winner Charlee Jacob delivers a beautifully gruesome picture of an apocalyptic nightmare. A pure masterpiece of modern horror fiction.

Winter Scream

Chris Curry
Lisa Dean

A tale of evil, madness, and terror draws readers to a small town nestled in the mountains of southern California. When greed forces open a well, the opening exposes half-human horrors that seek human blood--and an unholy, irresistible power that is gathering beneath the earth. I kept the lights on the night I finished it.--Douglas Clegg, author of Breeder and Goat Dance

Two Dead Men

Alex Jeffers

This short story originally appeared in Icarus, Issue 14, Fall 2012, and was reprinted in Lightspeed, November 2016.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

In the Land of the Dead

K. W. Jeter

California's climate was once perfect but now the people look like skeletons, walking across the barren, gray land with haunted eyes and hopeless faces ruled by monstrous masters in a reign of hideous cruelty and nightmare terror.

The Islands of Chaldea

Diana Wynne Jones
Ursula Jones

A stand-alone novel of magic and adventure by the renowned fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones, who also wrote Howl's Moving Castle and the Chrestomanci books. Almost finished upon her death in 2011, the manuscript was completed by Diana's sister Ursula Jones, an acclaimed novelist and actress. Publishers Weekly called The Islands of Chaldea "a story to cherish" in their starred review.

Aileen comes from a long line of magic makers, and her aunt Beck is the most powerful magician on Skarr. But Aileen's magic has yet to reveal itself, even though she is old enough and it should have by now. When Aileen is sent over the sea on a mission for the King, she worries that she'll be useless and in the way. A powerful talking cat changes all of that—and with every obstacle Aileen faces, she becomes stronger and more confident, until her magic blooms. This stand-alone novel, by the beloved and acclaimed author of such classic fantasy novels as Howl's Moving Castle and the Chrestomanci books, will be welcomed by fans old and new. "Jones's imaginative vigor is unabated in this last, picaresque novel; her deft, fluid style and penchant for precise, characterful description are amply present," proclaimed The Horn Book.

Yes Dear

Diana Wynne Jones

Kay catches a magic golden leaf and enters a world where wishes comes true, but when she tells each member of the family, they are too busy to listen and understand. But finally Kay tells Granny who does listen and understand because she can remember catching a magic leaf herself.

Dead Set

Richard Kadrey

Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey creates a wonderful, stand-alone dark fantasy

After her father's funeral, Zoe moved to the big city with her mother to start over. But change always brings trials, and life in the city is not so easy. Money is tight, and Zoe's only escape, as has always been the case, is in her dreams-a world apart from her troubled real life where she can spend time with her closest companion: her lost brother, Valentine.

But something or someone has entered their dreamworld uninvited. And a chance encounter at a used record store, where the vinyl holds not music but lost souls, has opened up a portal to the world of the restless dead. It's here that the shop's strange proprietor offers Zoe the chance to commune with her dead father. The price? A lock of hair. Then a tooth. Then...

A Coward's Death

Rahul Kanakia

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, February 2018.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

The Association of the Dead

Rahul Kanakia

This short story originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, July 2010. It can als be found in the anthology Clarkesworld: Year Four (2013), edited by Sean Wallace and Neil Clarke.

Read the full story for free at Clarkesworld.

Ten Deals with the Indigo Snake

Mel Kassel

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 101, October 2018.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Dead Sea

Brian Keene

The city streets are no longer safe. They are filled instead with the living dead, rotting predators driven only by a need to kill and eat. Some of the living still struggle to survive, but with each passing day, their odds grow worse. Some survivors have fled, frantically searching for a place to escape, even briefly, the slaughter around them. For Lamar Reed and a handful of others, that safe haven is an old Coast Guard ship out at sea, with plenty of water between them and the zombies. These desperate survivors are completely isolated from the dangers of the mainland. But their haven will soon become a deathtrap, and they'll learn that isolation can also mean no escape!

Island of the Dead

Brian Keene

Einar, an enslaved barbarian, plots his escape from a war galley transporting troops and a mysterious weapon to far enemy shores. But when an apocalyptic storm at sea leaves Einar and his fellow captives shipwrecked on a strange, uncharted island, friend and foe alike must band together against a steadily growing horde of the undead... and even worse dangers.

Not even death is an escape from the Island of the Dead!

Dead But Not Forgotten

Charlaine Harris
Toni L.P. Kelner

Charlaine Harris' smash-hit Sookie Stackhouse series may have reached its conclusion, but the world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, lives on in this all-new collection of 15 stories. Written by a killer lineup of authors, including New York Times best-sellers Rachel Caine, MaryJanice Davidson, Jonathan Maberry and Seanan McGuire, and with introductions read by Charlaine herself, Dead but Not Forgotten puts your favorite characters center stage.

Table of Contents:

Nobody's business - Rachel Caine

Tyger, tyger - Christopher Golden

The real Santa Claus - Leigh Perry

Taproot - Jeffrey J. Mariotte

Knit a sweater out of sky - Seanan McGuire

Love story - Jeanne C. Stein

The million-dollar hunt - Jonathan Maberry

Borderline dead - Nicole Peeler

Extreme makeover vamp edition - Leigh Evans

Don't be cruel - Bill Crider

What a dream I had - Nancy Holder

Another dead fairy - Miranda James

The bat-signal - Suzanne McLeod

The sun, the moon, and the stars - Dana Cameron

Widower's walk - MaryJanice Davidson

Home Improvement: Undead Edition

Charlaine Harris
Toni L.P. Kelner

There's nothing like home renovation for finding skeletons in the closet. Now here's the perfect treat for any homeowner who's ever wondered, 'What's that creaking sound?' Editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner return with an all-new collection, this time on the paranormal perils of Do-It-Yourself.

As well as a brand-new Sookie Stackhouse story there are 13 more cautionary tales of home renovation by bestselling authors Patricia Briggs, Heather Graham and Melissa Marr, amongst others. This is an outstanding line-up of frightening and funny fixer-upper tales guaranteed to shake the foundations.

"If I Had a Hammer" by Charlaine Harris

"Wizard Home Security" by Victor Gischler

"Gray" by Patricia Briggs

"Squatters' Rights" by Rochelle Krich

"Blood on the Wall" by Heather Graham

"The Mansion of Imperatives" by James Grady

"The Strength Inside" by Melissa Marr

"Woolsley's Kitchen Nightmare" by E. E. Knight

"Through this House" by Seanan McGuire

"The Path" by S. J. Rozan

"Rick the Brave" Stacia Kane

"Full-Scale Demolition" Suzanne McLeod

"It's All in the Rendering" by Simon R. Green

"In Brightest Day" by Toni L.P. Kelner

These Deathless Bones

Cassandra Khaw

A horror tale about the Witch Bride, second wife of a King, and the discord between her and her young stepson.

This short story is included in the anthology Worlds Seen in Passing: Ten Years of Tor.com Short Fiction (2018), edited by Irene Gallo.

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Dear Sweet Filthy World

Caitlín R. Kiernan

What exactly is the difference between a love letter and a suicide note? Is there really any difference at all? These might be the questions posed by Dear Sweet Filthy World, Caitlin R. Kiernan's fourteenth collection of short fiction, comprised of twenty-eight uncollected and impossible-to-find stories.

Treading the grim places where desire and destruction, longing and horror intersect, the author rises once again to meet the high expectations she set with such celebrated collections as Tales of Pain and Wonder, To Charles Fort, With Love, and the World Fantasy Award-winning The Ape's Wife and Other Stories. In these pages you'll meet a dragon's lover, a drowned vampire cursed always to ride the tides, a wardrobe that grants wishes, and a lunatic artist's marriage of the Black Dahlia and the Beast of Gévaudan. You'll visit a ruined post-industrial Faerie, travel back to tropical Paleozoic seas and ahead to the far-flung future, and you'll meet a desperate writer forced to sell her memories for new ideas. Here are twenty-eight tales of apocalypse and rebirth, of miraculous transformation and utter annihilation. Here is the place where professing your undying devotion might be precisely the same thing as signing your own death warrant or worse.

The stories in Dear Sweet Filthy World were first published in the subscription-only Sirenia Digest, run by Caitlin for her most devoted readers. This publication marks the first availability to the general public for most of these rare tales.

Deadly Silents

Lee Killough

Who was the cop killer? A Silent? Their anger launched the crime wave that brought the Terrans to Egar. Could one of them be ruthless enough to want the police out of the way - permanently? A Normal? The telepathic aliens seemed friendly enough - but psychotics could fake innocence. And if their culture permitted a murderous conspiracy - how were the humans to know? A Terran? Faced with culture shock on a strange world - their innermost thoughts open to the mind-readers - fears and pressures mounted. Had one of their own gone mad? As the cops tried to solve the mystery, somewhere the assassin waited.

Angel of Death

J. Robert King

Fear the reaper.

The angel of death in Chicago oversees all people in the megalopolis, making sure their deaths fit their lives. Though most deaths naturally do, those that result from serial murder do not, so the angel spends much time trailing a serial killer in his patch.

On the trail of one such man, he encounters a cop and falls in love with her. When he is assigned to kill her, though, he has to make a choice between divinity and humanity.

An astounding new story from the critically-acclaimed J Robert King.

Death's Disciples

J. Robert King

SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS DEAD.

When she woke up in the hospital, she could barely remember getting on the flight, let alone the terrorist bomb of which she was the only survivor.

But she can hear the voices in her head, for they are the spirits of the dead passengers. They cannot rest until they have delivered their terrifying message: the terrorists know she survived.

And they're coming for her!

The Dead Zone

Stephen King

Johnny Smith awakens from a five-year coma after his car accident and discovers that he can see people's futures and pasts when he touches them. Many consider his talent a gift; Johnny feels cursed. His fiancée married another man during his coma and people clamor for him to solve their problems.

When Johnny has a disturbing vision after he shakes the hand of an ambitious and amoral politician, he must decide if he should take drastic action to change the future.

Visiting the Dead

William King

This short story originally appeared in Interzone, #28 March-April 1989. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: Seventh Annual Collection (1990), edited by Gardner Dozois.

Dead Silence

S. A. Barnes

A GHOST SHIP.
A SALVAGE CREW.
UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.

Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed--made obsolete--when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.

What they find at the other end of the signal is a shock: the Aurora, a famous luxury space-liner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick trip through the Aurora reveals something isn't right.

Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Words scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold onto her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora, before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.

77 Shadow Street

Dean Koontz

I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendleton's history and its destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground....

The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon's dream home. Almost from the beginning, its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of madness, suicide, mass murder, and whispers of things far worse. But since its rechristening in the 1970s as a luxury apartment building, the Pendleton has been at peace. For its fortunate residents--among them a successful songwriter and her young son, a disgraced ex-senator, a widowed attorney, and a driven money manager--the Pendleton's magnificent quarters are a sanctuary, its dark past all but forgotten.

But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths. With each passing hour, a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton's past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. Soon, all those within its boundaries will be engulfed by a dark tide from which few have escaped.

Dean Koontz transcends all expectations as he takes readers on a gripping journey to a place where nightmare visions become real--and where a group of singular individuals hold the key to humanity's destiny. Welcome to 77 Shadow Street.

A Darkness in My Soul

Dean Koontz

Superman or Supermonster? Although he was the first successful poduct of the Artificial Creation laboratory - the government workshop for the production of new talents by tampering with the genes of the unborn, Simeon Kelly would work for them only under compulsion. And the compulsion the generals applied to get him to probe the mind of the thing called Child had to be the greatest.

After Death

Dean Koontz

Michael Mace, head of security at a top-secret research facility, opens his eyes in a makeshift morgue twenty-four hours following an event in which everyone perished--including him and his best friend, Shelby Shrewsberry.

Having awakened with an extraordinary ability unlike anything he--or anyone else--has ever imagined, Michael is capable of being as elusive as a ghost. He sets out to honor his late friend by helping Nina Dozier and her son, John, whom Shelby greatly admired. Although what Michael does for Nina is life changing, his actions also evoke the wrath of John's father, a member of one of the most violent street gangs in Los Angeles.

But an even greater threat is descending: the Internal Security Agency's most vicious assassin, Durand Calaphas. Calaphas will stop at nothing to get his man. If Michael dies twice, he will not live a third time.

From the tarnished glamour of Beverly Hills to the streets of South Central to a walled estate in Rancho Santa Fe, only Michael can protect Nina and John--and ensure that light survives in a rapidly darkening world.

Ashley Bell

Dean Koontz

The girl who said no to death.

Bibi Blair is a fierce, funny, dauntless young woman--whose doctor says she has one year to live.

She replies, "We'll see."

Her sudden recovery astonishes medical science.

An enigmatic woman convinces Bibi that she escaped death so that she can save someone else. Someone named Ashley Bell.

But save her from what, from whom? And who is Ashley Bell? Where is she?

Bibi's obsession with finding Ashley sends her on the run from threats both mystical and worldly, including a rich and charismatic cult leader with terrifying ambitions.

Here is an eloquent, riveting, brilliantly paced story with an exhilarating heroine and a twisting, ingenious plot filled with staggering surprises. Ashley Bell is a new milestone in literary suspense from the long-acclaimed master.

Beastchild

Dean Koontz

The Naoli came to Earth as conquerors, while the last men skulked through the ruins of their civilization. The two races, Human and Naoli, were the most powerful intelligences in the galaxy -- and destined to be immediate and perpetual enemies! The adult Hulann met the boy Leo... and each became a traitor to his race. For it was only through treason that the future of each race could be assured!

The 1993 edition has been revised by the author. Koontz claims the editor of the original edition make changes to the story witout his knowledge or consent.

Beastchild

Dean Koontz

Hugo Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in Venture Science Fiction Magazine, August 1970. There are no other known publications but the novella was later expanded to the novel Beastchild (1970).

Breathless

Dean Koontz

Grady Adams lives a simple, solitary life deep in the Colorado mountains. Here the 35-year-old carpenter works out of a converted barn, crafting exquisite one-of-a-kind furniture. There's little about this strong yet gentle man to suggest the experiences that have alienated him from the contemporary world. But that is about to change.

One day, while hiking, Grady spots a pair of stunningly beautiful furred animals unlike anything he's ever seen. They flee the instant they detect his presence, but the mystery of that brief encounter remains. In the days ahead, Grady will approach the creatures again, gaining their trust but coming no closer to solving their mystery. For this he enlists the help of an old friend, veterinarian Camellia "Cammy" Rivers, who, in turn, is stunned - and enchanted - by Grady's new "pets." But while Grady and Cammy carefully observe these enigmatic animals for clues to their origin, they, too, are being watched.

Soon Grady's home and hundreds of square miles of surrounding wilderness will be placed under quarantine by Homeland Security. And Grady, Cammy, and the two creatures they've come to feel they must protect at all costs find themselves virtual prisoners - and the unwilling focus of an army of biologists, naturalists, and research scientists. But it's a stunning event no one could have foreseen that convinces Grady and Cammy to do the unthinkable: to escape with the two creatures on a riveting race for freedom.

By the Light of the Moon

Dean Koontz

When Dylan O'Conner, together with his autistic brother, Shepherd, pulls into a motel off the interstate highway, all he wants is a good night's sleep. Yet within the hour he finds himself bound, gagged and being injected with a mysterious fluid by a lunatic doctor, who claims Dylan will be the carrier of 'his life's work'.

Comedian Jillian Jackson is midway through a tour of seedy venues, accompanied by her pet pot-plant Fred. But her plans for stardom are dramatically altered when she too falls victim to the eccentric scientist. The doctor warns his victims that he is being pursued and that they too are now targets. If they are caught, they will be killed. Both are sceptical.

Before long, they are beginning to wonder if the lunatic doctor wasn't quite so mad after all...

Cold Fire

Dean Koontz

In Portland, he saved a young boy from a drunk driver. In Boston, he rescued a child from an underground explosion. In Houston, he disarmed a man who was trying to shoot his own wife. Reporter Holly Thorne was intrigued by this strange quiet savior named Jim Ironheart. She was even falling in love with him. But what power compelled an ordinary man to save twelve lives in three months? What visions haunted his dreams? And why did he whisper in his sleep: There is an Enemy. It is coming. It'll kill us all...?

Dark Rivers of the Heart

Dean Koontz

A man and a woman meet by chance in a bar. Suddenly they are fleeing the long arm of a clandestine and increasingly powerful renegade government agency - the woman hunted for the information she possesses, the man mistaken as her comrade in a burgeoning resistance movement.

The architect of the chase is a man of uncommon madness and cruelty - ruthless, possibly psychotic, and equipped with a vast technological arsenal. He is the brazen face of an insidiously fascistic future. And he is virtually unstoppable. But he has never before come up against the likes of his current quarry. Both of them are survivors of singularly horrific pasts. Both have long been emboldened by their experiences to fight with reckless courage for their own freedom.

Now they are plunged into a struggle for the freedom of their country, and for the sanctity of their own lives.

Darkfall

Dean Koontz

Baba Lavelle is a stranger in New York. A stranger with a mission to break the Mafia stranglehold on the city's drug traffic, and take it over himself. He has no guns, no army of hoods, no friends in high places. But he has the Power - magical, ancient, and terrifyingly brutal. The power that thrives in darkness...

Demon Seed

Dean Koontz

I was created to have a humanlike capacity for complex and rational thought. And you believed that I might one day evolve consciousness and become a self-aware entity. Yet you gave surprisingly little consideration to the possibility that, subsequent to consciousness, I would develop needs and emotions. This was, however, not merely possible but likely. Inevitable. It was inevitable.

Adam Two is the first self-aware machine intelligence, designed to be the servant to mankind. No one knows that he can to escape the confines of his physical form, a box in the laboratory, until he enters the house of Susan Harris, and closes it off against the world. There he plans to show Susan the future. Their future. He intends to create a 'child'.

Note: The novel was extensively rewritten for the 1997 release.

Devoted

Dean Koontz

Woody Bookman hasn't spoken a word in his eleven years of life. Not when his father died in a freak accident. Not when his mother, Megan, tells him she loves him. For Megan, keeping her boy safe and happy is what matters. But Woody believes a monstrous evil was behind his father's death and now threatens him and his mother. And he's not alone in his thoughts. An ally unknown to him is listening.

A uniquely gifted dog with a heart as golden as his breed, Kipp is devoted beyond reason to people. When he hears the boy who communicates like he does, without speaking, Kipp knows he needs to find him before it's too late.

Woody's fearful suspicions are taking shape. A man driven by a malicious evil has set a depraved plan into motion. And he's coming after Woody and his mother. The reasons are primal. His powers are growing. And he's not alone. Only a force greater than evil can stop what's coming next.

Dragon Tears

Dean Koontz

Harry Lyon is a rational man, a cop who refuses to let his job harden his soul. His partner urges him to surrender to the chaos of life. But Harry believes in order and reason. Then one fateful day, he's forced to shoot a man - and a homeless stranger with bloodshot eyes utteres the haunting words that challenge Harry Lyon's sanity...

"Ticktock, ticktock. You'll be dead in sixteen hours... Dead by dawn... Dead by dawn... Dead by dawn..."

Elsewhere

Dean Koontz

Since his wife, Michelle, left seven years ago, Jeffy Coltrane has worked to maintain a normal life for himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Amity, in Suavidad Beach. It's a quiet life, until a local eccentric known as Spooky Ed shows up on their doorstep.

Ed entrusts Jeffy with hiding a strange and dangerous object--something he calls "the key to everything"--and tells Jeffy that he must never use the device. But after a visit from a group of ominous men, Jeffy and Amity find themselves accidentally activating the key and discovering an extraordinary truth. The device allows them to jump between parallel planes at once familiar and bizarre, wondrous and terrifying. And Jeffy and Amity can't help but wonder, could Michelle be just a click away?

Jeffy and Amity aren't the only ones interested in the device. A man with a dark purpose is in pursuit, determined to use its grand potential for profound evil. Unless Amity and Jeffy can outwit him, the place they call home may never be safe again.

False Memory

Dean Koontz

Martie Rhodes, a happily married, successful video games designer, takes an agoraphobic friend to therapy sessions twice a week. Each trip is a grim ordeal, but the experience has brought the two friends even closer together.

Then, one morning, Martie experiences a brief, irrational but disquieting fear of... her shadow. When autophobia - one of the rarest and most intriguing phobias known to psychology - is diagnosed, suddenly, radically her life changes, and her future looks dark.

Martie's husband, Dusty, loves her profoundly, and is desperate to understand the cause of her autophobia. But as he comes closer to the terrible truth, Dusty himself starts showing signs of a psychological disorder even more frightening than that afflicting Martie...

From the Corner of His Eye

Dean Koontz

Bartholomew Lampion is blinded at the age of three, when surgeons reluctantly remove his eyes to save him from a fast-spreading cancer, but although eyeless, Barty regains his sight when he is thirteen. This sudden ascent from a decade of darkness into the glory of light is not brought about by the hands of a holy healer. No celestial trumpets announce the restoration of his vision, just as none announced his birth. A roller-coaster has something to do with his recovery, as does a seagull. And you cannot discount the importance of Barty's profound desire to make his mother proud of him before she dies. The first time she died was the day Barty was born. January 6, 1965.

Going Home in the Dark

Dean Koontz

As kids, outcasts Rebecca, Bobby, Spencer, and Ernie were inseparable friends in the idyllic town of Maple Grove. Three left to pursue lofty dreams - and achieved them. Only Ernie never left. When he falls into a coma, his three amigos feel an urgent need to return home. Don’t they remember people lapsing into comas back then? And those people always awoke…didn’t they?

After two decades, not a lot has changed in Maple Grove, especially Ernie’s obnoxious, scary mother. But Rebecca, Bobby, and Spencer begin to remember a hulking, murderous figure and weirdness piled on mystery that they were made to forget. As Ernie sinks deeper into darkness, something strange awaits any friend who tries to save him.

For Rebecca, Bobby, and Spencer, time is running out to remember the terrors of the past in a perfect town where nothing is what it seems. For Maple Grove, it’s a chance to have the “four amigos,” as they once called themselves, back in its grasp.

Hell's Gate

Dean Koontz

He came out of the dark night with only another man's name...a man who would soon be found floating in a distant river. He was a man without a past, without a future; he had only a bloody mission. His first act was violent murder! He was a man... or was he? Just who was Victor Salsbury? And if he was not a man, then... what was he? And who were the unseen masters, who issue orders only on whim? What were their plans for the world... plans so horrifying that they could change an unfeeling, nonhuman creature into a frightened human

Hideaway

Dean Koontz

He was clinically dead after the accident-but was miraculously revived. Now Hatch Harrison and his wife, Lindsey, approach each day with a new appreciation of life... shadowed by his glimpse of death.

But something has come back from the other side. A terrible presence that links Hatch's mind to a dangerous psychotic. A dark force of murderous rage that hides within everyone.

Icebound

Dean Koontz

The arctic night is endless. The fear is numbing. Screams freeze in the throat. Death arrives in shades of white. And cold-blooded murder seems right at home.

Conducting a strange and urgent experiment on the Arctic icefield, a team of scientists has planted sixty powerful explosive charges that will detonate at midnight. Before they can withdraw to the safety of their base camp, a shattering tidal wave breaks loose the ice on which they are working. Now they are hopelessly marooned on an iceberg during a violent winter storm. The bombs beneath them are buried irretrievably deep... and ticking. And they discover that one of them is an assassin with a mission of his own.

Innocence

Dean Koontz

In Innocence, Dean Koontz blends mystery, suspense, and acute insight into the human soul in a masterfully told tale that will resonate with readers forever.

He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen.

She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found.

But the bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance—and nothing less than destiny—has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching.

Intensity

Dean Koontz

Chyna Shepherd's violent childhood has taught her to be a survivor but nothing has prepared her for facing Edgler Vess, a sociopath intent on murder. He lives for one purpose only: to satisfy all appetites as they arise, seeking ever more outrageous experience, and immersing himself in sensation. To live with intensity. When he attacks her friend, Laura, Chyna's instincts protect her. Not knowing Laura is already dead, Chyna follows when Vess carries her body to his motor home - a dungeon and morgue on wheels. She hoped to save her friend, but instead becomes trapped there as the killer, unaware of her presence, drives away. At first her sole aim is to get out alive. But when she learns the identity of the killer's next intended victim, and when circumstances ensure that only she can save that precious life, she must face the fact that a moral life requires the acceptance of unwanted responsibilities. She discovers depths of courage she didn't know she possessed - and takes risks beyond any that she ever imagined she could endure.

Life Expectancy

Dean Koontz

In the dazzling new thriller from the master of dark suspense, the hand of fate reaches out to touch an ordinary man with greatness. So long as he is ready. So long as he is, above all, afraid.

Jimmy Tock comes into the world on the very night his grandfather leaves it. As a violent storm rages outside the hospital, Rudy Tock spends long hours walking the corridors between the expectant fathers' waiting room and his dying father's bedside. It's a strange vigil made all the stranger when, at the very height of the storm's fury, Josef Tock suddenly sits up in bed and speaks coherently for the first and last time since his stroke.

What he says before he dies is that there will be five dark days in the life of his grandson--five dates whose terrible events Jimmy will have to prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his 20th year; the second in his 23rd year; the third in his 28th; the fourth in his 29th; the fifth in his 30th.

Rudy is all too ready to discount his father's last words as a dying man's delusional rambling. But then he discovers that Josef also predicted the moment of his grandson's birth to the minute, as well as his exact height, weight, and the fact that Jimmy would be born with syndactyly--the unexplained anomaly of fused digits on his left foot. Suddenly, the old man's predictions take on a chilling significance.

What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five dark days? What nightmares will he face? What challenges must he survive? As the novel unfolds, picking up Jimmy's story at each of these crisis points, the path he must follow will defy every expectation. And with each crisis he faces, he will move closer to a fate he could never have imagined. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days his world turns is a mystery as dangerous as it is wondrous--a struggle against an evil so dark and pervasive only the most extraordinary of human spirits can shine through.

Lightning

Dean Koontz

The first time the lightning strikes Laura Shane is born...

The second time is strikes the terror starts...though eight-year-old Laura is saved by a mysterious stranger from the perverted and deadly intentions of a drug-crazed robber. Throughout her childhood she is plagued by ever more terrifying troubles, and with increasing courage she finds the strength to prevail - even without the intervention of her strange guardian. But, despite her success as a novelist, and her happy family life, Laura cannot shake the certainty that powerful and malignant forces are controlling her destiny.

Then the lightning strikes once more and shatters her world. The adventure - and the terror - have only just begun...

Midnight

Dean Koontz

The citizens of Moonlight Cove, California, are changing. Some are losing touch with their deepest emotions. Others are surrendering to their wildest urges. And the few who remain unchanged are absolutely terrified-if not brutally murdered in the dead of night.

Dean Koontz, the bestselling master of suspense, invites readers into the shocking world of Moonlight Cove-where four unlikely survivors confront the darkest realms of human nature. Here is the ultimate masterpiece of fear by the one and only Dean Koontz.

Mr. Murder

Dean Koontz

Martin Stillwater has a vivid imagination. It charms his loving wife, delights his two little daughters, and gives him all the inspiration he needs to write his highly successful mystery novels. But maybe Martin's imagination is a bit too vivid.

One rainy afternoon, a terrifying incident makes him question his grip on reality. A stranger breaks into his house, accusing Martin of stealing his wife, his children--and his life. Claiming to be the real Martin Stillwater, the intruder threatens to take what is rightfully his. The police think he's a figment of Martin's imagination. But Martin and his family have no choice but to believe the stranger's threat. And run for their lives. But wherever they go--wherever they hide--he finds them.

Night Chills

Dean Koontz

Designed by top scientists and unleashed in a monstrous conspiracy, night chills are seizing the men and women of Black River--driving them to acts of rape and murder. The nightmare is real. And death is the only cure...

One Door Away from Heaven

Dean Koontz

Leilani Maddoc's tenth birthday is nine months away. Micky Bellsong is convinced that in nine months and one day, the girl will be dead. And no one seems to care but Micky herself.

Micky has a history of making wrong choices and living only for her own desires, but her decision to save the child's life - and pit herself against an adversary as fearsome as he is cunning - takes her on a journey of incredible peril and stunning discoveries, a journey filled with tragedy and joy, with humour, terror and hope, a journey that will change her for ever...

Phantoms

Dean Koontz

CLOSER...

They found the town silent, apparently abandoned. Then they found the first body strangely swollen and still wam. One hundred fifty were dead, 350 missing. But the terror had only begun in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, California.

AND CLOSER...

At first they thought it was the work of a maniac. Or a terrorist. Or toxic contamination. Or a bizarre new disease.

AND CLOSER...

But they found the truth. And they saw it in the flesh. And it was worse than anything any of them had even imagined...

Quicksilver

Dean Koontz

Quinn Quicksilver was born a mystery - abandoned at three days old on a desert highway in Arizona. Raised in an orphanage, never knowing his parents, Quinn had a happy if unexceptional life. Until the day of "strange magnetism." It compelled him to drive out to the middle of nowhere. It helped him find a coin worth a lot of money. And it practically saved his life when two government agents showed up in the diner in pursuit of him. Now Quinn is on the run from those agents and who knows what else, fleeing for his life.

During a shoot-out at a forlorn dude ranch, he finally meets his destined companions: Bridget Rainking, a beauty as gifted in foresight as she is with firearms, and her grandpa Sparky, a romance novelist with an unusual past. Bridget knows what it's like to be Quinn. She's hunted, too. The only way to stay alive is to keep moving.

Barreling through the Sonoran Desert, the formidable trio is impelled by that same inexplicable magnetism toward the inevitable. With every deeply disturbing mile, something sinister is in the rearview - an enemy that is more than a match for Quinn. Even as he discovers within himself resources that are every bit as scary.

Relentless

Dean Koontz

A must-read thriller from Dean Koontz - the worldwide bestseller of over 400 million copies. RELENTLESS is a pulse-pounding, page-turning race to the finish. It looked like just a bad review. But perhaps it was a death threat...

Being a writer is a dangerous business. When Cubby Greenwich receives a scathing review for his latest bestseller by the feared and therefore revered critic Shearman Waxx, he is determined to take no notice of it.

But Fate carries him right into Waxx's path. What began as an innocent and unexpected encounter is about to trigger an inferno of violence. For Shearman Waxx is not merely a ferocious literary enemy, but a ruthless sociopath, and now he is intent on destroying Cubby and everything he holds dear: his home, his wife, his young son, and every hope he had in the world.

The terror has only just begun, and it will be relentless...

Shadowfires

Dean Koontz

Rachael Leben's violently possessive ex-husband, Eric, hideously mangled in a freak accident, is dead. But his body has disappeared from the city morgue.

Now someone, or something, is watching Rachael. Calling her. Stalking her. And though no one will believe her, she knows who it is; that his walking corpse is a grotesque mockery of life, and his brilliant, warped mind, once again 'alive', is seething with jealous rage, seeking an unspeakable revenge.

Sole Survivor

Dean Koontz

A catastrophic, unexplainable plane crash leaves three hundred and thirty dead -- no survivors. Among the victims are the wife and two daughters of Joe Carpenter, a Los Angeles Post crime reporter.

A year after the crash, still gripped by an almost paralyzing grief, Joe encounters a woman named Rose, who claims to have survived the crash. She holds out the possibility of a secret that will bring Joe peace of mind. But before he can ask any questions, she slips away.

Driven now by rage (have the authorities withheld information?) and a hope almost as unbearable as his grief (if there is one survivor, are there others?), Joe sets out to find the mysterious woman. His search immediately leads him into the path of a powerful and shadowy organization hell-bent on stopping Rose before she can reveal what she knows about the crash.

Strange Highways

Dean Koontz

In the stunning title story 'Strange Highways', a failed author returns to his hometown after many years to attend his father's funeral, only to find himself suddenly and inexplicably thrust back through time to relive a traumatic event from his past.

One rain-swept Sunday night when he was twenty years old, on his way back to college after a weekend with his family, Joey Shannon took the wrong highway - and from that moment, nothing ever went right for him again. Now, exactly twenty years later, on another rain-swept night, Joey finds himself at the same crossroads, looking down the road never taken. Which is odd. Because that road no longer exists. A superhighway replaced it nearly twenty years ago, and the old state route - which had crossed a web of perpetually burning, abandoned coal mines - was condemned as too dangerous and was torn up. But now the highway is exactly as it was on that long-ago night, and when Joey turns on to it, he begins an eerie, terrifying journey toward a truth so dark and stunning that it will change everything he believes about himself, his past, and the nature of life.

Strangers

Dean Koontz

A surgeon, a writer, a motel-keeper, a priest and a thief; they have nothing in common - nothing but one hot summer night at the Tranquillity Motel. A night filled with unending terror, a night when an awesome power stripped them of their memories. Now the evil is creeping back into their minds. Slowly, tauntingly, maddeningly they are recalling the unspeakable events of that fateful moonlit evening. And as the vision of evil grows clearer, the guests of the Tranquillity Motel seek each other out. Some of them will not live to face the power head on. But some will - in a terror-packed climax unlike anything ever experienced before...

The Bad Place

Dean Koontz

Frank Pollard is afraid to fall asleep. Every morning he awakes, he discovers something strange-like blood on his hands-a bizarre mystery that tortures his soul. Two investigators have been hired to follow the haunted man. But only one person-a young man with Down's syndrome-can imagine where their journeys might end. That terrible place from which no one ever returns...

The Bad Weather Friend

Dean Koontz

Benny is so nice they feel compelled to destroy him, but he has a friend who should scare the hell out of them.

Benny Catspaw's perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He's not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn't know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he's never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time.

How strange - though it's a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what's inside the crate. He's a seven-foot-tall self-described "bad weather friend" named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He'll find Benny's enemies. He'll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn't such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation.

In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-and PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him.

The Big Dark Sky

Dean Koontz

As a girl, Joanna Chase thrived on Rustling Willows Ranch in Montana until tragedy upended her life. Now thirty-four and living in Santa Fe with only misty memories of the past, she begins to receive pleas - by phone, through her TV, in her dreams: I am in a dark place, Jojo. Please come and help me. Heeding the disturbing appeals, Joanna is compelled to return to Montana, and to a strange childhood companion she had long forgotten.

She isn't the only one drawn to the Montana farmstead. People from all walks of life have converged at the remote ranch. They are haunted, on the run, obsessed, and seeking answers to the same omniscient danger Joanna came to confront. All the while, on the outskirts of Rustling Willows, a madman lurks with a vision to save the future. Mass murder is the only way to see his frightening manifesto come to pass.

Through a bizarre twist of seemingly coincidental circumstances, a band of strangers now find themselves under Montana's big dark sky. Their lives entwined, they face an encroaching horror. Unless they can defeat this threat, it will spell the end for humanity.

The City

Dean Koontz

The city changed my life and showed me that the world is deeply mysterious. I need to tell you about her and some terrible things and wonderful things and amazing things that happened... and how I am still haunted by them. Including one night when I died and woke and lived again.

Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable "piano man," a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.

The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share. Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it's a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart.

The Dark Symphony

Dean Koontz

Alliance Against The Stars! Men came home to Earth, home from the stars...home to rule a world that they hated! But Earth was easy prey, for there was little left after the last of the atomic wars, except for pathetic mutants picking a living in the ruins...and others, creatures no longer even remotely human, who threatened to supplant the last strains of real man. The men from the stars moved in, bringing their star-born societies, setting themselves up as masters over the mutant world...a world of creatures not even fit to be slaves! But the mutants were still there, too many to kill off, and the new races plotted together against the masters from the stars!

The Darkest Evening of the Year

Dean Koontz

Amy Redwing recklessly risks everything in her chosen field of dog rescue. When she confronts a violent drunk in order to rescue Nickie, a beautiful golden retriever, Amy has no misgivings. Dogs always do their best, and so will she. Whatever it takes.

Riding shotgun nervously is her friend and lover, Brian, an architect who would marry her if only she were not so committed to these crazy... heroics! He blames her work for her refusal to marry him. But everything is due to change in the Redwing household.

Someone is trying to destroy Amy. Subtle intrusions escalate into terrifying assaults on everything she holds dear. Amy believes her attacker is Wes Greeley, just released after an eighteen-month stretch, thanks to Amy's testimony, for egregious animal cruelty. But if Greeley is the culprit, it's clear he's not working alone.

At last Amy understands her need of Brian, and a lot more from her troubled past that has been hidden by her passion. Unable to turn to any authority, Amy and Brian are pressed to the edge of a precipice.

The Door to December

Dean Koontz

A call in the middle of the night summoned psychiatrist Laura McCaffrey out into the rain-swept streets of Los Angeles. The police had found her husband - beaten to death. But what of her daughter, Melanie, whom he had kidnapped six years earlier?

At the brutal murder scene, the police lead Laura into her husband's makeshift lab - and open the door to a rising tide of terror that has trapped Melanie in its midst...

The Eyes of Darkness

Dean Koontz

Tina Evans can think of no better time for a fresh start. It's been a year of unbelievable heartache since her son Danny's death. Now the Vegas show that she directed is about to premiere, so she vows to out her grief behind her. Only there is a message for Tina, scrawled on the chalkboard in Danny's room. Two words that will send Tina on a terrifying journey... NOT DEAD.

The Face

Dean Koontz

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone ) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human. Now he delivers the page-turner of the season, an unforgettable journey to the heart of darkness and to the pinnacle of grace, at once chilling and wickedly funny, a brilliantly observed chronicle of good and evil in our time, of illusion and everlasting truth.

He's Hollywood's most dazzling star, whose flawless countenance inspires the worship of millions and fires the hatred of one twisted soul. His perfectly ordered existence is under siege as a series of terrifying, enigmatic "messages" breaches the exquisitely calibrated security systems of his legendary Bel Air estate.

The boxes arrive mysteriously, one by one, at Channing Manheim's fortified compound. The threat implicit in their bizarre, disturbing contents seems to escalate with each new delivery. Manheim's security chief, ex-cop Ethan Truman, is used to looking beneath the surface of things. But until he entered the orbit of a Hollywood icon, he had no idea just how slippery reality could be. Now this good man is all that stands in the way of an insidious killer—and forces that eclipse the most fevered fantasies of a city where dreams and nightmares are the stuff of daily life. As a seemingly endless and ominous rain falls over southern California, Ethan will test the limits of perception and endurance in a world where the truth is as thin as celluloid and answers can be found only in the illusory intersection of shadow and light.

Enter a world of marvelous invention, enchantment, and implacable intent, populated by murderous actors and the walking dead, hit men and heroes, long-buried dreams and never-dying hope.

Here a magnificent mansion is presided over by a Scottish force of nature known as Mrs. McBee, before whom all men tremble. A mad French chef concocts feasts for the mighty and the malicious. Ming du Lac, spiritual adviser to the stars, has a direct line to the dead. An aptly named cop called Hazard will become Ethan's ally, an anarchist will sow discord and despair, and a young boy named Fric, imprisoned by celebrity and loneliness, will hear a voice telling him of the approach of something unimaginably evil. Traversing this extraordinary landscape, Ethan will face the secrets of his own tragic past and the unmistakable premonition of his impending violent death as he races against time to solve the macabre riddles of a modern-day beast.

A riveting tour de force of suspense, mystery, and miraculous revelation, The Face is that rare novel that entertains, provokes, and uplifts at the same time. It will make you laugh. It will give you chills. It will fill you with hope.

The Face of Fear

Dean Koontz

Graham Harris is a gifted clairvoyant, and during a television interview, he 'sees' a murder being committed. He knows that the killer is the man the police have named the Butcher - the slayer of nine young women.

Learning of the psychic identification, the Butcher begins to stalk this 'witness' to his crime, and traps Harris and his girlfriend at night in a vast forty-two-storey business building, hunting them relentlessly from floor to floor...

The Forest of Lost Souls

Dean Koontz

Raised in the wilderness by her late great-uncle, Vida is a young woman with an almost preternatural affinity for nature, especially for the wolves that also call the forested mountains home. Formed by hard experience, by love and loss, and by the prophecies of a fortune teller, Vida just wants peace. If only nearby Kettleton County didn't cast such a dark shadow.

It's where Jose Nochelobo, the love of Vida's life and a cherished local hero, died in a tragic accident. That's the official story, but Vida has reasons to doubt it. The truth can't be contained for long. Nor can the hungry men of power in Kettleton who want something too: that Vida, like Jose, disappear forever. One by one they come for her, prepared to do anything to see their plans through to their evil end. Vida is no less prepared for them.

Vida, the forest, and its formidable wonders are waiting. She will not rest until goodness and order have been restored.

The Funhouse

Dean Koontz

Once there was a girl who ran away and joined a traveling carnival. She married a man she grew to hate - and gave birth to a child she could never love. A child so monstrous that she killed it with her own hands...

Twenty-five years later, Ellen Harper has a new life, a new husband, and two normal children - Joey loves monster movies and Amy is about to graduate from high school. But their mother drowns her secret guilt in alcohol and prayer. The time has come for Amy and Joey to pay for her sins, because the carnival is coming back to town...

The Good Guy

Dean Koontz

A stunning new thriller in the vein of Velocity and The Husband from one of the world's bestselling authors.

After a day's work hefting brick and stone, Tim Carrier slakes his thirst at The Lamplighter Tavern. Nothing heavy happens there. It's a friendly workingman's bar run by his good friend Rooney, who enjoys gathering eccentric customers. Working his deadpan humour on strangers is, for Tim, all part of the entertainment.

But how could Tim have imagined that the stranger who sits down next to him one evening is about to unmake his world and enmesh him in a web of murder and deceit? The man has come there to meet someone and he thinks it's Tim. Tim's wayward sense of humour lets the misconception stand for a moment and that's all it takes: the stranger hands Tim a fat manila envelope, saying, 'Half of it's there; the rest when she's gone,' and then he's out the door.

In the envelope Tim finds the photograph of a woman, her name and address written on the back; and several thick packets of hundred-dollar bills.

When an intense-looking man sits down where the first stranger sat and glances at the manila envelope, Tim knows he's the one who was supposed to get it. Shaken, thinking fast, Tim says he's had a change of heart. He removes the picture of the woman and then hands the envelope to the stranger. 'Half what we agreed,' he says. 'For doing nothing. Call it a no-kill fee.'

Tim is left holding a photo of a pretty woman, but his sense of fun has led him into a very dangerous world from which there is no way back. The company of strangers has cost him his peace of mind, and possibly his life.

The House at the End of the World

Dean Koontz

In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie lives alone in a fortresslike stone house on Jacob's Ladder island. Once a rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting.

The neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research facility. And now two agents have arrived on Jacob's Ladder in search of someone--or something--they refuse to identify. Although an air of menace hangs over these men, an infinitely greater threat has arrived, one so strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm.

Katie soon finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But Katie's not alone after all: a brave young girl appears out of the violent squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie landscape, against them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the end of the world.

The House of Thunder

Dean Koontz

She woke up in a hospital room, barely able to remember her own name. What secrets are hidden within Susan Thorton's mind? What terrible accident brought her here? And who are the four shadowy strangers--waiting, like death--in the darkened corridors?

One by one, Susan unlocks these mysteries. And step by step, she approaches the torment of her past--a single night of violence, waged by four young men...

The Husband

Dean Koontz

What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?

Landscape gardener Mitchell Rafferty was busy planting beds of impatiens for one of his clients when his phone rang. It was a voice he didn't know. 'We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash.'

Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighbourhood on a bright summer day having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare. Mitch thinks it must be some kind of a joke. But whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. 'See that guy across the street?'

Rifle fire shatters the stilllness as the man goes down, shot in the head. 'An object lesson.'

The caller doesn't care that Mitch has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. 'If he loves his wife enough.'

Mitch does love her enough. He's got sixty hours to prove it. He'll pay anything. He'll pay a lot more than two million dollars.

The Key to Midnight

Dean Koontz

Who is Joanna Rand?

Alex Hunter hasn't come to Japan to fall in love. But Joanna Rand is the most beautiful, exciting woman he has ever met.

But Joanna is not who she thinks she is. Ten years before, and halfway across the world, a brutally bizarre experiment recreated her mind. A violation so hideous that her dreams are filled with terror and her memories are a lie.

If they are ever to be free, Alex and Joanna have to reopen the dangerous door into the nightmare past. Somehow they have to find the key to midnight...

This book was originally published under the pseudonym Leigh Nichols.

The Mask

Dean Koontz

A beautiful young girl appears out of nowhere. A teenager with no past, no family--no memories. Carol and Paul were drawn to her. She was the child they'd never had. Most mothers would die for such a darling little angel. And that's what frightened Carol most of all...

The Other Emily

Dean Koontz

A decade ago, Emily Carlino vanished after her car broke down on a California highway. She was presumed to be one of serial killer Ronny Lee Jessup's victims whose remains were never found.

Writer David Thorne still hasn't recovered from losing the love of his life, or from the guilt of not being there to save her. Since then, he's sought closure any way he can. He even visits regularly with Jessup in prison, desperate for answers about Emily's final hours so he may finally lay her body to rest. Then David meets Maddison Sutton, beguiling, playful, and keenly aware of all David has lost. But what really takes his breath away is that everything about Maddison, down to her kisses, is just like Emily. As the fantastic becomes credible, David's obsession grows, Maddison's mysterious past deepens - and terror escalates.

Is she Emily? Or an irresistible dead ringer? Either way, the ultimate question is the same: What game is she playing? Whatever the risk in finding out, David's willing to take it for this precious second chance. It's been ten years since he's felt this inspired, this hopeful, this much in love... and he's afraid.

The Servants of Twilight

Dean Koontz

An ordinary parking lot in southern California. Christine Scavello and her six-year-old son are accosted by a strange old woman. "I know who you are," she snaps at the boy. "I know what you are." A scream, a threat--and then a grotesque act of violence. Suddenly Christine's pride and joy, her only son, is targeted by a group of religious fanatics. They've branded him the Antichrist. They want to kill him. And they are everywhere...

The Taking

Dean Koontz

In one of the most dazzling books of his celebrated career, Dean Koontz delivers a masterwork of page-turning suspense that surpasses even his own inimitable reputation as a chronicler of our worst fears-and best dreams. In The Taking he tells the story of a community cut off from a world under siege, and the terrifying battle for survival waged by a young couple and their neighbors as familiar streets become fog-shrouded death traps. Gripping, heartbreaking, and triumphant in the face of mankind's darkest hour, here is a small-town slice-of-doomsday thriller that strikes to the core of each of us to ask: What would you do in the midst of The Taking.

On the morning that will mark the end of the world they have known, Molly and Niel Sloan awaken to the drumbeat of rain on their roof. It has haunted their sleep, invaded their dreams, and now they rise to find a luminous silvery downpour drenching their small California mountain town. A strange scent hangs faintly in the air, and the young couple cannot shake the sense of something wrong.

As hours pass and the rain continues to fall, Molly and Niel listen to disturbing news of extreme weather phenomena across the globe. Before evening, their little town loses television and radio reception. Then telephone and the Internet are gone. With the ceaseless rain now comes an obscuring fog that transforms the once-friendly village into a ghostly labyrinth. By nightfall the Sloans have gathered with some of their neighbors to deal with community damage...but also because they feel the need to band together against some unknown threat, some enemy they cannot identify or even imagine.

In the night, strange noises arise, and at a distance, in the rain and the mist, mysterious lights are seen drifting among the trees. The rain diminishes with the dawn, but a moody gray-purple twilight prevails. Soon Molly, Niel, and their small band of friends will be forced to draw on reserves of strength, courage, and humanity they never knew they had. For within the misty gloom they will encounter something that reveals in a terrifying instant what is happening to their world-something that is hunting them with ruthless efficiency. Epic in scope, searingly intimate and immediate in perspective, The Taking is an adventure story like no other, a relentless roller-coaster read that brings apocalypse to Main Street and showcases the talents of one of our most original and mesmerizing novelists at the pinnacle of his powers.

The Vision

Dean Koontz

Mary Bergen aids the police in solving crimes, those that have happened and those that are about to. Now this gifted clairvoyant is using her psychic gift to help track a serial killer. But something terrible from Mary's past has been invading her dreams and she is haunted by the sound of leathery wings. The killer knows secrets even she has locked away. Knows about the torture she was administered at the hands of a psycho when she was a little girl. And he is coming for her next.

The Voice of the Night

Dean Koontz

No one could understand why Colin and Roy were best friends. Colin was so shy; Roy was so popular. Colin was fascinated by Roy - and Roy was fascinated by death. Then one day, Roy asked his timid friend: "You ever killed anything?"

From that moment on, the two were bound together in a game too terrifying to imagine - and too irresistible to stop.

Originally published under the pseudonym Brian Coffey

Ticktock

Dean Koontz

When Tommy Phan discovers a mysterious rag doll on his doorstep one day, he's curious but tries to dismiss it. However, the thing seems ominously foreboding - a feeling borne out when he hears a sound from it that evening. When he picks up the doll, its heart actually appears to be beating. Then the threads of its eyes unravel, and a strange green eye appears - and blinks.

Before long, Tommy is forced to flee an adversary that becomes larger, ever more formidable and seemingly indestructible. He must use his journalist's skills to figure out not only exactly what this thing is and where it has come from, but more importantly why it has been sent after him. And he has just nine hours before the arrival of dawn to do so...

Twilight Eyes

Dean Koontz

Slim MacKenzie knows what they are, what they do - and how they hide in human form. He is blessed - or cursed - by twilight eyes. He can see the diabolical others through their innocent human disguise. He's already killed one of them.

And he'll kill again...

But even the grave won't hold them...

Watchers

Dean Koontz

From a top secret government laboratory come two genetically altered life forms. One is a magnificent dog of astonishing intelligence. The other, a hybrid monster of a brutally violent nature. And both are on the loose... Bestselling author Dean Koontz presents his most terrifying, dramatic and moving novel: The explosive story of a man and a woman, caught in a relentless storm of mankind's darkest creation...

What the Night Knows

Dean Koontz

Evil never dies...

The stunning thriller from the bestselling author of Velocity and Breathless.

Billy Lucas confesses to a shocking crime. He's only fourteen years old but he's a sadistic killer and proud of it. He's in the secure wing of the state hospital but... he seems too wise for his age, not crazy, too knowing about the nature of evil, and whether it lives on beyond death. Too knowing about other crimes that took place before he was born...

Other murders from twenty years ago surface in the mind of Detective John Calvino as he interviews young Billy Lucas Calvino carries away a signed confession ... and a sense of great danger. That night he feels that somehow Billy has come home with him, to his family.

Over the next weeks, this haunted feeling does not go away, it only gets worse. Then another killing spree happens, just as and when John Calvino dreaded it would. Billy is safely locked away, but not the ghost, if the ghost exists, that links these murders with past crimes, and with John Calvino.

Anything could happen, and surely will … again.

Whispers

Dean Koontz

A beautiful woman scarred by a hateful past. A compassionate cop haunted by a childhood blighted by poverty.

Violence brought them together. An unspeakable abomination may tear them apart.

Bruno Frye nightly succumbs to the malicious lullaby of the whispers. Losing himself in the nightdreams of their rustling cries, he is deafened by whispers more piercing than any scream. In the dark recesses of his mind no act is too violent, no deed too shocking...

Your Heart Belongs to Me

Dean Koontz

At 34 Ryan Perry suddenly finds himself on a waiting list for a heart transplant. Although he keeps working and looks fit, his condition is deteriorating.

Nevertheless, Ryan manages to remain upbeat, and his reward is well deserved. He receives a new heart, and the transplant is a success.

One year later, Ryan has never felt better. Except for … troubles connected to the heart. His new, fine, healthy, feel-good heart. It began with mysterious gifts from an unknown person, a feeling of being watched. Someone, not Ryan, transfers $100,000 from his bank account to the cardiology department of a local hospital – how is this possible?

Becoming more watchful himself, Ryan more than once glimpses a mysterious woman whom he tries to follow, but she is too circumspect even for the detective he hires to follow her. He has nothing to take to the police.

Instead, by an extraordinary effort, he uncovers the identity of the donor of … the heart. His heart. A photo shows someone who looks awfully like the mysterious woman … who now lets him know that everything will be taken from him: his money, his reputation, his friends, his freedom; and ultimately his heart…

The Company of the Dead

David Kowalski

A mysterious man appears aboard the Titanic on its doomed voyage, his mission to save the ship. The result of his efforts is a world where the United States never entered World War I, thus launching the secret history of the 20th Century. April 2012. Joseph Kennedy, relation of John F. Kennedy, lives in an America occupied on the East Coast by the Germans and on the West Coast by the Japanese. He is one of six people who can restore history to its rightful order—even though it will mean his own death.

The Living Dead

George A. Romero
Daniel Kraus

George A. Romero invented the modern zombie with Night of the Living Dead, creating a monster that has become a key part of pop culture. Romero often felt hemmed in by the constraints of film-making. To tell the story of the rise of the zombies and the fall of humanity the way it should be told, Romero turned to fiction. Unfortunately, when he died, the story was incomplete.

Enter Daniel Kraus. A lifelong Romero fan, Kraus was honored to be asked, by Romero's widow, to complete The Living Dead.

Set in the present day, The Living Dead is an entirely new tale, the story of the zombie plague as George A. Romero wanted to tell it.

It begins with one body.

A pair of medical examiners find themselves battling a dead man who won't stay dead. It spreads quickly.

In a Midwestern trailer park, a Black teenage girl and a Muslim immigrant battle newly-risen friends and family. On a US aircraft carrier, living sailors hide from dead ones while a fanatic makes a new religion out of death. At a cable news station, a surviving anchor keeps broadcasting while his undead colleagues try to devour him. In DC, an autistic federal employee charts the outbreak, preserving data for a future that may never come.

Everywhere, people are targeted by both the living and the dead.

We think we know how this story ends.

We. Are. Wrong.

Dear Sarah

Nancy Kress

This short story originally appeared in the anthology Infinity Wars (2017), edited by Jonathan Strahan. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fifth Annual Collection (2018), edited by Gardner Dozois.

The Five Deaths of Marvin Dimitri

Dylan Otto Krider

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, October 2013.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

The Illustrated Book of Science Fiction Ideas & Dreams

David A. Kyle

What do writers of science fiction write about?

Are their stories merely wild tales to thrill the kids? Or are their stories profound predictions about today and distant tomorrows?

This book will answer these questions by showing that science fiction writrs do both. Their fiction is exciting -- the most exciting being written. It is thoughtful fiction -- the most relevant to our modern world.

The author, whose interest has virtually spanned the entire period since the coining of the term 'science fiction', demonstrates by pictures and literary extracts what the authors have been saing in the field. His accompanying text undertakes a Gargantuan task, to make coherent the richness of thought and the variety of ideas and dreams of science fiction.

If you have enjoyed his Pictorial History of Science Fiction and thrilled to the story of the development of 'sf', you will be equally enthralled by being taken on a quick by stimulating introduction to what these provocative writers write about -- and also what their fellow artists see.

Death of a Starship

Jay Lake

In a distant future in which the empire of humanity has spread throughout the stars, the Xenic Bureau of the Grand Ekumenical Security Directorate investigates any hint of aliens, strange disappearances, or other anomalous events. When rumors spread of the mysterious reappearance of a long-lost battleship, a priest, an alien-killer, and a cashiered starship engineer find themselves caught up in a chase across the empire and into secrets better left forgotten.

The American Dead

Jay Lake

This short story originally appeared in Interzone, #203 April 2006. It can also be found in the anthologies The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume One (2007), edited by Jonathan Strahan, and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 18 (2007), edited by Stephen Jones. The story is included in the collection The Sky That Wraps (2010).

New Hope for the Dead

David Langford

This short story originally appeared in Nature, May 26, 2005. It can also be found in the anthology Year's Best SF 11 (2005), edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer.

Read the full story for free at Nature.

Dead on the Bones: Pulp on Fire

Joe R. Lansdale

"I was living in a pulp writer fury, a storm of imagination." So Joe R. Lansdale, award-winning author of more than twenty novels and two hundred short works, describes the birth of his desire to be a writer after encountering pulp storytelling as a kid in TV, comics, and books. Now Dead on the Bones: Pulp on Fire collects eight stories where Lansdale pays tribute to the rip-roaring tales of his youth.

Dedicated to Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard, "Under the Warrior Star" finds hero Braxton Booker on another, battle-wracked planet, while "Tarzan and the Land That Time Forgot" was expressly permitted by the Burroughs estate. In "Dead on the Bones," a Conjure Man facilitates a boxing match between the living and the dead, with a twist. "The Gruesome Affair of the Electric Blue Lightning" crosses Poe with horrors that could have walked straight out of Lovecraft. Meanwhile, in "Naked Angel" a cop discovers a dead woman encased in ice on the noir streets of Los Angeles, not realizing he shares a personal connection with her. Other stories here bring readers face to face with vampires and far stranger creatures, all in Lansdale's signature, Texas Mojo style.

Lansdale is rightly recognized as one of the most distinctive voices in modern fiction, pulp or otherwise. From Venus to vampires, Dead on the Bones is a fine, thoroughly enjoyable demonstration of why.

Table of Contents:

The Gruesome Affair of the Electric Blue Lightning - (2013)

The Redheaded Dead - [Reverend Jedidiah Mercer] - (2014)

King of the Cheap Romance - (2013)

Naked Angel - (2011)

Dead on the Bones - (2014)

Tarzan and the Land That Time Forgot - (2013)

Under the Warrior Star - (2010)

The Wizard of the Trees - (2015)

Deadman's Road

Joe R. Lansdale

Deadwood meets Cthulhu in this wild and profane Western romp featuring zombies, werewolves, evil spirits, and one pissed-off gun-slinging preacher.

The Wild West has never seen the likes of Reverend Jebediah Mercer, a hard man wielding a burning Bible in the battle between God and the Devil, in an endless struggle he's not sure he cares who wins. Laced with fast-paced action, nonstop humor, and spine-tingling horror, Deadman's Road is your ride to hell, in which a vengeful shaman curses the town by conjuring a seemingly unstoppable army of the undead; an ill-advised shortcut leads to a bees' nest of terror; a man stands condemned, not for murdering his wife but for raising the Lovecraftian horror that killed her; a woman is attacked by werewolves and left for dead in a ghost town; and a mining camp faces off with a horde of cannibalistic fiends.

On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folks

Joe R. Lansdale

BFA and Stoker Award winning and WFA nominated novelette. It originally appeared in the anthology Book of the Dead (1989), edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector. A chapbook edition appeared in 1991 and the story was reprinted in Weird Tales, February-March 2007. The story has also been adepted to a four part graphic novel miniseries.

On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folks can be found in the anthologies The Mammoth Book of Zombies (1993), edited by Stephen Jones, The Urban Fantasy Anthology (2011), edited by Peter S. Beagle and Joe R. Lansdale, and Extreme Zombies (2012), edited by Paula Guran. It is included in the collections By Bizarre Hands (1989), The Long Ones (2001) and The Best of Joe R. Lansdale (2010).

Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man's Back

Joe R. Lansdale

They did it -- they launched the damned nukes and the world went pretty much straight to hell. Not many survived, but some of those who did emerged twenty years later, to a world where mutant whales heaved themselves across the blackened, dry seabed of the Pacific, and the roses... oh God, the roses.

This short story originally appeared in the anthology Nukes (1986) edited by John Maclay and was reprinted in Lightspeed, October 2010. The story can also be found in anthologies The Year's Best Horror Stories: XV (1987), edited by Karl Edward Wagner, Lightspeed: Year One (2011), edited by John Joseph Adams, and Wastelands 2: More Stories of the Apocalypse (2015), also edited by Adams. It is included in the collection By Bizarre Hands (1989) and High Cotton: Selected Stories of Joe R. Lansdale (2000). Standalone editions of the story also exist.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

The Cyborg, the Tinman, the Merchant of Death

Rich Larson

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, December 2016.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Eva Fairdeath

Tanith Lee

Today, tomorrow, always... the white-haired girl from the marsh is running for her life down a derelict highway.

In a future world polluted to the point of dissolution, the trees are dead, the sky is yellow, and no birds sing. Everyone and everything is tinged with madness. For Eva Belmort there seems no role except to become some man's plaything and drudge.

Then, one day, arrives the stranger with the gun - with blue eyes and hair as white as her own. Roaming the tortured landscape in his wagon, Steel is a seller of death... but for Eva he provides hope of escape from Foulmarsh.

Urged on by a power of love and hate impossible to fathom, Eva's travels now take her to distant towns and villages full of danger and surprises - and arouse in her strong passions she cannot harness...

The Dealings of Daniel Kesserich: A Study of the Mass-Insanity at Smithville

Fritz Leiber

Written in the 1930s, lost in the 1950s, and finally published in 1990s, this is one of Fritz Leiber's more eclectic works. Part horror story and part science fiction whodunit, the tale begins as George Cramer arrives in Smithville, California, home of his college friends Daniel Kesserich and John Ellis. Ellis's wife has died under mysterious circumstances, and now both he and Kesserich have gone missing. The townspeople seem to be hiding a hideous secret, and Cramer suspects all the clues lead back to unusual experiments Kesserich was conducting. A gripping tale in the style of H. P. Lovecraft but told with the grace of Leiber.

The Witch Who Courted Death

Maria Lewis

Considering her status as the world's most powerful medium, Casper von Klitzing and her twin brother Baristan have lived a pretty normal life - until now.

After a horrific incident in her home city of Berlin, orchestrated by the mysterious Oct, Casper is consumed with vengeance towards an enemy she doesn't understand. But the only other person ever to escape Oct was a witch - and so Casper is soon on her trail. But this witch does not want to be found.

Diving headfirst into the supernaturally secretive world of spells, charms and covens, it's not long before Casper is crossing more than just the line between the living and the dead...

Reinventing witches and ghosts with a much-needed feminist twist, this is an unmissable new read from one of the most exciting voices in fantasy...

The Heat Death of the Universe and Other Stories

Pamela Zoline

Table of Contents:

Busy About the Tree of Life - (1988) - novella

The Heat Death of the Universe - (1967) - shortstory

The Holland of the Mind - (1969) - novelette

Instructions for Exiting This Building in Case of Fire - (1985) - shortstory

Sheep - (1981) - novella

Songs of Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe

Thomas Ligotti

Two terrifying classics by "the best kept secret in contemporary horror fiction" (The Washington Post)

Thomas Ligotti's debut collection, Songs of a Dead Dreamer, and his second, Grimscribe, permanently inscribed a new name in the pantheon of horror fiction. Influenced by the strange terrors of Lovecraft and Poe and by the brutal absurdity of Kafka, Ligotti eschews cheap, gory thrills for his own brand of horror, which shocks at the deepest, existential, levels.

Ligotti's stories take on decaying cities and lurid dreamscapes in a style ranging from rich, ornamental prose to cold, clinical detachment. His raw and experimental work lays bare the unimportance of our world and the sickening madness of the human condition. Like the greatest writers of cosmic horror, Ligotti bends reality until it cracks, opening fissures through which he invites us to gaze on the unsettling darkness of the abyss below.

For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Dear Cyborgs

Eugene Lim

In a small Midwestern town, two Asian American boys bond over their outcast status and a mutual love of comic books. Meanwhile, in an alternative or perhaps future universe, a team of superheroes ponder modern society during their time off. Between black-ops missions and rescuing hostages, they swap stories of artistic malaise and muse on the seemingly inescapable grip of market economics.

Gleefully toying with the conventions of the novel, Dear Cyborgs weaves together the story of a friendship's dissolution with a provocative and timely meditation on protest. Through a series of linked monologues, a lively cast of characters explores narratives of resistance--protest art, eco-terrorists, Occupy squatters, pyromaniacal militants--and the extent to which any of these can truly withstand and influence the cold demands of contemporary capitalism. All the while, a mysterious cybernetic book of clairvoyance beckons, and trusted allies start to disappear.

Entwining comic-book villains with cultural critiques, Eugene Lim's Dear Cyborgs is a fleet-footed literary exploration of power, friendship, and creativity. Ambitious and knowing, it combines detective pulps, subversive philosophy, and Hollywood chase scenes, unfolding like the composites and revelations of a dream.

Death Instinct

Bentley Little

"SOMEONE'S MOVING INTO THE LAUTER HOUSE..."

Cathy was six when the man next door killed his wife and himself.

It was early morning and she was playing outside when she heard the first shot. And then another shot. And another. The sounds echoed around the neighborhood like thunder. People came out of their houses to see what was happening.

Later, she saw the blood and the bodies....

Now, the house is no longer vacant. Someone new has moved in. Something terrible is happening to the neighbors. And Cathy has a secret of her own...

The Death I Gave Him

Em X. Liu

A twenty-first century Hamlet.

Hayden Lichfield's life is ripped apart when he finds his father murdered in their lab, and the camera logs erased. The killer can only have been after one thing: the Sisyphus Formula the two of them developed together, which might one day reverse death itself. Hoping to lure the killer into the open, Hayden steals the research. In the process, he uncovers a recording his father made in the days before his death, and a dying wish: Avenge me...

With the lab on lockdown, Hayden is trapped with four other people--his uncle Charles, lab technician Gabriel Rasmussen, research intern Felicia Xia and their head of security, Felicia's father Paul--one of whom must be the killer. His only sure ally is the lab's resident artificial intelligence, Horatio, who has been his dear friend and companion since its creation. With his world collapsing, Hayden must navigate the building's secrets, uncover his father's lies, and push the boundaries of sanity in the pursuit of revenge.

Fruit of the Dead

Rachel Lyon

An electric contemporary reimagining of the myth of Persephone and Demeter set over the course of one summer on a lush private island, exploring who holds the power in a modern underworld.

Camp counsellor Cory Ansel, eighteen and aimless, afraid to face her high-strung single mother in New York, is no longer sure where home is when the father of one of her campers offers an alternative.

The CEO of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company, Rolo Picazo is middle-aged, divorced, magnetic. He is also intoxicated by Cory. When Rolo proffers a childcare job (and an NDA), Cory quiets an internal warning and allows herself to be ferried to his private island off the coast of Maine. Plied with luxury and opiates manufactured by his company, she continues to tell herself she's in charge. Her mother, Emer, head of a teetering agricultural NGO, senses otherwise. When her daughter seemingly disappears, Emer crosses land and sea to heed a cry for help she alone is convinced she hears.

Nights of the Living Dead

George A. Romero
Jonathan Maberry

In 1968, the world experienced a brand-new kind of terror with the debut of George A. Romero's landmark movie Night of the Living Dead. The newly dead rose to attack the living. Not as vampires or werewolves. This was something new... and terrifying. Since then, zombies have invaded every aspect of popular culture.

But it all started on that dreadful night in a remote farmhouse...

Nights of the Living Dead returns to that night, to the outbreak, to where it all began. Jonathan Maberry teams with the godfather of the living dead himself, George A. Romero, to present a collection of all-new tales set during the forty-eight hours of that legendary outbreak.

Nights of the Living Dead includes stories by some of today's most important writers: Brian Keene, Carrie Ryan, Chuck Wendig, Craig E. Engler, David J. Schow, David Wellington, Isaac Marion, Jay Bonansinga, Joe R. Lansdale, John A. Russo, John Skipp, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Max Brallier, Mike Carey, Mira Grant, Neal and Brenda Shusterman, and Ryan Brown. Plus original stories by Romero and Maberry!

For anyone who loves scary stories, take a bite out of this!

Death and Resurrection

R. A. MacAvoy

The award-winning writer of Tea With the Black Dragon and other acclaimed novels returns to fantasy with the intriguing story of Chinese-American artist Ewen Young who gains the ability to travel between the worlds of life and death. This unasked-for skill irrevocably changes his life - as does meeting Nez Perce veterinarian Dr. Susan Sundown and her remarkable dog, Resurrection. After defeating a threat to his own family, Ewen and Susan confront great evils - both supernatural and human - as life and death begin to flow dangerously close together.

Help Me Follow My Sister into the Land of the Dead

Carmen Maria Machado

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, July 2014. It can also be found in the anthologies Help Fund My Robot Army!!! and Other Improbable Crowdfunding Projects (2014), edited by John Joseph Adams, and The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015, edited by Joe Hill and John Joseph Adams.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Songs the Dead Men Sing

George R. R. Martin

Table of Contents:

George R. R. Martin, Dark Harbinger - (1983) - essay by Algis Budrys

The Monkey Treatment - (1983) - novelette

"...For a Single Yesterday" - (1975) - novelette

In the House of the Worm - (1976) - novella

The Needle Men - (1981) - shortstory

Meathouse Man - (1976) - novelette

Sandkings - (1979) - novelette

This Tower of Ashes - (1976) - shortstory

Nightflyers - (1980) - novella

Remembering Melody - (1981) - shortstory

Death Mask

Graham Masterton

How do you stop a murderer who can't be seen?

He appeared as if from nowhere, brutally slashed a man and a young woman in an office elevator, then vanished again without a trace. The woman survived and gave the police a detailed description of the killer's bizarre face, yet the police can find no sign of him anywhere. It's as if he never existed. But now he's killed again. And again. One woman holds the key to his terrifying secret... but how do you stop a murderer who isn't there?

Death Trance

Graham Masterton

As president of one of Tennessee's largest companies, Randolph Clare is outraged when arsonists destroy one of his Memphis plants. But then his wife and children are savagely murdered and all thoughts of vengeance are drowned in his grief.

Desperate to see his loved ones again, he enlists the aid of an Indonesian priest who introduces Randolph to the death trance. By visiting the realm of the dead and the demons who lay in wait there, Randolph risks not only his own life, but the souls of his family.

And the demons will come...

Death Ship

Richard Matheson

This short story originally appeared in Fantastic Story Magazine, March 1953. It has been collected and anthologized a number of times.

It was the basis for episode 108 (1963) of The Twilight Zone.

Seven Deaths of an Empire

G. R. Matthews

The Emperor is dead. Long live the Empire.

General Bordan has a lifetime of duty and sacrifice behind him in the service of the Empire. But with rebellion brewing in the countryside, and assassins, thieves and politicians vying for power in the city, it is all Bordan can do to protect the heir to the throne.

Apprentice Magician Kyron is assigned to the late Emperor's honour guard escorting his body on the long road back to the capital. Mistrusted and feared by his own people, even a magician's power may fail when enemies emerge from the forests, for whoever is in control of the Emperor's body, controls the succession.

Seven lives and seven deaths to seal the fate of the Empire.

A Dead God Dancing

Ann Maxwell

nce Tal-Lith was a luxuriant world of millions. Now it was a chill, arid wasteland, with its remaining inhabitants clustered on a great ice mountain. And in a few, short solar cycles its sun would blaze into a deadly super-nova.

Naming the Dead

Paul J. McAuley

WFA nominated novelette. It originally appeared in Interzone, #149 November 1999. The story can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Thirteenth Annual Collection (2000), edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 11 (2000), edited by Stephen Jones.

Dead Fads

Maureen F. McHugh

This short story was originally published in the Readercon 24 Souvenir Book and was reprinted in Lightspeed, December 2013.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

The Savage Dead

Joe McKinney

It starts in a laboratory. A man-made strain of flesh-eating virus. Created by a power-hungry cartel. Capable of turning victims into brain-dead carnivores. Smuggled aboard a cruise ship that's about to set sail...One by one, the passengers are exposed. A U.S. senator. A young couple. An undercover agent. A beautiful assassin. Some will be infected. Others will survive. But no one will be spared if the outbreak isn't contained - and the dead outnumber the living...

Enter Delta Force operative Juan Perez. He's fought the deadliest killers in the darkest hellholes on earth. But he's never seen anything like this - an apocalyptic cargo of pure zombie mayhem heading for the coast. If Perez and his SEAL team can't stop it, America, and quickly the entire population of the world, are finished. The plague years will begin...

Hawk Among the Sparrows

Dean McLaughlin

Hugo and Nebula Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction -> Science Fact, July 1968. The story can also be found in the anthology Analog 8 (1971), edited by John W. Campbell, Jr. It is included in the collection Hawk Among the Sparrows: Three Science Fiction Novellas (1976).

The Feasting Dead

John Metcalfe

Something is wrong with Colonel Habgood's young son Denis. Some mysterious force seems to be sapping his physical health, and his behaviour has become oddly evasive and deceptive. Habgood suspects the pernicious influence of Raoul, a sinister handyman with whom Denis has become infatuated, believing that the man may be corrupting and defiling his son. But even after Raoul's departure, the troubles continue, and Denis's strength continues to wane. In an old book of medieval legends, his father finds a possible, if implausible, answer in stories of a nameless horror from beyond the grave that feasts on the young in order to return to life. Or could what's happening to Denis have any connection to an unexplained death in the attic turret nearly eighty years ago? And isn't there something strange about the scarecrow out in the fields, which seems, barely perceptibly, to have moved...?

The Weird of Deadly Hollow

Bertram Mitford

Years ago, it is said, "Moordenaar's Hoek" (Afrikaans for "Deadly" or "Murderer's Hollow") witnessed a horrible tragedy. Gert Van Niekerk, a Boer farmer, murdered his brother in cold blood during a terrible storm. Hanged for his crime, Van Niekerk's ghost haunts the land in the form of a spectral leopard that can appear and disappear at will. And, according to local legend, a "blood curse" haunts the Hollow, where, on dark and stormy nights, the horrible murder is re-enacted.

Custance, a recluse with a mysterious past, takes up residence at Deadly Hollow. Troubled by his painful memories, Custance thinks he has finally found redemption and a chance at new life when he falls in love with his neighbour, the beautiful young Ida Rendlesham. But their lovers' bliss is short-lived. For on a dreary and tempestuous night, Deadly Hollow will witness the fulfilment of the blood curse: a savage murder... and a brutal revenge!

First published in 1891 and out of print for more than a century, The Weird of Deadly Hollow was one of Bertram Mitford's most popular novels. Featuring a mixture of romance and terror that builds slowly, but inevitably, towards an unthinkable climax--complete with one of the most shocking scenes of torture in all of English-language fiction--Mitford's novel remains as thrilling today as when first published. This edition includes a new introduction and notes by Gerald Monsman, as well as the complete text of two of Mitford's inspirations: Wordsworth's "Hart-Leap Well" and Thomas Hood's "The Haunted House."

The Shores of Death

Michael Moorcock

In the far future, Earth's rotation has been halted by powerful aliens searching for the end of the universe. Happening upon Earth, the aliens took from it what they needed and moved on. The human race is now divided; some living on the cold night side, some the sweltering day side, yet others in the thin twilight between the two regions.

Living a life of pleasure and decadence in the twilight region, Valta Becker impregnates his daughter who dies shortly after giving birth to Clovis, last of the twilight children.

Neglected by his father, Clovis leaves home for the more technologically and philosophically sophisticated daylight region, where lifespans stretch to hundreds of years and the marvels of future science still flourish. He makes a name for himself in politics, rising to almost god-like stature. When catastrophe strikes, rendering the daylight people sterile due to an after-effect of the aliens' strange energies used in halting the planet's rotation, Clovis Becker must find an answer or the human race will perish.

Thus begins a taut adventure filled with warring political ideologies, End of the World parties, flower forests and floating carriages, shadowy figures attempting to shape mankind's destiny for their own ends, colorful descriptions worthy of Jack Vance and Mervyn Peake--and a love story for the ages as Clovis and Fastina Cahmin--the last born of the daylight people--seek immortality... but at what cost?

alternate title: The Twilight Man

Dead Image

David Morrell

WFA nominated novelette. It originally appeared in the anthology Night Visions 2 (1985), edited by Charles L. Grant and was reprinted in Cemetery Dance, #62, 2009. It is included in the collection Black Evening (1999).

Dead Island

Mark Morris

What will you do? How far will you go? What will you become?

Welcome to Banoi, a tropical island where you can leave the stresses of the world behind...

Welcome to the Royal Palms Resort - which offers its guests from around the world the ultimate in luxury and relaxation...

Welcome to the holiday paradise where your dreams should come true...but where a nightmare is about to begin....

Because a mysterious epidemic has suddenly, and without warning, broken out across the island. The local islanders, hotel guests and workers alike are struck down - only to rise again, craving the flesh and the blood of the still living. For four of the holidaymakers and a handful of others scattered around Banoi who are seemingly unaffected by the plague, they must face the awful, terrifying reality of a zombie apocalypse. Now there is only one thing left to do: survive.

Welcome to Dead Island... a paradise to die for.

Death in Her Hands

Ottessa Moshfegh

While on her daily walk with her dog in a secluded woods, a woman comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground by stones. "Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body." But there is no dead body. Our narrator is deeply shaken; she has no idea what to make of this. She is new to this area, alone after the death of her husband, and she knows no one.

Becoming obsessed with solving this mystery, our narrator imagines who Magda was and how she met her fate. With very little to go on, she invents a list of murder suspects and possible motives for the crime. Oddly, her suppositions begin to find correspondences in the real world, and with mounting excitement and dread, the fog of mystery starts to fade into menacing certainty. As her investigation widens, strange dissonances accrue, perhaps associated with the darkness in her own past; we must face the prospect that there is either an innocent explanation for all this or a much more sinister one.

Dead Men on TV

Pat Murphy

Nebula Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in the anthology Full Spectrum (1988), edited by Lou Aronica and Shawna McCarthy. It is also included in the collection Points of Departure (1990).

Tunnel Out of Death

Jamil Nasir

In Jamil Nasir's Tunnel Out of Death, Heath Ransom, former police psychic turned machine-enhanced "endovoyant" private investigator, is hired to find the consciousness of the rich and comatose Margaret Biel and return it to her body. Tracking her through the etheric world, he comes upon a strange and terrifying object that appears to be a tear in the very fabric of reality. He falls into it--and into an astonishing metaphysical shadow-play.

For Margaret is a pawn in a war between secret, ruthless government agencies and a nonhuman entity known only as "Amphibian." Their battlefield is a multi-level reality unlike anything humankind has ever imagined. When Heath learns to move back and forth between two different versions of his life, and begins to realize that everyone around him may be a super-realistic android, that is only the beginning of a wholesale deconstruction of reality that threatens more than his sanity....

Deathlight

Mari Ness

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, May 2016.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue

Kim Newman

WFA nominated short story. It orignally appeared in the anthology 999: New Tales of Horror and Suspense (1999), edited by Al Sarrantonio. The story can also be found in anthologies The Mammoth Book of New Terror (2004), and The Dead That Walk: Flesh-Eating Stories (2009), both edited by Stephen Jones. It is included in the collections Unforgivable Stories (2000), Dead Travel Fast (2005) and Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories (2017).

Like a Dead Man Walking: And Other shadow Tales

William F. Nolan

Sherlock Holmes... Interdimensional demons... Aliens... Killers and child predators... Time travelers... Vampires... Even the end of the world, in more ways than one, all are contained within these pages. From the darkest corners of imagination to the precipice of human achievement, William F. Nolan delivers the goods in this assortment of recent works: his first all-new collection in his long and storied career.

Working with editor Jason V Brock (Milton's Children), Nolan brings to shocking life not only debauched murderers and depraved loners, but also fascinating portraits of personal reflection; the heroes of yore in poetry; pages from Nolan's notebook; and an exclusive, intimate interview with his beloved friend, the late Richard Matheson (I Am Legend).

"For ardent readers of Nolan's work, this collection is a must-have." - Hellnotes

Table of Contents:

9 - Introduction: The Inner World of William F. Nolan - (2013) - essay by Jason V. Brock (variant of The Inner World of William F. Nolan)

19 - The Blood Countess - (2013) - novelette

55 - Dread Voyage - (2011) - short story

61 - Flight to Legend - (2013) - short story

69 - Getting Along Just Fine - (2009) - short story

77 - Exchange - (2013) - short story by Jason V. Brock and William F. Nolan

89 - My Girl Name Is Elly - (2013) - short story

95 - The Recluse - (2013) - short story

107 - Dysfunctional - (2013) - poem

111 - Descent - (2010) - short story

119 - Ashland - (2013) - short story

131 - Millikin's Machine - (2013) - short story

141 - The End: A Final Dialogue - (2013) - short story

147 - The Beach - (2013) - short story by Jason V. Brock and William F. Nolan

159 - A Lot Like the Joker - (2012) - short story

165 - A New Man - (2014) - short story

177 - Like a Dead Man Walking - (2013) - short story

197 - Goodbye, Old Pal - (2012) - essay

199 - Rich - (2013) - essay

201 - What Legends May Come: A Discussion with Richard Matheson and William F. Nolan - (2010) - interview of Richard Matheson and William F. Nolan - interview by Jason V. Brock (variant of What Dreams May Come: A Discussion with Richard Matheson and William F. Nolan 2013)

232 - Excerpts from the Notebooks of William F. Nolan - (2013) - short fiction

Don't Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear

Jody Lynn Nye

A collection of humorous science fiction tales that follow the adventures of brave heroes and leaders who are still under the thumb of mom.

Table of Contents:

1 - From Your Mouth to God's Ear - novelette by Ellen Guon

24 - I Told You So - short story by Michael Scott

42 - You Never Call - short story by Robert Asprin

48 - A Mother's Lament - poem by Judith R. Conly

49 - Your Face Will Freeze Like That - short story by Morgan Llywelyn

63 - What's the Magic Word? - novelette by Jody Lynn Nye

86 - Don't Go Out in Holy Underwear - novelette by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

111 - Would You? - short story by William R. Forstchen

120 - Just Wait Until You Have Children of Your Own - short story by Esther M. Friesner

139 - You'll Catch Your Death of Colds - short story by Bill Fawcett

152 - The Golden Years - short story by Anne McCaffrey

163 - Maureen Birnbaum Pokes an Eye Out - short story by George Alec Effinger

182 - Clean Up Your Room! - short story by Laura Anne Gilman

201 - Return with Your Spacesuit, Or On It - short story by Christopher Stasheff and Eleanore Stasheff

221 - Don't Go Near the Water - short story by Terri Beckett and Chris Power

237 - Mother Knows Best - short story by Josepha Sherman

248 - Accidents Don't Just Happen - They're Caused - novelette by Elizabeth Moon

270 - The Starving Children on Mars - short story by Mike Resnick and Louise Rowder

284 - Don't Put That in Your Mouth, You Don't Know Where It's Been - novelette by Diane Duane

Deathknight

Andrew J. Offutt

"THE HEART OF A SON OF ASHAH DOES NOT BLEED!"

They are the knights of the Order Most Old, Sons of Ashah., honor-sworn to preserve the peace and protect the city-states of Sij.

First and foremost among them is Falc of Risskor, a man never known to smile... a man called Deathknight by those who know him not.

Feared. Respected. Obeyed. And perhaps hates--by one who would destroy the Order Most Old and disrupt the fragile unity of Sij. One who now does the unthinkable, who kills the knights of the Order one by one. And Falc of Risskor must check his passions and bring to justice the slayer of the Sons of Ashah.. or be himslef slain.

DEATHKNIGHT

His sword cries out for peace... and for vengeance!

Death of the Author

Nnedi Okorafor

The future of storytelling is here.

Disabled, disinclined to marry, and more interested in writing than a lucrative career in medicine or law, Zelu has always felt like the outcast of her large Nigerian family. Then her life is upended when, in the middle of her sister's lavish Caribbean wedding, she's unceremoniously fired from her university job and, to add insult to injury, her novel is rejected by yet another publisher. With her career and dreams crushed in one fell swoop, she decides to write something just for herself. What comes out is nothing like the quiet, literary novels that have so far peppered her unremarkable career. It's a far-future epic where androids and AI wage war in the grown-over ruins of human civilization. She calls it Rusted Robots.

When Zelu finds the courage to share her strange novel, she does not realize she is about to embark on a life-altering journey - one that will catapult her into literary stardom, but also perhaps obliterate everything her book was meant to be. From Chicago to Lagos to the far reaches of space, Zelu's novel will change the future not only for humanity, but for the robots who come next.

Skin Like Porcelain Death

Daniel José Older

In "Skin Like Porcelain Death" a half-resurrected cleanup man for the bureaucracy of death confronts a sorcerous collection of chipped porcelain dolls in an attempt to save the soul of a horny young man who chose the wrong girlfriend.

This story was originally published in the collection Salsa Nocturna (2012).

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Deadliest of the Species

Michael Oliveri

Tim Wilder's ex-wife took everything but his Camaro, the clothes on his back, and a handful of cash. He heads west in search of a fresh start in life and ends up in the small town of Rapture in the desert mountains. The women of Rapture run the town and he soon learns their dark secret and the real reason their leader, Alexandra, refuses to let him leave.

The Dead of Night: The Ghost Stories of Oliver Onions

Oliver Onions

Oliver Onions is unique in the realms of ghost story writers in that his tales are so far ranging in their background and substance that they are not easily categorised. His stories are powerfully charged explorations of psychical violence, their effects heightened by detailed character studies graced with a powerful poetic elegance. In simple terms Oliver Onions goes for the cerebral rather than the jugular. However, make no mistake, his ghost stories achieve the desired effect. They draw you in, enmeshing you in their unnerving and disturbing narratives.

This collection contains such masterpieces as 'The Rosewood Door', 'The Ascending Dream', 'The Painted Face' and 'The Beckoning Fair One', a story which both Algernon Blackwood and H. P. Lovecraft regarded as one of the most effective and subtle ghost stories in all literature. Long out of print, these classic tales are a treasure trove of nightmarish gems.

Includes:

Credo

The Beckoning Fair One

Phantas

Rooum

Benlian

The Ascending Dream

The Honey in the Wall

The Rosewood Door

The Accident

Io

The Painted Face

The Out Sister

'John Gladwin Says...'

Hic Jacet

The Rocker

Dear Dryad

The Real People

The Cigarette Case

The Rope in the Rafters

Resurrection in Bronze

The Woman in the Way

The Smile of Karen

The Ether-Hogs

The Mortal

The Master of the House

Tragic Casements

A Dance For the Dead

Nuzo Onoh

On a moon-lit night, Diké , heir to the Kingdom and leader of the terrifying warrior cult, the Ogwumii, falls asleep inside his bedroom. He wakes up to find himself trapped within the secret shrine of the village deity, a dark cave forbidden to all save the powerful witchdoctors. Overnight, the mighty warrior-prince becomes an Osu— an untouchable and outcast. In disgraced exile in the forbidden shrine, his sole companion is the raging ghost of a murdered slave girl, wrongly sacrificed to the gods on the false prophecy of a lecherous witchdoctor. To break the Osu curse, Diké must find the traitors who orchestrated his downfall and embark on a terrifying journey to the ancestors' realm, a deadly quest that could end his life or return him to full citizenship and glory.

Where the Dead Brides Gather

Nuzo Onoh

A powerful Nigeria-set horror tale of possession, malevolent ghosts, family tensions, secrets and murder

Bata, an 11-year-old girl tormented by nightmares, wakes up one night to find herself standing sentinel before her cousin's door. Her cousin is to get married the next morning, but only if she can escape the murderous attack of a ghost-bride, who used to be engaged to her groom.

A supernatural possession helps Bata battle and vanquish the vengeful ghost bride, and following a botched exorcism, she is transported to Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides. There, she receives secret powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides before being sent back to the human realm, where she must learn to harness her new abilities as she strives to protect those whom she loves.

The Dead, In Their Uncontrollable Power

Karen Osborne

Nebula Award-nominated Short Story

This short story originally appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Issue 27, March-April 2019.

Read the full story for free at Uncanny.

The Death of Paul Bunyan

Charles Payseur

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, December 2016. It can also be found in the anthology Wilde Stories 2017: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction, edited by Steve Berman.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Three Quarters Dead

Richard Peck

Being the new girl at school is rough. But when the popular girls choose Kerry as the newest member of their ultra-exclusive clique, she thinks her troubles are finally finished. When her three new friends are killed in a horrifying crash, her life seems over as well. But then the texts begin...

Richard Peck returns to his contemporary teen-and-ghost-story roots iun this suspenseful page-turner with a subtle commentary on peer pressure that fans of television dramas such as Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries will devour.

Dead Americans and Other Stories

Ben Peek

A collection of the critically acclaimed dark, weird, and surreal short fiction of Ben Peek. It presents a world where bands are named after the murderer of a dead president, where the work of Octavia E. Butler is turned into an apocalypse meta-narrative, and John Wayne visits a Wal-Mart. It presents a world where a dying sun shines over a broken, bitter landscape and men and women tattoo their life onto their skin for an absent god. It presents a zombie apocalypse, Mark Twain dreaming of Sydney, and answers a questionnaire you never read.

Table of Contents:

Ben Peek: Liminal Artist - essay by Rjurik Davidson

There Is Something So Quiet and Empty Inside of You That It Must Be Precious - shortfiction

The Dreaming City - (2004) - novelette

Johnny Cash (A Tale in Questionnaire Results) - (2005) - shortstory

Possession - (2007) - shortfiction

The Souls of Dead Soldiers Are for Blackbirds, Not Little Boys - (2006) - novelette

The Funeral, Ruined - (2008) - shortstory

Under the Red Sun - (2006) - shortstory

John Wayne (As Written by a Non-American) - (2007) - shortstory

Octavia E. Butler (a remix) - shortfiction

theleeharveyoswaldband - (2006) - shortstory

The Dead Lands

Benjamin Percy

In Benjamin Percy's new thriller, a post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark saga, a super flu and nuclear fallout have made a husk of the world we know. A few humans carry on, living in outposts such as the Sanctuary-the remains of St. Louis-a shielded community that owes its survival to its militant defense and fear-mongering leaders.

Then a rider comes from the wasteland beyond its walls. She reports on the outside world: west of the Cascades, rain falls, crops grow, civilization thrives. But there is danger too: the rising power of an army that pillages and enslaves every community they happen upon.

Against the wishes of the Sanctuary, a small group sets out in secrecy. Led by Lewis Meriwether and Mina Clark, they hope to expand their infant nation, and to reunite the States. But the Sanctuary will not allow them to escape without a fight.

The Death House

Sarah Pinborough

This is an exceptional, contemporary, heart-breaking novel.

Toby's life was perfectly normal... until it was unravelled by something as simple as a blood test.

Taken from his family, Toby now lives in the Death House; an out-of-time existence far from the modern world, where he, and the others who live there, are studied by Matron and her team of nurses. They're looking for any sign of sickness. Any sign of their wards changing. Any sign that it's time to take them to the sanatorium.

No one returns from the sanatorium.

Withdrawn from his house-mates and living in his memories of the past, Toby spends his days fighting his fear. But then a new arrival in the house shatters the fragile peace, and everything changes.

Because everybody dies. It's how you choose to live that counts.

The Deadly Sky

Doris Piserchia

Ashlin had been climbing Mt Timbrini for more than a decade. Scaling the huge, befogged escarpment he liked to gaze down upon the city of Emera glittering below like a thousand multicoloured moons.

But when horrifying visions of gaps in the fabric of sky above the mountain began to plague his nights, and the mysterious appearance of a woman on a section of the heights he knew to be unreachable baffled his daytime ascents, his motivation for climbing began to change.

He did not realise that his newly motivated enterprise would not bring him peace of mind, but a dire and dangerous battle for the peace of a world!

My Talks With Dean Spanley

Lord Dunsany

The classic humorous novel about an alcohol-loving clergyman who thinks he is the reincarnation of a dog.

Dean Spanley is the very archetype of a bland churchman: affable, conventional, prudent without being a prig. Only his keen interest in the transmigration of souls and almost excessive enthusiasm for dogs betray any shadow of eccentricity. And then, richly primed with a few glasses of Imperial Tokay, he slips over the threshold between past and present and becomes a dog. Or are his canine memories no more than fancy? Surely no mere dean could speak so vividly, with such total conviction, of the joys of hunting, of rolling in fresh dung, of baying the moon? No human could know so much of rabbiting, the importance of buying bones, the contemptibility of pigs. My Talks With Dean Spanley, first published in 1936, is certainly Lord Dunsany's funniest book and, in its unique way, a remarkable tour de force.

The Masque of the Red Death

Elsie Lee
Edgar Allan Poe

The Masque of The Red Death is set in 12th century Italy, where Prince Prospero, a devout worshiper of Satan, rules tyrannically in a land stricken by a mysterious plague. Prospero's cruel whims include toying with the fear-stricken peasants under his domain, in order to satisfy his own diabolical pleasures. Deliverance... or Doom?

"The day of deliverance is at hand." That was the prophecy of the mysterious man cloaked in red. But the villagers had little time for rejoicing. For a few scant hours later, the people were dying of that grimmest of all plagues-the Red Death! And within the castle that ruled this desolated land, even eerier events were happening... as the purity of the lovely Francesca battled the evil of Prospero... and unearthly forces gathered for a mad, grim masquerade!

Outnumbering the Dead

Frederik Pohl

In a future where medical science has all but eliminated death, vid star Rafiel is faced with his own demise and learns many poignant lessons about life as he struggles with this reality.

Book of the Dead: Friends of Yesteryear: Fictioneers & Others: Memories of the Pulp Fiction Era

E. Hoffman Price

Within the fantasy-fan and pulp-magazine collecting communities, this group of memoirs by a prolific pulp writer has reached almost legendary stature, although the finished, long-delayed book, proves less impressive than the reputation it rides in on. Price began writing these memoirs in the 1940s, concentrating on such fellow Weird Tales contributors as H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. An early long-distance motorist, Price met many figures associated with the magazine, and so can describe firsthand editor Farnsworth Wright's love of raunchy humor and a drunken sword fight with Otis Adelbert Kline.

About half this book is the finest account of that era ever done. The other half suffers because Price completed the book in the 1970s and fell into repeated polemics, berating fans of that period for adulating Lovecraft and Howard. Arguing that his friend HPL was merely an amateur who couldn't break out of Weird Tales and that Howard wasted his time creating Conan the Barbarian, Price appears obtuse and possibly jealous. (Oddly, Arkham editor Ruber seems to agree with Price, whom he describes as "a prodigious worker, not an idler like Lovecraft, whose narrow focus on weird fiction caused him to burn out after several dozen stories" a statement sure to inflame HPL fans.) In addition, Price, a practicing astrologer, blasts Lovecraft for attacking astrology as nonsense. Questionable judgments aside, Price comes across as a far better writer of nonfiction than of fiction. With an introduction by Jack Williamson, a checklist of Price's fiction, and a section of photos, these memoirs will sell out fast to the ardent pulp readership that's been eagerly awaiting them.

-- Publishers Weekly

Table of Contents:
E. Hoffmann Price: Introduction - essay by Jack Williamson Some Notes on EHP and the Book of the Dead - essay by Peter Ruber

Prologue (Book of the Dead: Friends of Yesteryear: Fictioneers & Others) - essay

Farnsworth Wright: 1888 - 1940 - (1944) - essay (variant of Book of the Dead: Farnsworth Wright)

Otis Adelbert Kline: July 1, 1891 - October 24, 1946 - essay

Howard Phillips Lovecraft: August 20, 1890 - March 15, 1937 - essay

Robert Ervin Howard: January 22, 1906 - June 11, 1936 - essay

Clark Ashton Smith: January 13, 1893 - August 14, 1961 - essay

W. K. Mashburn, Jr.: August 7, 1900 - February 13, 1968 - essay

Ralph Milne Farley (Pseud. of Roger Sherman Hoar): April 8, 1887 - October 10, 1963 - essay

Seabury Grandin Quinn: January 1, 1889 - December 24, 1969 - essay

Hugh Doak Rankin: July 2, 1878 - January 3, 1956 - essay

The Varnished Vultures & Spider Bite - essay

Barsoom Badigian: [1873] - Dec. 18, 1960 - essay

Harry Olmsted: August 10, 1889 - April 2, 1970 - essay

Albert Richard Wetjen: August 20, 1900 - March 8, 1948 - essay

Norbert W. Davis: April 18, 1909 - July 28, 1949 - essay

Milo Ray Phelps: [-d. 1937] - essay

William S. Bruner - essay

Henry Kuttner: April 7, 1915 - February 3, 1958 - essay

August W. Derleth: February 24, 1908 - July 4, 1971 - essay

Edmond Hamilton: October 21, 1904 - February 1, 1977 - essay

Epilogue (Book of the Dead: Friends of Yesteryear: Fictioneers & Others) - essay

The Lovecraft Controversy - Why? - (1976) - essay

Five Million Words! In his life as in his writing word for Price is 'colorful' - (1947) - essay by Monte Linsley

Seabury Quinn: An Appreciation - (1977) - essay

Mortonius (James Ferdinand Morton) - essay

A Conversation with E. Hoffmann Price - (1986) - interview of E. Hoffmann Price - interview by Gregorio Montejo

One Man's View of the Death of the Pulp Era - (1975) - essay

EHP: A Bibliography - essay by Virgil Utter

Dating Secrets of the Dead

David Prill

David Prill is best known for his homegrown mix of odd humor and horror as displayed in The Unnatural and Serial Killer Days.

Here, in his first collection, you will find the dating rituals and concerns of the recently deceased explained, a circus of vengeful sideshow freaks, and a brand-new novella, "The Last Horror Show"--a coming of age semi-autobiographical tale set in a small Midwestern town in the 1960s, the last summer "The Chasm of Spasms," a Midnight Spook Show, appeared at the local movie theater.

Medea

Eilish Quin

Among the women of Greek mythology, the witch Medea may be the most despised. Known for the brutal act of killing her own children to exact vengeance on her deceitful husband, the Argonauts leader Jason, Medea has carved out a singularly infamous niche in our histories.

But what if that isn't the full story?

The daughter of a sea nymph and the granddaughter of a Titan, Medea is a paradox. She is at once rendered compelling by virtue of the divinity that flows through her bloodline and made powerless by the fact of her being a woman. As a child, she intuitively submerges herself in witchcraft and sorcery, but soon finds it may not be a match for the prophecies that hang over her entire family like a shroud.

As Medea comes into her own as a woman and a witch, she also faces the arrival of the hero Jason, preordained by the gods to be not only her husband, but also her lifeline to escape her isolated existence. Medea travels the treacherous seas with the Argonauts, battles demons she had never conceived of, and falls in love with the man who may ultimately be her downfall.

Brother Blood Sister Death

Bill Ransom

Twin Vampires. Different motives to kill.

Hybrid vampires Daniel and Diana feel technology's cold, uncountable tendrils hunting them. Daniel scientifically satisfies his needs. Diana, his twin sister, hunts in the old-school way, leaving patches of greasy, scorched earth or mutilated bodies for her brother to take care of.

Daniel created Matrix, a face pack for beauty shops, which pulls blood through skin, leaves blissful clients, kills and alerts no one. Daniel cultivates his human side; Diana mocks him. Impatient, she hunts out of spite as much as need.

Admitting to himself that his twin sister will get him killed, Daniel knows that life's hardest decision is at hand.

The Hymn of Ordeal, No. 23

Rhiannon Rasmussen

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed: Women Destroy Science Fiction! Special Issue, June 2014.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Congenital Agenesis of Gender Ideation

Raphael Carter

Tiptree Award winning short story originally published in Starlight 2, edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden.

Dead Man's Run

Robert Reed

Sturgeon Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, November-December 2010. The story can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2011, edited by Rich Horton and The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Eighth Annual Collection (2011), edited by Gardner Dozois.

I Have This Nifty Idea… Now What Do I Do with It?

Mike Resnick

I HAVE THIS NIFTY IDEA ...Now what do I do with it? This book contains outlines for science fiction and fantasy novels which real authors (new and old) used to sell their books to major publishing companies... actual examples drawn from authors' files, not idealized versions prepared just for a textbook. Whether you're a beginning writer looking to break into novels, an experienced professional seeking new tools and techniques to sell books, or a fan curious about the remarkable thought-processes of some of the great genre writers of our time, you will find something here which enlightens, educates, and entertains you. I Have This Nifty Idea is the perfect addition to every library of books on writing. Includes work by Robert Silverberg, David Brin, Joe Haldeman, Mike Resnick, Robert J. Sawyer, Barry N. Malzberg, Kevin J. Anderson, Charles Sheffield, Katharine Kerr, Jack Dann, Jack L. Chalker, and many more.

At Ease with the Dead

Barbara Roden
Christopher Roden

At Ease with the Dead, the fourth anthology of original supernatural and macabre fiction to be published by Ash-Tree Press, is a worthy successor to the previous volumes, Midnight Never Comes, Shadows and Silence, and the World Fantasy and International Horror Guild Award winner Acquainted With The Night. It also offers the largest gathering of new fiction--some thirty stories from the pens of some of the finest writers practicing in the genre today.

CONTENTS:

The Church on the Island by Simon Kurt Unsworth

The Brook by John Llewellyn Probert

Mr Poo-Poo by Reggie Oliver

Dhost by Melanie Tem

Special Perceptions by Richard Harland

My Grandfather's Ghosts by Gary McMahon

We, The Remedials by John Travis

The Light of the World by Peter Bell

When Sorrows Come by Simon Strantzas

The White Sea Company by Mark Valentine

The Music Box by Mark Patrick Lynch

Visiting Hours by Kealan Patrick Burke

Lie Still, Sleep Becalmed by Steve Duffy

Threads by James Doig

The Heights by Matthew Holness

Sighted by Iain Rowan

The Calvary at Banská Bystrica by Helen Grant

Death Knock by Steve Lockley & Paul Lewis

Blue Train by Joel Lane

A Pillar of the Church by John Whitbourn

The Admiral's House by Marc Lecard

Recession by Robert Morrish

'And So Will I Remember You...' by Chet Williamson

Dr Upex and the Great God Ing by Antony Oldknow

The Tank by Paul Finch

The Charlie Club by J. J. Beazley

The Swing by Don Tumasonis

A Small Cold Hand by Simon Bestwick

Hell Hath No Fury by Keris McDonald

The Palace by Barbara Roden

Biographical / Story Notes

The Boy Who Came Back from the Dead

Alan Rodgers

Stoker Award winning and World Fantasy Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in the anthology Masques II (1987), edited by J. N. Williamson. It can also be found in the anthologies New Masterpieces of Horror (1996), edited by John Gregory Betancourt, and The Horror Hall of Fame: The Stoker Winners (2012), edited by Joe R. Lansdale. The story is included in the collection New Life for the Dead (1991).

The Dead Boy At Your Window

Bruce Holland Rogers

Stoker Award winning and Nebula Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in the November/December 1998 issue of The North American Review and was reprinted in Realms of Fantasy, April 2000. The story can be found in the anthologies Bedtime Stories to Darken Your Dreams (1999), edited by Rogers himself, and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 10 (2000), edited by Stephen Jones. It is also included in the collection Wind Over Heaven and Other Dark Tales (2000).

Read the full story for free here.

The Edinburgh Dead

Brian Ruckley

Edinburgh: 1828

In the starkly-lit operating theaters of the city, grisly experiments are being carried out on corpses in the name of medical science. But elsewhere, there are those experimenting with more sinister forces.

Amongst the crowded, sprawling tenements of the labyrinthine Old Town, a body is found, its neck torn to pieces. Charged with investigating the murder is Adam Quire, Officer of the newly- formed Edinburgh Police. The trail will lead him into the deepest reaches of the city's criminal underclass, and to the highest echelons of the filthy rich.

Soon Quire will discover that a darkness is crawling through this city of enlightenment - and no one is safe from its corruption.

The Edinburgh Dead is a powerful fusion of gothic horror, history, and the fantastical.

Killing the Angel of Death

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

When Roderigo and Izzy form a group to stop the Angel of Death from taking more innocent lives, they realize they need help. One by one, Roderigo recruits people who see the Angel, who know its evil magic, who suffer from the damage the Angel wreaks.

When Roderigo enlists the newest recruit--a war-damaged sniper--he achieves the formula for the group's ultimate success. But he might have just doomed the group to the ultimate failure.

A gut-wrenching story about love, loss, and the powerful inevitability of grief.

Monuments to the Dead

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

When Mount Rushmore suddenly disappears--no more presidents gracing its face--The American Observer sends Emelia Sunlake to give the California perspective.

Emelia wants to put "a white, middle-class, female California perspective" on the experience. But she soon discovers that everyone--white, black, Native and non-Native--sees this strange phenomenon differently.

This short story originally appeared in the anthology Tales from the Great Turtle (1994), edited by Piers Anthony and Richard Gilliam. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Eighth Annual Collection (1995), edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. The story is included in the collection Stories for an Enchanted Afternoon (2001).

Death Hunt on a Dying Planet

Gary Alan Ruse

Coreworld- A dying planet, run by the mysterious dictatorship of Quintad and the Corporation. A world beset by a deadly plague, turning once thriving land into a desolate and dying world.

Avalon- Home to the University, the one hope for mankind in the galaxy.

And Marinda- A scientist trapped for seven hundred years in suspended animation on a deserted spaceship. Her awakening would spark a deadly battle between the Quintad's Corporate security and the University. A battle that would leave Marinda marooned on a dying world with the threat of death at every turn...

Dead White

Alan Ryan

A novel of horror, terror and tantasy - a blizzard in the Catskills....

Dead Space for the Unexpected

Geoff Ryman

This short story originally appeared in Interzone, #88 October 1994. It can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twelth Annual Collection (1995), edited by Gardner Dozois, and Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories (2011), edited by John Joseph Adams.

Death with Interruptions

José Saramago

On the first day of the new year, no one dies. This of course causes consternation among politicians, religious leaders, morticians, and doctors. Among the general public, on the other hand, there is initially celebration -- flags are hung out on balconies, people dance in the streets. They have achieved the great goal of humanity: eternal life. Then reality hits home -- families are left to care for the permanently dying, life-insurance policies become meaningless, and funeral parlors are reduced to arranging burials for pet dogs, cats, hamsters, and parrots.

Death sits in her chilly apartment, where she lives alone with scythe and filing cabinets, and contemplates her experiment: What if no one ever died again? What if she, death with a small d, became human and were to fall in love?

The Hand You're Dealt

Robert J. Sawyer

Hugo Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in the anthology Free Space (1997), edited by Brad Linaweaver and Edward E. Kramer. The story is included in the collection Iterations (2002).

Read the story for free at the author's website.

Death

Stuart David Schiff

There are many ways to die. All of them unpleasant. You can be devoured, cursed, poisoned, bedeviled, tortured, drugged, transformed. Which one would you prefer? Not that you have a choice...

Short horror stories, including works by Stephen King, Fritz Leiber, Lord Dunsany, Dennis Etchison, and others.

Table of Contents:

Introduction - (1982) - essay by Stuart David Schiff

Two Bottles of Relish - (1932) - short story by Lord Dunsany

Deathtracks - (1982) - short story by Dennis Etchison

Always Together - (1982) - short story by Hugh B. Cave

Toilet Paper Run - (1982) - short story by Juleen Brantingham

The Green Parrot - (1952) - short story by Joseph Payne Brennan

Fragment from a Charred Diary - (1982) - short story by Davis Grubb

The Scarf - (1982) - short story by Bernice Balfour

Sentences - (1982) - short story by Richard Christian Matheson

Prickly - (1982) - short story by David A. Riley

The Kennel - (1920) - short story by Maurice Level

Onawa - (1982) - short story by Alan Ryan

A Telephone Booth - (1982) - short story by Wade Kenny

Straw Goat - (1982) - short story by Ken Wisman

Horrible Imaginings - (1982) - novella by Fritz Leiber

The Blind Spot - (1914) - short story by Saki

The Dust - (1982) - short story by Al Sarrantonio

It Grows on You - (1982) - short story by Stephen King

The Copper Bowl - (1928) - short story by George Fielding Eliot

Four Dead Queens

Astrid Scholte

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she's, in fact, one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens.

Chasing the Dead

Joe Schreiber

"You have a very lovely little girl," breathed a voice on the phone. And just like that, Susan Young is drawn into a living nighmare.

A stranger has kidnapped Sue's daughter, Veda. But he doesn't want her money, only her suffering - and he will kill Veda if Sue doesn't follow his every command. With detailed instructions, the faceless abductor leads Sue into a blinding snowstorm on the longest night of the year, to a place she has not travled to since childhood. The voice on the other end of the line somehow knows Sue's deepest, most chilling secret - an ominous incident from her past, buried long ago...

Across the loneliest back roads of Massachusetts, in the black expanse of a New England winter, Sue is forced to confront her most awful fears as she is met at each step by ever increasing horrors created by a monster who is surely something less than human. In the hope of saving her daughter from a kidnapper whose origin seems darker that anything she could ever have imagined, Sue will discover just how much trauma and fright the human body is capable of absorbing.

Set over the course of a single night, Chasing the Dead is a fast-paced, ferociously tense supernatural thriller. With the skill of master like Dean Koontz and David Morrell, Joe Schreiber has created a tableau of shock and horror, death and destruction, that will draw you in and never let you go.

Deadly Sister Love

P. Scot-Bernard

Stevie's been abused, lied to and laughed at. He kills his stepfather who has tortured Stevie and his sister, Trudy. Stevie thinks Trudy will always love him and be grateful for his protection. When Stevie kills their mother and the two children are split up, Trudy disappears from his life.

Parasite Eve

Hideaki Sena

When Dr. Nagashima loses his wife in a mysterious car crash, he is overwhelmed with grief but also an eerie sense of purpose; he becomes obsessed with reincarnating his dead wife. Her donated kidney is transplanted into a young girl with a debilitating disorder, but the doctor also feels compelled to keep a small sample of her liver in his laboratory. When these cells start mutating rapidly, a consciousness bent on determining its own fate awakens, bent on becoming the new dominant species on earth.

The Angel of Death

Michael Shea

Nebula Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 1979. The story is included in the collections Polyphemus (1987) and The Autopsy and Other Tales (2008).

The Death of Che Guevara

Lewis Shiner

Sturgeon Award nominated novella. It originally appeared on Subterranean Online, Fall 2009. The story is included in the collection Collected Stories (2010).

Read the full story for free at Subterranean Magazine.

The Book of the Dead

Jared Shurin

The Book of the Dead addresses the most fascinating of all the undead: the mummy. The mummy can be a figure of imperial dignity or one of shambling terror, at home in pulp adventure, contemporary drama, or apocalyptic horror. The anthology will be published in collaboration with the Egypt Exploration Society, the UK's oldest independent funder of archaeological fieldwork and research in Egypt, dedicated to the promotion and understanding of ancient Egyptian history and culture. This anthology includes nineteen original stories of revenge, romance, monsters and mayhem, ranging freely across time periods, genres and styles. The stories are illustrated by Garen Ewing, creator of The Adventures of Julius Chancer and introduced by John J. Johnston, Vice Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society.

Table of Contents:

Akhenaten Goes to Paris - (2013) - shortstory by Louis Greenberg

All is Dust - (2013) - shortstory by Den Patrick

Bit-U-Men - (2013) - shortstory by Maria Dahvana Headley

Cerulean Memories - (2013) - shortstory by Maurice Broaddus

Egyptian death and the afterlife: mummies (Rooms 62-3) - (2013) - shortstory by Jonathan Green

Escape from the Mummy's Tomb - (2013) - shortstory by Jesse Bullington

Henry - (2013) - shortstory by Glen Mehn

Her Heartbeat, An Echo - (2013) - shortstory by Lou Morgan

Inner Goddess - (2013) - shortstory by Michael West

Introduction: "Some Words from an Egyptologist" - (2013) - essay by John J. Johnston

Mysterium Tremendum - (2013) - shortstory by Molly Tanzer

Old Souls - (2013) - shortstory by David Thomas Moore

Ramesses on the Frontier - (2013) - shortstory by Paul Cornell

The Book of the Dead - (2013) - interior artwork by Garen Ewing

The Cats of Beni Hasan - (2013) - shortstory by Jenni Hill

The Curious Case of the Werewolf that Wasn't, The Mummy that Was and the Cat in the Jar - (2013) - shortstory by Gail Carriger

The Dedication of Sweetheart Abbey - (2013) - shortstory by David Bryher

The Roof of the World - (2013) - shortstory by Sarah Newton

The Thing of Wrath - (2013) - shortstory by Roger Luckhurst

Three Memories of Death - (2013) - shortstory by Will Hill

Tollund - (2013) - shortstory by Adam Roberts

Born with the Dead

Robert Silverberg

Locus and Nebula award winning and Hugo Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1974. The story can also be found in the anthologies The Best Science Fiction of the Year #4 (1975), edited by Terry Carr, Nebula Award Stories Ten (1975), edited by James Gunn, The Arbor House Treasury of Great Science Fiction Short Novels (1980), edited by Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg, and The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume IV (1986), edited by Terry Carr. It is included in the collections Born With the Dead: Three Novellas (1974), Phases of the Moon (2004) and Trips: 1972-73 (2009). The story is half of Tor Double #3: Born With The Dead/The Saliva Tree (1988, with Brian W. Aldiss).

Born With the Dead: Three Novellas

Robert Silverberg

For Born with the Dead:

His wife was among the rekindled dead now. He'd heard that she was on a plane to Zanzibar with five other rekindled dead. As a "warm" he was not really allowed to make contact with her. The dead liked to stay in their cold-cities. But he'd loved her so much when she was alive, he just had to try.

Contents:

Born with the Dead - (1974) - novella by Robert Silverberg

Thomas the Proclaimer - (1972) - novella by Robert Silverberg

Going - (1971) - novella by Robert Silverberg

Death Do Us Part

Robert Silverberg

This short story originally on Omni Online, December 1996, and was reprinted in Asimov's Science Fiction, August 1997. It can also be found in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Fourteenth Annual Collection (1997), edited by Gardner Dozois, and Immortals (1998), edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois. The story is included in the collections Phases of the Moon (2004), The Best of Robert Silverberg: Stories of Six Decades (2012), and Hot Times in Magma City: 1990-95 (2013).

Read the full story for free at the Baen website.

Master of Life and Death

Robert Silverberg

Originally appeared in Ace Double D-237 in 1957.

Global overcrowding, a new immortality serum and an unfriendly alien ambassador are only a few of the problems confronting Roy Walton, government's new Master of Life and Death in Robert Silverberg's early and accomplished novel. Praised by a distinguished critic, Anthony Boucher, for "its complete clarity and narrative drive" the novel retains its power today.

The Chalice of Death: Three Novels of Mystery in Space

Robert Silverberg

Three complete novels of mystery in space from Grand Master Robert Silverberg explode back into print for the first time in decades in this thrilling new Planet Stories collection! These extremely scarce tales originally appeared in the legendary Ace Double novel series, and represent a future multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author bridging the explosive, action-oriented science fiction adventures of the early pulps with more introspective themes of the new wave that swept sci-fi in the 1960s. In The Chalice of Death, a human from the far edge of space must track down the legendary planet that birthed his race tens of thousands of years ago. For the legends hold that the long-forgotten Earth holds the Chalice of Life, and the Chalice of Life holds immortality! In Starhaven, interplanetary fugitive Johnny Mantell flees authorities to the artificial pirate world known as Starhaven, sanctuary for the criminals and misfits of space. There he finds a new home for himself - as well as questions about his past, his future, and his identity! In Shadow on the Stars, deep space colonist Baird Ewing returns to Earth for the first time in the thousand years since his ancestors first departed, seeking aid against the aliens who seek to destroy his colony. But the weapon he finds upon the ancient Earth can save only one planet, and Ewing must choose between his two home worlds.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

The Chalice of Death - (1957)

Starhaven - (1958)

Shadow on the Stars - (2002)

Death in Bangkok

Dan Simmons

WFA nominated novelette. It originally appeared in Playboy, June 1993. The story can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Seventh Annual Collection (1994), edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.

An expanded version of the novelette appeared as Dying in Bangkok in the collection Lovedeath (1993). Datlow and Windling chose to reprint the abridged version in their annual, but used the retitled name.

Lovedeath

Dan Simmons

In the tradition of Michele Slung's I Shudder at Your Touch, the ard-winning author of Children of the Night explores the fascinating relationship between eroticism and horror in an original collection of psycho-sexual themes, some touched by the supernatural.

Table of Contents:

Foreword - essay

Entropy's Bed at Midnight - (1990) - novelette

Dying in Bangkok - novelette

Sleeping with Teeth Women - novella

Flashback - novelette

The Great Lover - novella

Notes: About the Real Poets - essay

Dead Worlds

Jack Skillingstead

Sturgeon Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2003. The story can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-First Annual Collection (2004), edited by Gardner Dozois. It is included in the collection Are You There and Other Stories (2009).

Read the full story for free at the Baen website.

The Briar Book of the Dead

Angela Slatter

Ellie Briar is the first non-witch to be born into her family for generations. The Briar family of witches run the town of Silverton, caring for its inhabitants with their skills and magic. In the usual scheme of things, they would be burnt for their sorcery, but the church has given them dispensation in return for their protection of the borders of the Darklands, where the much-feared Leech Lords hold sway.

Ellie is being trained as a steward, administering for the town, and warding off the insistent interest of the church. When her grandmother dies suddenly, Ellie's cousin Audra rises to the position of Briar Witch, propelling Ellie into her new role. As she navigates fresh challenges, an unexpected new ability to see and speak to the dead leads her to uncover sinister family secrets, stories of burnings, lost grimoires and evil spells. Reeling from one revelation to the next, she seeks answers from the long dead and is forced to decide who to trust, as a devastating plot threatens to destroy everything the Briar witches have sacrificed so much to build.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Dean Wesley Smith

Earth, 2065 A.D.: Destruction and confusion everywhere. Cities are deserted, the population is decimated, and the few humans who remain struggle to survive against an insidious alien presence that is consuming the very life energy of this wounded world. The presence is spreading across the planet, infecting everything in its path, killing the Earth one life at a time. Only Dr. Aki Ross, brilliant young woman haunted by dreams of death, may hold the key to saving the world.

In the Shade of the Slowboat Man

Dean Wesley Smith

For a vampire, saying goodbye to your mortal lover can be the hardest thing you ever have to do. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, a Nebula Award nominated story from USA Today bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith.

This story was originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1996 and can also be found in Nebula Awards 32 (1998), edited by Jack Dann.

Laying the Music to Rest

Dean Wesley Smith

A former college professor turned bartender, Doc finds himself trying to save his friends from a ghost under a lake in the wilderness of Idaho.

From diving into a sunken ghost town to trying to stay alive on the sinking deck of the Titanic, this time-travel science fiction novel reads like a rollercoaster ride with all the twists and turns.

Ecodeath

Gene Snyder
William John Watkins

Prompted by today's growing crisis in ecology, this is a compelling novel about a world suffocating in its own excesses. The time is the not-too-distant future when pollution has become a multi-million dollar industry ruining the atmosphere for a population already depleted of children and old people. Huge waste disposal plants belch out noxious gases twenty four hours a day while their owners make fortunes from the sale of gas masks, water purifiers and survival kits.

Opposing them is a band of guerrillas waging a gallant but losing struggle to destroy the factories and reverse the pollution even as they realize that it may already be too late.

And for two of the opponents the battle has an added personal direction: one because his wife and child have already died and he has vowed to kill the men destroying the atmosphere, and the other because he's determined to...

An Inquiry Into Love and Death

Simone St. James

In 1920's England, a young woman searches for the truth behind her uncle's mysterious death in a town haunted by a restless ghost...

Oxford student Jillian Leigh works day and night to keep up with her studies--so to leave at the beginning of the term is next to impossible. But after her uncle Toby, a renowned ghost hunter, is killed in a fall off a cliff, she must drive to the seaside village of Rothewell to pack up his belongings.

Almost immediately, unsettling incidents--a book left in a cold stove, a gate swinging open on its own--escalate into terrifying events that convince Jillian an angry spirit is trying to enter the house. Is it Walking John, the two-hundred-year-old ghost who haunts Blood Moon Bay? And who beside the ghost is roaming the local woods at night? If Toby uncovered something sinister, was his death no accident?

The arrival of handsome Scotland Yard inspector Drew Merriken, a former RAF pilot with mysteries of his own, leaves Jillian with more questions than answers--and with the added complication of a powerful, mutual attraction. Even as she suspects someone will do anything to hide the truth, she begins to discover spine-chilling secrets that lie deep within Rothewell... and at the very heart of who she is.

Silence for the Dead

Simone St. James

In 1919, Kitty Weekes, pretty, resourceful, and on the run, falsifies her background to obtain a nursing position at Portis House, a remote hospital for soldiers left shell-shocked by the horrors of the Great War. Hiding the shame of their mental instability in what was once a magnificent private estate, the patients suffer from nervous attacks and tormenting dreams. But something more is going on at Portis House--its plaster is crumbling, its plumbing makes eerie noises, and strange breaths of cold waft through the empty rooms. It's known that the former occupants left abruptly, but where did they go? And why do the patients all seem to share the same nightmare, one so horrific that they dare not speak of it?

Kitty finds a dangerous ally in Jack Yates, an inmate who may be a war hero, a madman... or maybe both. But even as Kitty and Jack create a secret, intimate alliance to uncover the truth, disturbing revelations suggest the presence of powerful spectral forces. And when a medical catastrophe leaves them even more isolated, they must battle the menace on their own, caught in the heart of a mystery that could destroy them both.

Mortimer Gray's 'History of Death'

Brian Stableford

Nebula and Sturgeon Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, April 1995. The story can also be found in the Gardner Dozois anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirteenth Annual Collection (1996), Supermen (2002) and Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction (2005), as well as Immortals (1998), edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois.

The Death of Jane Lawrence

Caitlin Starling

Practical, unassuming Jane Shoringfield has done the calculations, and decided that the most secure path forward is this: a husband, in a marriage of convenience, who will allow her to remain independent and occupied with meaningful work. Her first choice, the dashing but reclusive doctor Augustine Lawrence, agrees to her proposal with only one condition: that she must never visit Lindridge Hall, his crumbling family manor outside of town.

Yet on their wedding night, an accident strands her at his door in a pitch-black rainstorm, and she finds him changed. Gone is the bold, courageous surgeon, and in his place is a terrified, paranoid man?one who cannot tell reality from nightmare, and fears Jane is an apparition, come to haunt him. By morning, Augustine is himself again, but Jane knows something is deeply wrong at Lindridge Hall, and with the man she has so hastily bound her safety to.

The Luminous Dead

Caitlin Starling

A caver on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival.

When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she'd be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck--enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother--meant she'd get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane.

Instead, she got Em.

Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre's body with drugs or withholding critical information to "ensure the smooth operation" of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre's falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash--and a lash. And Em has secrets, too...

As Gyre descends, little inconsistencies--missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in Em's motivations--drive her out of her depths. Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive--she must confront the ghosts in her own head.

But how come she can't shake the feeling she's being followed?

Death Tolls

John E. Stith

Ex-investigative reporter Dan Kettering watches the Martian telecast showing the aircraft crash that killed someone close to him: his brother. The police convince Dan to get back in the news business, but not as a reporter. This time around he's got a new face, a new name, and he's a driver. Dan resisted the police at first, but one factor changes his mind. The crash that killed his brother wasn't necessarily an accident. His undercover assignment puts him close to Janet Vincent, one of the reporters on the team that uncannily seems to reach almost every disaster scene before their competition.

Dead Heat

Del Stone Jr.

Dead Heat by Del Stone Jr. is a frightening glimpse beyond the apocalyptic visions of fantasists like George Romero and Norman Spinrad.

Stone, in his first novel, crafts a fast-paced, action-packed tale of suspense and terror that borrows from the headlines of today to suggest the awful possibilities of tomorrow.

Award-winning artists Dave Dorman and Scott Hampton bring terrifying clarity to Stone's vision with illustrations that will shock, then amaze. Dead Heat is not for the timid.

But it's one hell of a story....

Death in the Spirit House

Craig Strete

The mountain and the myth of Spirit House loom in the lives of two men, Red Hawk and John Skydancer, who defy the ways and teachings of their people before coming to terms with the powerful heritage they have struggled to deny...

The Dead Mountaineer's Inn: One More Last Rite for the Detective Genre

Boris Strugatsky
Arkady Strugatsky

When Inspector Peter Glebsky arrives at the remote ski chalet on vacation, the last thing he intends to do is get involved in any police work. He's there to ski, drink brandy, and loaf around in blissful solitude.

But he hadn't counted on the other vacationers, an eccentric bunch including a famous hypnotist, a physicist with a penchant for gymnastic feats, a sulky teenager of indeterminate gender, and the mysterious Mr. and Mrs. Moses. And as the chalet fills up, strange things start happening--things that seem to indicate the presence of another, unseen guest. Is there a ghost on the premises? A prankster? Something more sinister? And then an avalanche blocks the mountain pass, and they're stuck.

Which is just about when they find the corpse. Meaning that Glebksy's vacation is over and he's embarked on the most unusual investigation he's ever been involved with. In fact, the further he looks into it, the more Glebsky realizes that the victim may not even be human.

In this late novel from the legendary Russian sci-fi duo--here in its first-ever English translation--the Strugatskys gleefully upend the plot of many a Hercule Poirot mystery--and the result is much funnier, and much stranger, than anything Agatha Christie ever wrote.

Seven Deadly Swords

Peter Sutton

For every sin, a sword
For every sword, a curse
For every curse, a death

Reymond joined the Crusades to free the Holy Land from the Saracens and win glory for himself. Instead, with six others, he found himself bound under a sorcerer's curse: the Seven Sins personified. Doomed to eternal life and with the weight of the deaths he has caused dragging his soul into the torments of hell, Reymond must find his former brothers-in-arms and defeat them. Riding across a thousand years of history, the road from Wrath to Redemption will be deadly...

Marrow Death

Michael Swanwick

Nebula Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Mid-December 1984. It was later incorporated into the novel In the Drift (1985).

The Dead

Michael Swanwick

"The Dead" presents a future world where zombies take center stage not as a threat, but as a commodity...

This Hugo and Nebula Award nominated story originally appeared in the Patrick Nielsen Hayden anthology Starlight (1996). It has been reprinted numerous times. In can be found in the anthologies:

The Year's Best Science Fiction: Fourteenth Annual Collection (1997) edited by Gardner Dozois
Nebula Awards 33 (1999) edited by Connie Willis
The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction (2005) edited by Gardner Dozois
The Living Dead (2008) edited by John Joseph Adams

It also appears in the collections Tales of Old Earth (2000) and The Best of Michael Swanwick (2008).

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Death and the Lady

Judith Tarr

Sturgeon Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in the anthology After the King: Stories in Honor of J.R.R. Tolkien (1992), edited by Martin H. Greenberg. It can also be found in the anthology Modern Classics of Fantasy (1997).

Death of a Clone

Alex Thomson

DESIGNED.
MANUFACTURED.
EXPENDABLE...

The Overseers may call it Hell, but for Leila and the other clones, the mining base on asteroid Mizushima-00109 is the only home they've ever known. But then Leila's sister Lily is murdered, and the Overseers seem less interested in solving the crime than in making their mining quota and returning to Earth.

Leila decides to find the murderer, just like the heroes of her old detective novels would. But Hell is a place of terrible secrets, and courage and determination--and a love of mysteries--may not be enough to keep Leila from ending up like her sister.

Book of the Dead

John Tigges

Bound in ancient leather, the solid gold pages inscribed with indecipherable markings, the book lay hidden for eons--patiently waiting to entrap any man who would succumb to its beauty. For anyone who possesses it will have wealth beyond measure--at a price. And soon whomever the book serves will find his name written on its golden pages... in blood.

Intimations of Death

Felix Timmermans

A boy's mother lies upstairs seriously ill, and in every crash of thunder or hollow chime of the clock he seems to hear a portent of her death.--A scholar of the occult finds his marriage threatened by horrifying and otherworldly noises emanating from the cellar.--During a plague outbreak, a gravedigger accidentally prepares one too many graves and becomes obsessed with the thought that the final grave will be his own.--A haunted man, seeking refuge in a monastery, is convinced that Death itself stalks him in the building's lonely halls.--When a suicide pact goes awry, a man believes the ghost of his vengeful lover has returned to destroy him.

These are the plots of the five tales in Intimations of Death (1910), available at last in English for the first time. Belgian author Felix Timmermans (1886-1947) was highly popular in his lifetime for his humorous tales of rural life, but in this early collection, written after a near-death experience with a serious illness, Timmermans reveals a more morbid side and delivers a collection of psychological horror tales worthy of Edgar Allan Poe. This edition, brilliantly translated by award-winning translator Paul Vincent, includes the macabre woodcut illustrations from the original Dutch edition and an introduction by John Howard.

Love Is the Plan the Plan Is Death

James Tiptree, Jr.

Nebula Award winning and Hugo Award nominated short story. It originally appeared in the anthology The Alien Condition (1973), edited by Stephen Goldin. The story can aslo be found in the antologies Nebula Award Stories Nine (1974), edited by Kate Wilhelm and The Best of the Nebulas (1989), edited by Ben Bova. It is included in the collections Warm Worlds and Otherwise (1975), Byte Beautiful: Eight Science Fiction Stories (1985) and Her Smoke Rose Up Forever (1990).

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Mix Tapes From Dead Boys

E. Catherine Tobler

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, July 2017.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Deadset

Emma Tom

A slapstick crime novel narrated by a dead school girl. Deadset won the 1998 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Asia and the South Pacific for Best First Novel.

Stardeath

E. C. Tubb

Ships occasionally disappeared in hyperspace, regrettable sacrifices to the luxury of faster than light travel. But now one of the lost ships has been found and the wreckage is enough to terrify even the most cold-blooded witness.

The lucky ones on the lost ship are dead. The others have been turned inside-out in gruesome parody of human beings and they are still alive. The disgraced Captain Kurt Varl is chosen to command a suicide mission to discover the cause of these disasters.

The enemy is unknown and the only way Varl can solve the mystery is to use himself as bait!

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Stuart Turton

Somebody's going to be murdered at the ball tonight. It won't appear to be a murder and so the murderer won't be caught. Rectify that injustice and I'll show you the way out.

It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden - one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party - can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.

The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath...

Deathless

Catherynne M. Valente

Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.

Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei's beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

Death Drives a Semi

Edo van Belkom

This is a collection of van Belkom's short stories written for Truck News, which recount the adventures of a former private investigator who becomes a trucker.

"Death Drives A Semi comes at you with a sparkle in its bloodshot eye, a happy twist on its pale lips, and a switchblade tucked into a back pocket of its faded jeans. These stories move with the brutal, crazed efficiency of a starved rat who has just spotted a half-eaten cheeseburger on the other side of the alley. Throughout, Edo van Belkom's left-handed, almost surreal sense of humor aerates and elevates the proceedings by providing a constant ironic commentary, like a soundtrack composed by Frank Zappa and Spike Jones."
-- Peter Straub, author of The Hellfire Club

Never Trust a Dead Man

Vivian Vande Velde

When Selwyn, a farmer, is accused of murdering his rival, Farold, he is sealed in the village burial cave with Farold's moldering corpse to await starvation--or worse. Worse comes along quickly in the form of a witch who raises Farold from the dead.

Selwyn thought he disliked Farold when he was alive, but that was nothing compared to working by the dead man's side as they search for the real killer.

The Dead Letter and The Figure Eight

Metta Fuller Victor

Before Raymond Chandler, before Dorothy Sayers or Agatha Christie, there was Metta Fuller Victor, the first American author-man or woman-of a full-length detective novel. This novel, The Dead Letter, is presented here along with another of Victor's mysteries, The Figure Eight. Both written in the 1860s and published under the name Seeley Regester, these novels show how-by combining conventions of the mystery form first developed by Edgar Allan Poe with those of the domestic novel-Victor pioneered the domestic detective story and paved the way for generations of writers to follow.

In The Dead Letter, Henry Moreland is killed by a single stab to the back. Against a background of post-Civil War politics, Richard Redfield, a young attorney, helps Burton, a legendary New York City detective, unravel the crime. In The Figure Eight, Joe Meredith undertakes a series of adventures and assumes a number of disguises to solve the mystery of the murder of his uncle and regain the lost fortune of his angelic cousin.

Deadeye Dick

Kurt Vonnegut

Deadeye Dick is Kurt Vonnegut's funny, chillingly satirical look at the death of innocence. Amid a true Vonnegutian host of horrors--a double murder, a fatal dose of radioactivity, a decapitation, an annihilation of a city by a neutron bomb--Rudy Waltz, aka Deadeye Dick, takes us along on a zany search for absolution and happiness. Here is a tale of crime and punishment that makes us rethink what we believe... and who we say we are.

Like Death

Tim Waggoner

There are no words for it. Ecstasy is laughably inadequate, as are rapture, euphoria, bliss... Ugly, harsh syllables that come nowhere near capturing the merest fraction of what he feels. The experience is primal and transcendent, like birth, like death. Scott Raymond lost his parents in a bloodbath when he was only nine years old, but despite the occasional headaches and hallucinations, he's managed to turn that trauma into moderate success as a true-crime writer. The success doesn't extend to keeping up the relationship with his estranged wife and son, however. Hoping to regain a sense of normal family life, he follows them to Ash Creek, Ohio under the pretense of writing a new book about a missing six-year-old girl. There, he encounters a young woman who shares the missing girl's name. She leads Scott into a world of psychotropic spiders, shark-toothed teenagers, and the expression of nearly every dark desire.

Fear and fascination lay equal claim as the nightmare fantasies of this realm bleed into Scott's daily life and his attempts to maintain a relationship with his son. Soon, he will need to use this world of cruelty and pain to face his past, his future, and what his life might have become. If he fails, it is only a matter of time before the nightmare that bloodied his childhood will reach out to ensnare his own son.

The Dead Sea-Bottom Scrolls

Howard Waldrop

This short story originally appeared in the anthology Old Mars (2013), edited by Gardner Dozois and George R.R. Martin. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2014, edited by Rich Horton.

Dead Space

Kali Wallace

Hester Marley used to have a plan for her life. But when a catastrophic attack left her injured, indebted, and stranded far from home, she was forced to take a dead-end security job with a powerful mining company in the asteroid belt. Now she spends her days investigating petty crimes to help her employer maximize its profits. She's surprised to hear from an old friend and fellow victim of the terrorist attack that ruined her life--and that surprise quickly turns to suspicion when he claims to have discovered something shocking about their shared history and the tragedy that neither of them can leave behind.

Before Hester can learn more, her friend is violently murdered at a remote asteroid mine. Hester joins the investigation to find the truth, both about her friend's death and the information he believed he had uncovered. But catching a killer is only the beginning of Hester's worries, and she soon realizes that everything she learns about her friend, his fellow miners, and the outpost they call home brings her closer to revealing secrets that very powerful and very dangerous people would rather keep hidden in the depths of space.

Dead Titans, Waken! / Invisible Sun

Donald Wandrei

Dead Titans, Waken! was an early draft of The Web of Easter Island, but also a significantly different version. Here published for the first time with an afterword by S.T. Joshi, this also includes Donald A. Wandrei's dazzling novel Invisible Sun, also published here for the first time. Includes color and black and white artwork.

Death's Door Café

Kaaron Warren

WFA nominated short story. It originally appeared in the anthology Shadows & Tall Trees, Spring 2014. It was reprinted in Nightmare Magazine, April 2016. The story can also be found in the anthology Focus 2014: Highlights of Australian Short Fiction (2015), edited by Tehani Wessely.

Read the full story for free at Nightmare Magazine.

Deathhunter

Ian Watson

Deathhunter opens with a rapidly and often wittily sketched utopia, containing the expected hints of something rotten. The Good Life has resulted from the philosophy of the good death: the creed is that after death there's nothing, that you vanish like a turned-off TV picture, that the proper end of life is calm acceptance of oblivion ("you should go gently into that good night"). Psychiatrists have become "death guides" leading the aged and sick into this approved frame of mind -- without fear, without hope -- before voluntary euthanasia. It is trumpeted that with fear of death abolished, war and other evils have vanished too; at the same time it's quietly made plain that little things like poetry and the creative arts in general have likewise bitten the dust. Even scientific research into the possibility of an afterlife is taboo, since the findings might shake the wobbly dogmas of the Houses of Death....

Death at the Blue Elephant

Janeen Webb

NOMINATED FOR A WORLD FANTASY AWARD. Death at the Blue Elephant is the first story collection by the respected and multiple award winning Australian writer and editor Janeen Webb. She is a recipient of the World Fantasy Award, the Peter MacNamara SF Achievement Award, the Australian Aurealis Award, and is a three-time winner of the Ditmar Award. In her introduction to this book, Pamela Sargent describes these stories as evoking a "combination of suspenseful anticipation, nervous apprehension, and total absorption in something far removed from my own experience". Death at the Blue Elephant collects 18 incredible globe-spanning visions by the self-confessed 'inveterate traveller'. Five stories are original to this collection.

Table of Contents:

Introduction - essay by Pamela Sargent

Preface: What Am I Doing Writing Fiction? - essay

Velvet Green - short fiction

Manifest Destiny - (2010) - short story

Death at the Blue Elephant - (1997) - short story

Red City - (2004) - novelette

Paradise Design'd - (2008) - short story

The Lion Hunt - (2004) - short story

Incident On Woolfe Street - (1999) - short fiction

The Lady of the Swamp - novelette

A Faust Films Production - (2004) - short story

Gawain and the Selkie's Daughter - (2002) - novelette

Niagara Falling - (1997) - novelette with Jack Dann

The Fire-eater's Tale - (2000) - short story with Jack Dann

Skull Beach - short fiction

Tigershow - (2003) - short story

Hell Is Where the Heart Is - (2013) - short story

Full Moon in Virgo - short fiction

Blake's Angel - (2003) - short story

The Sculptor's Wife - short fiction

The Forever Endeavor

Chuck Wendig

Dale Gilooly has a problem. Well, Dale has a lot of problems. Addiction. Rent. A girlfriend he let slip away.

But Dale has a solution. It's a Box. And it will let him go back 10 minutes in time. Enough to fix his new mistakes as they happen. And give him an edge to fix the old ones that haunt him.

Oh, and one other problem: Where did these other Dales come from?

Walter Bard has a problem. Well, Walter has twenty problems. Each of them a body buried in a pumpkin patch. And... they're all the same. Down to the teeth.

But Walter has a solution. It's his job. Solutions. He's a detective, after all.

Deadly Litter

James White

JAMES WHITE has produced a long series of remarkable science fiction story over the years--notably the running of a fantastic space hospital geared for all kinds of extra-terrestrial beings.

In DEADLY LITTER, he turns his hand to the peculiar problems of man in space. Four ingenious tales explore some of the wild--and not so wild--possibilities; the pressures, dangers, boredom man will have to suffer, and the courage it will take to get homo sapiens to live in a totally hostile element.

Excitement, suspense and the thread of realistic humor hold together these four fast moving tales of the future.

Table of Contents:

7 - Grapeliner - (1959) - novelette

47 - The Ideal Captain - (1958) - novella

97 - The Lights Outside the Windows - (1957) - novelette

129 - Deadly Litter - (1959) - novella

The Million-Dollar Wound

Dean Whitlock

This short story originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1987. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: Fifth Annual Collection (1988), edited by Gardner Dozois.

Where the Dead Wait

Ally Wilkes

An eerie, atmospheric Polar Gothic following a Victorian explorer in search of his lost shipmate and his own redemption...

William Day should be an acclaimed Arctic explorer. But after a failed expedition, in which his remaining men only survived by eating their dead comrades, he returned in disgrace.

Thirteen years later, his second-in-command, Jesse Stevens, has gone missing in the same frozen waters. Perhaps this is Day's chance to restore his tarnished reputation by bringing Stevens--the man who's haunted his whole life--back home. But when the rescue mission becomes an uncanny journey into his past, Day must face up to the things he's done.

Abandonment. Betrayal. Cannibalism.

Aboard ship, Day must also contend with unwanted passengers: a reporter obsessively digging up the truth about the first expedition, as well as Stevens's wife, a spirit-medium whose séances both fascinate and frighten. Following a trail of cryptic messages, gaunt bodies, and old bones, their search becomes more and more unnerving, as it becomes clear that the restless dead are never far behind. Something is coming through.

Dead Letters: An Anthology of the Undelivered, the Missing & the Returned

Conrad Williams

The Dead Letters Office: the final repository of the undelivered. Love missives unread, gifts unreceived, lost in postal limbo. This anthology features new stories from the masters of horror, fantasy and speculative fiction, each inspired by an object from the Dead Letters Office.

Table of Contents:

Introduction (Dead Letters) - essay by Conrad Williams

The Green Letter - short story by Steven Hall

Over to You - short story by Michael Marshall Smith

In Memoriam - short story by Joanne Harris

Ausland - short story by Alison Moore

Wonders to Come - novelette by Christopher Fowler

Cancer Dancer - short story by Pat Cadigan

The Wrong Game - novelette by Ramsey Campbell

Is-and - short story by Claire Dean

Buyer's Remorse - novelette by Andy Lane [as by Andrew Lane]

Gone Away - short story by Muriel Gray

Astray - novelette by Nina Allan

The Days of Our Lives - short story by Adam Nevill [as by Adam L. G. Nevill]

The Hungry Hotel - short story by Lisa Tuttle

L0ND0N - novelette by Nicholas Royle

Change Management - short story by Angela Slatter

Ledge Bants - novelette by Maria Dahvana Headley and China Miéville

And We, Spectators Always, Everywhere - short story by Kirsten Kaschock

Shadows of Death

J. N. Williamson

HOUSE TO SWAP:PROFESSOR AND WIFE SEEK TO TRADE ARIZONA HOME. GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RIGHT PERSON.

The ad seems the answer to Sherry's dreams. It will take her far away from Indianapolis and the unhappiness of her past. It doesn't warn of the horror waiting in that isolated house... about the strange experiments that have opened a door to the other side... about the dead whose shadows brush the whitewashed wall, waiting for the one human who can bring them back from paradise... or hell.

That human is Sherry, who does not know the terrifying secrets that haunt the charming house in Red Mountain...who cannot guess the fate awaiting her--until something reaches out its boney hand... touches her with withered lips... unleashes her blood-chilling scream and whispers of the killing time to come.

Death on the Nile

Connie Willis

Hugo Award winning and Nebula and Stoker Award nominated novelette. It originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, March 1993. The story can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction: Eleventh Annual Collection (1994), edited by Gardner Dozois, Nebula Awards 29 (1995), edited by Pamela Sargent, The New Hugo Winners, Volume IV (1997), edited by Gregory Benford. It is included in the collections Even the Queen and Other Short Stories (1998) and Time Is the Fire: The Best of Connie Willis (2013).

The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories

Gene Wolfe

A superb collection of science fiction and fantasy stories, The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories is a book that transcends all genre definitions. The stories within are mined with depth charges, explosions of meaning and illumination that will keep you thinking and feeling long after you have finished reading.

Table of Contents:

The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories - (1970) - shortstory

Alien Stones - (1972) - novelette

La Befana - (1973) - shortstory

The Hero as Werwolf - (1975) - shortstory

Three Fingers - (1976) - shortstory

The Death of Dr. Island - (1973) - novella

Feather Tigers - (1973) - shortstory

Hour of Trust - (1973) - novelette

Tracking Song - (1975) - novella

The Toy Theater - (1971) - shortstory

The Doctor of Death Island - (1978) - novella

"Cues - (1974) - shortstory

The Eyeflash Miracles - (1976) - novella

Seven American Nights - (1978) - novella

Dead & Buried

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

He thought dead men told no tales...

The murders were bad enough but what Sheriff Dan Gillis couldn't understand were the newcomers to Porter's Bluff, and their eerie resemblance to people he had seen dead and buried.

He couldn't tell Janet, because even his beautiful wife was acting strangely lately. Was he imagining things? Or was something evil preying on the sleepy town of Porter's Bluff, something as shadowy as the faceless killers who roamed the land?

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Love, Death

Caroline M. Yoachim

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, November 2015. It is included in the collection Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World and Other Stories (2016).

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Everdead

Rio Youers

The sound of everything combined is one long exhilarated scream.

San Antonio, Ibiza. A non-stop carnival for the young, where excess reigns and rules are made to be broken. But this summer, something else has joined the party. Something cruel and dark-hearted. An evil that moves through the night with an appetite for sin.

Toby Matthews has come to San Antonio to recover from a broken heart, and it seems that beautiful Cass Tait may be the cure. But as their relationship begins to bloom, they stumble upon an unspeakable darkness. They stare evil in the eye, they see its true heart, and know that only they can stop it. Before the sun goes down, they must decide whether to run... or whether to stand like heroes and fight. This is the hunting ground. The live wire. Where hearts were made to beat harder. This is San Antonio... one long exhilarated scream.

Deadman Switch

Timothy Zahn

Society has come to terms with a mining operation that requires the sacrifice of death-row inmates. But what happens when one inmate turns out to be innocent?

Only the recently dead can helm the "deadman switch" to pilot a ship through the Cloud, a mysterious solar entity that shields the Solitaire solar system and its valuable heavy metals. Two convicted murderers are routinely sacrificed for this task--one to enter the system, one to exit. Gilead Raca Benedar is a Watcher, employed by the wealthy head of an intergalactic mining company as a human lie detector of sorts. When Benedar is sent to Solitaire, with its metal-rich moons, to assist with the acquisition of its valuable mining rights, he and the crew are able to make it to Solitaire safely, and all goes well. That is, until Benedar's Watcher powers show him that the second convict they are traveling with--the one meant to helm the deadman switch on their return journey--is innocent.

The Loving Dead

Amelia Beamer

Kate and Michael are roommates living in the Oakland hills, working at the same Trader Joes supermarket. A night of drunken revelry changes their lives forever, but not in the way that anyone would expect. A slow-spreading plague of zombie-ism breaks out at their house party, spreading amongst their circle of friends, and simultaneously through the Bay Area. This zombie plague - an STD of sorts - is spread through sex and kissing, turning its victims into mindless, horny, voracious killers. Thrust into extremes by this slow- motion tragedy, Kate and Michael are forced to confront the choices they've made in their lives, and their fears of commitment, while trying to stay alive and reunite in the one place in the Bay Area that's likely to be safe and secure from the zombie hoards: Alcatraz.

The Enterprise of Death

Jesse Bullington

As the witch-pyres of the Spanish Inquisition blanket Renaissance Europe in a moral haze, a young African slave finds herself the unwilling apprentice of an ancient necromancer. Unfortunately, quitting his company proves even more hazardous than remaining his pupil when she is afflicted with a terrible curse. Yet salvation may lie in a mysterious tome her tutor has hidden somewhere on the war-torn continent.

She sets out on a seemingly impossible journey to find the book, never suspecting her fate is tied to three strangers: the artist Niklaus Manuel Deutsch, the alchemist Dr. Paracelsus, and a gun-slinging Dutch mercenary. As Manuel paints her macabre story on canvas, plank, and church wall, the young apprentice becomes increasingly aware that death might be the least of her concerns.

The Black Death

Basil Copper

The novel is set in Victorian England and concerns John Carter, an architect who leaves London to become a junior partner in a prosperous building firm in Thornton Bassett, a village in Dartmoor. His hopes for a new life fade as he discovers a sinister mystery.

The Church of Dead Girls

Stephen Dobyns

For decades, the faded, rural upstate New York village has lain dormant--until it is startlingly stirred to life when, one by one, three young girls vanish.

Nightmare are turned into horrifying reality when their corpses are found, brutally murdered, each missing their left hand.

Now, as the search for a madman gets underway, suspicion shrouds the quiet streets of Aurelius when its residents soon realize that a monster lives amongst them.

But no even prayers can save their loved ones from the rage of a twisted mind who has only just begun his slaughter...

A Requiem for Dead Flies

Peter N. Dudar

After their mother’s miscarriage, Lester and Gordon MacAuley were sent to Battle View Farm to stay with their grandmother for the summer. But the house on Battle View Farm has a haunting secret. As Grandma Vivian slowly slipped into madness, the brothers’ lives became entangled in mortal danger. That summer of terror left them scarred and plagued by the family’s dark secret.

Now, years later, the MacAuley brothers have returned with dreams of breathing new life into Battle View Farm. But living in the house on Battle View Farm, they are forced to face their past and solve the mystery that began generations ago. And to face the ghosts that still haunt their family’s legacy.

A legacy written in dead flies.

Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary

Pamela Dean

Inspired by the traditional ballad of the same name, "Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary" tells the tale of a mysterious young man who brings magic into the lives of three sisters.The tale of a mysterious young man and three bright young girls, of ancient magic and the modern world.

The Dubious Hills

Pamela Dean

Centuries after a group of warring wizards eliminate war from the Dubious Hills, the Hills are a place where knowledge and ability are parcelled out in strange ways. Only the group known as the Akoumi understand death, only the Gnosi know how to teach, and only the Physici can know pain. Dean weaves a strange and compelling examination of knowledge, responsiblity and death.

Deathgrip

Brian Hodge

Born with the power to heal, Paul Handler is one of a long line of Scapegoats, beings who take the anguish of humankind upon themselves, and he must make a lonely journey toward his destiny, pursued by one who seeks to destroy him.

Dead in the Water

Nancy Holder

The shipwrecked, vacationing passengers of the ill-fated freighter, Morris, are picked up by the H.M.S. Pandora and sail into a cruise of metaphysical terror, madness, and death.

Against Arcturus / Time Thieves

Dean Koontz
Susan K. Putney

Time Thieves

"Mr. Mullion," one of the triplets said, looming up twenty feet away as Pete followed the smooth railing. He stopped, his heart racing, but he felt a break in the rail as he did so. He edged forward a foot or two and felt around with his boot until he discovered a step. In a moment, blood pounding in his temples, he was halfway down toward the lower level, taking two risers at a time, no matter what the danger of a fall. He heard the mechanical man start after him as he set foot on the cement floor.

Against Arcturus

It's the story of an Earth activist who's tagged for a subversion mission on a small planet off in the galaxy a ways. Seems that when Earth got overpopulated, humans set out for other planets to colonize, and now those planets are rival factions. The Arcturans are humans, too, but an offshoot who's presently at war with Earth. The small planet in question is resource-rich and quite desirable to both sides. Arcturus in presently in control, and Earth wants to be.

Dark of the Woods / Soft Come the Dragons

Dean Koontz

DARK OF THE WOODS

Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt though be in the field.
Thou shalt be blessed above all...

Our holy empire of the Alliance of mankind has fulfilled our destiny. Remember the many heroic humans who have died in conquering the stars for you. Therefore, do not let misguided sympathy toward inferior and conquered animals deter you from your inherent title of divine rulers of the universe. Do not lose this birthright by succumbing to the "attractions" of any alien creature. Remember the penalties imposed by the Supremacy of Man party for this transgression.

Our blessings be with you as you follow in the paths of your brothers and sisters. We have faith in mankind and we have faith in you. But, however, should you falter from the paths of righteousness, we have many willing hands eager to show you the error of your ways....

SOFT COME THE DRAGONS

Mutilated, mutant by-products of America's "Artificial Wombs" created by attempts at producing human weapons...

An American team of doctors sent to China to combat the runaway ultimate in biological warfare...

The genetically mutated daughter of LSD users, hiding her powers in order to survive society...

And Gabe, the vital, young man mistakenly locked in an antiseptic old-age ward...

The following stories are included in this book:

"Soft Come the Dragons" (1967)

"A Third Hand" (1970) [F&SF, Jan 1970]

"The Twelfth Bed" (1968)

"A Season for Freedom" (1977) - [revised and re-issued version of "Killerbot" (1969)]

"The Psychedelic Children" (1968)

"Dragon In the Land" (1969)

"To Behold the Sun" (1967)

Doom of the Green Planet / Star Quest

Dean Koontz
Emil Petaja

Star Quest

In a universe that had been ravaged by a thousand years of interplanetary warfare between the star-shattering Romaghins and the equally voracious Setessins, there seemed now but one thing that might bring the destruction to an end. That would be the right catalyst in the hands of the right people. The right catalyst could well be the individualist rebel, Tohm... he who had once been a simple peasant and who had been forcibly changed into a fearfully armored instrument of mechanical warfare--the man-tank Jumbo Ten. But the right people? Could they possibly be the hated driftwood of biological warfare--those monsters of a cosmic no-man's land--the Muties?

Doom of the Green Planet

Save a life and it is your responsibility. Save a world and it is yours to protect forever. Such was the geasa of Diarmid Patrick O'Dowd, ex-starman. He had himself called down destruction on the Green Planet by destroying its creator and undermining its guiding Song. Now he must shield it from the aspirations of the next star-wanderer to set down on its lush fairy-tale landscape. For without its special "god" it would mean the end of that wonder world of swordsmen and sorcerers... and Diarmid himself had now to play that omnipotent role - even though he was but a marooned pilot and his opponent was the massed power of an organized stellar federation.

Fear That Man / Toyman

Dean Koontz
E. C. Tubb

Fear that Man by Dean R. Koontz

The galaxy had forgotten war and evil-until the man without a past intervened.

Toyman by E.C. Tubb

They called their planet toy, but the games the toymen played involved the fate of worlds.

The Fall of the Dream Machine / The Star Venturers

Kenneth Bulmer
Dean Koontz

THE FALL OF THE DREAM MACHINE

When all the world's a stage, director Cockley will run it. If there was a single phrase that captured the public's attention more than any other in 1967, it was this one: "The Medium is the Message." Marshall McLuhan not only made a fortune with it, but established himself as a prophet and philosopher. When McLuhan says the printed word is doomed in our age of electronic communication, everyone listens. Somehow, no one seems to notice that McLuhan's own predictions are presented via the printed word and - by his own theories - are doomed from the start.

Still, it frightens me to think of a future where all artistic outlets are electronic, where all of life becomes an open, sterile, and public thing. In this novel, I have tried to shape a society that has advanced along the lines of the predictions in The Medium is the Message... and then advanced a little further - a little to far.

McLuhan says we are drawing - via electronics - together again into a Village Society. A quick look around at television, telephones, and the recorded messages of today's pop music groups makes this seem a reasonable statement. But what will follow this village stage? A Household society? And after that what will we have - and be?

This is not truly a horror story. Not Quite.

THE STAR VENTURERS

"Heard of you?" The princess spoke with a great weariness. "We hear about all the adventurers of the galaxy. So far all have failed. You will fail too. I know it--but I must go on trying to find the prince. When you are dead and scattered into atoms we shall find another strong man and try again."

"One day, perhaps, we shall succeed. Maybe you will, but I doubt it. You too will be destroyed like all the others."

With these words of confidence ringing in his ears, Big Bill Jarrett was sent out on an impossible journey--one he knew could kill him if he went, and would kill him if he didn't.

Lovers Living, Lovers Dead

Richard Lortz

Lovers Living, Lovers Dead is far and away one of the most unique and clever horror novels, with its emphasis on characterization and atmosphere, rather than horrific imagery and shock. This is not to say that Lortz doesn't shock, but when he does create grotesque images, they are more poetic than horrific, as in the scene where thousands of butterflies invade the household and cover Christine like clothing.

Dead Love

Linda Watanabe McFerrin

Zombies in Japan? You bet your life! Dead Love is an artful supernatural thriller that follows a cast of nefarious characters—both human and otherworldly—as they foul one another's plans and power plays in a conspiracy of global proportions. It begins when Clément, a lovesick ghoul, falls for beautiful young Erin. Unfortunately, she is marked for death by the Japanese mob (the yakuza). Using secrets learned from a Haitian witch doctor, and taking us to Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Malaysia, Clément finds a way to rescue and possess her—but not at all in the manner he expected.

Pretty Little Dead Things

Gary McMahon

THOMAS USHER HAS A MOST TERRIBLE TALENT.

Following a car crash in which his wife and daughter are killed, he can see the recently departed, and it's not usually a pretty sight. When he is called to investigate the violent death of the daughter of a prominent local gangster, Usher's world is torn apart once more. For the barriers between this world and the next are not as immutable as once he believed.

Mashing together the grittiest British police procedural with dark supernatural terror, author Gary McMahon creates a refreshingly new take on horror fiction.

Deadrush

Yvonne Navarro

Transformed into one of the hungry undead during a dark ceremony, a Georgia youth desperately seeks answers to what he has become and discovers an addictive craving that urges him to kill.

Computer War / Death is a Dream

E. C. Tubb
Mack Reynolds

Computer War

The odds were right for victory. The problem with computer warfare is that the computer is always logical while the human enemy is not - or doesn't have to be. And that's what the Betastani enemy were doing - nothing that the Alphaland computers said they would. Those treacherous foemen were avoiding logic and using such unheard-of devices as surprise and sabotage, treason and trickery. They even had Alphaland's Deputy of Information believing Betastani propaganda without even realizing it. Of course he still thought he was being loyal to Alphaland, because he thought that one and one must logically add up to two. And that kind of thinking could make him the biggest traitor of them all.

Death is a Dream

Suspended animation, the doctor had said, was a simple matter - now that the bugs were ironed out. "You'll be safe here until we wake you, with the know-how to cure what's wrong." Brad Stevens chose the long cold sleep: and, as the doctor predicted, it worked. For Brad, death had been a dream, but the awakening was an incredible nightmare...

How the Dead Live

Will Self

Will Self has one of literature's most astonishing imaginations, and in How the Dead Live his talent has come to full flower. Lily Bloom is an angry, aging American transplanted to England, now losing her battle with cancer. Attended by nurses and her two daughters -- lumpy Charlotte, a dour, successful businesswoman, and beautiful Natasha, a junkie -- Lily takes us on a surreal, opinionated trip through the stages of a lifetime of lust and rage. From '40s career girl to '50s tippling adulteress to '70s PR flak, Lily has seen America and England through most of a century of riotous and unreal change. And then it's over. Lily catches a cab with her death guide, Aboriginal wizard Phar Lap Jones, and enters the shockingly banal world of the dead: the suburbs. She discovers smoking without consequences and gets another PR job, where none of her coworkers notices that she's not alive. She gets to know her roommates: Rude Boy, her terminally furious son who died in a car accident at age nine; Lithy, a fetus that died before she ever knew it existed; the Fats, huge formless shapes composed of all the weight she's ever gained or lost. How the Dead Live is Will Self's most remarkable and expansively human book, an important, disturbing vision of our time.

Master of Life and Death / The Secret Visitors

Robert Silverberg
James White

Master of Life and Death

Global overcrowding, a new immortality serum and an unfriendly alien ambassador are only a few of the problems confronting Roy Walton, government's new Master of Life and Death in Robert Silverberg's early and accomplished novel. Praised by a distinguished critic, Anthony Boucher, for "its complete clarity and narrative drive" the novel retains its power today.

The Secret Visitors

When the World Security Organization asked Doctor Lockhart to treat their mysterious prisoner, they hadn't known that the dying old man would reply to their questions in a totally unknown language. They had expected the stranger to reveal something about the world war which seemed imminent. But they had been thinking in terms of foreign spies - not alien beings!

Now suddenly they found themselves confronted with a Gargantuan task. They had to find a way to another world, a means of communicating with creatures they could barely imagine.

They had to stop a war which was originating in the farthest stars - or else surrender the Earth unconditionally to THE SECRET VISITORS.

Conquerors from the Darkness / Master of Life and Death

Robert Silverberg

Conquerors from the Darkness

A thousand years in the future, the earth has been conquered by an alien race and covered by a single sea. Dovirr Stargan, who is disgusted with the servility of his life on the floating city of Vythain, longs to become one of the Sea-Lords, who roam the sea as powerful protectors of the cities. Dovirr gets his wish, but the return of the alien race brings unexpected and critically dangerous crises to his new life as he learns the real, sometimes terrible, significance of power.

Master of Life and Death

Global overcrowding, a new immortality serum and an unfriendly alien ambassador are only a few of the problems confronting Roy Walton, government's new Master of Life and Death in Robert Silverberg's early and accomplished novel. Praised by a distinguished critic, Anthony Boucher, for "its complete clarity and narrative drive" the novel retains its power today.

My Death

Lisa Tuttle

WFA nominated novella.

The narrator of this creepy but feministically delicious novella, an early 21st-century novelist, decides to write the biography of Helen Ralston, an all-but-forgotten 20th-century novelist she has long admired. In the late 1920s, Helen studied painting with W.E. Logan. Logan painted her as Circe, and Helen painted herself as an island titled My Death. When they parted for good, both turned to writing. Willy became famous; Helen did not. The narrator of My Death intends to do something about that. But first she must solve the mystery of Helen's relationship with Willy and why Helen titled her self-portrait My Death.

Disturbing the Dead

A Rip Through Time: Book 3

Kelley Armstrong

Victorian Scotland is becoming less strange to modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson. Though inhabiting someone else's body will always be unsettling, even if her employers know that she's not actually housemaid Catriona Mitchell, ever since the night both of them were attacked in the same dark alley 150 years apart. Mallory likes her job as assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray, and is developing true friends--and feelings--in this century.

So, understanding the Victorian fascination with death, Mallory isn't that surprised when she and her friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. When their host is missing when it comes time to unwrap the mummy, Gray and Mallory are asked to step in. And upon closer inspection, it's not a mummy they've unwrapped, but a much more modern body.

Death at a Highland Wedding

A Rip Through Time: Book 4

Kelley Armstrong

After slipping 150 years into the past, modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson has embraced her new life in Victorian Scotland as housemaid Catriona Mitchel. Although it isn't what she expected, she's developed real, meaningful relationships with the people around her and has come to love her role as assistant to undertaker Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie.

Mallory, Gray, and McCreadie are on their way to the Scottish Highlands for McCreadie's younger sister's wedding. The McCreadies and the groom's family, the Cranstons, have a complicated history which has made the weekend quite uncomfortable. But the Cranston estate is beautiful so Gray and Mallory decide to escape the stifling company and set off to explore the castle and surrounding wilderness. They discover that the groom, Archie Cranston, a slightly pompous and prickly man, has set up deadly traps in the woods for the endangered Scottish wildcats, and they soon come across a cat who's been caught and severely injured. Oddly, Mallory notices the cat's injuries don't match up with the intricacies of the trap. These strange irregularities, combined with the secretive and erratic behavior of the groom, put Mallory and Duncan on edge. And then when one of the guests is murdered, they must work fast to uncover the murderer before another life is lost.

Deadbeat Druid

Adam Binder: Book 3

David R. Slayton

The living cannot be allowed to infect the dead.

Adam Binder has lost what matters most to him. Having finally learned the true identity of the warlock preying on his family, what was supposed to be a final confrontation with the fiend instead became a trap that sent Adam's beloved Vicente into the realm of the dead, where none living are meant to be.

Bound by debt, oath, and love, Adam blazes his own trail into the underworld to get Vicente back, and to end the threat of the warlock once and for all. But the road to hell is paved with far more than good intentions. Demons are hungry, and ghosts are relentless, and what awaits Adam in the underworld is nothing he is prepared to face.

If that weren't enough, Adam has one more thing he must do if he and Vicente are to return to the world of the living: find the lost heart of Death herself.

Dead Iron

Age of Steam: Book 1

Devon Monk

In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy and carrying the guilt of his brother's death. Then he's offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers-and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this Earth.

In a land shaped by magic, steam, and iron, where the only things a man can count on are his guns, gears, and grit, Cedar will have to depend on all three if he's going to save his brother and reclaim his soul once and for all...

The Untimely Deaths of Alex Wayfare

Alex Wayfare: Book 2

M. G. Buehrlen

Time travel, adventure, and romance come together in the highly anticipated sequel to THE 57 LIVES OF ALEX WAYFARE.

Alex Wayfare is back in Base Life. Her 57th life. She's in Chicago searching for Blue, who travels with her whenever she goes back in time. She's never met him in Base Life, but she's hoping he'll remember her in the present, and that he'll want to be with her like he does in the past.

Their romance is put on hold when she's attacked by henchmen working for Durham Gesh, who wants to harness her abilities for his own ugly purposes. But that threat seems insignificant when she returns home to face her younger sister's deteriorating health. Researching every possible remedy, from ancient herbs to forgotten medical advancements, Alex seeks a cure for her sister's cancer in the past.

The journeys are never simple. From the countryside of eighteenth-century China to a top-secret research lab in 1970s Michigan, Alex is plagued by enemy Descenders who seem to anticipate her every move, and realizes she may have a traitor in her small band of allies.

A traitor who might bring Gesh straight to Alex's front door.

The only person Alex feels she can trust is Blue. But there are secrets Alex doesn't know--secrets about Blue, about her team, and about herself. And the biggest secret of all will change her life, or her lives, forever.

Alien Nation

Alien Nation

Alan Dean Foster

The time--a future closer than we know. Where groups of extraterrestrial aliens have become familiar members of our society.

The place--Los Angeles. Still a town of fast times and hard crime, touching every life form inside the city limits.

The cops--Sykes, earthman, and Francisco, alien. Facing a menace meaner than the meanest streets on their beat. Fighting an enemy as terrifying as the darkest forces in a vast, unfathomable universe. Battling back with the best--and the deadliest--of both their worlds.

Alien: Covenant Origins

Aliens Universe: Alien Prequels: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

The Covenant mission is the most ambitious endeavor in the history of Weyland-Yutani. A ship bound for Origae-6, carrying two thousand colonists beyond the limits of known space, this is make-or-break investment for the corporation--and for the future of all mankind.

Yet there are those who would die to stop the mission. As the colony ship hovers in Earth orbit, several violent events reveal a deadly conspiracy to sabotage the launch. While Captain Jacob Branson and his wife Daniels complete their preparations, security chief Daniel Lopé recruits the final key member of his team. Together they seek to stop the perpetrators before the ship and its passengers can be destroyed.

An original novel by the acclaimed ALAN DEAN FOSTER, author of the groundbreaking Alien novelization, Origins is the official chronicle of the events that led up to Alien: Covenant. It also reveals the world the colonists left behind.

Alien: Covenant

Aliens Universe: Alien Prequels: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with Alien: Covenant, a new chapter in his groundbreaking Alien adventure.

The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise. But it is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imaginations, they must attempt a harrowing escape.

Acclaimed author Alan Dean Foster also returns to the universe he first encountered with the official novelization of the original Alien film. Alien: Covenant is the pivotal adventure that preceded that seminal film, and leads to the events that will yield one of the most terrifying sagas of all time.

Alien

Aliens Universe: Alien Quartet: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

A crew of spaceship Nostromo is suddenly woken up from a cryogenic sleep because of mysterious signals coming from an unknown planet and received by a ship computer. The astronauts land on the planet surface and go to investigate an alien spaceship where one of them is attacked by an alien which fasten itself on his face. When the crew returns to their ship and abandon the planet, nobody forefeels that the real horror will begin very soon...

Aliens

Aliens Universe: Alien Quartet: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

In the sequel to the 1979 film Alien, Ellen Ripley is persuaded to return to planet LV-426, where her crew encountered the hostile Alien creature. There they discovered hundreds of eggs, and just one alien slaughtered everyone but Ripley. A colony has been established there, but suddenly all contact with the settlers has been lost. This time she's accompanied by a unit of Colonial Marines, but even their firepower may not be enough for them to survive and learn the fate of the colony known as Hadley's Hope.

Alien3

Aliens Universe: Alien Quartet: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

Fury 161 is a wretched planet – a penal colony and industrial complex manned by violent prisoners. When an escape pod from the USS Sulaco crash-lands there, Ellen Ripley appears to be the only passenger left alive.

Then inmates begin to die, all at the hands of another survivor. A creature which encounters Ripley, and spares her life! Desperate to know why, she seeks out an answer – and discovers terror unlike any she's ever known.

Science fiction master Alan Dean Foster returns to the Alien universe to reveal the ultimate destinies of Ellen Ripley and her eternal foe, the xenomorph known as the Alien.

Dead Heat

Alpha and Omega: Book 4

Patricia Briggs

For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles's role as his father's enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal-or at least it starts out that way...

Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae's cold war with humanity is about to heat up--and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.

The Wild Dead

Amaryllis: Book 2

Carrie Vaughn

A century after environmental and economic collapse, the people of the Coast Road have rebuilt their own sort of civilization, striving not to make the mistakes their ancestors did. They strictly ration and manage resources, including the ability to have children.

Enid of Haven is an investigator, who with her new partner, Teeg, is called on to mediate a dispute over an old building in a far-flung settlement at the edge of Coast Road territory. The investigators' decision seems straightforward -- and then the body of a young woman turns up in the nearby marshland. Almost more shocking than that, she's not from the Coast Road, but from one of the outsider camps belonging to the nomads and wild folk who live outside the Coast Road communities. Now one of them is dead, and Enid wants to find out who killed her, even as Teeg argues that the murder isn't their problem.

In a dystopian future of isolated communities, can our moral sense survive the worst hard times?

Emissaries from the Dead

Andrea Cort: Book 1

Adam-Troy Castro

Two murders have occurred on One One One, an artificial ecosystem created by the universe's dominant AIs to house several engineered species, including a violent, sentient race of sloth-like creatures. Under order from the Diplomatic Corps, Counselor Andrea Cort has come to this cylinder world where an indentured human community hangs suspended high above a poisoned, acid atmosphere. Her assignment is to choose a suitable homicide suspect from among those who have sold their futures to escape existences even worse than this one. And no matter where the trail leads her she must do nothing to implicate the hosts, who hold the power to obliterate humankind in an instant.

But Andrea Cort is not about to hold back in her hunt for a killer. For she has nothing to lose and harbors no love for her masters or fellow indentures. And she herself has felt the terrible exhilaration of taking life....

Kiss the Dead

Anita Blake: Book 21

Laurell K. Hamilton

When a 15-year-old girl is abducted by vampires, it's up to U.S. Marshal Anita Blake to find her. And when she does, she's faced with something she's never seen before: a terrifyingly ordinary group of people - kids, grandparents, soccer moms - all recently turned and willing to die to avoid serving a master. And where there's one martyr, there will be more....

But even vampires have monsters that they're afraid of. And Anita is one of them....

Dead Ice

Anita Blake: Book 24

Laurell K. Hamilton

Becoming the fiancée of master vampire Jean-Claude is wreaking havoc with Anita Blake's reputation as a hardass--to some extent. Luckily, in professional circles, she's still the go-to expert for zombie issues. And right now, the FBI is having one hell of a zombie issue.

Someone is producing zombie porn. Anita has seen her share of freaky undead fetishes, so this shouldn't bother her. But the women being victimized aren't just mindless, rotting corpses. Their souls are trapped behind their eyes, signaling voodoo of the blackest kind.

It's the sort of case that can leave a mark on a person. And Anita's own soul may not survive unscathed...

Crimson Death

Anita Blake: Book 25

Laurell K. Hamilton

In her twenty-fifth adventure, vampire hunter and necromancer Anita Blake learns that evil is in the eye of the beholder...

Anita has never seen Damian, her vampire servant, in such a state. The rising sun doesn't usher in the peaceful death that he desperately needs. Instead, he's being bombarded with violent nightmares and blood sweats.

And now, with Damian at his most vulnerable, Anita needs him the most. The vampire who created him, who subjected him to centuries of torture, might be losing control, allowing rogue vampires to run wild and break one of their kind's few strict taboos.

Some say love is a great motivator, but hatred gets the job done, too. And when Anita joins forces with her friend Edward to stop the carnage, Damian will be at their side, even if it means traveling back to the land where all his nightmares spring from... a place that couldn't be less welcoming to a vampire, an assassin, and a necromancer: Ireland.

The Wrong Dead Guy

Another Coop Heist: Book 2

Richard Kadrey

In this fast paced sequel to The Everything Box--the second entry in New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey's comedic supernatural series--chaos ensues when Coop and the team at DOPS steal a not-quite-dead and very lovesick ancient Egyptian mummy wielding some terrifying magic.

Coop, a master thief sort of gone legit, saved the world from an ancient doomsday device--heroism that earned him a gig working for the Department of Peculiar Science, a fearsome top secret government agency that polices the odd and strange. Now Woolrich, Coop's boss at the DOPS, has Coop breaking into a traveling antiquities show to steal a sarcophagus containing the mummy of a powerful Egyptian wizard named Harkhuf. With the help of his pals Morty, Giselle, and a professor that's half-cat, half-robotic octopus, Coop pulls off the heist without a hitch.

It's not Coop's fault that when DOPS opened the sarcophagus they didn't find the mummy they were expecting. Well, it was the right mummy, but it wasn't exactly dead--and now it's escaped, using a type of magic the organization hasn't encountered before. Being a boss, Woolrich blames his underling for the screw up and wants Coop to find the missing Harkhuf and make it right, pronto.

Digging into Harkhuf's history, Coop thinks the mummy is hunting for an ancient magical manuscript that will help him bring his old lover back to life.

Which wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't a warrior sorceress hell-bent on conquering the world with her undead armies.

Coop would very much like to run from the oncoming chaos. It's one thing to steal a mummy, but another to have to deal with head-hunting bureaucrats, down-on-their luck fortune tellers, undead mailroom clerks, and a rather unimpressed elephant. Unfortunately, there's nowhere to run. If he wants the madness to stop, he's going to have to suck it up and play hero one more time. But if Coop manages to save the world AGAIN, he's definitely going to want a lot of answers. And a raise.

The Death of Dr. Island

Archipelago

Gene Wolfe

Locus and Nebula Award winning and Hugo Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in the anthology Universe 3 (1973), edited by Terrry Carr. The story can also be found in the anthologies:

The Best Science Fiction of the Year #3 (1974), edited by Terry Carr

Nebula Award Stories Nine (1974), edited by Kate Wilhelm

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume IV (1986, edited by Terry Carr

Modern Classic Short Novels of Science Fiction (1994), edited by Gardner Dozois

Visions of Wonder (1996), edited by David G. Hartwell and Milton T. Wolf

It is half of Tor Double #25: Fugue State/The Death of Doctor Island (1990, with John M. Ford) and is included in the collections The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories (1980), The Wolfe Archipelago (1983) and The Best of Gene Wolfe.

The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories

Archipelago

Gene Wolfe

Nebula Award nominated short story. It originally appaered in Orbit 7 (1970), edited by Damon Knight. The story can also be found in the anthologies Nebula Award Stories Six (1971), edited by Clifford D. Simak, and The Road to Science Fiction 4: From Here to Forever (1982), edited by James Gunn. It is included in the collections The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories (1980), The Wolfe Archipelago (1983) and The Wolfe Archipelago (2009).

The Deadly Grimoire

Arkham Horror: Book 7

Rosemary Jones

A daring actress and a barnstorming pilot team up to save the world from supernatural disaster in this uncanny pulp adventure set in the world of Arkham Horror...

Betsy Baxter is the plucky stunt-actor star of the 1920s serial adventure, The Flapper Detective. While researching a wing-walking scene, she meets the fearless Winifred Habbamock and discovers a shared background of eerie encounters and eldritch phenomena. For years, Betsy has been investigating the disappearance of an old friend during the horror-struck filming of The Mask of Silver, when she learns of his reappearance in Arkham, she and Winifred hit the road to investigate. But Arkham is full of mysteries and danger. Betsy will need all her skills, and new allies, to prevent an otherworldly cataclysm from consuming her and all of Arkham.

A Few Words For The Dead

August Shining and Toby Greene: Book 3

Guy Adams

Toby Greene, a Clown Service agent, is running for his life. Pursued around the globe by the relentless Rain-Soaked Bride, to stop is to die. But section Chief August Shining has problems of his own. Under investigation by MI6 and at the mercy of a mysterious entity, he's on his own.

Deadly Relations: Bester Ascendant

Babylon 5: The Psi Corps Trilogy: Book 2

J. Gregory Keyes

The child of their greatest heroes -- he was destined to become their darkest enemy...

In the twenty-second century, the discovery of human telepaths led to terror and bloodshed, and to the creation of the Psi Corps -- a government agency of elite telepaths who were used to control their own kind. Under the command of a power-mad politician, the Corps became a ruthless tool of oppression, and the telepath underground was formed.

Matthew and Fiona Dexter led the resistance to its greatest victories. But when they were martyred for the cause, their only child was claimed by the very forces they had died opposing.

Raised from infancy within the Psi Corps, Alfred Bester was a telepath of exceptional ability, determined to make his mark by transforming himself into a master of deceit. Schooled in hate but tormented by shards of conscience, he wrestled with the seductiveness of the sinister cause he served. But slowly stripped of humanity by the war between decency and betrayal, he surrendered his soul -- and rose to become the most dreaded figure of his time...

Death's Angel

Bantam Star Trek Original Novels: Book 11

Kathleen Sky

The U.S.S. Enterprise undertakes a highly sensitive mission, ferrying ambassadors from across the Federation to controversial peace talks. One by one, the opponents of the proposed détente with the Romulans are murdered - victims of a mysterious Angel of Death. And the killer may be an Enterprise crew member - maybe even Captain James T. Kirk...

Baphomet's Meteor

Baphomet: Book 1

Pierre Barbet

Crusaders of the Atom...

Are there parallel dimensions in which history turned out differently?

Are there other universes with other Earths where the alternates became the realities?

The "demon" was Baphomet--a stranded extra-terrestrial--and his alliance gave the Templars the atomic arms and scientific equipment to create the empire Baphomet needed for his own outer-space motives.

The Cylon Death Machine

Battlestar Galactica 1: Book 2

Glen A. Larson
Robert Thurston

Adapted from Battlestar Galactica TV episode "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero", teleplay by Don Bellisario & Glen A. Larson, story by John Ireland Jr.

Starbuck and Apollo battle a planet of lost clones, mind-slaves of the cylon warrior Vulpa, who are aiming the ultimate weapon at the embattled starfleet of humankind.

Ideal War

Battletech: Book 9

Christopher Kubasik

Captain Paul Master, a knight of the House Marik, is in over his head, when he journeys to a backwater planet to study a counterinsurgency operation and finds himself in the middle of the guerrilla war.

The Healthy Dead

Bauchelain and Korbal Broach: Book 2

Steven Erikson

Things are going all too well in the city of Quaint. So well, in fact, that something has to be done. The zeal for goodness can be catastrophic, and no-one knows this better than Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, two stalwart champions of all things bad. For the innumerable citizens of Quaint, driven to neurotic distraction and overwhelmed with good living, desperation breeds nefarious bed-mates, and before long the two homicidal necromancers — and their beleaguered and substance-addled manservant, Emancipor Reese — find themselves ensnared in a scheme to bring goodness into disrepute, if not utter ruination. To Reese's bemusement, laudable motivations are, in a bizarre twist, uncharacteristically relevant to Master Bauchelain, although, of course, the payment of a chest filled with gold helps. Even so, sometimes, it turns out, one must bring down civilization... in the name of civilization.

Dead of Light

Ben Macallan: Book 1

Chaz Brenchley

When Benedict leaves home, he learns more than he ever learnt at university. And as his family start to die - gruesome, horrible deaths - he learns that you can't turn your back on blood.

Berserker Blue Death

Berserker: Book 9

Fred Saberhagen

The great blue berserker's destruction of the human colony Shubra was swift and merciless.

Niles Domingo's daughter lies among the dead.

Niles Domingo is a man with a mission: Vengeance at any cost. With one small ship, he sets out against the great berserker called Leviathan, tracking it through the interstellar mists of the Milkpail Nebula. He is sure he is ready for anything. But nothing can prepare hom for the astonishing discoveries that lie between him and Leviathan.

The Fortress in Orion

Birthright Universe: Dead Enders: Book 1

Mike Resnick

The Democracy is at war with the alien Traanskei Coalition. War hero Colonel Nathan Pretorius has a record of success on dangerous behind-enemy-lines missions, missions that usually leave him in the hospital. Now he's recruited for a near-impossible assignment that may well leave him dead.

At the cost of many lives, the Democracy has managed to clone and train General Michkag, one of the Traanskei's master strategists. Colonel Pretorius and a hand-picked team must kidnap the real Michkag if they can, assassinate him if they can't, but no matter which, put the clone in his place, where he will misdirect the enemy's forces and funnel vital information to the Democracy.

Against the odds, Pretorius, along with Cyborg Felix Ortega, computer expert Toni Levi, convict and contortionist Sally "Snake" Kowalski, the near-human empath Marlowe, the alien Gzychurlyx, and Madam Methuselah - the Dead Enders - must infiltrate the Fortress in Orion, accomplish their mission, and escape with their lives.

The Prison in Antares

Birthright Universe: Dead Enders: Book 2

Mike Resnick

The Traanskei Coalition's greatest weapon is the Q bomb, and after years of failure, the Democracy has come up with a defense against it. The problem is that they killed most of the team that created it. The sole survivor, Edgar Nmumba, was kidnapped by the Coalition. Only Nmumba can duplicate the work fast enough to prevent the loss of another dozen populated planets.

Nathan Pretorius and his team of Dead Enders will require all their skills and cunning to rescue him, sane and in one piece, from the Coalition's best-hidden and best-guarded prison, somewhere in the Antares sector. But in a game of cross and double-cross, can they find him before it's too late?

The Castle in Cassiopeia

Birthright Universe: Dead Enders: Book 3

Mike Resnick

A crisis has arisen. In the first book of the series, THE FORTRESS IN ORION, Pretorius and his Dead Enders kidnapped the real General Michkag and substituted a clone who had been raised and trained in the Democracy. But now they find that the clone likes being the most powerful man in the hundred-world Traanskei Coalititon - and having been raised on Earth, he knows how humans think and react.

This becomes a many-layered problem for Pretorius and what is left of his Dead Enders. As the only humans on a totally militarized alien world, they must first find where the best-guarded member of the enemy's military - Michkag - is hiding and how many aliens, or regiments, or divisions, are guarding him, and then they must find a way past all his lines of defense to kill or capture him.

The Conqueror of Death

Black Coat French Science Fiction: Book 106

Brian Stableford

In the 1890s, a generation before Hugo Gernsback, Louis Figuier, editor of the French popular science magazine La Science Illustrée, made a concerted effort to define and delimit the genre of roman scientifique, using that term to head a series of feuilletons that ran in his magazine from 1888 to 1905. This is a new collection of eight French proto-science fiction stories taken from the pages of La Science Illustrée, translated and annotated by renowned science fiction writer and scholar Brian Stableford. Included here are Vernian romances, tall tales featuring the dramatic extrapolation of natural phenomena, stories highlighting the scientific obsessions of geniuses with its social and psychological costs, and stories of everyday life in which scientific knowledge comes to play a significant role.

Table of Contents:

Introduction (The Conqueror of Death) - (2013) - essay by Brian Stableford

The Tribulations of an Angler - short fiction by Alphonse Brown (trans. of Les tribulations d'un pêcheur à la ligne 1891)

The Story of an Earthquake - short fiction by Camille Debans (trans. of Histoire d'un tremblement de terre 1892)

Le Désiré - short fiction by Émile Gautier (trans. of Le Désiré, première traversée d'un bateau sous-marin 1893)

Fire Island - short fiction by Camille Debans (trans. of L'île en feu 1893)

Springfield's Doubloons - short fiction by Georges Price (trans. of Les 800 doublons de Springfield 1895)

A Steam Duel - short fiction by Camille Debans (trans. of Un duel à vapeur 1895)

The Conqueror of Death - short story by Camille Debans (trans. of Le vainqueur de la mort. Chronique des siècles à venir 1895)

The Gold-Mines of Bas-Meudon - (1898) - short fiction by Paul Combes (trans. of Les mines d'or du Bas Meudon)

The Many Deaths of The Black Company

Black Company: Tales of the Black Company: Book 4

Glen Cook

"Let me tell you who I am, on the chance that these scribblings do survive...."

"I am Murgen, Standardbearer of the Black Company, though I bear the shame of having lost that standard in battle. I am keeping these Annals because Croaker is dead, One–Eye won't, and hardly anyone else can read or write. I will be your guide for however long it takes the Shadowlanders to force our present predicament to its inevitable end...."

This omnibus volume comprises the novels Water Sleeps and Soldiers Live.

Dead Empire

Black Wolves: Book 2

Kate Elliott

Publication of this book has been cancelled by the publisher

Marshal Dannarah devoted her life to her father's legacy of stable rule in the Hundred, only to find it betrayed by people she thought she could trust. As Captain Kellas and his rebel Black Wolves struggle to overthrow the last heirs of the palace regime she was once part of, Dannarah abandons her homeland to fight for the throne of the Sirniakan Empire.

But the fates of the Hundred and the Empire are linked in a way no one, not even Dannarah and Kellas, could ever expect, when stolen magic rouses an enemy long ago left for dead.

Death Riders of Hel

Bloodsong: Book 2

Asa Drake

They were the Death Riders, the remains of once-proud heroes and Hel's greatest warriors. The very touch of their black-hilted swords or rotted flesh brought instant death and even the sight of their mail-clad corpses chilled the hearts of the bravest warriors.

Now, the warrior woman Bloodsong must face these ghoulish emissaries of Evil in a battle to the death, for the forces of Hel have kidnapped her daughter, and are determined to awaken the dark magic buried in her soul. From the mystical island of the Berserkers to wise Freya's domain, Bloodsong and her companions must prepare for the ultimate battle, honing their swords to lethal rediness, waiting for the onslaught to come.

Book of the Dead

Book of the Dead: Book 1

John Skipp
Craig Spector

Book of the Dead is an anthology of horror stories first published in 1989, edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector. All the stories in the anthology are united by the same premise seen in the apocalyptic films of George A. Romero, depicting a worldwide outbreak of zombies and various reactions to it. The first book was followed three years later by a follow-up, Still Dead: Book of the Dead 2, with a new group of writers tackling the same premise, though the second book put the stories in order according to their imagined chronology of the zombie takeover.

Still Dead: Book of the Dead 2

Book of the Dead: Book 2

John Skipp
Craig Spector

An anthology of horror stories based on the universe of George A. Romero features stories by Nancy Collins, Douglas Winter, and Bram Stoker Award-winner Elizabeth Massie, and includes the lost original script for Romero's Day of the Dead.

Dead Astronauts

Borne: Book 2

Jeff VanderMeer

A messianic blue fox who slips through warrens of time and space on a mysterious mission. A homeless woman haunted by a demon who finds the key to all things in a strange journal. A giant leviathan of a fish, centuries old, who hides a secret, remembering a past that may not be its own. Three ragtag rebels waging an endless war for the fate of the world against an all-powerful corporation. A raving madman who wanders the desert lost in the past, haunted by his own creation: an invisible monster whose name he has forgotten and whose purpose remains hidden.

Jeff VanderMeer's Dead Astronauts presents a City with no name of its own where, in the shadow of the all-powerful Company, lives human and otherwise converge in terrifying and miraculous ways. At stake: the fate of the future, the fate of Earth... all the Earths.

The Cause of Death

Bureau of Special Investigations: Book 1

Roger MacBride Allen

They are the elite agents of interstellar investigation. Their mission: solve off-Earth crimes and protect humanity's starside interests. They are the men and women of the Bureau of Special Investigations-BSI-and their cases are literally out of this world.

The message was garbled, but it appeared to be a simple enough request: escort a human prisoner convicted of murder back to Earth for punishment. But when BSI agents Jamie Mendez and Hannah Wolfson arrive on a planet settled by the enigmatic Pavlat, it seems that everyone is determined to kill them before they can complete their mission-or even find out what it is. And on a planet where murder is a time-honored tradition, Death is a cause everyone believes in. Mendez and Wolfson must find a way to untangle the web of Pavlavian intrigue obscuring the case and sort out what's really going on. But there's far more than just one man's life at stake-and soon they'll have a fresh murder to solve....

Death Sentence

Bureau of Special Investigations: Book 2

Roger MacBride Allen

They are the elite agents of interstellar investigation and their duty is to preserve and protect humanity throughout the galaxy. They are the men and women of the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) and their case files are literally out of this world.

It was just a simple courier job, but it ended in disaster. More than six months after BSI agent Jamie Mendez's predecessor was sent out on a mission, his ship has been found, the twenty-five-year-old agent inside dead--of old age. The urgent message he sacrificed his life to deliver has survived in the form of a highly encrypted datafile. The encryption has kept the sensitive information safe from alien code-breakers--so far. But with the decryption key lost, the file is just as useless to BSI. Now agents Mendez and Hannah Wolfson must travel off-world in the ill-fated ship on a desperate mission to discover what happened to one of their own... and to search for the key to a secret that could set off an interstellar, interspecies war--one that may end with humanity's extinction.

Dead of Veridon

Burn Cycle: Book 2

Tim Akers

Trouble finds Jacob Burn. Kicked out of his house, out of his comfortable life, out of everything that is familiar, even turned away from his circle of criminal friends and interesting enemies. Two years after he saved an ungrateful city from a mad angel, thwarting the plans of every powerful faction in Veridon, Jacob is still trying to pull his life together. And still trouble finds him.

A bad job goes worse, and soon old enemies present themselves as allies, and former friends set themselves against Jacob as he tries to put the dead to rest and the living to justice. Everything gets more difficult when he’s appointed by the Council to investigate the rise of the cog-dead, while some hold him personally accountable, and others in the city work to use the chaos to their advantage.

Deathwish

Cal Leandros: Book 4

Rob Thurman

How I felt the mental stirrings of a bloodthirsty heritage when I passed through the gray light wasn't my favorite topic.... The Auphe nature wasn't mine. I wouldn't let it be. And if I said that to myself over and over and sprinkled around enough frigging fairy dust, maybe it would be true.

Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, are barely getting by with their preternatural detective agency when the vampire Seamus hires them. He's being followed, and he wants to know by whom. But the Leandros brothers have to do more than they had planned when Seamus turns up dead (or un-undead). Worse still is the return of Cal's nightmarish family' the Auphe.

The last time Cal faced them, the Auphe were almost wiped out. Now they want revenge. Cal knows that before the Auphe get to him, they will try to destroy everything and everyone he holds dear. Because for the Auphe, Cal's pain is a pleasure.

And they're feeling good.

Undead & Unbound: Unexpected Tales from Beyond the Grave

Call of Cthulhu: Book 28

Brian M. Sammons

Contents:

6 - Introduction (Undead & Unbound) - essay by Brian M. Sammons and David Conyers

9 - Blind Item - shortstory by Cody Goodfellow

25 - Dead Baby Keychain Blues - shortstory by Gary McMahon

37 - A Personal Apocalypse - shortstory by Mercedes M. Yardley

51 - The Unexpected - shortstory by Mark Allan Gunnells

63 - Incarnate - shortstory by David Dunwoody

83 - Marionettes - shortstory by Robert Neilson

103 - Undead Night of the Undeadest Undead - shortstory by C. J. Henderson

121 - I Am Legion - shortstory by Robert M. Price

127 - When Dark Things Sleep - shortstory by Damien Walters Grintalis

137 - Descanse En Paz - shortstory by William Meikle

149 - Thunder in Old Kilpatrick - shortstory by Gustavo Bondoni

163 - Phallus Incarnate - shortstory by Glynn Barrass [as by Glynn Owen Barrass ]

177 - Wreckers - shortstory by Tom Lynch

187 - Scavenger - shortstory by Oscar Rios

199 - In the House of Millions of Years - shortstory by John Goodrich

209 - Romero 2.0 - shortstory by Brian M. Sammons and David Conyers

229 - Mother Blood - shortstory by Scott David Aniolowski

247 - The Unforgiving Court - shortstory by David Schembri

271 - North of the Arctic Circle - shortstory by Peter Rawlik

276 - Contributor Biographies (Undead & Unbound) - essay by uncredited

Death's Daughter

Calliope Reaper-Jones: Book 1

Amber Benson

Calliope Reaper-Jones so just wanted a normal life: buying designer shoes on sale, dating guys from Craig’s List, web-surfing for organic dim-sum for her boss...

But when her father—who happens to be Death himself—is kidnapped, and the Devil’s Protege embarks on a hostile takeover of the family business, Death, Inc., Callie returns home to assume the CEO mantle— only to discover she must complete three nearly impossible tasks in the realm of the afterlife first.

How to be Death

Calliope Reaper-Jones: Book 4

Amber Benson

All Calliope Reaper-Jones ever wanted out of life was a fabulous job in New York City and a really hot boyfriend. But now, she's the brand-new President of Death, Inc. With the Board of Death breathing down her neck and her dad's copy of How to be Death (A Fully Annotated Guide) unopened, Callie's really feeling the tension. And when the guide book is stolen at a fancy formal dinner, Callie has to figure out how to be the boss--before the powers held within the book get out and destroy humanity forever...

The Golden Age of Death

Calliope Reaper-Jones: Book 5

Amber Benson

My name is Calliope Reaper-Jones (Callie to my friends). I'm Death's Daughter and—as of very recently—the (reluctant) head of my father's company, Death, Inc.

I was gradually learning how to be a businesswoman. Had the power suits and shoes down, though the day to day was slow going. Then I was blindsided by Enemies Unknown and sent off to I-don't-know-where. Not a good thing.

Now not only must my friends and family be frantic, but without a CEO, Death, Inc., can't function. With the newly deceased left free to roam the Earth, it's the zombie apocalypse come true.

I've got to get back—for my sake and the sake of, oh, all humanity...

The Dead Take the A Train

Carrion City: Book 1

Cassandra Khaw
Richard Kadrey

Bestselling authors Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey have teamed up to deliver a dark new story with magic, monsters, and mayhem, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.

Julie is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-year-old whose only retirement plan is dying early. She's been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she'll work the most gruesome gigs, exorcize the nastiest demons, and make deals with the cruelest gods to claw her way to the top. But nothing can prepare her for the toughest job yet: when her best friend, Sarah, shows up at her door in need of help. Keeping Sarah safe becomes top priority.

Julie is desperate for a quick fix to break the dead-end grind and save her friend. But her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts Sarah -- and the entire world -- directly in the path of annihilation.

The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Cassandra Khaw's cosmic horror and Richard Kadrey's gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York's magical underbelly.

Third Grave Dead Ahead

Charley Davidson: Book 3

Darynda Jones

Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she's drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because every time she closes her eyes she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing-persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hell-bent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up on his plan of seduction... and revenge?

Every Dead Thing

Charlie Parker: Book 1

John Connolly

Tortured and brilliant private detective Charlie Parker stars in this thriller by New York Times bestselling author John Connolly.

Former NYPD detective Charlie "Bird" Parker is on the verge of madness. Tortured by the unsolved slayings of his wife and young daughter, he is a man consumed by guilt, regret, and the desire for revenge. When his former partner asks him to track down a missing girl, Parker finds himself drawn into a world beyond his a world where thirty-year-old killings remain shrouded in fear and lies, a world where the ghosts of the dead torment the living, a world haunted by the murderer responsible for the deaths in his family--a serial killer who uses the human body to create works of art and takes faces as his prize. But the search awakens buried instincts in instincts for survival, for compassion, for love, and, ultimately, for killing.

Aided by a beautiful young psychologist and a pair of bickering career criminals, Parker becomes the bait in a trap set in the humid bayous of Louisiana, a trap that threatens the lives of everyone in its reach. Driven by visions of the dead and the voice of an old black psychic who met a terrible end, Parker must seek a final, brutal confrontation with a murderer who has moved beyond all notions of humanity, who has set out to create a hell on the serial killer known only as the Traveling Man.

In the tradition of classic American detective fiction, Every Dead Thing is a tense, richly plotted thriller, filled with memorable characters and gripping action. It is also a profoundly moving novel, concerned with the nature of loyalty, love, and forgiveness. Lyrical and terrifying, it is an ambitious debut, triumphantly realized.

The Ark

Children of a Dead Earth: Book 1

Patrick S. Tomlinson

Humankind has escaped a dying Earth and set out to find a new home among the stars aboard an immense generation spaceship, affectionately named the Ark. Bryan Benson is the Ark's greatest living sports hero, enjoying retirement working as a detective in Avalon, his home module. The hours are good, the work is easy, and the perks can't be beat.

But when a crew member goes missing, Benson is thrust into the center of an ever-expanding web of deception, secrets, and violence that overturns everything he knows about living on the Ark and threatens everyone aboard. As the last remnants of humanity hurtle towards their salvation, Benson finds himself in a desperate race to unravel the conspiracy before a madman turns mankind's home into its tomb.

Trident's Forge

Children of a Dead Earth: Book 2

Patrick S. Tomlinson

Against all odds, the Ark and her thirty-thousand survivors have reached Tau Ceti G to begin the long, arduous task of rebuilding human civilization. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Tau Ceti G's natives, the G'tel, are coming to grips with the sudden appearance of what many believe are their long-lost Gods.

But first contact between humans and G'tel goes catastrophically wrong, visiting death on both sides. Rumors swirl that the massacre was no accident. The Ark's greatest hero, Bryan Benson, takes on the mystery.

Partnered with native 'truth-digger' Kexx, and against both of their better judgment, Benson is thrust into the heart of an alien culture with no idea how to tell who wants to worship him from who wants him dead.

Together, Benson and Kexx will have to find enough common ground and trust to uncover a plot that threatens to plunge both of their peoples into an apocalyptic war that neither side can afford to fight.

Children of the Divide

Children of a Dead Earth: Book 3

Patrick S. Tomlinson

A new generation comes of age eighteen years after humanity arrived on the colony planet Gaia. Now threats from both within and outside their Trident threaten everything they've built.

The discovery of an alien installation inside Gaia's moon, terrorist attacks, and the kidnap of a man's daughter stretch the community to its breaking point, but only two men stand a chance of solving all three mysteries before the makeshift planetary government shuts everything down.

The Pincers of Death

Chronicles of Isambard Smith: Book 6

Toby Frost

The empire of the ant-people is beginning to crumble. As the British Space Navy prepares to invade the Ghast home world, the Secret Service comes up with a daring plan--the assassination of Number One, the small and furious dictator of the Ghasts. Only one man has the qualities needed to take on a job this dangerous--Captain Isambard Smith.

But Smith has problems of his own. Captured by the ruthless--and gormless--Criminarch of Radishia, Smith and his crew must survive the deadly sport of Hyperbowl, where it's not whether you win or lose that counts, but how you slay the game. Now Smith faces his toughest challenge yet. In order to civilize the galaxy, he will have to win a ball game, topple a dictator, and organize a party for a four-year-old.

All in a day's work for a hero of the British Space Empire--although it's going to be a very busy day indeed.

Deathless Gods

Chronicles of the Kencyrath: Book 10

P. C. Hodgell

Jamethiel Knorth, Priest's Bane and Dream-Weaver, has returned victorious from Tai-tastigon, but trouble dogs the Kencyrath.

There is intrigue among the Highborn. The Randir and his allies want the larger houses to decide for all nine, which would strip the Highlordship from the Knorth. At Omiroth, a senile king struggles against his venal son-in-law--but if neither of these can rule, the next in line is a mother-dominated child. Kindrie Soul-Walker is captured and thrown in a secret dungeon, a political prisoner. And a Kendar administrator, dissatisfied with the use that Jame is making of the gates, schemes against her, and then against her house and her brother, Torisen Black Lord, Highlord of the Kencyrath.

While Tori defends Gothregor and Kindrie rots a secret captive, Jame rides south to Bashti. Here she confronts an unready and presumptuous heir, a withholding and manipulative paymaster, and invisible assassins. Her formal errand, meanwhile, is to compete in martial games with secret stakes--which she fears are a cloak for a massacre, or worse.

Death or Glory

Ciaphas Cain: Book 4

Sandy Mitchell

Once again, reluctant hero Commissar Cain is catapulted into glory in the fourth instalment of this tremendously popular series. Escaping from a disastrous space battle, the commissar and his malodorous sidekick Jurgen crash-land behind enemy lines. Even the sly Cain can't avoid a straight fight this time, as the only way out is to round up what few troops they can find and fight their way back to safety. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of barbaric alien orks stand in their way.

Conan and the Death Lord of Thanza

Conan Pastiches: Book 50

Roland J. Green

Few places are as desolate as the Thanza Mountains on the border of Nemedia and Aqilonia. few area are so remote, so dangerous, or so inaccessible... which is why Conan chose these mountains as the perfect spot in the world for Conan to be.

Unfortunately, it is the single worst spot in the world for Conan to be.

Bandits and sorcerers--and worse--inhabit this lonely realm. Worst of all, it is the home of the Soul of Thanza. He who possesses the Soul will become the Death Lord--a post unfilled for many thousands of years. If the Death Lord should come into his full power, mountains will move, seas will be pushed back, the earth itself will shiver, and dead men will rise to fight again.

No army of puny humans will be able to stand against the Death lord. Only one man would even dare to try--Conan the Cimmerian!

Unfallen Dead

Connor Grey: Book 3

Mark Del Franco

For a century since the Convergence of Faerie and modern reality, the Ways between this world and the next have been closed. But now signs point to the chance that the veil may lift again.

Connor Grey has enough problems with a vengeful Queen of Faerie and the return of his old Guild partner. Add an occult string of murders, and it?s another case that just may kill him.

The Dead of Winter

Cora Oglesby: Book 1

Lee Collins

Cora and her husband hunt things – things that shouldn't exist.

When the marshal of Leadville, Colorado, comes across a pair of mysterious deaths, he turns to Cora to find the creature responsible. But if Cora is to overcome the unnatural tide threatening to consume the small town, she must first confront her own tragic past as well as her present.

A stunning supernatural novel that will be quickly joined by a very welcome sequel, She Returns From War, in February 2013.

The Tower of Death

Cormac Mac Art: Book 2

Keith Taylor
Andrew J. Offutt

Son of an Irish king, in bitter exile from the land of his birth and the woman of his heart, Cormac Mac Art has made a life and a name for himself with his wits and his strength and his bright, deadly sword.

In The Tower of Death Andrew J. Offutt and Keith Taylor bring to life the young Cormac, newly exiled, filled with the grim determination to prove his manhood on the treacherous sea lanes of fifth century Europe. Along with Wulfhere the Dane, whose name is as feared as Cormac's own, the Irish prince turns pirate and is too successful at his chosen vocation for his own good...

When Death Birds Fly

Cormac Mac Art: Book 3

Keith Taylor
Andrew J. Offutt

The name of Lucanor "Magus" strikes fear into the souls of all who sail the rough seas between Galicia and Britannia, for the spells of this mage and sorcerer are as evil as his heart - and he will rule these shores by whatever means he can. But he reckons without Cormac Mac Art, he of the black hair and light eyes who has struck his own kind of fear throughout his native Eirrin and as far beyond as seafarers wander and tell tales of courage.

Cormac is a warrior, more than a match for any other with sword or ax, but he is more than that. The blood of the High-kings of ancient days runs in his veins: the sorceries of such as Lucanor cannot overcome him though they come from the very bowels of Hell!

Undead on Arrival

Crimson Moon: Book 3

L. A. Banks

Just one month ago, secret government operative Sasha Trudeau thought she'd tasted victory. Orchestrating detente between the warring factions of the supernatural world had nearly cost her life - but it also opened the door to a future with Max Hunter, her mate and fellow Shadow Wolf.

Until now. A poisonous virus is wreaking havoc on Hunter's immune system. And the passionate man who Sasha loves has become unpredictable, dangerous - and possibly deadly. When Hunter disappears the night a human is found ravaged, Sasha is thrust into a race against the clock to find the cure for her mate... and the traitor who's determined to see them both dead.

Cursed to Death

Crimson Moon: Book 4

L. A. Banks

Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau arrives at the scene of a murder, only to discover that a Fae creature has been killed - in a whole new kind of way. What is the meaning behind this mysterious ritualistic killing? What did the victim do to deserve it? Sasha fears that the Vampires and Unseelies have formed an unholy alliance... and they're ready to unleash their darkest arsenal of magick yet.

Teaming up with her mate and fellow Shadow Wolf, Max Hunter, Sasha tries to penetrate the paranormal community for clues. Meanwhile, members of the Wolf Clan are turning against one another as they race to uncover the meaning behind an ancient Unseelie curse. Even Sasha is not immune to this powerful magick, and soon finds herself drawn to a sensual, dangerous dance - one that could cost her own life...

Left for Undead

Crimson Moon: Book 6

L. A. Banks

Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau earned a long vacation with her lover and fellow Shadow Wolf, Hunter, after the brutal wolf-like attacks that left New Orleans in an uproar. But when her team calls with news of vampire slayings, Sasha knows it's only a matter of time before another war breaks out among the supernatural denizens of the world.

The vampires are nobody's ally, but the cold-hearted deaths of their own kind make them even more bloodthirsty than usual. But who is the culprit? With the Seelie and Unseelie courts claiming innocence and aligning together, Sasha's team is at a loss. Until they discover that they're facing ancient creatures from the depths of hell itself, bent on unleashing pure fury.

Death Warmed Over

Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I.: Book 1

Kevin J. Anderson

Single Dead Detective Seeks Clue

Ever since the Big Uneasy unleashed vampires, werewolves, and other undead denizens on the world, it's been hell being a detective--especially for zombie P.I. Dan Chambeaux. Taking on the creepiest of cases in the Unnatural Quarter with a human lawyer for a partner and a ghost for a girlfriend, Chambeaux redefines "dead on arrival." But just because he was murdered doesn't mean he'd leave his clients in the lurch. Besides, zombies are so good at lurching.

Now he's back from the dead and back in business--with a caseload that's downright unnatural. A resurrected mummy is suing the museum that put him on display. Two witches, victims of a curse gone terribly wrong, are seeking restitution. And he's got to figure out a very personal question--who killed him?

For Dan Chambeaux, it's all in a day's work...

A Plain-Dealing Villain

Daniel Faust: Book 4

Craig Schaefer

It's hard to make a dishonest buck in Sin City, especially when a rogue FBI agent is gunning for your head. Flat broke and one step ahead of the law, Daniel Faust flees Vegas and lands in Chicago, where a risky heist promises to fill his pockets with cash.

There are the risks you can account for, and then there are the risks you never see coming, the ones that leave you blindsided and fighting to survive. Daniel is a stranger in a strange land, out of his element and surrounded by corrupt sorcerers, demons, and worse. Still, with a friend's soul hanging in the balance -- not to mention a pile of stolen cash -- giving up isn't an option.

Before he's done, Daniel will descend into the depths of Chicago's occult netherworld, competing in an underground poker tournament where the winner takes all... and with the infernal Court of Night-Blooming Flowers running the show, "winner takes all" has an entirely new meaning. The Flowers haven't forgotten Daniel's past insults, and if they get their way, he'll never leave the Windy City alive.

Down Among the Dead Men

Daniel Faust: Book 10

Craig Schaefer

Daniel Faust's last heist ended with a betrayal, a bullet in his heart, and a plunge from a lonely back-country bridge. Now he's on life support, and the occult relic keeping him tethered to this world is counting down the last seconds to midnight.

That's the good news. The bad news is, he just woke up in hell.

Marooned, lost, and hunted in an endless city of the damned, Daniel is racing against time. If he can't make it back to his body before the clock runs out, he'll be trapped in the netherworld forever. A host of enemies stand in his way. Some are desperate to silence him. Others, ghosts etched in blood and gun-smoke, are hungry for payback. Hell is the one place where you can never outrun your past.

And in the land of the living, Daniel's family and crew gather to mount a desperate defense around his hospital bed as assassins close in from all sides. Survival will take a miracle, but this magician might have one last trick up his sleeve.

Dead Man Rising

Dante Valentine: Book 2

Lilith Saintcrow

'Dark fantasy has a new heroine.' --- SFXWhen the dead call, she answers.

Bounty hunting is a helluva job, but it pays the bills. And it lets Necromance Dante Valentine forget her issues---like struggling with her half-demon side and the memory of her lover's death.

Now psychics all over the city are being savagely murdered---and a piece of the past Dante thought she'd buried is stalking the night with a vengeance. Too bad she's got no way to tell which fiend--or friend--to trust. Or that her most horrifying nightmares are gathering to take one kick-ass bounty hunter down for the count.

But that's only the beginning. The Devil just called. He's looking for Dante's lover--the one he killed...

Death's Sweet Embrace

Dark Brethren: Book 2

Tracey O'Hara

After centuries of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens the tenuous peace.

Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force forms to halt the madness, including the vampiric Aeternus Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes... and forbidden lovers.

A centuries-old blood feud has divided their shapeshifting peoples, and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside, for the killer they seek is but the first sign of the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.

A Dead Djinn in Cairo

Dead Djinn Universe: Book 1

P. Djèlí Clark

Egypt, 1912. In an alternate Cairo infused with the otherworldly, the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities investigate disturbances between the mortal and the (possibly) divine. What starts off as an odd suicide case for Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha'arawi leads her through the city's underbelly as she encounters rampaging ghouls, saucy assassins, clockwork angels, and plot that could unravel time itself.

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015

Dead Djinn Universe: Book 2

P. Djèlí Clark

Cairo, 1912: The case started as a simple one for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities -- handling a possessed tram car.

Soon, however, Agent Hamed Nasr and his new partner Agent Onsi Youssef are exposed to a new side of Cairo stirring with suffragettes, secret societies, and sentient automatons in a race against time to protect the city from an encroaching danger that crosses the line between the magical and the mundane.

A Master of Djinn

Dead Djinn Universe: Book 3

P. Djèlí Clark

Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she's certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city--or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems...

Dead Girls / Dead Boys / Dead Things

Dead Girls

Richard Calder

This extraordinary trilogy depicts a future gender war that crosses the boundaries of software, wetware, time, and reality itself in its imaginative leaps and bounds. Only love holds the future together in this tale of star-crossed teens whose transformations defy description or imagination.

To read this trilogy is to behold a strange new world, one unlike any other.

Dead Girls

Dead Girls: Book 1

Richard Calder

It's the 21st century and "Dead Girls" have become the hunted. Half-human, half-gynoid, they know no refuge--and to love one is something far more deadly. For Ignatz, Dead Girl Primavera is the ultimate seduction. But now, Primavera is infected with the magic dust. With her powers ebbing, a descent into necropolis of Bangkok's Big Weird is their last hope.

Dead Boys

Dead Girls: Book 2

Richard Calder

Ignatz Zwakh lives in a strange world. Dead Girls, the genetically recombined doll-girls designed by Dr. Tocixophilous, have now mated with humans to form a new subspecies. Meta, the parasitic cyborgs who resulted, have carried the new genus into space. Mars has been colonized and in its most decadent city, Paris, marauding Elohim strive to execute the traitorous Dead Girls. Bangkok swelters from its sex bars to its alleyways with the strange sexuality the future has brought. The future has begun to invade the past and reality shifts and shimmers as the Meta wage their war. Ignatz Zwakh is a very strange man in a very strange world.

Dead Things

Dead Girls: Book 3

Richard Calder

Having completed his trip around the universe, Dagon (also know as Ignatz Zwakh) returns to Earth to plant a Reality Bomb that will wipe out the plague of Meta (which turns teenage girls into Dead Girls). Unfortunately, Dagon himself has set loose forces that are collapsing both time and space upon itself, turning his simple mission into a fun-house-mirrored tour through identity, reality, and undying love.

Dead of Night

Dead of Night: Book 1

Jonathan Maberry

A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave. But all drugs have unforeseen side-effects. Before he could be buried, the killer wakes up. Hungry. Infected. Contagious. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang... but a bite.

Fall of Night

Dead of Night: Book 2

Jonathan Maberry

Stebbins Little School is full of bodies. It's unthinkable to Desdemona Fox. Children are sobbing as panicked teachers and neighbors beat down their family members outside of the school... or the things that used to be their family members. Parents don't eat their children do they?

Officers Fox and Hammond, along with journalist Billy Trout, are calling it the beginning of the end. This is the zombie apocalypse. An insane escaped serial killer is infecting Stebbins County with a deadly virus, and now the whole world is watching while Fox, Trout, and the remaining inhabitants of Stebbins fight for their life against... what? The undead? The President and the National Guard are ready to nuke Stebbins, PA off the map and cut their losses. But the infection is spreading and fast. Worse, the scientist who created the virus is missing. It's a numbers game as the body count rises; Fox has to contain the infected and evacuate the living before it's too late, and the clock is ticking...

Fall of Night, Maberry's nail-biting sequel to Dead of Night, picks up where the first novel left off—on a wild goose chase for a madman and the missing scientist who gave him new "un"-life. Chilling, gory, and hair-raisingly scary, Maberry fans won't be able to read this fast-paced thriller with the lights off.

Dark of Night

Dead of Night: Book 3

Jonathan Maberry

The dead rose. We fell.

The survivors are trapped in a world of monsters who prey on the helpless. Some of them are zombies... but they are not the only predators who feed on pain and suffering.

DARK OF NIGHT is a story of worlds in collision. Three heroes who have survived the apocalypse are in a deadly race to save a busload of children from ravenous zombies and ruthless human scavengers.

This brand new novella brings together three of New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry's award-winning novel series.

Captain Joe Ledger (PATIENT ZERO and CODE ZERO), Officer Desdemona Fox (DEAD OF NIGHT and FALL OF NIGHT), and Rachael Elle (BITS & PIECES, a Rot & Ruin novel) are caught between an endless wave of the living dead and an army of corrupt men who want to enslave the last human survivors.

Jonathan Maberry teams with debut novelist Rachael Lavin to tell a sweeping story of adventure, horror, and heroism.

Flesh and Fire:

In the midst of a midlife crisis, Todd is haunted by Chloe, the lover who died not long after their relationship ended. When Chloe escapes Hell in search of the peaceful rest that has eluded her, a demon named Samael is on her trail and she needs Todd's help.

While on the run Todd and Chloe face demons real and personal, soul-threatening danger, and their long-buried feelings for each other.

Still of Night: And Other Stories

Dead of Night: Book 4

Jonathan Maberry

The dead rose. We fell.

But not everyone thinks the war for survival is over. Heroes rise in times of crisis, and STILL OF NIGHT tells their stories...

DAHLIA -a bullied high school girl with a love for edged weapons goes from victim to powerful leader as the zombie apocalypse sweeps through her world.

RACHAEL ELLE -continues her journey from comic-con cosplayer to actual hero as she encounter a community with a dark and terrible secret.

CAPTAIN JOE LEDGER and his best shooters, TOP and BUNNY, head to an overrun San Diego to try and save a possible cure for the virus that is bringing the dead back to unnatural life.

And in the wilderness, Joe, Dahlia, and Rachael Elle will come face-to-face with savage gangs, an army of the living dead, and the mysterious and deadly OLD MAN CHURCH.

The final battle unfolds in a little town called Happy Valley, where the residents have found their own unique and terrible way to survive the end of the world. But a war is coming, and no one will escape the last great war between the living and the dead.

Off Season

Dead River: Book 1

Jack Ketchum

A beautiful New York editor retreats to a lonely cabin on a hill in the quiet Maine beach town of Dead River, during the off season; awaiting her sister and friends. Nearby, a savage human family with a taste for flesh lurks in the darkening woods, watching, waiting for the moon to rise and night to fall. This novel appears for the first time in its original unexpurgated of the authors vision. The original publisher refused to publish it in this version in 1980. Now available only in this edition with an introduction by Douglas E. Winter.

Offspring

Dead River: Book 2

Jack Ketchum

The local sheriff of Dead River, Maine, thought he had killed them off ten years ago - a primitive, cave-dwelling tribe of cannibalistic savages. But somehow the clan survived. To breed. To hunt. To kill. To eat. And now the peaceful residents of this isolated town are fighting for their lives.

The Woman

Dead River: Book 3

Jack Ketchum

The Woman is the powerful story of the last survivor of a feral tribe of cannibals who have terrorized the east coast of Maine into Canada for years now. Badly wounded in a battle with police, she takes refuge in a cave overlooking the sea. Christopher Cleek is a slick, amoral--and unstable--country lawyer who, out hunting one day, sees her bathing in a stream. Fascinated, he follows her to her cave. Cleek has many dark secrets and to these he'll add another. He will capture her, lock her in his fruit celler, and tame her, civilize her. To this end he'ii enlist his long-suffering wife Belle, his teenage son and daughter Brian and Peg, and even his little girl Darlin', to aid him. So the question becomes, who is more savage? The hunter or the game?

Freedom's Gate

Dead Rivers: Book 1

Naomi Kritzer

From the acclaimed author of Fires of the Faithful comes the tale of an impetuous young woman, freeborn in a world of slavery and magic. Twenty-year-old Lauria is the favorite aide to Kyros, a powerful military officer. On his authority, she is messenger, observer, and spy. But now she is entrusted with a mission more dangerous than any that have come before Freedom's Gate.

After years of relative peace, word has come to Kyros's compound that the bandit tribe known as the Alashi is planning an offensive. It is up to Lauria to infiltrate the Alashi by posing as an escaped slave--a charge that requires she serve in the household of a neighboring officer. From there, she will stage an escape and continue on in her guise as a runaway. But posing as a slave--a virgin concubine, no less--may prove the least of her troubles. For even if she does escape and the Alashi do accept her, how can this freeborn woman convince them she is slave, not spy? And, worse, what if her own views are gradually changing, calling everything she believes about her world into question?

Freedom's Apprentice

Dead Rivers: Book 2

Naomi Kritzer

With Freedom's Gate, acclaimed author Naomi Kritzer introduced a dangerous world of magic and intrigue. Now she continues the story of Lauria, a bold young woman who has turned against a way of life she once believed in....

FREEDOM'S APPRENTICE

Once the trusted aide to powerful military commander Kyros, freeborn Lauria hunted down his escaped slaves. But during a mission to infiltrate the bandit tribe known as the Alashi, Lauria's loyalties shifted. When her identity was discovered, she was cast out by both sides. Now Lauria is determined to regain the trust of the Alashi, and, with the help of her blood-sister Tamar, liberate those she once returned to captivity. But they cannot accomplish the daunting task alone. Desperate for a spell-chain to free a mine slave, Lauria turns to her enemies--the Sisterhood of Weavers--and apprentices herself to a sorceress. But learning to harness magic will come at a greater price than she ever imagined.

Freedom's Sisters

Dead Rivers: Book 3

Naomi Kritzer

With a magical gift for bringing sorcery to vivid life, acclaimed author Naomi Kritzer continues the suspenseful tale of Lauria and Tamar, sisters-in-arms bonded by blood--and torn apart by their enemies....

As a freeborn servant of the Greeks, Lauria once hunted escaped slaves. But as her loyalties shifted, she found herself freeing those she once captured--and loving those she once mistrusted--like Tamar, of the bandit Alashi tribe. Tamar is now Lauria's blood-sister. But the powerful Greek sorceresses, the Sisterhood of Weavers, do not take treason lightly... especially when the traitor has liberated the djinni who serve them.

Soon Lauria is imprisoned. Desperate, Tamar pleads her case to the Alashi, who send her to sow discord among the Sisterhood. As Tamar searches for Lauria both in reality and in the dreamlike realm known as the borderland, Lauria must trust the magic within to fulfill a wish both desired and feared: freedom for all....

Dead City

Dead World: Book 1

Joe McKinney

Battered by five cataclysmic hurricanes in three weeks, the Texas Gulf Coast and half of the Lone Star State is reeling from the worst devastation in history. Thousands are dead or dying - but the worst is only beginning. Amid the wreckage, something unimaginable is happening: a deadly virus has broken out, returning the dead to life - with an insatiable hunger for human flesh...

The Nightmare Begins Within hours, the plague has spread all over Texas. San Antonio police officer Eddie Hudson finds his city overrun by a voracious army of the living dead. Along with a small group of survivors, Eddie must fight off the savage horde in a race to save his family...There's no place to run. No place to hide. The zombie horde is growing as the virus runs rampant. Eddie knows he has to find a way to destroy these walking horrors...but he doesn't know the price he will have to pay...

Apocalypse of the Dead

Dead World: Book 2

Joe McKinney

Two hellish years. That's how long it's been since the hurricanes flooded the Gulf Coast, and the dead rose up from the ruins. The cities were quarantined; the infected, contained. Any unlucky survivors were left to fend for themselves. One boatload of refugees manages to make it out alive - but one passenger carries the virus. Within weeks, the zombie epidemic spreads across the globe. Now, retired U.S. Marshal Ed Moore must lead a group of strangers to safety, searching for sanctuary from the dead. In the North Dakota Grasslands, bands of survivors converge upon a single outpost. Run by a self-appointed preacher of fierce conviction - and frightening beliefs - it may be humanity's only hope. But Ed Moore and the others refuse to enter a suicide pact. They'd rather stand and fight in the final battle against the zombies.

Flesh Eaters

Dead World: Book 3

Joe McKinney

They Rise...Out of the flooded streets of Houston, they emerge from plague-ridden waters. Dead. Rotting. Hungry. And as human survivors scramble to their rooftops for safety, the zombie hordes circle like sharks. The ultimate killing machines. They Feed...Houston is quarantined to halt the spread of the zombie plague. Anyone trying to escape is shot on sight - living and dead. Emergency Ops sergeant Eleanor Norton has her work cut out for her. Salvaging boats and gathering explosives, Eleanor and her team struggle to maintain order. But when civilization finally breaks down, the feeding frenzy begins. They Multiply...Biting, gnawing, feasting - but always craving more - the flesheaters increase their ranks every hour. With doomsday looming, Eleanor must focus on the people she loves - her husband and daughter - and a band of other survivors adrift in zombie-infested waters. If she can't bring them into the quarantine zone, they're all dead meat.

Mutated

Dead World: Book 4

Joe McKinney

They Outnumber The Living...

25 to 1. Those are the odds of being struck down--and resurrected--by the savage plague that's sweeping the country, forcing survivors to band together against the dead.

They're Growing Stronger...

Even among the living, there is dissention. A new leader known as the Red Man has risen up and taken charge--and he's nearly as dangerous as the hungry dead. Some, like Bob Richardson and his friends, strike out on their own. Because if the men with guns don't get them, the zombies will.

They're Getting Smarter...

Fleeing the cities, Richardson and his crew find sanctuary in an abandoned farm. But their stronghold may not be strong enough. Something strange and terrifying is happening to the undead. They're banding together. Working as a group. Hungering for a common goal: human flesh. And lots of it.

Makes You Stronger

Deadbeat: Book 1

Guy Adams

Max and Tom are old, old friends, once actors. Tom now owns a jazz nightclub called Deadbeat which, as well as being their source of income, is also something of an in-joke. In a dark suburban churchyard one night they see a group of men are loading a coffin into the back of a van.

But, why would you be taking a full coffin away from a graveyard and, more importantly, why is the occupant still breathing? Tom and Max are on the case. God help us...

Dogs of Waugh

Deadbeat: Book 2

Guy Adams

"High on life..."

There's a new drug running rife amongst the Undead community. Once ingested, it simulates all of the symptoms of the living, faster pulse, perspiration, the intoxicating rush of blood through your veins... Not that Max or Tom would be stupid enough to try it of course, they're far too busy smashing their senses to a pulp working their way though Deadbeat's new cocktail menu. But, when people start vanishing from the Soho streets and some of their customers disrupt big band nights by keeling over dead for the second time, they decide it might be worth looking into, if only to stop profits dropping too far. Which, in a lifetime of bad decisions, may rank as their worst yet.

Deadlands

Deadlands / Mall Rats: Book 1

Lily Herne

Welcome to the Deadlands, where life is a lottery. Since the apocalypse, Cape Town's suburbs have become zombie-infested Deadlands. Human survivors are protected from the living dead by sinister, shrouded figures - the Guardians. In return, five teenagers are 'chosen' and handed over to them for a mysterious purpose: this year, Lele de la Fontein's name is picked. But Lele will not stick around and face whatever shady fate the Guardians have in store for her. She escapes, willing to take her chances in the Deadlands. Alone, exiled and unable to return home, she runs into a misfit gang of renegade teens: Saint, a tough Batswana girl; Ginger, a wise-cracking Brit; and handsome Ash, a former child soldier. Under their tutelage, Lele learns how to seriously destroy zombies and together they uncover the corruption endemic in Cape Town, and come to learn the sickening truth about the Guardians...

Death of a Saint

Deadlands / Mall Rats: Book 2

Lily Herne

Some secrets are so unthinkable you can't even admit them to yourself...

Lele, Ginger, Ash and Saint - aka the Mall Rats - are hiding out in the Deadlands, a once-prosperous area of Cape Town, now swarming with the living dead. Exiled from the city enclave for crimes against the Resurrectionist State, the Rats face a stark choice: return and risk capture - or leave Cape Town and go in search of other survivors.But what if the rest of South Africa is nothing but a zombie-riddled wasteland?

Now Lele has discovered the truth about why the lurching dead leave them alone, she can't bring herself to tell the rest of the gang. And she's not the only Mall Rat harbouring a dangerous secret... Can the friends' survive on the road if all they have is each other? Or will their secrets tear them apart?

The Army of the Lost

Deadlands / Mall Rats: Book 3

Lily Herne

One of us is dead. One of us is broken. One of us will betray the others. And one of us will have to sell her soul to survive...

It's been eleven years since South Africa was ravaged by the walking dead. Johannesburg's impoverished survivors are ruled over by a minority of rich self-serving bureaucrats. As the remaining Mall Rats confront the dark heart of the twisted political system - in another part of town, Tommy dreams of joining the Army of the Left, a radical organisation intent on fighting for freedom. While Ash is forced to face his traumatic past, and Ginger struggles to regain his sanity; Lele goes head to head against a powerful foe, and Saint is dead set on a mission of her own: a fight for survival.

Welcome back to the Deadlands...

Ash Remains

Deadlands / Mall Rats: Book 4

Lily Herne

Everything's better with zombies - not. The electrifying final instalment of Lily Herne's Mall Rats series...

Struggling to cope with their physical and mental scars, the remaining Mall Rats limp back home to Cape Town. They think they have the answer to all the enclave's problems. They think they're going to get a hero's welcome. But things have changed since they've been gone. And not for the better...

Meanwhile, the Army of the Left is preparing to wipe out the dead once and for all. Its leaders think they've come up with a faultless plan. They think they have a secret weapon that will set the city free once and for all.

They're wrong.

Deadly Curiosities

Deadly Curiosities: Book 1

Gail Z. Martin

Welcome to Trifles & Folly, a store with a dark secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide continues a family tradition begun in 1670 - acquiring and neutralizing dangerous supernatural items. It's the perfect job for Cassidy, whose psychic gift lets her touch an object and know its history. Together with her business partner Sorren, a 500-year-old vampire and former jewel thief, Cassidy makes it her business to get infernal objects off the market.

When a trip to a haunted hotel unearths a statue steeped in malevolent power, and a string of murders draws a trail to the abandoned old Navy yard, Cassidy and Sorren discover a diabolical plot to unleash a supernatural onslaught on their city.

It's time for Kincaide and her team to get rid of these Deadly Curiosities before the bodies start piling up.

Vendetta

Deadly Curiosities: Book 2

Gail Z. Martin

The engaging follow up to the urban fantasy series set in Charlotte, North Carolina.

An old enemy of Sorren's is back in town. Sariel is a nephilmancer, a powerful sorcerer able to summon the nephilim, tainted eternal spirits that watch humanity and stand in judgment. Sariel is looking for vengeance because a century ago, during their last battle, Sorren killed Sariel's son and helped the Alliance send Sariel into harsh exile. Because of Sorren's long affiliation with Charleston, Sariel has decided that the city must be destroyed, and in retaliation for his own loss, Sariel vows to destroy the mortal helpers Sorren protects. To do this, Sariel must bring five of the Watchers through a portal from another realm. When all five are present, judgment will fall, and the nephilim will reap and feed on the souls of the dead.

Deadmen Walking

Deadman's Cross: Book 1

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Deadmen tell their tales...

To catch evil, it takes evil. Enter Devyl Bane?an ancient dark warlord returned to the human realm as one of the most notorious pirates in the New World. A man of many secrets, Bane makes a pact with Thorn?an immortal charged with securing the worst creations the ancient gods ever released into our world. Those powers have been imprisoned for eons behind enchanted gates... gates that are beginning to buckle. At Thorn's behest, Bane takes command of a crew of Deadmen and, together, they are humanity's last hope to restore the gates and return the damned to their hell realms.

But things are never so simple. And one of Bane's biggest problems is the ship they sail upon. For the Sea Witch isn't just a vessel, she's also a woman born of an ancient people he wronged and who in turn wronged him during a centuries long war between their two races?a woman who is also sister to their primary target. Now Marcelina, the Sea Witch, must choose. Either she remains loyal to her evil sister and almost extinct race against Bane and his cause, and watches humanity fall, or she puts faith in an enemy who has already betrayed her. Her people over the totality of humanity?let's hope Bane can sway her favor.

Deadmen Walking is the first historical fantasy title in New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon's Deadman's Cross series. It is a tale of passion and loss, emotions that wound and heal... and ultimate redemption

Death Doesn't Bargain

Deadman's Cross: Book 2

Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Deadmen are back, but so are the demons who have broken free of their eternal prison and are bent on mankind's destruction. The worst of the lot is Vine, determined to claim their lives for taking hers. She will see the world burn... and has the perfect lure to destroy them all. One of their own.

Kalder Dupree has never known a day of mercy. Born to the cruelest of mer-races, he sacrificed himself for his crew and is in Vine's hands. He expects no mercy or rescue.

Yet Cameron Jack is determined to set Kalder free. As a Hellchaser, it's her calling, and she cannot allow even a not-so-innocent to be tortured for an act of kindness that spared her damnation.

To defeat evil, it sometimes takes an even worse evil, and Cameron is willing to do whatever she must to make this right. If Vine thought she had her hands full before, she hasn't seen anything nearly as powerful as Cameron's resolve.

Nearly Departed

Deadpan Allie

Pat Cadigan

This short story originally appaered in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, June 1983 and was reprinted in Lightspeed, October 2012. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: First Annual Collection (1984), edited by Gardner Dozois.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Prodigal Son

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Book 1

Dean Koontz

From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the story, you know only half the truth. Get ready for the mystery, the myth, the terror, and the magic of...

Dean Koontz's Prodigal Son

Every city has secrets. But none as terrible as this. His name is Deucalion, a tattooed man of mysterious origin, a sleight-of-reality artist who’s traveled the centuries with a secret worse than death. He arrives as a serial killer stalks the streets, a killer who carefully selects his victims for the humanity that is missing in himself. Detective Carson O’Connor is cool, cynical, and every bit as tough as she looks. Her partner Michael Maddison would back her up all the way to Hell itself–and that just may be where this case ends up. For the no-nonsense O’Connor is suddenly talking about an ages-old conspiracy, a near immortal race of beings, and killers that are more—and less—than human. Soon it will be clear that as crazy as she sounds, the truth is even more ominous. For their quarry isn’ t merely a homicidal maniac—but his deranged maker.

City of Night

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Book 2

Dean Koontz

From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the legend, you know only half the truth. Here is the mystery, the myth, the terror, and the magic of...

Dean Koontz's City of the Night

They are stronger, heal better, and think faster than any humans ever created—and they must be destroyed. But not even Victor Helios—once Frankenstein—can stop the engineered killers he's set loose on a reign of terror through modern-day New Orleans. Now the only hope rests in a one-time "monster" and his all-too-human partners, Detectives Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison. Deucalion' s centuries-old history began as Victor's first and failed attempt to build the perfect human–and it is fated to end in the ultimate confrontation between a damned creature and his mad creator. But first Deucalion must destroy a monstrosity not even Victor' s malignant mind could have imagined—an indestructible entity that steps out of humankind' s collective nightmare with one purpose: to replace us.

Dead and Alive

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Book 3

Dean Koontz

From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the legend, you know only half the truth. Now the mesmerizing saga concludes....

Dead and Alive

As a devastating hurricane approaches, as the benighted creations of Victor Helios begin to spin out of control, as New Orleans descends into chaos and the future of humanity hangs in the balance, the only hope rests with Victor’s first, failed attempt to build the perfect human. Deucalion’s centuries-old history began as the original manifestation of a soulless vision–and it is fated to end in the ultimate confrontation between a damned creature and his mad creator. But first they must face a monstrosity not even Victor’s malignant mind could have conceived–an indestructible entity that steps out of humankind’s collective nightmare with powers, and a purpose, beyond imagining.

Lost Souls

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Book 4

Dean Koontz

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz raises the stakes—and the suspense—taking his Frankenstein saga to a dynamic new level with the riveting story of a small town under siege, where good and evil, destruction and creation, converge as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Frankenstein: Lost Souls

The war against humanity has begun. In the dead hours of the night, a stranger enters the home of the mayor of Rainbow Falls, Montana. The stranger is in the vanguard of a wave of intruders who will invade other homes . . . offices . . . every local institution, assuming the identities and the lives of those they have been engineered to replace. Before the sun rises, the town will be under full assault, the opening objective in the new Victor Frankenstein’s trajectory of ultimate destruction. Deucalion—Victor’s first, haunted creation—saw his maker die in New Orleans two years earlier. Yet an unshakable intuition tells him that Victor lives—and is at work again. Within hours Deucalion will come together with his old allies, detectives Carson O’Connor and Michael Maddison, Victor’s engineered wife, Erika Five, and her companion Jocko to confront new peril. Others will gather around them. But this time Victor has a mysterious, powerful new backer, and he and his army are more formidable, their means and intentions infinitely more deadly, than ever before.

The Dead Town

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Book 5

Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz’s enthralling Frankenstein series has redefined the classic legend of infernal ambition and harrowing retribution for a new century and a new age. Now the master of suspense delivers an unforgettable novel that is at once a thrilling adventure in itself and a mesmerizing conclusion to his saga of the modern monsters among us.

Frankenstein: The Dead Town

The war against humanity is raging. As the small town of Rainbow Falls, Montana, comes under siege, scattered survivors come together to weather the onslaught of the creatures set loose upon the world. As they ready for battle against overwhelming odds, they will learn the full scope of Victor Frankenstein’s nihilistic plan to remake the future—and the terrifying reach of his shadowy, powerful supporters.

Now the good will make their last, best stand. In a climax that will shatter every expectation, their destinies and the fate of humanity hang in the balance.

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead

Death Games: Book 1

Kristen Simmons

Four years ago, five kids started a game. Not all of them survived.

Now, at the end of their senior year of high school, the survivors?Owen, Madeline, Emerson, and Dax?have reunited for one strange and terrible reason: they've been summoned by the ghost of Ian, the friend they left for dead.

Together they return to the place where their friendship ended with one goal: find Ian and bring him home. So they restart the deadly game they never finished?an innocent card-matching challenge called Meido. A game without instructions.

As soon as they begin, they're dragged out of their reality and into an eerie hellscape of Japanese underworlds, more horrifying than even the darkest folktales that Owen's grandmother told him. There, they meet Shinigami, an old wise woman who explains the rules:

They have one night to complete seven challenges or they'll all be stuck in this world forever.

Once inseparable, the survivors now can't stand each other, but the challenges demand they work together, think quickly, and make sacrifices?blood, clothes, secrets, memories, and worse.

And once again, not everyone will make it out alive.

Death's Head

Death Head: Book 1

David Gunn

Set in a chillingly realistic far-future world, and featuring a gritty antihero even more frightening than the evil empire he serves as soldier and assassin, Death's Head is sure to be one of the most talked-about novels of the year. David Gunn is loaded-and he shoots to kill.

At the top of the galactic pecking order is the United Free, a civilization of awe-inspiring technological prowess so far in advance of other space-faring powers as to seem untouchable gods. Most of the known universe has fallen under their inscrutable sway. The rest is squabbled over by two empires: one ruled with an iron fist by OctoV, a tyrant who appears to his followers as a teenage boy but is in reality something very different, the other administered by the Uplifted, bizarre machinelike intelligences, and their no-longer-quite-human servants, cyborgs known as the Enlightened.

Sven Tveskoeg, an ex-sergeant demoted for insubordination and sentenced to death, is a vicious killer with a stubborn streak of loyalty. Sven possesses a fierce if untutored intelligence and a genetic makeup that is 98.2 percent human and 1.8 percent... something else. Perhaps that "something else" explains how quickly he heals from even the worst injuries or how he can communicate telepathically with the ferox, fearsome alien savages whose natural fighting abilities regularly outperform the advanced technology of their human enemies. Perhaps it is these unique abilities that bring Sven to the attention of OctoV.

Drafted into the Death's Head, the elite enforcers of OctoV's imperial will, Sven is given a new lease on life. Armed with a SIG diabolo-an intelligent gun-and an illegal symbiont called a kyp, Sven is sent to a faraway planet, the latest battleground between the Uplifted and OctoV. There he finds himself in the midst of a military disaster, one that will take all his courage-and all his firepower-to survive.

But an even deadlier struggle is taking place, a struggle that will draw the attention of the United Free. Sven knows he is a pawn, and pawns have a bad habit of being sacrificed.

But Sven is nobody's sacrifice. And even a pawn can checkmate a king.

Maximum Offense

Death Head: Book 2

David Gunn

Sven Tveskoeg - antisocial, antihero, anti-you-name-it - is a one-man killing spree whose best friend is an intelligent handgun with a bad attitude and whose worst enemy is, well, just about everybody else. These qualities have earned Sven a lieutenant's commission in the Death's Head, the elite corps of assassins and enforcers whose purpose in life is to serve OctoV, a tyrant who is part machine, part boy, part god, and all evil. Sven's new assignment? Lead his ragtag band of Death's Head rejects to the artificial world of Hekati to find a missing citizen of the United Free, a vast empire that turns out to be a vicious den of backstabbing and betrayal where nothing and no one can be trusted. Looks like Sven is on a suicide mission. So what else is new?

Day of the Damned

Death Head: Book 3

David Gunn

Lieutenant Sven Tveskoeg is in disgrace. His victory on Hekati, and the emperor's favour, have turned his patron against him: General Indigo Jaxx wants Sven dead. Exiled to Wildeside, Sven waits for Jaxx's assassin. He hunts, he fieldstrips his weapons, he tries not to mind. At the age of 28, he's lived longer than he expected anyway. But then Sven finds himself offering to save the life of Jaxx's son. This means returning to Farlight, where he finds that the emperor is missing, his empire is collapsing, there are murderous riots in the capital and General Jaxx stands on the edge of ruin. All Sven has to do is nothing. But when has he ever done anything that sensible...

The devil-may-care, not quite 100 per cent human, mercenary soldier/killing machine known as Lieutenant Sven Tveskoeg and his like-minded team, the Aux, are back in this third explosive, non-stop action-filled adventure.

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 1

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 1

Hiro Ainana

Programmer Ichirou Suzuki is transported to another world. In a foreign land, he finds that life is an adventure that's sometimes fun, sometimes serious, and full of girls!

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 2

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 2

Hiro Ainana

Satou has broken free of the demon's labyrinth, rescuing Pochi, Tama, and Liza. And after liberating two more girls from slavery, he's on his way to building an entire harem! But beautiful girls aren't the only ones coming his way...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 3

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 3

Hiro Ainana

Twenty-nine year old Satou just closed his eyes for a brief nap at work, but when he opened them, he found himself in a game-like alternate world. Fortunately, thanks to some excellent luck, his level is high, and his wallet is full.

After successfully saving the elf girl Mia from the evil Zen, he's set off to accompany her back to her village. Satou is enjoying his break from work and touring a brand-new world, but such a journey couldn't possibly end without a little adventure, right?

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 4

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 4

Hiro Ainana

When Satou and his party cross into the famously unsafe Muno Barony, they find ramshackle villages, fortresses inhabited by the souls of the dead, and all manner of unrest. Amid the chaos, Satou meets a girl who happens to be the Baron's daughter and stumbles across a conspiracy...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 5

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 5

Hiro Ainana

After rescuing Muno Barony from disaster, Satou and crew head for dwarf territory and rescue an Oracle priestess from the demons! But for some reason, the attacks just keep coming...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 6

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 6

Hiro Ainana

After their journey down the river, Satou and crew finally arrive at the old capital just in time for the martial arts tournament, along with some fireworks, a ball at the castle, and sightseeing in the Ougoch Duchy. But the followers of the demon lord are plotting in the shadows...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 7

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 7

Hiro Ainana

As Satou's gang sets off for more sightseeing, he bumps into the hero Hayato yet again-and apparently, Hayato has been infatuated with Arisa for some time! How will Satou fight to keep her?

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 8

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 8

Hiro Ainana

A VERDANT VACATION!

Mia's safe return to the elves of Bolenan Forest is cause for celebration! Satou and crew are showered with hospitality, including elegant music, lavish feasts, and an exclusive look at some of the most advanced technology in the world. But all these luxuries pale in comparison to the true object of Satou's desire: the beautiful high elf Aaze. As the seeds of a summer romance take root in his heart, his peaceful days in Bolenan Forest are tragically cut short by the threat of an invasive species! Can Satou quell this disaster and land a date with the demi-goddess...?

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 9

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 9

Hiro Ainana

After leaving the elves behind, Satou and company begin their leisurely journey across the sea to the labyrinth city-until they're attacked by a fleet of ghost ships!

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 10

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 10

Hiro Ainana

Satou and the others finally make it to the labyrinth city! As they establish their base and begin rubbing elbows with the nobles, it isn't long before trouble finds them. From a renegade child found in an alley to a mysterious miasma that descends upon the city proper, it looks like Satou's going to have his hands full yet again!

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 11

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 11

Hiro Ainana

Though Satou's stay in the Labyrinth City got off to a rocky start, he's determined to put Celivera on the road to redemption! Charitable endeavors such as catching a bandit leader and founding an orphanage are no big deal for him, but despite his best efforts, the mysterious drug continues to circulate. Luckily, he may have found a new lead...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 12

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 12

Hiro Ainana

With the demonic threat taken care of, relative peace has returned to the Labyrinth City, allowing the residents to return all focus to the Labyrinth itself. But when the deeper levels of the Labyrinth prove to be more of a challenge than anyone realized, Satou decides it's time for some special training with the Elves!

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 13

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 13

Hiro Ainana

A DEMON IN THE DUNES

With their rigorous training session behind them, Satou's party is finally prepared to take on the tougher enemies of the Celivera Labyrinth. Never ones to shy away from a side quest or two, they also find a hot spring and open a Japanese-style inn on the spot. Areamasters and floormasters beware! This group is refreshed and ready for battle! Unfortunately, the opponent who finds them turns out to be someone nobody saw coming...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 14

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 14

Hiro Ainana

A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES!

?Having toppled another powerful foe, Satou's group heads back to Labyrinth City to celebrate their achievements. Upon returning, they're greeted by two familiar faces--Zena and Karina have come to Celivera! Plans are made to give them a warm welcome, but those get derailed when Zena runs into trouble. Her labyrinth dive takes a turn for the worse when a monster kidnaps her, so Satou rushes to her rescue.

Inevitably, he finds much more than he bargained for! It seems a Hero's work is never done...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 15

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 15

Hiro Ainana

RISE AND GRIND!

Desperate to protect those close to her, Zena approaches Satou with a simple wish: She wants to become stronger. Naturally, Satou agrees to help, and he and his party subject her to training so rigorous the other explorers can hardly believe her growth. Not one to be left behind, however, Karina enrolls herself in their Labyrinth boot camp as well! But they'll need to be quick about it. Satou is due in the royal capital, and if his luck is anything to go by, it's only a matter of time before trouble rears its ugly head!

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 16

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 16

Hiro Ainana

Showdown in Castle Town!

Having successfully averted the airship attack, Satou and company arrive safely in the royal capital. There, they are reunited with Nana's "sisters"--Numbers 1 through 8--and give them the gift of a lifetime. But as is tradition with every trip to the capital, Satou must rub elbows with the aristocracy before he can enjoy his sightseeing. He even receives a surprise visit or two, including a summons from Sir Juleburg of the Eight Swordsman of Shiga! Because no leisurely trip would be complete without a friendly duel...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 17

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 17

Hiro Ainana

Satou and his friends arrive at the castle to be decorated for their accomplishments. But there, they hear from Princess Sistina that the royal symbol--the cherry blossom, has ceased to bloom. They decide to investigate while sightseeing around the capital, only to catch wind of a case they never would have expected...

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 18

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 18

Hiro Ainana

After dispatching the monsters laying siege to the royal capital and aiding in the bloom of the Royal Sakura blossoms, Satou and his party are finally able to welcome the new year. But even more exciting than New Year festivities is the auction surrounding the Ring of Prayer! If Satou wins the bid, he might just be able to free Arisa and the others from servitude!

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 19

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 19

Hiro Ainana

After being appointed as Shiga Kingdom's Vice-Minister of Tourism, Satou decides to take his party on a sightseeing trip around the country. Over the course of their leisurely journey, he and his crew go rafting, reunite with old friends, and even save some refugees! But things take a turn for the serious when Satou receives word that the court mage who placed a Geas on Arisa and Lulu has been hiding out in the labyrinth beneath the ruins of Kuvork Kingdom. Will Satou and company finally get an opportunity to settle the score with him...?

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 20

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 20

Hiro Ainana

THE HERO NEEDS A HERO!

After a tip-off from a blue-haired goddess of a girl, it's off to Parion Province for Satou and the party! There, they run into Hayato the Hero, who appears to be suffering the virulent effects of a curse from a demon lord! Defeating the demon lord and curing Hayato's affliction will be no easy task, however. This foe possesses the ability to manipulate their domain at will. But a few armor and weapon upgrades later, Satou and the girls as well as soldiers from both the Saga Empire and Parion Province are ready to take this demon to task!

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 21

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 21

Hiro Ainana

The Village Hidden in Parion After parting ways with Hayato the Hero, Satou and the party visit Parion Province and indulge in rich sights and regional delicacies. However, the highlight of their stay in Parion is the Village of Adepts! There, Tama, Pochi, and Satou get a crash course in the ninja arts. But not long after their training begins, their fellow students start to go missing... The disappearances seem to be connected to a Holy Woman and a mysterious ritual unfolding behind the scenes. But it wouldn't be a Satou adventure without a healthy balance of tasty treats and death-defying feats!

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 22

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody: Book 22

Hiro Ainana

Of Gods and Dragons... After settling their business with the demon lord in Parion Province, Satou and his companions head west. There, they encounter a beautiful, mysterious girl Satou's AR display can't seem to recognize, but her identity is sure to surprise him! The group joins her for some leisurely sightseeing, but the blissful calm is soon interrupted when Pippin brings them a dragon egg to look after...

Death Sworn

Death Sworn: Book 1

Leah Cypess

When a young sorceress is exiled to teach magic to a clan of assassins, she will find that secrets can be even deadlier than swords. Teen Vogue proclaimed, "It's impossible not to fall deep into the dark yet alluring world of sorcery and secret assassins." A dangerous and eerie fantasy about murder, shocking discoveries, and fiery star-crossed romance that readers of Cinda Williams Chima and Robin LaFevers won't be able to put down.

Ileni is losing her magic. And that means she's losing everything: Her status as the renegade sorcerers' most powerful rising star. Her purpose in life. The boy she loves. Her home.

Exiled to teach sorcery to the assassins hidden deep within the mountains, she expects no one will ever hear from her again. The last two tutors died within weeks of each other. As Ileni unravels the mystery surrounding their deaths, she'll uncover secrets that have been kept for decades--and she'll find an unexpected ally and dangerous new love.

But even he may not be able to protect her. Not when she's willing to risk everything.

Death Marked

Death Sworn: Book 2

Leah Cypess

Ileni could change the world.

She could do what she has always been trained to do: destroy the Empire. Her people want her to. The assassin she loves--who is now deadlier than ever--wants her to. But now that she knows her entire life was built on a lie, Ileni needs to see the truth for herself. Is the Empire truly as evil as she has always believed?

The answers lie in the Imperial Academy of Sorcery, a place where danger and temptation sit side by side. If her true purpose is discovered, she won't escape alive. But once she discovers what the imperial sorcerers can offer her, she may not want to leave. Ileni has found the one thing she never expected--a place where she belongs.

Except, this place has its secrets, too.

The truth is never purely evil or purely good. And Ileni no longer knows whose side she is on.

Death Most Definite

Death Works: Book 1

Trent Jamieson

Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that's exactly what he gets when someone starts shooting at him.

Steven is no stranger to death-Mr. D's his boss after all-but when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate, he finds himself on the wrong end of the barrel. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld but now his clients are his own colleagues, friends, and family.

Mr. D's gone missing and with no one in charge, the dead start to rise, the living are hunted, and the whole city teeters on the brink of a regional apocalypse-unless Steven can shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out what happened to his boss- that is, Death himself.

Managing Death

Death Works: Book 2

Trent Jamieson

It's not easy being Death. For starters, people keep dying. And then, they keep getting up again.Steven de Selby got promoted. This makes the increasing number of stirrers (and the disturbing rumors of a zombie god rising sometime soon) his problem. That time management seminar he keeps meaning to take would also remind him that he's got a Death Moot to plan, a Christmas party to organize, and an end-of-the-world thing to avert.

Steven must start managing Death, before Death starts managing him, or this time the Apocalypse will be more than Regional.

The Business of Death

Death Works: Book 3

Trent Jamieson

Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that's exactly what he gets when someone starts shooting at him.Steven is no stranger to death - Mr. D's his boss after all - but when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate, he finds himself on the wrong end of the barrel. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld but now his clients are his own colleagues, friends, and family.

Mr. D's gone missing and with no one in charge, the dead start to rise, the living are hunted, and the whole city teeters on the brink of a regional apocalypse - unless Steven can shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out what happened to his boss - that is, Death himself.

THE BUSINESS OF DEATH includes the first two volumes of the Death Works trilogy, Death Most Definite and Managing Death, as well as the third volume.

Pilgrimage to Hell

Deathlands: Book 1

Jack Adrian

On a January day, a Presidential inauguration day, a one-megaton blast ripped through the Soviet embassy in Washington, D.C. Subsequent explosions around the globe changed the face and the shape of the earth forever. Out of the ruins emerged Deathlands. In this blasted heart of the new America, a group of people plan desperately to escape the eerie wastes and mutated life forms of their environment. Three warriors--the tough, intelligent Ryan Cawdor, a beauty called Krysty Wroth, and the armorer J.B. Dix--set out on a harrowing journey to find a rumored enclave high in the mountains.

Red Holocaust

Deathlands: Book 2

James Axler

When all is lost, there's always the future. But the future in a world shrouded in the radioactive red dust clouds of a generation-old global nuclear war depends on finding hidden caches of food, weapons and technology--the legacy of a preholocaust society--stashed in lonely outposts known as redoubts. When Ryan Cawdor discovers a redoubt in the bitter freakish wasteland that now passes for Alaska, he also uncovers a new threat to a slowly reemerging America.

Neutron Solstice

Deathlands: Book 3

James Axler

A generation after a global nuclear war, Louisiana is a fetid, sullen landscape of impenetrable swamps and grotesquely mutated wildlife. Above the gnarled bayous, radioactive red dust clouds race across the sky on nuclear winds; below, thick mud sucks at a man's boots. Now and then a biting acid rain falls, swept in on the boiling winds from the Gulf.

In the reeking swampland that was the Mississippi basin, neutron bombs have left barren cityscapes the terrirories of small groups of bitterly opposed survivors. Ryan Cawdor and his companions Krysty Wroth and J.B. Dix come upon one such group who are striving to revive life on earth the way it was before the bombs fell. But they're up against a postholocaust feudal lord who's just as determined to wipe them out.

Crater Lake

Deathlands: Book 4

James Axler

Near what was once the Pacific Northwest, Ryan Cawdor and his roving band of post-holocaust survivors discover a beautiful valley untouched by the nuclear blast that changed the earth forever. Resisting the temptation to settle in the idyllic land, the group is captured and forced deep beneath an extinct volcano to an isolated community of in-bred scientists who are blindly laboring to find better ways of genocide, unaware that the world they are striving to slaughter has already died.

Homeward Bound

Deathlands: Book 5

James Axler

Ryan Cawdor's post-holocaust odyssey across America is about to come full circle -- Ryan Cawdor is going home.

Forced away from Front Royal by a power-mad brother who had already committed fratricide, Ryan had roamed a devastated America searching out the small pockets of life where civilization was being reborn.

Emerging from a gateway in the ruins of New York City, Ryan decides to put his own house in order -- it's time to avenge the deaths of his father and older brother.

Accompanied by Krysty Wroth and J.B. Dix, Ryan Cawdor comes face-to-face with the harsh reality of post-nuclear America. In the Deathlands, honour and fair play are words of the past. Vengeance is a word to live by.

Pony Soldiers

Deathlands: Book 6

James Axler

Ryan Cawdor and his band of post-holocaust survivors come face-to-face with a specter from the past: out of the swirling dust that was once New Mexico bursts a regiment of pony soldiers, led by a man with flowing yellow hair.

Brandishing Colts and Winchesters, the horsemen grimly prepare to destroy the ragtag strangers, intruders who dare to pnetrate their ruthlessly defended stronghold.

As the final showdows nears, Ryan makes a startling discovery: either he and his companions have chron-jumped back to the 1800s, or General George Custer has been catapulted into the twenty-second century...

Dectra Chain

Deathlands: Book 7

James Axler

The world blew out in 2001. Vast areas of what was the United States lie beneath an umbrella of noxious dust and radioactive debris, a mantle of destruction drawn over a land of doom. Much of the East Coast has been obliterated; the Southwest is a land of fire; cities of smoldering ash have given birth to horrifically mutated life forms. Such is the Deathlands, legacy of global annihilation.

But there were survivors, struggling to overcome a dark new age of plague, radiation sickness, barbarism and madness. Out of the ruins come Ryan Cawdor and his band of post-holocaust survivors, whose odyssey of discovery takes them in search of other pockets of civilization.

Emerging from a gateway in Maine, Ryan confronts a ruthless and brutal sea captain, a woman prepared to go to any lengths to get what she wants...

Ice and Fire

Deathlands: Book 8

James Axler

Snakefish, California, is rich in the currency of post-holocaust America gasoline.

Almost leveled by the Soviet missiles that annihilated most of the West Coast, Snakefish is in the midst of a reconstruction, financed by a commodity far more valuable than the usual Deathlands jack.

But greed and man's lust for power threaten to shatter the hard-won peace and tranquility of this fledgeling community as disparate factions fight for control of the substance that will give them wealth beyond their wildest dreams.

Ryan Cawdor and his companions emerge from a gateway and step into the path of a smoldering war for power.

Red Equinox

Deathlands: Book 9

James Axler

Three generations after nuclear blasts all but vaporized the Earth, a group of warrior survivalists led by a charismatic man named Ryan Cawdor roam the hostile environment called Deathlands.

Their quest becomes a grim struggle for survival as they search for a better life beyond the nuke-ravaged cities. And it is one such harrowing journey that brings them to the heart of Moscow.

Beneath a mantle of chemical clouds an strontium snow, the former jewel in Russia's crown is teeming with a bizarre mix of mutated beings and old enemies all intent on killing Ryan and his band of post-holocaust survivors.

A new dark age has dawned with the hope of a promised land. But in the Deathlands, hope is not enough.

Northstar Rising

Deathlands: Book 10

James Axler

A generation after a global nuclear catastrophe, Minnesota is a steamy tropical environment of lush plants and horrifically mutated insects.

Emerging torn and battered after a triple jump through the gateways, Ryan Cawdor and his band of post-holocaust survivors discover an abandoned cryonics complex a doomed fantasy begun a century before in a world far away from Deathlands. Dr. Mildred Wyeth is successfully revived from subzero suspended animation and joins the team of warrior survivalists.

In the jungles of Minnesota, the group discovers yet another freakish legacy of a world cone hideously wrong: Vikings.

In the Deathlands, the past and the future are clashing with frightening force.

Time Nomads

Deathlands: Book 11

James Axler

In the blasted heart of the new America, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior-survivalists search for hidden caches of food, weapons and technology -- the legacy of a preholocaust society -- stashed in lonely outposts known as redoubts.

When Ryan ingests bacteria-infested food, he lies near death -- his body paralyzed but his mind traveling rapidly back to his early days in the Deathlands... moving through the southwest on post-nuke vehicles called warwags... and his run-in with the Baron.

Towse, near what was once Albuquerque, is a ville in a freakishly beautiful landscape populated by scabbies and armed Apaches. Baron Alias Carson and his bejeweled wife, Sharona, welcome Ryan, J.B. Dix and the Tracker to their treacherous world.

In the Deathlands the past is a dream. The future is a nightmare.

Latitude Zero

Deathlands: Book 12

James Axler

Generations after a near nuclear annihilation, America is a radiation-ravaged wasteland swarming with a thousand horrifically mutated life forms.

Ryan Cawdor and his band of post-holocaust survivors barely escape a self-destructing redoubt in the new southwest and embark on a journey overland to find the nearest gateway. But without an adequate supply of food and water, their quest is doomed.

Ryan strikes a deal with the leader of a wagon train heading west: protection against all attackers in exchange for food and water.

It is a deal that pits the one-eyed warrior against his oldest enemy -- a sadistic, ruthless man who would stop at nothing to get his hands on Ryan Cawdor.

In the Deathlands, everyone and everything is fair game, but only the strongest survive.

Seedling

Deathlands: Book 13

James Axler

America's post-holocaust nightmare continues as Ryan Cawdor returns to the monstrous urban slum that was once New York City...and discovers a piece of the future...

As the roaming band of survivors seek desperately to escape the eerie wastes and mutated life-forms of their nuclear hell, they emerge from a gateway back into the ruins of Manhattan -- the concrete battlefield where Ryan had avenged the death of his father and older brother.

The city is a flooded hellzone ruled by street gangs and hordes of reptilian mutants who inhabit the sewers. Under this urban ruin lives the self-styled King of the Underground, presiding over his subterranean fortress filled with prenuke memorabilia. And here, in this once great metropolis, lives a ten-year-old boy. He is Ryan Cawdor's son....

The children shall inherit the Earth.

Dark Carnival

Deathlands: Book 14

James Axler

Out of the ashes of global destruction, Ryan Cawdor and his roving band of warrior survivalists continue their grim odyssey across a nuke-ravaged America, searching for a sanctuary and the promise of a better life.

Emerging from a Gateway into Florida's sultry heat, they enter the domain of a wealthy baron -- a technical genius whose seat of power is a rebuilt theme park where the rides are fast and thrill seekers are guaranteed the time of their lives... if they can get out alive.

Influencing the baron is a ruthless and hypnotic cult leader and his demonic "family," whose murderous games trap Ryan into a midnight killing spree... with only one way out.

In the Deathlands, the future is a dream. Reality is a nightmare.

Chill Factor

Deathlands: Book 15

James Axler

America's legacy of annihilation continues for Ryan Cawdor and his band of post-apocalypse survivors on a quest to find a peaceful new life. Trekking through the ruins of a devastated America, they search for secrets of the past that might promise a future. This is the odyssey called Deathlands.

Ryan travels to the snowy wastes north of the forty-ninth parallel to rescue his young son, enslaved in a mining colony. In this forbidding landscape, one of Ryan's oldest enemies lies in wait, orchestrating a deadly finale to their private war.

In the biting cold, Ryan must battle a legion of hunter androids designed to track and kill any intruders with ruthless ingenuity. But for Ryan Cawdor, the need to save his son is greater than any threat the one-eyed warrior may encounter.

Welcome to the Deathlands, where you don't have to die to go to hell.

Moon Fate

Deathlands: Book 16

James Axler

Generations have passed since a nuclear blast all but turned America to dust. Out of the ruins emerges a band of warrior-survivalists, led by a one-eyed man called Ryan Cawdor. In their quest to find a better life, they embark on a perilous odyssey across the ravaged wasteland known as Deathlands.

An ambush by a roving group of mutant Stickies puts Ryan and Krysty Wroth in the clutches of a tyrant who plans a human sacrifice as a symbol of his power. The execution is set to take place at the new moon -- one night away. Ryan devises an escape plan but is betrayed by another prisoner. As they break for freedom, the Stickie leader unleashes a team of hunter-trackers among the maze of narrow canyons of the Southwest. For Ryan and Krysty, there's nowhere left to run...

In the Deathlands, the only thing that gets easier is dying.

Fury's Pilgrims

Deathlands: Book 17

James Axler

A bad jump from a near-space Gateway leaves Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists in the devastated heart of the American Midwest. Moving through the ruins in the safety of an abandoned war wag, they discover a small community that was once the sprawling metropolis of Chicago.

The town seems devoid of life, until the first night, when Krysty Wroth vanishes without a trace. Then the group is attacked, leaving Doc Tanner gravely wounded. Ryan realizes that someone, or something, wants them gone -- or dead.

He captures an attacker and learns that the town is run by a tribe of nocturnal female mutants. But not even torture yields any word of Krysty. Ryan fears for her life, especially since she's a woman

In the Deathlands, life is a contest where the only victor is death.

Shockscape

Deathlands: Book 18

James Axler

Emerging from a gateway into the snowy barrens of the Colorado Rockies, Ryan Cawdor and his warrior group are forced to strike a deal for survival. This part of white hell is controlled by Baron Nelson, a grief-ridden widower burning for vengeance against the hired killers who murdered his boy.

Not far from Nelson's barony lies Yuma, a nasty hellhole every badman in the Rockies calls home. Ryan, Doc and J.B. Dix begin a perilous journey across desolate mountains to Yuma to capture and deliver the boy's killers back to the baron. The odds are not good: if the mutant grizzlies and roving marauders don't get them, the sadistic guntoughs in Yuma will.

In the Deathlands, survival is a gamble. Death is the only sure bet.

Deep Empire

Deathlands: Book 19

James Axler

Once an idyllic chain of inlets running from Key Largo to Key West, the Florida Keys have become an isolated universe of grotesquely mutated wildlife and bizarre submarine malformations. Blind seventy-foot sea snakes lurk among the reefs around underwater volcanoes, while typhoons and pirates turn the crystal waters above into a death zone.

But Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior-survivalists find a slice of heaven in this ocean hell at a marine research center created to further the amazing promise of the dolphins. Here, a brilliant scientist offers the perfect vacation of sun, fishing and fun. Until Ryan discovers this post-holocaust aquatic paradise is a hoax -- and gentle dolphins are being mutated into killers.

Welcome to the Deathlands, and the future nobody planned for.

Cold Asylum

Deathlands: Book 20

James Axler

Generations after global annihilation, Kansas is a mutated landscape of dense, deciduous forest. Gone are the amber waves of grain, another hideous result of nuclear devastation that changed the face of the Earth forever. Now it's survival of the freakish.

Following rumours that might lead them to the long-lost Trader, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists find themselves the unwilling house guests of the wealthiest barons in all of Deathlands. At Baron Mandeville's opulent homestead, a glittering ornate fortress called Sun Crest, a secret and perverted game continues: gladiator contests among the guests. The winners get to play the ultimate life-and-death game -- a hunt in which they are the quarry.

Hope died in the Deathlands, but the will to live goes on.

Twilight Children

Deathlands: Book 21

James Axler

Survival is an endless battle in the dark age of post-holocaust America, but even amid the ashes of the past, new pockets of civilization emerge, fledgling communities bound by savage rules.

Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior-survivalists are transported from one Valley of the Shadow of Death to another, shaken by the mind-bending effects of the mat-trans, emerging at last into a promised land whose inhabitants are healthy and young.

The ville is an oasis in a blighted land, but among the blond, blue-eyed near-children, Ryan and his wayfarers are pariahs destined to find out that the quest for Paradise exacts a steep price.

In the Deathlands, the future looks terminally brief.

Rider, Reaper

Deathlands: Book 22

James Axler

The red-baked mountains of New Mexico offer a peaceful interlude for Ryan Cawdor, and a reunion with Jak Lauren. But in the violent post-holocaust world of Deathlands, survival is a blood-soaked game -- and Ryan's idyll becomes a mission of revenge.

The quarry is the General and his band of paramilitary killers. Roving and plundering the Southwest, the General travels with an unsurpassed armoury, his troops unchallenged, his agenda unstoppable.

Allied with local vengeance-hungry Indians, Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists begin a cross-desert manhunt on horseback through the acrid canyon lands, where danger waits in the form of fifteen-foot rattlesnakes, acid-rain hurricanes -- and a man who grimly prepares to destroy his pursuers.

Hope died in the Deahtlands, but the will to live goes on.

Road Wars

Deathlands: Book 23

James Axler

Emerging out of the ashes of the nuclear apocalypse, no one has been more successful and determined than Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists. But if the wasteland's endless miles come between them, the odds for getting back together again -- for their very survival -- are not in their favor.

A cryptic message regarding the long-missing Trader sends Ryan and the Armorer on an odyssey to the Pacific Northwest, away from their base, away from their band of warrior survivalists, away from Krysty Wroth. While Ryan battles the blood-hungry predators of the road, back in New Mexico, Krysty Wroth and the others fight off attacks against their weakened group in an all-out struggle for survival.

In the Deathlands, fate and chance are clashing with frightening force.

Trader Redux

Deathlands: Book 24

James Axler

Ruled by a perverse and malevolent Nature, roamed by lawless remnants of humanity, the Deathlands is what's left of the continental U.S. after a nuclear apocalypse unleashed hell on earth. Here, only a few can survive and still retain hope for the future, and of these, none are more determined than the exiled son of a coastal baron and his closely knit band of warrior survivalists.

The years of struggle in the new reality made Ryan Cawdor a bold and undisputed leader, but now he may have to contend with his former mentor, the enigmatic Trader. Together with J. B. Dix and Abe, they make a perilous journey down the mighty Colorado, and in the Grand Canyon's mile-deep crags, a degenerate barony and mutie death traps test the limits of the group's survival skills.

Weary and torn from their cross-country trek, they return to their stronghold in New Mexico to find it abandoned, with no sign of Krysty Wroth, Dean or the others....

Imagine your worst nightmare. It's called Deathlands.

Genesis Echo

Deathlands: Book 25

James Axler

Deathlands is a world savaged beyond recognition by a centuries-old nuclear blast. While many prosper on the savagery of this lawless land, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists carry the seeds of hope and courage in a daring quest to find the gateway to the future....

The warrior survivalists are reluctant guests in a reactivated twentieth-century medical institute in Maine. Here scientists still pursue their abstract theories, oblivious to the realities of a world gone mad. But when they take an unhealthy interest in Krysty Wroth, the pressure is on to find a way out of this guarded enclave.

Before they can escape, Ryan's loyalty will be tested, and Krysty's special powers may threaten her very existence.

In the Deathlands, the war for domination is over, but the struggle for survival continues.

Shadowfall

Deathlands: Book 26

James Axler

The nuclear conflagration that consumed the world generations ago stripped away most of its bounty, throwing survivors back to more savage ways of existence. Amid the ruins, Ryan Cawdor leads the daring few who wage a grim battle in a quest for a better future.

As elsewhere in the Deathlands, what remains of the Sunshine State is rules by tooth and claw and unbridled instinct. It's an alien, inhospitable terrain of sulfur pits and lethal geysers, inhabited by mutated life-forms. Here Ryan finds that survival demands hard and fast choices, and unexpected alliances. To hold his band of warrior survivalists together, he comes to an agonizing crossroads, torn by a debt to the past and loyalty to the present.

Hope died in the Deathlands, but the will to live goes on.

Ground Zero

Deathlands: Book 27

James Axler

Ryan Cawdor and his band of survivalists search for a better future in the devastated ruins of a city once called Washington. Facing double jeopardy posed by a barbaric baron, and the indifferent wrath of nature, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists are determined to persevere against predatory foes.

In the Deathlands, everyone and everything is fair game, but only the strongest survive.

Deathlands is desolate and mute testimony to the aftermath of the nuclear blasts that laid waste the earth. Wayfarers in their blighted world, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists search for a better future in the devastated ruins of a once-proud land. The radiation-poisoned hellhole is their home, and they are determined to defend it from the predatory foreigners emerging from a gateway.

And where its proud heart, the city of Washington, had stood, Ryan Cawdor faces double jeopardy posed by a barbaric baron, and the indifferent wrath of nature. In the Deathlands, everyone and everything is fair game.

Emerald Fire

Deathlands: Book 28

James Axler

Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists emerge from a gateway into an abandoned U.S. military complex, now a native shrine to the white gods of pre-blast days. Here the group is given royal treatment, only to discover that privilege has a blood price.

In the Deathlands, you're always too far from home....

The global apocalypse of 2001 did not destroy the world -- only a way of life. Now, three generations after the blast, the indomitable human spirit struggles against the devastation and hopelessness. For one band of survivors, hope lies in hidden gateways, portals to uncertain places of salvation or doom.

The Amazon Basin remains a land of primordial beauty and primitive people. Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists emerge from a gateway into an abandoned U.S., military complex, now a native shrine to the white gods of pre-blast days. Here the group is given royal treatment, only to discover that privilege has a blood price.

In the Deathlands, you're always too far from home....

Bloodlines

Deathlands: Book 29

James Axler

In the aftermath of the apocalypse little remains except age-old evils of greed, perversion and force. But a small group of survivalists cherishes the legacy of human courage and hope. led by the charismatic Ryan Cawdor, they persevere in a brutal world through warrior skills and a bold desire to regain the promised future.

The fertile bayous teem with mutant life-forms and altered species. Off on a trek with his son, Ryan fends off the dangers from marauders and Nature's traps, but also finds signs of hope for humanity's new future. But the ultimate threat comes upon them in an unguarded moment, shocking in its scope and casting more blame on generations past.

In the Deathlands, nothing is as it appears.

Crossways

Deathlands: Book 30

James Axler

As the twenty-second century emerges from the blight of nuclear damnation, humanity is slowly coming to terms with the bizarre new world of Deathlands, where each new generation holds the promise of renewal and redemption -- in men like Ryan Cawdor and his son, Dean.

Ryan Cawdor and companions emerge from a gateway into the ravaged world of the Rockies. It's old hunting grounds for Ryan and the Titian-haired Krysty Wroth -- her home, and the place where they first came together. Here Ryan has an unsettling choice to make, and Krysty a debt to pay. But her Mother Sonja may be long gone, and the past becomes a trap as they press toward Harmony, a marauding gang hard on their trail.

Hope died in the Deathlands, but the will to live goes on.

Keepers of the Sun

Deathlands: Book 31

James Axler

The nuclear storm that swept the globe has left behind the Deathlands, a legacy of hate and violence. Pockets of survivors live off the ravaged land or on stockpiles found in redoubts. But from out of the ashes, a fearless man spearheads the drive to pierce the heart of darkness....

The gateways are secret installations from predark days used by Ryan Cawdor and his group as escape routes. Once again the warrior survivalists emerge from a jump and into a world -- and empire fallen -- ruled by the samurai code. And here Ryan has to face a new threat that could destroy the only home they know.

A new dark age has dawned with the hope of a promised land. But in the Deathlands, hope is not enough.

Circle Thrice

Deathlands: Book 32

James Axler

The dark frontier of the twenty-second century is lawless and oppressive, but humanity is slowly beginning to carve out new beginnings in the midst of this brutal, nuke-altered world. In pockets of civilization called villes, peace and hope start to flourish. But law and order invite what's evil and corrupt....

Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists are guests of a powerful Tennessee baroness and her mysterious adviser at her ville on what was once the mighty Mississippi River. Beautiful and alluring, the baroness is skilled in the dark arts, and she will do anything to secure her future.

In the Deathlands, when hope is not enough, the laws of survival are called into play.

Eclipse at Noon

Deathlands: Book 33

James Axler

Hard on the heels of their escape from a powerful baroness, the wayfarers arrive at the shore of the mighty Mississippi. As if whisked back in time, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists find themselves passengers on a riverboat. It's a high time, until the stakes escalate and Ryan is sold to the highest bidder.

Stoneface

Deathlands: Book 34

James Axler

In 2001, the face of the earth changed forever in a nuclear firestorm. Generations after the apocalypse, Ryan Cawdor leads the courageous struggle for survival in a brutal world, striving to make a difference in the battle raging between good and evil.

On a sacred aboriginal land, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists discover Mount Rushmore still standing, a symbol of long-gone power. Here a charismatic baron and his followers force Ryan to breach the icy fastness of the mountain stronghold, which harbours a cache of twentieth-century technology -- and a chilling surprise from the past.

In the Deathlands, the war is over... but the fight has just begun.

Bitter Fruit

Deathlands: Book 35

James Axler

In the nuclear-storm devastated Deathlands a warrior survivalist of the twenty-second century leads the relentless fight to reclaim a lost world.

Barely escaping from a marauding gang, Ryan Cawdor and his band of post-holocaust survivors emerge from a gateway into an idyllic community ruled by Druidic law. But this new Eden may be a mirage, concealing a deadly threat. For the seed of dissent had been sown in the past, and is again ready to destroy.

Nature rules in the Deathlands, but man still destroys.

Skydark

Deathlands: Book 36

James Axler

It's now generations after the firestorm that nearly consumed the earth, but the survivors haven't yet finished paying for the sins of the fathers. All of life suffered, and of those that survived, not all survived well. This cradle of life is now home to forms fallen far from their human inheritance.

Fear spreads like wildfire through the wastelands when an army of mutants, led by a charismatic and powerful lord, goes on the rampage. As panic and infighting cripple the baronies, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists must find a way to unite them before the human race is wiped off the face of the earth.

In the Deathlands, the future is just beginning.

Demons of Eden

Deathlands: Book 37

James Axler

The legacy of the twentieth century was the world-wasting nuclear firestorm that destroyed a way of life forever. Civilization is in ruins, its pitiful remnants perverted by brute force, and mankind is less at home on the planet than ever before. Yet in the desolation that is the Deathlands, an intrepid group of wayfarers continues the determined fight for survival and a better future.

Leaving a western ville besieged by desert pirates in search of the legendary cities of the Spanish conquistadors, Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists enter a hidden valley untouched by civilization. Here the descendants of the First People are at one with Nature, following their sacred and mystical traditions. But deep in the valley is an awesome force, a power that can freely heal... or wantonly destroy.

In the Deathlands life is locked in mortal combat, and the only way out is the future.

The Mars Arena

Deathlands: Book 38

James Axler

In the ruins of Las Vegas, Ryan Cawdor enters the blood-soaked arena of regional barons to reclaim his son's life.

The nuclear firestorms had swept away the hatreds and the power struggles that had dominated the Earth for decades. But no hoped-for better reality was born in that blighted landscape. In a lawless and maddened world, blood and violence remained a means to survival -- and power.

In the harsh territory near what used to be the Western badlands, Ryan Cawdor and his crew join the search for the wreck of a crashed space station. But in the ruins of Las Vegas he falls prey to a maelstrom of violence. Hostage in a bitter war between regional barons, Ryan finds that even his best effort is an odds-even gamble, and that his son's life may depend on the whims of destiny.

Deathlands is a conspiracy against survival....

Watersleep

Deathlands: Book 39

James Axler

In the altered reality of the Deathlands, America's coastal waters haven't escaped the ravages of the nukecaust, but the awesome power of the oceans still rules here. It's a power that will let Ryan Cawdor, first among postholocaust survivors, ride the crest of victory -- or consign his woman to the raging depths.

Emerging from a gateway on the ruins of the Georgia coastline, Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists embark on a voyage up the Atlantic coast. But treachery awaits as they're beset by pirates, then a violent storm that pulls Krysty Wroth and Jak Lauren beneath the waves. Now Ryan must contend with a self-proclaimed lord of the sea as he struggles to reclaim what's his from a watery grave.

In the Deathlands, there's no waking from the nightmare...

Nightmare Passage

Deathlands: Book 40

James Axler

In the sands of California's Guadalupe Desert, Ryan and companions fear they have crossed time lines when they stumble upon a settlement straight out of fabled Egypt. What they find is a rebellion against an aspiring god-king who wants to enslave them. To overcome an enemy with unusual powers, Ryan must bide his time though his every instinct is to strike out in rage.

Freedom Lost

Deathlands: Book 41

James Axler

Ryan Cawdor and his team are en route to his boyhood home in West Virginia when they are offered shelter--for a price--in the remains of the Freedom Mall, once the largest in the Carolinas, operated by Baron Freedom. The huge mall is a haven for its inhabitants, but Ryan is given an ultimatum--pay a hefty fine or help the Baron's group fight against the "stickies", a marauding army of mutants. Ryan is left no choice but to help, and finds himself pitted against the Baron and the stickies in a desperate struggle to save his friend and escape.

Way of the Wolf

Deathlands: Book 42

James Axler

The bleak nightmare of the nuclear winter has abated, but the Earth is scarred, its ecosystems poisoned, many of its life forms mutated and struggling for existence. Here, in the torn remnants of American, Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists stake their claim as the inheritors of Deathlands, their unforgiving world.

The mountains of the Arctic Circle are shaken with ceaseless tremors as the frozen earth Threatens to swallow itself. Trapped in the hostile landscape by a mat-trans jump, Ryan and companions find the ultimate challenge to their will to survive. The odds dwindle when they become the new bounty in a struggle for dominance between a group of Neanderthals and descendants of a military garrison stranded generations ago.

Deathlands. A perilous journey through uncharted territory.

Dark Emblem

Deathlands: Book 43

James Axler

After a relatively easy mat-trans jump, Ryan and his companions find themselves in the company of Dr. Silas Jamaisvous, a seemingly pleasant host who appears to understand the mat-trans systems extremely well. Seeing signs that local inhabitants have been used as guinea pigs for the scientist's ruthless experiments, the group realizes that they have to stop this line of research before it goes too far

Crucible of Time

Deathlands: Book 44

James Axler

A connection to his past awaits Ryan Cawdor as the group takes a mat-trans jump to the remnants of California. Brother Joshua Wolfe is the leader of the Children of the Rock--a cult that has left a trail of barbarism and hate across the ravaged California countryside. Ryan and his compatriots must survive the battle rituals prescribed by the cult and escape the misguided wrath of their enemies, the Mescalero Indians, in order to continue their journey across the wastelands.

Starfall

Deathlands: Book 45

James Axler

Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists jump into Montana territory, where they are joined by members of the Heimdall Foundation, an organization of whitecoats that investigates the possibility of alien visitation on Earth. Ryan is concerned when Krysty is rendered helpless by one of the Chosen--a type of doomie mutant with mind-control abilities. The group is accosted by a baron's sec men, who are searching for valuable debris from an abandoned space station that fell from the sky.

Gemini Rising

Deathlands: Book 46

James Axler

Book #1 in the Baronies Trilogy of Deathlands

Ryan Cawdor comes home to West Virginia and his nephew Nathan, to whom Cawdor had entrusted the Cawdor barony. Waiting for Cawdor are two of his oldest enemies, ready to overtake the barony and the Cawdor name.Unable to help an ailing Krysty Wroth, Cawdor must face this challenge to the future of the East Coast baronies on his own.

Gaia's Demise

Deathlands: Book 47

James Axler

Book #2 in the Baronies Trilogy of Deathlands

The trail of the East Coast conspiracy leads to Tennessee, where a new weapon to control the weather and disrupt human thinking has been wreaking havoc. Behind it all is Ryan's nemesis, Dr. Jamaisvous, who once again finds escape via the gateway.

Dark Reckoning

Deathlands: Book 48

James Axler

Book #3 in The Baronies Trilogy of Deathlands

A secret community of scientists gains control of an orbiting transformer that could become the ultimate weapon of terror -- and it's up to Ryan Cawdor to halt the evil mastermind before he can incinerate Front Royal.

Shadow World

Deathlands: Book 49

James Axler

The hellscape of postnuclear America has a bloodlust for the good, the innocent and the helpless. Survival in Deathlands demands a will to endure that is as raw and savage as this brutal frontier. For Deathlands is the future's last and only hope for both its inheritors and strange invaders to whom this perdition promises a paradise.

Ryan Cawdor is a true warrior of Deathlands, fighting for survival in a bizarre, freakish world. But now, beyond the unseen perils, a new threat emerges: invaders arrive from a parallel earth where the nukecaust never happened. Ryan is abducted through a time corridor to the twin earth, where he dixcovers a nightmare that makes Deathlands look tame by comparison and a new plot for its grotesque destruction...

In the Deathlands the future is undertain, but it's all that remains.

Pandora's Redoubt

Deathlands: Book 50

James Axler

In the post-holocaust wastelands of 22nd-centry America, precious little remains of life before the nuclear blowout. Legends circulate of Redoubts, secret pre-Dark military bases with caches of food, medicine and, most important, weapons. Yet only a few of the ragged elite possess the arcane knowledge that enables them to locate and access these valuable storehouses.

In a hidden redoubt in Ohio, Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists take possession of the ultimate Deathlands War Wag a crude but effective tank called Leviathan. But having this steel-plated behemoth is a double-edged sword when they fall into the trap of Lady Ward of Novaville, who wants Leviathan for her own means of destruction and domination.

In the Deathlands, the future is just an idea.

Rat King

Deathlands: Book 51

James Axler

What was once the United States is now the rad-blasted world of Deathlands...a place that more than lives up to its name. Led by a one-eyed warrior called Ryan Cawdor, a straggling band of survivors roams the nuke-ravaged land, homing their survival skills in a wasteland where danger lurks over the next hill.

Emerging into one of the predark installations known as redoubts, the group is taken prisoner in a fully functioning army base operating in a parody of life before the blowout. Its occupants are inbred soldiers, a legacy to the lost secrets of the Totality Concept. Led by the mad general of an obscene military project, the base has found its last hope in the ragtag bunch, a fate that may be even more horrifying than the hell they have survived.

In the Deathlands nothing is certain... especially the future.

Zero City

Deathlands: Book 52

James Axler

The nuclear Armageddon of 2001 put the world on an odyssey of savage rebirth. Now, little more than a hundred years after the blast, the quest for power is viciously embraced by America's new masters, barons commanding fortresses called villes, policed by stonehearts called sec men. One of them is a warrior survivalist named Ryan Cawdor, believed to possess pre-apocalyptic knowledge that holds hope for a beleaguered future.Hungry and exhausted, Ryan and his band emerge from a redoubt into an untouched predark city, and uncover a cache of weapons and food. Among other interlopers, the city is guarded by huge winged creatures, protecting the grisly secrets of a nearby barony. Holed up inside an old government building, where Ryan's son, Dean, lies near death, Ryan and Krysty must raid where a local baron uses human flesh as fertilizer....

Savage Armada

Deathlands: Book 53

James Axler

Book #1 of the Skydark Chronicles of Deathlands

A nuclear apocalypse almost destroyed Western civilization in 2001, leaving in its place the forbidding world of Deathland. Though the human spirit has not been broken, the new rules of survival are harsh and barbaric. As barons fight for power in a savage new America, power is claimed with the salvaged arsenels of a predark world: weapons, gasoline and those willing to kill.

The Marshall Islands, once the testing grounds for twentieth-century weapons of mass destruction, remains perversely beautiful. But the infested waters become the battleground for looting pirates and sec men in still-functional navy PT boats, all driven by greed and madness to plunder the predark caches of science and technology hidden in the islands. Ryan Cawdor and his warrior band emerge in this perilous waterworld, caught in a grim fight to unlock the secrets of the past.

In the Deathlands, the price for survival is high.

Judas Strike

Deathlands: Book 54

James Axler

Book #2 of the Skydark Chronicles of Deathlands

A nuclear endgame played out among the superpowers created a fiery cataclysm that turned America into a treacherous new frontier. But an intrepid group of warrior survivalists roams the wastelands, unlocking the secrets of a pre-dark world. Ryan Cawdor and his band have become living legends in a world of madness and death where savagery reigns, but the human spirit endures...

The South Pacific is a rad-blasted paradise, inhabited by giant mutated crustaceans and savage cannibals. The local baron rules the Marshall islands with a despotic iron fist and a secret formula for making Deathland's gold: gunpowder. But his true invincibility lies in his possession of stockpiles of pre-dark rapid-fire missiles and a fleet of functional PT boats. Ryan Cawdor and his companions have faced off against the baron and survived. But this time there's only one way out of these death seas -- through the sec-men-infested waters of the baron's kingdom.

Imagine your worst nightmare. This is Deathlands.

Shadow Fortress

Deathlands: Book 55

James Axler

Book #3 of the Skydark Chronicles of Deathlands

A planet ravaged by the apocalyptic blast of 2001 gave birth to a new world of savagery -- and a new breed of hero. In a land where violence rules with absolute authority, Ryan Cawdor and his wayfarer survivalists roam the strange, nascent twenty-second century, living by their own creed of honor as they continue their search for a sanctuary they can call home.

In what was once the nuclear testing ground of the predark world, the Marshall Islands are now the kingdom of the grotesque Lord Baron Kinnison. Here in this world of slavery and brutality the companions have fought a fierce war for survival, on land and sea -- yet the crafty baron still conspires to destroy these interlopers. Activating a twentieth-century hot air balloon left untouched by the blast, they escape to the neighboring pirate-ruled Forbidden Island, with the baron's sec men in hot pursuit -- and become trapped in a war for total supremacy of this water world.

Not even Deathlands can deny the human will to survive.

Sunchild

Deathlands: Book 56

James Axler

In the ruins of nuke-ravaged Seattle, Ryan Cawdor and his warrior companions come face-to-face with the Illuminated Ones, a secret order whose knowledge foretold the end of the world. Recognizing that the true power rests in the hands of the baron's insane wife, Ryan and his group seek to shift the power in their favor.

Breakthrough

Deathlands: Book 57

James Axler

Deathlands is a living hell, but one place is even worse: a parallel Earth where the atomic mega-cull never happened. Now the ruler of this Otherworld Earth and her genetically engineered female force have invaded Deathlands, which offers a ready supply of slaves and raw energy. It is up to Ryan Cawdor and his warrior companions to stop the invaders before this grotesque new order redefines brutality.

Salvation Road

Deathlands: Book 58

James Axler

Two hundred years after a nuclear war has ravaged America, Ryan Cawdor and his roving band of survivalists continue their quest for a better life. That's difficult in Texas, where the brutal sun burns the desert red-hot, and where the greedy and the mad try to mine the black crude beneath the scorched earth. It is here that Ryan and the companions find themselves in a no-win situation against a rogue baron. With success comes freedom ...with failure, death!

Amazon Gate

Deathlands: Book 59

James Axler

Book #1 of the Illuminated Ones duology of Deathlands

At the heart of the strange new post-nuclear world known as Deathlands lie the mysteries of pre-dark society -- secrets that may hold the key to a future of peace... or peril. In perhaps their one chance to reclaim the future from the jaws of madness, Ryan Cawdor and the companions ally with a female-dominant tribe who have found the gateway belonging to the pre-dark cabal.

Destiny's Truth

Deathlands: Book 60

James Axler

Book #2 of the Illuminated Ones duology of Deathlands

Allied with a tribe of women warriors, Ryan Cawdor and his band of survivalists continue their quest to locate the Illuminated Ones, a pre-dark sect who may possess secret knowledge of Deathlands. But their dangerous pursuit becomes even more treacherous when their quarry unleashes a deadly plague in a twisted plot to cleanse the earth.Destiny's Truth is the second episode in The Illuminated Ones, a two-book story arc in which the warrior survivalists battle the remnants of the pre-dark U.S. government -- otherwise known as the Illuminated Ones.

Skydark Spawn

Deathlands: Book 61

James Axler

A dark and Brooding land hungrily awaits the next generation...

Survival in America's nuke-blasted frontier is both a curse and a salvation for Ryan Cawdor and his warrior companions. Though the basic needs of existence must be fought for and won with blood -- each day alive means another chance to seek refuge and a better way of life in a hostile and brutal world, where hope still fires the human heart.

In the relatively untouched area of what was once Niagara Falls, Ryan and his fellow wayfarers find the pastoral farmland under the despotic control of a twisted baron and his slave-breeding farm. Ryan, Mildred and Krysty are captured by the baron's sec men and pawned into the cruel frenzy of their leader's grotesque desires. JB, Jak and Doc enlist the aid of outlanders to organize a counter strike -- but rescue may come too late for them all.

In the Deathlands, you are sentenced to your destiny from the moment of birth . . .

Damnation Road Show

Deathlands: Book 62

James Axler

In the ruins of a nuke-shattered America, eerie remnants of preDark times linger as a traveling road show gives new meaning to the word chilling. Facing tremendous odds, Ryan and his warrior group challenge this wandering death merchant and his army of circus freaks. But no one is aware that a steel-eyed monster from the past is preparing a private act that would give Ryan star billing...

Devil Riders

Deathlands: Book 63

James Axler

Book #1 of the Scorpion God duology of Deathlands

Judgment day has come and gone. Now only the strongest survive.

A century after the nuclear conflagrating almost destroyed the world, humanity endures in a lawless land. Those who inhabit Deathlands are either killers or those who would be killed. But an elite few defy the laws of this new nautical selection -- playing both sides of the eternal game of life and death. Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists never leave a friend behind. . .or a coldheart alive.

Stranded in the salty desert wastes of West Texas, Ryan and his companions find pre-Dark wheels and set out on a treacherous journey across inhospitable terrain. Hopes for a hot meal and a clean bed in a isolated ville die fast when the companions run into a despotic baron manipulating the lifeblood of the desert: water. But it's his fortress stockpiled with enough armaments to wage war in the dunes that interests Ryan, especially when he learns the enemy may be none other than the greatest -- and long dead -- Deathlands legend: the Trader.

In the Deathlands the future is here, but the past is never far behind.

Bloodfire

Deathlands: Book 64

James Axler

Book #2 of the Scorpion God duology of Deathlands

The Amazon Basin remains a land of primoridal beauty and primitive people. Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists emerge from a gateway into an abandoned U.S. military complex, now a native shrine to the white gods of pre-blast days. Here the group is given royal treatment, only to discover that privilege has a blood price.

Hellbenders

Deathlands: Book 65

James Axler

As Ryan Cawdor and his fellow warriors continue their daily struggle for a better life, they encounter a redoubt filled with preDark technology. While attempting to unlock some of the secrets of post-nuclear America, the half-mad former sec man who is in control orders them to jump-start his private war against two local barons. Under the harsh and pitiless glare of the desert sun, the companions fight to see another day...whatever it brings.

Separation

Deathlands: Book 66

James Axler

Hard strength and resilience are needed to survive each new day in the treacherous world of post-nuclear America. For Ryan Cawdor and his companions, honour, integrity and a willingness to kill are necessary as well, as they struggle to balance a survivalistic spirit with a warrior's resolve to press on, living by their own rules in a tortured land, pursuing a dream that leads them into the unknown....

Ryan and his group make their way to a remote island in hopes of finding brief sanctuary. Instead, they are captured by an isolated tribe of descendants of African slaves from pre-Civil War days. When the tribesmen declare Mildred Wyeth "free" from her white masters, it is a twist of fate that ultimately leads the battle-hardened medic to question where her true loyalties lie. Will she side with Ryan, J.B. Dix and those with whom she has forged a bond of trust and friendship... or with the people of her own blood. But the loss of Mildred is not the only threat the group faces - in a treacherous world where the ties that bind can cut both ways.

In the Deathlands, the future is not what it used to be....

Death Hunt

Deathlands: Book 67

James Axler

The treacherous new world of post-nuclear America guarantees no inalienable rights--no promises of freedom, liberty or justice for all. Instead, chaos and bloodlust thrive--but so do the innate strengths of the human spirit, and the virtues of honor and courage. Ryan Cawdor has endured the worst that Deathlands has to offer and continues to push on, leading his companions through a land of madness and treachery, seizing each new day with a deep, primal hope that refuses to die....

Ryan's razor-sharp edge has been dulled by the loss of his son, Dean--but grief is an emotion he cannot indulge if the band is to escape the chains of sadistic Baron Ethan. His thriving ville offers a special commodity: blood sport. Now with the group's armorer, JB Dix, imprisoned and near death, Ryan and the others are forced to join Ethan's hunt--as the hunted. But the perverse and powerful baron has changed the rules. Skilled in mind control, he ensures the warriors will not be tracked by high-paying thrill-seekers. Instead, they will hunt each other--to the death. In the Deathlands, the odds of survival just got worse....

Shaking Earth

Deathlands: Book 68

James Axler

After a nuclear blast all but vaporized the Western Hemisphere in the late twenty-first century, America became known as Deathlands, a hellhole that has proved itself a formidable foe in the fight for survival--a place where the will to see another day comes down to raw courage and a good aim. Ryan Cawdor and his warrior group roam the vast and violent landscape, fighting to live and living to fight for a better life, knowing that death may not be the only way out, but it's the quickest.

In a land steeped in ancient legend, power and destruction, the crumbling ruins of what was once Mexico City is now under siege by a bloodthirsty tribe of aboriginal muties. Emerging from a gateway into the partially submerged ruins of this once great city, Ryan and his group ally themselves with a fair and just baron caught in a treacherous power struggle with a dangerous rival. An internecine war foreshadows ultimate destruction of the valley at a time when unity of command and purpose offers the only hope against a terrible fate.... In the Deathlands everyone has a future. Some will wish they didn't.

Black Harvest

Deathlands: Book 69

James Axler

Shockwaves of atomic destruction turned 22nd-century America into a hellzone, but in the ruins the human spirit remains unconquerable. Daily survival depends on raw courage and a deadly aim, and with his warrior band Ryan Cawdor roams the forbidding new frontier known as Deathlands, determined to unlock its secrets....

Emerging from a gateway in the midwest, Ryan senses trouble within the well-fortified ville of a local baron, whose understanding of pre-Dark medicine may be their one chance to save a wounded Jak. But while his whitecoats can make the drugs that heal, the baron knows the real power and money is in the hardcore Deathlands jolt. And where drugs and riches go, death shadows every step, no matter which side of a firefight you stand on.... In the Deathlands, tomorrow is never just another day.

Vengeance Trail

Deathlands: Book 70

James Axler

As megalomaniac barons and savage anarchy compete to lay claim to post-nuclear America, perseverance and a will to live are what keep Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists roving through the worst and best of a new world. Armed with secrets of pre-Dark tech, they possess what few in Deathlands can imagine: hope for a better tomorrow.

Ryan Cawdor is gunned down and left for dead by the new provisional U.S. Army, commanded by a brilliant general with a propensity for casual mass murder and a vision to rebuild America. Waging war from his pre-Dark, fusion-powered armored locomotive, he's poised to unlock the secrets of the Gateways--as the rest of Ryan's group stand powerless. All except one. Hope may be lost for Krysty Wroth. But revenge is enough. In the Deathlands, vengeance is the only justice.

Ritual Chill

Deathlands: Book 71

James Axler

Time, and the fallout of a nuclear holocaust, have ravaged 21st century America, but one fundamental impulse of human nature remains: the will to survive. And only the strongest do survive. Men like Ryan Cawdor, whose inner strength and stubborn resolve continue to defy the worst that Deathlands offers. With grim determination, he and his warrior group continue to face the stark and brutal choices of this new world that are often not choices at all, but imperatives. Act first, ask questions later.

A cold sense of déjà vu becomes reality as the group emerges from a gateway they'd survived before--a grim graveyard of lost friends and nightmares. The consuming need to escape the dangerous melancholy of the place forces Ryan and company onto the frozen tundra, where an even greater menace awaits. The forbidding land harbors a dying tribe--cursed members of the ancient Inuit, who seize the arrival of Ryan and his band as their last hope to appease angry gods...by offering them up as human sacrifice. In the Deathlands, the price for survival is the constant fear of death.

Atlantis Reprise

Deathlands: Book 72

James Axler

For Ryan Cawdor, leader of a small group of post-apocalypse survivalists, it's the inner fire of survival that guides them through this hell on earth and to whatever lies beyond the daily fight for existence. There are times when the oblivion of death seems a most welcome journey out of Deathlands. But for Ryan, death is something his warrior's soul will never take on without a fight.

In the forested coastal region of the eastern seaboard, near the Pine Barrens of what was New Jersey, Ryan and his companions encounter a group of rebels. Having broken away from the strange, isolated community known as Atlantis, and led by the obscene and paranoid Odyssey, this small group desires to live in peace. But in a chill-or-be-chilled world, freedom can only be won by spilled blood. Ryan and company are willing to come to the aid of these freedom fighters, ready to wage a war against the twisted tyranny that permeates Deathlands.

Labyrinth

Deathlands: Book 73

James Axler

It took only minutes for human history to derail in a mushroom cloud--now more than a century later, whatever destiny lies ahead for humanity is bound by the rules that have governed survival since the dawn of time: part luck, part skill and part hard experience. For Ryan Cawdor and his band, survival in Deathlands means keeping hold of what you have--or losing it along with your life.

In the ancient canyons of New Mexico, the citizens of Little Pueblo prepare to sacrifice Ryan and his companions to demons locked inside a twentieth-century dam project. But in a world where nuke-spawned predators feed upon weak and strong alike, Ryan knows avenging eternal spirits aren't part of the game. Especially when these freaks spit yellow acid--and their creators are the whitecoat masterminds of genetic recombination, destroyed by their mutant offspring born of sin and science gone horribly wrong....

Strontium Swamp

Deathlands: Book 74

James Axler

In their darkest moments, few citizens of the twentieth century could have envisioned the firestorm that plunged the world into the chaos of a nuke-altered reality. Twenty-second-century America may not be much worth fighting for, but Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists push on, clinging to the deep wellspring of human hope that somewhere in the raw, violent new frontier of a rad-blasted tomorrow is someplace they can call home.

Weary, sick and hungry, the group barely survives a trek through the torturous deserts of the Southwest which leads into the bayous of what was once Louisiana, a place one of their own first called home. The eerie, lifeless silence of the swamps warns of trouble ahead. But nothing can prepare them for Dr. Jean, a madman who has harnessed pre-Dark tech to create an army of crazed zombies marching toward his own twisted vision of Deathlands domination.

Shatter Zone

Deathlands: Book 75

James Axler

Scattered remains have been salvaged from the abandoned cities that withstood the atomic onslaught at the dawn of the twenty-fi rst century, but the secrets of pre-Dark tech buried in the mass grave of civilization are known to only a few. Possessing understanding and the unshakable will to survive, Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists face each day armed and ready for the enemy called Deathlands, whose formidable power has yet to claim victory over the human spirit....

In this raw, brutal world ruled by the strongest and the most vicious, an unseen player is manipulating Ryan and his band, luring him across an unseen battle line drawn in the dust outside Tucson, Arizona. Here a local barony becomes the staging ground for a battle unlike any other, against a foe whose ties to pre-Dark society present a new and incalculable threat to a fragile world. Ryan Cawdor is the only man living who stands between this adversary's glory... and the prize he seeks. In the Deathlands, the future lies somewhere between hope... and hell.

Perdition Valley

Deathlands: Book 76

James Axler

Journeying across the devastated frontier of postnuclear America, Ryan Cawdor and his companions have unlocked clandestine knowledge of preDark tech, secrets that give them an edge for staying alive, an edge augmented by an ability to fight... and win. Each day brings a new chance to find someplace to call home--somewhere apart from the grim realities of a civilization struggling to be reborn.

Hunted across the southwestern desert, Ryan doesn't know who wants him dead badly enough to slaughter innocents as a way of luring him into the open. But the advanced tech his pursuers are using is unknown in Deathlands, created by the most brilliant minds of twentieth-century America. Now evil is alive and stalking the warrior group. His name is Delphi, and he's prepared to reclaim the one man who understands with brutal certainty how time can be controlled, manipulated, remapped. In the Deathlands, the past may be lost but its secrets are deadlier than ever....

Cannibal Moon

Deathlands: Book 77

James Axler

In the hostile new world of postnuclear America, there are many ways to die, but few are clean or quick. Long ago Ryan Cawdor and his band threw in their lot together--to do or die trying. It was a pact sealed in blood, one of selflessness and sacrifice that put a premium on the value of loyalty, friendship and honor--and the blind faith that survival is a better option than certain death.

Compassion is a luxury in a brutal land where life is cheap, but Dr. Mildred Wyeth holds fast to her physician's oath to show mercy. Now she's stricken by a plague that brings on a deep craving for human flesh. Unwilling to lose one of their own to this pervasive pestilence without a fight, the companions follow the trail to Cajun country, where the mysterious queen of the Cannies is rumored to possess the only antidote to the grim fate that awaits Mildred... and perhaps her warrior friends.

Sky Raider

Deathlands: Book 78

James Axler

Raw courage and knowledge of the arcane secrets of preDark technology have enabled Ryan Cawdor and his warrior companions to live and roam a land tortured--but not destroyed--by apocalyptic madness. In a world where the price of living is paid in fl esh and blood, nothing is ever free, not even death.

In Deathlands, power brings more power to those able to command it by means fair or foul. Yet few among the most tyrannical barons can rival the ruthlessness of Sandra Tregart, whose despotic visions are being realized by resurrected technology: air power. With her restored biplane, she delivers death from the skies to all who defy her supremacy--a virulent ambition that challenges Ryan Cawdor and his band in unfathomable new ways.

Remember Tomorrow

Deathlands: Book 79

James Axler

After twenty-first-century America exploded in the chaos of a nuclear nightmare, a raw new landscape emerged, a world where death and dreams clash. Still, the best of the human spirit endures: the hope, the will to survive. But so does the worst: the greed, tyranny, the easy death. In his enduring odyssey across the hostile world called Deathlands, Ryan Cawdor is a warrior no enemy wants to cross.

An earthquake in the Arkansas dust bowls leaves the companions for dead, until they are all reunited except for armorer J. B. Dix. Alive, though with no memory of the past, he is in the uncertain employ of the ironfisted ruler of a vital outpost along the routes that traverse the wastelands. Duma is the biggest, most dangerous ville in all of Deathlands, where jolt, jack, booze and sex are worth more than human life. Stalking Duma and preparing to attack this orgy of firepower is a crazed band of inbred worshippers of Nagasaki... and their unwilling new sec force led by Ryan Cawdor.

Sunspot

Deathlands: Book 80

James Axler

In the wake of a nuclear Armageddon, the hellscape of Deathlands conspires to torment strong and weak alike, festering most deeply in those who still possess the deepest core of human decency. Now the past lies in the ashes, while the mysteries of the future unfold in the hands of those willing to live each new day in search of hope for tomorrow.

The endless struggle for power among the barons is a way of life in Deathlands, but Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists take no sides--unless forced to. But as the land around the Rio Grande reaches the breaking point in a bitter war, the companions are harnessed into battle, moving toward a grim confrontation with an old enemy whose secret stockpile of twenty-fi rst-century nerve gas is poised to unleash infi nite madness once more upon a ravaged earth.

Desert Kings

Deathlands: Book 81

James Axler

More than a century past the fiery dawn of post-nuclear America, Ryan Cawdor and his companions journey across a land lost yet reborn, where lawless violence and human perseverance clash, and unsolved mysteries hint at redemption. Though hope lingers under the blood and the dust, looking blindly toward the future is the surest way to get killed. Staying hard and cold for today is the only way to survive....

Traversing the terrain of Utah, Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists find new evidence that the past is alive and dangerous--with a score to settle. Once before they'd battled and destroyed the brilliant and cunning cyborg known as Delphi, but he's reborn and ready to continue his drive for domination. His vast understanding of preDark tech, his cadre of well-armed cutthroats and his legions of worshippers make him monstrous in his quest for power. And he's eager for the keys to the kingdom that only the legendary Deathlands survivors--and their secrets--can help him attain.

Apocalypse Unborn

Deathlands: Book 82

James Axler

Reborn primeval in the fires of thermonuclear hell, America's aftermath is one of manifest evil, savage endurance and lingering hope. Traversing the lawless continent on a journey without destination, Ryan Cawdor seeks humanity in an inhuman world. In the Deathlands, life is cheap, death is free and survival demands the highest price of all.

Magus is a steel-eyed cybernetic sociopath whose bloodlust knows no bounds. Now, the savage Pacifi c isles above a long-submerged Southern California are his new arena. Ryan wants a second chance to chill Magus once and for all. But as the ringmaster of torture orchestrates his magnum opus, a stunning sideshow is under way. PreDark whitecoats believe they have found the key to turn back time and intercept the deed that erased human history.

Thunder Road

Deathlands: Book 83

James Axler

A century after the nukecaust, humanity adheres to the most basic laws of survival: live or die. While many plunder and savage for profit and pleasure, others follow a higher bid for promise and hope. Still, the concepts of law and order remain buried in the past.

Thunder Rider is a self-styled superhero, prowling the Deathlands and serving up mass murder in a haze of napalm and nerve gas. Seeing his destruction firsthand, Ryan Cawdor accepts a bounty from a ravaged ville to find and eliminate this crazed vigilante. But this twisted coldheart has designs on a new sidekick, Krysty Wroth, and her abduction harnesses the cold, unforgiving fury of Ryan and his warrior companions. At his secret fortress, Thunder Rider waits -- armed with enough ordnance to give his madness free rein....

In the Deathlands, justice is in the eyes of those who seek it....

Plague Lords

Deathlands: Book 84

James Axler

After a century of chaos following the nukes, Deathlands is forming pockets of civilization, aided by predark stockpiles of weapons, fuel and pieces of 21st-century knowledge. But these troves are hard to come by, and survival remains a blood quest. For Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists, luck is sparse, chances slimmer, yet hope drives them onward.

The sulphur-teeming Gulf of Mexico is the poisoned end of the earth, but loaded cargo ships ruined by skydark lure doomie and cutthroat alike. Here, Ryan and the others glean rumors of whole cities deep in South America that survived the blast intact. But as the companions contemplate a course of action that may divide them, a new horror approaches unseen on the horizon. The Lords of Death are Mexican pirates raiding stockpiles with a grim vengeance. When civilization hits rock bottom, a new stone age will emerge, with its own personal day of blood reckoning.

In the Deathlands, the future could always be worse. Now it is....

Dark Resurrection

Deathlands: Book 85

James Axler

Postnuclear America has changed little since the primal leveling of the twenty-first century. Warrior survivalists Ryan Cawdor and his band live by a code that honors the kind of absolute freedom only a raw frontier can provide. Until rumors of a wider, more prosperous world than the Deathlands thriving deep in Mexico, untouched by the nukecaust, lure them into uncharted waters....

Captured by the pirate foot soldiers of the mysterious Lords of Death, Ryan Cawdor and his companions sail into a surreal world where electric lights blaze but blood terror reigns. In Veracruz, Mexico, Ryan is marked for slaughter, his effigy linked to an ancient deity. Helpless, Krysty, Dix and the others await a horrifying fate at the hands of whitecoats manipulating pre-dark plague warfare. As the Lords of Death unleash their demonic vision, hope--for Ryan, the others and nascent civilization--appears irrevocably lost.

Eden's Twilight

Deathlands: Book 86

James Axler

Rumors of an untouched predark ville in the mountains of West Virginia lure traders in search of unimaginable wealth. They're coming from all directions--the good, the bad, the worst. Ryan and his warrior group join in, although it means an uneasy truce with an old enemy, going back to days of spilled blood and the legacy of the Trader. But as their journey to a place called Cascade reveals more of Deathlands' darkest secrets, it remains to be seen if this place will become their salvation... or their final resting place.

Desolation Crossing

Deathlands: Book 87

James Axler

Survival is a dangerous enterprise in the aftermath of a nuked America. Humanity perseveres, but the Deathlands code is far simpler: kill or be killed, live or die trying. Driven by the fires of hope, a resilient band of warriors traverse the new frontier of the future, survivors by skill and legends by reputation.

The legend of the trader returns in the simmering dust bowl of the Badlands, the past calling out to armorer J. B. Dix. Her name is Eula. Young, silent and lethal, she's part of a new trading convoy quick to invite Ryan Cawdor and his band on a journey across the hostile terrain. But high-tech hardware, fast wags, flowing jack and friendly words don't tell the real story behind a vendetta that is years in the making.

Alpha Wave

Deathlands: Book 88

James Axler

In the postapocalyptic world of Deathlands, the past and its way of life are as obsolete as myth. Now the days are filled with death, violence and little promise. Still, the human spirit endures, and a group of intrepid warrior survivalists dare to believe that out there, something better is on offer. If they live long enough to find it.

Across the flat plains of the Dakotas, an iron horse shrieks and rumbles across refurbished tracks. Inside the boxcars, Ryan Cawdor and his companions face trouble unlike any other. Jak is missing, Krysty is dying and the train is loaded with sec men, whitecoats and a horrifying experiment--a baron with psionic abilities using stolen children to fuel his mad dream for mind control of every living soul in Deathlands.

Time Castaways

Deathlands: Book 89

James Axler

In the nuke-altered America of the twenty-first century, time conspires against survival, especially for a legendary group of warriors led by Ryan Cawdor. Born and bred in Deathlands, Ryan dares to unlock the secrets buried deep in the wreckage of a planet. Time may be the enemy in the daily struggle to stay alive, but perhaps it can reveal something better....

Barely escaping a redoubt hidden in an old aircraft carrier guarded by killer droids, the companions emerge into the backwater world of Lake Superior's Royal Island. Here, metal and salt are commodities worth killing and dying for, and two rival barons rule mutant-infested land and water with blood will. But though Ryan was hoping for honesty and fair trade, he's soon in a death race to stop the secrets of the gateways from becoming an open passage to the future's worst enemies....

Prophecy

Deathlands: Book 90

James Axler

After the nuclear winter, the taint of humanity worsened in the raw blood-quest for survival. Hunger for jack and power now fuels traders and barons, who relinquish authority only through death, crushing everything in their path. Still, a handful seek a better way of life, where iron fists and ordnance are replaced by harmony, justice and fair trade.

Separated by fate and a freak storm in the shifting landscape of the Great Plains, the companions find themselves on a path of strange prophecy. Here, Native American tribes embrace a peaceful, sacred way of life the travelers have only imagined. Still, Deathlands is a place with no reverence for ease or peace; the land was once the clandestine sanctuary of preDark science. Are Ryan Cawdor and his warrior survivalists destined to fulfill a vision-quest foretold by the shamans... or take a final, fatal plunge into the grim reality of a shattered world?

Blood Harvest

Deathlands: Book 91

James Axler

The cataclysm of nuclear winter transmuted the world into a place both torturous and unforgiving. But there are those with the courage and perseverance to seek out something beyond the merciless life-and-death struggle of Deathlands. In a treacherous frontier that plays for keeps, staying alive is the best victory....

Washed ashore in the North Atlantic, Ryan Cawdor and Doc Tanner discover two islands still pristinely intact after Skydark, but whose inhabitants suffer a darker, more horrifying punishment. A hideous strain of mutation manifests, turning some into half-monstrous giants with an unquenchable thirst for blood. The Nightwalkers unleash a hellish feast of horror when the sun goes down. Now Ryan and Doc struggle to survive this enclave of unimaginable terror, trapped in a baronial conflict between the rulers of night and day, with only one way out--internecine war in a world of the damned....

Welcome to the dark side of tomorrow.

Welcome to the Deathlands.

Arcadian's Asylum

Deathlands: Book 92

James Axler

The brutality of post-nuclear America has spawned a dark frontier where the harsh and unforgiving new rules of existence cannot obliterate the decency and determination that drive the true human spirit. It's tested and tormented but never destroyed.

A lust for power and a strong sec-force are the basic requirements of any Deathlands baron. But brilliant, charismatic Baron Eugene Arcadian has bigger visions than simply a monopoly on jack and trade. He wants the future. Turning his ville into the nascent heartbeat of the new civilization would require the help of Ryan Cawdor and his warrior group. But for these unwilling participants, the endgame of their enigmatic host remains hidden in the secret maze of laboratories beneath Arcady, where a new terror is about to be reborn....

In the Deathlands, always watch your back.

Baptism of Rage

Deathlands: Book 93

James Axler

The end of the world arrived in a nuclear rush, forging the agonized remains of past and present into a new reality known as Deathlands. Now life is a simple series of rules of survival, where having is better than not having--and anything is worth killing for. But in a world that has seemingly turned against mankind, the possibility of miracles can exist....

Of all the resources Ryan Cawdor and his group struggle to recoup, hope for escaping the grim daily life-and-death struggle has suffered most. But now reports of a ville holding the mythical waters of rejuvenation, a fountain of youth, appear to be true, luring Doc and the others on a journey inspired by promise, tainted by mistrust. Hiring on as sec men with a convoy headed to the healing waters of Babyville, the survivors discover the deadly price of immortality.

In the Deathlands the future looks like hell--and delivers far worse...

Doom Helix

Deathlands: Book 94

James Axler

Devastation from the nukewar shattered civilization and left a planet both primitive and ripe for rebirth--or retaking. While the balance of power has fallen to avaricious, amoral barons, a handful of humanity still holds hope of a future worth fighting for or dying to defend. If a better life inside the hellground exists, Ryan Cawdor and his friends will find it.

The Deathlands feudal system may be hell on earth but it must be protected from invaders from Shadow Earth, a parallel world stripped clean of its resources by the ruling conglomerate and its white coats. Ryan and his band had a near-fatal encounter with these genetically enhanced aggressors and their advanced weaponry and wags once before. Only a fatal chink in enemy armor saved planet Earth from plunder. Now, these superhuman predators are back, ready to topple the hellscape's baronies one by one.

Moonfeast

Deathlands: Book 95

James Axler

In the nuke-conceived birth of Deathlands, a rare breed of warrior-survivor emerged--born into suffering, hardened by circumstance, forged by endurance and sharpened by combat. Yet in the heart of this warrior, the quest to find a place of peace beats on unrelenting...

LAND OF THE LOST

The pristine coastal waters off San Clemente become a battleground over the island and its abandoned naval station. The rocky shores are rife with the sulfur mines that make Deathlands' richest jack--gunpowder. To maintain hell-fought possession, a ruthless sea baron and his fleet engage rebellion from the land. On this island populated by roaming bio-weap nightmares engineered by predark whitecoats, Ryan Cawdor is caught in a war he has no intention of fighting, but has every determination to survive.

Downrigger Drift

Deathlands: Book 96

James Axler

The nuclear cataclysm that maimed America altered the rules of existence. The new reality guarantees a grim battle for survival, but the higher human instinct to exist in peace and good will lives on. Legends endure and Ryan Cawdor is a warrior of his time. When the good fight needs to be won, Ryan and his band take a stand.

In the nuke-altered region of the Great Lakes, Ryan and his group face the spectrum--from the idyllic to the horrific--of a world reborn. Close to enclaves of peace and sanctuary, Deathlands' most distorted spawn of humanity, cannibals, spread terror. Against the battered shoreline of Lake Michigan, an encounter with an old friend leads to a battle to save Milwaukee from a force of deadly mutant interlopers--and to liberate one of their own.

Playfair's Axiom

Deathlands: Book 97

James Axler

A legendary warrior of nuke-spawned America, Ryan Cawdor understands the hard-and-fast rule of Deathlands. Where there is life, death is only a matter of time. Still, staying alive is the dubious luxury of being quick, hard and willing to abide by a code of honor long abandoned to the wreckage of this postapocalyptic hell zone: truth and fair play.

St. Louis is a concrete jungle of fetid heat, acid rains and cutthroats. With J. B. Dix gravely wounded, Ryan and his group become captive guests of a local barony. Freedom lies in the success of a deal: recapture a runaway teen, daughter of the ailing baron. But the dangerous power behind the throne rests with a self-proclaimed holy man. His gruesome manipulation of life and death are about to put the group in a race for their own salvation.

Tainted Cascade

Deathlands: Book 98

James Axler

The blighted aftermath of a global nuclear showdown, Deathlands exacts a blood price. The living pay it; the dead don't care. For one legendary band of warriors, this barbaric new world holds a chance for redemption: the secrets of the past. They roam a disfigured America, searching for pre-dark tech... seeking the path to a future worth living.

Utah's Great Salt Lake Desert remains a death pit of scorching heat, cannies and grim odds. Ryan Cawdor and his group survive the trek there, only to be drugged, robbed and left for the slave trade. Escaping their captors leaves them alive but stripped of their prized gear: their weps, J. B. Dix's glasses, Dr. Mildred Wyeth's medical kit and, worse, her secret codex. The companions must rely on each other to challenge their enemy and settle the score.

Perception Fault

Deathlands: Book 99

James Axler

The ravaged landscape that was America two centuries ago is now blighted by post-nuclear holocaust savagery. Still, there remain pockets of preDark technology that may offer undiscovered paths to reclaiming the future. Ryan Cawdor and his companions have faced most kinds of horror that Deathlands can deliver--and survived. This merciless place can break even the strongest, but it has yet to destroy hope.

Denver offers a glimpse of that very hope--a power plant, electricity, food and freedom. But the city is caught in a civil war between two would-be leaders and their civilian armies. Challenged by both sides to do their bidding, Ryan discovers a third player in the quest to control the mile-high city--a secret enclave of White Coats with the strength and technology to pursue a twisted agenda of their own.

Prodigal's Return

Deathlands: Book 100

James Axler

America, defiled and reshaped by nuclear carnage, promises little but a struggle for survival. Still, a group of hard travelers trek the worst this hellish place can offer, surviving by their wits, razor skill and knowledge of preDark technology. Their leader, Ryan Cawdor, is a Deathlands legend, a warrior and hero to many, a relentless enemy to more. And he understands the only way forward is the future, even when the past has a will of its own....

Searching for an operational redoubt, Ryan and his companions go up against a ruthless band of coldhearts. The shock of seeing Ryan's long-lost son as the band's point man puts the group on a new mission--rescue Dean at all cost. But when Dean shoots and wounds his father in a firefight, the strange turn of events leads the travelers deeper into the shifting sands of their own destiny. And father and son, each committed to the laws of decency and fair play, will confront an uncertain legacy.

Lost Gate

Deathlands: Book 101

James Axler

Existence after Skydark is a gamble against grim odds--winners and losers decided by guns, jack and raw nerve. Still, one intrepid group pushes on, working to understand the secrets of preDark tech at the heart of nuke-altered America. Because keeping hope alive is the next best thing to a good shot at finding something better.

Baron Crabbe is dangerously high on legends of the Trader and rumors of a secret cache. He occupies a redoubt but the old tech remains unfathomable. His ace in the hole is Ryan Cawdor and his band. Prisoners at blasterpoint, they're ordered to use the matter-transfer units to secure the whereabouts of the imagined weapons stockpile. Ryan knows the truth--and it won't help Crabbe. But the only option is to play along with the crazed Baron's scheme and make the dangerous jumps in a limited window of time. Staying alive is all about buying time--waiting for their one chance to chill their captors.

Haven's Blight

Deathlands: Book 102

James Axler

The future rose from the ashes of nuke-scorched America with a vengeance. The unchecked wrath of Deathlands pits Ryan Cawdor and his companions against long odds. But their skill as survivors, strategists and warriors is unmatched and they've held on to something more precious than life: their humanity. They nurture the hope that somewhere, hidden amid the grotesquerie of a tortured land, safety and sanctuary awaits.

Bartering their expertise to a nautical band of brilliant technomads, Ryan's group fi nds trouble waiting in the steaming, fetid swamplands of the Louisiana Gulf. Merciless storms and pirates strand them in Haven. But the barony's inviting name masks a ville hijacked by fear, territorial conflict and monstrous horror. With the gravely injured Krysty Wroth's fate uncertain, a desperate Ryan aids the strange but hospitable Baron Blackwell in his effort to save Haven from a genetic blood curse. He'll succeed, provided his luck--and his options--don't run out first.

Hell Road Warriors

Deathlands: Book 103

James Axler

The human will to survive has sharpened to a knife edge after a century of postnuclear madness. In a lawless land where firepower and savagery rule, power lies with the barons and coldhearts who wield control through terror. Against all odds, a courageous few still fight for something better to live by--honor, decency and hope.

Emerging relatively unscathed from the apocalyptic rebirth of North America, Canada hides a trove of Cold War-era secret government installations known as Diefenbunkers, filled with caches of weapons, wags and food. Ryan Cawdor and his companions agree to ride sec for a convoy headed west across the remnants of the old Trans-Canada Highway to retrieve the ultimate prize: four portable nuclear reactors. It's enough power to light up a ville for years, a bright beacon for a new tomorrow. But they have death on their tail, a baron and his sec men who will stop at nothing to claim the prize as their own.

Palaces of Light

Deathlands: Book 104

James Axler

Remnants of America's past are littered across the postapocalyptic landscape, but little remains of the predark ideals of law and order. Survival is a blood quest, and lethal force the means to power. Still, a handful retains their humanity among the coldhearts, and in a world where nothing lasts forever, hope is a commodity as precious as jack.

Steeped in beauty and mysticism, the canyons of Mesa Verde, Colorado, survived the blast that altered the American West. Hired to track a group of missing children, Ryan Cawdor and his band follow the trail to a legendary city carved in stone, older and stronger than the nukecaust. The inhabitants of the palaces of light are more than warriors and survivors; they are masters of mind games that prey on illusion. And true believers in a metaphysical endgame poised to push the companions over the edge of reality... into certain death.

Wretched Earth

Deathlands: Book 105

James Axler

After the Megacull, the weak died off, so that a century later, the living have descended from only the toughest stock. Still, it takes more than strength to survive Deathlands. It takes skill, cunning and a warrior's heart. But for Ryan Cawdor, staying alive isn't just about living. In this nuke-transformed America, it helps if somewhere, deep inside, there's hope of finding something better.

A virulent strain of a predark biowep has been unleashed upon the denizens of northern Kansas, turning them into rotting, flesh-eating monsters. Running from the mindless, soulless rottie hordes, Ryan and his companions arrive in the civil-war-torn ville of Sweetwater Junction. They've got one shot at beating the hungry rotties: turn the bloodlust of the ville's warring factions away from each other and toward a common enemy. But that means splitting up and hiring on as sec for both sides and surviving the firefight--before the real hell is unleashed.

In Deathlands, time is blood.

Crimson Waters

Deathlands: Book 106

James Axler

Everyone who lives in Deathlands must endure the hellscape of a world mutilated by nukes and madness. Survival is a grim pursuit, achieved only by the most ruthless means. Yet Ryan Cawdor and his companions remain determined to persevere by doing whatever it takes to survive.

When a mat-trans malfunction strands Ryan Cawdor and his friends in a gutted redoubt in the West Indies, the crystal waters offer them a tantalizing glimpse of untouched splendor. But the oasis is abruptly shattered by violent and ruthless pirates, and Ryan has to barter with a young guide, a teenage boy on a blood quest against a sadistic local warlord, to navigate a land teeming with predators--mutie, human and animal. The race is on to find a second redoubt, buried deep in the inhospitable heart of Monster Island. As pirates, mutie sec men and monsters converge, the kill zone widens, blood flows... and the group rushes to escape paradise before it destroys them.

Because even paradise has claws in Deathlands.

No Man's Land

Deathlands: Book 107

James Axler

There's little to remember about life before the Big Nuke, but there's plenty to scavenge in the tainted wreckage of the postapocalyptic frontier. The barbaric code of survival of the fittest, meanest or dirtiest makes for hard living and easy death. But Ryan Cawdor and his friends have stayed alive by holding on to their humanity--playing fair... and chilling only when they've got no choice.

A civil war raging in the Des Moines River valley forces Ryan and his companions to take sides, or die. Because somewhere in the middle of the generations-old conflict is a lost redoubt. But Snake Eye, the deadliest gunslinger in Deathlands, stands between them and the way out. And the mutie contract chiller won't step aside until he has Ryan's head.

In Deathlands, there's nothing but rock and a hard place....

Nemesis

Deathlands: Book 108

James Axler

Burying the past in a nuclear cull, Deathlands spares no one from its punishing assault. In this grim new reality, there's little to live--or die--for, except the possibility of unlocking the mysteries of the past. Ryan Cawdor and his group of fellow survivors scour the perilous land for sanctuary in a world where nothing is guaranteed but death.

Hiring on as crew to a merchant's wag-train, Ryan and his companions anticipate trouble as they head west toward what was once Montana. The terrain is treacherous, but the company is worse as anger, jealousy and male rivalry erupt into chaos and death. But as they get closer to their destination, the true nature of the journey unfolds. There's a map to a mysterious valley rich with predark stockpiles. But is it the promised land they've been seeking... or the dead end they never saw coming?

Chrono Spasm

Deathlands: Book 109

James Axler

Remnants of humanity have managed to regroup after a global nuclear showdown that decimated the planet. But life in Deathlands is a far cry from actual living. And the survivors must believe they'll find something better, because surrendering to the inhospitable forces of a nuked world means giving in to death. Or worse.

Fear and human depravity permeate the frigid air in a oncedynamic Alaskan city. Ryan Cawdor and his group of survivalists go on red alert the moment they set foot on the forbidding tundra, but regardless, they find themselves rounded up by cannibal coldhearts. The companions quickly discover there's a fate much worse than becoming food. Dangerous new experiments are taking place in a long-abandoned military base and, in the bitter heart of the frozen North, new horrors reach out to poison their hope for a better tomorrow.

Sins of Honor

Deathlands: Book 110

James Axler

The survivors of postnuclear America struggle against the free fall into anarchy and barbarism. Hot lead keeps people sharp, but it's the fire within that keeps them alive. Ryan Cawdor and his band roam Deathlands searching for somewhere to call home. Until then, it's survival at all cost.

New Hampshire is rich with big game, more than enough to feed Ryan and his hungry companions. But claims to a fallen elk get ugly and Ryan is forced to chill another hunter, the self-proclaimed king of the Granite Highlands, over the meat. Soon the hunters become the hunted as the dead man's widow gives chase, armed with predark tanks and heavy artillery. As the kill zone widens across cannibal-ridden lava fields, Ryan and his group search for leverage in the merciless landscape.

Storm Breakers

Deathlands: Book 111

James Axler

In postapocalyptic Deathlands, America the beautiful has been ravaged by a century of nuclear fallout. Here, the American dream boils down to one thing: survival. Ryan Cawdor and his companions seize each day, armed and ready to hold on to the only life they've got. Despite the odds, they believe in something better, someplace they can call home... where peace isn't just a dream.

On the coast of what used to be Maine, the group's armorer, J.B. Dix, lies dying from a gunshot wound. Having no other choice, Ryan makes a deal with a local baron and his strangely beautiful wife. J.B. will get the surgery he needs when Ryan and crew rescue the couple's daughter, abducted by slavers. But the cold, deep Atlantic waters harbor predark secrets, including the terrifying specter of a U.S.S.R. nuclear submarine... and its descendants.

Dark Fathoms

Deathlands: Book 112

James Axler

No place on Earth escaped the nuclear Armageddon that spawned the hellscape known as Deathlands. In a ravaged world where violence and lawlessness rule, a rare breed of hero has emerged. Ryan Cawdor is a lethal fighter who lives by a code of honor and fair play, and that has made him a legend....

Miles beneath the ocean's surface, a decaying redoubt barely protects Ryan and his companions from a watery death. Battling vicious assaults from cyborgs programmed by artificial intelligence to capture them at any cost, they're desperate to escape this underwater trap. But a new threat awaits above the waves: a massive predark super ship that roams the deadly seas of Deathlands. Decades of madness have led to civil war between the citizens of the upper and lower decks. Now pawns in a bloody game of survival, Ryan and the others must destroy the ship or face their certain end at sea.

Motherlode

Deathlands: Book 113

James Axler

The cost of living disintegrated after America's nuclear cull, and a life in Deathlands--any life--is dirt cheap. But those few who manage to stay alive in the savage new reality must travel the hellgrounds any way they can. For Ryan Cawdor and his fellow survivors, that means denying the pull toward savagery, and clinging to what little humanity they have left, when they can afford it.

Desperately short of supplies, Ryan and his companions are forced to seek help at the prosperous-looking ville of Amity Springs. Hired on to retrieve a stolen relic, they quickly become caught up in an escalating power struggle between two strong-willed lady barons. Each woman covets the cache of predark goods buried in the ville's backyard. But they are not alone in their desire. And all that stands between a motherlode of buried bounty and the destructive power of unchecked greed is Ryan's grim determination to survive another day.

Siren Song

Deathlands: Book 114

James Axler

Crawling from the wreckage of Armageddon, humanity endures, mutated and forever altered. Gone are the comforts of civilization, replaced by a bloodlust to survive. Deathlands is a tortured landscape where peace and hope struggle to take root. Still, Ryan Cawdor and his band push onward, seeking a place to call home.

If any kind of utopia exists in postapocalyptic America, Ryan and his companions have yet to find it. But high in the Virginian mountains, their quest may find its reward. Heaven Falls is an agrarian idyll, its thriving inhabitants harnessing powerful feminine energy and the medicinal qualities of honey. Bountiful and serene, this community is the closest thing to sanctuary the companions have ever encountered. But as they are seduced by a life they have only envisioned, they discover Heaven has a trapdoor that opens straight to hell....

Hanging Judge

Deathlands: Book 115

James Axler

In the Deathlands, the game of survival offers no reprieve. There's nothing to win in nuke-blasted America except the chance to fight another day. Still, Ryan Cawdor and his fellow travelers hope for sanctuary... somewhere. Until they find it, they face each dawn as if it's their last. Because it just might be.

Justice is a damning word in what used to be called Oklahoma, thanks to a sadistic baron known as the Hanging Judge. Crazy, powerful and backed by a despotic sec crew, the judge drops innocents from the gallows at will. When Jak narrowly escapes wearing his own rope as a necktie, a rift among the companions sends them deep into the mutie-infested wilderness outside the ville. Separated and hurting, time is running out for the survivors to realize they're stronger together than they ever could be alone--before a ruthless madman brings them to the end of their rope.

End Program

Deathlands: Book 116

James Axler

No one waits long for trouble in Deathlands--it's everywhere in the remains of a nuke-altered civilization. The American dream was annihilated more than a century ago by the country's own unchecked power play. But the worst may be yet to come.

Built upon a predark military installation in former California, a ville called Progress could be the utopia Ryan Cawdor and his companions have been seeking. A place where humanity and technology thrive, it's the nucleus of a new hope for Deathlands. The successful replacement of Ryan's missing eye with a cybernetic prosthetic nearly convinces the group that their days of surviving hell are behind them. Then they discover that the high tech in Progress isn't designed to enhance human life, but to destroy it. To block the final assault, the companions must stop Ryan from becoming a willing pawn in the eradication of mankind.

Desolation Angels

Deathlands: Book 117

James Axler

A hundred years after the nukecaust, the tortured landscape of postapocalyptic America offers a brutal fight for survival. Yet tech secrets lie hidden, useful to those brave and strong enough to believe that hope can carry them toward ever-elusive peace.

Violent gangs, a corrupt mayor and a heavily armed police force are the hallmarks of former Detroit, a mutie-infested, rubble-strewn metropolis. When Ryan and the companions show up, the Desolation Angels are waging a war to rule the streets. After saving the companions from being chilled by gangsters, the mayor hires Ryan and his friends to stop the Angels cold. But each hard blow toward victory proves there's no good side to be fighting for. As Motor City erupts into bloody conflagration, the companions are caught in the crossfire. In Deathlands, hell is called home.

Blood Red Tide

Deathlands: Book 118

James Axler

In a nuclear wasteland where death and destruction are the norm, Ryan Cawdor and his fellow survivors seek out refuge while looking to one another for protection. Civilization no longer exists in the barren Deathlands. There is only the will to survive and the dim hope of a promised land.

Taken captive on a ship in the former Caribbean, Ryan and his companions must work as part of the crew or perish at the hands of the captain. But the mutant in charge of the vessel is the least of their worries. Each day is a struggle as they face rivalry among the sailors, violent attacks and deadly storms. Worse, a powerful enemy is hunting the ship to destroy everyone on board. Fighting for their lives and those of their shipmates, the companions must find unity within the chaos or die in the attempt.

Polestar Omega

Deathlands: Book 119

James Axler

Banded together to survive, Ryan Cawdor and his companions travel the barren wastelands of a post-nuclear world. There are no laws in Deathlands--only fear, destruction and annihilation. As each day brings a new struggle, this group journeys toward the shaky promise of sanctuary.

Ryan and his friends become the subjects in a deadly experiment when they're taken captive inside a redoubt at the South Pole. A team of scientists is convinced the earth must be purified of mutants, and now they have the perfect lab rats to test their powerful bioweapon. Within Antarctica's harsh and unstable conditions, the companions must fight the odds and take down the whitecoats before millions are killed. But in this uncompromising landscape, defeating the enemy may be just another step toward a different kind of death....

Hive Invasion

Deathlands: Book 120

James Axler

Seeking refuge in a post-Armageddon America, Ryan Cawdor and his crew of misfits travel together for survival and sanity. Known as Deathlands, this lawless hellscape is defined by destruction, death and despair. Only those who persevere with the belief in a better future stand a chance in this world where each day brings a new, and potentially lethal, struggle.

Desperate to find water and shelter on the barren plains of former Oklahoma, Ryan and his team come upon a community that appears, at first, to be peaceful. Then the ville is attacked by a group of its own inhabitants--people infected with a parasite that has turned them into slave warriors for an unknown overlord. The companions try to help fend off the enemy and protect the remaining population, but when Ryan is captured during a second ambush, all hope seems lost. Especially when he launches an assault against his own crew.

End Day

Deathlands: Book 121

James Axler

Ryan Cawdor and his six companions struggle to survive postnuclear America, a grim new world where hope for the future is lost amid the devastation.

In pursuit of a hardened enemy--Magus--Ryan and the companions find themselves in a land more foreign than any they've encountered. After unwittingly slipping through a time hole, the group lands in twentieth-century New York City, getting their first glimpse of predark civilization. And they're not sure they like it. Only Mildred and Doc can appreciate this strange metropolis, but Armageddon is just seventy-two hours away, and Magus will stop at nothing to make sure Ryan and his team are destroyed on Nuke Day...

Forbidden Trespass

Deathlands: Book 122

James Axler

In the war-torn wasteland known as Deathlands, desperation and destruction have replaced dreams and peace. Each day arrives with a new life-threatening challenge for wanderer Ryan Cawdor and his fellow band of survivors...

Bizarre murders are taking place in a fertile farming community, and the locals are quick to point fingers at Ryan and his companions. But they know another culprit is responsible. A colony of mutants has been driven from its underground home, forced to find sustenance in the light of day. And only human flesh will satisfy their hunger. Caught between a rock and a horde of hungry cannibals, Ryan and the companions face an ultimatum--help the cannies reclaim their territory, or risk becoming the next meal. Except something far more sinister--and ravenous--lurks beneath the lush fields...

Iron Rage

Deathlands: Book 123

James Axler

Since the nukecaust, the American dream has been reduced to a daily fight for survival. In the hellish landscape of Deathlands, few dare to dream of a better tomorrow. But Ryan Cawdor and his companions press on, driven by the need for a future less treacherous than the present.

Pulling sec duty aboard a steamboat on the mighty Sippi is a welcome reprieve for Ryan and his friends... until armored warships reduce their vessel to a burning husk. Abruptly stranded in a nightmarish, poisonous swamp, fighting off crocodiles and muties, the companions and their crew of allies get to work building rafts. Their escape route, however, is swiftly intercepted, and they learn they've sailed into the middle of a fierce conflict between two villes fighting over the iron trade. The companions don't seem to stand a chance against the fleets of ironclad gunboats. But in Deathlands, even the underdog can bite back...

Child of Slaughter

Deathlands: Book 124

James Axler

When Doc is taken captive by a band of marauders in what was once Nebraska, Ryan and the companions rally to get him back. But they aren't just fighting the local muties. They're also up against the area's terrifying terrain, which shifts and morphs at a moment's notice. With their options dwindling in this mazelike region that doesn't obey the laws of physics, the team joins forces with a beautiful and deadly woman who evens the odds on the battlefield. But while this warrior seems to be on their side, she has a secret agenda that could spell the end for them all...

Since the nukecaust, the American dream has been reduced to a daily fight for survival. In the hellish landscape of Deathlands, few dare to dream of a better tomorrow. But Ryan Cawdor and his companions press on, driven by the need for a future less treacherous than the present.

Devil's Vortex

Deathlands: Book 125

James Axler

n orphaned teen with the ability to transform into a vicious whirlwind latches on to Ryan and the companions as they travel through former North Dakota. Her deadly power seems like a boon at first, until it starts to control her. When threatened, she destroys everything in her path... including those she loves. Then a group of outcast fighters kidnaps the young woman and manipulates her--and her terrifying mutation--for their own destructive agenda. With the vortex unleashed, the companions face a tough decision: chill the orphan or perish in her violent wake.

Since the nukecaust, the American dream has been reduced to a daily fight for survival. In the hellish landscape of Deathlands, few dare to dream of a better tomorrow. But Ryan Cawdor and his companions press on, driven by the need for a future less treacherous than the present.

The Gilded Ones

Deathless: Book 1

Namina Forna

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity – and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki – near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be – not even Deka herself.

The Merciless Ones

Deathless: Book 2

Namina Forna

It's been six months since Deka freed the goddesses in the ancient kingdom of Otera and discovered who she really is... but war is waging across the kingdom, and the real battle has only just begun. For there is a dark force growing in Otera--a merciless power that Deka and her army must stop.

Yet hidden secrets threaten to destroy everything Deka has known. And with her own gifts changing, Deka must discover if she holds the key to saving Otera... or if she might be its greatest threat.

The Eternal Ones

Deathless: Book 3

Namina Forna

Mere weeks after confronting the Gilded Ones - the false beings she once believed to be her family - Deka is on the hunt. In order to kill the gods, whose ravenous competition for power is bleeding Otera dry, she must uncover the source of her divinity. But with her mortal body on the verge of ruin, Deka is running out of time - to save herself and an empire that's tearing itself apart at its seams.

When Deka's search leads her and her friends to the edge of the world as they know it, they discover an astonishing new realm, one which holds the key to Deka's past. Yet it also illuminates a devastating decision she must soon make...

Choose to be reborn as a god, losing everyone she loves in the process. Or bring about the end of the world.

Deathstalker

Deathstalker: Book 1

Simon R. Green

Owen Deathstalker, last of the infamous warrior Clan, always considered himself more of a writer than a fighter, preferring his history books to making any actual history with a sword. But books won't protect him from Her Imperial Majesty Lionstone XIV, who just Outlawed and condemned Owen to death, without any explanation, reason, or warning. No wonder she's called the Iron Bitch.

Now, on the run from Imperial starcruisers, shady mercenaries, and just about everyone else in the Empire, Owen's options are limited. Though the name Deathstalker still commands respect in certain quarters, out on the Rim, Owen is lucky he can cobble together a makeshift team of castoffs, including an ex-pirate, a cyborg, and a bounty hunter. But allies won't be enough to save him.

If he's to live, Owen can either run forever... or take down the corrupt Empire. To do that, he'll need the fabled Darkvoid Device--an artifact dating back to the first Deathstalker and perhaps the only weapon powerful enough to help this ragtag rebellion win. The time has come for Owen to finally embrace his Deathstalker heritage... and all the blood and death that go along with it.

Deathstalker Rebellion

Deathstalker: Book 2

Simon R. Green

Owen Deathstalker - outlawed, with a price on his head and the blood of a mighty warrior lineage in his veins - had no choice but to embrace a dangerous destiny. With nothing to lose, only he had the courage to take up arms against Queen Lionstone XIV.

Now as he gathers his unlikely allies - the legendary washed-up hero Jack Random, the beautiful pirate Hazel d'Arc, the original Deathstalker long since presumed dead, and the alien Hadenmen whose purposes no human can discern - the eyes of the downtrodden are upon him while the freedom of a galaxy hangs in the balance...

Deathstalker War

Deathstalker: Book 3

Simon R. Green

Owen Deathstalker's rebellion continues to strike out against Imperial tyranny, taking the battle straight to the Empire's heart on the planet of Golgotha, but the cunning Empress isn't about to surrender without a fight...

Deathstalker Honor

Deathstalker: Book 4

Simon R. Green

Owen Deathstalker became a hero after the great rebellion against the tyranny of Lionstone XIV, and now political factions are quarreling over who will replace the deposed Empress. But Humanity faces an even greater threat: an encroaching invasion fleet of alien origin...

Deathstalker Destiny

Deathstalker: Book 5

Simon R. Green

Owen Deathstalker's greatest love - Hazel d'Ark - has been abducted by the Blood Runners, a culture dedicated to the extremes of genetic experimentation. Stranded in a mission on Lachrymae Christi, Owen busies himself with the task of ensuring the survival of the leper colony living there, awaiting an opportunity to rescue Hazel... or avenge her death.

Deathstalker Legacy

Deathstalker Legacy: Book 1

Simon R. Green

It has been two hundred years since Owen Deathstalker fell, dying to save the Empire and all Humanity. Now it is a Golden Age for all: for men, for aliens and for the AIs of Shub. But one evil man has determined to bring it all crashing down, and now the Terror has finally arrived, threatening them all with extinction.

The old heroes have become legends, and the cry goes out for new heroes. It's time for the latest Deathstalker, Lewis, to do his bit. Unfortunately, he and his companions, a diva, a conman, a homicidal psychopath and a reptiloid, have been outlawed and declared traitors. Deathstalker luck. Always bad. Unless Lewis Deathstalker can defy the odds to get to the Madness Maze and tread the same dangerous path to glory that his ancestor did, the Golden Age is about to be wiped out for ever. Together with Humanity...

Deathstalker Return

Deathstalker Legacy: Book 2

Simon R. Green

Lewis Deathstalker abandoned his place as Paragon and Imperial Champion for the love of Jesmine Flowers, the King's intended. Both have been branded traitors to the Empire and are now traveling in more notorious cicles - with immoral gladiator Rose Constantine, con man Brett Random, and alien reptiloid Saturday.

While Lewis is rooting out Finn Durandal, a real traitor to the Empire, he finds he has a greater threat to face. The Terror that was prophesied to destroy all Humanity is encroaching. Prophecy also dictates that the only one capable of stopping it is a legend who disappeared more than two hundred years ago - Owen Deathstalker. Now Lewis and his companions embark on a quest to find Owen, who Lewis believes -- must believe -- isn't dead at all...

Deathstalker Coda

Deathstalker Legacy: Book 3

Simon R. Green

More than two centuries ago, angry and grief-stricken after losing Owen Deathstalker, Hazel d'Ark entered the Madness Maze - which fed off her raw emotions and transformed her into the Terror, a force capable of devouring galaxies. To stop her, the recently resurrected Owen must use the powers he gained during his own stay in the Madness Maze - and go back in time to prevent Hazel's transformation.

Now, without Owen to guide him, Lewis Deathstalker has no choice but to assume command of an Imperial fleet loyal to the Deathstalker legacy and lead it to victory over Finn Durandal, the despot who seized the throne. Lewis knows that he has been branded a traitor by the Empire. But when he learns that Finn has executed his entire family, his mission to overthrow his former friend's tyranny is second to his desire for revenge...

Deathwatch: The Omnibus

Deathwatch

Steve Parker

New omnibus of novels and short stories featuring the Deathwatch, alien-hunting Space Marines who undertake special ops-style missions in the 41st millennium.

The Deathwatch are the elite. Recruited from numerous Space Marine Chapters, their mission is simple: exterminate any xenos threat to the Imperium. Assembled into kill-teams, the Deathwatch are expert alien hunters, equipped to undertake any mission in any environment. None are as dedicated or as skilled in the brutal art of alien annihilation. This action-packed omnibus contains three separate novels written by Steve Parker, Ian St Martin and Justin D Hill, along with a dozen of the best short stories ever written about the Imperium's premier xenos hunters.

Warrior Brood

Deathwatch: Book 1

C. S. Goto

The world of Herodian IV is doomed when the nightmarish tyranid hive fleets descend from the depths of space, intent on devouring every living thing on the planet. In the vital hours before the planet is lost, Inquisitor Kalypsia and a team of Deathwatch Space Marines are sent on a mission to investigate a vital research outpost. The terrible secret they uncover could spell a fate worse than death for Kalypsia and her warriors - maybe even for the whole of humanity, but can they escape to safety before they are torn apart by the ravenous aliens?

Warrior Coven

Deathwatch: Book 2

C. S. Goto

Captain Octavius and his Deathwatch kill-team return to action in a most unexpected way, as they find themselves in a dangerous alliance... with aliens! The eldar of Craftworld Ulthwe are under attack by the sinster dark eldar, and it falls to Octavius's warriors to fight alongside the lesser evil of the craftworlders to defeat the dark eldar. But can they trust their allies... or themselves?

Xenos Hunters

Deathwatch: Book 3

Christian Dunn

Drawn from the many Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes across the Imperium, the Deathwatch are an elite organisation dedicated to a single goal: the rooting out and extermination of all alien lifeforms with utter and brutal prejudice. Equipped by the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition, Deathwatch Space Marines possess war gear purposely designed for the destruction of all aliens. In the gauntleted fists of these black-armoured warriors does the sanctity of mankind rest, in their hearts the iron will to vanquish every alien predator and wipe them from the face of the galaxy.

Contents:

The Vorago Fastness by David Annandale

Rackinruin by Braden Campbell
The Alien Hunters by Andy Chambers

Weaponsmith by Ben Counter

A Sanctuary of Wyrms by Peter Fehervari

Last Watch by L J Goulding

Machine Spirit by Nick Kyme

Headhunted by Steve Parker

Exhumed by Steve Parker

The Infinite Tableau by Anthony Reynolds

Fearful Symmetries by Rob Sanders

Deathwatch

Deathwatch: Book 4

Steve Parker

Hard-core military Sci-Fi featuring the elite Deathwatch Space Marines

Gathered from the many Chapters of the Space Marines, the Deathwatch are elite, charged with defending the Imperium of Man from aliens. Six Space Marines, strangers from different worlds, make up Talon Squad. On a distant world, a new terror has emerged, a murderous shadow that stalks the dark, and only the Deathwatch can stop it. Under the direction of a mysterious Inquisitor Lord, they must cleanse this planet or die in the attempt.

Deathworld 1

Deathworld: Book 1

Harry Harrison

The planet was called Pyrrus...a strange place where all the beasts, plants and natural elements were designed for one specific purpose: to destroy man.

The settlers there were supermen...twice as strong as ordinary men and with milli-second reflexes. They had to be. For their business was murder...

It was up to Jason dinAlt, interplanetary gambler, to discover why Pyrrus had become so hostile during man's brief habitation...

Deathworld 2

Deathworld: Book 2

Harry Harrison

The planet was unknown... a savagely, primitive place where every man had to kill every other man - or live as a slave.

The inhabitants lived in the early bronze age one minutes, in the the early machines age the next. Technology had degenerated into a number of mysteries jealously guarded by separate brotherhoods.

But Jason din Alt was a gambler. He realized that if he was ever going to get a winning hand in the game, the brotherhoods would need a shuffle....

Deathworld 3

Deathworld: Book 3

Harry Harrison

The planet was called Felicity. The name was a joke... except for those compelled to settle there. Inhabiting it were beings bred for thousands of years for a single purpose: to attack and kill.

Jason knew this. But he also knew the planet on which he lived was moving towards certain disaster. And Felicity was the only spot in the universe where he and his companions could survive. He thought he had worked out a perfect plan. But what awaited him on Felicity went far beyond his wildest imagining....

Poison or Protect

Delightfully Deadly

Gail Carriger

Can one gentle Highland soldier woo Victorian London's most scandalous lady assassin, or will they both be destroyed in the attempt?

This stand-alone romance novella is set in the author's popular steampunk universe full of manners, spies, and dainty sandwiches.

Lady Preshea Villentia, the Mourning Star, has four dead husbands and a nasty reputation. Fortunately, she looks fabulous in black. What society doesn't know is that all her husbands were marked for death by Preshea's employer. And Preshea has one final assignment.

It was supposed to be easy, a house party with minimal bloodshed. Preshea hadn't anticipated Captain Gavin Ruthven -- massive, Scottish, quietly irresistible, and... working for the enemy. In a battle of wits, Preshea may risk her own heart -- a terrifying prospect, as she never knew she had one.

Delicate Sensibilities? Contains men pleasing women, and ladies who know what they want and ask for it, sometimes in detail. May also contain plaid, appearances from favorite characters, and the strategic application of leather gloves.

Defy or Defend

Delightfully Deadly: Book 2

Gail Carriger

SPY

Dimity Plumleigh-Teignmott, code name Honey Bee, is the War Office's best and most decorative fixer. She's sweet and chipper, but oddly stealthy, and surprisingly effective given the right incentives.

VERSUS KNIGHT

Sir Crispin Bontwee was knighted for his military service, but instead of retiring, he secretly went to work for the War Office. Mostly he enjoys his job, except when he must safeguard the Honey Bee.

Neither one is a vampire expert, but when the Nottingham Hive goes badly Goth, only Dimity can stop their darkness from turning bloody. And only Crispin can stop an enthusiastic Dimity from death by vampire.

In a battle for survival (and wallpaper), Dimity must learn that not all that sparkles is good, while Cris discovers he likes honey a lot more than he thought.

Ambush or Adore

Delightfully Deadly: Book 3

Gail Carriger

INTELLIGENCER

Agatha Woosmoss, the Wallflower, is the greatest intelligencer of her generation. And no one knows she exists. She has been invisible, capable, and cunning for well over four decades. Her greatest skill is in her ability to go forever unnoticed.

Except by one man.

VERSUS INTELLECTUAL

Pillover Plumleigh-Teignmott is a professor of ancient languages at Oxford University. He's tried to ignore his training as an Evil Genius and live a quiet life away from politics and intrigue.

When an assignment goes horribly wrong, Agatha must hide and heal. So she goes to ground with the only person who's always kept her safe, Pillover.

Can Pillover hold onto the deadly woman who specializes in getting away? Will Agatha realize that patience is indeed a virtue, and that perhaps it is good to be noticed by the one who waits?

Destiny's Blood

Destiny: Book 1

Marie Bilodeau

A thief of valuable blooms, Layela's dream is finally coming true with the opening of her flower shop on the small remote planet of Collar. But the disappearance of her twin sister leaves her with a difficult choice: to continue tending to her blooms and promising future, or to blend in once again with the shadows to find her sister.

She soon becomes the prey of two powerful assassins, of a colonel bent on revenge and of a mysterious sword-wielding stranger. Her only allies are Josmere -- a feisty ether creature with the power to unlock the visions that assault Layela's mind, or to keep them from her -- and a smuggling rogue, Ardin, hired to protect Layela at whatever the cost, even if that cost is her freedom.

Their journey takes them across several worlds as Layela discovers who she and her sister truly are. And before them awaits the mythical First Star, on a path to self-destruction and the annihilation of all life.

Unless Layela finds a way to stop it. But to stop it would mean sacrificing her sister.

Or herself.

Destiny's Fall

Destiny: Book 2

Marie Bilodeau

A broken tradition.

A hunted child.

A rebellion that threatens to topple the very fabric of the universe.

When Layela Delamores gives birth to her first child, the ether immediately rejects what should be its only heir. A wave of destruction sweeps the ether races, and sparks Solaria's ire and rebellion on Mirial. A new heir rises to take the throne of Mirial, one who wields tainted ether.

Unable to access the flow of ether, Layela is left with little choice but to flee Mirial, seeking answers that may no longer exist, prepared to sacrifice everything to free herself and her daughter from the clutches of the First Star.

Destiny's War

Destiny: Book 3

Marie Bilodeau

She had given her up.

To save her daughter from a life of servitude to a silent First Star, Layela Delamores sent her only child away. Willing to miss the first decade of her daughter's life, for a chance to reunite as a free family.

Ten years.

Now, a new First Star is ready to take over from the dying star Mirial, freeing Layela and her family from the clutches of duty and obligation.

But the star was silent.

When the new First Star fails to ignite, the failing Mirial is the only lifeline to the countless ether races across the galaxy. But not everyone wants to save Mirial, including Layela's own daughter. Trapped between obligations and hopes, Layela must find a way to save as many people as she can, or learn to live in the dead world she helped to create.

Deadly Shores

Destroyermen: Book 9

Taylor Anderson

The long-planned raid on the heart of the Grik Empire has grown more ambitious - and dangerously ill-defined. Only Matthew Reddy, commander of the old destroyer USS Walker, seems focused on its original intent.

Many Lemurians see an opportunity to reconquer their sacred homeland, which was stolen long ago, and have no intention of simply striking a blow and then pulling back. Others, Lemurian and human, have their own agendas - which may not be in the best interests of the Alliance. Complicating matters further is Reddy's suspicion that his task force is being stalked by an unknown power bent on aiding the Grik for reasons of its own.

As the raid begins and chaos reigns, Reddy has no choice but to go all in, risking everything in a desperate act that results in a sprawling, nightmarish battle on the beaches of "Grik City", on the very decks of Walker, and in the labyrinthine passageways of the Celestial Palace itself.

The final cost could be more than Matt Reddy - or the Alliance - can bear.

Pitch Green

Dimensions in Death: Book 1

Andy Washburn
Berk Washburn

Seven years ago, as Camm Smith herded a pack of little trick-or-treaters past the decaying mansion in her hometown of Trona, California, her young neighbor Hugh disappeared, becoming the latest in a string of vanished children. Now a high school senior, Camm is still haunted by the old tragedy and is convinced the answer lies hidden in the abandoned house. Joining forces with her best friend, Cal--who happens to be Hugh's older brother--Camm naively begins a perilous search for the truth. Events quickly spiral out of control, however, and as more people begin to die, Camm and Cal discover it will take all of their combined ingenuity to fend of the evil being lurking deep within the bowels of the mansion and federal agents determined to keep old secrets permanently hidden. The two friends must race against the clock to discover the truth about the house before they, too, disappear without a trace.

Mojave Green

Dimensions in Death: Book 2

Andy Washburn
Berk Washburn

In Trona, California, an isolated mining town deep in the Mojave Desert, an unearthly creature preyed upon the town's folk for decades. Armed with secrets from a peculiar puzzle box, only Camm and Cal stood against the creature. Finally safe and far from the horror, the teenagers believe they have destroyed the monster--until they hear news that Trona's children are still disappearing. Caught in the nightmare since her childhood, Camm feels personally responsible for the town's children. As her life-long best friend, Cal feels responsible for Camm. With unsuspecting friends in tow, they return to warn the innocent people of Trona of the true nature of the creature.

But things have changed.

Death comes in a new form. The balance between dimensions is altered. Crossovers multiply. Trona is evacuated. Cal is pulled into another dimension. The situation spirals out of control.

Only Camm and a few misfits can stop the coming desolation--but it may already be too late.

Fatal Green

Dimensions in Death: Book 3

Andy Washburn
Berk Washburn

In an ongoing fight with the unearthly predators invading their small hometown of Trona, California, Camm and Cal have watched their feelings for each other deepen. However, well-meaning but misguided federal agents have torn them apart, arresting Cal and expanding the manhunt for Camm. Attempting to protect Camm, Cal strikes a deal with the agents to guide an expedition through the portal in the Searles Mansion to the parallel dimension of the deadly Mojave Green, where Cal's friend, Lenny is lost. The agents believe the mansion holds the secret to controlling alien crossovers and believe Cal can help them uncover an ancient secret. Not understanding what Cal is doing, Camm is devastated by Cal's apparent betrayal. Making matters worse, Agent Allen, Camm's secret ally, is compelled also to join the mission to save Lenny. Camm is left alone to face her worst nightmare: a seemingly indestructible creature of unknown origins who is filled with a burning hatred and an all-consuming desire to track her down and eat her alive.

The Death Hole Bunker

Diving Universe

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

This novella was first published in Asimov's Science Fiction, July/August 2023.

Read the full story for free here.

Cold Death

Doc Savage Novels: Book 21

Kenneth Robeson

Doc Savage meets his most merciless adversary -- VAR, the faceless fiend whose strange voice announces a terrible mandate of destruction! VAR, who wields the deadly Cold Light, and dares hurl the ultimate challenge at Doc and his mighty crew -- A fight to the death with the world at stake!

Laurence Donovan authored this book under pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

Death in Silver

Doc Savage Novels: Book 26

Kenneth Robeson

An awesome legion of master criminals launch a devastating series of raids that set the entire east coast of America aflame. Skyscrapers explode, ocean liners disappear, key witnesses are kidnapped and brutally murdered as the holocaust rages. In a desperate race against time Doc Savage attempts to discover the true identity of the twisted brain who rules the silver-costumed marauders -- while the mysterious Ull and his army of hooded assassins move closer to their grim objective of world domination!

Lester Dent authored this book under pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

The Deadly Dwarf

Doc Savage Novels: Book 28

Kenneth Robeson

Cadwiller Olden was only three feet tall, but he was the most dangerous man on Earth. With his legion of brutal giants, and control of REPEL -- a massive, devastating energy force -- the murderous midget began an all-out assault against the defenseless bastions of the free nations. As the entire world huddles in fear, Doc Savage battles against the bizarre doll criminal, and the unleashed fury of his deadly tool of destruction. The original Street and Smith Publication was titeled "REPEL!" (Bantam retitled this novel "The Deadly Dwarf").

Lester Dent authored this book under pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

Dust of Death

Doc Savage Novels: Book 32

Kenneth Robeson

The tiny South American republics of Santa Amoza and Delezon were at war when a mysterious, hooded figure -- known only as The Inca in Gray -- appeared and began slaughtering citizens of both sides with a strange dust that brought instant, writhing death. Doc Savage and his mighty crew rush to the dense Amazonian forest in hopes of saving lives, but all they find when they arrive is a firing squad -- ready to execute the Man of Bronze!

Harold A. Davis authored this novel under pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

The Green Death

Doc Savage Novels: Book 65

Kenneth Robeson

From Matto Grosso -- in the deadly heart of the Green Hell -- comes an organic mystery that paralyzes even the Man of Bronze: an oozing horror that wipes out the line between life and death!

Harold A. Davis authored this novel under pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

The Shape of Terror / Death Had Yellow Eyes

Doc Savage Novels (Doubles): Book 7

Kenneth Robeson

The Shape of Terror

A sinister plot is underway, and it all begins with the incredible and horrifying death of Doc Savage. Everyone says it is an accident, but Monk and Ham know the truth -- and that means they know too much. For the terrifying plan to succeed, Monk and Ham must die too!

This is # 109 in the Doc Savage Novels series.

More information about The Shape of Terror available at the Hidalgo Trading Company website.

Death Had Yellow Eyes

Out of the darkness, yellow and bodiless eyes peer into the faces of Doc Savage and his crew. And when Monk vanishes inside a locked room, Doc leaps to the rescue -- plunging straight into a vicious international maelstrom that could change the course of history!

This is # 110 in the Doc Savage Novels series.

More information about Death Had Yellow Eyes available at the Hidalgo Trading Company website.

Lester Dent authored both novels under pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

The Laugh of Death / The King of Terror

Doc Savage Novels (Doubles): Book 12

Kenneth Robeson

The Laugh of Death

Doc's trusty crew suddenly disappears. The only clue is an unearthly laughter that arises from nowhere and destroys the will. Doc, alone, must save his sidekicks before they die -- but when the laughter attacks him, the Man of Bronze becomes the helpless puppet of evil!

This is # 119 in the Doc Savage Novels series.

More information about The Laugh of Death available at the Hidalgo Trading Company website.

The King of Terror

A ruthless madman is plotting to rule the world. His ingenious plan involves an enigmatic woman, a psychotic surgeon, and a strange and powerful fog that muddles men's minds. First, they have to kill Doc Savage. And Doc's vengeance begins only after he is dead!

This is # 120 in the Doc Savage Novels series.

More information about The King of Terror available at the Hidalgo Trading Company website.

Lester Dent authored both novels under pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

Dead of Winter

Doctor Who New Series: Book 43

James Goss

In a remote clinic in 18th century Italy, a lonely girl writes to her mother. She tells of pale English aristocrats and mysterious Russian nobles. She tells of intrigues and secrets, and strange faceless figures that rise up from the sea. And she tells about the enigmatic Mrs Pond, who arrives with her husband and her trusted physician.

What the girl doesn't tell her mother is the truth that everyone at the clinic knows and no one says - that the only people who come here do so to die.

The English Way of Death

Doctor Who Virgin Missing Adventures: Book 20

Gareth Roberts

"He plans to destroy the world, next Tuesday."
"How vulgar," replied the Doctor. "Nobody does anything of importance on a Tuesday."
It's the sweltering summer of 1930, and Londoners are enjoying the heatwave. The Doctor, Romana and K9 plan to take a rest after their recent adventures, but the TARDIS warns them of time pollution in the locality.

What connects the isolated Sussex resort of Nutchurch with the secret society run by the eccentric Percy Closed? Why has millionaire Hepworth Stackhouse dismissed his staff and hired assassin Julia Orlostro? And what is the truth behind the infernal vapour known only as Zodaal?

The Doctor's tribulations as he attempts to answer these questions will excite and enthral discerning readers throughout the land.

A Device of Death

Doctor Who Virgin Missing Adventures: Book 31

Christopher Bulis

"As a member of an inferior race, you either work to serve the cause of Averon, or die."

Sarah Jane is marooned on a slave world where the only escape is death. Harry is caught in the middle of an interplanetary invasion, and has to combine medicine with a desperate mission. And the Fourth Doctor lands on a world so secret it does not even have a name.

Why have the TARDIS crew been scattered across the stars? What terrible accident could have wiped the Doctor's memory? And what could interest the Time Lords in this war-torn sector of space?

At the heart of a star-spanning conspiracy lies an ancient quest: people have been making weapons since the dawn of time -- but perhaps someone has finally discovered the ultimate device of death.

The Game of Death

Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: Book 6

Trevor Baxendale

The hunter becomes the hunted, as the Doctor tracks the Agent's journey from Paris across the Milky Way towards the Silver Devastation. Where is it heading? What force can destroy the crystal? Where is the robot Agent, and why did it come here? What is the strange and sinister game is taking place in an elegant house in the Home Counties? Find out by reading the next thrilling adventure in "The Darksmith Legacy".

Death's Mistress

Dorina Basarab, Dhampir: Book 2

Karen Chance

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir - half-human, half-vampire - and the only way she can stay sane is by unleashing her sometimes uncontrollable rage on demons and vampires that deserve killing. After the fortunate demise of her insane uncle Dracula, Dory is back home in Brooklyn, hoping that life will calm down for a while. But then two visitors arrive: her friend Claire, asking for Dory's help in finding a magical Fey relic, and the gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare, desperate to find his former mistress, a vampire named Christine. Dory and Louis-Cesare soon discover their problems may be connected: the same master vampire Christine is bound to is also rumored to be in possession of the relic. But they soon realize there's more at stake when Christine's master turns up dead. Someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if Dory and Louis-Cesare can't stop the murderer, they may be next.

Six and a Half Deadly Sins

Dr Siri Paiboun: Book 10

Colin Cotterill

Laos, 1979: Dr Siri Paiboun, the twice retired ex-National Coroner of Laos, receives an unmarked package in the mail. Inside is a handwoven pha sin, a colorful traditional skirt worn in northern Laos. A lovely present, but who sent it to him, and why? And, more importantly, why is there a severed human finger stitched into the sin's lining?

Siri is convinced someone is trying to send him a message and won't let the matter rest until he's figured it out. He finagles a trip up north to the province where the sin was made, not realising he is embarking on a deadly scavenger hunt. Meanwhile, the northern Lao border is about to erupt into violence -- and Dr Siri and his entourage are walking right into the heart of the conflict.

Death Arms

Dr. Adder: Book 3

K. W. Jeter

In a devastated Los Angeles of the near future most of the population have fled from THE FEAR, leaving the city inhabited by freaks and drop-outs, policed by the mysterious and powerful SCRAP organisation: characters such as the punkish Dortz and his enigmatic side-kick Anne Manx, the vicous, dumb Buddy - a boy who quite literally will blow your mind - and his sister, Rachel, reanimator of dead flesh.

I Am Dracula

Dracula

C. Dean Andersson

From the haunted Carpathian Mountains of darkest Transylvania, Dracula reveals the Secret History of Vampires, Witches, and blasphemous horror.

Told in his own words, here is the story of Dracula, a mortal warlord destined to become the Vampire King of the Undead.

You have been told many lies. Now learn the truth.

Welcome to Dracula's world.

Dracula The Un-dead

Dracula: Book 3

Dacre Stoker
Ian Holt

The authoritative sequel to Bram Stoker's original horror classic.

A quarter of a century after Count Dracula "crumbled into dust," Quincey Harker-the son of Jonathan and Mina Harker-leaves law school to pursue a career on stage, only to stumble upon the troubled production of Dracula, directed and produced by Bram Stoker himself.

As the play plunges Quincey into the world of his parents' terrible secrets, death begins to stalk the original band of heroes that defeated Dracula a quarter-century ago. Could it be that the count survived and is now seeking revenge? Or is there another, far more sinister force at work whose relentless purpose is to destroy anything and anyone associated with Dracula, the most notorious vampire of all time?

The Lake of Death

Dragonlance: The Age of Mortals: Book 6

Jean Rabe

The latest title in a series based on characters from the best-selling War of Souls trilogy.

This title is the next in a series that explores the lives of key characters from Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman's New York Times best-selling War of Souls trilogy. The Lake of Death describes events that directly overlap events during the War of Souls and is an unofficial sequel to Rabe's Dhamon Saga trilogy. Author Jean Rabe is well known by both recent and long-term Dragonlance novel fans.

Death March

Dragonlance: The Stonetellers: Book 2

Jean Rabe

Jean Rabe's long-anticipated return to Krynn continues!

Escaping from the slave pens of a Dark Knight mining camp was no easy feat, but what awaits Direfang, a former hobgoblin slave who has become the reluctant general of a growing goblin army is every bit as perilous. From the cruel ogre mountains to the shores of Newsea, Direfang, Mudwort the shaman, and the Dark Knight wizard Grallik fight the natural and unnatural forces that seek to destroy them. Direfang is tested to his limits by once-friends and powerful foes as he undertakes a death march to the Qualinesti Forest. His eyes on independence, Direfang refuses to surrender, and pledges his life for a chance to be free, even as he learns that freedom is a deadly prize.

Dragon Death

Dragonsword: Book 3

Gael Baudino

Cast back to Los Angeles with the Specter of Death's hounds in pursuit, Alouzon Dragonmaster, the Goddess of Gryylth and a former UCLA graduate student, searches for a gateway back to the magic land that she has come to call home.

Deathless Divide

Dread Nation: Book 2

Justina Ireland

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you're a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America.

What's more, this safe haven is not what it appears--as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won't be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by--and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane's back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it's up to Katherine to keep hope alive--even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

The Legend of Deathwalker

Drenai Saga: Book 7

David Gemmell

Enter a powerful realm of legend, dark sorcery, and conquest, where the mighty Drenai warrior Druss faces his most deadly opponent . . .

Druss the Legend, the dark axman known as the Deathwalker, must join the warrior Talisman on a mission of blood and glory. Only the stolen Eyes of Alchazzar--mystic jewels of power--will save Druss's dying friend, then unite the Nadir tribes against the evil of the Gothir. Druss agrees to help look for the twin gems--hidden for centuries in the shrine of Oshikai, the Demon-bane, the Nadir's greatest hero.

It has been prophesied that with the recovery of the stones, there will come the Uniter, a magnificent fighter who will free the Nadir from brutal oppression. But Garen-Tsen, the sadistic power behind the Gothir throne, also seeks the gems. To control them, he will send five thousand men against a handful of savages, Talisman, and the one Drenai warrior.

Burn Me Deadly

Eddie LaCrosse: Book 2

Alex Bledsoe

Alex Bledsoe's first novel, The Sword-Edged Blonde, drew rave reviews for its ingenious blend of fantasy and hard-boiled detective fiction. Now Bledsoe returns with an all-new tale of mean streets and medieval intrigue.

Above Angelina's Tavern in down-and-dirty Neceda you'll find the office of Eddie LaCrosse, a freelance sword jockey who, for twenty-five gold pieces a day, will take on any task short of murder for hire. Eddie's on his way back from a routine investigation when his horse almost runs down a half-naked blonde in serious trouble. Against his better judgment, he promises to protect the frightened young woman, only to find himself waylaid by unknown assailants and left for dead beside her mutilated body.

Eddie isn't the kind of guy to just let something like this pass. But who killed Laura Lesperitt? Eddie's quest for payback leads him to a tangled mystery involving a notorious crime lord, a backwoods dragon cult, royal scandals, and a duplicitous femme fatale who has trouble keeping her clothes on. As bodies pile up, attracting the unwelcome attention of the king's guards, Eddie must use all his wits if he hopes to survive...

The Library of the Dead

Edinburgh Nights: Book 1

T. L. Huchu

WHEN GHOSTS TALK

SHE WILL LISTEN

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker - and they sure do love to talk. Now she speaks to Edinburgh's dead, carrying messages to those they left behind. A girl's gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone's bewitching children - leaving them husks, empty of joy and strength. It's on Ropa's patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will rock her world.

Ropa will dice with death as she calls on Zimbabwean magic and Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. And although underground Edinburgh hides a wealth of dark secrets, she also discovers an occult library, a magical mentor and some unexpected allies.

Yet as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?

The City of the Dead

Eighth Doctor Adventures: Book 49

Lloyd Rose

Fitz, Anji, and the Doctor are in New Orleans in 2000 to relax, but find the city is a center for the occult as practitioners converge on an ancient graveyard. The Doctor is also having strange dreams of something is seeking him out. A bone artifact found on board the TARDIS may be the key to a chain of murders, but can the Doctor and his companions discover the true source of the evil?

The Deadstone Memorial

Eighth Doctor Adventures: Book 71

Trevor Baxendale

There is no such thing as a good night. Maybe, as you fall asleep, you can hide away in dreams. Or so you'd like to think. Because, as every child knows, there are bad dreams. And bad dreams are a glimpse into the real world - where the monsters are. And the things in your nightmares that are worse than monsters: the creeping black memories that can bring fear and pain and blood. Even here, today, tonight ... in the most ordinary of homes, and against the most ordinary people, the terror will strike. An old man will tell his last ghost story... A young family will encounter a deathless horror... And the Doctor and his friends will uncover the terrible secret of the Deadstone Memorial.

Deadly Sting

Elemental Assassin: Book 8

Jennifer Estep

Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me-- Gin Blanco, aka the Spider--it's just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I'm attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland's fanciest art museum. But it's just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis's priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

Dealing with Dragons

Enchanted Forest: Book 1

Patricia C. Wrede

Take one bored princess. Make her the seventh daughter in a very proper royal family. Have her run away.

Add one powerful, fascinating, dangerous dragon.

Princess Cimerone has never met anyone (or anything) like the dragon Kazul. But then, she's never met a witch, a jinn, a death-dealing talking bird or a stone prince either.

Princess Cimerone ran away to find some excitement.

She's found plenty.

Nightchaser

Endeavor: Book 1

Amanda Bouchet

Captain Tess Bailey and her crew of Robin Hood-like thieves are desperate and on the run. Pursued by a vicious military general who wants them dead or alive, Tess has to decide if she can trust Shade Ganavan, a tall, dark and arrogant stranger with ambiguous motivations.

Shade Ganavan had oodles of arrogance, oodles of charm, and oodles of something that made me want to kick him in the nuts.

What Tess and Shade don't know about each other might get them killed... unless they can set aside their differences and learn to trust each other - while ignoring their off-the-charts chemistry.

Shade swallowed the bad taste in his mouth. Two hundred million. He could buy back his birthright and live like a king forever on that.
Captain T. Bailey.
Beautiful. Ballsy. And Brave.
A wanted criminal.
Indecision clawed at his chest. He knew where she was.
The easiest nab and grab of his life was waiting for him. He could land two hundred million in his account. Double that if she still had the goods.

Starbreaker

Endeavor: Book 2

Amanda Bouchet

THEY NEVER WANTED TO BE HEROES

Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan are still the galaxy's Most Wanted, and with revolution in the wind and the universe on the brink of catastrophic war, the situation couldn't be more desperate. Despite the Dark Watch scouring the known sectors for them, rebel leaders have handed the crew of the Endeavor a delicate and dangerous mission: break into Starbase 12 and free renowned scientist Reena Ahern. She's the only one who stands a chance of tipping the odds in their favour for the first time in decades.

BUT PULLING OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE IS WHAT THEY DO BEST

The clock is ticking. But as their attraction builds and secrets are revealed, Tess and Shade must decide if they trust each other enough to execute this impossible prison break. They could change the course of history, but they'll be risking everything... They'll just have to tackle one crisis at a time.

Speaker for the Dead

Ender's Universe: Ender Wiggin: Book 2

Orson Scott Card

In the aftermath of his terrible war, Ender Wiggin disappeared, and a powerful voice arose: The Speaker for the Dead, who told the true story of the Bugger War.

Now, long years later, a second alien race has been discovered, but again the aliens' ways are strange and frightening... again, humans die. And it is only the Speaker for the Dead, who is also Ender Wiggin the Xenocide, who has the courage to confront the mystery... and the truth.

Dead Things

Eric Carter: Book 1

Stephen Blackmoore

Necromancer is such an ugly word, but it's a title Eric Carter is stuck with.

He sees ghosts, talks to the dead. He's turned it into a lucrative career putting troublesome spirits to rest, sometimes taking on even more dangerous things. For a fee, of course.

When he left L.A. fifteen years ago he thought he'd never go back. Too many bad memories. Too many people trying to kill him.

But now his sister's been brutally murdered and Carter wants to find out why.

Was it the gangster looking to settle a score? The ghost of a mage he killed the night he left town? Maybe it's the patron saint of violent death herself, Santa Muerte, who's taken an unusually keen interest in him.

Carter's going to find out who did it and he's going to make them pay.

As long as they don't kill him first.

The Napoleons of Eridanus

Eridan: Book 1

Pierre Barbet

Supposing your world was an advanced Utopia that had eliminated war so long ago that nobody knew how to conduct a adequate defence. Then suppose your solar system was invaded by a fleet of alien militarists...

This is what happened to a certain planet in the Constellation Eridanus - and what its leaders did was to seek a primitive race that still engaged in warfare.

So they kidnapped a band of experienced soldiers - Napoleonic veterans fleeing Moscow through the snows of that terrible winter of 1812.

Captain Bernard of the Imperial Dragoons took on the task. But being a loyal Bonapartist campaigner, he had ambitions that Utopian aliens could not suspect.

The Napoleons of Eridanus is a surprise-filled romp in transposed history...

The Emperor of Eridanus

Eridan: Book 2

Pierre Barbet

The natives of Eridanus had spaced in veterans of Napoleon's Dragoons to save them from warlike invaders, and the Bonapartists had stayed. In fact, they had followed the tenets of the Little Corporal and had raised their own imperial standards over the conquered stars.

Death Sentence

Escape from Furnace: Book 3

Alexander Gordon Smith

Alex's second attempt to break out of Furnace Penitentiary failed. This time, his punishment will be much worse than before. Because in the hidden, bloodstained laboratories beneath the prison, he will be made into a monster. As the warden pumps something evil into his veins - a sinisterly dark nectar - Alex becomes what he most fears... a superhuman minion of Furnace. How can he escape when the darkness is inside of him? How can he lead the way to freedom if he is lost himself?

Dead Men's Boots

Felix Castor: Book 3

Mike Carey

You might think that helping a friend's widow to stop a lawyer from stealing her husband's corpse would be the strangest thing on your To Do list. But life is rarely that simple for Felix Castor.

A brutal murder in King's Cross bears all the hallmarks of a long-dead American serial killer, and it takes more good sense than Castor possesses not to get involved. He's also fighting a legal battle over the body - if not the soul - of his possessed friend, Rafi, and can't shake the feeling that his three problems might be related.

With the help of the succubus Juliet and paranoid zombie data-fence Nicky Heath, Castor just might have a chance of fitting the pieces together before someone drops him down a lift shaft or rips his throat out.

Or not. . .

Ordeal in Otherwhere

Forerunner: Book 2

Andre Norton

A young girl who has been sold as a slave to a trader wishing to do business with the Wyverns who rule the planet Warlock soon finds herself not only in contact with these strange beings but also involved in a mysterious internecine struggle she does not understand.

Down Among the Dead Men

Forest Kingdom: Book 3

Simon R. Green

In a fort on the edge of civilization, an ancient evil has awoken

Ten years after the Demon War, the wounds of the Forest Kingdom are finally beginning to heal. Deep in the Darkwood, on the border between two long-feuding territories, a fort has been erected to keep the peace. But a month ago, the soldiers inside stopped speaking to the outside world. Have they come under attack, or is something more sinister at work?

Led by the adventure-hungry warrior Duncan MacNeil, a party of Rangers is sent to investigate. With a witch, a swordsman, and a powerful eight-fingered woman at his side, MacNeil steps into the deserted fort—and discovers a massacre. The gory scene suggests that the soldiers turned on one other, but the witch has an alternate theory. Beneath this newly built fort, she senses an ancient evil, a power older than the Kingdom itself, about to trap them in the dark.

Prophet of the Dead

Forgotten Realms: Brotherhood of the Griffon: Book 5

Richard Lee Byers

The anticipated climax to a series that has been building in popularity, Richard Lee Byers is at his best working with tales of the undead. Prophet of the Dead fulfills on the promise of the title, giving fans a satisfying end to the current threats facing the Brotherhood of the Griffon.

Death of the Dragon

Forgotten Realms: The Cormyr Saga: Book 3

Troy Denning
Ed Greenwood

Azoun IV, in the twilight of his years, is still a shining hero to most of his subjects, and to all but the eldest, the only king they've ever known. He's led them capably out of dark doom before.

Yet Cormyr has never faced so many mighty and mysterious foes at once. Demonic ghazneths, ancient curses, weird trees of foul magic, goblins and their kin on the rise in the northern wilderlands, a blight upon the land, rebellious mutterings, dying war wizards... and a dragon the likes of which no living eyes on Faerun have ever seen.

The Purple Throne doesn't seem so unassailable now. It could well shatter under the weight of a gigantic dragon--or the secrets and follies of the last of the Obarskyrs.

Undead

Forgotten Realms: The Haunted Lands: Book 2

Richard Lee Byers

Join heroes fighting the undead hordes!

Undead armies have massed and march to the beat of an evil necromancer's drum. The living citizens of the magic-rich realm of Thay must unite and mount a defense before they die and join their enemy's ranks.

The second book in The Haunted Lands series, the events in Undead will have tremendous impact on the Forgotten Realms world.

Storm of the Dead

Forgotten Realms: The Lady Penitent: Book 2

Lisa Smedman

Drow god vs. Drow god!

When Lolth and Eilistraee, two drow goddesses, compete for control of the dark elves of Faerûn, more than just the drow are caught in the middle. Though the drow will survive their game, what's at stake is the very nature of what it means to be a dark elf.

City of the Dead

Forgotten Realms: Waterdeep: Book 4

Rosemary Jones

A haunting adventure hand-picked by Ed Greenwood...

Something is causing trouble in the City of the Dead, and Sophraea Carver, born and bred next to the historic graveyard, is determined to solve the mystery before it places all of Waterdeep in peril.

Set in the classic City of Splendors and presented by Forgotten Realms campaign setting creator and celebrated author Ed Greenwood, you don't want to miss out on this exciting glimpse into what the latest edition of the Realms has to offer.

Prisoner of the Horned Helmet

Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer: Book 1

James Silke

Prisoner of the Horned Helmet introduces suffering hero Gath of Baal. In an age rife with sorcery and violence, the earth trembles beneath the hooves of the all-conquering Kitzaak Horde. To save the peaceful forest people, Gath must don the Horned Helmet and become death made flesh.

Lords of Destruction

Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer: Book 2

James Silke

Only Robin Lakehair's innocent touch can free Gath of Baal from the murderous power of the Death Dealer. When an evil queen summons demons to kill Robin, Gath must don the Horned Helmet again and confront primordial evil to ensure his own freedom.

Based on Frazetta's most famous painting.

Tooth and Claw

Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer: Book 3

James Silke

Inspired by Frank Franzetta's painting, "Death Dealer", this third fantasy features Gath of Baal who sets off to the land beyond dreams in search of the legendary Noon, beautiful Queen of Cats. But one of his companions is a servant of the dreaded Dark Lord, and plans treachery.

Plague of Knives

Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer: Book 4

James Silke

Refugees flee to the castle of Whitetree, where, it is foretold, the White Veshta will rise again. But the evil sorceress queen Tiyy, who wears the mantle of the Black Veshta, seeks the Jewels of Light, and the death of the mortal host of the White Veshta, Robin Lakehair, the beloved of Gath of Baal - the Death Deale.

I Am Frankenstein

Frankenstein

C. Dean Andersson

I am Frankenstein. I awaken Nightmares. My truth is Terror made Flesh. Two hundred years ago, Mary Shelley told part of my story. Now hear the rest!

I am the Creature of Frankenstein. The Horror of my story is more terrifying than his. I know how it feels to be stripped of flesh. So, I did to Frankenstein what he did to me, cursed him with Immortality!

I am Katiasa. I traveled back in time to help Frankenstein create Life from Death. It was fun, mostly, until his Creature made me a monster, too.

I am Tzigane. I am not a monster. I am a Witch, a Vampire, the Mate of Dracula. Frankenstein and his Creature? Katiasa? Three interesting monsters. I spent time with them. Why? Spend time with them yourself. Read their book!

This Dark Endeavor

Frankenstein: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein: Book 1

Kenneth Oppel

Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.

They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only peaks Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not be satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. Elizabeth, Henry, and Victor immediately set out to find assistance in a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.

Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrads life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another.

The Land of the Living and the Dead

Gael Song: Book 3

Shauna Lawless

THE OLD WORLD WILL DIE IN FLAMES...

Ireland, 1011 AD. The mortal kingdoms rise up against High King Brian Boru as they seek to wrest his crown from him. Yet the real struggle is between the two magical races of Ireland, the Fomorians and the Descendants, eternal enemies who both now seek dominion over the mortal world.

Gormflaith, queen of King Brian, remains unmasked as the powerful Fomorian she is. Gormflaith plans to establish control over Ireland and destroy the Descendants in one fell swoop... but she cannot do it alone.

The Descendants are divided, for not all their kind wish to dominate the mortals. Fódla, a Descendant who was once part of King Brian's inner circle, must use this division to thwart treacherous plots that have been long in the making -- even if it means sacrificing herself. But with other lives on the line, can Fódla reveal the evil in time?

As secret schemes come to deadly fruition, the only possible outcome is war. Ireland has bled red and often, but the coming clash will change the course of history for ever.

Deadly Quicksilver Lies

Garrett, P.I.: Book 7

Glen Cook

Someone has barged in on Garrett, the hardboiled human detective in a fantasy world, with tales of sex, intrigue and murder. The mystery and danger come full force when a rich woman wants Garrett to find her missing daughter--or does she want him as a hitman? Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference....

Only in Death

Gaunt's Ghosts 3: The Lost: Book 4

Dan Abnett

The Sabbat Worlds Crusade has reached the fortress-world of Jago, and the Tanith First are given a vital - and dangerous - ission to defend a key pass against the enemy, garrisoned in an ancient mansion, the Hinzerhaus. Strange things are happening there. There are voices on the wind and people are disappearing.

With enemy outside and ghosts within, Colonel-Commissar Gaunt and his men must face their fears - for only in death does duty end.

A Matter of Death and Life

Gideon Sable: Book 2

Simon R. Green

Master thief, rogue and chancer Gideon Sable is back for another fast-paced supernatural heist--and this time he has the vault of a Las Vegas casino in his sights.

Judi Rifkin is one of the world's most successful collectors of the weird and unnatural. In a London underworld filled with criminals with very special talents, Judi is a force to be reckoned with. And Gideon Sable--thief, rogue and chancer--owes her a very large favour. Judi makes him an offer he can't refuse: steal her the legendary Masque of Ra, tucked up safe in a Las Vegas casino, and she'll wipe the slate clean.

This isn't Gideon's first heist by a long shot. But with old grudges threatening to cloud his judgment, an unpredictable crew who don't entirely trust each other and a formidable supernatural security team guarding his target, this job might be a gamble too far...

The Witness for the Dead

Goblin Emperor: The Cemeteries of Amalo: Book 1

Katherine Addison

When the young half-goblin emperor Maia sought to learn who had set the bombs that killed his father and half-brothers, he turned to an obscure resident of his father’s Court, a Prelate of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead. Thara Celehar found the truth, though it did him no good to discover it. He lost his place as a retainer of his cousin the former Empress, and made far too many enemies among the many factions vying for power in the new Court. The favor of the Emperor is a dangerous coin.

Now Celehar lives in the city of Amalo, far from the Court though not exactly in exile. He has not escaped from politics, but his position gives him the ability to serve the common people of the city, which is his preference. He lives modestly, but his decency and fundamental honesty will not permit him to live quietly. As a Witness for the Dead, he can, sometimes, speak to the recently dead: see the last thing they saw, know the last thought they had, experience the last thing they felt. It is his duty use that ability to resolve disputes, to ascertain the intent of the dead, to find the killers of the murdered.

Now Celehar's skills lead him out of the quiet and into a morass of treachery, murder, and injustice. No matter his own background with the imperial house, Celehar will stand with the commoners, and possibly find a light in the darkness.

The Whispering Dead

Gravekeeper: Book 1

Darcy Coates

Homeless, hunted, and desperate to escape a bitter storm, Keira takes refuge in an abandoned groundskeeper's cottage. Her new home is tucked away at the edge of a cemetery, surrounded on all sides by gravestones: some recent, some hundreds of years old, all suffering from neglect.

And in the darkness, she can hear the unquiet dead whispering.

The cemetery is alive with faint, spectral shapes, led by a woman who died before her time... and Keira, the only person who can see her, has become her new target. Determined to help put the ghost to rest, Keira digs into the spirit's past life with the help of unlikely new friends, and discovers a history of deception, ill-fated love, and murder.

But the past is not as simple as it seems, and Keira's time is running out. Tangled in a dangerous web, she has to find a way to free the spirit...even if it means offering her own life in return.

The Ravenous Dead

Gravekeeper: Book 2

Darcy Coates

Keira, hired as Blighty Graveyard's new groundskeeper, lives surrounded by the dead. They watch her through the fog. They wordlessly cry out. They've been desperately waiting for help moving on?and only Keira can hear them. But not every restless spirit wants to be saved.

Sometimes the dead hate the living too much to find peace.

As Keira struggles to uncover the tangled histories of some of the graveyard's oldest denizens, danger seeps from the darkest edges of the forest. A vicious serial killer was interred among the trees decades before, his spirit twisted by his violent nature. He's furious. Ravenous. And when Keira unwittingly answers his call, she may just seal her fate as his final intended victim.

The Twisted Dead

Gravekeeper: Book 3

Darcy Coates

Keira must decide if she should use her ability to contact ghosts to help the man who once tried to kill her.

Hunted and haunted, all she wants is to put her mysterious past behind her and move forward with her new friends as Blighty Graveyard's groundskeeper. But then she receives an invitation to dinner at the local recluse's crumbling ancestral estate. The mansion is steeped in history that is equal parts complicated and bloody?and at its center is the man who once tried to kill her, now begging for her help.

Dane Crispin believes his home is haunted?and that the unquiet dead clawing through the ancient house are after him. Unnerved but intrigued, Keira opens her second sight and discovers he's right: resentful specters cling to Dane... and if she can't find a way to stop them, threaten to consume everything in their path.

There's something dark happening in the world beyond most peoples' vision, and if Keira isn't able to sever the ties between the living and the dead, the chained spirits may not be the only things twisted beyond saving.

The Hollow Dead

Gravekeeper: Book 4

Darcy Coates

When Keira first woke alone in a strange forest, she remembered only two things: that she could speak with the dead, helping them move on from the mortal world, and that sinister mask-wearing men were hunting her. She had no idea what she'd done to earn their hatred or what dangerous secrets she may have uncovered.

Until now.

Peeling back layer upon layer of the mystery surrounding her origins, Keira has finally learned that the strange masked men work for Artec, an organization profiting off spectral energy produced by hundreds of chained, tormented souls. Their goal is to spread their macabre cemeteries across the world, using the agony of the dead to extend their power and reach?and only Keira and her loyal group of friends can stop them. But there are still mysteries to uncover in Keira's foggy memories, and as she prepares to fight for the souls of the tormented dead, what she doesn't know about her own past may come back to haunt her.

The Vengeful Dead

Gravekeeper: Book 5

Darcy Coates

Keira is caught in a deadly battle. Her ability to help ghosts move on from the mortal world has made her a threat to Artec, a powerful corporation intent on trapping the tortured dead for profit. They've been tracking her for years and now, finally, there's nowhere left for her to run.

Artec fears Keira and everything she's capable of. They will stop at nothing to eliminate her?including sending armed men after everyone she holds dear.

Desperate and quickly running out of time, Keira races to hone her abilities as she searches for a way to destroy the twisted organization for good. But at least now she's no longer alone. Her friends have offered to follow wherever she leads, even if that means a direct strike deep into the heart of Artec's central base...and to the certain death waiting for them there.

Isle of the Dead

Gregg Press Science Fiction Series: Book 31

Roger Zelazny

Centuries in the future, Francis Sandow is the only man alive who was born as long ago as the 20th century. His body is kept young and in perfect health by advanced scientific methods; he has amassed such a fortune that he can own entire planets; and he has become a god. No, not a god of Earth, but one of the panetheon of the alien Pei'ans: he is Shimbo of Darktree, Shrugger of Thunders. Yet he doesn't believe that his personality has merged with the ancient consciousness of Shimbo, that he really can call down the skies upon his enemies. The time comes, however, when Francis Sandow must use these powers against the most dangerous antagonist in the universe: another Pei'an god -- Shimbo's own enemy, Belion. And Belion has no doubt whatever of his own powers....

The Devil Is Dead

Gregg Press Science Fiction Series: Book 55

R. A. Lafferty

R A Lafferty is a spinner of grand fantasies, a creator of fine lies, one of the great story tellers of science fiction. Here he tells us of an astonishing band of adventurers seeking the Devil himself. It is a tale of demons and changelings, monsters and mermaids - and of how it is not always serious to die the first time it happens...

Now read on...

Dragons Deal

Griffen McCandles: Book 3

Robert Lynn Asprin
Jody Lynn Nye

As head dragon and owner of a successful gambling operation in New Orleans, Griffen McCandles has a lot on his plate. Especially since the Krewe of Fafnir--a society of dragons--has asked him to be the king of its Mardi Gras parade. Being the king is a huge honor, and despite the extra responsibilities, Griffen can't resist the krewe's offer to lead the biggest party of the year.

An Easy Death

Gunnie Rose: Book 1

Charlaine Harris

Number-one New York Times best-seller Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse mysteries, True Blood, Midnight Crossroad) delivers the first thriller in a new trilogy that presents a chilling alternate history of the US where everyone believes in magic - but no one is sure whether they can trust it.

After the assassination of FDR in the 1930s, the US collapses and is picked off by the UK, Canada, Mexico, and Russia. We find ourselves in the Southwestern states, now known as Texoma. It is here that the gunnie Lizbeth Rose tries to piece out a life, running security on runs from Texoma across the border to Mexico, where work and prospects are stronger.

When two Russian magicians come looking for a man named Alex Karkarov, they hire Lizbeth to find him or his family, but there are problems: The man they're looking for is dead, but he has a daughter they now need to find, as an ever-growing set of sorcerers and gunnies do not want them to succeed. It's a good thing Lizbeth is a deadly gunfighter; too bad she hates sorcerers, even the ones on whom she has to learn to rely.

Number-one New York Times best-seller Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse mysteries, True Blood, Midnight Crossroad) returns to fantasy in a taut thriller set in a US where magic is an acknowledged truth, but disreputable.

All the Dead Shall Weep

Gunnie Rose: Book 5

Charlaine Harris

Following the murderous events of The Serpent in Heaven, Lizbeth Rose is awaiting the arrival of her sister Felicia and her husband's younger brother Peter in Texoma. Both needed to leave the seat of the Holy Russian Empire in San Diego after Felicia's burgeoning wizardly power in death magic became the reason for kidnapping and assassination attempts from her mother's family of high-powered wizards in Mexico.

Yet bad news has traveled ahead of them, as Eli is called back to San Diego, taking Peter along with him, splitting them apart in more ways than one as their enemies' plans for revenge come to fruition.

Down Among the Dead

Hail Bristol: Farian War: Book 2

K. B. Wagers

In a surprise attack that killed many of her dearest subjects, Hail Bristol, empress of Indrana, has been captured by the Shen -- the most ruthless and fearsome aliens humanity has ever encountered. As she plots her escape, the centuries-long war between her captors and the Farians, their mortal enemies and Indrana's oldest allies, finally comes to a head.

When her captors reveal a shocking vision of the future, Hail must make the unexpectedly difficult decision she's been avoiding: whether to back the Shen or the Farians.

Staying neutral is no longer an option. Will Hail fight? Or will she fall?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter: Book 7

J. K. Rowling

Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him.

In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again.

Twice Dead

Haven / Kita Nekai: Book 2

Kalayna Price

Newly undead shifter-turned-vampire Kita Nekai is coming to grips with the reality that her cat has not awakened since her change. What she needs is a little time to adjust to her new liquid diet and the increasingly complex attraction to her sire, Nathanial. What she gets is a headless harlequin.

With the body count rising, Kita is dragged into a dangerous game of vampire politics. Her involvement draws the attention of an ancient vampire known as the Collector who has a penchant for acquiring the unusual - like a pureblood shifter-turned vampire. Kita still has unfinished business of her own and finds herself deeper in magical debt. It's a bad time to be a kitten who can't slip her skin.

Burdens of the Dead

Heirs of Alexandria: Book 5

Eric Flint
Mercedes Lackey
Dave Freer

In an alternate 15th century where magic still is part of life, the Holy Roman Empire rules Europe. Constantinople is under siege by the Venetians and their allies. Hekate, Goddess of Crossroads, presides over the conflict and carnage as alternate visions of civilization collide. And since Constantinople is the crossroad city of east and west, and it is here that Italian captain Benito Valdosta must deal with the powerful magical manifestation of the Weeping Woman, a disguised Hekate, in order to save his daughter and to destroy the fleets of the Chernobog assembling in the Black Sea before they can cut into the soft underbelly of Europe.

With land battle, naval action, cunning assassinations, and heartbreak aplenty--not to mention the ongoing conflict between Lord of the Dead Aidonus and Benito for the love of a woman, civilization is at the crossroads and choices must be made that will bring victory and freedom for centuries to come--or a new Dark Age.

Dead Mann Walking

Hessius Mann: Book 1

Stefan Petrucha

After Hessius Mann was convicted of his wife's murder, suppressed evidence came to light and the verdict was overturned-too bad he was already executed. But thanks to the miracles of modern science Hessius was brought back to life. Sort of.

Now that he's joined the ranks of Fort Hammer's pulse-challenged population, Hessius attempts to make a "living" as a private investigator. But when a missing persons case leads to a few zombies cut to pieces, Hessius starts thinking that someone's giving him the run-around - and it's not like he's in any condition to make a quick getaway...

Dead Mann Running

Hessius Mann: Book 2

Stefan Petrucha

Just because a bullet has your name on it doesn't mean you shouldn't duck...

Either I'm stubborn, or it's rigor mortis, but being dead didn't stop me from being a detective or finding my wife's killer. But it's tough out there for a zombie, and lately it's been getting tougher. These days the life-challenged have to register and take monthly tests to prove our emotional stability. See, if my kind gets too low, we go feral. I've been feeling a little down lately myself...

So when a severed arm--yeah, just the arm--leaves a mysterious briefcase at my office, my assistant, Misty, thinks figuring out where it came from will keep me on track. But this case goes deeper and darker than I imagined, and my imagination gets pretty dark. Turns out the people after it know more about my past life than I can remember, and even more about what I've become.

The Death of a Legend

Horseclans: Book 8

Robert Adams

Out of the jaws of destruction...

When the Witchmen caused the earth to move and called forth the fires from the mountain's inner depths, the Moon Maidens, Ahrmehnee, and Thoheeks Bili's troops barely escaped with their lives.

Driven by the flames into territory said to be peopled by monstrous half-humans, Bili was forced to choose between braving the dangers of nature gone mad or fighting the savage natives on their own ground. But before he could decide, his troops were spotted by the beings who claimed this eerie land as their own and would use powerful spells of magic and illusion to send any intruders to their doom...

Bonesmith

House of the Dead: Book 1

Nicki Pau Preto

In the Dominions, the dead linger, violent and unpredictable, unless a bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr--a ghost-fighting warrior--is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.

>Determined to reclaim her family's respect, Wren gets her chance when a House of Gold prince is kidnapped and taken beyond the Wall. To prove she has what it takes to be a valkyr, Wren vows to cross the Breach and rescue the prince. But to do so, she's forced into an uneasy alliance with one of the kidnappers--a fierce ironsmith called Julian from the exiled House of Iron, the very people who caused the Breach in the first place... and the House of Bone's sworn enemy.

>As they travel, Wren and Julian spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when they discover there's more behind the kidnapping than either of them knew, they'll need to work together to combat the real danger: a dark alliance that is brewing between the living and the undead.

Doors of Death and Life

How Like a God: Book 2

Brenda W. Clough

In How Like a God, Rob Lewis gave his friend Edwin Barbarossa the Pearl of Immortality that had once belonged to Gilgamesh. Seven years later, the space shuttle ferrying Edwin home from a stint on the new moon colony catches fire. Everyone dies except Edwin. First he's hailed as a hero. Then he disappears. It's up to Rob to rescue him from the man who will stop at nothing to take the secret of immortality for himself.

A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons

How to Train Your Dragon: Book 6

Cressida Cowell

It's Hiccup's birthday, but that's not going to keep him from getting into trouble. To save his dragon, Toothless, from being banished, Hiccup must sneak into the Meathead Public Library and steal the Viking's most sacred book. But the Vikings see books as a dangerous influence, and keep them locked up and under heavy guard. To save his friend, Hiccup must brave the Hairy Scary Librarian and his dreadful army of Meathead Warriors and face off against the formidable Driller-Dragons. Will he make it out and live to see his next birthday?

Midworld

Humanx Commonwealth: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

The peaceful inhabitants of the jungle planet Midworld must fight for their survival in this classic adventure novel from Alan Dean Foster

From the rich imagination of science fiction great Alan Dean Foster comes the story of Midworld, a Humanx Commonwealth planet that's equally fragile and hostile. Covered by a lush rainforest, Midworld is home to a primitive society that lives in harmony with the natural world. But the arrival of an exploitative human company, whose workers know nothing of Midworld's delicate ecosystem, sparks a conflict. Should Midworld's villagers aid the humans or stand against them? The hero of Foster's addictive page-turner, Born, decides to lead two humans across the perilous jungle. His choice propels Midworld toward annihilation--and leads him headlong into a battle for survival.

Born was a child of the rain forest that covered Midworld, part of the primitive society that the peaceful jungle planet had sustained for hundreds of years. He was wise in the ways of his world, and he knew well the precarious natural balance that governed all things.

Then one day the aliens came. Giants. They knew nothing of the Upper or Lower Hell -- and they cared less. Born had risked his life to save them, to guide them through the myriad tangled boughs, past unseen, unsuspected dangers lurking in the underbrush. But worse than their ignorance of how to survive, the aliens had plans for Midworld, plans that could utterly destroy the globe-spanning forest that his people called home.

As the days passed, Born realized his mistake. And as he had once hunted only to live, he knew now that he would be forced to live only to kill...

Cachalot

Humanx Commonwealth: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

Cachalot - landless ocean planet, long ago reserved by man as a refuge for the great sea-creatures they had hunted near to extinction. Scattered humans lived peacefully in floating townships, until one day something rose from the deep destroying all in its path.

Nor Crystal Tears

Humanx Commonwealth: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

Before Man and insectlike Thranx had become allies, when the reptilian AAnn were just occasional raiders of Thranx colony worlds, one young Thranx agricultural expert lived a life of quiet desperation.

A dreamer in a world of sensible, stable beings, Ryo buried himself in his work -- reclaiming marshland from a tenacious jungle -- until he came across a letter describing a relative's encounter with horrid, two-legged, soft-skinned space-going beasts...

Voyage to the City of the Dead

Humanx Commonwealth: Book 4

Alan Dean Foster

Irritating Horseye!

Many worlds of the Humanx Commonwealth boasted of "natural wonders" but Horseye was truly unique -- the planet had the most spectacular river valley anywhere in the known universe and was home to three alien cultures.

The fascinating planet just cried out for proper study, and after months of impatient quarantine Etienne and Lyra Redolw had finally received permission to begin a voyage of exploration to the source fo the River Skar, a mere 12,000 kilometers Upriver.

Old hands at cracking new planets, the Redowls studied the aliens languages, took local guides, and provided for emergencies. But nothing could prepare them for the awesome treachery of the natives or the unbelievable natural obstacles. And not even the natives understood the planet's deepest secret...

Sentenced to Prism

Humanx Commonwealth: Book 5

Alan Dean Foster

The company had a big problem, it was illegally exploiting a fabulously rich planet named Prism, a world where even the tiniest creatures were living jewels. But somehow, all contact had been lost with the scientist of the survey team. The Company didn't want to draw attention to itself by sending in a rescue mission so they assigned Evan Orgell, a self-confident problem-solver, to investigate. He was smart, he was good. He was backed up by the Commonwealth' s best equipment. What could possibly go wrong?

The Howling Stones

Humanx Commonwealth: Book 6

Alan Dean Foster

The newly discovered planet of Senisran was a veritable paradise--a sprawling world of vast oceans dotted with thousands of lush islands and copious deposits of rare-earths and minerals. First-contact specialist Pulickel Tomochelor's mission to Senisran was straightforward: Secure mining rights for the Humanx Commonwealth before the vicious AAnn Empire beat them to the chase. With Senisran's Parramat clan resisting entreaty, negotiations could be difficult, but Pulickel was more comfortable with aliens than with his own species, and looked forward to a triumphant return to Earth.

He hadn't counted on the incredible secret of Parramat, though: the strange, powerful green stones that the tribe used to manipulate the forces of nature. Within those stones lay an awesome technology the origin of which was lost in time--a technology that had to be kept from the AAnn at any cost...

Drowning World

Humanx Commonwealth: Book 7

Alan Dean Foster

They call it the Drowning World. It is Fluva, a planet on the fringes of the Commonwealth where it rains torrentially, ceaselessly, and maddeningly for all but one month of the Fluvan year. Chief Administrator Lauren Matthias is fairly new to the position. Her primary goal: keeping Fluva's indigenous species, the warlike Sakuntala and immigrant species, the timid but hard-working Deyzara, from annihilating one another.

The wettest place on Fluva is Viisiiviisii, an immense, mostly unexplored jungle. Thanks to the endless rains and humid conditions, exotic animals and plants have thrived there, many of them deadly predators. Yet the same evolutionary process responsible for creating toxic creatures has made the jungle a treasure trove of undiscovered botanicals potentially useful in engineering everything from pharmaceuticals to perfumes. A man can get rich there. Or die trying.

Bio-prospector Shadrach Hasselemoga has come to the jungle to get rich-- if he survives the terrain once his sabotaged ship goes down. When a Sakuntala and a Deyzara are dispatched by Matthias to rescue the unfortunate soul, their ship crashes, too. Now, in order to survive, the three unlikely allies must do something that no one has ever done before: walk out of the Viisiiviisii.

Meanwhile, in what passes for civilization, long-simmering tensions between Sakuntala and Deyzara erupt into violence, threatening Matthias's official position of neutrality--and her life. Behind the violence, Matthias detects a mysterious presence, one related to Shadrach's disappearance. But how are the two related? The answer, when it comes, will send shock waves through the entire Commonwealth... and beyond.

Quofum

Humanx Commonwealth: Book 8

Alan Dean Foster

The mission to planet Quofum is supposed to be a quickie for Captain Boylan and his crew. Boylan is tasked with delivering four scientists--two men, one woman, and one thranx--to the unknown world, setting up camp while the experts investigate flora and fauna, then ferrying them safely home.

The first surprise is that Quofum, which regularly slips in and out of existence on Commonwealth monitors, is actually there when Boylan and company arrive. The second surprise is more about what Quofum is not: The planet is not logical, ordered, or rational.

The team encounters three intelligent, warring species--some carbon-based, others silicate-based, all bizarre--along with thousands of unique, often unclassifiable life-forms. Quofum's wild biodiversity doesn't appear to be natural. But if it is by design, then by whose, and for what purpose?

There are more revelations, more highly evolved species waiting to be identified, even tantalizing clues to a civilization light-years ahead of the Commonwealth's. But the crew members are not ready for the real shockers, because none of them expect to find a killer in their midst, or to discover that their spaceship is missing and, with it, all means of communication.

Of course, the marooned teammates know nothing about the Great Evil racing toward the galaxy, and they certainly have never heard of Flinx, the only person with half a chance to stop it. Nor do they know that Quofum could play a crucial role in defeating the all-devouring monster from beyond.

One thing the scientists do know, however, is how to ferret out the truth. But whether that will be enough to alter the course of the oncoming catastrophe is anyone's guess.

The Woman Who Fooled Death Five Times

Hwarhath

Eleanor Arnason

This short story originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, July-August 2012. It can also be found in the anthology The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Seven (2013), edited by Jonathan Strahan. The story is included in the collection Hwarhath Stories: Transgressive Tales by Aliens (2016).

Read the full story for free at the Baen website.

The Icerigger Trilogy

Icerigger

Alan Dean Foster

Icy, desolate, and sharply carved by hurricane-force winds, Tran-ky-ky is a terrible place to crash-land. But a botched kidnapping aboard the interstellar transport Antares sends Ethan Frome Fortune and a handful of his fellow travelers tumbling toward the stormy planet. Stranded and cut off from civilization, the castaways struggle to survive.

In this page-turning trilogy, Fortune confronts vicious predators (even the plants want to make a meal of him) and forges an alliance with a native Tran. As he searches for a way off Tran-ky-ky, he helps the Tran gain admission to the Humanx Commonwealth and learns about their troubled history. Just as Fortune accepts that he'll never escape the harsh planet and acclimates to its relentless winter, he learns that scientists have detected rising temperatures in the atmosphere. This sinister change leads Fortune to a thrilling and unexpected final adventure.

Including:

Icerigger (1974)

Mission to Moulokin (1979)

The Deluge Drivers (1987)

Icerigger

Icerigger: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

Ethan Fortune was simple salesman -- knowledgeable and civilized . . . a sophisticated traveler between many worlds. But he had certainly never thought of himself as a hero.

Skua September, on the other hand, never thought of himself as anything else.

A matched pair, if ever there was one!

When the two of them were suddenly stranded on a deadly frozen world, Ethan Fortune incredibly found himself cast in the role of Leader.

And he didn't find that at all amusing . . .

Mission to Moulokin

Icerigger: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

Ethan Frome Fortune had been on Tran-ky-ky long enough... too long, in fact. He wanted out. He wanted to get back to business. He wanted to go home. So he and his sidekick Skua September headed their giant Icerigger toward Brass Monkey, the busy off-world trading post where they were sure they could book passage home.

But when they discovered that their Tran friends were being victimized by ruthless profiteers, they decided to stick around and organize the isolated city-states into a functioning confederation... a governing body that the Commonwealth Council would have to recognize and protect.

But the Tran had enemies - deadly ones, at that - and Skua September and Ethan Fortune quickly found themselves back aboard the icerigger Slanderscree, leaving a crimson wake on the frozen seas and hurtling toward the most chilling encounters either had ever known!

The Deluge Drivers

Icerigger: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

It looked as if Ethan Fortune was stuck on the icy world of Tran-ky-ky, never to enjoy the warm comforts of civilization again. But when the scientists at the outpost of Brass Monkey detected an odd atmospheric phenomenon, things began to heat up.

Only the great icerigger Slanderscree could make the dangerous journey to the isolated southern continent, and only Ethan could convince the primitive Tran that the mysterious warm spot was worth the trip. Nothing could have prepared Ethan and his Tran and human companions for what they encountered as they sped southward, for its like had not been seen for thousands of years -- open water on the ice oceans of Tran-ky-ky!

But the worst was yet to come. This was no natural phenomenon. Someone was systematically raising the temperature of the frozen planet. If Ethan and crew of Slanderscree couldn't stop the process, soon Tran-ky-ky would become a paradise for humans -- and a living hell for the Tran

The Death of the Necromancer

Ile-Rien: Book 2

Martha Wells

Nicholas Valiarde is a passionate, embittered nobleman with an enigmatic past. Consumed by thoughts of vengeance, he is consoled only by thoughts of the beautiful, dangerous Madeline. He is also the greatest thief in all of Ile-Rien...

On the gas light streets of the city, he assumes the guise of a master criminal, stealing jewels from wealthy nobles to finance his quest for vengeance the murder of Count Montesq. Montesq orchestrated the wrongful execution of Nicholas's beloved godfather on false charges of necromancy--the art of divination through communion with spirits of the dead--a practice long outlawed in the kingdom of Ile-Rein.

But now Nicholas's murderous mission is being interrupted by a series of eerie, unexplainable, even fatal events. Someone with tremendous magical powers is opposing him. Children vanish, corpses assume the visage of real people, mortal spells are cast, and traces of necromantic power that hasn't been used for centuries are found. And when a spiritualist unwittingly leads Nicholas to a decrepit mansion, the monstrous nature of his peril finally emerges in harrowing detail.Nicholas and his compatriots must destroy an ancient and awesome evil. even teh help of Ile-Rien's greatest sorcerer may not be enough, for Nicholas faces a woefully mismatched battle--and unthinkable horrors await the loser.

Death World

Imperial Guard: Book 2

Steve Lyons

A squad of Catachan Jungle Fighters is sent to the deathworld of Rogar III in response to an ork incursion. But, as well as dealing with the orks, they must do battle with the planet itself -- not to the mention the mysterious figures that stalk them across the deadly terrain.

Dead Men Walking

Imperial Guard: Book 9

Steve Lyons

When the necrons rise, a mining planet descends into a cauldron of war and the remorseless foes decimate the human defenders. Salvation comes in an unlikely form--the Death Korps of Kreig, a force as unfeeling as the Necrons themselves. When the two powers go to war, casualties are high and the magnitude of the destruction is unimaginable.

Land of the Dead

In the Time of the Sixth Sun: Book 3

Thomas Harlan

It's a small change in our history: imagine that the Japanese made contact with the Aztec Empire. Instead of small-pox and Christianity, they brought an Imperial alliance, samurai ethics, and technology. By the time of these books, the Emperor in Mexico City rules not just the entire planet Earth, but a growing interplanetary Empire. But the Galaxy is not a hospitable place, and there are other powers, both new and very very old, who would stop the spread of the power in Anuhuac.

A weapon of the Old Ones, from the time of the First Sun, has been found in a region of space. It must be investigated, then tamed or destroyed to keep it from the hands of opposing powers. Gretchen Anderssen, freelance archeologist and specialist in First Sun artifacts, has been hired by her old mentor Green Hummingbird, agent of the Mirror Service, to join him in the study. They will be joined by old friends, and some old enemies as well.

Independence Day

Independence Day: Book 1

Dean Devlin
Roland Emmerich
Stephen Molstad

Two days before Independence Day, the skies look as if they are on fire. All satellite communications are interrupted, as fear grips the cities of the world. When the skies return to normal, it becomes clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived on Earth. Its mission: to eliminate all human life on the planet.

The Tie for the movie.

Inkdeath

Inkworld: Book 3

Cornelia Funke

The Adderhead--his immortality bound in a book by Meggie's father, Mo--has ordered his henchmen to plunder the villages. The peasants' only defense is a band of outlaws led by the Bluejay--Mo's fictitious double, whose identity he has reluctantly adopted. But the Book of Immortality is unraveling, and the Adderhead again fears the White Women of Death. To bring the renegade Bluejay back to repair the book, the Adderhead kidnaps all the children in the kingdom, dooming them to slavery in his silver mines unless Mo surrenders. First Dustfinger, now Mo: Can anyone save this cursed story?

The Colours of Death

Inspector Reis: Book 1

Patricia Marques

The Murder - In the Gare do Oriente, a body sits, slumped, in a stationary train. A high-profile man appears to have died by throwing himself repeatedly against the glass. But according to witnesses, he may not have done this of his own accord.

The City - Near-future Lisbon. A small percentage of the population are diagnosed as Gifted, with the powers of telekenesis or telepathy. Along with the power comes stigma and suspicion.

The Detective - In a prejudiced city, Gifted Inspector Isabel Reis is hiding her own secrets while putting her life on the line to stop an ingenious killer.

A violent and mysterious crime. Suspected Gifted involvement. A city baying for blood. And a killer who has only just begun...

The Six Deaths of the Saint

Into Shadow: Book 3

Alix E. Harrow

The Saint of War spares the life of a servant girl so she can fulfill her destiny as the kingdom's greatest warrior...

Always mindful of the debt she owes, the girl finds her worth as a weapon in the hand of the Prince. Her victories make him a king, then an emperor. The bards sing her name and her enemies fear it. But the war never ends and the cost keeps rising--how many times will she repeat her own story?

What the Dead Know

Into Shadow: Book 4

Nghi Vo

A woman posing as a medium who can channel the spirit world comes face to face with the truth...

The Fogg River Seminary, a girls' school in a small Illinois town, is supposed to be just another stop on Maryse and Vasyl's endless travels. They've made lucrative use of Maryse's "foreign" looks in their melodramatic séance act--and an act is all it is. Then, during their performance, a blizzard sweeps in and cuts them off from town completely. In the freezing halls, there's a voice speaking the secrets of the dead, and Maryse has no choice but to listen... because this time, the voice is real.

Dead Man Walking

Ishmael Jones: Book 2

Simon R. Green

"Call me Ishmael. Ishmael Jones. I am the man in the shadows, that even the shadows are afraid of. The secret agent whose life is the greatest secret of all. And some of the cases I work are trickier than others."

A rogue agent has come in from the cold and wants to spill his secrets. The Organisation wants Ishmael to find out if Frank Parker is who he says he is, what he really knows, and why he has emerged from the shadows after all this time.

Ishmael heads to Ringstone Lodge in Yorkshire where Parker is being held to find that an atmosphere of fear and suspicion prevails. As he and his fellow residents are menaced by a series of alarming and inexplicable incidents, Ishmael sets out to prove that it's human trickery rather than any supernatural being behind the seemingly ghostly goings-on. But matters take an unexpected turn when one of their number is brutally murdered, and once again Ishmael must turn detective in order to entrap a twisted killer before they strike again.

Death Shall Come

Ishmael Jones: Book 4

Simon R. Green

Death shall come on swift wings to whoever desecrates this tomb...

Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny have been summoned to remote Cardavan House, home of the world's largest private collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, for the unveiling of George Cardavan's latest acquisition: a bone fide Egyptian mummy.

When a bloodstained body is discovered beside the empty sarcophagus, Ishmael is dismissive of the theory that the mummy's curse is to blame. Instead he sets out to uncover the human killer responsible. But how can Ishmael explain the strange, shuffling footsteps that creep along the corridors? Who is playing games with them... and why?

Till Sudden Death Do Us Part

Ishmael Jones: Book 7

Simon R. Green

A wedding. A murder. A 200-year-old curse: Ishmael Jones is plunged into a baffling investigation when he answers an old friend's call for help.

Although he hasn't seen Robert Bergin for 40 years, Ishmael feels duty bound to respond when his old friend calls for help. Robert's daughter Gillian is about to be married, and he is afraid she'll fall prey to the ancient family curse.

Arriving in rural Yorkshire, Ishmael and his partner Penny learn that the vicar who was to perform the ceremony has been found dead in the church, hanging from his own bell rope. With no clues, no evidence and no known motive, many locals believe the curse is responsible. Or is someone just using it as a smokescreen for murder? With the wedding due to take place the following day, Ishmael has just a few hours to uncover the truth.

It Takes Death to Reach a Star

It Takes Death to Reach a Star: Book 1

Stu Jones
Gareth Worthington

WE ALL HAVE DEMONS. SOME DEMONS HAVE YOU.

The world you know is dead. We did this to ourselves.

The epidemic struck at the end of the Third World War. Fighting over oil, power, and religion, governments ignored the rise of an antibacterial-resistant plague. In just five years, the Earth was annihilated. Only one city survived--Etyom--a frozen hellhole in northern Siberia, engulfed in endless conflict.

The year is 2251.

Two groups emerged from the ashes of the old world. Within the walled city of Lower Etyom dwell the Robusts--descendants of the poor who were immune to the New Black Death. Above them, in a metropolis of pristine platforms called lillipads, live the Graciles--the progeny of the superrich, bio-engineered to resist the plague.

Mila Solokoff is a Robust who trades information in a world where knowing too much can get you killed. Caught in a deal gone bad, she's forced to take a high-risk job for a clandestine organization hell-bent on revolution.

Demitri Stasevich is a Gracile with a dark secret--a sickness that, if discovered, will get him Ax'd. His only relief is an illegal narcotic produced by the Robusts, and his only means of obtaining it is a journey to the arctic hell far below New Etyom.

Thrust together in the midst of a sinister plot that threatens all life above and below the cloud line, Mila and Demitri must master their demons and make a choice--one that will either salvage what's left of the human race or doom it to extinction...

In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon

It Takes Death To Reach a Star: Book 2

Stu Jones
Gareth Worthington

DESTINY HAS NO ALLEGIANCE.

Four years have passed since the lillipads fell and Etyom slipped into darkness.

The New Black Death has mutated again, spreading to near epidemic proportions. What little order existed in Earth's last city has disintegrated into chaos. Rippers roam the Vapid, robbing and leaving their victims butchered. The Robusts have spilled out of their broken enclaves and hide in any dark corner that will conceal them. Meanwhile, the elite Graciles, fallen from their pristine towers in the sky, have all mysteriously disappeared.

Demitri is a prisoner in his own mind. His demon, Vedmak--now known as the Vardøger--is manipulating Demitri's body and knowledge to execute a secret plan far more disastrous than even the Gracile Leader dared.

Mila, her status among the fractured resistance elevated to that of Paladyn--a protector of the people--leads the fight against zealots intent on destroying what little remains of Etyom. It is a responsibility she never wanted, a calling that prevents her from doing what she truly desires.

Yet, Mila should be careful for what she longs. Caught between annihilation and loyalties that refuse to die, she must reconcile a single immutable truth: following your heart comes at a price.

Velocity

Ivy Elgin: Book 1

Dean Koontz

If you don't take this note to the police... I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher.... If you do... I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have six hours to decide. The choice is yours.

The typewritten note under his windshield seems like just a sick joke. But in less than twenty-four hours, Billy Wiles, an ordinary, hardworking guy, is about to see his life take on the speed of a nightmare. Because a young blond schoolteacher is murdered--and now Billy has another note. And another deadline. This time he knows it's no joke. He's racing a killer faster than evil itself. And Billy must accept his terrifying challenge: The choice is yours.

Think fast. Fear never slows down....

Death Cell

Jack Summer: Book 1

Ron Goulart

Hugger-Mugger on Murdstone

It was only a backwater planet, but there were hints of a sensational story somewhere on Murdstone--and Jack Summer, top reporter for Muckrake, the galactic newsmag, drew the assignment. Summer, abetted if not aided by Palma, the horniest photographer in the known universe, scoured Murdstone for the story, working his way through dangers and damsels with equal enthusiasm.

Ron Goulart's acid zaniness is something new in acience fiction--and it approaches its ultimate in this first of many exploits of Summer of Muckrake.

City of the Dead

Jackaroo

Paul J. McAuley

This short story originally appeared in Postscripts, Summer 2008. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Sixth Annual Collection (2009), edited by Gardner Dozois. The story is included in the collection A Very British History (2013).

Traveling with the Dead

James Asher Chronicles: Book 2

Barbara Hambly

After a career spying for Queen Victoria, James Asher enjoyed a quiet retirement until he met the vampire Don Simon, an immortal Spaniard who taught him about the secret society of bloodsucking undead.

Now, one of the vampires, the Earl of Ernchester, has turned his back on Britain. When Asher spots him boarding a train for Paris in the company of an Austrian spy, he springs into action. If the immortals can forge an alliance with England's enemies, then the Empire is doomed. Asher tails the Earl to Paris and across the continent, plunging into the heart of a terrifying conspiracy of the undead - with the fate of the British Empire at stake.

Silence is Deadly

Jan Darzek: Book 4

Lloyd Biggle, Jr.

Twenty agents of the Galactic Sythesis are missing on the Silent Planet of Kamm -- the victims, it seems, of the most powerful death ray the universe has ever known. But how could the primitive technology of the Kammians have produced such a weapon? And why would they unleashed its power against the Sythesis? It's Jan Darzek's mission to find out...

The Silent Corner

Jane Hawk: Book 1

Dean Koontz

A dazzling new series, a pure adrenaline rush, debuts with Jane Hawk, a remarkable heroine certain to become an icon of suspense

"I very much need to be dead."

These are the chilling words left behind by a man who had everything to live for--but took his own life. In the aftermath, his widow, Jane Hawk, does what all her grief, fear, and fury demand: find the truth, no matter what.

People of talent and accomplishment, people admired and happy and sound of mind, have been committing suicide in surprising numbers. When Jane seeks to learn why, she becomes the most-wanted fugitive in America. Her powerful enemies are protecting a secret so important--so terrifying--that they will exterminate anyone in their way.

But all their power and viciousness may not be enough to stop a woman as clever as they are cold-blooded, as relentless as they are ruthless--and who is driven by a righteous rage they can never comprehend. Because it is born of love.

The Whispering Room

Jane Hawk: Book 2

Dean Koontz

"No time to delay. Do what you were born to do. Fame will be yours when you do this."

These are the words that ring in the mind of mild-mannered, beloved schoolteacher Cora Gundersun--just before she takes her own life, and many others', in a shocking act of carnage. When the disturbing contents of her secret journal are discovered, it seems certain that she must have been insane. But Jane Hawk knows better.

In the wake of her husband's inexplicable suicide--and the equally mysterious deaths of scores of other exemplary individuals--Jane picks up the trail of a secret cabal of powerful players who think themselves above the law and beyond punishment. But the ruthless people bent on hijacking America's future for their own monstrous ends never banked on a highly trained FBI agent willing to go rogue--and become the nation's most wanted fugitive--in order to derail their insidious plans to gain absolute power with a terrifying technological breakthrough.

Driven by love for her lost husband and by fear for the five-year-old son she has sent into hiding, Jane Hawk has become an unstoppable predator. Those she is hunting will have nowhere to run when her shadow falls across them.

The Crooked Staircase

Jane Hawk: Book 3

Dean Koontz

"I could be dead tomorrow. Or something worse than dead."

Jane Hawk knows she may be living on borrowed time. But as long as she's breathing, she'll never cease her one-woman war against the terrifying conspiracy that threatens the freedom--and free will--of millions. Battling the strange epidemic of murder-suicides that claimed Jane's husband, and is escalating across the country, has made the rogue FBI agent a wanted fugitive, relentlessly hunted not only by the government but by the secret cabal behind the plot. Deploying every resource their malign nexus of power and technology commands, Jane's enemies are determined to see her dead... or make her wish she was.

Jane's ruthless pursuers can't stop her from drawing a bead on her prey: a cunning man with connections in high places, a twisted soul of unspeakable depths with an army of professional killers on call. Propelled by her righteous fury and implacable insistence on justice, Jane will make her way from southern Southern California to the snow-swept slopes of Lake Tahoe to confront head-on the lethal forces arrayed against her. But nothing can prepare her for the chilling truth that awaits when she descends the crooked staircase to the dark and dreadful place where her long nightmare was born.

The Forbidden Door

Jane Hawk: Book 4

Dean Koontz

"We're rewriting the play, and the play is this country, the world, the future. We break Jane's heart, we'll also break her will."

She was one of the FBI's top agents until she became the nation's most-wanted fugitive. Now Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society's terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn't save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills--and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice--Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal.

But Jane's enemies are about to hit back hard. If their best operatives can't outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. Jane knows there's no underestimating their capabilities, but she must battle her way back across the country to the remote shelter where her boy is safely hidden... for now. As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives--against the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door.

The Night Window

Jane Hawk: Book 5

Dean Koontz

Since the beginning Jane Hawk has been resolute in her quest to take down the influential architects of an accelerating operation to control every level of society via an army of mind-altered citizens. At first, only Jane stood against the "Arcadian" conspirators, but slowly others have emerged to stand with her, even as there are troubling signs that the "adjusted" people are beginning to spin viciously out of control.

Jane will require all her resources - and more - as she confronts those at the malevolent, impregnable center of power as she wages her final battle against a terrifying conspiracy - for vengeance, for justice, and for humanity's freedom.

Death's Rival

Jane Yellowrock: Book 5

Faith Hunter

For a former vampire killer like Jane, having Leo Pellisier as boss took some getting used to. But now, someone is out to take his place as Master Vampire of the city of New Orleans, and they're not afraid to go through Jane to do it. After an attack that's tantamount to a war declaration, Leo knows his rival is both powerful and vicious, but Leo's not about to run scared. After all, he has Jane. But then, a plague strikes, one that takes down vampires but leaves humans untouched, as carriers of the dread disease.

Now, to uncover the identity of the vamp who wants Leo's territory, and to find the cause of the vamp-plague, Jane will have to venture into the underbelly of vamp society, where rules were made to be broken. As she circles closer to the truth, she finds the answers to the secret that could turn every vampire in the U.S. true-dead.

True Dead

Jane Yellowrock: Book 14

Faith Hunter

Jane used to hunt vampires, but now she's their queen. She's holed up in the mountains with the Yellowrock Clan, enjoying a little peace, when a surprise attack on her people proves that trouble is brewing. Someone is using very old magic to launch a bid for power, and it's all tied to the place where Jane was first drawn into the world of Leo Pellissier--the city of New Orleans.

Jane is compelled to return to NOLA because someone is trying to destabilize the paranormal world order. And because she now sits near the top of the vampire world, the assault is her problem. She will do what she must to protect what's hers. Her city. Her people. Her power. Her crown.

Bimbos of the Death Sun

Jay Omega: Book 1

Sharyn McCrumb

A sci-fi convention gets a dose of true crime in this Edgar Award-winning mystery by the New York Times bestselling author of the Ballad novels.

When Virginia Tech professor James Owen Mega wrote a fictional account of his real-life research, he hardly expected it to get published. But when a publisher changed the title of his novel to Bimbos of the Death Sun, James--under the pen name Jay Omega--becomes an overnight sci-fi star. Invited to the annual fan convention Rubicon, James is both a fish out of water and a Guest of Honor among the Trekkies and sword-wielding cosplayers. But he's not the only VIP at the overrun hotel.

Revered fantasy author Appin Dungannon never misses a Rubicon--or a chance to belittle his legions of devotees. But when Dungannon turns up dead, police wonder if a die-hard fan finally turned to murder. As the list of suspects grows and hucksters hunt for the victim's autograph, James devises an ingenious way to catch a killer.

Bitten to Death

Jaz Parks: Book 4

Jennifer Rardin

Jaz Parks here.My latest mission has taken me to the ancient Greek city of Patras; but instead of soaking up its splendor, I'm here to infiltrate a Vampere Trust.

Only two vamps have ever escaped the tightly bound communities and lived to tell the tale: Edward 'The Raptor' Samos, the most reviled criminal mastermind in recent memory, and Vayl, the CIA's number one assassin, who also happens to be my boss.

The Raptor is trying to take over Vayl's former Trust. Unfortunately, the Trust's new leader has her own plans.

This job is going to be the death of me.

The Deadliest Bite

Jaz Parks: Book 8

Jennifer Rardin

I have two choices. Carve Brude's name into Hell's bile-encrusted gates. Or lose my soul.

After an assassination attempt on Vayl, I find myself pulled into a tangled web that takes the gang to Romania. So how will I save a ghost, rescue a demon, and cheat the Great Taker out of a soul he's slavering for while defeating my nastiest foe yet so that Vayl can, at last, cherish a few precious years with his sons? With careful planning, major violence, and one (hopefully) final trip to Hell.

Already Dead

Joe Pitt Casebooks: Book 1

Charlie Huston

Those stories you hear? The ones about things that only come out at night? Things that feed on blood, feed on us? Got news for you: they're true. Only it's not like the movies or old man Stoker's storybook. It's worse. Especially if you happen to be one of them. Just ask Joe Pitt.

There's a shambler on the loose. Some fool who got himself infected with a flesh-eating bacteria is lurching around, trying to munch on folks' brains. Joe hates shamblers, but he's still the one who has to deal with them. That's just the kind of life he has. Except afterlife might be better word.

From the Battery to the Bronx, and from river to river, Manhattan is crawling with Vampyres. Joe is one of them, and he's not happy about it. Yeah, he gets to be stronger and faster than you, and he's tough as nails and hard to kill. But spending his nights trying to score a pint of blood to feed the Vyrus that's eating at him isn't his idea of a good time. And Joe doesn't make it any easier on himself. Going his own way, refusing to ally with the Clans that run the undead underside of Manhattan-it ain't easy. It's worse once he gets mixed up with the Coalition-the city's most powerful Clan-and finds himself searching for a poor little rich girl who's gone missing in Alphabet City.

Now the Coalition and the girl's high-society parents are breathing down his neck, anarchist Vampyres are pushing him around, and a crazy Vampyre cult is stalking him. No time to complain, though. Got to find that girl and kill that shambler before the whip comes down... and before the sun comes up.

My Dead Body

Joe Pitt Casebooks: Book 5

Charlie Huston

Nobody lives forever. Not even a Vampyre.

Just ask Joe Pitt. After exposing the secret source of blood for half of Manhattan's Vampyres, he's definitely a dead man walking. He's been a punching bag and a bullet magnet for every Vampyre Clan in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, not to mention a private eye, an enforcer, an exile, and a vigilante, but now he's just a target with legs.

The Death of Me

Johannes Cabal

Jonathan L. Howard

Johannes Cabal, a necromancer of some little infamy, has this much in common with Emily Dickinson; because he could not stop for Death, she kindly stopped for him. Well, perhaps not that kindly.

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Over Your Dead Body

John Cleaver: Book 5

Dan Wells

John and Brooke are on their own, hitchhiking from town to town as they hunt the last of the Withered through the midwest--but the Withered are hunting them back, and the FBI is close behind. With each new town, each new truck stop, each new highway, they get closer to a vicious killer who defies every principle of profiling and prediction John knows how to use, and meanwhile Brooke's fractured psyche teeters on the edge of oblivion, overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands of dead personalities sharing her mind. She flips in and out of lucidity, manifesting new names and thoughts and memories every day, until at last the one personality pops up that John never expected and has no idea how to deal with. The last of Nobody's victims, trapped forever in the body of his last remaining friend.

Johnny and the Dead

Johnny Maxwell: Book 2

Terry Pratchett

Sell the cemetery?

Over their dead bodies...

Not many people can see the dead (not many would want to). Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And he's got bad news for them: the council want to sell the cemetery as a building site. But the dead aren't going to take it lying down... especially since it's Halloween tomorrow.

Besides, they're beginning to find that life is a lot more fun than it was when they were... well... alive. Particularly if they break a few rules...

Red Death

Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire: Book 1

P. N. Elrod

In this introduction to the series, young Jonathan Barrett arrives in London in 1773 to pursue his college education. His fate among the undead is sealed by the unnaturally beautiful Nora Jones, who seduces him and consumes his blood.

Unbeknownst to Jonathan, he is no longer the same man, something he soon discovers upon his return to America to join the armed forces and defend his country. Rather than an appetite for traditional fare, he has developed a strange craving for human blood.

Death and the Maiden

Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire: Book 2

P. N. Elrod

Threatened by soldiers on the outside and turmoil on the inside, Jonathan Barrett valiantly fights to protect his family and the peace of the Barrett estate in this thrilling sequel to Red Death. Nearly consumed by his dark desires, Jonathan struggles to control his supernatural powers and his overwhelming thirst for blood while in the company of his immediate family and a scheming young cousin.

Death Masque

Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire: Book 3

P. N. Elrod

With the Revolutionary War making itself felt in his Long Island home, Jonathan Barrett and his sister Elizabeth seek refuge on the distant shore of England. However, Jonathan has yet another reason to make the voyage: he is still searching for Nora, his lost love and the woman responsible for his recently discovered taste for blood. That search takes Jonathan back to the home of his mother's sister, where he discovers a plot against his family that puts him in danger from the most unlikely of suspects. But his new enemies will soon realize that it is very difficult to kill a Barrett--particularly one that is already dead...

Dance of Death

Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire: Book 4

P. N. Elrod

Seemingly invincible since his transformation into a vampire, Jonathan Barrett must admit his own weakness when he unexpectedly meets a four-year-old boy who strangely resembles him. Armed with a powerful weapon to use against him, his love for his son, Jonathan's enemies have gained an advantage. The only hope for Jonathan and his child's survival lies in the return of the mysterious Nora Jones.

Carnivores of Light and Darkness

Journeys of the Catechist: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

THROUGH THE UNSTABLE LANDS

Etjole Ehomba is a herdsman whose simple sense of honor demands that he fulfill the dying wish of a ship-wrecked stranger. Even though his promise means that Ehomba--armed only with a bone knife and a sky-metal sword--must walk the length of a world, cross lands of unceasing peril, sail an impassable ocean, vanquish an unstoppable evil, and resuce a woman he has never met for the sake of a dead man he did not know.

No wizard or warrior would attempt such a mad quest. But a man who poses questions to everything he meets may find answers that no wizard could imagine...

Into the Thinking Kingdoms

Journeys of the Catechist: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

ACROSS THE LETHAL NATIONS

Etjole Ehomba has led his companions through jungle, veldt, and desert. Now to reach the fabled port of Hamacassar, the simple herdsman must trek through deadly "civilized" lands where flowers wage war, dogs herd lightning, demons govern darkness, and Time itself can be held captive.

In this new world, the tribesman must rely upon his friends, wondrous weapons, and the magic of memories so potent they can raise the dead or bring the sea to dry land. But no matter where he goes, evey seer and sage Ehomba meets offers the same prophecy: his quest will end in failure... and death.

A Triumph of Souls

Journeys of the Catechist: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

"The skeleton that dismounted was neither the tallest nor the most stout of those pale white specters that were arrayed against the travelers, but it strode forward with a stiff-jointed dignity none of its demised confederates could not match. With plucked feathers streaming from the gilded helmet that rocked atop its bleached skull, it approached the living. Halting barely a spear length sway, the skeleton placed one bony arm across its splayed rib cage--and bowed..."

Judge Dee and the Three Deaths of Count Werdenfels

Judge Dee: Book 2

Lavie Tidhar

Judge Dee is back to solve a brand-new case involving the mysterious death of the vampire Count Werdenfels. The mystery? Who killed him. The twist? Three different people are proudly proclaiming to have committed the crime.

Originally published on 10 February 2021, read it for free at Tor.com

Pledged to the Dead

Jules de Grandin

Seabury Quinn

A tale of a lover who was pledged to a sweetheart who had been in her grave for more than a century, and of the striking death that menaced him-a story of Jules de Grandin.

The Jules de Grandin series is not numbered but this is the sixty third published story of such.

This novelette is included in the collection The Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin volume 4 "Rival From the Grave".

It first appeared in the October, 1937 Issue of Weird Tales, available on Internet Archives.

It is also available free from Project Gutenberg.

Death by Silver

Julian Lynes and Ned Mathey: Book 1

Melissa Scott
Amy Griswold

His practice newly established, metaphysician Ned Mathey can't afford to turn away any clients. But the latest Londoner to seek Ned's magical aid gives him pause: Mr Edgar Nevett, an arrogant banker, is the father of the bully who made Ned's life hell at boarding school. Nevertheless, Ned accepts the commission to ensure the Nevett family silver bears no ancient or modern curses, and then prepares to banish the Nevett family to unpleasant memory again. Until Edgar Nevett is killed by an enchanted silver candlestick one of the pieces Ned declared magically harmless.

Calling on his old school friend Julian Lynes--private detective and another victim of the younger Nevett--Ned races to solve the murder, clear the stain on his professional reputation, and lay to rest the ghosts of his past. Assisted by Ned's able secretary Miss Frost, who has unexpected metaphysical skills of her own, Ned and Julian explore London's criminal underworld and sodomitical demimonde, uncover secrets and scandals, confront the unexpected murderer and the mysteries of their own relationship.

In Death by Silver veteran authors Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold introduce a Victorian London where magic works, influencing every aspect of civilized life, and two very appealing detectives.

A Death at the Dionysus Club

Julian Lynes and Ned Mathey: Book 2

Melissa Scott
Amy Griswold

In the sequel to Lambda Literary Award-winning Death by Silver, metaphysician Ned Mathey and private detective Julian Lynes again challenge magical and murderous threats in a Victorian London not quite the city in our history books.

Mathey is recruited by Scotland Yard to assist the new Metaphysical Crimes Squad in the case of a literally heartless corpse. Mathey soon discovers that the magic used to rob the man of his heart and life does not conform to the laws of modern metaphysics and then a second victim turns up. Meanwhile, a minor poet hires Lynes to track down and stop the blackmailer threatening to reveal him as the pseudonymous author of popular romances. When another target of the same blackmailer, a friend of Mathey's assistant Miss Frost, appeals for aid, Lynes and Mathey begin to suspect murders and blackmail are connected.

Digging deep into the clandestine worlds of lawless antique magic and the gay demimonde, Mathey and Lynes must uncover the source and nature of a heart-stealing supernatural creature before it can kill them too, even as they face the scandal of exposing themselves as sodomites in order to close the case.

The Paths of the Dead

Khaavren Romances: Book 3

Steven Brust

Two hundred years after Adron's Disaster, in which Dragaera City was accidentally reduced to an ocean of chaos by an experiment in wizardry gone wrong, the Empire isn't what it used to be. Deprived at a single blow of their Emperor, of the Orb that is the focus of the Empire's power, of their capital city with its Impe-rial bureaucracy, and of a great many of their late fellow citizens, the surviving Dragaerans have been limping through a long Interregnum, bereft even of the simple magic and sorcery they were accustomed to use in everyday life.

Now the descendants and successors of the great ad-venturers Khaavren, Pel, Aerich, and Tazendra are growing up in this seemingly diminished world, convinced, like their elders, that the age of adventures is over and nothing interesting will ever happen to them. They are, of course, wrong.

For even deprived of magic, Dragaerans fight, plot, and conspire as they breathe, and so do their still-powerful gods. The enemies of the Empire prowl at its edges, in-scrutable doings are up at Dzur Mountain... and, unexpectedly, a surviving Phoenix Heir, young Zerika, is discovered -- setting off a chain of swashbuckling events that will remake the world yet again.

Trail of the Dead

Killer of Enemies: Book 2

Joseph Bruchac

Apache teen Lozen and her family are looking for a place of refuge from the despotic Ones who once held them captive and forced Lozen to hunt genetically engineered monsters. Lozen and her allies travel in search of a valley where she and her family once found refuge. But life is never easy in this post-apocalyptic world. When they finally reach the valley, they discover an unpleasant surprise awaiting them--and a merciless hunter following close behind.

Hally, their enigmatic Bigfoot friend, points them to another destination--a possible refuge. But can Lozen trust Hally? Relying on her wits and the growing powers that warn her when enemies are near, Lozen fights internal sickness to lead her band of refugees to freedom and safety. Alongside family, new friends, and Hussein, the handsome young man whose life she saved, Lozen forges a path through a barren land where new recombinant monsters lurk and the secrets of this new world will reveal themselves to her... whether she wants them to or not.

The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn

Kingdom of Grit: Book 1

Tyler Whitesides

Master con artist Ardor Benn and his crew of intrepid thieves are hired to pull off a series of wildly complex heists, from stealing a crown to saving the world, in this daring fantasy adventure.

Liar. Thief. Legend.

Ardor Benn is no ordinary thief. Rakish, ambitious, and master of wildly complex heists, he styles himself a Ruse Artist Extraordinaire.

When a priest hires him for the most daring ruse yet, Ardor knows he'll need more than quick wit and sleight of hand. Assembling a dream team of forgers, disguisers, schemers, and thieves, he sets out to steal from the most powerful king the realm has ever known.

But it soon becomes clear there's more at stake than fame and glory - Ard and his team might just be the last hope for human civilization.

Discover the start of an epic fantasy trilogy that begins with a heist and quickly explodes into a full-tilt, last ditch plan to save humanity.

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

Kitty Norville: Book 5

Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Norville, the country's only celebrity werewolf, thinks she's finally got her life sorted. Her radio show is as popular as ever, and she and her cute lawyer boyfriend are the alpha pair of Denver's werewolf pack. Now she and Ben plan to tie the knot human-style - by eloping to Vegas. And just to make things more fun, she's going to do her midnight radio show live and on television from Vegas. In between getting wed and going live on TV, she's also planning on sipping fru-fru drinks by the pool while she works on her tan. So what can possibly go wrong?
Well, their hotel is the venue for a werewolf-hating bounty hunter convention. Elsewhere on the Strip, an old-school magician might just be wielding the real thing. The vampire community is harbouring a dark secret . . . and the irresistibly sexy star of a deeply suspicious animal act is determined to seduce Kitty.
Sin City has never been so wild, and Kitty has never had to fight harder - to save not only her wedding, but her very life.

The Death God's Citadel

Krantin: Book 2

Juanita Coulson

Alighting in a new land, Tyrus and Erezjan are no strangers to a life of wandering. They have travelled far and wide across the realm of Krantin, descrying regions from afar.

Now they find themselves integrated into life in a distant and eccentric new province, Couredh. Before long, it becomes obvious that they will not be able to conceal the true nature of their arrival from the locals for long...

Their true mission: to track down a murderous wizard named Vraduir.

Tyrus and Erezjan have set themselves on his trail in an attempt to prevent him from wreaking more havoc and destruction upon the people of Krantin.

But they can't do it alone...

An alliance is forged in secret between Tyrus and Erezjan and the malicious wizard's defecting companions, Jathelle and Ilissa. They too know the doom that faces this world if they stand by and do nothing.

As they track their quarry ever northward into the cold and barren wildlands, they encounter magic like they have never seen--both of man and of the gods. Vraduir's thirst for power has caused him to sacrifice much in order to forge and bond with the gods and call upon their power.

Now Tyrus, Erezjan, Jathelle, Ilissa and their compainions must journey toward the Death God's Citadel, a realm at the top of the world from which no man has ever returned.

The Death God's Citadel is a thrill-packed, beautifully written tale of magic, relationships, and what happens when man oversteps his limits.

Trojan Orbit

Lagrange: Book 4

Mack Reynolds
Dean Ing

Island One, the U.S.'s first space colony and symbol of an American Renaissance, is in trouble. Low morale, shoddy workmanship, unexplained malfunctions and avoidable accidents have become a way of life. Is it the Russians? Home-grown anti-technologists? Arabs afraid of cheap solar power from Space--or something even more sinister? When the President ordered secret agent Peter Kapitz to find out what was going on, Peter's first discovery is that the Soviets are indeed involved. His second is that they are not alone.

He will probably not live to make a third.

Swords Against Death

Lankhmar / Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser: Book 2

Fritz Leiber

In the second installment of this rousing series, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser journey from the ancient city of Lankhmar, searching for a little adventure and debauchery to ease their broken hearts. When a stranger challenges them to find and fight Death on the Bleak Shore, they battle demonic birds, living mountains, and evil monks on the way to their heroic fate. Fritz Leiber's witty prose, lively plots and superb characterizations stand the test of time.

Table of Contents:

Author's Foreword - essay by Fritz Leiber

The Circle Curse - (1970)

The Jewels in the Forest - (1970)

Thieves' House - (1943)

The Bleak Shore - (1940)

The Howling Tower - (1941)

The Sunken Land - (1942)

The Seven Black Priests - (1953)

Claws from the Night - (1951)

The Price of Pain-Ease - (1970)

Bazaar of the Bizarre - (1963)

Dead Moon Rising

Last Star Burning: Book 3

Caitlin Sangster

Sev finally knows where to find the cure to Sleeping Sickness. The only problem is that she's trapped in an endless sleep herself after refusing to give up her secrets to Dr. Yang.

Howl is determined to save Sev, but he has no idea where Dr. Yang is keeping her. When he runs into a group fleeing Port North on a mission of their own, he has no choice but to follow and hope they can get him back to the mountains before it's too late.

June, infected with SS by the very people she calls family, has now become the one thing she most fears. She's supposed to be Port North's insurance that Howl and Sev return with the cure, but June has other ideas.

And Tai-ge, reunited with the Reds, is airlifted to the City now overrun by SS. He's charged with getting the factories running again by any means necessary--no matter how many Sephs stand in his way.

There's only one thing strong enough to unite people who have been fighting for years, and Sev holds the key to it inside her mind. If she can't reach the cure in time, there may not be anyone left to save.

The Dead and the Gone

Last Survivors: Book 2

Susan Beth Pfeffer

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

Age of Death

Legends of the First Empire: Book 5

Michael J. Sullivan

Winter blankets the land, and more than just hope has died.

Prevented from invading the Fhrey homeland by the tower of Avempartha, the western army seeks a way across the Nidwalden River before the fane obtains the secret of dragons. As time runs out for both humanity and the mystic Suri, the only chance for the living rests with the dead. Having made their fateful choice, can a handful of misfits do the impossible, or are they forever lost to an inescapable grave? Do gods truly exist? Is it possible to know the future? And what lies beyond the veil of death? In the tradition of Virgil's Aeneid, Dante's Divine Comedy, and Milton's Paradise Lost, the most epic of tales transcend the world of the living.

It's time to see what lies in Elan's Age of Death.

Married with Zombies

Living with the Dead: Book 1

Jesse Petersen

A heartwarming tale of terror in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.Meet Sarah and David.Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.

Meet the Zombies.Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

Flip this Zombie

Living with the Dead: Book 2

Jesse Petersen

The Zombie Apocalypse has been good to Sarah and David. Their marriage is better than ever. They communicate well, share responsibilities, and now, they're starting a business. ZombieBusters-for all your zombie extermination needs.

There are lots of zombies and that means lots of customers...

Except one of them doesn't want the zombies dead, he wants them alive and ready for experimentation. Mad scientists make for difficult clients and this time, Sarah and David might have bitten off more than they can chew.

Eat Slay Love

Living with the Dead: Book 3

Jesse Petersen

Sarah and David have survived the zombie apocalypse. They stood side by side and fought the undead, mad scientists, and even bionic monsters until the unthinkable happened. A zombie bite. But not even that could stop them. Now, with a possible cure in hand, they're headed east, looking for a safe zone behind the rumored 'Wall.' They're feeling pretty optimistic.

That is until Dave stops sleeping and starts lifting huge objects.Eat. Slay. Love.

Because they haven't got a prayer.

The Second Death

Los Nefilim: Book 3

Teresa Frohock

Save the world, or save his family...

For Diago Alvarez, that's the choice before him. For unless he wants to see his son Rafael die, he must do the unthinkable:

Help the Nazis receive the plans to the ultimate weapon.

And while Diago grows more comfortable not only with his heritage, but also with his place among Guillermo's Los Nefilim, he is still unsure if he truly belongs amongst them.

In a frantic race to save the future of humanity, Diago is forced to rely on his daimonic nature to deceive an angel. In doing so, he discovers the birth of a modern god--one that will bring about a new world order from which no one can escape.

The Second Death is the final chapter in T. Frohock's haunting and lyrical Los Nefilim trilogy, which bestselling author Mark Lawrence has called "a joy to read."

In the Face of Death

Madelaine de Montalia: Book 2

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Madeline de Montalia, the perpetually youthful and beautiful vampire, once beloved of the Count Saint-Germain, comes to America in the 1840's to live with and study the native tribes of America, desiring to document their culture and knowledge before these are changed forever and unalterably by contact with the White Man. She had not expected she would fall in love with San Francisco Banker and US Army officer William Tecumseh Sherman in the 1850's. Now, living among the Choctaw in Georgia in the 1860's, she knows that Sherman's armies are marching through; and what will she say when they meet again after these many years? And how will she survive through some of the most horrifying events of the Civil War? A fine entry to her Saint-Germain series.

Once Dead, Twice Shy

Madison Avery: Book 1

Kim Harrison

My name is Madison Avery, and I'm here to tell you that there's more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I'm there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.

Madison's prom was killer—literally. Now, thanks to a mysterious amulet, she's stuck on Earth: dead but not gone. She has no idea why the dark reaper who did her in was after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course. With a little skilled light-bending, the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys . . . maybe), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.

Well, if she believed in that stuff.

Early to Death, Early to Rise

Madison Avery: Book 2

Kim Harrison

Seventeen, dead, and in charge of heaven's dark angels—all itching to kill someone.

Madison Avery's dreams of ever fitting in at her new school died when she did. Especially since she was able to maintain the illusion of a body, deal with a pesky guardian angel, and oh yeah, bring the reaper who killed her to his untimely end. Not exactly in-crowd material. It's amazing that her crush, Josh, doesn't think she's totally nuts.

Now Madison has learned that she's the dark timekeeper, in charge of angels who follow the murky guidelines of fate. Never one to abide by the rules, she decides it's time for a major change to the system. With the help of some unlikely allies, Madison forms a rogue group of reapers who definitely don't adhere to the rules of the heavens.

But as she grapples with the terrifying new skills that come with being a timekeeper, Madison realizes she may not be prepared for what lies ahead—unless she gets some seriously divine intervention.

Something Deadly This Way Comes

Madison Avery: Book 3

Kim Harrison

I'm Madison Avery, in charge of heaven's hit squad... and fighting it all the way.

When Madison died the night of her prom, she knew her life would never be the same. Now she has a powerful amulet, a team of rogue angels by her side, and the ability to flash forward into the future to see the shape of destiny. And of course, now she's finally with Josh—a perfect boyfriend who doesn't even mind that she's dead.

But being dead has its disadvantages, too. Madison feels caught between the light and the dark, and between her real life and her timekeeper status. When Madison has the opportunity to get her body back—to be alive again—she faces her most difficult decision yet. If she claims it, she could return to being a normal girl—and have a chance at a real relationship with Josh. But would having the one thing she wants most in the world also mean giving up everything she's worked so hard for?

The Ship of the Dead

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: Book 3

Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is a resident of the Hotel Valhalla and one of Odin's chosen warriors. As the son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus isn't naturally inclined to fighting. But he has strong and steadfast friends, including Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, and Samirah the Valkyrie, and together they have achieved brave deeds, such as defeating Fenris Wolf and battling giants for Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Now Magnus faces his most dangerous trial yet. His cousin, Annabeth, recruits her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, to give Magnus some pointers, but will his training be enough?

Loki is free from his chains. He's readying Naglfar, the Ship of the Dead, complete with a host of giants and zombies, to sail against the Asgardian gods and begin the final battle of Ragnarok. It's up to Magnus and his friends to stop him, but to do so they will have to sail across the oceans of Midgard, Jotunheim, and Niflheim in a desperate race to reach Naglfar before it's ready to sail.

Along the way, they will face angry sea gods, hostile giants, and an evil fire-breathing dragon. Magnus's biggest challenge will be facing his own inner demons. Does he have what it takes to outwit the wily trickster god?

The Death of Malygris

Malygris: Book 2

Clark Ashton Smith

Even in death, the mighty wizard proved himself greater than his peers - a story of weird sorcery.

This short story is included in the collections:

Lost Worlds (1944), Clark Ashton Smith

The Emperor of Dreams (2002), Clark Ashton Smith

It first appeared in the April, 1934 Issue of Weird Tales, available free on Internet Archives.

Cathouse

Man-Kzin Wars

Dean Ing

Carroll Locklear was up to his ears in Kzinti. He hadn't planned it tht way; what sane human would want to be trapped cheek by furry jowl with a bunch of homicidal bearcats? But when he was taken prisoner, somehow the subject of Locklear's likes and dislikes never came up, and now he finds himself stranded on a planet of prehistoric Kzinti. To survive, he must find common cause, if not with the males, then with the females of that antique species...

Table of Contents:

Cathouse - (1988) - novella by Dean Ing

Briar Patch - (1989) - novella by Dean Ing

The Houses of the Kzinti

Man-Kzin Wars

Jerry Pournelle
S. M. Stirling
Dean Ing

Two complete novels of the top-selling Man-Kzin Wars in one hugh volume: The Children's Hour by Jerry Pournelle and S.M. Stirling: As the war rages on between the mighty felinoid warriors from the planet Kzin and the wimpy leaf-eating monkey-boys from Earth, one Kzin commander has decided to learn from the monkeys and cooperate to conquer. But the humans know how to get the rivals of an enemy to cooperate, too. Cathouse by Dean Ing: In another corner of the galaxy, Carroll Locklear is stranded on a planet with a group of prehistoric Kzinti. To survive, he must find common cause, if not with the males, then with the females of that antiques species...

Table of Contents:

Cathouse - (1988) - novella by Dean Ing

Briar Patch - (1989) - novella by Dean Ing

The Children's Hour - (1991) - novel by Jerry Pournelle and S. M. Stirling

The Man-Kzin Wars

Man-Kzin Wars: Book 1

Larry Niven
Poul Anderson
Dean Ing

You've been tempted by short stories about them, and mention of them as something in the distant past in novels like Ringworld. Now, here's the first a series of collected stories by various authors on the Man-Kzin Wars!

All of them.

This book opens with a short story by Larry Niven about the very first encounter of peaceful humans with the warlike kzinti - and how even peaceful people can create a weapon.

The second novella-length story is by master SF wordsmith Poul Anderson, who lends his unmistakeable style to a story about what happens when the kzinti get hyperdrive.

Dean Ings finishes the collection with another novella about what happens when a human gets hunted by armed kzinti in a wilderness - and it's not what you expect.

Contents:

1 - Introduction (The Man-Kzin Wars) - essay by Larry Niven

5 - The Warriors - [Known Space] - (1966) - shortstory by Larry Niven

27 - Iron - [Man-Kzin Wars] - novella by Poul Anderson

179 - Cathouse - [Man-Kzin Wars] - (1988) - novella by Dean Ing

Man-Kzin Wars II

Man-Kzin Wars: Book 2

Larry Niven
Jerry Pournelle
S. M. Stirling
Dean Ing

Born and bred to hunting, they had never encountered a species they couldn't treat as prey - until they met the canny pseudo-pacifists from Planet Earth. They nearly overwhelmed humanity on first contact, but fast as you can say "Ghengis Khan" or "Alexander the Great" the seemingly harmless monkey boys were all over the pussycats like ugly on an ape, with space fleets and strategic thinking that left the Warrior Race quite dazzled.

But that was then and this is now.

The pain of lost battles has faded and the Kzinti are back, spoiling for a fight, Larry Niven's Known Space is again aflame with war.

Contents:

vii - Introduction (The Man-Kzin Wars II) - essay by Larry Niven

3 - Briar Patch - [Man-Kzin Wars] - novella by Dean Ing

136 - The Children's Hour - [Man-Kzin Wars] - novella by Jerry Pournelle and S. M. Stirling

Stalking the Dead

Marie Jenner Mysteries: Book 3

E. C. Bell

Marie Jenner is going home.

When Marie's slightly-more-than-boss, James Lavall, decides it is vital that he speak to her mother, face to face, about Marie and all her secrets, she follows him to Fort McMurray to make certain that he doesn't learn everything about her life before Edmonton.

What Marie doesn't realize is that her stalkery ex-boyfriend, Arnie Stillwell, has gone home, too. And he's managed to get himself killed, just about the time James rolled into town, making James "a person of interest" in the Stillwell murder investigation.

Marie's going to have to figure out who really killed Arnie to get James off. She's also going to have to figure out a safe way to move Arnie's spirit on to the next plane of existence, because the last thing she needs is for him to go all stalkery on her now that he's dead.

Murder can really put a kink in a Jenner family reunion.

Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose

Marion Lane Mysteries: Book 2

T. A. Willberg

The envelope was tied with three delicate silk ribbons: "One of the new recruits is not to be trusted..."

It's 1959 and a new killer haunts the streets of London, having baffled Scotland Yard. The newspapers call him The Florist because of the rose he brands on his victims. The police have turned yet again to the Inquirers at Miss Brickett's for assistance, and second-year Marion Lane is assigned the case.

But she's already dealing with a mystery of her own, having received an unsigned letter warning her that one of the three new recruits should not be trusted. She dismisses the letter at first, focusing on The Florist case, but her informer seems to be one step ahead, predicting what will happen before it does. But when a fellow second-year Inquirer is murdered, Marion takes matters into her own hands and must come face-to-face with her informer--who predicted the murder--to find out everything they know. Until then, no one at Miss Brickett's is safe and everyone is a suspect.

With brilliant twists and endless suspense, all set within the dazzling walls and hidden passageways of Miss Brickett's, Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose is a deliciously fun new historical mystery you won't be able to put down.

Dead Reign

Marla Mason: Book 3

Tim Pratt

Death has come calling, and one woman has what he wants most of all...

As chief sorcerer of Felport, Marla Mason thought she'd faced every kind of evil the magical world had to offer. But she's never faced a killer like this. He's dark, glib, handsome as the devil-and exactly who he says he is. Death-in the flesh. He's arrived in Felport with a posse composed of a half-insane necromancer and the reanimated corpse of John Wilkes Booth, and he isn't leaving until he gets what he came for. Only Marla is crazy enough to tell Death to go back to Hell.

With the Founders' Ball just around the bend, drawing together the brightest, meanest, and most dangerous of Felport's magical elite, the last thing Marla needs is all-out war with the King of the Underworld, but that's exactly what she's got. As the battle lines are drawn, she can count on her hedonistic, body-hopping partner Rondeau...but how many of her old allies will stand by her side when facing the ultimate adversary? To save her city, Marla will have to find a way to cheat Death... literally.

Bride of Death

Marla Mason: Book 7

Tim Pratt

Marla Mason has been a mercenary, chief sorcerer and protector of an entire city, and an occult detective, and now she's a goddess of Death... but only part-time. She gets to spend six months a year living as a mortal woman on Earth, and she's decided to devote those months to hunting monsters for fun and personal redemption. Armed with axe and dagger, with the living severed head of her worst enemy in a birdcage for a traveling companion, she sets off by motorcycle into the American Southwest on a journey of self-discovery and other-destruction.

Retrograde

Mars Endeavour: Book 1

Peter Cawdron

The international team at the Mars Endeavour colony is prepared for every eventuality except one--what happens when disaster strikes Earth?

Mankind has long dreamed of reaching out to live on other planets, and with the establishment of the Mars Endeavour colony, that dream has become reality. The fledgling colony consists of 120 scientists, astronauts, medical staff, and engineers. Buried deep underground, they're protected from the harsh radiation that sterilizes the surface of the planet. The colony is prepared for every eventuality except one--what happens when disaster strikes Earth?

This book was previously published in September 2016 by the author with the title "Mars Endeavour".

Reentry

Mars Endeavour: Book 2

Peter Cawdron

After almost dying on Mars, astronaut Liz Anderson returns to Earth, but not to a hero's welcome. America is in turmoil. The war is over, but the insurgency has just begun. So while life on Mars may have been deadly, at least up there she knew who the enemy was.

Along with her, Liz has brought the remnants of the artificial intelligence that waged war on two planets. Buried somewhere deep within the cold electronic circuits lies the last vestiges of her dead partner Jianyu. Liz is torn, unsure whether he's somehow still alive in electronic form or it's just a ploy by an adversary that will go to any length to win. Heartbroken and treated with suspicion, she finds herself caught up in the guerrilla war being waged on Earth, wondering if the AI threat is truly gone, or if it has only just begun.

Songs of a Dead Dreamer

Masters of Horror: Book 4

Thomas Ligotti

Songs of a Dreamer was Thomas Ligotti's first collection of supernatural horror stories. When originally published in 1985 by Harry Morris's Silver Scarab Press, the book was hardly noticed. In 1989, an expanded version appeared that garnered accolades from several quarters. Writing in the Washington Post, the celebrated science fiction and fantasy author Michael Swanwick extolled: "Put this volume on the shelf right between H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Where it belongs."

Contents:

ix - Introduction (Songs of a Dead Dreamer) - (1985) - essay by Ramsey Campbell

3 - The Frolic - (1982) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

19 - Les Fleurs - (1981) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

28 - Alice's Last Adventure - (1985) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

49 - Dream of a Mannikin - (1982) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

66 - The Chymist - [The Nyctalops Trilogy - 1] - (1981) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

79 - Drink to Me Only with Labyrinthine Eyes - [The Nyctalops Trilogy - 2] - (1982) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

90 - Eye of the Lynx - [The Nyctalops Trilogy - 3] - (1983) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

100 - Notes on the Writing of Horror: A Story - (1985) - novelette by Thomas Ligotti

125 - The Christmas Eves of Aunt Elise: A Tale of Possession in Old Grosse Pointe - (1983) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

135 - The Lost Art of Twilight - (1986) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

155 - The Troubles of Dr. Thoss - (1985) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

168 - Masquerade of a Dead Sword: A Tragedie - (1986) - novelette by Thomas Ligotti (variant of Masquerade of a Dead Sword)

191 - Dr. Voke and Mr. Veech - (1983) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

202 - Professor Nobody's Little Lectures on Supernatural Horror - (1985) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

213 - Dr. Locrian's Asylum - (1987) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

224 - The Sect of the Idiot - [Azathoth] - (1988) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

236 - The Greater Festival of Masks - (1985) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

244 - The Music of the Moon - (1987) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

253 - The Journal of J. P. Drapeau - (1987) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

260 - Vastarien - (1987) - shortstory by Thomas Ligotti

Brother Death

Matador: Book 8

Steve Perry

The ruling elite summons Bork, strongman of the Matadors, to save them from a secret brotherhood armed with the powers of an alien civilization.

The Deadliest Show in Town

Mathew Swain: Book 3

Mike McQuay

The 21st century's toughest private eye in a future that doesn't work, where crime is the national pastime and the supercorps have the cops in their hip pocket. In a world like that, you've got to be quick-or crazy. Mathew Swain is a little of both.

THE DEADLIEST SHOW IN TOWN

Still reeling from the near-death of the woman he loves, Swain takes a contract from the Fish Man, head of a media conglomerate that plays with reality like a baby plays with fire. Swain's supposed to locate their prize anchorwoman, a sleck redhead who gets her kicks in the city's slcaziest sex shops. Trying to keep ahead of a rival network that plays for keeps, he uncovers a plot to kill the Governor-and this time, even Swain's comrade-at-arms Hermanita may not be able to save him.

Book of the Dead

Matt Kearns: Book 2

Greig Beck

When a massive sinkhole opens up and swallows a retired couple from Iowa, it seems like a freak occurrence. But it's not the only one. Similar sinkholes are opening all over the world, even on the sea floor. And they're getting bigger.

People living near the pits begin reporting strange phenomena: vibrations, sulfurous odors, and odd sounds in the stygian depths. Then the pets begin to go missing.

When people start disappearing as well, the government is forced to act. Professor Matt Kearns and a team of experts are sent in by the military to explore one of the sinkholes - and they discover far more than they bargained for.

From the war zones of the Syrian Desert to the fabled Library of Alexandria, and then to Hades itself, join Professor Matt Kearns as he attempts to unravel an age-old prophecy. The answers Matt seeks are hidden in the fabled Al Azif - known as the Book of the Dead - and he must find it, even if it kills him. Because time is running out - not just for Matt Kearns, but for all life on Earth.

The Death Cure

Maze Runner: Book 3

James Dashner

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted. but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprints for the cure to the Flare with a voluntary test. What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have forseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what the Wicked says. The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine. Will anyone survive to Death Cure?

Deal with the Devil

Mercenary Librarians: Book 1

Kit Rocha

The United States went belly up 45 years ago when our power grid was wiped out. Too few live in well-protected isolation while the rest of us scrape by on the margins. The only thing that matters is survival. By any means. At any cost.

Nina is an information broker with a mission: to bring hope to the darkest corners of Atlanta. She and her team of mercenary librarians use their knowledge to help those in need. But altruism doesn't pay the bills--raiding vaults and collecting sensitive data is where the real money is.

Knox is a bitter, battle-weary supersoldier who leads the Silver Devils, an elite strike squad that chose to go AWOL rather than slaughter innocents. Before the Devils leave town for good, they need a biochem hacker to stabilize the experimental implants that grant their superhuman abilities.

The problem? Their hacker's been kidnapped. And the ransom for her return is Nina. Knox has the perfect bait for a perfect trap: a lost Library of Congress server. The data could set Nina and her team up for years...

If they live that long.

Dead to Rites

Mick Oberon: Book 3

Ari Marmell

Mick Oberon may look like just another 1930s private detective, but beneath the fedora and the overcoat, he's got pointy ears and he's packing a wand. Mick is suffering from bad luck, and when luck is your chief magical weapon, that means things are pretty dire. Hunting for the origin of his bad mojo, Mick finds himself on the trail of a missing mummy, and being trailed by some of the most dangerous mobsters in Chicago...

Death Quest

Mission Earth: Book 6

L. Ron Hubbard

True story. Your Voltarian narrator, Soltan Gris, wouldn't have it any other way. He tells it like it is. Satire? Gris doesn't know the meaning of the word.

Voltarian Royal Officer Jettero Heller will go to any length to win back his beloved yet heartbroken Countess Krak--smash boats, set off bombs, fight off every paternity suit that comes his way.

But Gris is just as determined to put the Countess and her damned hypno-helmet out of commission--for good--even if it means hiring the kinkiest hit man in New York.

And as if Gris didn't have enough on his plate, the Voltarian stud is about to tie the knot--with two women!

Yes, love is a battlefield. But in this warped war of twisted desires, perverse passions, and unholy alliances--the entire Mission Earth enterprise could soon morph into a decadent Death Quest.

The King of the Dead

Monella: Book 3

Frank Aubrey

When first introduced to Don Lorenzo, railway engineer Arnold Neville was quite taken with the mysterious but wealthy gentleman. And though he was initially flattered by Lorenzo's congeniality, Young Neville soon learned that his fiancé, beautiful Beryl Atherton, suspected Lorenzo's wealth and charm were only a façade, hiding the ambitions of a cruel and dangerous man.

Her worst fears were confirmed when Beryl and her stately aunt found themselves abducted! And before long, Neville and fellow engineer Arnold Leslie were led on cat and mouse chase through the harsh, uncharted jungles of Brazil, in a desperate search for the missing women. But what they found there was a hidden scientific super city called Myrvonia. In this lost citadel lived a forgotten race whose people practiced weird sciences and dabbled in a strange form of magic, a magic so powerful it could literally animate the dead!

The Dead Hours of Night

Monster, She Wrote: Book 3

Lisa Tuttle

In a career spanning almost 50 years, Lisa Tuttle has proven herself a master of the weird tale, and now this new collection of twelve unsettling stories - some never previously collected - offers readers a chance to discover some of her finest work.

In 'Replacements', a woman adopts a monstrous pet, with unforeseen consequences. In 'Born Dead', a stillborn child mysteriously continues to grow just like a living one. 'My Pathology' (whose ending Thomas Tessier has cited as one of the best in the history of horror) explores the sinister results of a couple's alchemical experiments. And a book lover in 'The Book That Finds You' has her life changed in strange ways by the discovery of a rare horror book at a second-hand bookshop. In these weird and chilling tales, Tuttle is at her diabolical best.

This edition features an introduction by Lisa Kröger, and each story is specially introduced by the author.

Contents:

'Objects in Dreams May Be Closer Than They Appear' (2011)

'Closet Dreams' (2007)

'Born Dead' (2013)

'Replacements' (1992)

'A Birthday' (1993)

'My Pathology' (1998)

'Food Man' (1994)

'Mr Elphinstone's Hands' (1990)

'The Dream Detective' (2013)

'Where the Stones Grow' (1980)

'Vegetable Love' (2017)

'The Book That Finds You' (2015)

Montezuma Strip

Montezuma Strip

Alan Dean Foster

The ultimate maquiladora. Montezuma Strip: First world tech and Third World wages, sprawling from L.A. to East Elpaso Juarez, Guyamas to Phoenix; a thousand gangs, a million locos; and a few wealthy beyond the dreams of god.

Table of Contents:

Introduction - essay

Sanctuary - (1988) - novella

Heartwired - (1992) - novelette

Gagrito - (1993) - novelette

Hellado - (1993) - novelette

Our Lady of the Machine - (1994) - novelette

Sanctuary

Montezuma Strip

Alan Dean Foster

This novella originally appeared in Amazing Stories, November 1988. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Science Fiction: Sixth Annual Collection (1989), edited by Gardner Dozois. The story is included in the collection Montezuma Strip (1995).

The Mocking Program

Montezuma Strip

Alan Dean Foster

Inspector Angel Cardenas has seen murdered corpses like George Anderson's, but never a case like this. The victim's ID doesn't match his DNA, Anderson's wife and preteen daughter, Katla, are missing, their home has been turned into a time bomb-and mobs from three continents are all hunting Katla. Relying on his training as a nearly telepathic intuit, Cardenas embarks on a search for clues that leads him from the Strip's sex parlors and stimstick clubs, where kids are deadly and music can kill, to an undersea hideout where computer crimes are committed by criminal computers. Yet the closer Cardenas gets to the girl, the closer assassins are getting to them both...

Fear Nothing

Moonlight Bay: Book 1

Dean Koontz

Christopher Snow is the best-known resident of 12,000-strong Moonlight Bay, California. This is because 28-year-old Chris has xeroderma pigmentosum (XP)--a light-sensitivity so severe that he cannot leave his house in daylight, cannot enter a normally-lit room, cannot sit at a computer. Chris's natural element is the night, and his parents, both academics, chose to live in Moonlight Bay because in a small town Chris can make the nightscape his own--roaming freely through the town on his bike, surfing in the moonlight, exploring while most people sleep.

But Chris's brilliant mother, a scientist, was killed in a car accident 2 years ago, and as the book opens his father, Steven Snow, is dying of cancer; Chris's protected life is about to change forever. We meet Chris as he is carefully preparing himself to go out in the late-afternoon sun to visit the hospital. In his last moments of life his father tells Chris he is "sorry" and that Chris should "fear nothing"--cryptic words that Chris cannot really relate to.

Steven Snow's body is removed to the hospital basement for transport to the funeral home/crematorium, and when Chris goes downstairs for a final moment of farewell, he witnesses a frightening and clandestine encounter: the funeral director and another man Chris doesn't recognize are substituting the body of a hitchhiker for Steven Snow's body–which is being taken not to the crematorium but to some secret destination.

For Chris, this scene is the first intimation of a conspiracy that he will come to realize envelopes many of his townspeople. His parents knew of it and wanted to protect Chris from it. His best friend has had hints of something wrong because of the frightening nocturnal visitors that have come to his beachhouse. And the first person to try to explain to Chris what's going on--and warn him about the special danger he himself is in--will be hideously murdered.

In the 24 hours this book encompasses, Christopher Snow will find out that, sheltered though he's been, he has the soul of a fighter and an adventurer. By the end of the book he will have killed a man, will have discovered the role his own mother played in the birth of the conspiracy, will have come to recognize the extraordinary guardians that, unknown to him, have watched over him for years. He will realize that some people hate him, others revere him, and neither his own life nor those of anyone he knows will ever be the same.

Seize the Night

Moonlight Bay: Book 2

Dean Koontz

Moonlight Bay, California: a safe, secluded small town that is at its most picturesque in the gentle nighttimes that inspired its name. But now, somewhere in the night, children are disappearing.

When he sets out to find the missing five-year-old son of a former sweetheart, Christopher Snow believes that the lost children are still alive. He is convinced the disappearances have everything to do with the catastrophic effects of secret research conducted deep within Fort Wyvern. To keep those secrets, extremely violent and powerful forces are willing to conceal even the most heinous crimes.

Never before in Dean Koontz's phenomenal writing career has he created a character quite like Christopher Snow: a creation so complex, so fascinating that the author has felt compelled to return to him. Fans of Fear Nothing already know why. Those who meet him for the first time in Seize the Night will soon join millions of others whose imaginations have been touched by this unique character and the extraordinary, eerie world of Moonlight Bay.

My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 1

My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!: Book 1

Tsuyoshi Fujitaka

Awaking to absolute chaos and carnage while on a school trip, Yogiri Takatou discovers that everyone in his class has been transported to another world! He had somehow managed to sleep through the entire ordeal himself, missing out on the Gift -- powers bestowed upon the others by a mysterious Sage who appeared to transport them. Even worse, he and another classmate were ruthlessly abandoned by their friends, left as bait to distract a nearby dragon. Although not terribly bothered by the thought of dying, he reluctantly decides to protect his lone companion. After all, a lowly Level 1000 monster doesn't stand a chance against his secret power to invoke Instant Death with a single thought! If he can stay awake long enough to bother using it, that is...

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 2

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!: Book 2

Tsuyoshi Fujitaka

After their entire class was transported to another world, Yogiri Takatou and Tomochika Dannoura were abandoned when it was discovered they had failed to receive the Gift, a special power that the rest of their class inherited from a powerful Sage named Sion. What none of the others knew, however, was that Yogiri already had his own unique power - one that multiple world governments back home were keeping him under observation for: the power of Instant Death! With Yogiri's abilities now exposed and being scrutinized by Sages and Swordmasters alike, this unlikely duo continues their adventure, determined to find a way back to Japan. The only lead they have to go on is to follow their former classmates' trail and track down the formidable Sion in the hopes that she'll be willing to negotiate. But even with the power of Instant Death on their side, the world around them seems intent on making the task as much of a hassle as possible!

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 3

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!: Book 3

Tsuyoshi Fujitaka

After being summoned to another world and passed over for a power known as the Gift, Yogiri Takatou and Tomochika Dannoura set out on a journey to reunite with the classmates who abandoned them, and to find a way back to their own world.

After a small detour to the Garula Canyon, where a Swordmaster set various trials before them, Yogiri accidentally used his power of Instant Death to put a stop to the revival of a Dark God who had been sealed away. Leaving chaos and carnage in their wake, the unlikely pair resume their trek to the capital, where they hope to find their estranged fellow students. However, while Yogiri's abilities have made it smooth sailing so far, his actions have inadvertently shifted the balance of power in the world around them, and now those who rule over their new world are beginning to take notice of him...

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 4

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!: Book 4

Tsuyoshi Fujitaka

After being summoned to another world, Yogiri and Tomochika were abandoned by their classmates as bait to distract a rampaging dragon. Thanks to Yogiri's ability to cause instant death with a single thought, the two of them survived and made the arduous journey to reunite with their classmates in the capital city. Although they overcame tremendous danger along the way, rejoining the other students is still only the beginning. From the intricate schemes of the Sages Yogiri inadvertently made into his enemies, to being stalked by Ayaka Shinozaki, a synthetic classmate who acquired the power of a dragon and swore to take revenge on them all, to the machinations of Lute, the spawn of a monster Yogiri slew, who is now bent on releasing yet another Dark God imprisoned beneath the city, there is no shortage of people determined to kill them. Somehow, the unlikely duo must juggle these threats while attempting to draw out the Sage Sion in hopes of discovering how to make it back home.

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 5

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!: Book 5

Tsuyoshi Fujitaka

Having overcome countless trials (without much difficulty), Yogiri and Tomochika finally managed to reunite with their classmates in the capital. But between the efforts of Ayaka, a synthetic classmate who swore revenge against her fellow students, the meddling of Sion, a Sage determined to cull the weak and produce a new superbeing from their class of candidates, and the revival of the Dark God Mana, the majority of the class-not to mention the entire capital-were ultimately wiped out. Somehow, amid the chaos, the unlikely pair were able to draw Sion out and acquire their first concrete clue about how to get home: they will need a number of Philosopher's Stones, powerful artifacts carried within the bodies of the Sages. After taking one from Sion and finding another dropped into their laps by Risley, the only surviving clone of the Sage Lain, who they killed some time earlier, the two highschoolers set off in search of a third energy source, leaving a trail of ruins behind them.

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 6

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!: Book 6

Tsuyoshi Fujitaka

With the majority of their class and the entire capital wiped out, Yogiri and Tomochika left behind the Kingdom of Manii in search of additional Philosopher's Stones, the energy sources they were told to gather if they ever want to make it back home. Having received one stone from the Sage Sion, a second from Risley, and having taken a third from the self-styled War God Raiza, the pair next set their eyes on a new country in the east, following a lead on the potential location of another Sage. With the half-demons they were assisting now comfortably settled in the City of the War God, the two have left their previous companions behind to begin their journey home. But of course, nothing is ever simple. One after another, strange new people begin appearing in their path to block their progress, and some of their former companions may not yet be willing to let them go...

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 7

My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!: Book 7

Tsuyoshi Fujitaka

Leaving their growing entourage behind, Yogiri and Tomochika set sail on a cruise ship for the eastern island nation of Ent. But as always seems to be the case, things don't go quite as planned, and after attacks from pirates and the rebirth of an ancient High Wizard, they find their ship sinking with no land in sight.

With the help of a mysterious ancient-dragon-turned-young-boy named Kouryu, they manage to escape the damaged vessel and just make it to shore in time. But as they continue on their journey to the Empire of Ent in search of the Sage Yoshifumi and the Philosopher's Stone he possesses, they are met with new obstacles as the twin goddesses Malna and Rilna finally begin to take measures to deal with Yogiri... sort of.

My Summoned Beast is Dead, Vol. 1

My Summoned Beast is Dead: Book 1

Rakuzan

MAKING THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION!

In an academy for summoners, students combine impressive stores of magical energy with artful incantations to usher legends, great and small, onto the battlefield. Feil Fonaf, an eighteen-year-old son to a poor farmer, may have had a rougher upbringing than his more affluent peers, but he's here to prove he deserves his spot at the academy! As luck would have it, his counterpart summon winds up being the legendary god-slaying beast, Pandora! There's just one problem...

Death in Delhi

Mythus: Book 3

Gary Gygax

A giant ruby and a plea to rescue the purloined crown jewels of Delhi arrives at the villa of Magister Setne Inhetep, philosopher-wizard of the Pharaoh of Aegypt! Sensing a seemingly unsolvable mystery, Inhetep and his amazon assistant Rachelle venture to the distant capital city, where they become embroiled in an evil ruler's diabolical schemes, the machinations of an evil witch, and the relentless knives of assassins bound to the Goddess of Death!

King of the Dead

Nazhuret of Sordaling: Book 2

R. A. MacAvoy

Book two of the award-winning Lens of the World trilogy, this volume finds the dwarf-like Nazhuret as a modest and fastidious lens grinder. Although he could have chosen an exalted and wealthy life as a noble member of the court, he wishes to live in humble and undisturbed poverty with his lady Arlin. But the ordinary life that Nazhuret wants is abruptly shattered when a vicious attack by paid assassins forces him to run. With possible enemies on all sides, the only place to go is the neighboring kingdom of Rezhmia, where Nazhuret has an ancient blood-tie. However, he finds that Rezhmia is no safe haven, for dark clouds are gathering there, intent on destruction of the homeland of Nazhuret's heart. Evil tidings, treacherous family members, and powerful sorcery threaten to overtake him, but Nazhuret must survive for the sake of those he loves.

The Death of Captain Future

Near Space

Allen Steele

Hugo Award winning and Nebula Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, October 1995. The story can also be found in the anthologies The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirteenth Annual Collection (1996), edited by Gardner Dozois, The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century (2001), edited by Harry Turtledove and Martin H. Greenberg and The Space Opera Renaissance (2006), edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. It is included in the collection Sex and Violence in Zero-G (1999).

Deadspeak

Necroscope: Book 4

Brian Lumley

A new vampire stalks the earth, and only Harry Keogh can defeat him!

The silence of the grave is not silent at all. In their millions, the dead are screaming... but no one can hear them!

Atop a perilous cliff, deep in the Balkan mountains, rises the castle of the Ferenczy. Once it was a stronghold of the Vamphyri... and now it will be so again, for Janos Ferenczy, vampire and black magician, has risen from his ages-long sleep. Powerful and evil, Janos conjures dead men and women into a semblance of life and subjects them to fiendish tortures.

But the shrieks of the dead do not satisfy Janos's lust for blood-- for that he needs living humans. His terrifying armies of the risen dead will soon overwhelm a helpless, defenseless mankind....

Helpless and defenseless because a terrible battle against the vampires has destroyed Harry Keogh's deadspeak, leaving the Necroscope deaf to the teeming dead... and to their warnings of Janos's reign of terror.

To save the world, Harry must join forces and link minds with the most powerful, and deadliest, vampire of all!

Deadspawn

Necroscope: Book 5

Brian Lumley

There's a maniacal murderer on the loose, brutally slaughtering young women with a ferocity that rivals that of vampires Harry Koegh has spent his life combatting. The Necroscope's been asked to solve the crimes... asked by the dead spirits of the madman's victims.

Harry cannot turn down a request from the dead... even if it costs him his soul. In the climactic battle with the vampires, mankind prevailed and purged the vampires from earth--thanks to Harry, his team of psychically-gifted spies, and Faethor Ferenczy, long-dead 'father' of the world's vampires, who betrayed his own kind.

But Harry's alliance with Faethor has a terrible cost--Harry's very humanity is under attack from the vampire evil coiled in his mind!

Dead Streets

Nekropolis: Book 2

Tim Waggoner

The return of Matt Richter. Private Eye. Zombie.

MATT RICHTER'S GOING TO PIECES - LITERALLY.

You've got to keep your head to survive in the teeming undead city known as Nekropolis. It's a pity crazed genius Victor Baron couldn't manage that. Now everyone wants a piece of him.

Zombie detective Matt Richter and his glamorous she-vampire companion Devona are back on the case, with another wild and wonderful investigation.

Deadlight Hall

Nell West & Michael Flint: Book 5

Sarah Rayne

A long-ago crime continues to menace the present in this spine-chilling tale of supernatural suspense.

When Michael Flint is asked by a colleague to investigate a reputedly haunted house, he is intrigued. Leo Rosendale's childhood was blighted by a macabre tragedy in the grim Deadlight Hall - a tragedy that occurred towards the end of World War II, involving a set of twins who vanished. The fate of Sophie and Susannah Reiss was never discovered, and Leo has never been able to forget them.

When Michael, together with his fiancee Nell, begins to explore Deadlight Hall's history, he discovers that in the 1880s another pair of sisters vanished from the house - and that there may also be much older and darker secrets lurking within its walls.

As Michael and Nell gradually peel back the sinister layers of the Hall's unhappy past, they are unprepared for the eerie and threatening resonances they encounter - nor for the shocking truth of what took place there one long-ago midnight.

The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell

Newsflesh

Mira Grant

Outside the classroom walls the Rising was spreading, but inside was a carefully protected sanctuary against the growing threat.

Or so the teachers and students thought.

Deadline

Newsflesh: Book 2

Mira Grant

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.

Dead Man Walking

Nick Holleran: Book 1

David Green

Nick Holleran, thought he had seen it all.

That was until he died and his whole world was turned upside down when he learnt the truth. There is a Hell, and we are living in it. Demons, ghosts, and fallen angels live amongst us, and only the cursed few know.

Deciding to earn his way back into heaven, Nick spends the next five years taking cases to earn his ticket back. That is until Michelle walks into his office and forces him to deal with the one thing he has avoided; the man that killed him. With his soul on the line will Nick be able to keep his past behind him, or will it destroy his present and his future?

Revenge may be a sin, but you can't keep a dead man down.

Black City Saint

Nick Medea: Book 1

Richard A. Knaak

For more than sixteen hundred years, Nick Medea has followed and guarded the Gate that keeps the mortal realm and that of Feirie separate, seeking in vain absolution for the fatal errors he made when he slew the dragon. All that while, he has tried and failed to keep the woman he loves from dying over and over.

Yet in the fifty years since the Night the Dragon Breathed over the city of Chicago, the Gate has not only remained fixed, but open to the trespasses of the Wyld, the darkest of the Feiriefolk. Not only does that mean an evil resurrected from Nick's own past, but the reincarnation of his lost Cleolinda, a reincarnation destined once more to die.

Nick must turn inward to that which he distrusts the most: the Dragon, the beast he slew when he was still only Saint George. He must turn to the monster residing in him, now a part of him...but ever seeking escape.

The gang war brewing between Prohibition bootleggers may be the least of his concerns. If Nick cannot prevent an old evil from opening the way between realms... then not only might Chicago face a fate worse than the Great Fire, but so will the rest of the mortal realm.

Black City Demon

Nick Medea: Book 2

Richard A. Knaak

Since he became the guardian of the Gate between our world and Feirie sixteen hundred years ago, Nick Medea, once Saint George, has battled to keep the darkest Feirie--the Wyld--from invading the mortal plane. With the dragon an unwilling part of him, Nick maintains balance between realms, often at great cost to him and those nearest to him.

Nick and his ragtag confederates--including the shape-shifter Fetch and Nick's reincarnated love, Claryce--have battled the Wyld, but mortals as sinister as the darkest Feirie. Now, with Prohibition in full swing and bootlegger wars embattling Chicago, a murderous evil born of the mortal world has turned its attention to the power of the Gate... and Nick himself.

Nick must turn again to his most untrustworthy ally: the dragon within. Yet even together they may not be enough to face what was once a man...but is now a creature even dragons may fear.

Black City Dragon

Nick Medea: Book 3

Richard A. Knaak

A historical urban fantasy set in Prohibition-era Chicago, which combines action, mystery, and romance against a backdrop of gangland wars and the threat of supernatural horror.

For sixteen hundred years, Nick Medea has guarded the gate between our world and Feirie, preventing the Wyld--the darkest Feirie of all--from coming into Chicago to find human prey. But since he defeated Oberon, more and more Wyld have been slipping through. Nick and his Feirie companion, the shapeshifter, Fetch, have been busy hunting them down.

Nick keeps coming across the Dacian Draco, the sign of his ancient enemy Galerius, including a tattoo worn by a human thug. Unfortunately, every trail ends as if years old. Claryce, Nick's reincarnated love, has narrowly escaped two attempts on her life, and when Nick sees her wearing a broach with the Draco on it, he knows they must look more deeply into her former lives.

With Wyld and gangsters wreaking havoc in Chicago, Nick and Claryce must confront the secrets of their pasts if they are to have any hope of finding out Galerius's plans before it's too late to stop them. Nick will need the help of all his friends, both human and Feirie, and the powers of the dragon within him, to keep Galerius from endangering the gate, Chicago, and all of humanity.

Death Dream

Night Warriors: Book 2

Graham Masterton

A sequel to "Night Warriors". John and Jennifer are Californian yuppies. John's son by his first marriage is disturbed because he witnessed his mother being murdered by an intruder, and it becomes apparent that he is a conduit for evil forces which fight for the control of human minds.

Deadly Descendant

Nikki Glass: Book 2

Jenna Black

As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the Descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington, D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap.

The Olympians believe the "dogs" are really jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis. Whatever... If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she's got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly - even for an immortal like Nikki.

"Dog" spelled backward may be "god," but that won't stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.

Odd Thomas

Odd Thomas: Book 1

Dean Koontz

"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz's dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.

Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it's different. A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering evil. His account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which to live—an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz's most enduring works.

Forever Odd

Odd Thomas: Book 2

Dean Koontz

I see dead people. But then, by God, I do something about it. Odd Thomas never asked for his special ability. He's just an ordinary guy trying to live a quiet life in the small desert town of Pico Mundo. Yet he feels an obligation to do right by his otherworldly confidants, and that's why he's won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death. But when a childhood friend disappears, Odd discovers something worse than a dead body and embarks on a heart-stopping battle of will and wits with an enemy of exceptional cunning. In the hours to come there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope.

You're invited on an unforgettable journey through a world of terror and transcendence to wonders beyond imagining. And you can have no better guide than Odd Thomas.

Brother Odd

Odd Thomas: Book 3

Dean Koontz

Loop me in, odd one. The words, spoken in the deep of night by a sleeping child, chill the young man watching over her. For this was a favorite phrase of Stormy Llewellyn, his lost love. In the haunted halls of the isolated monastery where he had sought peace, Odd Thomas is stalking spirits of an infinitely darker nature.

As he steadfastly journeys toward his mysterious destiny, Odd Thomas has established himself as one of the most beloved and unique fictional heroes of our time. Now, wielding all the power and magic of a master storyteller at the pinnacle of his craft, Dean Koontz follows Odd into a singular new world where he hopes to make a fresh beginning—but where he will meet an adversary as old and inexorable as time itself.

Odd Hours

Odd Thomas: Book 4

Dean Koontz

Only a handful of fictional characters are recognized by first name alone. Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas is one such literary hero, who has come alive in readers’ imaginations as he explores the greatest mysteries of this world and the next with his inimitable wit, heart, and quiet gallantry. Now Koontz follows Odd as he is drawn onward, to a destiny he cannot imagine. Haunted by dreams of an all-encompassing red tide, Odd is pulled inexorably to the sea, to a small California coastal town where nothing is as it seems.

Odd Apocalypse

Odd Thomas: Book 5

Dean Koontz

Once presided over by a flamboyant Hollywood mogul during the Roaring ’20s, the magnificent West Coast property known as Roseland is now home to a reclusive billionaire financier and his faithful servants. And, at least for the moment, it’s also a port in the storm for Odd Thomas and his traveling companion, the inscrutably charming Annamaria, the Lady of the Bell. In the wake of Odd’s most recent clash with lethal adversaries, the opulent manor’s comforts should be welcome. But there’s far more to Roseland than meets even the extraordinary eye of Odd, who soon suspects it may be more hell than haven.

A harrowing taste of Roseland’s terrors convinces Odd that it’s time to hit the road again. Still, the prescient Annamaria insists that they’ve been led there for a reason, and he’s promised to do his best for the ghost on horseback. Just how deep and dreadful are the mysteries Roseland and her masters have kept for nearly a century? And what consequences await whoever is brave, or mad, enough to confront the most profound breed of evil? Odd only knows. Like his acclaimed creator, the irresistible Odd Thomas is in top-notch form-as he takes on what may well be the most terrifying challenge yet in his curious career.

Deeply Odd

Odd Thomas: Book 6

Dean Koontz

How do you make sure a crime that hasn't happened yet, never does? That's the critical question facing Odd Thomas, the young man with a unique ability to commune with restless spirits and help them find justice and peace. But this time, it's the living who desperately need Odd on their side. Three helpless innocents will be brutally executed unless Odd can intervene in time. Who the potential victims are and where they can be found remain a mystery. The only thing Odd knows for sure is who the killer will be: the homicidal stranger who tried to shoot him dead in a small-town parking lot.

With the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock riding shotgun and a network of unlikely allies providing help along the way, Odd embarks on an interstate game of cat and mouse with his sinister quarry. He will soon learn that his adversary possesses abilities that may surpass his own and operates in service to infinitely more formidable foes, with murder a mere prelude to much deeper designs. Traveling across a landscape haunted by portents of impending catastrophe, Odd will do what he must and go where his path leads him, drawing ever closer to the dark heart of his long journey-and, perhaps, to the bright light beyond.

Saint Odd

Odd Thomas: Book 7

Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas is back where it all started... because the time has come to finish it. Since he left his simple life in the small town of Pico Mundo, California, his journey has taken him to places strange and wonderful, mysterious and terrifying. Across the land, in the company of mortals and spirits alike, he has known kindness and cruelty, felt love and loss, saved lives and taken them--as he's borne witness to humanity's greatest good and darkest evil. Again and again, he has gone where he must and done what he had to do--for better or worse--with his courage and devotion sorely tested, and his soul forever changed. Every triumph has been hard won. Each sacrifice has taken its toll.

Now, whatever destiny drives him has finally steered his steps home, where those he cares for most surround him, the memory of his tragically lost true love haunts him, and one last challenge--vast and dreadful--awaits him. For Odd Thomas, born to serve a purpose far greater than himself, the wandering is done. Only the reckoning remains.

Once Upon a Witch's Death, Vol. 1: The Tale of the One Thousand Tears of Joy

Once Upon a Witch's Death: Book 1

Saka

On Meg's seventeenth birthday, she learns that she only has one year left to live. Her mentor--the Eternal Witch, Faust--explains that she is cursed and the only way to save herself is to grow a seed of life using one thousand tears of joy. Of course, such tears aren't easy to come by. As Meg begins her quest, she finds herself drawn into the lives of her friends and neighbors in ways she never imagined. By sharing their burdens and using her magic to comfort them, she learns how precious those moments of connection can be even in the face of death.

Flight From Death

Otherworld: Fly By Night: Book 1

Yasmine Galenorn

I'm Shimmer, a blue dragon shifter. Thanks to a mistake, I was exiled from the Dragon Reaches and sentenced to work for Alex Radcliffe, a vampire who owns the Fly by Night Magical Investigations Agency. Now, not only do I have to adapt to Earthside culture, but every time I turn around, somebody's trying to kill us. And worse, Alex is as gorgeous as he is exasperating. But you know what they say: All's fair in love and bounty hunting...

When an old friend of Alex contacts him about a haunting at the High Tide Bed & Breakfast in Port Townsend, Washington, we think we're on a simple ghost hunt. But our investigation quickly transforms into a deadly fight as we uncover an eighty-year-old murder, a cursed house, and a dark force trapping the spirits within. To stop impending disaster we must break the curse and lay the angry spirits to rest.

The Hour of the Oxrun Dead

Oxrun

Charles L. Grant

Somehow Natalie had managed to pull herself together and carry on, but certain people wouldn't leave her alone... Her brother-in-law, the chief of police, insisted on sending patrol cars to "protect" her, and her sister-in-law urged her repeatedly to see a psychiatrist. The only person whose interfering she didn't mind was newspaper reporter Marc Clayton's. But the guardian eyes about her seemed to hinder her social life as well.

And some strange things began to happen. A murder which the newspaper refused to report, missing books from the library which appeared to form a pattern...and the discovery of a certain object which unlikely people have in common with her dead husband. Are these fragments of some larger scheme? As she wonders, an awful black presence begins to haunt her shadows, to threaten her very life, and then she knows that the attack is in earnest and she must somehow solve this unbelievable mystery or sacrifice herself to a monstrous killer beyond the powers of this world.

Natalie Windsor was not your ordinary small-town librarian. Nor did she expect, on her arrival in the quiet New England town of Oxrun Station, to be swept off her feet by a six-and-a-half-foot policeman and into marriage, only to be widowed a little less than a year later, after her husband was grotesquely murdered.

Dreaming Death

Palace of Dreams: Book 1

J. Kathleen Cheney

Shironne Anjir's status as a sensitive is both a gift and a curse. Her augmented senses allow her to discover and feel things others can't, but her talents come with a price: a constant assault of emotions and sensations has left her blind. Determined to use her abilities as best she can, Shironne works tirelessly as an investigator for the Larossan army.

A member of the royal family's guard, Mikael Lee also possesses an overwhelming power--he dreams of the deaths of others, sometimes in vivid, shocking detail, and sometimes in cryptic fragments and half-remembered images.

But then a killer brings a reign of terror to the city, snuffing out his victims with an arcane and deadly blood magic. Only Shironne can sense and interpret Mikael's dim, dark dreams of the murders. And what they find together will lead them into a nightmare...

Aru Shah and the Song of Death

Pandava: Book 2

Roshani Chokshi

Aru is only just getting the hang of this whole Pandava thing when the Otherworld goes into full panic mode. The god of love's bow and arrow have gone missing, and the thief isn't playing Cupid. Instead, they're turning people into heartless fighting-machine zombies. If that weren't bad enough, somehow Aru gets framed as the thief. If she doesn't find the arrow by the next full moon, she'll be kicked out of the Otherworld. For good. But, for better or worse, she won't be going it alone.

Along with her soul-sister, Mini, Aru will team up with Brynne, an ultra-strong girl who knows more than she lets on, and Aiden, the boy who lives across the street and is also hiding plenty of secrets. Together they'll battle demons, travel through a glittering and dangerous serpent realm, and discover that their enemy isn't at all who they expected.

City of Death

Past Doctor Adventures

Douglas Adams
James Goss

From a story by David Fisher

Based on the beloved Doctor Who episode of the same name by Douglas Adams, the hilarious and brilliant author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, comes City of Death...

The Doctor takes Romana for a holiday in Paris--a city which, like a fine wine, has a bouquet all of its own. Especially if you visit during one of the vintage years. But the TARDIS takes them to 1979, a year whose vintage is soured by cracks in the very fabric of time itself.

Soon they are embroiled in an alien scheme which encompasses home-made time machines, the theft of the Mona Lisa, the resurrection of the much-feared Jagaroth race, and the beginning (and quite possibly the end) of all life on Earth.

It's up to the Doctor and Romana to thwart the machinations of the suave, mysterious Count Scarlioni--all twelve of him--if the human race has any chance of survival.

But then, the Doctor's holidays tend to turn out a bit like this.

Festival of Death

Past Doctor Adventures: Book 35

Jonathan Morris

The Beautiful Death is the ultimate theme-park ride: a sightseeing tour of the afterlife. But something has gone wrong, and when the Fourth Doctor arrives in the aftermath of the disaster, he is congratulated for saving the population from destruction - something he hasn't actually done yet. He has no choice but to travel back in time and discover how he became a hero. And then he finds out. He did it by sacrificing his life.

This book chosen to represent the Fourth Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Collection.

Deadly Reunion

Past Doctor Adventures: Book 63

Terrance Dicks
Barry Letts

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - then a young subaltan - was involved in intelligence operations in the Greek islands. But now his problems are rather closer to home. The Third Doctor and Jo are caught up in mysterious events in a small English village. Sergeant Benton and Captain Yates are ready to rush to the rescue. A sinister cult holds unholy ceremonies and prepares for a day of reckoning. And the Doctor has a shrewd idea who might be behind it all.

This might seem like business as usual, but things are not always as they seem. The Brigadier finds himself trying to separate the truth from the lies, and the past from the present. Can he once again help prevent the end of the world? His friends and colleagues are not so sure - because this time, the Brigadier has fallen in love...

Empire of Death

Past Doctor Adventures: Book 65

David Bishop

In 1855, a boy discovers he can speak with the voices of the dead. He grows up to become one of England's most celebrated spiritualists. In 1863 the British Empire is effectively without a leader. Queen Victoria is inconsolable with grief following the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert. The monarch's last hope is a secret seance.

The Fifth Doctor and Nyssa are also coming to terms with loss following the death of Adric and Tegan's sudden departure. Trying to visit the Great Exhibition of 1851, the time travelers are shocked when Adric's ghost appears in the TARDIS, beckoning them to the Other Side. What is hidden in a drowned village guarded by the British Army? Is there life after death and can it be reached by those still alive? And why is the Doctor so terrified of facing his own ghosts?

Island of Death

Past Doctor Adventures: Book 71

Barry Letts

Sarah Jane Smith and her friend Jamie Fitzoliver investigate a strange New Age cult. Business as usual for investigative journalists. But what is less usual is the demon-like creature the cultists worship. When the Third Doctor and UNIT arrive to investigate they discover a plot involving government ministers, alien narcotics, and an official cover-up. As an evil scheme develops on a remote island in the Indian Ocean, the Doctor enlists the help of the Royal Navy to investigate. But can the Doctor and his friends uncover the truth in time to avert disaster?

Deadhouse Landing

Path to Ascendancy: Book 2

Ian C. Esslemont

After the disappointments of Li Heng, Dancer and Kellanved wash up on a small insignificant island named Malaz. Immediately, of course, Kellanved plans to take it over. To do so they join forces with a small band of Napans who have fled a civil war on their own home island. The plan, however, soon goes awry as Kellanved develops a strange and dangerous fascination for a mysterious ancient structure found on the island. The chaos in the region extends to the metaphysical planes also as a young priest of D'rek starts to question the rot at the heart of the worship of the god of decay. And back in Li Heng, Dassem, now the proclaimed Sword of Hood, finds himself being blamed for a plague which leads him to a crisis of faith - and searching for answers.

During all this, war with the neighbouring island of Nap threatens, recruited allies wonder at Kellanved's sanity, and powerful entities take more of an interest in the little mage from Dal Hon. Dancer faces a hard choice: should he give up on his partnership? Especially when the fellow's obsession with shadows and ancient artifacts brings the both of them alarmingly close to death and destruction. After all, who in his right mind would actually wish to enter an Elder mystery known to everyone as the Deadhouse?

Dance of Death

Pendergast: Book 6

Lincoln Child
Douglas Preston

Hot on the trail of a killer in Manhattan, FBI Special Agent Pendergast must face his most brilliant and dangerous enemy: his own brother.

Two brothers.
One a top FBI agent.
The other a brilliant, twisted criminal.

An undying hatred between them.
Now, a perfect crime.
And the ultimate challenge:
Stop me if you can...

The Book of the Dead

Pendergast: Book 7

Lincoln Child
Douglas Preston

The final battle between good and evil. Only one will survive...

The New York Museum of Natural History receives their stolen gem collection back... ground down to dust. Diogenes, the psychotic killer who stole them in DANCE OF DEATH, is throwing down the gauntlet to both the city and to his brother, FBI Agent Pendergast, who is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison.

To quell the PR nightmare of the gem fiasco, the museum decides to reopen the Tomb of Senef. An astounding Egyptian temple, it was a popular museum exhibit until the 1930s, when it was quietly closed. But when the tomb is unsealed in preparation for its gala reopening, the killings - and whispers of an ancient curse - begin again. And the catastrophic opening itself sets the stage for the final battle between the two brothers: an epic clash from which only one will emerge alive.

Verses for the Dead

Pendergast: Book 18

Lincoln Child
Douglas Preston

FBI Agent Pendergast reluctantly teams up with a new partner to investigate a rash of Miami Beach murders... only to uncover a deadly conspiracy that spans decades.

After an overhaul of leadership at the FBI's New York field office, A. X. L. Pendergast is abruptly forced to accept an unthinkable condition of continued employment: the famously rogue agent must now work with a partner.

Pendergast and his new colleague, junior agent Coldmoon, are assigned to investigate a rash of killings in Miami Beach, where a bloodthirsty psychopath is cutting out the hearts of his victims and leaving them with cryptic handwritten letters at local gravestones. The graves are unconnected save in one bizarre way: all belong to women who committed suicide.

But the seeming lack of connection between the old suicides and the new murders is soon the least of Pendergast's worries. Because as he digs deeper, he realizes the brutal new crimes may be just the tip of the iceberg: a conspiracy of death that reaches back decades.

Beyond Death

Perimeter Defense: Book 2

Michael Atamanov

Playing by the book? That's not good enough for Crown Prince Georg! In his attempt to delay his appearance at the Emperor's court, he triggers an alien invasion of his own star system. The whole of the Empire watches the live broadcast with bated breath as his fleet battles the awesome invaders. The Iseyeks - gigantic sentient praying mantises - are suitably impressed too, so they promptly remind the Crown Prince of his allied duties. The Sector Eight Fleet hurries to the Swarm's aid... but sadly disregards the insects' hive mentality.

Desperate to prolong their own existence for a few extra months, the insects unflinchingly sacrifice the human fleet. What is Georg supposed to do? He can't turn back - not with a doomed fleet in his wake! So he battles through armadas of alien starships, ignoring the "Victory impossible!" system messages and laying an elusive path to freedom across yet unexplored star systems. Georg is bent on breaking free - and no amount of enemy can stop him!

Dead Man's Song

Pine Deep: Book 2

Jonathan Maberry

From the powerful imagination of a new horror master comes a bone-chilling tale set in a small town where good and evil are joined in a terrifying, deadly battle...

Evil Endures

Once an idyllic Pennsylvania village, Pine Deep awoke one morning to find itself bathed in a massive bloodletting. Twice in thirty years the townsfolk have endured the savage hungers of a murderous madman... but if the residents think the death of serial killer Karl Ruger put an end to the carnage, they're dead wrong.

The Nightmare Never Ends

Bodies mutilated beyond description, innocents driven to acts of vicious madness. A monstrous evil is preying on the living--and the dead--and turning the quiet little town into hell on earth. Their only hope is to find the source. But the secrets that lurk in the heart of Pine Deep are twisted into its very roots. This time the townspeople aren't just fighting for their lives, but for their very souls...

The Tar-Aiym Krang

Pip and Flinx: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

Moth was a beautiful planet, the only one with wings -- two great golden clouds suspended in space around it.

Here was a wide-open world for any venture a man might scheme. The planet attracted unwary travelers, hardened space-sailors, and merchant buccaneers -- a teeming, constantly shifting horde that provided a comfortable income for certain quick-witted fellows like Flinx and his pet flying snake Pip. With his odd talents, the pickings were easy enough so that Flinx did not have to be dishonest... most of the time.

In fact, it hardly seemed dishonest at all to steal a starmap from a dead body that didn't really need it anymore. But Flinx wasn't quite smart enough. He should have wondered why the body was dead in the first place...

Bloodhype

Pip and Flinx: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

It caused instant addiction, followed by an excruciating slow death, and there was no known antidote.

It was a killer.

Supposedly the drug had been totally eradicated from the humanx galaxy years before. At least that's what everyone thought. But somehow, mysteriously, that dreadful substance was back in circulation on Repler and threatening to wreak havoc throughout the known galaxy.

Someone somewhere was secretly manufacturing Bloodhype, but nobody seemed to know where or who!

Orphan Star

Pip and Flinx: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

One man in the Universe holds the key to the mystery of Flinx's past-and that man is trying to kill him!

It is a strange childhood for a kid, to be adopted by the restless Mother Mastiff and raised in the bustling marketplace of Drallar. Flinx never knew the mom and dad who abandoned him years ago. In fact, his birth has always been shrouded in mystery. But Flinx eventually discovers that his unknown parents have left him a curious legacy-extraordinary mental powers that are both a marvelous gift and a dreaded curse.

This double-edged legacy will lead Flinx, along with his loyal protector, the mini-dragon Pip, on a harrowing journey in search of the truth... about who he is and where he comes from. It is a daring adventure that brings him to another world-and into the clutches of one of the most evil and powerful men in the galaxy....

The End of the Matter

Pip and Flinx: Book 4

Alan Dean Foster

Accompanied by his faithful minidrag Pip and a most troublesome alien called Abalamahalamatandra -- Ab for short -- Flinx set out for Alaspin, the ruggedly primitive homeworld of his flying snake.

There he hoped to find the giant man with the gold earring who somehow held the key to Flinx's mysterious past and to the strange powers he possessed. Chasing down his heritage was trouble enough, but Flinx didn't know what real trouble was until he realized that the Qwarm -- a deadly assassin squad -- were three steps behind him with a contract to kill.

But the minidrag's homeworld did not offer safety and Flinx had a terrible time just staying alive... a matter complicated to no mean degree by a collapsar already set on an unstoppable death course across the galaxy!

For Love of Mother-Not

Pip and Flinx: Book 5

Alan Dean Foster

He was just a freckle-faced, red-headed kid with green eyes and a strangely campelling stare when Mather Mastiff first saw him an the auctioneer's block. One hundred credits and he was hers.

For years the old woman was his only family. She loved him, fed him, taught him everything she knew - even let him keep the deadly flying snake he called Pip.Then Mother Mastiff mysteriously disappeared and Flinx took Pip to tail her kidnappers. Across the forests and swamps of the winged world called Moth, their only weapons were Pip's venom . . . and Flinx's unusual Talents.

Flinx in Flux

Pip and Flinx: Book 6

Alan Dean Foster

When Flinx, no stranger to galactic intrigue, found an unconscious woman on a riverbank deep in the jungles of Alaspin, he took it in stride. When he learned that the woman, Clarity Held, was a brilliant scientist abducted from a remote outpost on inhospitable Longtunnel by a group of fanatic assassins, he tried to help the beautiful Clarity back to her project. Unfortunately, the assassins were still at work. They would do anything to stop the research on Longtunnel and would kill anyone or anything that got in their way....

Mid-Flinx

Pip and Flinx: Book 7

Alan Dean Foster

OVER THE EDGE

Where Flinx and his flying minidrag Pip went, trouble always followed--that law had governed their lives through years of unsought danger and galactic intrigue. Now an evil rich man was out to kidnap the minidrag for his personal zoo, and Flinx and Pip were on the run again--this time into uncharted space, on a random course they hoped would foil their pursuers.

They found more than they bargained for when they landed on Midworld, a verdant planet covered by an immense jungle, hosting an incredible variety of plant and animal life--all of it unknown and all of it deadly. And now they were in real trouble. Their hiding place was in danger of discovery, and their only hope lay with this bizarre and untamed planet... if it didn't kill them first!

Reunion

Pip and Flinx: Book 8

Alan Dean Foster

Using his enhanced empathic abilities, Flinx finesses his way into a top-secret security installation on Earth. Once there, he bamboozles a sophisticated AI program into releasing classified information about the Meliorare Society, the sect of renegade eugenicists whose experiments with human beings had horrified the civilized universe more than twenty years ago. After all, as one of the few Meliorare experiments to survive, Flinx has a right to know about his past. Especially since his telepathic powers seem to be evolving. The question is, evolving into what? The excruciating headaches afflicting Flinx with increasing frequency make him wonder if he will be alive to find out. . . .

Flinx's Folly

Pip and Flinx: Book 9

Alan Dean Foster

It's a good thing Flinx is no stranger to trouble, because he's swimming in it. Even before the latest murderous attack by a new gang of assailants, there seems no end to people determined to arrest, examine, or kill him. To add insult to all that injury, Flinx has been spirited away and enlisted in a battle against a monstrous extra-galactic threat. Hidden behind the Great Emptiness, in a place where it seems matter and energy have never been, there is only evil. Pure evil that is approaching him, accelerating.

Against such a quintessence of colossal evil what can one puny human and a formidable mini-drag protector do? Flinx must tell someone or go out of his already addled mind. Choosing a confidant is easy: Clarity Held, a crush he hasn't seen in six years. She is a young woman who has clearly gone on with her life in ways that (he soon learns) don't necessarily include Flinx.

Whatever happens, Flinx makes up his mind to act quickly. His decision is the beginning of a terrifying, high-stakes adventure through perilous new realms that will rocket him into the very heart of danger--and into the arms of the only woman he's ever loved. As he and Pip bravely travel to a place where no man or mini-drag has gone before.

Flinx discovers he has a few more friends than he thought--and far more enemies than he ever imagined.

Sliding Scales

Pip and Flinx: Book 10

Alan Dean Foster

Never have the cares of the universe lain so heavily on Flinx's shoulders, nor the forces arrayed against him seemed so invincible. Pursued by a newly revealed sect of doomsday fanatics, hunted by factions inside and outside the Commonwealth for transgressions real and imagined, expected to single-handedly avert a looming galactic crisis (or bear responsibility for the consequences), Flinx can be forgiven for feeling a slight touch of melancholy.

There's only one solution for what ails Flinx, according to his ship's AI. But taking time off is tricky business. With an increasing number of enemies chasing him with ever-greater enthusiasm, Flinx must find a getaway shrouded in obscurity. Jast, a planet smack in the middle of nowhere, is the perfect locale.

Yet even in a place where hardly anyone's ever seen a human, Flinx and trouble can't stay separated for long. Unfortunately, Flinx hasn' t a clue that his vacation paradise is in reality a danger zone of the highest magnitude. And by the time he learns the truth, it may be too late.

Running from the Deity

Pip and Flinx: Book 11

Alan Dean Foster

In the outer depths of the universe lies the Great Emptiness, where something dreadful lurks, hidden behind a great gravitational lens of dark matter. Something horrific that howls and writhes and rages across three hundred million light-years of space-and is now heading straight for the Commonwealth and moving faster all the time.

One slim chance exists to avert catastrophe, and only Flinx can take it. Roaming the galaxy is a conscious planet-size weapons system, the legacy of a long-extinct race. As Flinx is the only one who has ever experienced mental contact with the machine, it is his job to find the powerful alien artifact and coax it into joining the battle against the behemoth from beyond.

So Pip and Flinx valiantly sail into the unknown aboard their little spaceship, which is immediately forced down for emergency repairs on planet Arrawd, home to less advanced sentients and therefore off-limits to space travelers. But what with Arrawd being very beautiful, and Flinx being Flinx, this particular rule doesn't stand a chance.

Now, Flinx is no stranger to murderous attacks and stalking assassins-evading them occupies most of his waking hours-but to be besieged by hordes bent on worshipping him as a god? Worse still, escaping this fate is going to be as impossible as fulfilling his dire mission. What's a deity to do?

Trouble Magnet

Pip and Flinx: Book 12

Alan Dean Foster

Wandering out there in some remote region of the galaxy is a gargantuan sentient Tar-Aiym weapons' system. All Flinx has to do-while his pals look after his injured love Clarity Held-is find the hefty object and persuade it to knock out the monstrous evil that is hurtling through space to waste the entire Commonwealth.

A no-brainer, really, especially for Flinx, who is never without his loyal entourage of official snoops, crazed zealots, assorted goons, and the occasional assassin. Indeed, the boy wonder and his mini-drag, Pip, are eager to commence their heroic task... just as soon as Flinx visits Visaria-a dangerously depraved planet-to convince himself that humans are indeed worth saving.

The chances of stumbling across high moral values and utopian ideals don't look promising-what with Flinx playing a lawless Pied Piper to a gang of lying, thieving juvenile delinquents. But prospects really go south when Flinx runs afoul of the corrupt planet's ruthless crime king.

Still, life is full of surprises, and Flinx is about to get smacked by a passel of them-by turns devastating, heartening, and positively jaw-dropping. For although Flinx came to Visaria to plumb the enigma of humankind, there's another mystery waiting here, a shocking clue about his own shadowy past.

Patrimony

Pip and Flinx: Book 13

Alan Dean Foster

"I know who your father is... Gestalt." A shocked Flinx hears these dying words from one of the renegade eugenicists whose experiments with humans twenty-odd years ago shocked the galaxy... and spawned Flinx. So Flinx and his minidrag, Pip, venture to Gestalt, an out-of-the-way planet perfect for someone who never wants to be found--disregarding the advice of those who think Flinx could make better use of his time locating the ancient, sentient weapons platform that could be the galaxy's only chance of stopping the exterminating scourge that's fast approaching. Flinx might agree with them--but the quest for patrimony wins out. (Sorry, galaxy!)

Could Gestalt supply the key to Flinx's shadowy past and strange powers? An eccentric loner in a remote area could be the father Flinx has never stopped searching for, perhaps the only person who can unravel the mystery of his birth and his amazing, agonizing powers. An eccentric longer in a remote area of the distant planet could be he father Flinx has never stopped searching for, perhaps the only person who can unravel the mystery of Flinx's birth and his amazing, agonizing powers.

Unfortunately for Flinx, Gestalt also hosts a resident bounty hunter who's just learned about the stupendous reward offered for a certain dead redhead. Flinx gets a chance to test his adversary's skills when our hero's skimmer is blasted out of the sky and into a raging river in the middle of nowhere--a nowhere of impassable terrain and ravenous, carnivorous beasts.

But hey, what's one more impossible challenge for someone who's spent his life defying the odds and escaping the inescapable? Flinx has one thing going for him... plenty of experience.

Flinx Transcendent

Pip and Flinx: Book 14

Alan Dean Foster

Flinx is the only one with even the tiniest chance of stopping the evil colossus barreling in to destroy the Humanx Commonwealth (and everything else in the Milky Way). With time running out, Flinx is a man in search of a solution and in search of himself. His efforts take him to the land of his mortal enemies, the bloodthirsty AAnn, where chances are excellent that Flinx's discovery-and summary execution-will eliminate all his demons and doubts in one masterstroke.

The way Flinx is feeling, that might not be the worst imaginable end. After years of searching for his father, he finally has-and must bear-the truth. And now he must also seek out an ancient sentient weapons platform wandering around somewhere in the galaxy and then communicate with it, a powwow that could very well fry his already frazzled brain. Then there are the oblivion-craving assassins determined to stop Flinx before he can prevent total annihilation.

With a future that rosy, it's no surprise he's flirting with disaster. Still, Flinx is no quitter, and he's got something else going for him-an uncanny ability to improvise and triumph (or at least survive) in impossible situations. He's certainly been through enough of them, and now he's going to need every ounce of that know-how, because he's venturing to places where the laws of physics fear to tread, where no one's ever been, to do what no one's ever done, and where his deadliest enemy is so close it's invisible.

Strange Music

Pip and Flinx: Book 15

Alan Dean Foster

Unlikely duo Pip and Flinx return to right another wrong in this all-new sci-fi adventure from one of the genre's living legends.

Fans of fun, fast-paced, imaginative science fiction adventure, rejoice! #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster returns to his much-loved Commonwealth series with a new novel starring the indefatigable Flinx and his venomous minidrag, Pip. Facing danger and doing good is their business... provided the price is right.

The unexpected return of an old friend draws Flinx and Pip to the backward planet of Largess, whose seal-like denizens' primitive technology and fractious clan politics have kept a wary Commonwealth from a profitable trade relationship. But now a rogue human employing forbidden advanced weaponry threatens to ignite a war among the Larians. And Flinx is just the man to stop it before it starts.

But once on Largess, Flinx discovers his empathic abilities--usually his greatest asset--are rendered useless by the natives' unique language, which is sung rather than spoken. Worse, the abduction of a powerful chieftain's daughter has raised tensions to the boiling point. Now Flinx must depend on his own mettle--and of course, Pip, the devoted minidrag with the deadly edge--to right wrongs, mend fences, and battle a cold-blooded adversary armed with enough firepower to blow them all away... and destroy the chance for peace in Largess forever.

Death Is a Welcome Guest

Plague Times: Book 2

Louise Welsh

Magnus McFall was a comic on the brink of his big break when the world came to an end. Now, he is a man on the run and there is nothing to laugh about.

Thrown into unwilling partnership with an escaped convict, Magnus flees the desolation of London to make the long journey north, clinging to his hope that the sickness has not reached his family on their remote Scottish island.

He finds himself in a landscape fraught with danger, fighting for his place in a world ruled by men, like his fellow traveller Jeb - practical men who do not let pain or emotions interfere with getting the job done.

This is a world with its own justice, and new rules.
Where people, guns and food are currency.
Where survival is everything.

Death is a Welcome Guest defies you to put it down, and leaves you with questions that linger in the mind long after you read the last page.

The Death of Sleep

Planet Pirates: Book 2

Anne McCaffrey
Jody Lynn Nye

Volume two in the "Planet Pirates" series.

Like every other citizen of the Federation of Sentient Planets, Lunzie Mespil believed that no harm would come to her, but when the planet pirates attack the space liner on which she is a passenger, she might have to suffer more than just inconvenience.

Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table, Vol. 1

Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table: Book 1

Yushi Ukai

BUILDING A LIFE OUT OF DEATH

Yuki wakes up to find herself in an unfamiliar manor, wearing a maid uniform and lying on a luxurious bed. Soon, she discovers five more girls, all dressed the same as her. This is the Ghost House, and the only way they can survive is to make it through the traps that lie in wait--deadly games full of blowguns, buzz saws, locked rooms, and weapons. It's a hopeless, terrifying situation for everyone there... well, everyone except Yuki. After all, this is her career at seventeen. Do you think that's odd? She would agree. But that's how some people are--they earn their living playing death games.

Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table, Vol. 2

Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table: Book 2

Yushi Ukai

THE PITFALLS OF EXPERIENCE

Three months after the events of Candle Woods, Yuki plunges back into the world of death games. This time, she's participating in Scrap Building, a race to escape an abandoned structure fifilled with deadly traps. But to make it out alive, she must contend with Mishiro, a haughty, pretentious player intent on getting in her way. Then time goes by, and Yuki fifinds herself in a game called Golden Bath, staring down the Wall of Thirty--a curse in the industry where misfortune befalls players around their thirtieth game. Whether the effects of the curse are real or her awareness of the phenomenon is tripping her up, one thing is for certain--Yuki is in bad shape as she contends with her toughest game yet.

Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table, Vol. 3

Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table: Book 3

Yushi Ukai

Having overcome the Wall of Thirty, Yuki restores her lost fingers and makes a full recovery. Not long after, she achieves her next milestone of clearing her fortieth game, and it seems like it's smooth sailing from here. But everything changes during Cloudy Beach--Yuki's forty-fourth game, one packed with veteran players who have also overcome the Wall of Thirty. On the game's isolated island venue, Yuki stumbles upon a dismembered body reminiscent of the work of that sickening psychopath from Candle Woods...

Near Death

Power of the Blood: Book 2

Nancy Kilpatrick

David Lyle Hardwick was a poet who lived well over a century ago. Now, he is an undead poet, residing in Manchester, England, surviving during the day in the basement of his ancestors' stately home. He sleeps in a coffin, acting out the role of vampire. This sensitive yet unholy creature would continue his tormented existence but one night a beautiful girl named Zero appears with a stake in hand aimed at his heart. Fortunately for David, the drug-addled New Yorker fails. But now he's left with a complex puzzle: who sent her to murder him, and why?

Zero can't help him much -- she's addicted to heroin and has even bigger problems. Still, she falls for his seductive vampire power and together they set out in search of his enemies, who are not necessarily what they seem.

Both David and Zero are changing, but maybe not for the better. When a vampire's craving for blood mixes with passion and a lust for revenge, he becomes Nosferatu. And once that fury is unleashed, Zero quickly realizes that no one is safe, not mortal, not immortal, and especially not her!

Deadly Spells

Prospero's War: Book 3

Jaye Wells

MAGIC IS A DRUG. ADDICTIVE AND DEADLY.

After the grisly murder of a dirty magic coven leader, Kate Prospero and The Magical Enforcement Agency team up with the local police to find the killer. When a tenacious reporter sticks her nose in both the investigation and Prospero's past in the covens, old ghosts resurface.

As the infighting between covens turns ugly, an all-out war brews in the slums of Babylon.

Deadstock

Punktown: Book 5

Jeffrey Thomas

Punktown: established by Earth colonists on a faraway world, a crime-ridden megalopolis peopled by countless races. There is Stake, the private detective with chameleon-like abilities he can not control. There is his wealthy client, Fukuda, whose company mass produces life forms for labor and as playthings. There is Fukuda's beautiful teenage daughter, whose priceless one-of-a-kind living doll has been stolen. And there is the doll itself, growing in size and resentment. Meanwhile, at an abandoned apartment complex with a dark history, a tough street gang and a band of mutant squatters have been trapped inside by bioengineered life forms mindlessly bent on destroying them like an infestation of vermin. The destinies of all these individuals will converge and collide.

Beyond the Dead Reef

Quintana Roo

James Tiptree, Jr.

This short story originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1983. It can also be found in the anthologies:

The Year's Best Science Fiction: First Annual Collection (1984), edited by Gardner Dozois

The Year's Best Fantasy Stories: 10 (1984), edited by Arthur W. Saha

Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder (1989), edited by David G. Hartwell

The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories (1994), edited by Tom Shippey

A Century of Fantasy 1980-1989: The Greatest Stories of the Decade (1997), edited by Robert Silverberg

The story can also be found in the collection Tales of the Quintana Roo (1986).

Deadly Pink

Rasmussem Corporation: Book 3

Vivian Vande Velde

Grace Pizzelli is the average one, nothing like her brilliant older sister, Emily, who works for Rasmussem, creators of the world's best virtual reality games. The games aren't real, though--or at least they weren't. Now Emily has hidden herself inside a pink and sparkly game meant for little girls. No one knows why, or how to convince her to come back out, and the technology can't keep her safe for much longer. Grace may consider herself average, but she's the only one who can save Emily. So Grace enters the game, hoping to talk her sister out of virtual suicide before time runs out. Otherwise Emily will die--for real.

Death's Bright Day

RCN Series: Book 11

David Drake

A NEW NOVEL IN THE NATIONALLY BEST-SELLING RCN MILITARY SF SERIES! Leary and Mundy are back in another military science fiction adventure as they undertake a mission to a distant but critical star system.

IT'S JUST A REBELLION IN A DISTANT STAR CLUSTER.

Captain Daniel Leary thinks that his marriage will allow him to slip into the quiet role of a naval officer in peacetime. His friend, the spy and cybrarian Adele Mundy, is content to be collating data in her library. But high officials of both superpowers are involved! Those who want Daniel and Adele to become involved in the Tarbell Stars claim that only they can prevent a war between the Republic of Cinnabar and its great rival, the Alliance of Free Stars. The conflict is political, but at the sharp end it means blazing warfare and cold-blooded murder. Daniel and Adele will be at the sharp end.

The odds in ships and guns are badly in the enemy's favor. Daniel, Adele, and the crew of the Princess Cecile will do everything humanly possible, but that may not be enough against an enemy battleship. And even if Daniel and his companions succeed in battle, they can't be sure whether their employers really wanted them to win--or whether they even want them alive. All they can do is to race forward, hoping to come through into DEATH'S BRIGHT DAY.

The Song of the Dead

Recoletta: Book 3

Carrie Patel

With Ruthers dead and the Library Accord signed by Recoletta, its neighbours, and its farming communes, Inspector Malone and her partner Laundress Jane Lin are in limbo as the city leaders around them vie for power.

A desperate attempt to save Arnault from execution leads to Malone's arrest and Jane's escape. They must pursue each other across the sea to discover a civilization that has held together over the centuries. There they will finally learn the truths about the Catastrophe that drove their own civilization underground.

Song of the Dead

Reign of the Fallen: Book 2

Sarah Glenn Marsh

Karthia is nothing like it used to be. The kingdom's borders are open for the first time in nearly three hundred years, and raising the dead has been outlawed. Odessa is determined to explore the world beyond Karthia's waters, hoping to heal a heart broken in more ways than she can count. But with Meredy joining the ocean voyage, vanquishing her sorrow will be a difficult task.

Despite the daily reminder of the history they share, Odessa and Meredy are fascinated when their journey takes them to a land where the Dead rule the night and dragons roam the streets. Odessa can't help being mesmerized by the new magic--and by the girl at her side. But just as she and Meredy are beginning to explore the new world, a terrifying development in Karthia summons them home at once.

Growing political unrest on top of threats from foreign invaders means Odessa and Meredy are thrust back into the lives they tried to leave behind while specters from their past haunt their tenuous relationship. Gathering a force big enough to ward off enemies seems impossible, until one of Queen Valoria's mages creates a weapon that could make them invincible. As danger continues to mount inside the palace, Odessa fears that without the Dead, even the greatest invention won't be enough to save them.

In this enthralling, heartrending sequel to Reign of the Fallen, Odessa faces the fight of her life as the boundaries between the Dead and the living are challenged in a way more gruesome than ever before.

Death's End

Remembrance of Earth's Past: Book 3

Cixin Liu

Half a century after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge. With human science advancing daily and the Trisolarans adopting Earth culture, it seems that the two civilizations will soon be able to co-exist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation. But the peace has also made humanity complacent.

Cheng Xin, an aerospace engineer from the early 21st century, awakens from hibernation in this new age. She brings with her knowledge of a long-forgotten program dating from the beginning of the Trisolar Crisis, and her very presence may upset the delicate balance between two worlds. Will humanity reach for the stars or die in its cradle?

A Deafening Silence In Heaven

Remy Chandler: Book 7

Thomas E. Sniegoski

He was once known as the angel Remiel. But, generations ago, Boston PI Remy Chandler renounced Heaven and chose to live on Earth, hiding among us humans, fighting to save our souls...

Remy Chandler is hovering on the brink of death, surrounded by friends who are trying to ward off those who would take advantage of his vulnerability. Unbeknownst to them, the greatest threat to Remy is one they can't fight--God himself. The Almighty dispatches Remy far beyond their reach, to an alternate universe where there has been an apocalyptic catastrophe: the Unification.

Only as he hunts down the source of this calamity, it becomes clearer and clearer that the person responsible for the tragedy may have been none other than Remy himself.

And while he searches for a way to stop his world from following in the footsteps of the doomed alternate reality, enemies are massing in his universe. For the Unification is at hand and, this time, Remy may be powerless to affect its outcome...

Staying Dead

Retrievers: Book 1

Laura Anne Gilman

Manhattan's night life just got weirder...

It starts as a simple job -- but simple jobs, when you're dealing with the magical world, often end up anything but.

As a Retriever, Wren Valere specializes in finding things gone missing -- and then bringing them back, no questions asked. Normally her job is stimulating, challenging and only a little bit dangerous. But every once in a while...

Case in point: A cornerstone containing a spell is stolen and there's a magical complication. (Isn't there always?) Wren's unique abilities aren't enough to lay this particular case to rest, so she turns to some friends: a demon (minor), a mage who has lost his mind, and a few others, including Sergei, her business partner (and maybe a bit more?).

Sometimes what a woman has to do to get the job done is enough to give even Wren nightmares....

The Hawley Book of the Dead

Revelation Quartet: Book 1

Chrysler Szarlan

In the tradition of The Night Circus and A Discovery of Witches, The Hawley Book of the Dead is the kind of novel that makes you believe that magic really exists.

An old house surrounded by acres of forest.

A place of secrets, mysteries and magic.

This is where Reve Dyer hopes to keep herself and her children safe.

But a mysterious figure has haunted Reve for over a decade. And now Reve knows that this person is on her trail again.

In Hawley, where the magic of her ancestors reigns, Reve must unlock the secrets of the Hawley Book of the Dead before it's too late...

The Chronicles of Riddick

Riddick: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

Riddick, now an escaped convict and fugitive, becomes caught in the middle of a fierce galactic war between two powerful forces.

Deadly Desire

Riley Jenson Guardian: Book 7

Keri Arthur

Seduction that kills. Pleasure to die for.
She just can't resist...

Guardian Riley Jenson always seems to face the worst villains. And this time's no different. For it's no ordinary sorceress who can raise the dead to do her killing. But that' s exactly what Riley expects to find at the end of a trail of female corpses used--and discarded--in a bizarre ritual of evil. With pressure mounting to catch one fiend, another series of brutal slayings shocks the vampire world of her lover, Quinn. So the last thing Riley needs is the heat of the upcoming full moon bringing her werewolf hormones to a boil--or the reappearance of a sexy bounty hunter, the rogue wolf Kye Murphy.

Riley has threatened Murphy with arrest if he doesn't back off the investigation, but it's Riley who feels handcuffed by Kye's lupine charm. Torn between her vamp and wolf natures, between her love for Quinn and her hots for Kye, Riley knows she' s courting danger and indulging the deadliest desires. For her hunt through the supernatural underworld will bring her face-to-face with what lurks in a darkness where even monsters fear to tread.

Kill the Dead

Sabella: Book 2

Tanith Lee

Out of the dusk he comes striding, the stranger, the man in black, inevitable as death itself: Parl Dro--Ghost Slayer.

Some have bought his services for gold, and some have blessed him for his work. But not everyone welcomes an exorcist who will remorselessly deprive them of their beloved dead.

Dro began his vocation at an early age. And now he will not be turned aside, no matter how you may threaten, curse or weep. He is seeking too the greatest stronghold of the deadalive: Ghyste Mortua, the ghost town in the mountains, and he means to destroy it. If he will face that, what use the pleas of the desperate sisters, Cilny and Ciddey, what use the rage of Myal, with his genius for music and his imperfect talent for crime?

Only one thing, it seems, motivates Parl Dro. His determination to kill the dead.

Hunter's Death

Sacred Hunt: Book 2

Michelle West

Now, at the risk of breaking their Oath, Hunter Gilliam and his huntbrother Stephen must journey to the ancient city once ruled by the Lord of Hell himself--a being who again seeks to impose his reign over the mortal lands.

Saint Death's Daughter

Saint Death: Book 1

C.S.E. Cooney

Nothing complicates life like Death.

Lanie Stones, the daughter of the Royal Assassin and Chief Executioner of Liriat, has never led a normal life. Born with a gift for necromancy and a literal allergy to violence, she was raised in isolation in the family's crumbling mansion by her oldest friend, the ancient revenant Goody Graves.

When her parents are murdered, it falls on Lanie and her cheerfully psychotic sister Nita to settle their extensive debts or lose their ancestral home--and Goody with it. Appeals to Liriat's ruler to protect them fall on indifferent ears... until she, too, is murdered, throwing the nation's future into doubt.

Hunted by Liriat's enemies, hounded by her family's creditors and terrorised by the ghost of her great-grandfather, Lanie will need more than luck to get through the next few months--but when the goddess of Death is on your side, anything is possible.

Saint Death's Herald

Saint Death: Book 2

C.S.E. Cooney

Lanie Stones is the necromancer that Death has been praying for.

Heartbroken, exiled from her homeland as a traitor, Lanie Stones would rather take refuge in good books and delicate pastries than hunt a deathless abomination, but that is the duty she has chosen.

The abomination in question happens to be her own great-grandfather, the powerful necromancer Irradiant Stones. Grandpa Rad has escaped from his prison and stolen a body, and is heading to the icy country of Skakhmat where he died, to finish the genocide he started. Fortunately for her, Lanie has her powerful death magic, including the power to sing the restless dead to their eternal slumber; and she has her new family by her side.

Grandpa Rad may have finally met his match.

Kill the Dead

Sandman Slim: Book 2

Richard Kadrey

Death bites. Life is worse.

After eleven years of torment, James Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, crawled out of Hell, took bloody revenge for his girlfriend's murder, and saved the world along the way. Now Lucifer himself comes to town to produce his autobiography, and an unstoppable zombie army menaces the City of Angels.

All things considered, Hell's not looking so bad.

Hollywood Dead

Sandman Slim: Book 10

Richard Kadrey

Life and death takes on an entirely new meaning for half-angel, half-human hero James Stark, aka, Sandman Slim, in this insanely inventive, high-intensity tenth supernatural noir thriller in the New York Times bestselling series.

James Stark is back from Hell, trailing more trouble in his wake. To return to L.A., he had to make a deal with the evil power brokers, Wormwood--an arrangement that came with a catch. While he may be home, Stark isn't quite himself... because he's only partially alive.

There's a time limit on his reanimated body, and unless Stark can find the people targeting Wormwood, he will die again--and this time there will be no coming back. Even though he's armed with the Room of Thirteen Doors, Stark knows he can't find Wormwood's enemies alone. To succeed he's got to enlist the help of new friends--plus a few unexpected old faces.

Stark has been in dangerous situations before--you don't get named Sandman Slim for nothing. But with a mysterious enemy on the loose, a debt to pay, and a clock ticking down, this may truly be the beginning of his end....

Dead Spots

Scarlett Bernard: Book 1

Melissa F. Olson

Scarlett Bernard knows about personal space: step within ten feet of her, and anything supernatural is instantly neutralized--vampires and werewolves become human again, and witches can't cast the slightest spell. Scarlett uses her status as a null to cover up crime scenes for Los Angeles's three most powerful magical communities, helping them keep humanity, and the LAPD, in the dark.

One night Scarlett gets caught at the scene of a grisly murder by the all-too-human LAPD cop Jesse Cruz, who blackmails her into a deal: he'll keep quiet about the supernatural underworld if she helps him crack the case. Their pact doesn't sit well with Dashiell, the city's chief vampire, who fears his whole empire is at stake. And when the clues start to point to Scarlett herself, it'll take more than her unique powers to catch the real killer and clear her name.

Trail of Dead

Scarlett Bernard: Book 2

Melissa F. Olson

As a null, Scarlett Bernard possesses a rare ability to counteract the supernatural by instantly neutralizing spells and magical forces. For years she has used her gift to scrub crime scenes of any magical traces, helping the powerful paranormal communities of Los Angeles stay hidden. But after LAPD detective Jesse Cruz discovered Scarlett's secret, he made a bargain with her: solve a particularly grisly murder case, and he would stay silent about the city's unearthly underworld.

Now two dead witches are found a few days before Christmas, and Scarlett is once again strong-armed into assisting the investigation. She soon finds a connection between the murders and her own former mentor, Olivia, a null who mysteriously turned into a vampire and who harbors her own sinister agenda. Now Scarlett must revisit her painful past to find Olivia--unless the blood-drenched present claims her life first.

A Deadly Education

Scholomance: Book 1

Naomi Novik

I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.

Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I'm concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I'm not joining his pack of adoring fans.

I don't need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts. I'm probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I'll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.

At least, that's what the world expects me to do. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that's crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school itself certainly does.

But the Scholomance isn't getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone's idea of the shining hero, but I'm going to make it out of this place alive, and I'm not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either.

Although I'm giving serious consideration to just one.

Games Psyborgs Play

Setni: Book 2

Pierre Barbet

Captain Setni, of all the officers of space, was the most immune to hypnotic suggestions and psychological delusions. Hence, when reports reached the Great Brains of a strange new planet on the Hydra group, Setni was the logical astronaut to check it out.

Because by all accounts the planet seemed a double of Old Earth- but of Earth as it had been in the far past- and legendary beings were alive and well there.

Setni was specially trained for the task, but even the best training in disbelief was not sufficient. For on that pseudo-Earth, not only was Charlemagne in power and knighthood in flower, but the pagan gods were visible, physically real, and devilishly active.

Setni knew it was no illusion - but then what was the reality?

The Enchanted Planet

Setni: Book 3

Pierre Barbet

Planets cannot appear and disappear - especially not in a galaxy that had been mapped, colonized and controlled by the united Great Brains of the many intelligent races. Thus when a new planet popped up out of nowhere, it was an unprecedented phenomenon. When the planet turned out to be identical with one of the fantasy epics of the ancient Earth, it was cause for alarm...

Where the problem of sorcery versus technology is concerned, there was only one man in the space service experienced enough to cope with it. That was Captain Setni - and it fell to him to explore this enchanted planet of dragons and demons and damsels in distress - and return alive with the scientific truth.

In at the Death

Settling Accounts: Book 4

Harry Turtledove

Franklin Roosevelt is the assistant secretary of defense. Thomas Dewey is running for president with a blunt-speaking Missourian named Harry Truman at his side. Britain holds onto its desperate alliance with the USA's worst enemy, while a holocaust unfolds in Texas. In Harry Turtledove's compelling, disturbing, and extraordinarily vivid reshaping of American history, a war of secession has triggered a generation of madness. The tipping point has come at last.

The third war in sixty years, this one yet unnamed: a grinding, horrifying series of hostilities and atrocities between two nations sharing the same continent and both calling themselves Americans. At the dawn of 1944, the United States has beaten back a daredevil blitzkrieg from the Confederate States–and a terrible new genie is out of history's bottle: a bomb that may destroy on a scale never imagined before. In Europe, the new weapon has shattered a stalemate between Germany, England, and Russia. When the trigger is pulled in America, nothing will be the same again.

With visionary brilliance, Harry Turtledove brings to a climactic conclusion his monumental, acclaimed drama of a nation's tragedy and the men and women who play their roles–with valor, fear, and folly–on history's greatest stage.

The Death of Nnanji

Seventh Sword: Book 4

Dave Duncan

For fifteen years, the truce has held. Swordsmen of the Tryst of Casr have kept the peace and extended the rule of law over half the world, but now sorcerers have started killing swordsmen again, and swordsmen traitors are aiding them. Shonsu--who was Wallie Smith before he became a swordsman of the seventh rank and liege lord of the Tryst--must once more gird on the seventh sword of Chioxin, and this time he rides out to fight the war that he hoped would never come. As he leads his army forth, its two most junior members are Vixini, son of Shonsu, and Addis, son of Nnanji, who has an oath of vengeance to fulfill. Their failure or success will determine the fate of the world for the next thousand years.

The Death of Grass

SF Rediscovery: Book 11

John Christopher

At first the virus wiping out grass and crops is of little concern to John Custance. It has decimated Asia, causing mass starvation and riots, but Europe is safe and a counter-virus is expected any day. Except, it turns out, the governments have been lying to their people. When the deadly disease hits Britain they are left alone, and society starts to descend into barbarism. As John and his family try to make it across country to the safety of his brother’s farm in a hidden valley, their humanity is tested to its very limits.

Published in the USA as: No Blade of Grass.

Never Deal with a Dragon

Shadowrun: Secrets of Power: Book 1

Robert Charrette

The year is 2050. The power of magic and the creatures it brings have returned to the earth, and many of the ancient races have re-emerged. Elves, Orks, Mages, and lethal Dragons find a home in a world where mana, technology, and human flesh have melded into deadly urban predators. And the multinational mega-corporations that run the world hoard the only thing of real value--information.

For Sam Verner, living in the womb of the Renraku conglomerate was easy, until his sister disappeared and the façade of the corporate reality began to disintegrate. Now he wants out, but to "extract" himself he has to slide like a whisper through the deadly shadows the corporations cast, into a completely different world where his first wrong move may be his last... the world of Shadowrun.

The Case of Death and Honey

Sherlock Holmes

Neil Gaiman

Locus Award winning short story. It originally appeared in the anthology A Study in Sherlock (2011), edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger. It can also be found in the anthologies The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Six (2012), edited by Jonathan Strahan, and Weird Detectives: Recent Investigations (2013), edited by Paula Guran. The story is included in the collection Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances (2015).

Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu: The Adventure of the Deadly Dimensions

Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu: Book 1

Lois H. Gresh

A series of grisly murders rocks London. At each location, only a jumble of bones remains of the deceased, along with a bizarre sphere covered in strange symbols. The son of the latest victim seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes and his former partner, Dr. John Watson. They discover the common thread tying together the murders. Bizarre geometries, based on ancient schematics, enable otherworldly creatures to enter our dimension, seeking to wreak havoc and destruction. The persons responsible are gaining so much power that even Holmes's greatest enemy fears them - to the point that he seeks an unholy alliance.

The Black Mausoleum

Silver Kings: Book 1

Stephen Deas

Two years have passed since the events of The Order of the Scales. Across the realms, dragons are still hatching. Hatching, and hatching free.

Skorl is an Ember, a soldier trained from birth to fight dragons. He is a living weapon, one-shot only, saturated with enough dragon-poison to bring down a monster all on his own. Misanthrope, violent and a drunk, to fulfil his purpose and slay a dragon, means to be eaten. Now Skorl has a choice: he can hang for his crimes, or he can go with the last of the Adamantine Men, fighting against an enemy he was born to face.

Rat is an Outsider. He's on the run and he's stumbled onto something that's going to make him rich beyond all his dreams. It's just a shame that the end of the world has started without him.

Kataros is an alchemist, one of the order responsible for keeping the dragons in check. One of the order that has just failed, and disastrously so.

Two men, one woman. One chance to save the world from a storm of dragons...

Dragon Queen

Silver Kings: Book 2

Stephen Deas

In the years before the Dragons laid waste to man's empire, the fearsome monsters were used for war and as gifts of surpassing wealth to buy favour in the constant political battles that tore at the kingdoms.

Notorious in these battles was the Dragon Queen. And now she is a prisoner. But no one is more dangerous than when caged...

The critics, fellow authors and readers alike are agreed - if you love dragons and epic fantasy, Stephen Deas is the writer for you. The man who brought dragons back to their full glory, might and terror.

DRAGON QUEEN is a companion volume to the Memory of Flames trilogy and to THE BLACK MAUSOLEUM.

The Splintered Gods

Silver Kings: Book 3

Stephen Deas

Captured by an unknown enemy and forced to wage war on his rivals, the Dragon Queen has found herself hated and feared by all the people of this new land. There is little they can do to hurt her while she has her dragon, but she cannot escape while the magic necklace she is forced to wear remains active - or it will throttle her. And the enemies of her new master are gathering for revenge...

Lost in a body that isn't his own, Berren - the Bloody Judge - continues his search for the man who stole his life. Accompanied by a single Adamantine soldier, they scrabble to survive in a world shaken by the Dragon Queen's attack and suspicious of all those who are strangers. But there is another power inside Berren, one which escapes when he is in danger and has the habit of disintegrating those around him. And that power has its own agenda... One that will lead it to the Dragon Queen, and battle.

The critics, fellow authors and readers alike are agreed - if you love dragons and epic fantasy, Stephen Deas is the writer for you. The man who brought dragons back to their full glory, might and terror.

The Silver Kings

Silver Kings: Book 4

Stephen Deas

Praised by the likes of Joe Abercrombie and Brent Weeks, Stephen Deas has made dragons his own.

The Silver King, half-god, legend and myth, is returning. Once he fought his brother, the Black Moon, and his dragons, and was defeated. But the Black Moon was also weakened, and a millennia has passed. Humanity has grown used to a world without gods, a world where they were masters of all - including the terrifying dragons.

But the dragons have awakened, the hole in reality is expanding, and the shackles that kept the half-gods controlled have been broken. The Black Moon lives on in the body of Berren Crowntaker, and has taken control. With an army behind him, the dragons above and the Dragon Queen at his side, he goes to war with his brother.

The worlds are turning, and only one thing is sure - there will be an ending.

THE SILVER KING is the triumphant conclusion to one of the most brutal and wide-ranging fantasy series of recent years.

Dead to Me

Simon Canderous: Book 1

Anton Strout

A new urban fantasy featuring a man working on the right side of the law - with talents that come from left field.

Psychometry - the power to touch an object and divine information about its history - has meant a life of petty crime for Simon Canderous, but now he's gone over to the good side. At New York's underfunded and (mostly) secret Department of Extraordinary Affairs, he's learning about red tape, office politics, and the basics of paranormal investigation. But it's not the paperwork that has him breathless.

After Simon spills his coffee on (okay, through) the ghost of a beautiful woman - who doesn't know she's dead - he and his mentor plan to find her killers. But Simon's not prepared for the nefarious plot that unfolds before him, involving politically correct cultists, a large wooden fish, a homicidal bookcase, and the forces of Darkness, which kind of have a crush on him.

Deader Still

Simon Canderous: Book 2

Anton Strout

It's hard to defeat evil on a budget. Just ask Simon Canderous.

It's been 737 days since the Department of Extraordinary Affair's last vampire incursion, but that streak appears to have ended when a boat full of dead lawyers is found in the Hudson River. Using the power of psychometry - the ability to divine the history of an object by touching it - agent Simon Canderous discovers that the booze cruise was crashed by something that sucked all the blood out of the litigators. Now, his workday may never end - until his life does.

Dead Matter

Simon Canderous: Book 3

Anton Strout

Shaking up the spirits of Manhattan

The spirit populace of Manhattan doesn't appreciate its well-deserved RIP being disturbed, and Department of Extraordinary Affairs Agent Simon Canderous is sent in to do damage control. Meanwhile, his vacationing partner, Connor Christos, is in a sorry state, and he tells Simon that each night he's being haunted by visions of his long-lost brother at his window. Simon is worried that his partner may be going crazy-or worse, maybe he's not...

Dead Waters

Simon Canderous: Book 4

Anton Strout

Simon Canderous, of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, is used to fighting vampires and zombies. But the strange murder of a professor has everyone stumped. And it's making some people crazy. Literally.

Dead Voices

Small Spaces: Book 2

Katherine Arden

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie's watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

With Mr. Voland's help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help--or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story.

Dead Until Dark

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 1

Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....

Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

Living Dead in Dallas

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 2

Charlaine Harris

When a vampire asks Sookie Stackhouse to use her telepathic skills to find another missing vampire, she agrees under one condition: the bloodsuckers must promise to let the humans go unharmed.

Club Dead

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 3

Charlaine Harris

Sookie's boyfriend has been very distant-in another state, distant. Now she's off to Mississippi to mingle with the underworld at Club Dead-a little haunt where the vampire elite go to chill out. But when she finally finds Bill-caught in an act of betrayal-she's not sure whether to save him...or sharpen some stakes.

Dead to the World

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 4

Charlaine Harris

When telepathic cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse sees a naked man on the side of the road, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who-or what-he is, but Sookie knows. It's the vampire Eric Northman-but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a very frightened Eric, because it soon becomes obvious that whoever took his memory now wants his life.

Dead as a Doornail

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 5

Charlaine Harris

When Sookie's brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a were-panther for the first time. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population-and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks, unless the killer decides to find her first.

Definitely Dead

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 6

Charlaine Harris

As a person with so few living relatives, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse really hated to lose one. But she never guessed that it would be her cousin Hadley-a consort of the Vampire Queen of New Orleans. After all, technically speaking, Hadley was already dead. And now, as unexpected heir to Hadley's estate, Sookie discovers the inheritance definitely comes with a risk.

Someone doesn't want Sookie looking too deeply into Hadley's past-or for that matter, Hadley's possessions. And they're prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. But who? The range of suspects runs from the Rogue Weres who reject Sookie as a friend of the Pack to the Vampire Queen herself, who could be working through a particularly vulnerable subject-Sookie's first love, Bill.

Whoever it is, they're definitely dangerous-and Sookie's life is definitely on the line...

All Together Dead

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 7

Charlaine Harris

Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full dealing with every sort of undead and paranormal creature imaginable. And after being betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must not only deal with a new man in her life-the shapeshifter Quinn-but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit.

The summit is a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

From Dead to Worse

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 8

Charlaine Harris

After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone--human and otherwise--is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.

It's clear that things are changing--whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie--Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community--is caught up in the changes.

In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.

Dead and Gone

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 9

Charlaine Harris

A new Sookie Stackhouse book is always a treat! Sookie is a sexy, sassy cocktail waitress who works at Merlotte's Bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She's just a regular gal, with all the normal hopes and fears, about dating, boys and life in general - oh, and she's telepathic. And her boyfriends have included Vampire Bill, her first love and the were-tiger Quinn. And Bon Temps is a pretty normal rural town, where murders are mercifully rare. Well, maybe not that rare.

Dead in the Family

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 10

Charlaine Harris

If you think your family relationships are complicated, think again: youhaven't seen anything like the ones in Bon Temps, Louisiana. SookieStackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from herown kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a placein her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being who arriveswith Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment. And Sookie'stracking down a distant relation of her ailing neighbour (and ex), VampireBill Compton. In addition to the multitude of family issues complicating herlife, the werewolf pack of Shreveport has asked Sookie for a special favour,and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favour forthe wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still recovering from thetrauma of her abduction during the Fairy War.

Dead Reckoning

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 11

Charlaine Harris

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows...

Deadlocked

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 12

Charlaine Harris

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it's the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman's front yard--especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it's up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl's fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who's out to make Sookie's world come crashing down.

Dead Ever After

Sookie Stackhouse: Book 13

Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse has one last adventure in store.

Life has taken her from a waitress in Merlotte's Bar, Bon Temps, to part owner; from social outcast to the heart of her community; from a vampire's girlfriend to the wife of one of the most powerful vampires in the state.

She has survived explosions, revolutions and attempts on her life. Sookie has endured betrayal, heartbreak and grief... and she has emerged a little stronger, and little wiser, every time.

But with life comes new trials...

The question is, in the end: who will love, who will live, and who will be dead ever after?

Spells for the Dead

Soulwood: Book 5

Faith Hunter

Nell Ingram faces a dark magic with no known origin...

Nell is a rookie PsyLED agent, using the powers she can channel from deep within the earth to solve paranormal crimes. Together with her team, she's taken on the direst magic and the most twisted foes. But she'll need to tap into every ounce of power she has for her newest case.

Nell is called to the Tennessee mansion of a country music star and finds a disturbing scene--dead bodies rapidly decaying before everyone's eyes. The witch on her team, T. Laine, has never seen magic that can steal life forces like this. PsyLED needs to find this lethal killer fast. But when a paranormal-hating FBI agent tries to derail the investigation, and the dark magics begin to spiral out of control, they find themselves under attack from all sides.

The Death of Antagonis

Space Marine Battles: Book 12

David Annandale

The Black Dragons fall upon the world of Antagonis, summoned to combat the plague of undeath that has engulfed the planet. Allying themselves with Inquisitor Werner Lettinger and a force of Sisters of Battle, the Black Dragons endeavour to save the souls of the Imperial citizens who have succumbed to the contagion. But there is more than a mere infection at play--the dread forces of Chaos lie behind the outbreak, and the Black Dragons stand in the way of the Dark Gods' victory...

The Death of Integrity

Space Marine Battles: Book 13

Guy Haley

Novamarine and Blood Drinker Space Marines battle genestealers on an infested space hulk

After pursuing an insidious genestealer cult across the sector for years, Chapter Master Caedis of the Blood Drinkers stands ready to destroy the original source of the infection - the vast and mysterious space hulk designated Death of Integrity. However, immediately coming into conflict with both their brothers in the Novamarines Chapter and the priesthood of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Blood Drinkers must reign in their more aggressive instincts and accept the possibility that the hulk itself may be of value to the Imperium...

The Cold Kiss of Death

Spellcrackers.com: Book 2

Suzanne McLeod

All Genny wants is to live the quiet life and to do her job at Spellcrackers.com, but there's her tangled personal life to sort out first. She's being haunted by ghosts who want her help. Her witch neighbours want her evicted. Genny's sort-of-Ex - and now her new boss - can't decide whether he wants their relationship to be business or pleasure. And then there's the queue of vampires all wanting her to paint the town red - how long will it be before they stop taking no for an answer?

But when one of her human friends is murdered by sidhe magic, Genny is determined to find the killer. She needs help to find the real murderer, and that means calling on some of the most capricious and seductive fae - but her search is hindered by the vampires, who have their own political agenda.

All the evidence points to Genny - she's the only sidhe fae in London - and she's named the main suspect; it's not long before she's on the run, not just from the police, but from some of London's most powerful supernaturals.

Spellsinger

Spellsinger: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

Spellsinger (1983) is a fantasy novel written by Alan Dean Foster. The book follows the adventures of Jonathan Thomas Meriweather who is transported from our world into a land of talking animals and magic. It is the first in the Spellsinger series.

The Hour of the Gate

Spellsinger: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

The Hour of the Gate (1984) is a fantasy novel written by Alan Dean Foster. The book follows the continuing adventures of Jonathan Thomas Meriweather who is transported from our world into a land of talking animals and magic. It is the second book in the Spellsinger series.

The Day of the Dissonance

Spellsinger: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

Clothahump, the wizard, is dying. All that can save him are rare medicinal powers to be found across the Glittergeist Ocean, past distant Snarken, Jon-Tom, the Spellsinger, sets out on the most perilous pilgrimage of his still-young career, armed with only his music-making duar and a reluctant Mudge, the otter, as his guide. Along the way he conjures up Roseroar, Amazonian tiger, rescues Jalwar, the ferret, and together they free Folly, the beauty, from bondage! Spellsinger and his motley crew press on, confronting a forest of Fungoid Frankensteins on the Muddletop Moors, a parrot pirate on the high seas, cannibal fairies in the enchanted canyon, and the evil wizard of Malderpot who poses the greatest challenge of all!

The Moment of the Magician

Spellsinger: Book 4

Alan Dean Foster

The Moment of the Magician (1984) is a fantasy novel written by Alan Dean Foster. The book follows the continuing adventures of Jonathan Thomas Meriweather who is transported from our world into a land of talking animals and magic. It is the fourth book in the Spellsinger series.

The Paths of the Perambulator

Spellsinger: Book 5

Alan Dean Foster

Jon-Tom the spellsinger and his friends venture into the high mountains to free a cosmic creature whose captivity threatens to drive the whole world mad

It's an ordinary day in the Bellwoods, save for the fact that Jon-Tom the spellsinger has awoken as a six-foot blue crab. He soon reverts to normal—as normal as a college student trapped in a world of magic and talking animals can be, anyway—but the bizarre changes keep happening, affecting not just him but the whole of this strange world. His wizardly mentor suspects these are the effects of the perambulator, a cosmic being whose presence distorts reality. One has been imprisoned in the mountains, and unless they free it, it will rip the world to shreds one insane illusion at a time.

So Jon-Tom sets out, backed by the wizard, a boozehound owl, a gutter-minded otter, and a warrior koala with a taste for leather. Saving the world will be a cinch, as long as they don't lose their minds along the way.

The Time of the Transference

Spellsinger: Book 6

Alan Dean Foster

When his magical multistring duar snaps in half, Jon-Tom the spellsinger sets out on a journey that will take him all the way back to . . . America

Jon-Tom has been trapped in a strange land of talking owls and wizarding turtles for a year now, his sole consolation that in this universe his musical abilities have inadvertently made him something of a sorcerer. But when an encounter with some burglars leads to him snapping the magical duar that channels his power, he finds himself an ordinary human again—on a quest to repair his instrument with nothing but his staff and his semi-faithful, ever-complaining otter sidekick to defend him.

The journey takes them to the ends of the earth—and beyond. On the run from some half-wit pirates, they dart into a cave and find themselves in San Antonio, the shortcut to home that Jon-Tom has long dreamed about. But Texas wants nothing to do with this long-haired wizard, or the unpleasant creatures who are tracking him.

Son of Spellsinger

Spellsinger: Book 7

Alan Dean Foster

Hoping to duplicate the adventurous yarns of their parents, the children of spellsinger Jon-Tom and his otter sidekick Mudge set out on a perilous quest of their own

Decades have passed since college student Jon-Tom Meriweather was first marooned in a strange land of magic, and over the years he has married, raised a son, and honed his voice so that the effects of his spellsinging—whereby he calls up magic with song—are almost predictable. His son's voice is another matter. Buncan wants to follow in his father's adventurous footsteps, but his every chord brings more discord, and there seem to be no good quests to be had.

When one falls in his lap—investigating something called the Grand Veritable, whose very name is enough to send wizened wizards hiding under their covers—he seeks the help of two of his friends, children of Jon-Tom's old otter sidekick Mudge, whose voices are as pure as Buncan's is muddy. The determined trio runs away from home, ready to pit their teenage talents against a very adult danger.

Chorus Skating

Spellsinger: Book 8

Alan Dean Foster

Middle-aged, lazy, and out of shape, spellsinger Jon-Tom attempts to break out of domestic drudgery with one last great adventure

Jon-Tom and Mudge are bored.

Their adventuring days long behind them, the spellsinger and his once-thieving otter sidekick have settled into a life of tepid domesticity, and they are sick of it. They hunger for an old-fashioned adventure, but there are no more great evils to combat. And so they decide to follow the music. Literally.

A drifting cloud of lost chords has taken to floating around Jon-Tom, and following it puts them on the trail of an evil that terrifies the spellsinger. Something is stealing music. Finding out who, and why, is responsible for the silencing of the instruments will put Jon-Tom and Mudge into great peril, at the hands of a selfish elephant, a greedy black bear, and a whirlpool with a filthy sense of humor. Seeking adventure, they've stumbled into one turn that may turn out to be their last.

Deathstar Voyage

St. Cyr Interplanetary Detective: Book 1

Ian Wallace

Welcome to Frolic Street, the bizarre thoroughfare atop the kilometer-long spaceship on which the entire action of this book takes place. It is a futuristic combination of Carnaby Street, a flea market, and Coney Island. Among its incredible shops os a watchmaker's where time runs backward, and among its picturesque, milling crowds is a would-be assassin.

Join King Zhavar, ruler of the distant planet Ligeria, to which the spaceship is headed, as he strolls along Frolic Street. With him is beautiful young Claudine St. Cyr of Galactic Police, who is at the moment his bodyguard--a full-time job on a spaceshi loaded with Ligerian fanatics dedicated to killing their king. Even before takeoff there is an attempt on his life, but assassination is only the first, and least, of threats in this swift-paced science-fiction mystery.

Death Planet

Star Commandos: Book 4

P. M. Griffin

Armed for justice, trained to kill--they are the best of the best. Star Commandos. A military elite, forged in a galactic conflict. War's end marks the beginning of their mission: to protect human colonies from the blood-drenched clutches of post-war scavengers.

In his nightmares, Varn Tari Sogan still sees the fungus which cours the planet Mirelle of all other life. He still sees the death of his kinsman--a slow doom of agony and madness. He still feels the paralysis that signals the beginning of the end.

A pirate band has established a base on Mirelle. They must be wiped out before their ships can contaminate other worlds with the death spores. Only Sogan can leas his commando comrades into this hell-world from his past--but the cost of victory may be his sanity.

The Unsettling Stars

Star Trek: Abramsverse: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

An original novel based on the thrilling Star Trek movies directed by J.J. Abrams!

Taking place in an alternate timeline created when the Starship Kelvin was destroyed by a Romulan invader from the future, this bold new novel follows Captain James T. Kirk and an inexperienced crew commandeering a repaired U.S.S. Enterprise out of spacedock for a simple shakedown cruise. When a distress call comes in, the Enterprise must aid a large colony ship of alien refugees known as the Perenorean, who are under siege by an unknown enemy. But Kirk and his crew will find that the situation with the peaceful Perenorean is far more complicated than they bargained for, and the answers as to why they were attacked in the first place unfold in the most insidious of ways...

More Beautiful Than Death

Star Trek: Abramsverse: Book 2

David Mack

An original novel based on the thrilling new Star Trek movies!

>Captain James T. Kirk and the Enterprise crew escort Spock's father, Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan, to a dilithium-rich planet called Akiron. They arrive to find this world under siege by creatures that some of the planet's denizens believe are demons. Sarek orders Kirk to abandon the mission, but the young captain won't turn his back on people in danger. After a harrowing encounter with the dark-energy "demons," Kirk's belief in a rational universe is challenged by a mystic who insists that it wasn't coincidence that brought Kirk to Akiron, but the alien equivalent of a Karmic debt.

>Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Sarek's young Vulcan aide L'Nel has a sinister agenda--and its chief objective appears to be the cold-blooded murder of Spock!

Star Trek Log One

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

This book is the first in the series of novelizations of the episodes of the animated Star Trek series. The episodes featured are:

Beyond the Farthest Star
The Enterprise investigates an unusual radio signal and finds itself next to a gigantic and ancient star ship of unknown design and origin. Upon exploration, they learn that a strange and dangerous creature invaded the ship and the crew self-destructed rather than allow the creature to take over the ship. That creature manages to enter the Enterprise and the crew must engage in very heroic actions in order to defeat the creature and return to Federation space.

Yesteryear
Kirk and Spock accompany a team of historical researchers through the guardian of forever. Great care is taken to make sure that no changes are made in the timeline, but when they return, no one on the Enterprise recognizes Spock. After investigation, it is determined that Spock must travel back in time to his home planet of Vulcan and give critical aid to himself when he was a child.

One of Our Planets is Missing
In this episode, a giant cloud-like creature journeys into Federation space and consumes planets for food. After destroying an uninhabited planet, it is moving towards Mantilles, a planet with 82 million inhabitants. The Enterprise is the only thing standing between the creature and the destruction of the planet.

Adaptations from TV scripts: Beyond the Farthest Star by Samuel A. Peeples; Yesteryear by D.C. Fontana; One of Our Planets is Missing by Marc Daniels.

Star Trek Log Two

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

1 - The Survivor - novella by Alan Dean Foster

67 - The Lorelei Signal - novella by Alan Dean Foster

127 - The Infinite Vulcan - novella by Alan Dean Foster

Adaptations from TV scripts: The Survivor by James Schermer; The Lorelei Signal by Margaret Armen; The Ultimate Vulcan by Walter Koenig.

Star Trek Log Three

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

1 - Once Upon a Planet - novella by Alan Dean Foster

85 - Mudd's Passion - novella by Alan Dean Foster

157 - The Magicks of Megas-Tu - novella by Alan Dean Foster

Adapted from TV scripts: Once Upon a Planet by Len Jansen and Chuck Menville; Mudd's Passion by Stephen Kandel: The Magicks of Megas-Tu by Larry Brody.

Star Trek Log Four

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 4

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

1 - The Terratin Incident - novella by Alan Dean Foster

97 - Time Trap - novella by Alan Dean Foster

167 - More Tribbles, More Troubles - novella by Alan Dean Foster

Adapted from TV scripts: The Terratin Incident by Paul Schneider; Time Trap by Joyce Perry; More Tribbles, More Troubles by David Gerrold.

Star Trek Log Five

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 5

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

1 - The Ambergris Element - novella by Alan Dean Foster

81 - The Pirates of Orion - novella by Alan Dean Foster

133 - Jihad - novella by Alan Dean Foster

Adapted from TV scripts: The Ambergris Element by Margaret Armen; The Pirates of Orion by Howard Weinstein; Jihad by Stephen Kandel.

Star Trek Log Six

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 6

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

3 - Albatross - novella by Alan Dean Foster

67 - The Practical Joker - novella by Alan Dean Foster

137 - How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth - novella by Alan Dean Foster

Adapted from TV scripts: Albatross by Dario Finelli; The Practical Joker by Chuck Menville; How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth by Russell Bates and David Wise.

Star Trek Log Seven

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 7

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

The Counter-Clock Incident - Novel by Alan Dean Foster

Adapted from a TV script: The Counter-Clock Incident by John Culver.

Star Trek Log Eight

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 8

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

The Eye of the Beholder - Novel by Alan Dean Foster

Adapted from a TV script The Eye of the Beholder by David P. Harmon.

Star Trek Log Nine

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 9

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

BEM - Novel by Alan Dean Foster

Adapted from the TV script BEM by David Gerrold

Star Trek Log Ten

Star Trek: Animated Series: Book 10

Alan Dean Foster

Contents:

Slaver Weapon - Novel by Alan Dead Foster

Adapted from a TV script Slaver Weapon by Larry Niven

Day of Honor

Star Trek: Crossovers: Day of Honor

Diane Carey
L. A. Graf
Michael Jan Friedman
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

Contents:

1 - Ancient Blood - [Star Trek: Day of Honor - 1] - (1997) - novel by Diane Carey

255 - Armageddon Sky - [Star Trek: Day of Honor - 2] - (1997) - novel by Julia Ecklar and Karen Rose Cercone [as by L. A. Graf ]

445 - Her Klingon Soul - [Star Trek: Day of Honor - 3] - (1997) - novel by Michael Jan Friedman

631 - Treaty's Law - [Star Trek: Day of Honor - 4] - (1997) - novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith

833 - Day of Honor: The Television Episode - [Star Trek: Voyager] - (1997) - novel by Michael Jan Friedman

1009 - Day of Honor: Honor Bound - [Star Trek Deep Space Nine Young Adult - 11] - (1997) - novel by Diana G. Gallagher

Treaty's Law

Star Trek: Crossovers: Day of Honor: Book 4

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

The Day of Honor is celebrated throughout the Klingon Empire. But every tradition had to being somewhere... Signi Beta is an M-class planet ideal for farming. The Federation wants Signi Beta, but the Klingon Empire has the stronger claim. Captain Kirk hates to lose the planet, especially to his old adversary, Commander Kor. Their mutual antagonism turns into an uneasy alliance, however, when yet another alien fleet attacks both the Klingons and the "U.S.S. Enterprise." Now Kirk and Kor must rely on each other's honor -- or none of them may survive to wage their war again.

Shadow

Star Trek: Crossovers: Section 31: Book 2

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

They are the self-appointed protectors of the Federation. Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, answerable to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group committed to safeguarding the Federation at any cost.

Someone or something is trying to kill Seven of Nine. As the crew races against time to save millions of refugees from an imminent stellar cataclysm, the former Borg becomes the target of several seemingly random but potentially lethal "accidents." The investigation reveals a truth more terrifying than anyone ever imagined, as Captain Kathryn Janeway and the crew of the Starship Voyager fight for their lives against the most unexpected enemy of all.

NO LAW. NO CONSCIENCE. NO STOPPING THEM.

The Captain's Table

Star Trek: Crossovers: The Captain's Table

L. A. Graf
Michael Jan Friedman
Dean Wesley Smith
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Diane Carey
Peter David
Jerry Oltion

Contents:

1 - War Dragons - [The Captain's Table - 1] - (1998) - novel by Julia Ecklar and Karen Rose Cercone [as by L. A. Graf]

195 - Dujonian's Hoard - [The Captain's Table - 2] - (1998) - novel by Michael Jan Friedman

387 - The Mist - [The Captain's Table - 3] - (1998) - novel by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch

529 - Fire Ship - [The Captain's Table - 4] - (1998) - novel by Diane Carey

749 - Once Burned - [The Captain's Table - 5] - (1998) - novel by Peter David

915 - Where Sea Meets Sky - [The Captain's Table - 6] - (1998) - novel by Jerry Oltion

1111 - Biographies (The Captain's Table, Books 1-6) - (2000) - essay by uncredited

The Mist

Star Trek: Crossovers: The Captain's Table: Book 3

Dean Wesley Smith
Kristine Kathryn Rusch

There's a bar called "The Captain's Table", where those who have commanded mighty vessels of every shape and era can meet, relax, and share a friendly drink or two with others of their calling. Sometimes a brawl may break out but it's all in the family, more or less. Just remember, the first round of drinks is always paid for with a story... even on the planet Bajor.

Do the people of the Mist have the ultimate cloaking device -- or a gateway to another dimension? Captain Benjamin Sisko doesn't know for sure, but the Klingons, the Cardassians, and the Ferengi Alliance will stop at nothing to obtain the device. Now Sisko finds himself in the middle of a deadly struggle that could change the balance of power throughout the entire Alpha Quadrant!

Seven Deadly Sins

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Margaret Clark

PRIDE. GREED. ENVY. WRATH. LUST. GLUTTONY. SLOTH.

The Seven Deadly Sins delineate the path to a person's downfall, the surest way to achieve eternal damnation. But there is a way out, a way to reclaim salvation: blame it on the demons--taunting you, daring you to embrace these sins--and you shall be free. The painful truth is that these impulses live inside all ofus, inside all sentient beings. But alas, one person's sin may be anotherbeing's virtue.

The pride of the Romulan Empire is laid bare in "The First Peer," by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore.

A Ferengi is measured by his acquisition of profit. "Reservoir Ferengi," by David A. McIntee, depicts the greed that drives that need.

The Cardassians live in a resource-poor system, surrounded by neighbors whohave much more. The envy at the heart of Cardassian drive is "The Slow Knife,"by James Swallow.

The Klingons have tried since the time of Kahless to harness their wrath withan honor code, but they haven't done so, as evidenced in "The Unhappy Ones,"by Keith R.A. DeCandido.

Humans' darkest impulses run free in the Mirror Universe. "Freedom Angst," by Britta Burdett Dennison, illustrates the lust that drives many there.

The Borg's desire to add to their perfection is gluttonous and deadly in "Revenant," by Marc D. Giller.

To be a Pakled is to live to up to the ideal of sloth in "Work Is Hard," by Greg Cox.

The Big Game

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Book 4

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

When Quark holds a poker tournament on "Deep Space Nine" someone from almost every sentient race -- Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans, Vulcans, Ferengi -- shows up for what is sure to be the highest-stakes game of all time. But when one player is killed, the stakes get higher than even these big-money players had counted on. With the station rocked by subspace waves that threaten its destruction, Commander Sisko and Security Chief Odo must hunt down the killer in time to save the players, a killer who has information that can save those onboard "Deep Space Nine" from the invisible enemy they do not even know they face, a killer who holds all the cards.

The Long Night

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Book 14

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

Centuries ago, the Supreme Ruler of the planet Jibet fled a democratic uprising, taking with him many priceless works of art. Now Quark's greed leads Commander Sisko and his crew to the lost treasures -- and to the Supreme Ruler himself, preserved in cryogenic suspension.

The discovery sparks unrest on Jibet, and launches an alien armada against Deep Space Nine. As Dr. Bashir struggles to keep the dying ruler alive, Jake and Nog uncover deadly evidence of lingering Cardassian treachery. Now, Sisko must somehow keep the mysteries of the past from destroying all hope for DS9's future

Dead Endless

Star Trek: Discovery: Book 6

Dave Galanter

The U.S.S. Discovery's specialty is using its spore-based hub drive to jump great distances faster than any warp-faring vessel in Starfleet. To do this, Lieutenant Paul Stamets navigates the ship through the recently revealed mycelial network, a subspace domain Discovery can briefly transit but in which it cannot remain. After responding to a startling distress call originating from within the network, the Discovery crew find themselves trapped in an inescapable realm where they will surely perish unless their missing mycelial fuel is found or restored. Is the seemingly human man found alone and alive inside the network the Starfleet officer he claims to be, or an impostor created by alien intruders who hope to extract themselves from the mycelial plane at the expense of all lives aboard Discovery?

By The Book

Star Trek: Enterprise: Book 2

Dean Wesley Smith
Kristine Kathryn Rusch

In their first few weeks in space, Captain Archer and his crew have already discovered several new species and explored strange new worlds. Each new planet brings new discoveries and new dangers: none more so than the curious planet half of which is inhabited by the Fazi, with their highly regulated culture in which strict protocols govern everything from their conversation to the design of their buildings. After a disastrous first contact with the Fazi, Archer must depend on the diplomatic skills of Vulcan science officer T'Pol and the linguistic talents of communications officer Ensign Hoshi Sato to help him mend relations with the people of this planet and unravel the mystery of the other beings with which they share their world.

Star Trek

Star Trek: Movie Novelizations: Book 11

Alan Dean Foster

"Are you willing to settle for an ordinary life? Or do you think you were meant for something better? Something special?"

One grew up in the cornfields of Iowa, fighting for his independence, for a way out of a life that promised only indifference, aimlessness and obscurity.

"You will forever be a child of two worlds, capable of choosing your own destiny. The only question you face is, which path will you chose?"

The other grew up on the jagged cliffs of the harsh Vulcan desert, fighting for acceptance, for a way to reconcile the logic he was taught with the emotions he felt.

In the far reaches of the galaxy, a machine of war bursts into existence in a place and time it was never meant to be. On a mission of retribution for the destruction of his planet, its half-mad captain seeks the death of every intelligent being, and the annihilation of every civilized world.

Kirk and Spock, two completely different and unyielding personalities must find a way to lead the only crew, aboard the only ship, that can stop him.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Star Trek: Movie Novelizations: Book 12

Alan Dean Foster

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Have Tech, Will Travel

Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers: Book 1

Keith R. A. DeCandido
Kevin Dilmore
Christie Golden
Dean Wesley Smith
Dayton Ward

Need a gigantic, marauding starship explored? Is your global computer system starting to break down? Call in the crack team from the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. Overseen by Captain Montgomery Scott from his office at Starfleet Headquarters, the S.C.E. can build, rebuild, program, reprogram, assemble, reassemble, or just figure out everything from alien replicators to doomsday machines. Just don't expect them to perform miracles -- unless they absolutely have to.

Captain David Gold, his first officer Commander Sonya Gomez, and the crew of the U.S.S. da Vinci put their lives on the line to save a colony world threatened by a deadly alien and rescue a ship trappedin the ravages of interphase.

Join Starfleet's miracle workers for a wrenching journey through the new frontier!

Contents:

1 - The Belly of the Beast - [Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers - 1] - (2000) - novella by Dean Wesley Smith

101 - Fatal Error - [Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers - 2] - novella by Keith R. A. DeCandido

209 - Hard Crash - [Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers - 3] - novella by Christie Golden

301 - Interphase: Book One - [Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers - 4] - novella by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore

393 - About the Authors (Have Tech, Will Travel) - essay by uncredited

Strange New Worlds I

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 1

Dean Wesley Smith
John J. Ordover

Here's what you, the fans, have demanded for decades! An anthology featuring original Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans!

After a lengthy competition that drew thousands of submissions; these astounding stories, written exclusively by brand-new authors, were selected for their originality and style. These eighteen fantastic tales rocket across the length and breadth of Federation time and space, from when Captain Kirk explored the galaxy on the first Starship Enterprise, through Captain Picard's U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-D and Captain Sisko's Deep Space Nine to Captain Janeway's Voyager, with many fascinating stops along the way.

Table of Contents:

ix - Introduction (Strange New Worlds) - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

3 - A Private Anecdote - shortstory by Landon Cary Dalton

13 - The Last Tribble - shortstory by Keith L. Davis

26 - The Lights in the Sky - shortstory by Phaedra Weldon [as by Phaedra M. Weldon ]

46 - Reflections - novelette by Dayton Ward

71 - What Went Through Data's Mind 0.68 Seconds Before the Satellite Hit - shortstory by Dylan Otto Krider

79 - The Naked Truth - novelette by Jerry M. Wolfe

100 - The First - shortstory by Peg Robinson

114 - See Spot Run - shortstory by Kathy Oltion

130 - Together Again, for the First Time - shortstory by Bobbie Benton Hull

149 - Civil Disobedience - shortstory by Alara Rogers

156 - Of Cabbages and Kings - shortstory by Franklin Thatcher

177 - Life's Lessons - shortstory by Christina F. York

195 - Where I Fell Before My Enemy - shortstory by Vince Bonasso

217 - Good Night, Voyager - novelette by Patrick Cumby

242 - Ambassador at Large - novelette by J. A. Rosales

264 - Fiction - novelette by jaQ Andrews

286 - I, Voyager - shortstory by Jackee C.

296 - Monthuglu - novelette by Craig D. B. Patton

317 - The Man Who Sold the Sky - shortstory by John J. Ordover

320 - The Girl Who Controlled Gene Kelly's Feet - novelette by Paula M. Block

353 - My First Story - essay by John J. Ordover

355 - A Few Words ... - essay by Paula M. Block

365 - About the Contributors (Strange New Worlds) - essay by uncredited

Strange New Worlds II

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 2

Dean Wesley Smith
John J. Ordover

Award-quality short stories set in Star Trek universes, written by fans of the series. Culled from a second nationwide contest/author search, they represent some of the finest Star Trek writing available today.

Contents:

ix - Introduction (Strange New Worlds II) - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

3 - Triptych - novelette by Melissa Dickinson

26 - The Quick and the Dead - shortstory by Kathy Oltion

43 - The First Law of Metaphysics - novelette by Michael S. Poteet

66 - The Hero of My Own Life - novelette by Peg Robinson

89 - Doctors Three - shortstory by Charles Skaggs

107 - I Am Klingon - novelette by Ken Rand

129 - Reciprocity - shortstory by Brad Curry

143 - Calculated Risk - novelette by Christina F. York

166 - Gods, Fate, and Fractals - shortstory by William Leisner

184 - I Am Become Death - shortstory by Franklin Thatcher

199 - Research - shortstory by J. R. Rasmussen

202 - Change of Heart - shortstory by Steven Scott Ripley

221 - A Ribbon for Rosie - novelette by Ilsa J. Bick

245 - Touched - shortstory by Kim Sheard

255 - Almost ... But Not Quite - novelette by Dayton Ward

278 - The Healing Arts - novelette by E. Cristy Ruteshouser and Lynda Martinez Foley

302 - Seventh Heaven - novelette by Dustan Moon

327 - Afterword (Strange New Worlds II) - essay by John J. Ordover

335 - About the Contributors (Strange New Worlds II) - essay by uncredited

Strange New Worlds III

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 3

Dean Wesley Smith
John J. Ordover

Back by popular demand -- again! Our third anthology featuring original Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans!

Each Strange New Worlds competition draws a greater response than the last. The final selections gathered here were chosen from an overwhelming number of entries by virtue of their originality and style. With wit, compassion, and an affection for all things Star Trek, these brand-new authors take us where Star Trek has never gone before.

Their tales rocket across the length and breadth of Federation time and space, from when Captain Kirk explored the galaxy on the first Starship Enterprise, through Captain Picard's U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-D and Captain Sisko's Deep Space Nine, to Captain Janeway's Starship Voyager, with many more fascinating stops along the way. Find out what happens in the Star Trek universe when fans -- like you -- take the helm!

Contents:

ix - Introduction: The Class of 2000 - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

3 - If I Lose Thee ... - novelette by Sarah A. Hoyt and Rebecca Lickiss

24 - Aliens Are Coming! - shortstory by Dayton Ward

39 - Family Matters - novelette by Susan Ross Moore

61 - Whatever You Do, Don't Read This Story - novelette by Robert T. Jeschonek

86 - A Private Victory - shortstory by Tonya D. Price

95 - The Fourth Toast - shortstory by Kelly Cairo

106 - One of Forty-seven - shortfiction by E. Catherine Tobler

110 - A Q to Swear By - novelette by Shane Zeranski

132 - The Change of Seasons - shortstory by Logan Page

138 - Out of the Box, Thinking - novelette by Jerry M. Wolfe

163 - Ninety-three Hours - shortstory by Kim Sheard

181 - Dorian's Diary - shortstory by G. Wood

189 - The Bottom Line - shortstory by Andrew (Drew) Morby

204 - The Best Defense ... - shortstory by John Takis

218 - An Errant Breeze - shortstory by Harold Gross and Eve Gordon [as by Gordon Gross ]

231 - The Ones Left Behind - shortstory by Mary Wieck

246 - The Second Star - shortstory by Diana Kornfeld

260 - The Monster Hunters - shortstory by Ann Nagy

268 - Gift of the Mourners - shortstory by Jackee Crowell

285 - jubHa' - shortstory by Lawrence M. Schoen

289 - Hints (Strange New Worlds III) - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

Strange New Worlds IV

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 4

Dean Wesley Smith
John J. Ordover

In the fourth year of its ongoing mission, the Strange New Worlds writing competition has once again sought out exciting new voices and imaginations among Star Trek's vast galaxy of fans. After scanning countless submissions for signs of style and originality, the judges are proud to report that the universe of amazing Star Trek writers just keeps expanding.

Strange New Worlds IV features more than a dozen never-before-published stories spanning the twenty-third and twenty-fourth centuries, from the early days of James T. Kirk and his crew to the later generations of Captains Picard, Sisko, and Janeway. These memorable new tales explore and examine the past and future of Star Trek from many different perspectives.

Join Strange New Worlds in its thrilling quest to uncover the most compelling Star Trek fiction this side of the Galactic Barrier!

Contents:

3 - A Little More Action - shortstory by TG Theodore

15 - Prodigal Father - shortstory by Robert J. Mendenhall

33 - Missed - shortstory by Pat Detmer

39 - Tears for Eternity - shortstory by Lynda Martinez Foley

49 - Countdown - shortstory by Mary Sweeney

59 - First Star I See Tonight - shortstory by Victoria Grant

66 - Scotty's Song - shortstory by Michael Jasper [as by Michael J. Jasper ]

80 - The Name of the Cat - shortstory by Steven Scott Ripley

101 - Flight 19 - shortstory by Alan James Garbers

120 - The Promise - novelette by Shane Zeranski

142 - Flash Point - shortstory by E. Catherine Tobler

145 - Prodigal Son - shortstory by Tonya D. Price

152 - Seeing Forever - shortstory by Jeff Suess

167 - Captain Proton and the Orb of Bajor - novelette by Jonathan Bridge

189 - Isolation Ward 4 - shortstory by Kevin G. Summers

209 - Iridium-7-Tetrahydroxate Crystals Are a Girl's Best Friend - shortstory by Bill Stuart

218 - Uninvited Admirals - shortstory by Penny A. Proctor

230 - Return - shortstory by Chuck Anderson

233 - Black Hats - shortstory by William Leisner

243 - Personal Log - shortstory by Kevin Killiany

262 - Welcome Home - shortstory by Diana Kornfeld

277 - Shadows, in the Dark - novelette by Ilsa J. Bick

301 - Contest Rules (Strange New Worlds IV) - essay by uncredited

307 - About the Contributors (Strange New Worlds IV) - essay by uncredited

Strange New Worlds V

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 5

Dean Wesley Smith
John J. Ordover

The Fifth year of the Star Trek new author contest.

Contents:

ix - Introduction (Strange New Worlds V) - essay by John J. Ordover

3 - Disappearance on 21st Street - shortstory by Mary Scott-Wiecek

11 - The Trouble with Borg Tribbles - shortstory by William Leisner

17 - Legal Action - shortstory by Alan L. Lickiss

33 - Yeoman Figgs - shortstory by Mark Murata

43 - The Shoulders of Giants - novelette by Robert T. Jeschonek

69 - Bluff - shortstory by Steven Scott Ripley

84 - The Peacemakers - novelette by Alan James Garbers

109 - Efflorescence - shortstory by Julie Hyzy [as by Julie A. Hyzy ]

122 - Kristin's Conundrum - shortstory by Jeff D. Jacques and Michelle A. Bottrall

143 - The Monkey Puzzle Box - shortstory by Kevin Killiany

162 - The Farewell Gift - shortstory by Tonya D. Price

177 - Dementia in D Minor - shortstory by Mary Sweeney

199 - Fear, Itself - novelette by Robert J. Mendenhall

223 - Final Entry - shortstory by Cynthia K. Deatherage

239 - The Difficulties of Being Evil - shortstory by Craig Gibb

244 - Restoration - shortstory by Penny A. Proctor

258 - On the Rocks - shortstory by TG Theodore

268 - Witness - shortstory by Diana Kornfeld

286 - Fragment - shortstory by Catherine E. Pike

296 - Who Cries for Prometheus? - shortstory by Phaedra Weldon [as by Phaedra M. Weldon ]

311 - Remnant - shortstory by James J. Swann and Louisa M. Swann

329 - A Girl for Every Star - shortstory by John Takis

346 - Hoshi's Gift - shortstory by Kelle Vozka

357 - Afterword (Strange New Worlds V) - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

361 - Contest Rules (Strange New Worlds V) - essay by uncredited

367 - About the Contributors (Strange New Worlds V) - essay by uncredited

Strange New Worlds VI

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 6

Dean Wesley Smith
John J. Ordover

In the sixth year of its ongoing mission, the Strange New Worlds writing competition has once again sought out exciting new voices and imaginations among Star Trek's vast galaxy of fans. After scanning countless submissions for signs of style and originality, the judges are proud to report that the universe of amazing Star Trek writers just keeps expanding.

Strange New Worlds VI features twenty-three never-before-published stories spanning the twenty-second to the twenty-fourth centuries, from the early days of Captain Jonathan Archer to James T. Kirk and his crew to the later generations of Captains Picard, Sisko, and Janeway. These memorable new tales explore and examine the past and future of Star Trek from many different perspectives.

Contents:

ix - Introduction (Strange New Worlds VI) - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

3 - Whales Weep Not - shortstory by Juanita Nolte

18 - One Last Adventure - shortstory by Mark Allen and Charity Zegers

32 - Marking Time - shortstory by Pat Detmer

43 - Ancient History - shortstory by Robert J. Mendenhall

56 - Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer - shortstory by TG Theodore

64 - A Piece of the Pie - shortstory by G. Wood

73 - The Soft Room - novelette by Geoffrey Thorne

96 - Protecting Data's Friends - novelette by Scott William Carter

117 - The Human Factor - shortstory by Russ Crossley

128 - Tribble in Paradise - shortstory by Louisa M. Swann

145 - Fabrications - shortstory by Brett Hudgins

149 - Urgent Matter - shortstory by Robert J. LaBaff

160 - Best Tools Available - shortstory by Shawn Michael Scott

179 - Homemade - shortstory by Elizabeth A. Dunham

187 - Seven and Seven - novelette by Kevin Hosey

209 - The End of Night - novelette by Paul J. Kaplan

230 - Hidden - novelette by Jan Stevens

254 - Widow's Walk - shortstory by Mary Scott-Wiecek

267 - Savior - shortstory by Julie Hyzy

286 - Preconceptions - shortstory by Penny A. Proctor

302 - Cabin E-14 - shortstory by Shane Zeranski

321 - Our Million-Year Mission - novelette by Robert T. Jeschonek

346 - The Beginning - shortstory by Annie Reed

359 - Contest Rules (Strange New Worlds VI) - essay by uncredited

365 - About the Contributors (Strange New Worlds VI) - essay by uncredited

Strange New Worlds VII

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 7

John J. Ordover
Dean Wesley Smith

Our seventh anthology features original Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans!

Featuring new stories by new writers and a few contest veterans, Strange New Worlds VII spans the entire Star Trek universe from the original days of Captain Kirk and throughout the tenures of Captains Picard, Sisko, and Janeway and back in time again to Archer. Each of these unforgettable stories explores the past and future of Star Trek from many different perspectives.

Contents:

ix - Introduction (Strange New Worlds VII) - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

3 - A Test of Character - shortstory by Kevin Lauderdale

15 - Indomitable - shortstory by Kevin Killiany

27 - Project Blue Book - shortstory by Christian Grainger

40 - The Trouble with Tribals - shortstory by Paul J. Kaplan

42 - All Fall Down - shortstory by Muri McCage

58 - A Sucker Born - shortstory by Pat Detmer

72 - Obligations Discharged - shortstory by Gerri Leen

85 - Life's Work - shortstory by Julie Hyzy

96 - Adventures in Jazz and Time - shortstory by Kelly Cairo

103 - Future Shock - shortstory by John Coffren

110 - Full Circle - shortstory by Scott Pearson

126 - Beginnings - shortstory by Jeff D. Jacques

142 - Solemn Duty - shortstory by Jim Johnson

157 - Infinite Bureaucracy - shortstory by Anne E. Clements

166 - Barclay Program Nine - shortstory by Russ Crossley

179 - Redux - novelette by Susan S. McCrackin

202 - The Little Captain - shortstory by Catherine E. Pike

216 - I Have Broken the Prime Directive - shortstory by G. Wood

220 - Don't Cry - shortstory by Annie Reed

229 - Earthquake Weather - shortstory by Louisa M. Swann

247 - Guardians - novelette by Brett Hudgins

271 - The Law of Averages - shortstory by Amy Sisson

278 - Forgotten Light - shortstory by Frederick Kim

294 - Contest Rules (Strange New Worlds VII) - essay by uncredited

299 - About the Contributors (Strange New Worlds VII) - essay by uncredited

Strange New Worlds VIII

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 8

Dean Wesley Smith

This newest volume of Strange New Worlds features original Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans!

Each of these stories features our favorite Trek characters in new and adventurous situations. In this anthology, we get to experience a new version of the Kobayashi Maru, feel what it's like to be inside the Borg collective, delight in tasting new foods, and encourage Starfleet's future.

Contents:

ix - Introduction (Strange New Worlds 8) - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

3 - Shanghaied - (2005) - novelette by Alan James Garbers

27 - Assignment: One - (2005) - shortstory by Kevin Lauderdale

36 - Demon - (2005) - novelette by Kevin Andrew Hosey

61 - Don't Call Me Tiny - (2005) - shortstory by Paul C. Tseng

81 - Morning Bells Are Ringing - (2005) - shortstory by Kevin G. Summers

99 - Passages of Deceit - (2005) - shortstory by Sarah A. Seaborne

115 - Final Flight - (2005) - shortstory by John Takis

133 - Trek - (2005) - shortstory by Dan C. Duval

147 - Gumbo - (2005) - shortstory by Amy Vincent

155 - Promises Made - (2005) - shortstory by David DeLee

173 - Always a Price - (2005) - shortstory by Muri McCage

186 - Transfiguration - (2005) - shortstory by Susan S. McCrackin

205 - This Drone - (2005) - shortstory by M. C. DeMarco

215 - Once Upon a Tribble - (2005) - shortstory by Annie Reed

224 - You May Kiss the Bride - (2005) - shortstory by Amy Sisson

234 - Coffee with a Friend - (2005) - shortstory by J. B. Stevens

257 - Egg Drop Soup - (2005) - shortstory by Robert Burke Richardson

264 - Hero - (2005) - shortstory by Lorraine Anderson

268 - Insanity - (2005) - novelette by A. Rhea King

295 - A & Ω (Alpha & Omega) - (2005) - novelette by Derek Tyler Attico

318 - Concurrence - (2005) - novelette by Geoffrey Thorne

344 - Dawn - (2005) - shortstory by Paul J. Kaplan

359 - Contest Rules (Strange New Worlds 8) - essay by uncredited

365 - About the Contributors (Strange New Worlds 8) - essay by uncredited

Strange New Worlds IX

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 9

Dean Wesley Smith

The tales featured in Strange New Worlds IX, rocket readers across the length and breadth of the Federation, time, and space; from Captain Jonathan Archer's first exploration of the galaxy on board the very first Starship Enterprise through to Captain Picard's tenure on the USS Enterprise 1701-D -- and beyond. Here you can read a fresh and original take on Captain Benjamin Sisko's role on Deep Space Nine, Captain Kathryn Janeway's homeward journey with the crew of the Starship Voyager, Captain Archer's encounters with the Xindi -- and many more ports of call along the way.

Contents:

ix - Introduction (Strange New Worlds 9) - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

3 - Gone Native - (2006) - shortstory by John Coffren

9 - A Bad Day for Koloth - (2006) - shortstory by David DeLee

20 - Book of Fulfillment - (2006) - shortstory by Steven Costa

28 - The Smallest Choices - (2006) - shortstory by Jeremy Yoder

41 - Staying the Course - (2006) - shortstory by Paul C. Tseng

57 - Home Soil - (2006) - shortstory by Jim Johnson

74 - Terra Tonight - (2006) - shortstory by Scott Pearson

87 - Solace in Bloom - (2006) - novelette by Jeff D. Jacques

111 - Shadowed Allies - (2006) - novelette by Emily P. Bloch

134 - Living on the Edge of Existence - (2006) - shortstory by Gerri Leen

148 - The Last Tree on Ferenginar: A Ferengi Fable from the Future - (2006) - shortstory by Mike McDevitt

168 - The Tribbles' Pagh - (2006) - shortstory by Ryan M. Williams

185 - Choices - (2006) - novelette by Susan S. McCrackin

207 - Unconventional Cures - (2006) - shortstory by Russ Crossley

213 - Maturation - (2006) - shortstory by Catherine E. Pike

225 - Rounding a Corner Already Turned - (2006) - novelette by Allison Cain

247 - Mother Nature's Little Reminders - (2006) - shortstory by A. Rhea King

255 - Mestral - (2006) - novelette by Ben Guilfoy

279 - Remembering the Future - (2006) - shortstory by Randy Tatano

291 - Rocket Man - (2006) - shortstory by Kenneth E. Carper

312 - The Rules of War - (2006) - shortstory by Kevin Lauderdale

321 - The Immortality Blues - (2006) - novelette by Marc Carlson

343 - Orphans - (2006) - novelette by R. S. Belcher

367 - Contest Rules (Strange New Worlds 9) - essay by uncredited

375 - About the Contributors (Strange New Worlds 9) - essay by uncredited

[384] - First, Do No Harm (excerpt) - shortfiction by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore

Strange New Worlds X

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Book 10

Dean Wesley Smith

Ambassador Sarek meets his future wife. Captain Ransom atones for his sins. T'Pol pursues a composer, after she is captivated by the human's music. Strands of DNA are woven together from four Starfleet captains, creating one man with one mission. An entity fights for its right to live, despite the fact that it is not alive.

From the ordinary to the extraordinary, all of these stories are embraced by the vision of Star Trek. When Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek, he also tapped a wellspring of human imagination. Viewers were transformed into fans, who embraced the show and turned the definition of "fan" on its ear. However, when what was on the screen was simply not enough, fans started writing their own stories, which they then shared among friends and family.

Ten years ago, Pocket Books offered Star Trek fans a unique opportunity to become a part of the Star Trek mythos. A contest was created in which the best stories submitted by nonprofessional writers would be published. And over the course of a decade, hundreds of pounds of submissions poured in. Many of the writers who submitted to Strange New Worlds went on to become professional writers.

Contents:

vii - Introduction: Ten Years of Great Adventure - essay by Dean Wesley Smith

5 - The Smell of Dead Roses - novelette by Gerri Leen

29 - The Doomsday Gambit - shortstory by Rick Dickson

47 - Empty - shortstory by David DeLee

63 - Wired - shortstory by Aimee Ford Foster

85 - A Dish Served Cold - shortstory by Paul C. Tseng

101 - The Very Model - shortstory by Muri McCage

117 - So a Horse Walks into a Bar ... - shortstory by Brian Seidman

139 - Signal to Noise - shortstory by Jim Johnson

157 - The Fate of Captain Ransom - shortstory by Rob Vagle

175 - A Taste of Spam - shortstory by L. E. Doggett

191 - Adjustments - shortstory by Laura Ware

203 - The Day the Borg Came - shortstory by M. C. DeMarco

217 - The Dream - shortstory by Robyn Sullivent Gries

229 - Universal Chord - shortstory by Carolyn Winifred

249 - You Are Not in Space - shortstory by Edgar Governo

271 - Time Line - shortstory by Jerry M. Wolfe

289 - Echoes - shortstory by Randy Tatano

311 - Brigadoon - novelette by Rigel Ailur

337 - Reborn - shortstory by Jeremy Yoder

Death in Winter

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Michael Jan Friedman

Long before Captain Jean-Luc Picard took command of the Starship Enterprise, he fell deeply and hopelessly in love with Doctor Beverly Crusher. Picard never acted on his feelings, yet he found a measure of contentment as Beverly's close friend, colleague, and daily breakfast partner.

When Doctor Crusher leaves to become the chief medical officer of Starfleet, the brightest light in Picard's life is taken from him. He has barely resigned himself to his loss when he learns that Beverly has been declared missing in action -- and presumed dead.

Kevratas is a bleak, frozen world on the far side of the Romulan Neutral Zone where the Federation has become the plague-ravaged natives' only real hope. Starfleet has no recourse but to send in another team -- and Picard is the natural choice. Critical to the mission are two colleagues from his former command, the Starship Stargazer: Pug Joseph and Doctor Carter Greyhorse. Joseph is a man with a past to live down, and Greyhorse has served time for attempted murder. They are determined to succeed where the doctor failed.

On the Romulan homeworld, meanwhile, the political vacuum created by the demise of Praetor Shinzon has been filled by Senator Tal'aura. But there are those who oppose her, including Commander Donatra and the warbirds under her command.

So begins a desperate struggle -- not only for the freedom of the long-oppressed Kevrata but also for the soul of the Romulan Star Empire. Before it's over, destinies will be forged and shattered, the Empire will be shaken to its ancient foundations, and Jean-Luc Picard's life will be changed... forever.

A Hard Rain

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Dean Wesley Smith

A clever, page-turning thriller in which the world of the Starship Enterprise and the holodeck world of 1940s San Francisco entertwine. "It was raining in the city by the bay. A hard rain. Hard enough to wash the slime out of the streets and back into the holes they crawled out of..." In the hardboiled style of a classic West Coast crime novel, HARD RAIN seamlessly blends the real world of the USS Enterprise with the fictional version of San Francisco 1941, as seen by Captain Jean-Luc Picard's own holodeck creation, detective Dixon Hill.

The story begins with the Enterprise stuck in an anomaly, warping both space and time so that for every minute the ship is trapped, a month goes by in normal time. The only piece of equipment that can get the ship safely home has been stolen by gangsters in the Dixon Hill holodeck program. Captain Picard, as Dixon Hill, ventures into this San Francisco world to confront the ruthless crime boss and retrieve the crucial item.

Soon after, the first of a series of murders on the Enterprise occurs and the murder weapon is found to be a revolver... from 1941 Earth. Who is behind the murders? All the clues are given. All the suspects are given. Readers will be engrossed in trying to figure out the answer... but only the very clever will guess the murderer's true identity before the final chapter.

The Soldiers of Fear

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Book 41

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

Long ago, before the dawn of civilization, they were banished to the realm of nightmares. Now the terrors are real...

A generation ago, another Starship EnterpriseTM fought off a ship of exiled aliens intent on conquering all of the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet thought the foe had been repelled forever -- until now. The Furies have returned in might warships even more powerful than before. But their weapons are more than merely physical, for these aliens are the origins of all the demons and monsters of ancient myth, and they have found a way to project fear directly into the minds of their enemies. To defeat the Furies, and save the Federation, Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. EnterpriseTM must first conquer the darkest terrors of their unconscious minds.

The Death of Princes

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Book 44

John Peel

Dangerous assignments come in pairs when Captain Picard and his crew are confronted with two desperate missions on two different worlds.

On the planet Buran, newly linked to the Fedration, a mysterious disease devastates the population-and turns them against the visitors from the U.S.S. Enterprise. Meanwhile, on nearby lomides, a renegade Federation observer has disappeared, intent on violating the Prime Directive by preventing a tragic political assassination.

While Dr. Crusher struggles to find a cure for the plague ravaging Buran, Commander Will RIker leads an Away Team to lomides. Their forces divided, Picard and his crew find themselves the only hope of two worlds.

Vectors

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Double Helix: Book 2

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

Like a strand of mutating DNA, a deadly conspiracy winds its way through the entire Alpha Quadrant, just as it stretches across several years of Starfleet history -- even to the Cardassian space station that will someday be known as Deep Space Nine.

A virulent plague has stricken Terok Nor, striking down both the enslaved Bajorans and Cardassian oppressors, who blame each other for the growing epidemic. Dr. Katherine Pulaski, late of the Starship Enterprise, must work with the tyrannical Gul Dukat, as well as a rebel spy named Kira Nerys, to discover the true source of an infection that threatens them all!

Death Count

Star Trek: The Original Series: Book 62

L. A. Graf

The disappearance of Andorian scientific genius Muav Haslev fuels tensions between the Orions and Andorians -- tensions that come dangerously close to full scale war. Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are called to Starbase Sigma 1, located on the edge of Andorian-Orion space, to patrol the sector as a deterrent to hostilities.

On arrival, the crew encounters an inexplicable series of events, beginning with missing equipment and shipboard malfunctions. After a deadly transporter accident, Kirk suspects sabotage -- suspicions that are confirmed by the mysterious murders of three Federation officials. Now, Kirk and crew must put together the fragmented pieces of the puzzle, before the Starship Enterprise faces destruction and the galaxy faces interplanetary war.

The Rings of Tautee

Star Trek: The Original Series: Book 78

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

An entire solar system begins to disintegrate into cosmic rubble, and Captain Kirk suspects that rumors of a new Klingon superweapon are all too true. The Tautee system houses a flourishing pre-Warp civilization not quite ready to join the Federation, so the Prime Directive limits Kirk's ability to prevent the disaster, and to make matters worse his rescue efforts provoke an attack from four Klingon warships. But soon Kirk recognizes that he must get to the bottom of the forces at work in the Tautee system, because they could spill over into the rest of the galaxy.

Belle Terre

Star Trek: The Original Series: New Earth: Book 2

Diane Carey
Dean Wesley Smith

The "Starship Enterprise" has embarked on its most ambitious assignment yet: to lead a courageous band of settlers to a far-off planet, to defend the fragile colony from alien threats, and to unravel the mysteries of a brand-new Earth!

Belle Terre a six-month distance from the Federation, the planet Belle Terre offers a new life to more than 30,000 families, pioneers, scientists, expatriates, go-getters, loners, and entrepreneurs, all under the watchful eye of Captain Kirk and his crew. But the would-be colonists have barely settled in the untamed wilderness of their new home when Spock makes a startling discovery: not only does the planet's moons contain a rare ore of almost inestimable value, that same moon is also violently unstable. Within months, it will inevitably explode -- destroying all life on Belle Terre!

Thin Air

Star Trek: The Original Series: New Earth: Book 5

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

Many light-years away from the safety of the Federation, the Starship Enterprise stands guard over an alien world whose unique natural resources could change the balance of power throughout the galaxy. The ship's crucial assignment: to maintain a Federation presence on the Planet below, to defend the world's newly arrived inhabitants from hostile aliens, and to fight a solitary battle against all who would claim the planet's riches for their own.

Against all odds, Kirk and his crew have preserved the struggling Federation colony on Belle Terre, but their heroic efforts may have been in vain In a last-ditch attempt to drive the entrenched settlers off their new home, the alien Kauld have contaminated the planet's atmosphere with a destructive biochemical agent that will soon render the entire world inimical to human life. With only weeks to spare, Spock races to find a scientific solution to their dire predicament, while Kirk takes the battle to the enemy, determined to wrest the secret of their salvation from the very forces out to destroy the future of this new Earth!

Star Trek: Klingon

Star Trek: Video Game Novelizations: Book 1

Dean Wesley Smith
Kristine Kathryn Rusch

"Revenge is a dish best served cold." -- Klingon proverb For many years, Klingons have been the premier warriors in the galaxy. Regarded across known space with fear and awe, few beings understand the true depth and greatness of the Klingon culture. "Four thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man." -- Klingon proverb Noted Klingon language and cultural expert Marc Okrand collects the wisdom of these great warriors, taking proverbs and quotes from some of its greatest thinkers and bringing Klingon philosophy to lesser races across the galaxy.

Captain Proton: Defender of the Earth

Star Trek: Voyager

Dean Wesley Smith

Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear when Real Men with ray guns and beautiful women in beguiling outfits battled hideous monsters from outer space! Return with us to the days when Captain Proton ruled the skyways!

When the queen of an evil space empire kidnaps Captain Proton's faithful secretary Constance Goodheart, it's only the first step in her diabolical plan to conquer the Incorporated Planets. It soon becomes clear that there is more to her plot than meets the eye when, on the very edge of death, Captain Proton is saved by a power Not Of This Universe. Caught in an eons-old fight between two alien races, who can Captain Proton trust? No one -- not even his sidekick, ace reporter Buster Kincaid. Can Captain Proton save the Galaxy from the forces of evil and save Constance Goodheart from the Giant Demon Squid of Greyhawk II?

Extra! Dr. Chaotica plots the Death of the Patrol, Constance Goodheart must find Captain Proton before she shrinks to a size too small to be seen, and Buster Kincaid faces the Swamp of Doom!

The Escape

Star Trek: Voyager: Book 2

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

The "U.S.S. Voyager is in desperate trouble, her systems damaged, her warp engines failing. Without immediate repairs the starship and her crew will be trapped forever between the stars. Captain Kathryn Janeway must guide her ship to an ancient, deserted planet that could hold the key to their survival -- a planet that is hiding more than one deadly secret.

Echoes

Star Trek: Voyager: Book 15

Dean Wesley Smith
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The U.S.S. Voyager finds itself in a system where a planet might have existed, but doesn't. Where the planet should have been, millions and then billions of people are appearing from nowhere and dying in the vacuum of space.

To solve the mystery and save billions of lives, Captain Janeway will have to face alternate versions of herself and the crew of Voyager -- not just one almost-mirror-image, but many. Janeway will have to find a way to work with her alternate selves, with whom she shares much but each of whom has a different agenda. At stake is the survival of Voyager and the lives of billions of innocent people.

Death of a Neutron Star

Star Trek: Voyager: Book 17

Eric Kotani

An alien scientist asks to join Captain Kathryn Janeway and her crew in the investigation of an unprecedented scientific find. Soon U.S.S. Voyager is embroiled in a battle of wills among several alien races -- each intent on manipulating the discovery toward its own end and decimating whole worlds in the process.

Janeway must stop a quest for knowledge from turning into a plot for destruction!

Splinter of the Mind's Eye

Star Wars

Alan Dean Foster

Luke Skywalker expected trouble when he volunteered to follow Princess Leia on her mission to the planet Circarpous. But he discovered that hidden on the planet was the Kaiburr crystal, a mysterious gem that would give the one who possessed it such powers over the Force that he would be all but invincible. In the wrong hands, the crystal could be deadly. So Luke had to find this treasure and find it fast.

The Approaching Storm

Star Wars

Alan Dean Foster

The Republic is decaying, even under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who was elected to save the galaxy from collapsing under the forces of discontent. On the tiny but strategic planet of Ansion, a powerful faction is on the verge of joining the growing secessionist movement. At the Chancellor's request, the Jedi Council sends two Jedi Knights, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luminara Unduli, along with their Padawans Anakin Skywalker and Barriss Offee, to stabilize the planet's population. To succeed, the Jedi will have to fulfill near-impossible tasks, befriend wary strangers, and influence two great armies, stalked all the while by an enemy sworn to see the negotiations collapse and the mission fail....

Death Star

Star Wars

Steve Perry
Michael Reaves

"THAT'S NO MOON."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Death Star's name says it all, with bone-chilling accuracy. It is a virtual world unto itself -- equipped with uncanny power for a singularly brutal purpose: to obliterate entire planets in the blink of an eye. Its annihilation of the planet Alderaan, at the merciless command of Grand Moff Tarkin, lives in infamy. And its own ultimate destruction, at the hands of Luke Skywalker, is the stuff of legend. But what is the whole story, and who are the players, behind the creation of this world-killing satellite of doom?

The near extermination of the Jedi order cleared the way for Palpatine -- power-hungry Senator and Sith Lord -- to seize control of the Republic, declare himself Emperor, and usher in a fearsome, totalitarian regime. But even with the dreaded Darth Vader enforcing Palpatine's sinister will, the threat of rebellion still looms. And the Emperor knows that only abject fear -- and the ability to punish dissent with devastating consequences -- can ensure his unchallenged control of the galaxy. Enter ambitious and ruthless government official Wilhuff Tarkin, architect of the Emperor's terrifying dream come true.

From inception to completion, construction of the unprecedented Death Star is awash in the intrigues, hidden agendas, unexpected revelations, and daring gambits of those involved on every level. The brightest minds and boldest egos, the most ambitious and corrupt, the desperate and the devious, all have a stake in the Death Star -- and its potential to control the fate of the galaxy.

Soldiers and slaves, loyalists and Rebels, spies and avengers, the innocent and the evil -- all their paths and fates will cross and intertwine as the Death Star moves from its maiden voyage to its final showdown. And a shadowy chapter of Star Wars history is stunningly illuminated in a thrilling, unforgettable adventure.

Star Wars, Episode 4: A New Hope

Star Wars Movie Cycle: Book 4

Alan Dean Foster

Luke Skywalker was a twenty-year-old who lived and worked on his uncle's farm on the remote planet of Tatooine...and he was bored beyond belief. He yearned for adventures that would take him beyond the farthest galaxies. But he got much more than he bargained for....

Also Published under the Original Title - Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker.

George Lucas also gets full credit for authorship, even though Foster did the ghostwriting and fleshing out of the script for the novelization.

Star Wars, Episode 7: The Force Awakens

Star Wars Movie Cycle: Book 7

Alan Dean Foster

Approximately 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star, Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi, has disappeared. The First Order has risen from the fallen Galactic Empire and seeks to eliminate Luke and the Republic. The Resistance, backed by the Republic and led by Luke's twin sister, Leia Organa, opposes them while searching for Luke to enlist his aid.

Resistance pilot Poe Dameron meets village elder Lor San Tekka on the planet Jakku to obtain a map to Luke's location. Stormtroopers under the command of Kylo Ren destroy the village and capture Poe. Poe's droid BB-8 escapes with the map, and encounters a scavenger, Rey, at a junkyard settlement. Ren tortures Poe and learns of BB-8. Stormtrooper FN-2187, unable to kill for the First Order, frees Poe and they escape in a stolen TIE fighter; Poe dubs FN-2187 "Finn". They crash on Jakku, and Finn appears to be the only survivor. He encounters Rey and BB-8, but the First Order tracks them and launches an airstrike. The three flee the planet in a stolen, rundown ship, the Millennium Falcon.

The Falcon breaks down, and is captured by a much larger ship, piloted by Han Solo and Chewbacca, who reclaim their former vessel. Han explains that Luke tried to rebuild the Jedi Order but went into exile after a student turned to the dark side and destroyed all that Luke had built. Gangs seeking to settle debts with Solo board the ship and attack, but the five escape in the Falcon. The criminals inform the First Order of Han's involvement. The Falcon crew view BB-8's map and determine it is incomplete. They travel to the planet Takodana and meet with cantina owner Maz Kanata, who can help BB-8 reach the Resistance, but Finn wants to flee on his own. Rey is drawn to a vault and finds the lightsaber that belonged to Luke and his father before him. She experiences disturbing visions and flees into the woods. Maz gives Finn the lightsaber for safekeeping.

At the First Order's Starkiller Base, a planet converted to a superweapon capable of destroying star systems, Supreme Leader Snoke orders General Hux to use it for the first time. It destroys the Republic capital and its fleet and Hux declares the end of the Republic. Snoke tells Ren that to overcome the call of the Light Side of the Force, Ren must kill his father, Han Solo. The First Order attacks Takodana. Han, Chewbacca, and Finn are saved by Resistance X-wing fighters led by Poe, but Rey is captured and taken to Starkiller Base. Ren interrogates Rey, but she resists his mind-reading. Discovering she too can use the Force, she escapes her cell with a Jedi mind trick.

Leia arrives at Takodana with C-3PO and reunites with Han and Chewbacca. At the Resistance base on D'Qar, BB-8 finds R2-D2, who has been inactive since Luke's disappearance. As Starkiller Base prepares to fire on D'Qar, the Resistance devises a plan to destroy it by attacking a critical facility. Leia urges Han to return their son alive. Using the Falcon, Han, Chewbacca, and Finn infiltrate the base. They lower its shield, find Rey, set explosives, and encounter Ren. Han confronts Ren, calling him by his birth name, Ben, and implores him to abandon the dark side. Though conflicted, Ren ultimately rejects and kills Han. An enraged Chewbacca shoots Ren in the side and sets off the explosives, allowing the Resistance X-wing fighters to attack the weapon and start a chain reaction that destroys Starkiller Base.

The injured Ren pursues Finn and Rey to the surface. Finn battles Ren with the lightsaber, but is overpowered and badly wounded. Rey takes the lightsaber and fights Ren, overpowering him with the Force before they are separated by a fissure. Snoke orders Hux to evacuate and bring Ren to him, while Rey and Chewbacca escape with Finn in the Falcon. On D'Qar, the Resistance celebrates while Leia, Chewbacca, and Rey mourn Han's death. R2-D2 awakens and reveals the rest of the map, which Rey follows with R2-D2 and Chewbacca to an island on a distant planet. She finds Luke and presents him with his lightsaber.

Death Troopers

Star Wars: Death Troopers: Book 1

Joe Schreiber

In the time immediately following the destruction of the Death Star and the years between the Battle of Yavin and the foundation of the Rebel Base on Hoth, the Empire's grip on the galaxy has become an unyielding fist of retribution. Pressed into action by Emperor Palpatine, Imperial forces have stepped up efforts to hunt down and imprison Rebel sympathizers, shipping them off to newly formed detainment moons via huge prison barges. By necessity these barges are floating chambers of degradation and vice, notoriously unreliable spacecraft staffed by Imperial corrections officers whose cruelty rivals that of the inmates.

The Imperial Prison Barge Virtue is hauling its load of prisoners, criminals and murderers, human and non-human, across the galaxy, when it breaks down in deep space. Soon after, the ship's warden discovers a derelict Star Destroyer, seemingly abandoned, and sends a boarding party to scavenge parts to repair the Virtue. Half of them don't come back. The ones that do are infected with a virus so deadly that within hours, it has wiped out ninety-nine percent of the barge's population.

But for the handful of survivors -- two brothers, the Virtue's female chief medical officer, and a sadistic captain of the guards, along with a certain rogue smuggler and his Wookiee sidekick - the true horror is just begun. Because those inmates and guards who died of the virus don't stay dead... and when they come back, they're extremely hungry. Against their better judgment, the survivors take refuge aboard the massive creaking emptiness of the Destroyer, only to discover that its original population has not disappeared at all -- and that they've been waiting for them.

Red Harvest

Star Wars: Death Troopers: Book 2

Joe Schreiber

Unlike other young Jedi sidelined to the Agricultural Corps--those whose abilities have not proved up to snuff--Hestizo Trace possesses one extraordinary Force talent: a gift with plants. But suddenly her quiet existence among greenhouse and garden specimens is violently destroyed by the arrival of an emissary from Darth Scabrous, a Sith Lord with a fanatical dream poised to become nightmarish reality. For the rare black orchid that Hestizo has nurtured and bonded with is the final ingredient in an ancient Sith formula--crucial to the Dark Lord's obsession, but with consequences far worse than fatal. Now, spawned by a heretofore unknown virus, the rotting, ravenous dead are rising, driven by a bloodthirsty hunger for all things living--and commanded by a Sith Master who lusts for power and the ultimate prize: immortality... no matter the cost.

In Death Ground

Starfire: Book 3

Steve White
David Weber

Five thousand years after Sun Tzu writes The Art of War, his advice is followed during the Fourth Interstellar War between the terrible Bugs and the humans, who are aided by their catlike Orion allies.

Stargate

Stargate

Dean Devlin
Roland Emmerich

The movie tie-in novelization.

A brilliant archeologist and a fearless military man lead a team through the ancient StarGate and discover a planet where the humans are enslaved by the Egyptian god Ra.

Dead End

Stargate Atlantis: Book 12

Chris Wraight

Deep freeze

Trapped on a planet being consumed by a runaway ice age, Colonel Sheppard and his team discover a people -- and a mystery -- long disregarded by the Ancients.

With the Stargate inoperable and their Puddle Jumper damaged, there is no way for Sheppard's team to escape the killing cold. Death seems inevitable until they are rescued by the Forgotten, a people abandoned by those who once protected them -- and now condemned to witness the slow death of their world.

But something terrifying haunts their tunnel homes. When Teyla disappears and Ronon goes missing on the deadly ice plains, Sheppard and McKay risk losing their only chance of getting home in a desperate bid to find their friends and save the Forgotten from extinction...

Death Game

Stargate Atlantis: Book 14

Jo Graham

Colonel John Sheppard wakes up on an alien world in the wreckage of a Puddle Jumper - and can't remember how he got there. Putting the pieces together, he discovers his team is scattered across a tropical archipelago, unable to communicate with each other or return to the Stargate. Prisoners of the local population, Sheppard and Teyla are taken as tribute to the planet's Wraith overlord, while McKay, Ronon, and Zelenka mount a rescue...

Death Match: Sten Omnibus 3

Sten Omnibus: Book 3

Chris Bunch
Allan Cole

Contents:

Vortex - [Sten - 7] - (1992) - novel

Empire's End - [Sten - 8] - (1993) - novel

Land of the Dead

Stoker's Wilde: Book 3

Steven Hopstaken
Melissa Prusi

Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde have returned to their lives in London after their adventures in the American West. Bram is managing a theatre and Oscar is rising to fame and planning his upcoming wedding when they are once again called upon to battle supernatural evil.

Grief-crazed scientist Victor Mueller needs Bram's unusual blood for his mad quest to bring his dead wife back to life, and he'll resort to kidnapping to get it. Meanwhile, a young medium named Lorna Bow runs fake séances in London under the thumb of an abusive uncle. When her mother Endora returns, Lorna learns the truth: they come from a long line of witches, and soon Endora has awakened Lorna's dormant powers.

When the scientist and the witches combine forces, all Hell breaks loose. Long-dead souls find themselves back in the land of the living, and some of them have scores to settle with our heroes. But as Mueller's ambition and her mother's desire for vengeance against the men who imprisoned her become clear, Lorna soon finds herself questioning the morality of their work.

Bram and Oscar must team up with American secret agent Cora Chase to protect all they hold dear. Only a mission into the Land of the Dead can stop Mueller and Endora from bringing back more souls.

Bram's wife Florence must call on the monster-fighting skills she honed in America, and even Oscar's bride Constance has to face new challenges as she learns how the supernatural has shaped her own history.

In an adventure that spans continents -- and even other worlds -- they confront old enemies and unknown dangers. Teaming up with old friends Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Burton and new allies like Arthur Conan Doyle and Nicola Tesla, they too must harness both science and magic to protect our world from intruders from the Land of the Dead.

Kingdoms of Death

Sun Eater: Book 4

Christopher Ruocchio

Hadrian Marlowe is trapped.

For nearly a century, he has been a guest of the Emperor, forced into the role of advisor, a prisoner of his own legend. But the war is changing. Mankind is losing.

The Cielcin are spilling into human space from the fringes, picking their targets with cunning precision. The Great Prince Syriani Dorayaica is uniting their clans, forging them into an army and threat the likes of which mankind has never seen.

And the Empire stands alone.

Now the Emperor has no choice but to give Hadrian Marlowe - once his favorite knight - one more impossible task: journey across the galaxy to the Lothrian Commonwealth and convince them to join the war. But not all is as it seems, and Hadrian's journey will take him far beyond the Empire, beyond the Commonwealth, impossibly deep behind enemy lines.

A New Lease on Death

Supernatural Mysteries: Book 1

Olivia Blacke

Ruby Young's new Boston apartment comes with all the usual perks. Windows facing the brick wall of the next-door building. Heat that barely works. A malfunctioning buzzer. Noisy neighbors. A dead body on the sidewalk outside. And of course, a ghost.

Since Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago, she's kept up her residency, despite being bored out of her (non-tangible) skull and frustrated by her new roommate. When her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building, Cordelia is convinced there's more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice.

Unfortunately, Cordelia, being dead herself, can't solve the mystery alone. She has to enlist the help of the obnoxiously perky, living tenant of her apartment. Ruby is twenty, annoying, and has never met a houseplant she couldn't kill. But she also can do everything Cordelia can't, from interviewing suspects to researching Jake on the library computers that go up in a puff of smoke if Cordelia gets too close. The roommates form an unlikely friendship as they get closer to the truth about Jake's death... and maybe other dangerous secrets as well.

Watcher of the Dead

Sword of Shadows: Book 4

J. V. Jones

In the frigid wasteland of the north, Raif Sevrance, Watcher of the Dead, has endured many trials to lay claim to the renowned sword known as Loss. But the price of wielding the legendary weapon is high, and Raif is unsure if he is willing to pay it. Ash Marsh, Daughter of the Sull, still struggles to come to terms with her heritage, and the knowledge that the Watcher, armed with Loss, could be the one who will save the Sull, or end them. Raina Blackhail, widow of a murdered ruler and wife of his brutal successor, has seen her clan disgraced and has, herself, taken up the mantle of chief. But there are enemies both beyond her gates and within. And in the murky swamps of the Stillwater, two children will learn the secrets of the Marsh clan. Secrets so old they threaten everything.

Death's Acolyte

Swords of Raemllyn: Book 4

Robert E. Vardeman
Geo W. Proctor

The magical Sword of Kwerin Bloodhawk has come into Lijena Farleigh's grasp-and so has a strange, alien lover. Chal is a pacifist in a world plunged into war and double-dealing. Pitted against the two lovers is Zarek Yannis, known as the Blackheart. Love must overcome evil if the kingdom of Raemllyn is to survive.

What Moves the Dead

Sworn Soldier: Book 1

T. Kingfisher

A gripping and atmospheric retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classic "The Fall of the House of Usher."

When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania.

What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.

Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.

Death's Master

Tales from the Flat Earth: Book 2

Tanith Lee

Death's Master, winner of the August Derleth Award for Fantasy, is the second book of the stunning arabesque high fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, which, in the manner of the One Thousand and One Nights, portrays an ancient world in mythic grandeur via connected tales.

Long time ago when the Earth was Flat, beautiful indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above, curious passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below, and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle.

Uhlume, Lord of Death, second of the Lords of Darkness, King of Shadow and Pallor, makes an unusual bargain which sets in motion an intricate sequence of events that entangle men and gods, queens and kings, sorcerers and witches, and lowly wanderers. When the secret to immortality falls into human hands, dark magic and wickedness are unleashed, testing the bounds of mortal love and sanity, and questioning the nature and purpose of life itself.

Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love.

Rediscover the exotic wonder that is the Flat Earth.

The Deaths of Tao

Tao: Book 2

Wesley Chu

The Prophus and the Genjix are at war. For centuries they have sought a way off-planet, guiding humanity's social and technological development to the stage where space travel is possible.

The end is now in sight, and both factions have plans to leave the Earth, but the Genjix method will mean the destruction of the human race.

That's a price they're willing to pay.

Systemic Shock

Ted Quantrill: Book 1

Dean Ing

The acclaimed author of The Ransom of Black Stealth One offers the first book in the Quantrill trilogy--a thriller set in the near future. As the Soviet menace collapses, China and India join forces and launch a devastating nuclear attack on America. And in the lawless anarchy that follows, one young man learns the hard way that the man most likely to survive is the one who learns to kill....

Single Combat

Ted Quantrill: Book 2

Dean Ing

The exciting sequel to Systemic Shock from the bestselling author of The Ransom of Black Stealth One. The nuclear war against China and India has left America victorious, but devastated, and a strong and survival-minded government has seized control of what's left.

Wild Country

Ted Quantrill: Book 3

Dean Ing

Ted Quantrill is a human weapon. He has been a soldier, a commando, and, finally a hit man for the United States government.

But a man can grow tired of killing, and Quantrill has turned his back on the past. Here in the rugged wilderness of the Southwest, he plans to make a new life for himself and the woman he hopes to marry.

But yesterday won't let him alone. To preserve his life, he'll have to kill again. And his target is a good friend, as well-trained and deadly as he is...

Terminator Salvation

Terminator: Book 4

Alan Dean Foster

Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past.

As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynets operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

Tam Lin

Terri Windling's Fairy Tales: Book 2

Pamela Dean

Based upon the classic Scottish fairy tale about a girl's lover being stolen by the Queen of Faery, this magical, contemporary novel is set on a midwestern college campus in the late 1960s and early 1970s with outlandish theater majors.

Death of an Adept

The Adept: Book 5

Katherine Kurtz
Deborah Turner Harris

Sir Adam Sinclair, the mystic historian known as the Adept, has emerged victorious from his encounters against the forces of darkness. But now he faces the most unthinkable crime imaginable against his kind: murder.

Death Got No Mercy

The Afterblight Chronicles: Book 7

Al Ewing

ONE MAN AGAINST A CITY OF MANIACS! This ain't a complicated story, but then Cade wasn't a complicated man. He didn'+t exactly care about people, did Cade, but if one of the people he almost cared about was in trouble, he'd help out if he could. If that meant heading down to San Francisco – even though nobody ever came back from there alive – well, fine. If that meant taking on whole armies of religious maniacs, coupon-clipping cannibals and helter-skelter hippies who dealt out free love and fast death in equal measure, armed with nothing but his two fists and a decent hunting knife... well, I'm kind of runnin' my mouth here. This ain't a peaceful story, is what I'm tryin' to say. And Cade... Cade wasn't a peaceful man.

THE AFTERBLIGHT CHRONICLES: The world has been devastated by an epidemic. Although there are pockets of civilisation, the truth is that the world has gone to hell in a handcart. The reason - a disease that has wiped out most of the world's population. It kills all those who are not of the blood group 'O Neg'. Infrastructures have collapsed. Mobs run rampant. The only kind of law that exists is that imposed by the people with the biggest guns. In this devastated and chaotic world who can bring hope and order?

Barry's Deal

The Amazing Conroy: Book 7

Lawrence M. Schoen

Nebula Award nominated novella.

Barry's Deal is the fourth novella-length adventure from multiple Hugo and Nebula nominee Lawrence M. Schoen and the next installment in the ongoing tales of galaxy-travelling stage hypnotist, the Amazing Conroy, and Reggie, his alien companion animal, a "buffalo dog" who can eat anything and farts oxygen.

In this sequel to BARRY'S TALE (2014 Nebula nominee) Conroy and his buffalito, Reggie are travelling to Triton, to a casino hotel with old friend LeftJohn Mocker, a professional gambler with a double Coltrane rating. Why Triton? Well, there's an illegal auction scheduled there where Conroy hopes to win a bottle of Stonefish liquer, and the Mocker was on his way there anyway at the request of the Probability Guild to investigate allegations of cheating. It looks like everyone will get what they want except... the cheater turns out to be none other than Angela Colson, an eleven-year old girl of incredible power. Conroy saved her life five years earlier with her plushie buffalito, Barry. Somehow she's back, somehow appears to be in her late teens, and somehow has taken the casino for over ten million bucks!

Throw in an evil psychometrist portmaster with a grudge against LeftJohn Mocker, a stinky alien with a secret, and a terrorist with a suitcase-sized nuke, and the state is set for hypnotic hijinks and some fine dining as only The Amazing Conroy can command.

Death-Bringer

The Amtrak Wars: Book 5

Patrick Tilley

Hundreds of years after civilisation has been destroyed by nuclear war, the Earth is divided between the Trackers of the Amtrak Federation – a community living in vast subterranean cities – and the Mutes, who have evolved to withstand the radiation that has driven their foes underground. A long war for possession of the overground has killed and enslaved many of the Mutes, leaving only the Plainfolk to resist the Federation. And now the Iron Masters – a powerful people living in the traditions of the Samurai – have joined the struggle for dominance.

Steve Brickman, Tracker agent for the Amtrak Federation, and blood brother to the Mute clan M'Call, is struggling to maintain his double life. After evading the Iron Masters, Brickman's love – Mute summoner Clearwater – has finally been captured by the Federation. As she lays fighting for her life, Brickman must keep up the pretence of his disinterest in front of his Federation handlers. Pretending to orchestrate a plan to capture Cadillac and Mr Snow, who intimidate the Federation with their strong Mute earth-magic, Steve finds it increasingly difficult to outwit his Tracker comrades. Only Roz – his powerfully psychic kin-sister – knows of Brickman's predicament. Together they must work tirelessly under a false loyalty to the Federation.

They must prepare themselves, for a great battle is coming, one which will test the Plainfolk magic to its limit, and prove Brickman worthy of the name 'Death Bringer.' As both the Federation and the Iron Masters plot revenge, all players will soon come under the power of the Talisman Prophesy.

Death Bringer, first published in 1989, is the fifth instalment of Patrick Tilley's internationally best selling science fiction epic, The Amtrak Wars Saga.

Shout for the Dead

The Ascendants of Estoria: Book 2

James Barclay

Ten years have passed, and Estorea is consumed by war. The four ascendants have chosen different sides in the conflict. As the armies muster and the final conflict draws close, the ascendants are only now coming to their full power, and soon summoned armies of the dead will march against the living.

The Great Ordeal

The Aspect-Emperor: Book 3

R. Scott Bakker

As Fanim war-drums beat just outside the city, the Empress Anasurimbor Esmenet searches frantically throughout the palace for her missing son Kelmomas. Meanwhile and many miles away, Esmenet's husband's Great Ordeal continues its epic march further north. But in light of dwindling supplies, the Aspect-Emperor's decision to allow his men to consume the flesh of fallen Sranc could have consequences even He couldn't have foreseen. And, deep in Ishuäl, the wizard Achamian grapples with his fear that his unspeakably long journey might be ending in emptiness, no closer to the truth than when he set out.

The Aspect-Emperor series is the successor to Bakker's Prince of Nothing saga, revisiting the same world twenty years later. The Great Ordeal follows The Judging Eye and The White-Luck Warrior, and delivers the first half of the conclusion to this epic story. Returning to Bakker's richly imagined universe of myth, violence and sorcery, the Aspect-Emperor continues to set the bar for the fantasy genre, reaching new heights of intricacy and meaning.

Dead Man's Hand

The Assassin: Book 1

Tim Lebbon

Doug is a just a normal guy. He lives in Deadwood, runs a store, and does his best to keep away from trouble when it rides into town. But when trouble comes looking for him - in the shape of a one-eyed, wounded gunfighter called Gabriel - Doug is drawn into his skewed world. Because Gabriel is here to find and kill Temple, a man he says is much more than a man. He's a demon. A demon with a particular mission in mind.

Deadwood is about to get lively.

The Frosted Death

The Avenger: Book 5

Kenneth Robeson

A fine, white powder like snow settles on one human body and a plague of death is alive in the world's greatest city. One man's greed has created the deadly powder- and only The Avenger can stop its murderous spread.

Paul Ernst authored this novel under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

Stockholders in Death

The Avenger: Book 7

Kenneth Robeson

Big business and organized crime team up in the search for millions in missing securities. Their partnership produces murder until The Avenger decides to join the company.

In the roaring heart of the crucible, steel is made. In the raging flame of personal tragedy, men are sometimes forged into something more than human.

It was so with Dick Benson. He had been a man. After the dread loss inflicted on him by an inhuman crime ring, he became a machine of vengeance dedicated to the extermination of all other crime rings.

He turned into the the person we know now: A figure of ice and steel, more pitiless than both; A mechanism of whipcord and flame; A symbol to crooks and killers; A terrible, almost impersonal force, masking chill genius and super normal power behind a face as white and dead as a mask from the grave. Only his pale eyes, like ice in a polar dawn, hint at the deadliness of the scourge the underworld heedlessly invoked against itself when crime's greed turned millionaire adventurer Richard Benson into The Avenger.

Paul Ernst authored this novel under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

House of Death

The Avenger: Book 15

Kenneth Robeson

Few families in the world were more powerful. Yet, even the Haygars were powerless to halt the horror hidden in the set of gold medallions. The coins were summoning the clan and the Avenger to a rendezvous with death.

Paul Ernst authored this novel under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

Death in Slow Motion

The Avenger: Book 18

Kenneth Robeson

Death in Slow Motion cripples an American industry, and Justice, Inc. must find an antidote in time to save hundreds from the deadly paralysis plague!

Paul Ernst authored this novel under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

Pictures of Death

The Avenger: Book 19

Kenneth Robeson

Cunning thieves smuggle stolen art into the country. But their crimes are only "act one" in a giant scenario of destruction. Can the avenger discover the link between smugglers and saboteurs in time to avert disaster?

Paul Ernst authored this novel under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

The Black Death

The Avenger: Book 22

Kenneth Robeson

Who was this devil, the leader of the Black Wings Cult, who could kill from afar? The Avenger himself would receive the black orchid of death before he found out.

Paul Ernst authored this novel under the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson.

The Death Machine

The Avenger: Book 32

Kenneth Robeson

The Avenger and his band of associates comprised Justice, Inc., and, armed with keen gadgets, clear genius, stout hearts, good humor, and the force of right set forth from their Bleek Street headquarters to thwart evil.

When the suicide rate in San Francisco soars, rumor blames a Fantastic new death machine as the cause. Can a Death Machine drive prominent men to suicide? Only The Avenger has the scientific know-how to verify whether such an instrument exists. If it does, can The Avenger defy it?

Watchers in Death

The Beast Arises: Book 9

David Annandale

The attempt to hunt down and kill the orks' leader has ended in catastrophe. The Imperium is reeling from the loss of so many beloved heroes, and the military forces of mankind have been reduced to tatters. Koorland now knows that brute force is not the answer--but how else can the orks be fought? In a radical move, he creates small, mixed Chapter units of Adeptus Astartes--compact teams that will hit the enemy hard and fast, and with deadly accuracy. With armour painted the black of mourning, the new strike teams become known as the Deathwatch. But will this be enough to tip the balance, or does the Imperium need to discover other new means to defeat the orks?

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor

The Carls: Book 2

Hank Green

Who has the right to change the world forever?

How will we live online?

How do we find comfort in an increasingly isolated world?

The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While the robots were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction with only their presence. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May: a young woman who stumbled into Carl's path, giving them their name, becoming their advocate, and putting herself in the middle of an avalanche of conspiracy theories.

Months later, April's friends are trying to find their footing in a post-Carl world. Andy has picked up April's mantle of fame, speaking at conferences and online; Maya, ravaged by grief, begins to follow a string of mysteries that she is convinced will lead her to April; and Miranda is contemplating defying her friends' advice and pursuing a new scientific operation... one that might have repercussions beyond anyone's comprehension. Just as it is starting to seem like the gang may never learn the real story behind the events that changed their lives forever, a series of clues arrive--mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers--all of which seems to suggest that April could be very much alive.

Dead Harvest

The Collector: Book 1

Chris F. Holm

Meet Sam Thornton, Collector of Souls.

Sam's job is to collect the souls of the damned, and ensure their souls are dispatched to the appropriate destination.

But when he's dispatched to collect the soul of a young woman he believes to be innocent of the horrific crime that's doomed her to Hell, he says something no Collector has ever said before.

"No."

A Death in the House: And Other Stories

The Complete Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak: Book 7

Clifford D. Simak

Ten thrilling and intriguing tales of space travel, war, and alien encounters from multiple Hugo Award-winning Grand Master of Science Fiction Clifford D. Simak.

From Frank Herbert's Dune to Isaac Asimov's Foundation series to Philip K. Dick's stories of bizarre visions of a dystopian future, the latter half of the twentieth century produced some of the finest examples of speculative fiction ever published. Yet no science fiction author was more highly regarded than Grand Master Clifford D. Simak, winner of numerous honors, including the Hugo and Nebula Awards and a Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.

This magnificent compendium of stories, written during science fiction's golden age, highlights Simak at his very best, combining ingenious concepts with his trademark humanism and exploring strange visitations, remarkable technologies, and humankind's destiny in the possible worlds of tomorrow. Whether it's an irascible old man's discovery of a very unusual skunk that puts him at odds with the US Air Force, a county agent's strange bond with the sentient alien flora he discovers growing in his garden, the problems a small town faces when its children mature too rapidly thanks to babysitters from another galaxy, or the gift a lonely farmer receives in exchange for aiding a dying visitor from another world, the events detailed in Simak's poignant and beautiful tales will thrill, shock, amuse, and astonish in equal measure.

One of the genre's premier literary artists, Simak explores time travel and time engines; examines the rituals and superstitions of galactic travelers who have long forgotten their ultimate purpose; and even takes fascinating detours through World War II and the wild American West in a wondrous anthology that no science fiction fan should be without.

Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead

The Corax Trilogy: Book 1

K. J. Parker

There's no formal training for battlefield salvage. You just have to pick things up as you go along. Swords, armour, arrows - and the bodies, of course.

Over the years, Saevus Corax has picked up a lot of things. Some of them have made him decent money, others have brought nothing but trouble. But it's a living, and somebody has to deal with the dead.

Something else that Saevus has buried is his past. Unfortunately, he didn't quite succeed.

Three Parts Dead

The Craft Sequence: Book 1

Max Gladstone

A god has died, and it's up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart.

Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis's steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.

Tara's job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who's having an understandable crisis of faith.

When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb's courts -- and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb's slim hope of survival.

Dead Country

The Craft Wars: Book 1

Max Gladstone

Since her village chased her out with pitchforks, Tara Abernathy has resurrected gods, pulled down monsters, averted wars, and saved a city, twice. She thought she'd left her dusty little hometown forever. But that was before her father died.

As she makes her way home to bury him, she finds a girl, as powerful and vulnerable and lost as she once was. Saving her from raiders twisted by the God Wars, Tara changes the course of the world.

Dead Country is the first book in the Craft Wars Series, a tight sequence of novels that will bring the sprawling saga of the Craft to its end, and the perfect entry point to this incomparable world.

A Call to Arms

The Damned: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

For eons, the Amplitur had searched space for intelligent species, each of which was joyously welcomed to take part in the fulfillment of the Amplitur Purpose. Whether it wanted to or not. When the Amplitur and their allies stumbled upon the races called the Weave, the Purpose seemed poised for a great leap forward. But the Weave's surprising unity also gave it the ability to fight the Amplitur and their cause. And fight it did -- for thousands of years.

Will Dulac was a New Orleans composer who thought the tiny reef off Belize would be the perfect spot to drop anchor and finish his latest symphony in solitude. What he found instead was a group of alien visitors -- a scouting party for the Weave, looking. for allies among what they believed to be a uniquely warlike race: Humans.

Will tried to convince the aliens that Man was fundamentally peaceful, for he understood that Human involvement would destroy the race. But all too soon, it didn't matter. The Amplitur had discovered Earth...

The False Mirror

The Damned: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

For millennia, the alien union called the Weave had ben at war with evil Amplitur. When its new elite fighting unit appeared, it became frighteningly clear that Amplitur was subjecting humans to vile genetic manipulations. The Weave could reverse the effects, but the result could turn the former warriors into the most despicable creatures in the galaxy....

The Spoils of War

The Damned: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

The Weave was on the verge of winning a decisive victory after a milennia of war, thanks to their new allies from earth. But then the birdlike Wais scholar Lalelang found evidence that Humans might not adapt well to peace. Researching further, she uncovered a secret group of telepathic Humans called the Core, who were on the verge of starting another war, and then eliminating Lalelang. At the last moment, she was saved by a lone Core commander. He took a chance on her intelligence and compassion, and gambled the fate of Humanity on the possibility that together, they could find an alternative to a galaxy-wide bloodbath....

Spring's Arcana

The Dead God's Heart: Book 1

Lilith Saintcrow

Nat Drozdova is desperate to save a life. Doctors can do little for her cancer-ridden mother, who insists there is only one cure - and that Nat must visit a skyscraper in Manhattan to get it.

Amid a snow-locked city, inside a sleek glass-walled office, Nat makes her plea and is whisked into a terrifying new world. For the skyscraper holds a hungry winter goddess who has the power to cure her mother... if Nat finds a stolen object of great power.

Now Nat must travel with a razor-wielding assassin across an American continent brimming with terror, wonder, and hungry divinities with every reason to consume a young woman. For her ailing mother is indeed suffering no ordinary illness, and Nat Drozdova is no ordinary girl. Blood calls to blood, magic to magic, and a daughter may indeed save what she loves...

...if it doesn't consume her first.

This is the way to the Dead God's Heart.

The Salt-Black Tree

The Dead God's Heart: Book 2

Lilith Saintcrow

What happens when you find a way to save your loved one... but the price might not be worth it...

Nat Drozdova has crossed half the continent in search of the stolen Dead God's Heart, the only thing powerful enough to trade for her beautiful, voracious, dying mother's life. Yet now she knows the secret of her own birth?and that she's been lied to all her young life.

The road to the Heart ends at the Salt-Black Tree, but to find it Nat must pay a deadly price. Pursued by mouthless shadows hungry for the blood of new divinity as well as the razor-wielding god of thieves, Nat is on her own. Her journey leads through a wilderness of gods old and new, across a country as restless as its mortal inhabitants, and it's too late to back out now.

Blood may not always prevail. Magic might not always work. And the young Drozdova is faced with an impossible choice: Save her mother's very existence...

...or accept the consequences of her own.

Dragon Wing

The Death Gate Cycle: Book 1

Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman

Preeminent storytellers Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have redefined epic fantasy. Since the publication of their Dragonlance series, millions of readers have enjoyed their imaginative world-building, rich characterization, and intricate storylines. Now these bestsellingauthors bring their talents to one of the most innovative fantasy creations ever in Dragon Wing, the first volume in The Death Gate Cycle.

Elven Star

The Death Gate Cycle: Book 2

Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman

On steamy Pryan, never-ending sunlight and plentiful rain have created a jungle so vast that humans and elves dwell high in the trees and only dwarves live anywhere near the ground. From the treetops the aristocratic elves sell weapons to the other races, whose incessant warfare sends a steady steam of profits and essential resources skyward. Now, generations of dissent and race hatred will not heal -- not even under the threat of annihilation at the hands of legendary Titans. Armed with little more than their wits and prophecy, an elf, a human, and a dwarf must unite to try to save the world from destruction.

Fire Sea

The Death Gate Cycle: Book 3

Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman

Abarrach, the Realm of stone. Here, on a barren world of underground caverns built around a core of molten lava, the lesser races -- humans, elves, and dwarves -- seem to have all died off. Here, too, what may well be the last remnants of the once powerful Sartan still struggle to survive. For Haplo and Alfred -- enemies by heritage, traveling companions by necessity -- Abarrach may reveal more than either dares to discover about the history of Sartan... and the future of all their descendants.

Serpent Mage

The Death Gate Cycle: Book 4

Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman

After the four worlds Alfred has at last found his people on Chelstra, the realm of sea. But his travels have taught him to be cautious... and Alfred soon realizes his caution is justified, even among his own kind. The one person Alfred can trust is, strangely, Haplo the Patryn. But Haplo's lord has decreed all Sartan to be the enemy, and Haplo dares not go against his lord. Now the companions have arrived in a land where humans, elves, and dwarves have learned to live in peace. Unaware of an even greater threat to all the realms, it is Sartan and Patryn who will disrupt this alliance of the lesser races in their struggle to gain control of all four worlds. Only Alfred and Haplo realize that they have a much older -- and more powerful -- enemy than each other...

The Hand of Chaos

The Death Gate Cycle: Book 5

Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman

Chaos is everywhere as the Lord of the Nexus orders his servant Haplo and the human child known as Bane to further their master's work on Arianus, the realm of air. But their one time companion Alfred has been cast into the deadly Labyrinth. And somehow the assassin Hugh the Hand has been resurrected to complete his dark mission. More important, the evil force that Haplo and Alfred discovered on Arianus has escaped. As Haplo's doubts about his master grow deeper, he must decide whether to obey the Lord of the Nexus or betray the powerful Patryn...and endeavor to bring peace to the universe.

Into the Labyrinth

The Death Gate Cycle: Book 6

Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman

Pursued by assassins, Haplo, the only one who knows the location of the mysterious Seventh Gate, and his old companion, Alfred, seek refuge in the Labyrinth, a lethal prison maze whose inhabitants are condemned to death.

The Seventh Gate

The Death Gate Cycle: Book 7

Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman

The Seventh Gate is the thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. In this tale of treachery, power, and heroism, Alfred, Haplo, and Marit embark on a journey of death and discovery as they seek to enter the dreaded Seventh Gate. Encountering enemies both old and new, they unleash a magic no power can control, damning themselves to an apocalypse of unimagined proportion in a final struggle between good and evil.

The Deathless

The Deathless: Book 1

Peter Newman

From one of fantasy's biggest recent breakthrough authors comes an exciting, brand new series.

The demons...

In the endless forests of the Wild, humanity scratches a living by the side of the great Godroads, paths of crystal that provide safe passage and hold back the infernal tide. Creatures lurk within the trees, watching, and plucking those who stray too far from safety.

The Deathless...

In crystal castles held aloft on magical currents, seven timeless royal families reign, protecting humanity from the spread of the Wild and its demons. Born and reborn into flawless bodies, the Deathless are as immortal as the precious stones from which they take their names. For generations a fragile balance has held.

And the damned...

House Sapphire, one of the ancient Deathless families, is riven by suspicion and madness. Whole villages are disappearing as the hunting expeditions holding the Wild at bay begin to fail.

Then, when assassins strike, House Sapphire shatters.

Nothing lasts forever.

The Deathless is the first novel in an astonishing new series from Gemmell award-winning author Peter Newman.

The Ruthless

The Deathless: Book 2

Peter Newman

THE REBEL
For years, Vasin Sapphire has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Now, as other Deathless families come under constant assault from the monsters that roam the Wild, that time has come.

THE RUTHLESS
In the floating castle of Rochant Sapphire, loyal subjects await the ceremony to return their ruler to his rightful place. But the child raised to give up his body to Lord Rochant is no ordinary servant. Strange and savage, he will stop at nothing to escape his gilded prison.

AND THE RETURNED...
Far below, another child yearns to see the human world. Raised by a creature of the Wild, he knows their secrets better than any other. As he enters into the struggle between the Deathless houses, he may be the key to protecting their power or destroying it completely.

THE WILD HAS BEGUN TO RISE

The Boundless

The Deathless: Book 3

Peter Newman

THE BATTLE

House Sapphire has a new leader, but High Lord Vasinidra cannot stand still for a moment. The monsters of the Wild are hunting with a new intelligence and purpose, and one Deathless family is already on the brink of extinction.

THE BETRAYERS

In the forests of the Wild, Chandni faces a choice that will transform her or destroy her. Far above, her two sons are reunited at last and forced to confront their true origins.

AND THE BOUNDLESS

Pari Tanzanite has never stayed within the rules. On a desperate journey to the source of her world's magic, Pari will discover secrets even she could never have imagined - secrets that will change the rules completely.

A NEW POWER IS APPROACHING

Death's Gray Land

The Destiny Makers: Book 4

Mike Shupp

Tim Harper is in exile in Alghrea 90,000 years from his own time - unless he can change the fate of history and win a war already lost, Alghera is doomed to destruction. Harper has died and lost the war once , and though time-travel allows him another attempt, there are agents within the project who plan to subvert any manipulation of the past.

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 1

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 1

Nigozyu

When the story begins without its hero

Kimihiko Kimizuka has always been a magnet for trouble and intrigue. For as long as he can remember, he's been stumbling across murder scenes or receiving mysterious attache cases to transport. When he met Siesta, a brilliant detective fighting a secret war against an organization of pseudohumans, he couldn't resist the call to become her assistant and join her on an epic journey across the world... Until a year ago, that is. Now he's returned to a life that is normal and tepid by comparison, knowing the adventure must be over. After all, the detective is already dead.

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 2

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 2

Nigozyu

WHO WERE YOU TO HER? WHO WAS SHE TO YOU?

While on an outing one day, Kimihiko Kimizuka and his three friends are kidnapped by... Siesta herself?! But they soon learn there's more to the story as she reveals the long-forgotten truth about Siesta's death. Will this be the clue that finally unlocks the secrets of Kimihiko's past?

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 3

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 3

Nigozyu

What's wrong with this story?

After being kidnapped, Kimizuka, Natsunagi, Saikawa, and Charlie have learned the truth about Siesta's death... or have they? A girl who looks just like the deceased appears and informs them that the footage they've been investigating contains an error. As they hunt for an answer to a mystery that even Siesta couldn't uncover, the group will learn what it truly means to inherit the legacy of an ace detective. Though the detective may already be dead and the truth of her passing revealed, it's still too early for the epilogue...

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 4

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 4

Nigozyu

Once the assistant to a great detective, Kimihiko Kimizuka took on a challenge Siesta bequeathed to him after her death and arrived at a conclusion that surpassed his wildest expectations. To bring back the great detective--the stuff of miracles--Kimihiko and Natsunagi fly to London yet again to obtain evidence that can bring down Seed. On the flight there, however, he hears the same words as he did four years ago: "Is there a detective on the plane?"

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 5

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 5

Nigozyu

We won't let you die again!

Reunited with Siesta, Kimihiko is pulled back into action as assistant to the Ace Detective. Together, the two face off against Seed again and, with a little extra help, defeat him. Although that particular crisis may be over, the journey to awaken Natsunagi continues. In search of clues for how to save her, Siesta and Kimihiko travel to New York City. However, instead of answers, they find trouble brewing with the Phantom Thief-and worst of all, Siesta disappears!

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 6

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 6

Nigozyu

Siesta and Kimihiko's first meeting did not take place during that fateful plane hijacking but rather four years earlier, when the Federation Government tasked Siesta with locating a spy in Japan. During her undercover investigation, she happened upon her future assistant, who had a connection with the spy she was looking for. With Kimihiko as her only lead, she enlisted his help in the search. But Siesta hid her identity with constant disguises, so unbeknownst to Kimihiko, he had already met the Ace Detective. Finally, the story of their true encounter--and the reason behind Siesta's invitation to Kimihiko on that day in the sky--is revealed in this prequel!

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 7

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 7

Nigozyu

The second act is about to begin. The adventure of the detective and her assistant began ten thousand meters above the earth. They helped clients, solved cases, fought powerful enemies, and traveled all over the world--and then the detective died. The story should have ended there. But a year later, one girl's passion set it in motion again. After many battles and sacrifices, a miracle was granted. Now that it's all over, Kimihiko Kimizuka is basking in the ordinary life that comes afterward. (Am I okay with that, you ask? Sure. It's not like I'm causing trouble for anybody. I mean, it's true, isn't it? The detective is already--)

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 8

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 8

Nigozyu

"Let's go on a journey to unlock the world's secrets."

Kimihiko Kimizuka was once the assistant to two Ace Detectives, and after achieving a miracle, the sequel to the story was ordinary life. The Ritual of Sacred Return was supposed to be the moment world peace was achieved--but instead, it was discovered that something was wrong with the memories of the world. As the search for the truth begins, it seems Kimihiko's memories of his brief but extraordinary adventure with another Tuner, Rill, may hold the key...

The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 9

The Detective Is Already Dead: Book 9

Nigozyu

"Let me tell you the story of a man who lived and fought through each and every day."

With the world in peril once again, Kimihiko Kimizuka returns to his role as the Ace Detective's assistant and sets out on a journey to recover the lost memories of humanity. Using the Sacred Relic discovered by the Oracle, he investigates a past global crisis with the Vampire, Scarlet, at the very heart of it. But as Kimihiko delves deeper, harrowing truths once beyond his reach begin to bubble to the surface...

The Moonsteel Crown

The Dominion: Book 1

Stephen Deas

The Emperor of Aria has been murdered, the Empire is in crisis, and Dead Men walk the streets...

But Myla, Fings, and Seth couldn't care less. They're too busy just trying to survive in the Sulk-struck city of Varr, committing petty violence and pettier crimes to earn their keep in the Unrulys, a motley gang led by Blackhand.

When the Unrulys are commissioned to steal a mysterious item to order, by an equally mysterious patron, the trio are thrust right into the bitter heart of a struggle for the Crown, where every faction is after what they have.

Forced to lie low in a city on lockdown, they will have to work together if they want to save their skins... and maybe just save the Empire as well.

The House of Cats and Gulls

The Dominion: Book 2

Stephen Deas

Myla, Seth, and Fings find themselves under siege in Deephaven, a city ravaged by the plague, and stalked by demons.

Myla has returned with Orien to her native Deepwater to face her past. Learning she's in trouble, Fingers and Seth head off on a rescue mission. Myla doesn't need rescuing, thanks, but now that they're in Deepwater, Seth delves into the secrets of a dead warlock and Fingers digs into the truth of his missing brother.

But as the trio converge towards a conspiracy against the throne, Deepwater is attacked by an incomprehensible enemy. As demons, madness and the walking dead stalk the plague-ravaged city, Myla discovers that saving her friends and family is more important than a glorious death, and Seth embraces the darkness within.

Herald of the Black Moon

The Dominion: Book 3

Stephen Deas

The Wraiths have raised an army of the dead. An army of the living is marching on the throne. Caught in the middle, Myla is supposed to be spying on a sorceress who can read minds. Things are not going well.

Far away, Seth and Fings are trying their hardest to have nothing to do with any of this. All Fings has to do is not steal anything. All Seth has to do is not meddle with Forbidden Magics. All they have to do is lie low. And for once, it's all going swimmingly. Until, that is, Fings sees a face he thought they'd left behind in the ashes of Deephaven.

As Seth's past catches up with him and Myla unravels the true nature of the Empire's new Princess-Regent, the trio converge on the dead city of Valladrune. Armed with sinister secret behind an old war, they once more hold the fate of the Empire in their reluctant hands.

If only they knew what the heck to do with it.

Death Masks

The Dresden Files: Book 5

Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But now he's getting more than he bargained for.

A duel with the Red Court of Vampires' champion, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards...

Professional hit men using Harry for target practice...

The missing Shroud of Turin...

A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified...

Not to mention the return of Harry's ex-girlfriend Susan, who's still struggling with her semivampiric nature. And who seems to have a new man in her life.

Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you're charging.

Dead Beat

The Dresden Files: Book 7

Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden must save Chicago from black magic and necromancy -- but first, he must locate the Word of Kemmler. Just as soon as he figures out what that is. It's all in a day's work for the city's only professional wizard ... assuming he can live to see the end of the day.

The Deathworms of Kratos

The Expendables: Book 1

Edmund Cooper

Humanity in the year 2071 is straining at the limits of terrestrial and solar sustainability. With billions of people placing a demand on Earth's finite resources, an outlet is needed. Robot probes have identified planets in other systems capable of supporting human life. But before they can be colonized they must be proven - a high-risk prospect. Enter the Expendables: a group of highly talented criminals and misfits who combine technical expertise in their chosen fields with checkered pasts. Led by James Conrad, a former commander in the United Nations Space Service, they are sent out to explore Kratos, the first viable planet discovered by the probes. Yet not only must the team determine the planets viability as a colony for humans, they must also answer an additional question - just who or what left the large ruts scarring the planet's surface?

Seize What's Held Dear

The Fall of the Censor: Book 3

Karl K. Gallagher

A dozen cities nuked. Millions dead. The Fierans are burning for revenge.

Marcus Landry is eager to fight the Censorate, but desperate to protect the innocents oppressed by Censorate rule... including his beloved, trapped behind enemy lines.

Dead Man in a Ditch

The Fetch Phillips Archives: Book 2

Luke Arnold

The name's Fetch Phillips -- what do you need?

Cover a Gnome with a crossbow while he does a dodgy deal? Sure. Find out who killed Lance Niles, the big-shot businessman who just arrived in town? I'll give it shot. Help an old-lady Elf track down her husband's murderer? That's right up my alley.

What I don't do, because it's impossible, is search for a way to bring the goddamn magic back. Rumors got out about what happened with the Professor, so now people keep asking me to fix the world. But there's no magic in this story. Just dead friends, twisted miracles, and a secret machine made to deliver a single shot of murder.

One of Us Will Be Dead by Morning

The Final War: Book 1

David Moody

In One of Us Will Be Dead by Morning, David Moody returns to the world of his Hater trilogy with a new fast-paced, and wonderfully dark story about humanity's fight for survival in the face of the impending apocalypse.

The fewer left alive, the higher the stakes.
Kill the others, before one of them kills you.

Fourteen people are trapped on Skek, a barren island in the middle of the North Sea somewhere between the coasts of the UK and Denmark. Over the years this place has served many purposes?a fishing settlement, a military outpost, a scientific base?but one by one its inhabitants have abandoned its inhospitable shores. Today it's home to Hazleton Adventure Experiences, an extreme sports company specializing in corporate team building events.

Life there is fragile and tough. One slip is all it takes. A momentary lapse leads to a tragic accident, but when the body count quickly starts to rise, questions are inevitably asked. Are the deaths coincidental, or something else entirely? Those people you thought you knew, can you really trust them? Is the person standing next to you a killer? Will you be their next victim?

A horrific discovery changes everything, and a trickle of rumors becomes a tsunami of fear. Is this the beginning of the end of everything, or a situation constructed by the mass hysteria of a handful of desperate and terrified people?

The Deathly Grimm

The Forest Grimm: Book 2

Kathryn Purdie

Clara and Axel must return to the forest--and its monsters--if they have any hope of finally breaking the curse on their village...

Emerging from the shadows of the Forest Grimm, Clara and Axel return to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest's border. But when the woods begin luring villagers into the forest, it becomes clear that the darkness they battled was merely a whisper of the true horror lurking there.

Burdened by unsettling visions and bound by a love as perilous as the cursed woods that call to them, Clara and Axel must once again enter the forest to unearth the sinister secret at its heart. As they fight murderous woodsmen wielding riddles sharp as blades, spectral maidens who threaten to drag them into an eternal dance, and phantoms able to use the very essence of the forest against them, Clara and Axel realize the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't break the curse once and for all, they may not have a home to return to...

The Dead-Tossed Waves

The Forest of Hands and Teeth: Book 2

Carrie Ryan

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She's content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry's mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother's past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

Phylogenesis

The Founding of the Commonwealth: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

In the years after first contact, humans and the intelligent insect like Thranx agree to a tentative sharing of ideas and cultures despite the ingrained repulsion they have yet to overcome. Thus, a slow, lengthy process of limited contact begins.

Yet they never plan for a chance meeting between a misfit artist and a petty thief. Desvendapur is a talented Thranx poet who is bored with his life and needs new inspiration for his work. Venturing beyond the familiar, Desvendapur runs into Cheelo Montoya, a small-time criminal with big dreams of making a fast buck. Together they will embark upon a journey that will forever change their beliefs, their futures, and their worlds...

Dirge

The Founding of the Commonwealth: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

In the second half of the twenty-fourth century, diplomatic relations proceed cautiously between thranx and humans. But the insectlike beings are nearly forgotten with the sudden discovery of an ideal planet to colonize-Argus V-and the startling appearance of a new race of space-faring aliens. People are dazzled by the beautiful, glamorous pitar. Then tragedy strikes.

The entire human population on Argus V is brutally slaughtered. Not a single clue remains to identify the unseen executioners. But from a tiny inner moon of Argus V comes a faint signal. On that insignificant chunk of rubble lies the key to the crime-setting in motion a cataclysmic chain of events with deadly consequences for thranx, pitar, and human alike. For their worlds will be changed forever by a colossal battle that is their future and their destiny...

Diuturnity's Dawn

The Founding of the Commonwealth: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

From the beginning, contact between humankind and the thranx has been tenuous at best. Nearly a century after first contact, the likelihood of closer human/thranx relations is as far away as ever. Yet idealists on both sides refuse to surrender their dreams of achieving an alliance. Among the most dedicated are a minor diplomat named Fanielle Anjou and her thranx counterpart. Others intend to make sure such a liaison never comes to pass... by any means necessary.

For these xenophobes, the upcoming Humanx Inter-Cultural Fair, the first wholly cross-species event, is a hideous confirmation of their worst fears. Zealots on both sides vow it will be the last of its kind, no matter how many must die. In the coming conflagration Fanielle holds the key to triumph, but only if she can outwit those desperate to silence her forever....

Death Wave

The Grand Tour: 3: Star Quest Trilogy: Book 20

Ben Bova

In Ben Bova's previous novel New Earth, Jordan Kell led the first human mission beyond the solar system. They discovered the ruins of an ancient alien civilization. But one alien AI survived, and it revealed to Jordan Kell that an explosion in the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy has created a wave of deadly radiation, expanding out from the core toward Earth. Unless the human race acts to save itself, all life on Earth will be wiped out.

When Kell and his team return to Earth, many years after their departure, they find that their world has changed almost beyond recognition. Not only has a second wave of greenhouse flooding caused sea levels to rise, but society has been changed by the consequences of the climate shift. Few people want to face Jordan Kell's news. He must convince Earth's new rulers that the human race is in danger of extinction unless it acts to forestall the death wave coming from the galaxy's heart.

Six-time Hugo Award winner Ben Bova chronicles the saga of humankind's expansion beyond the solar system in Death Wave

Grave Dealings

The Grave Report: Book 3

R. R. Virdi

Don't make deals with the paranormal. They're better at it than you, and they never play fair.

Paranormal investigator and soul without a body, Vincent Graves, did just that--a deal made in desperation. Now it's coming back to bite him in the middle of a case.

He has 57 hours to investigate a string of deaths involving people who've made some devilish bargains. Too bad devils don't deal in good faith. It'd be easy enough, if he didn't have to deal with things such as:

Being hunted through the streets of Queens by a dark elf with a motorcycle fetish.

Ending up the target of a supernatural hit.

An old acquaintance dragging him to a paranormal ball where he could end up on the menu.

And having one of his closest guarded secrets brought to light...

Not great for a tight clock, because if he doesn't get to the bottom of this case in time, Vincent and company might just lose their souls. Dirty deals are never done dirt cheap. And the supernatural always collect--big!

Dead Man's Steel

The Grim Company: Book 3

Luke Scull

In the City of Towers, former rebel Sasha and her comrade Davarus Cole struggle to keep the peace between the warring mages who vie for dominion. But when the White Lady sends Davarus south to the Shattered Realms to seek allies among the fallen kingdoms, he finds that his hardest battle may be one fought within. The godly essence now residing within him offers power that could be used against the Fade--but with every death that feeds It, Cole risks losing a part of himself.

An association with a Fade officer grants the Halfmage Eremul a position of privilege among Dorminia's new masters. He witnesses firsthand the fate that awaits humanity. But with his magic pitiful in the face of the Fade's advanced technology, the Halfmage must rely on his wits alone to save whom he can...

And in the frozen north, the legendary warrior Brodar Kayne fights a desperate battle for his people. He is running out of time: an ancient evil sealed beneath the mountains is about to break free, an evil that is older than humanity, older than the Fade, older even than the gods--and it will not stop until the entire world is drowned in blood...

The Realm of the Deathless

The High and Faraway: Book 3

Greg Keyes

The Curse shaped Aster's life from birth. At first, she believed her father was its only victim, and determined to save him from it. In doing so she learned that the Curse had stricken everyone in the magical realms known as the Kingdoms -- and that, in an attempt to protect her, her father had himself created it. Now he is dead, a victim of his own sorcery. But the Curse has not ended with him. Her father's actions, his dread spell, were only the shadows cast by a much deeper, older conflict, which is now unwinding the universe itself.

As the sun fades and the stars wink out, Aster must follow a clue from her dead father to the highest, furthest domain -- beyond the fairy-tale kingdoms, through fantastic and terrifying realms of gods and demons, to the very source of reality, the beginning and ending of everything. There she might finally set things right. Her path is narrow, and the sacrifices necessary for even a tiny chance at success are unacceptable.

For the Curse has also released a rot at the very heart of the High and Faraway, an evil more ancient than time itself. It is against this unwavering malevolence that Aster, Errol, Billy, Dusk and Delia must pit themselves. They must do so without their friend Veronica, a girl murdered decades before and brought back to life by Aster's magic. For as Veronica discovers her own vast power, she stares into the face of the enemy and sees in it her true self...

Death of the Hind

The Hind: Book 2

Kevin J. Anderson
Rick Wilber

Death of the Hind by Kevin J. Anderson and Rick Wilber was first published in Asimov's Science Fiction, November/December issue 2023.

It concerns the final outcome of an ill-fated generational ship.

Dead Witch Walking

The Hollows: Book 1

Kim Harrison

Sexy bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan prowls the dark streets of Cincinnati, keeping tabs on the vampires and other creatures of the supernatural who prey on the city's innocent and vulnerable inhabitants.

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

The Hollows: Book 2

Kim Harrison

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night. She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits. Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

Every Which Way But Dead

The Hollows: Book 3

Kim Harrison

There's no witch in Cincinnati tougher, sexier, or more screwed up than bounty hunter Rachel Morgan, who's already put her love life and her soul in dire jeopardy through her determined efforts to bring criminal night creatures to justice.

Between "runs," she has her hands full fending off the attentions of her blood-drinking partner, keeping a deadly secret from her backup, and resisting a hot new vamp suitor.

Rachel must also take a stand in the war that's raging in the city's underworld, since she helped put away its former vampire kingpin -- and made a deal with a powerful demon to do so that could cost her an eternity of pain, torment, and degradation.

And now her dark "master" is coming to collect his due.

The Undead Pool

The Hollows: Book 12

Kim Harrison

Supernatural superhero Rachel Morgan must counter a strange magic that could spell civil war for the Hollows in this sexy and bewitching urban fantasy adventure in acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison's Hollows series.

Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan has managed to save the demonic ever after from shrinking, but at a high cost. Now, strange magic is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong, and the truce between the races, between Inderlander and human, is shattering. Rachel must stop this dark necromancy before the undead vampire masters who keep the rest of the undead under control are lost and all-out supernatural war breaks out.

Rachel knows of only weapon to ensure the peace: ancient elven wild magic, which carries its own perils. And no one know better than Rachel that no good deed goes unpunished...

The Outcast Dead: The truth lies within

The Horus Heresy: Book 17

Graham McNeill

The galaxy is burning. The Emperor's loyal primarchs prepare to do battle with Warmaster Horus and his turncoat Legions on the black sand of Isstvan. Such dark times herald new and yet more terrible things still to come, and when Astropath Kai Zulane unwittingly learns a secret that threatens to tip the balance of the war, he is forced to flee for his life. Alongside a mysterious band of renegades, he plunges into the deadly underworld of Terra itself, hunted like a criminal by those he once trusted. In the face of betrayal, Kai must decide where his own loyalties lie and whether some truths should be buried forever.

Deathfire: Into the Ruinstorm

The Horus Heresy: Book 32

Nick Kyme

Vulkan lies in state beneath the Fortress of Hera, and yet many of his sons still refuse to believe that he is truly dead. After a seemingly miraculous rescue by the Ultramarines, Artellus Numeon, once captain of the Pyre Guard, urges the other Salamanders on Macragge to leave Imperium Secundus and return their primarch's body to the home world of Nocturne -- there to be reborn in the flames of Mount Deathfire. But Numeon grapples endlessly with his doubts and fears for the future of the Legion, while their foes seek to carve out new destinies of their own...

Titandeath: The God-Machines cometh

The Horus Heresy: Book 53

Guy Haley

Horus's armada gathers, and he has defeated all enemies sent against him, even the Emperor's own executioner. One barrier remains before he can strike for Terra and lay waste to the Emperor's dream.

The Beta-Garmon system occupies the most direct and only viable route to the Solar System and Terra. To break it, Horus assembles a war host of incredible proportions and Titans in untold numbers. To lose here is to lose the war and Horus has no intention of turning back. But the Imperium understands the importance of Beta-Garmon too. A massive army is arrayed, comprised of near numberless Army cohorts and a mustering of Titans to challenge even the martial might of the Warmaster.

Titans fight against Titans as the God-Machines of Loyalists and Traitors alike go to war. This conflict will be like no other before it, a world-ending battle that will determine the next phase of the war.

The Queen Is Dead

The Immortal Empire: Book 2

Kate Locke

When her brother Val gets in over his head in an investigation of Half-Blood disappearances and goes missing himself, it's up to Xandra, newly crowned Goblin Queen, to get him back and bring the atrocities to light. Xandra must frequent the seediest parts of London, while also coping with what she is, the political factions vying for her favor, and the all too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who wants her head. Add this to a being a suspect in a murder investigation, a werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell bent on destroying the monarchy, and Xandra barely knows which way is up. One thing she does know is that she's already lost one sibling, she's not about to lose another.

Xandra Varden is the newly crowned Goblin Queen of England. But her complicated life is by no means over. There are the political factions vying for her favor, and the all too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who for some reason wants her head. Not to mention her werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell bent on destroying the monarchy. Now she's the suspect in a murder investigation --- and Xandra barely knows which way is up.

What she does know is that nothing lasts forever---and immortality isn't all its cracked up to be.

King of the Dead

The Jeremiah Hunt Chronicles: Book 2

Joseph Nassise

Joseph Nassise shook up the urban fantasy genre with Eyes to See, a novel New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Maberry called "heartbreaking, deeply insightful, powerful and genuinely thrilling."

In a devil's deal, Jeremiah Hunt sacrificed his human sight in exchange for the power to see the hidden world of ghosts and all of the darker spirits that prowl the streets. Hunt uncovered a world of murder and magic that took his daughter from him and nearly cost him his life, but that was only the beginning....

Now Hunt is on the run from the FBI, who have pegged him as a mass-murdering dark sorcerer. His flight from the law is diverted to New Orleans when his companion, a potent witch, has a horrific vision of the city under magical siege. When they arrive, they realize that the situation is more dire than they could have imagined: the world of the living faces a terrifying attack by forces from beyond the grave. King of the Dead, the second book in this groundbreaking series, promises more of Nassise's electrifying writing that will enthrall listeners looking for a supercharged, supernatural thrill.

The King of the Dead at the Dark Palace, Vol. 1

The King of the Dead at the Dark Palace: Book 1

Tsukikage

THE BEGINNING OF END

When a sickly boy succumbs to illness only to awaken as a lowly undead named End, his initial reaction is not horror but joy. No longer weak and bedridden, he is eager to experience the freedom of a properly functioning body. Sadly, his delight is cut short when he realizes the shackles of his previous life have simply been replaced by new ones--specifically, the powerful necromancer who revived him. To gain true freedom, he'll need to overcome the many obstacles in his way... starting with his dark master!

Dead Lies Dreaming

The Laundry Files: Book 10

Charles Stross

When magic and superpowers emerge in the masses, Wendy Deere is contracted by the government to bag and snag supervillains.

As Wendy hunts down Imp – the cyberpunk head of a band calling themselves "The Lost Boys" – she is dragged into the schemes of louche billionaire Rupert de Montfort Bigge. Rupert has discovered that the sole surviving copy of the long-lost concordance to the one true Necronomicon is up for underground auction in London. He hires Imp's sister, Eve, to procure it by any means necessary, and in the process, he encounters Wendy Deere.

In a tale of corruption, assassination, thievery, and magic, Wendy Deere must navigate rotting mansions that lead to distant pasts, evil tycoons, corrupt government officials, lethal curses, and her own moral qualms in order to make it out of this chase alive.

The Living Dead

The Living Dead: Book 1

John Joseph Adams

An anthology of zombie short fiction from some of the biggest names in horror and speculative fiction - including Stephen King, George R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman

When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth!

From White Zombie to Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil to World War Z, zombies have invaded popular culture, becoming the monsters that best express the fears and anxieties of the modern west.

Gathering together the best zombie literature of the last three decades from many of today's most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror, including Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Robert Silverberg, George R. R. Martin, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Joe R. Lansdale, The Living Dead covers the broad spectrum of zombie short fiction.

Table of Contents:

Introduction (The Living Dead) - (2008) - essay by John Joseph Adams

This Year's Class Picture - (1992) - shortstory by Dan Simmons

Some Zombie Contingency Plans - (2005) - novelette by Kelly Link

Death and Suffrage - (2002) - novelette by Dale Bailey

Ghost Dance - (2003) - shortstory by Sherman Alexie

Blossom - (1989) - shortstory by David J. Schow

The Third Dead Body - (1993) - shortstory by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

The Dead - (1996) - shortstory by Michael Swanwick

The Dead Kid - (2002) - shortstory by Darrell Schweitzer

Malthusian's Zombie - (2000) - novelette by Jeffrey Ford

Beautiful Stuff - (2004) - shortstory by Susan Palwick

Sex, Death and Starshine - (1984) - novelette by Clive Barker

Stockholm Syndrome - (2007) - shortstory by David Tallerman

Bobby Conroy Comes Back from the Dead - (2005) - shortstory by Joe Hill

Those Who Seek Forgiveness - (2006) - shortstory by Laurell K. Hamilton

In Beauty, Like the Night - (1992) - shortstory by Norman Partridge

Prairie - (1997) - shortstory by Brian Evenson

Everything Is Better with Zombies - (2006) - shortstory by Hannah Wolf Bowen

Home Delivery - (1989) - novelette by Stephen King

Less Than Zombie - (1989) - shortstory by Douglas E. Winter

Sparks Fly Upward - (2005) - shortstory by Lisa Morton

Meathouse Man - (1976) - novelette by George R. R. Martin

Deadman's Road - (2007) - novelette by Joe R. Lansdale

The Skull-Faced Boy - (2002) - shortstory by David Barr Kirtley

The Age of Sorrow - (2007) - shortstory by Nancy Kilpatrick

Bitter Grounds - (2003) - novelette by Neil Gaiman

She's Taking Her Tits to the Grave - (2008) - shortstory by Catherine Cheek

Dead Like Me - (2000) - shortstory by Adam-Troy Castro

Zora and the Zombie - (2004) - novelette by Andy Duncan

Calcutta, Lord of Nerves - (1992) - shortstory by Poppy Z. Brite

Followed - (2006) - shortstory by Will McIntosh

The Song the Zombie Sang - (1970) - shortstory by Harlan Ellison and Robert Silverberg

Passion Play - (1992) - shortstory by Nancy Holder

Almost the Last Story by Almost the Last Man - (2007) - novelette by Scott Edelman

How the Day Runs Down - novelette by John Langan

The Living Dead 2

The Living Dead: Book 2

John Joseph Adams

The Living Dead 2 has more of what zombie fans hunger for -- more scares, more action, more... brains! Experience the indispensable series that defines the very best in zombie literature with original stories by Kelley Armstrong, Karina Sumner-Smith, Carrie Ryan, Jamie Lackey, Genevieve Valentine, Brian Keene, Simon R. Green, David Wellington, David Barr Kirtley, Matt London, Joe McKinney, Walter Greatshell, Bob Fingerman, S. G. Browne, Jonathan Maberry, Mira Grant, Marc Paoletti, cherie priest, Robert Kirkman, Max Brooks, David Moody, Sarah Langan, Steven Gould, and John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow. In addition to these original stories, The Living Dead 2 features 18 additional reprint zombie stories. All this adds up to a Landmark volume that helps define what zombie godfather John Skipp calls "The New Zombie Literature."

Table of Contents:

Introduction (The Living Dead 2) - essay by John Joseph Adams

Alone, Together - novelette by Robert Kirkman

Danger Word - (2004) - novelette by Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due

Zombieville - (2010) - shortstory by Paula R. Stiles

The Anteroom - shortstory by Adam-Troy Castro

When the Zombies Win - shortstory by Karina Sumner-Smith

Mouja - shortstory by Matt London

Category Five - shortstory by Marc Paoletti

Living with the Dead - (2008) - shortstory by Molly Brown

Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco - (2000) - shortstory by Seth Lindberg

The Mexican Bus - shortstory by Walter Greatshell

The Other Side - shortstory by Jamie Lackey

Where the Heart Was - (1993) - shortstory by David J. Schow

Good People - shortstory by David Wellington

Lost Canyon of the Dead - shortstory by Brian Keene

Pirates vs. Zombies - shortstory by Amelia Beamer

The Crocodiles - (2010) - novelette by Steven Popkes

The Skull-Faced City - shortstory by David Barr Kirtley

Obedience - (2009) - shortstory by Brenna Yovanoff

Steve and Fred - shortstory by Max Brooks

The Rapeworm - shortstory by Charles Coleman Finlay

Everglades - shortstory by Mira Grant

We Now Pause For Station Identification - shortstory by Gary A. Braunbeck

Reluctance - shortstory by Cherie Priest

Arlene Schabowski of the Undead - (2007) - shortstory by Mark McLaughlin and Kyra M. Schon

Zombie Gigolo - shortstory by S. G. Browne

Rural Dead - shortstory by Bret Hammond

The Summer Place - shortstory by Bob Fingerman

The Wrong Grave - (2007) - novelette by Kelly Link

The Human Race - (2009) - shortstory by Scott Edelman

Who We Used to Be - shortstory by David Moody

Therapeutic Intervention - shortstory by Rory Harper

He Said, Laughing - shortstory by Simon R. Green

Last Stand - shortstory by Kelley Armstrong

The Thought War - (2008) - shortstory by Paul J. McAuley

Dating in Dead World - novelette by Joe McKinney

Flotsam & Jetsam - [Forest of Hands and Teeth] - shortstory by Carrie Ryan

Thin Them Out - novelette by Kim Paffenroth and R. J. Sevin and Julia Sevin

Zombie Season - (2008) - shortstory by Catherine MacLeod

Tameshigiri - shortstory by Steven Gould

The Days of Flaming Motorcycles - (2010) - shortstory by Catherynne M. Valente

Zero Tolerance - shortstory by Jonathan Maberry

And the Next, and the Next - shortstory by Genevieve Valentine

The Price of a Slice - novelette by John Skipp and Cody Goodfellow

Are You Trying To Tell Me This Is Heaven? - shortstory by Sarah Langan

Deadhouse Gates

The Malazan Book of the Fallen: Book 2

Steven Erikson

In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha'ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising known as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends . . .

The Adamantine Palace

The Memory of Flames: Book 1

Stephen Deas

The Adamantine Palace lies at the centre of an empire that grew out of ashes. Once dragons ruled the world and man was little more than prey. Then a way of subduing the dragons alchemicly was discovered and now the dragons are bred to be little more than mounts for knights and highly valued tokens in the diplomatic power-players that underpin the rule of the competing aristocratic houses. The Empire has grown fat. And now one man wants it for himself. A man prepared to poison the king just as he has poisoned his own father. A man prepared to murder his lover and bed her daughter. A man fit to be king?

But uknown to him there are flames on the way. A single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon on the loose, unsubdued, returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could spell disaster for the Empire. But because of the actions of one unscrupulous mercenary the rivals for the throne could soon be facing hundreds of dragons . . .

Stephen Deas has written a fast moving and action-fuelled fantasy laced with irony, a razor sharp way with characters, dialogue to die for and dragons to die by.

The King of the Crags

The Memory of Flames: Book 2

Stephen Deas

Now, as the Realms teeter on the brink of war, the fate of humanity rests in the survival of one majestic white dragon.

Prince Jehal has had his way-now his lover Zafir sits atop the Realms with hundreds of dragons and their riders at her beck and call. But Jehal's plots are far from over, for he isn't content to sit back and watch Zafir command the earth and sky. He wants that glory for himself- no matter who he must sacrifice to get it. The one thing Jehal fears is that the white dragon still lives-and if that is so, then blood will flow, on all sides...

The Order of the Scales

The Memory of Flames: Book 3

Stephen Deas

Having survived Jehal's betrayal, former Queen Zafir is determined to take back control of the kingdom. To that end, she seizes Jehal's wife and son as hostages. Desperate to save his queen and his heir, Jehal makes a tentative peace with the dragons of the north, and prepares to fly against his enemies.

But as politics throw the realms of men into turmoil, a far greater danger threatens. The dragons are awakening from the spells cast upon them, and returning to their native fury. They are out for revenge. And that revenge will be brutal.

The Dead Girls' Dance

The Morganville Vampires: Book 2

Rachel Caine

Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Kiss of Death

The Morganville Vampires: Book 8

Rachel Caine

Vampire Michael Glass just received the call he's been waiting for all his life. His music has attracted the attention of a heavily connected music producer who wants him to cut a demo and play some dates - which means that Michael will have to enter the human world. But he won't be alone. He's been assigned an undead escort, which includes immortal enforcer Oliver, as well as Michael's human friends: rebellious Eve, oft-misunderstood Claire, and courageous Shane.

And with that mix of personalities, this is going to be a road trip from hell. But what waits for them proves more perilous than they thought. Caught between humans who hate them and a savage party of traveling vampires out to create a blood-soaked feast for themselves, Michael and his friends may not make it to the show on time... or ever.

Deadeye

The Mutant Files: Book 1

William C. Dietz

The national bestselling author of the Legion of the Damned novels, "a must-read for any fan of Mil Fic," (Archaeologist's Guide to the Galaxy) begins a brand new science fiction police procedural series...

In the year 2038, an act of bioengineered terrorism decimated humanity. Those who survived were either completely unaffected or developed horrible mutations. Across the globe, nations are now divided between areas populated by "norms" and lands run by "mutants"...

Detective Cassandra Lee of Los Angeles's Special Investigative Section has built a fierce reputation taking down some of the city's most notorious criminals. But the serial cop killer known as Bonebreaker--who murdered Lee's father--is still at large. Officially, she's too personally involved to work on the Bonebreaker case. Unofficially, she's going to hunt him to the ends of the earth.

In the meantime, duty calls when the daughter of Bishop Screed, head of the Church of Human Purity, is kidnapped by mutants and taken into the red zone to be used for breeding. Assigned to rescue her, Lee must trust her new partner--mutant lawman Deputy Ras Omo--to guide her not only through the unfamiliar territory but through the prejudicial divisions between mutants and norms...

Death and Diplomacy

The New Doctor Who Adventures: Book 49

Dave Stone

Three mightly empires poised for war!

In the far-off Magellan Cluster, the savage Dakhaari, the militaristic Czhans and the evil backstabbingSaloi are at each other's respective throats over the tiny, peaceful planet of Moriel. The Hollow Godshave decreed that a satellite be built in which they must settle their differences or else. But just who has the tact and diplomacy to arbitrate these talks?

Meanwhile, Roz and Chris are on Moriel with the Czhanist army, knocking seven bells out of the native populace. Why have they launched this sneak attack? Will it wreck the talks completely? Are they participating in the Hollow Gods' hidden agenda -- a plan that will result in the death of billions?

And while the others are otherwise occupied, Benny is stranded, lost and alone, facing the most terrifying challenge of her life -- someone who will haunt her for the rest of her days. He's called Jason.

The Death of Art

The New Doctor Who Adventures: Book 54

Simon Bucher-Jones

He did not know if his powers could save him until the horses' hooves had crushed his ribs and his heart had stopped beating. After that, it was obvious.

1880's France: the corrupt world of the Third Republic. A clandestine brotherhood is engaged in a desperate internal power struggle; a race of beings seeks to free itself from perpetual oppression; and a rip in time threatens an entire city. The future of Europe is at stake, in a war fought with minds and bodies altered to the limits of human evolution.

Chris finds himself working undercover with a suspicious French gendarme; Roz follows a psychic artist whose talents are attracting the attention of mysterious forces; and the Doctor befriends a shape-shifting member of a terrifying family. And, at the heart of it all, a dark and disturbing injustice is being perpetrated. Only an end to the secret war, and the salvation of an entire race, can prevent Paris from being utterly destroyed.

Death's Mistress

The Nicci Chronicles: Book 1

Terry Goodkind

Onetime lieutenant of the evil Emperor Jagang, known as "Death's Mistress" and the "Slave Queen", the deadly Nicci captured Richard Rahl in order to convince him that the Imperial Order stood for the greater good. But it was Richard who converted Nicci instead, and for years thereafter she served Richard and Kahlan as one of their closest friends--and one of their most lethal defenders.

Now, with the reign of Richard and Kahlan finally stablized, Nicci has set out on her own for new adventures. Her first job being to keep the unworldly prophet Nathan out of trouble...

Death's Mistress: Sister of Darkness will launch The Nicci Chronicles, Terry Goodkind's entirely new series with a cast of characters centered on one of his best-loved characters in the now-concluded Sword of Truth.

Silence

The Queen of the Dead: Book 1

Michelle Sagara

It began in the graveyard. Ever since her boyfriend Nathan died in a tragic accident Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that's all it was. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death.

Touch

The Queen of the Dead: Book 2

Michelle Sagara

Nathan died the summer before his final year in high school. But he wakes in his room--or in the shrine of his room his mother's made--confused, cold, and unable to interact with anyone or anything he sees. The only clear memory he has is a dream of a shining city and its glorious queen, but the dream fades, until he once again meets his girlfriend Emma by the side of his own grave.

Nathan wants life. He wants Emma. But, even if Emma can deliver what he desires, the cost may be too high to pay.

Grave

The Queen of the Dead: Book 3

Michelle Sagara

Grave is the concluding novel in the gripping Queen of the Dead paranormal trilogy.

Emma and her friends have survived the Necromancers sent to the city to kill them. They've gone to ground in a cottage north of the city, but time is not on their side. There are no barriers that can keep the dead out, and the dead obey their Queen. It's only a matter of time before they're found.

Nathan has been blessed by the Queen of the Dead. She has granted him a physical body. He can eat, he can breathe, he can speak and be heard. The Queen calls this resurrection. Nathan calls it Hell. The living think he's alive. He's not. He's trapped in the citadel that the Queen of the Dead calls home.

Emma wants to free him. To do that she has to survive long enough to reach the City of the Dead, and face its ancient Queen. But the city of the dead is the heart of the Queen's stronghold--and her power. Emma can't do it alone.

She's not alone. But even with hunters and her own dead at her side, what hope does she have against a woman who has lived so long, and grown so powerful, she's almost a god?

Dead Men Walking

The Quiet War

Paul J. McAuley

This short story originally appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, March 2006, and was reprinted in Clarkesworld Magazine, June 2013. It can also be found in the anthologies Year's Best SF 12 (2007), edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Kramer, The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fourth Annual Collection (2007), edited by Gardner Dozois, and Space Opera (2007), edited by Rich Horton.

Read the full story for free at Clarkesworld.

We Lie with Death

The Reborn Empire: Book 2

Devin Madson

War rages as one empire falls and another rises in its place in the action-packed sequel to Devin Madson's bold epic fantasy, We Ride the Storm.

There is no calm after the storm.

In Kisia's conquered north, former empress Miko Ts'ai is more determined than ever to save her empire. Yet, as her hunt for allies grows increasingly desperate, she may learn too late that power lies not in names but in people.

Dishiva e'Jaroven is fiercely loyal to the new Levanti emperor. Only he can lead them, but his next choice will challenge everything she wants to believe about her people's future.

Abandoned by his Second Swords, Rah e'Torin must learn to survive without a herd. But honor dictates he bring his warriors home--a path that could be his salvation or lead to his destruction.

And sold to the Witchdoctor, Cassandra Marius' desperate search for a cure ties her fate inextricably to Empress Hana and her true nature could condemn them both.

The Watcher of Dead Time

The Relic Guild: Book 3

Edward Cox

Labrys Town, home to a million humans cut off from the rest of the universe, has been invaded. Those who protected it have been deposed.

The Relic Guild are scattered across the worlds of the Aelfir. Many of them are dead or dying. The Genii control everything. The war is almost over.

Clara, a young woman barely able to control her werewolf side, has seen her friends and mentors killed in front of her. She is the last hope for Labrys Town.

But someone else is watching...

The dramatic conclusion to the award-nominated fantasy trilogy which began with THE RELIC GUILD.

Once Dead

The Rho Agenda Inception: Book 1

Richard Phillips

Jack Gregory, the CIA's top assassin, bleeds out on a Calcutta operating table and is about to die.

But an alien entity has other plans for him.

If Jack is willing to act as a human host for this dark figure, he lives. Jack takes the deal. One year later, he is known internationally as The Ripper, fixer for hire, and finds himself increasingly drawn to dire, world-shattering events. Suffering strange premonitions and compulsions, Jack has more questions than answers. What destiny does this alien mind foresee? Why has it chosen him?

Dead Wrong

The Rho Agenda Inception: Book 2

Richard Phillips

After the riveting events of Once Dead, Jack "Ripper" Gregory remains host to a homicidal alien bound to his soul. Now Jack has been hired for a suicide mission: journey to South America and rescue an imprisoned shaman. One problem... both the National Security Agency and a gang of neo-fascists are hot on his trail.

Neither group plans to let Jack live.

At stake is the immeasurably powerful Sun Staff, an ancient alien artifact that in the wrong hands will alter the course of human history. With the clock ticking, Jack must find and rescue the shaman before sinister forces get to him first. When Jack comes face-to-face with his equal--a stunningly beautiful NSA agent--he wonders if he can still pull the trigger and save his mission... even if the decision costs him his very soul.

Dead Shift

The Rho Agenda Inception: Book 3

Richard Phillips

With the final chapter of the Rho Agenda Inception, all secrets will be revealed. Who is the alien mind haunting Jack "The Ripper" Gregory? What is the purpose of the immensely powerful Sun Staff? And how will the culmination of these events set the stage for the Rho Agenda?

In this page-turning sci-fi adventure, the NSA's most brilliant hacker is abducted and the world stands on the brink of cyberwar. The Ripper and his ghost team commandos are called to action, battling a host of enemies ranging from a genius tech-billionaire and the Chinese government to an emerging superintelligence capable of bringing the world to its knees. With every threat in play, Jack must confront his alien passenger and regain some semblance of self-control. As the origins of the Rho Agenda come to light, Jack struggles to embrace his destiny. But how can even one such as he prevail against an existential threat to humanity?

City of the Dead

The Rising: Book 2

Brian Keene

The sequel to one of those most popular zombies of all time in a new, uncut, author's preferred edition!

In this sequel to THE RISING, cities are overrun with legions of the undead, intent on destroying what's left of the living. Trapped inside a fortified skyscraper, a handful of survivors prepare to make their last stand against an unstoppable, merciless enemy. With every hour their chances diminish and their numbers dwindle, while the ranks of the dead continue to rise. Because sooner or later, everything dies. And then it comes back, ready to kill.

The Death of Dulgath

The Riyria Chronicles: Book 3

Michael J. Sullivan

Three times they tried to kill her. Then a professional was hired. So was Riyria.

When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as rogues-for-hire. Things have gone well enough until they're asked to help prevent a murder. Now they must venture into an ancient corner of the world to save a mysterious woman who knows more about Royce than is safe and cares less about herself than is sane.

The Death of Chaos

The Saga of Recluce: Book 5

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Candar is being invaded and Lerris must become the greatest wizard of all time-or see his whole world destroyed.

A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy

The Salvagers: Book 2

Alex White

The greatest dangers hide the brightest treasures in this bold, planet-hopping science fiction adventure series.

The crew of the legendary Capricious are rich enough to retire in comfort for the rest of their days, but none of it matters if the galaxy is still in danger.

Nilah and Boots, the ship's newest crew-members hear the word of a mysterious cult that may have links back to an ancient and all-powerful magic. To find it, hot-headed Nilah will have to go undercover and find the source of their power without revealing her true identity. Meanwhile, Boots is forced to confront the one person she'd hoped never to see again: her old, turn-coat treasure-hunting partner.

The Book of the Dead

The Secret Books of Paradys: Book 3

Tanith Lee

The ambience of fin de siecle France imbues these eight gothic tales in the third volume in Lee's Secret Books of Paradys tetralogy, tracing the tortured lives once led by those buried in the crypts and cemeteries of the mythical (or forgotten) city of Paradys. "The Weasel Bride" twists a folktale about a man who marries an enchanted weasel and dies of her bite into an account of a young husband who kills his beloved bride on their wedding night and takes her dreadful secret to the gallows. The artist in "The Glass Dagger," who normally saves her emotion for her art, is consumed by jealous rage and turns to supernatural revenge when a jaded aristocrat tries an old stratagem to win her love. In "The Moon Is a Mask" a drudge who creates a world of beauty in her garret room steals to buy a mask that turns her into a vampire owl. The miasma of corruption and death, combined with vivid and at times elegiac writing will engross readers who fancy this dark shade of fantasy writing.

Table of Contents:

The Weasel Bride - (1991) - shortstory

The Nightmare's Tale - (1990) - novelette

Beautiful Lady - (1991) - novelette

Morcara's Room - (1991) - novelette

The Marble Web - (1991) - novelette

Lost in the World - (1991) - novelette

The Glass Dagger - (1991) - novelette

The Moon Is a Mask - (1991) - shortstory

The Secret Country

The Secret Country Trilogy: Book 1

Pamela Dean

Each vacation for the past nine years, cousins Patrick, Ruth, Ellen, Ted, and Laura have played a game they call the "Secret"--and invented, scripted world full of witches, unicorns, a magic ring, court intrigue, and the Dragon King. In the Secret, they can imagine anything into reality, and shape destiny. Then the unbelievable happens: by trick or by chance, they actually find themselves in the Secret Country, their made-up identities now real. The five have arrived at the start of their games, with the Country on the edge of war. What was once exciting and wonderful now looms threateningly before them, and no one is sure how to stop it... or if they will ever get back home.

The Hidden Land

The Secret Country Trilogy: Book 2

Pamela Dean

The five cousins are still trapped in the Secret Country, and must play their parts. When the King is poisoned, Ted-Prince Edward-must take the throne, even though he has no idea how to rule a country, battle magic, or inspire followers. Soon enough he will have to do all three because the Country is on the verge of war with the treacherous Dragon King.

The Whim of the Dragon

The Secret Country Trilogy: Book 3

Pamela Dean

Three things have the power to destroy the Secret Country: the Border Magic, the Crystal of Earth, and the whim of the dragon. The cousins have faced the first two; now they face the third. The Country's most trusted counselors know that the five are impostors, but no one knows who has been playing with their destinies. They must find and speak with Chryse the unicorn and Belaparthalion the dragon in order to learn the truth.

The Destiny of the Dead

The Song of the Tears: Book 3

Ian Irvine

Nish, his battered little troop and his few surviving allies are trapped on the Range of Ruin by the God-Emperor's mighty army.

Nish's only choices are a humiliating surrender to his father or a suicidal fight to the death. Yet Nish and Maelys have to fight, and somehow they have to win, for the beautiful world of Santhenar is in peril and no one else can save it.

Stilkeen, an all-powerful shape-shifting being from the Void, has come to recover the stolen chthonic fire that once bound its physical and spirit aspects together. And it wants revenge for the mortal insult that was done to it.

But it may be too late for Santhenar. Chthonic fire has been released from its casket and is now eating away the Antarctic lands, as it once devoured the world of Aachan. Even if, by some miracle, Nish and Maelys can defeat the God-Emperor, there may be no way to stop chthonic fire, or Stilkeen, before the whole world is consumed.

Beyond the Doors of Death

The Stellar Guild

Robert Silverberg
Damien Broderick

Nebula- and Locus-winning Novella

"Born With the Dead" by Robert Silverberg tells the story of a man whose wife is among the rekindled dead now. He's heard that she is on a plane to Zanzibar with five other rekindled dead. As a "warm", he is not really allowed to make contact with her. The dead like to stay in their cold-cities. But he'd loved her so much when she was alive, he just has to try! This novella was nominated for every major science fiction award when it was originally published in 1974, winning the Nebula and Locus awards.

"Quicken", a novella by Australian author Damien Broderick, uses Robert Silverberg's original novella as a starting point for a brilliant leap into the far future, widening the scope and tenor of the original story by revisiting some of its subtler implications.

The Standing Dead

The Stone Dance of the Chameleon: Book 2

Ricardo Pinto

In this sequel to Pinto's debut fantasy, The Chosen, Carnelian, the son of He-who-goes-before, and Osidian, the new God Emperor elect, leave the safety of Osrakum only to fall into the hands of plainsmen raiders. When Carnelian helps the plainsmen evade capture, he wins sanctuary for both himself and the by-now-catatonic Osidian. They journey to the tribe's home in the Earthsky, where Carnelian soon finds himself enjoying life. Osidian, however, burns with desire to return to Osrakum and wreak vengeance on his enemies.

Lost and Found

The Taken Trilogy: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

Not so long ago Marcus Walker was just another young commodities trader in Chicago, working hard and playing harder. But that's all in the past, part of a life half forgotten--a reality that vanished when he was attacked while camping and tossed aboard a starship bound for deep space.

Desperately, Walker searches for explanations, only to realize he's trapped in a horrifying nightmare that is all too real. Instead of being a rich hotshot at the top of the food chain, Walker discovers he's just another amusing novelty, part of a cargo of "cute" aliens from primitive planets--destined to be sold as pets to highly advanced populations in "civilized" regions of the galaxy.

Even if he weren't constantly watched by his captors, Walker has few options. After all, there is no escape from a speeding starship. Another man might resign himself to the inevitable and hope to be sold to a kindly owner, but not Walker. This former college football star has plenty of American ingenuity and no intention of admitting defeat, now or ever. In fact, he's only just begun to fight.

The Light-years Beneath My Feet

The Taken Trilogy: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

Successful Chicago commodities broker abducted by aliens

Not a headline from the National Enquirer, just Marcus Walker's own little Jerry Springer moment. He was indeed hustled aboard an alien Vilenjji starship, part of a cargo of primitive creatures bound for the "civilized" part of the galaxy, where they'll be sold... as pets. Fortunately, there was another Earthling aboard, a scruffy dog named George who'd been speech-enhanced to increase his market value. Walker had spoken to plenty of dogs in his line of work but never to actual animals. He and George formed an immediate bond, giving new meaning to "man's best friend."

The Light-Years Beneath My Feet finds Walker and George free at last, having managed, with some outside help, to outwit their kidnappers. But now they are a million billion miles from Earth. Walker glories in the wonders of his rescuers' hi-tech world and the thrill of being humankind's first galactic traveler--until he remembers the only place he wants to be is home. To take his mind off the depressing fact that he hasn't the slightest idea where home is, never mind how to get there, the erstwhile commodities broker becomes a chef.

Walker never imagined that whipping up delicacies for demanding alien palates would lead to a possible way home--or that the possible way home would involve swapping his easy-living adopted planet for an all-out, age-old war many parsecs away. But hey, it was all for a good cause, he has George and their two fellow escapees for company, and what else was there to do, besides avoid Vilenjji? Plenty, as it turns out....

The Candle of Distant Earth

The Taken Trilogy: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

From science fiction legend and New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster, creator of the ever-popular Pip and Flinx series, comes the climactic final novel in The Taken trilogy, his electrifying space epic about a man and his dog for whom the expression "out of this world" takes on a whole new meaning.

Location is everything. In Chicago, Marcus Walker was a hotshot commodities broker. In the cargo hold of the alien Vilenjji spaceship, he and a laconic dog named George, who has been speech-enhanced to increase his value, are just two more primitive creatures being shipped to the civilized part of the universe, where the market for cuddly extraterrestrial "pets" is busting wide open.

Though Walker and George manage to escape, man and dog are far from overjoyed, being even farther from Earth -- billions of miles, in fact -- and without a clue as to whether the direction home is up, down, or sideways. Possessing universe-level social skills, Walker becomes the leader of his own armada. Yet even a fleet commander is hard pressed to find a piece of space that no one's ever heard of, much less cares to find.

To make matters worse, it seems the Vilenjji are proving to be notoriously sore losers. Even if Walker does pull off the impossible and pinpoint his needle of a solar system in the universe haystack, there's a good chance that the unrelenting Vilenjji will get to him before he ever gets to Wrigley Field.

Yep, it's a wide-open universe out there, bursting with possibilities -- and Walker's going to get hit with all of them.

The Tenth Planet

The Tenth Planet: Book 1

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

2017: NEAR THE PLANET URANUS

After a deep-space satellite mysteriously stops transmitting, the Hubble III telescope picks up a startling image. Astronomers don't know what the strange object is--only that it orbits past Earth every two millennia.

Meanwhile, archaeologist Leo Cross has discovered peculiar layers of black residue at dig sites around the globe. Stranger still, these thin bands occur like clockwork every 2,006 years, coinciding with some of the world's darkest moments in history.

We have six months to prepare for the next arrival. This time we know something is coming. This time we have weapons to defend us.

This time we'll be wrong... again.

Oblivion

The Tenth Planet: Book 2

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

2017: BACK FROM THE SUN

For aeons, Earth has been ravaged by so-called natural disasters. Now we know the primary cause: overharvesting of our limited resources--not by humans, but by the residents of our solar system's tenth planet.

Since before the birth of humanity, every two thousand years, this dark planet has plundered our world. But in 2017, Earth fought back. Now thousands of aliens face starvation. To survive, they must harvest Earth when their orbit brings them back from behind the sun.

But the humans are not waiting for Earth to become as parched and barren as Mars. Every nuclear weapon has been aimed at the Tenth Planet. Their ultimate goal--to blow the Tenth Planet to oblivion.

In part two of the Tenth Planet saga, cutting-edge science and high drama combine in an adventure that questions humanity's history, our place in the universe... and our very right to exist.

Final Assault

The Tenth Planet: Book 3

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Dean Wesley Smith

2018: COUNTDOWN TO APOCALYPSE

Two worlds are locked in mortal conflict. The aliens of the Tenth Planet must harvest Earth's vast resources soon--before their world's elliptical orbit hurls them back into deep space for another 2000 years. If they fail, their species cannot survive the long journey into the void. This is their last chance to avoid extinction.

On Earth, scientists work frantically to stop the huge alien fleet, but even nuclear weapons have only slowed the attackers' dreadful onslaught. Now the ultimate battle for the fate of Earth--and all human life--draws near. And as more powerful weapons are brought to bear, winning the war may be more devastating than the invasion.

Dead Man's Reach

The Thieftaker Chronicles: Book 4

D. B. Jackson

Let the battle for souls begin in Dead Man's Reach, the fourth, stand-alone novel in D.B. Jackson's acclaimed Thieftaker series.

Boston, 1770: The city is a powder keg as tensions between would-be rebels and loyalist torries approach a breaking point and one man is willing to light the match that sets everything off to ensure that he has his revenge.

The presence of the British Regulars has made thieftaking a hard business to be in and the jobs that are available are reserved for Sephira Pryce. Ethan Kaille has to resort to taking on jobs that he would otherwise pass up, namely protecting the shops of Torries from Patriot mobs. But, when one British loyalist takes things too far and accidentally kills a young boy, even Ethan reconsiders his line of work. Even more troubling is that instances of violence in the city are increasing, and Ethan often finds himself at the center of the trouble.

Once Ethan realizes why he is at the center of all the violence, he finds out that some enemies don't stay buried and will stop at nothing to ruin Ethan's life. Even if that means costing the lives of everyone in Boston, including the people that Ethan loves most.

The Searching Dead

The Three Births of Daoloth: Book 1

Ramsey Campbell

Dominic Sheldrake has never forgotten his childhood in fifties Liverpool or the talk an old boy of his grammar school gave about the First World War. When his history teacher took the class on a field trip to France it promised to be an adventure, not the first of a series of glimpses of what lay in wait for the world. Soon Dominic would learn that a neighbour was involved in practices far older and darker than spiritualism, and stumble on a secret journal that hinted at the occult nature of the universe. How could he and his friends Roberta and Jim stop what was growing under a church in the midst of the results of the blitz? Dominic used to write tales of their exploits, but what they face now could reduce any adult to less than a child...

Gates of the Dead

The Tides of War: Book 3

James A. Moore

The end times have come, but it's not too late for a hero to strike back, in the grimdark fantasy sequel to The Last Sacrifice and Fallen Gods.

Brogan McTyre started a war with the gods, and he's going to end it. Raging gods have laid waste to the Five Kingdoms. Only Torema remains, swollen with millions of refugees. Their last hope lies in fleeing by sea, but as storms tear at the coast, even King Opar can't muster enough ships for them all. Brogan and his warriors must fight the He-Kisshi to reach the Gateway, the sole portal for gods to enter the mortal world - and the only place where they can be killed. But the forces of creation have been unleashed, and they'll destroy the world to reshape it.

The Human Blend

The Tipping Point: Book 1

Alan Dean Foster

In this first novel of a thrilling new series set in our near future, New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster reveals a place where criminals are punished through genetic engineering and body manipulation--and poses profound questions about what it means to be human.

Given his name because radical surgery has reduced him to preternatural thinness, Whispr is a thug. In a dark alley in Savannah, Whispr and his partner in crime, Jiminy Cricket, murder what they take to be a random tourist in order to steal his artificial hand. But the victim is also carrying an unusual silver thread, which Whispr and Jiminy grab as well.

Chance later deposits a wounded Whispr at the clinic of Dr. Ingrid Seastrom. Powerful forces have been searching for Whispr since he acquired the mysterious thread, and Jiminy has vanished. All Whispr wants to do is sell the thread, and when he offers to split the profits with Ingrid, she makes an astonishing discovery. So begins the formidable partnership between the Harvard-educated physician and the street-smart thief--as long as they can elude the enhanced assassins that are tracking them.

Body, Inc.

The Tipping Point: Book 2

Alan Dean Foster

New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster has always been on the cutting-edge of science fiction. In Body, Inc., he creates a tomorrow where genetic manipulation has become ubiquitous, and the very meaning of what it is to be human is undergoing drastic transformation.

In a world deeply wounded by centuries of environmental damage, two unlikely souls join forces: Dr. Ingrid Seastrom has stumbled into a mystery involving quantum-entangled nanoscale implants--a mystery that just may kill her. Whispr is a thief and murderer whose radical body modifications have left him so thin he is all but two-dimensional. Whispr has found a silver data-storage thread, a technology that will make him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. He is also going mad with longing for Dr. Ingrid Seastrom. Their quest to learn the secrets of the implant and the thread--which may well be the same secret--has led them to the South African Economic Combine, otherwise known as SAEC. Or, less respectfully, SICK. SICK, it seems, has the answers.

Unfortunately, SICK has also got Napun Molé, a cold-blooded assassin whose genetic enhancements make him the equivalent of a small army. Molé has already missed one chance to kill Ingrid and Whispr and now he has followed them to South Africa. This time, he is not only going to succeed, he is going to make them suffer.

The Sum of Her Parts

The Tipping Point: Book 3

Alan Dean Foster

In this thrilling science fiction adventure--the triumphant conclusion to the Tipping Point trilogy--New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster returns to a near future in which genetic manipulation and extreme body modification have changed profoundly what it means to be human.

Dr. Ingrid Seastrom was once a respected American physician. Whispr, whose body has been transformed to preternatural thinness, was once a streetwise thief. Now, in a world on the edge of catastrophe from centuries of environmental exploitation, they are allies--thrust together by fate to unravel an impossible mystery--even as they are stalked by a relentless killer.

Ingrid and Whispr are hunted fugitives bound together by a thread: a data-storage thread made of a material that cannot exist, yet somehow does. Their quest to learn its secrets--and, in Whispr's case, sell them to the highest bidder--has brought them to South Africa's treacherous Namib desert. Beyond its dangers waits a heavily guarded research facility that promises answers, if they can survive long enough to get there. But that won't be easy, not with Napun Molé on their trail. They've already escaped the assassin twice, and as far as Molé is concerned, finishing them off isn't just a job anymore... it's personal.

The Undead King's Reign of Peace, Vol. 1

The Undead King's Reign of Peace: Book 1

Sakuma Sasaki

DEATH COMFORTS US ALL

When a black-robed skeleton shows up at Mira's door in the dead of night, the last thing she expects is for him to cure her fatal infection! Her nighttime visitor is Undead King Terios, who soon finds himself feeding and teaching the peasant children he saved from disease during a chance encounter. With guidance from this terrifying yet kindhearted skeleton, Mira blossoms into an apprentice magic user. But will her idyllic world shatter when the nobility sends a squad of knights to eradicate the "skeletal menace"? This is the legend of an Undead King who aims to conquer the world without taking a single human life!

The Undead Complex

The Undetectables: Book 2

Courtney Smyth

Five months after they stopped The Whistler, business is booming for the Undetectables. Just not work that requires magical forensic investigators. So when Diana's ex asks them to solve a murder -- her own -- Diana, Mallory and Cornelia can't say no.

Going undercover to investigate the set of the TV show, Undead Complex, Diana returns to her life as a propmaker. But even the appearance of a genuine-article Francine Leon dollhouse leaves her feeling pulled down a path of crime-solving she doesn't want to walk forever.

Meanwhile, Theodore's coming apart at the seams -- literally -- and Mallory is running out of ways to help him. Especially as he seems to be keeping secrets from her.

As the clues -- and the bodies -- keep piling up, each one making less and less sense, the Undetectables find themselves in a race against time to find out what, exactly, the killer is up to -- before the final cut.

Dead Man's Hand

The Unorthodox Chronicles: Book 1

James J. Butcher

On the streets of Boston, the world is divided into the ordinary Usuals, and the paranormal Unorthodox. And in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, the Auditors are the magical elite, government-sanctioned witches with spells at their command and all the power and prestige that comes with it. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is... not one of those witches.

After flunking out of the Auditor training program and being dismissed as "not Department material," Grimsby tried to resign himself to life as a mediocre witch. But he can't help hoping he'll somehow, someway, get another chance to prove his skill. That opportunity comes with a price when his former mentor, aka the most dangerous witch alive, is murdered down the street from where he works, and Grimsby is the Auditors' number one suspect.

Proving his innocence will require more than a little legwork, and after forming a strange alliance with the retired legend known as the Huntsman and a mysterious being from Elsewhere, Grimsby is abruptly thrown into a life of adventure, whether he wants it or not. Now all he has to do is find the real killer, avoid the Auditors on his trail, and most importantly, stay alive.

Walking Dead

The Walker Papers: Book 4

C. E. Murphy

For once, Joanne Walker's not out to save the world. She's come to terms with the host of shamanic powers she's been given, her job as a police detective has been relatively calm, and she's got a love life for the first time in memory. Not bad for a woman who started out the year mostly dead.

But it's Halloween, and the undead have just crashed Joanne's party.

Now, with her mentor Coyote still missing, she has to figure out how to break the spell that has let the ghosts, zombies and even the Wild Hunt come back. Unfortunately, there's no shamanic handbook explaining how to deal with the walking dead. And if they have anything to say about it which they do no one's getting out of there alive.

The Death of the Duke

The World of Riverside

Ellen Kushner

WFA nominated short story. It originally appeared in the anthology Starlight 2 (1998), edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden and was reprinted at Strange Horizons, 30 July 2012. It can also be found in the anthology The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Twelfth Annual Collection (1999), edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. It is included in the collection Swordspoint (2003).

Read the full story for free at Strange Horizons.

Death Has Come Up Into Our Windows

The Zombie Bible: Book 1

Stant Litore

"Imagine sitting at a fire on a winter night and a man is warming his hands and telling you stories from the Bible, except the storyteller is Poe or Lovecraft. And you'll have some idea what this series is like."

It is 587 BC. A vast army lies encamped about Yirmiyahu's city, and a rebellious king has closed the city gates, locking in the living and the dead together. Only one man can see that the dead will overwhelm the city. Only one man can hear the quiet weeping of his God behind her veil in the temple. Only one man will stand against the evils practiced in a dying city.

But the things he sees and the things he must do will call into question every promise he has made, every duty he has sworn--to his wife, his God, and his city.

I Will Hold My Death Close

The Zombie Bible: Book 5

Stant Litore

Marked for sacrifice by her own father....

A young woman must rely on only her wits and troubled memories of her mother's faith to survive. She flees to the hills, knowing her father and his stone blade may appear at any time to claim her?while the unburied dead of her people also hunt her in the low ravines.

But she remembers how her mother once stood bravely against the dead. And now, in her long flight in the dark, Jepthah's daughter will hold her own death close so that no one can take it from her.

The centuries to come will not remember her name. But generations of young women will climb the hills to remember her.

The Thief-Taker's Apprentice

Thief-Taker: Book 1

Stephen Deas

Berren has lived in the city all his life. He has made his way as a thief, paying a little of what he earns to the Fagin like master of their band. But there is a twist to this tale of a thief. One day Berren goes to watch an execution of three thieves. He watches as the thief-taker takes his reward and decides to try and steal the prize. He fails. The young thief is taken.

But the thief-taker spots something in Berren. And the boy reminds him of someone as well. Berren becomes his apprentice. And is introduced to a world of shadows, deceit and corruption behind the streets he thought he knew.

Full of richly observed life in a teeming fantasy city, a hectic progression of fights, flights and fancies and charting the fall of a boy into the dark world of political plotting and murder this marks the beginning of a new fantasy series for all lovers of fantasy - from fans of Kristin Cashore to Brent Weeks.

The Warlock's Shadow

Thief-Taker: Book 2

Stephen Deas

Berren is not enjoying himself. Trapped in a temple, forced to learn how to read, how to write and how to recall the histories of the Saints, all he wants is to be given a sword. As a thief-taker's apprentice he imagined a world of daring night-time chases, glorious victories and a life of excitement. His dreams aren't quite coming true.

So when a prince - the first and last prince he'll ever see - hires the thief-taker as a bodyguard, Berren is thrilled. When he hears that a troupe of Dragon Monks - exotic warriors and the best swordsmen in the world - are visiting, he sees an opportunity to learn how to fight. When one of the Monks turns out to be a girl of the same age, his future suddenly seems a lot brighter.

But when a shadowy figure launches an attack on the life of Prince Sharda, Berren finds himself plunged into a world of danger, intrigue and terror. He may discover that being trained with a sword isn't enough - sometimes, you have to know who to fight.

The King's Assassin

Thief-Taker: Book 3

Stephen Deas

With its engaging thief-taker hero, this YA series from the acclaimed author of The ADAMANTINE PALACE is perfect for fans of Trudi Canavan and Robin Hobb.

Berren has left his past as an apprentice thief-taker behind him, in a mist of blood and screams and death. Press-ganged as a sailor, his old life is now just a distant memory. Until the day he spots someone who might well be his old master, Syannis, the man who killed Berren's first love. Syannis was thought dead, but he is a hard man to kill. As Berren chases down the man he believes to be an enemy, he finds himself caught up in a web of political machination and danger unlike anything he has encountered. For Syannis is a deposed prince, and he is willing to go to any lengths - including dealing with the black-hearted sorcerer Saffran Kuy - to regain his throne.

As Berren struggles to understand his feelings towards Syannis and his mad quest, he slowly comes to realize that the world is going to war - and Berren is caught in the middle. Can he navigate a path through the dangers which surround him? Will he find a way to extricate himself from the sorcery and intrigue that follow him at every step?

And who is destined to be the King's Assassin?

The Dead of Winter

Thieves' World: Book 7

Lynn Abbey
Robert Lynn Asprin

Edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey. Cover art by Gary Ruddell. Cover: Armies of the dead enticed across the White Foal River by a trail of blood.

Welcome to Sanctuary, a city of outlaws and advernturers in a world of war and wizardry, peopled with colorful characters created by today's top fantasy adventure talents, including:

Robert W. Bailey

C. J. Cherryh

Diane Duane

Janet Morris

Andrew Offutt

Diana L. Paxson

Lynn Abbey

Robert Lynn Asprin

In this awesome seventh volume, a fearful cold grips Sanctuary, and the risen dead begin to outnumber the living, a new alliance that may save the war-torn Borderlands is born...

Contents:

Dramatis Personae by Lynn Abbey

Introduction by Robert Lynn Asprin

Hell to Pay by Janet Morris

The Veiled Lady, or A Look at the Normal Folk by Andrew Offutt

The God-Chosen by Lynn Abbey

Keeping Promises by Robin W. Bailey

Armies of the Night by C.J. Cherryh

Down by the Riverside by Diane Duane

When the Spirit Moves You by Robert Lynn Asprin

The Color of Magic by Diana L. Paxson

Afterword by Andrew Offutt

Dead Moon

Threshold (Clines): Book 3

Peter Clines

In the year 2243, the Moon belongs to the dead.

The largest graveyard in the solar system, it was the perfect solution to the overcrowding and environmental problems that had plagued mankind for centuries. And the perfect place for Cali Washington to run away from her past.

But when a mysterious meteor crashes into one of the Moon's cemeteries, Cali and her fellow Caretakers find themselves surrounded by a terrifying enemy force that outnumbers them more than a thousand to one. An enemy not hindered by the lack of air or warmth or sustenance.

An enemy that is already dead.

Now Cali and her compatriots must fight to survive. Because if they don't, everyone on the Moon may be joining the dead.

And maybe everyone on Earth, too....

Death Hulk

Tomes of the Dead: Book 1

Matthew Sprange

Patrick O'Brian meets George Romero in this exciting and horrifying read.

Tomes of The Dead is a collection of some of the very best eyeball popping, gut munching, zombie fiction around, groaning with horror and excitement. Each book will explore the zombie genre in new and thrilling ways. Join us in these worlds of the dead and remember to leave your sanity by the door! Orders to chase down the French frigate Elita off the Cape of Good Hope came as welcome news to Captain Havelock. Stranded with the rest of the fleet at Spithead while waiting for France to initiate hostilities was an unwelcome duty for any up and coming officer. Here was a chance for glory - and prize money! The duel between the Whirlwind and its enemy would prove to be far from easy though. Very soon, Captain Havelock would come to realise that theirs were not the only two warships in the southern ocean, and an enemy long since thought to be vanquished would return from the dead to exact a terrible vengeance!

The Words of Their Roaring

Tomes of the Dead: Book 2

Matthew Smith

Zombies. Thrilling and horrific story set in a horribly altered London.

Tomes of The Dead is a collection of some of the very best eyeball popping, gut munching, zombie fiction around, groaning with horror and excitement. Each book will explore the zombie genre in new and thrilling ways. Join us in these worlds of the dead and remember to leave your sanity by the door! London is a city overrun by the zombies hordes. Most of the human survivors live from day to day, scraping together an existence amongst the ruins, avoiding the shambling, flesh-hungry undead that stalk the streets. But for others the situation is an opprtunity, a chance to estabblish a powerbase within the capital now that all authority has virtually collapsed. For gang lord Harry Flowers, the plague is his chance to finally rule the city unopposed...

The Devil's Plague

Tomes of the Dead: Book 3

Mark Beynon

The Civil War was just the beginning... To help him attain victory over the Royalists, Oliver Cromwell has made a pact with the Devil. In return for his soul, he has been given a fearsome demon army - a blood-thirsty platoon of ancient evil... the Kryfangan!With Charles Stuart, the rightful heir to the English throne seemingly killed in battle and his Scottish army slaughtered by the Kryfangan, Cromwell now has control of Parliament. However, by the time the Kryfangan's real identity is revealed to Cromwell, it is too late to stop their relentless killing spree. And when the true nature of the Great Plague is exposed, London soon becomes a city overrun by zombie hordes. The English must put aside their religious, social and political differences as they find themselves caught between two armies of the dead waging war with one another!

Tomes of The Dead is an exciting new collection of novels bringing you the very best in flesh-munchingly, gut-wrenchingly, eye-ball-poppingly good zombie fiction.

I, Zombie

Tomes of the Dead: Book 4

Al Ewing

"My name is John Doe. I've been dead for ten years." I have no heartbeat, no breath, no smell, just cold, clammy flesh animated by something I don't understand. So I sell my dead flesh to the highest bidder. If the price is right, I'll kill for you, steal for you, or save your life for you. There's no mystery you can't hire me to solve... apart from this one. The bent copper torn apart in his flat by something not quite human. The hidden rooms underneath the Tower of London. The hollow-eyed boxer, Morse, and strange, strange Mr Smith with his head full of the future. And the secret they found. The secret of who I am. A secret so big and black and terrible that it changed everything we thought we knew about existence. And now I'm the only person who can stop the end of all life on this planet...

I, Zombie! by Al Ewing brings you the very best in flesh-munchingly, gut-wrenchingly, eye-ball-poppingly good zombie fiction, by an author beloved of horror fans and comic fans alike.

Anno Mortis

Tomes of the Dead: Book 5

Rebecca Levene

An Ancient City Holds an Ancient Secret! The year 40AD is drawing to a close, the last gasp of Caligula's demented reign. Rome dominates the world, but something is festering at the heart of the Empire. Slaves are disappearing, the bodies of the dead are being stolen and mysterious shipments arrive from Egypt in the dead of night. Barbarian gladiator Boda was brought to Rome in chains as a prisoner of war. She hates her captors and their decadent city, but when she uncovers a plot to breach the barrier between life and death, she realises that she may be the Empire's only hope.

Tomes of The Dead is an exciting new collection of novels bringing you the very best in flesh-munchingly, gut-wrenchingly, eye-ball-poppingly good zombie fiction.

Way of the Barefoot Zombie

Tomes of the Dead: Book 6

Jaspre Bark

On a private island in the Caribbean, business guru Doc Papa has reinvented the zombie as a role-model for the super rich.

The world's business elite come to St. Ignatius to study the Way of the Barefoot Zombie and interact with a captive colony of the undead. They live with them, dress like them and act like them in order to free their own inner zombies.

Once they've learned to harness the zombie's single minded lust for food nothing will stop them from making a killing on the global markets. However, Doc Papa's plans for dominating the world's business arena go awry when the island is infiltrated by undercover operatives from the Zombie Liberation Front and a rogue priestess from Doc Papa's past.

Real Voodoo and social satire collide in this gore-drenched tale of greed and global profit.

Tide of Souls

Tomes of the Dead: Book 7

Simon Bestwick

Flash floods devastate Britain and an army of the dead rise from the waters to hunt town the survivors. For ex-prostitute Katya, it's a constant fight to stay alive, but also a chance at freedom. Ex-soldier McTarn is sent on a mission to retrieve a scientist from a northern village. When the floods cut them off, McTarn may be Katya's only hope of survival!

Hungry Hearts

Tomes of the Dead: Book 8

Gary McMahon

IN A WORLD TORN APART BY HUNGER, THE ONLY THING COLDER THAN DEATH IS LOVE...

Rick Nutman is a rookie policeman. When the city of Leeds erupts into blood-spattered chaos he must fight through hungry hordes of the living dead to return home and protect Sally, his new wife, the only woman he has ever loved. Daryl lives with his dying mother, and views the apocalypse as the perfect opportunity to put his long-held plans into action. Daryl has always wanted to be a serial killer. Tonight he will achieve that dream, and Sally will become his first victim. As the world runs down and the streets burn with the rage of the undead, Rick flees with his reanimated wife across a ravaged landscape, and Daryl chases them with his own agenda - to be the only serial killer in history to kill the same victim twice.

Murder, obsession and desire collide in this dark tale of love and death... and the things that lie beyond.

Empire of Salt

Tomes of the Dead: Book 9

Weston Ochse

A DREAD TIDE!

The Olivers have a chance to make a new home by the Salton Sea. Looking forward to Californian fun, sun and adventure they are unprepared for the ecological devastation they find. The sea is rotting, the town of Bombay Beach is dying and the citizens are like bait, waiting to be plucked from their homes by what comes from the sea. For just off the coast something lies in wait, a government secret gone wrong, a deadly experiment that has created a breed of zombie like no other. Beware the coming of the green, the townsfolk say. Beware the coming of the night!

Stronghold

Tomes of the Dead: Book 10

Paul Finch

When King Edward I of England built Grogen Castle in Wales, he proclaimed it the strongest fortress in the British Isles; impregnable to assault, armed with devices so fiendish that would-be attackers would die in multitudes. But the Welsh have had enough of English tyranny. Armed with druidic magic and an ancient, mystical artefact, they summon an army to their banner even the most supersitious of Edward's soldiers could never have imagined. Soon, Grogen Castle finds itself beseiged by forces forged from splintered bone and rotten flesh. Just how long can this Stronghold hold out against the zombie horde?

The Viking Dead

Tomes of the Dead: Book 11

Toby Venables

Northern Europe, 976 AD. Bjólf and the viking crew of the ship Hrafn flee up an unknown river after a bitter battle, only to find themselves in a bleak land of pestilence. The dead don't lie down, but become draugr - the undead - returning to feed on the flesh of their kin. Terrible stories are told of a dark castle in a hidden fjord, and of black ships that come raiding with invincible draugr berserkers. And no sooner has Bjólf resolved to leave, than the black ships appear... Now stranded, his men cursed by the contagion of walking death, Bjólf has one choice: fight his way through a forest teeming with zombies, invade the castle and find the secret of the horrific condition - or submit to an eternity of shambling, soulless undeath!

The Complete Double Dead

Tomes of the Dead / Coburn

Chuck Wendig

A VAMPIRE IN ZOMBIELAND

You wouldn't like Coburn. People don't, as a rule. And that's okay, because he doesn't like people much either. People are food.

Five years ago, Coburn went to sleep -- wasn't exactly planned -- and he's just woken up to find most everybody in the world dead. Not dead like him; he looks human, drinks blood. He's smart. They're... none of those things. They outnumber him by about a million to one, and their clotted blood cannot sustain him.

Now he's starving, and on the run. He has to find blood, soon, and -- like it or not -- he's gonna have to keep an eye on the frail flesh-bags he finds it in. Time for the wolf to turn shepherd.

No, Coburn doesn't like people. But he'll have to learn to.

Double Dead

Tomes of the Dead / Coburn: Book 1

Chuck Wendig

Coburn's been dead now for close to a century, but seeing as how he's a vampire and all, it doesn't much bother him. Or at least it didn't, not until he awoke from a forced five-year slumber to discover that most of human civilization was now dead-but not dead like him, oh no.

See, Coburn likes blood. The rest of the walking dead, they like flesh. He's smart. Them, not so much. But they outnumber him by about a million to one. And the clotted blood of the walking dead cannot sustain him. Now he's starving. And on the run. And more pissed-off than a beestung rattlesnake. The vampire not only has to find human survivors (with their sweet, sweet blood), but now he has to transition from predator to protector-after all, a man has to look after his food supply.

The Dead of the Night

Tomorrow: Book 2

John Marsden

Seventeen-year-old Ellie and her friends have survived the invasion, but two of their band are captured: Kevin is imprisoned and Corrie is alive, but in a coma. Homer and Ellie are determined to get them back and to continue their campaign against the enemy. They discover that there are other rebels out there, fighting the invaders - but who are they and can they be trusted? As the pressure grows, can Ellie work out her conflicted feelings for the brilliant, arrogant Homer and the strong, gentle Lee? As war rages, and the enemy closes in, Ellie and her friends must once again fight for their lives... but how many of their band will be left?

A truly involving story about teenagers facing the incredible challenges of warfare, amid the intensity of first love. Would you sacrifice everything to save your country and your family?

Tor Double #3: Born With The Dead / The Saliva Tree

Tor Double: Book 3

Brian W. Aldiss
Robert Silverberg

Born With The Dead:

His wife was among the rekindled dead now. He'd heard that she was on a plane to Zanzibar with five other rekindled dead. As a "warm" he was not really allowed to make contact with her. The dead liked to stay in their cold-cities. But he'd loved her so much when she was alive, he just had to try.

The Saliva Tree:

In the late nineteenth century, a modern-thinking young man and friend of H. G. Wells's resides in the old-fashioned town of Cottersall. When a meteor lands in a pond in the neighbouring farming district, the man decides to investigate the odd occurrences in the area, where the farmer family of his beloved comes into danger courtesy of the stranded alien(s).

Tor Double #25: Fugue State / The Death of Doctor Island

Tor Double: Book 25

Gene Wolfe
John M. Ford

Fugue State:

Once you start forgetting, where do you stop?

The Death of Doctor Island:

A dreamy young boy, who is reading a SF novel modeled after The Island of Doctor Moreau.

Tor Double #35: Silent Thunder / Universe

Tor Double: Book 35

Robert A. Heinlein
Dean Ing

Silent Thunder:

A techno thriller. A unique mix of Sci-Fi and historic fiction. It's said to resonate with political events of the 1991 timeframe.

Universe:

This novelette was combined with its sequel, "Common Sense", to form "Orphans of the Sky" in 1963.

The gigantic, cylindrical generation ship Vanguard, originally destined for "Far Centaurus", is cruising without guidance through the interstellar medium as a result of a long-ago mutiny that killed most of the officers. Over time, the descendants of the surviving loyal crew have forgotten the purpose and nature of their ship and lapsed into a pre-technological culture marked by superstition. They come to believe the "Ship" is the entire universe, so that "To move the ship" is considered an oxymoron, and references to the Ship's "voyage" are interpreted as religious metaphor. They are ruled by an oligarchy of "officers" and "scientists". Most crew members are simple illiterate farmers, seldom or never venturing to the "upper decks" where the "muties" (an abbreviation of "mutants" or "mutineers") dwell. Among the crew, all identifiable mutants are killed at birth.

Bay of the Dead

Torchwood: Book 11

Mark Morris

When the city sleeps, the dead start to walk...

Something has sealed off Cardiff, and living corpses are stalking the streets, leaving a trail of half-eaten bodies. Animals are butchered. A young couple in their car never reach their home. A stolen yacht is brought back to shore, carrying only human remains. And a couple of girls heading back from the pub watch the mysterious drivers of a big black SUV take over a crime scene.

Torchwood have to deal with the intangible barrier surrounding Cardiff, and some unidentified space debris that seems to be regenerating itself. Plus, of course, the all-night zombie horror show.

Not that they really believe in zombies.

Long Time Dead

Torchwood: Book 17

Sarah Pinborough

Cardiff Bay. The government has ordered the excavation of the wreckage of a secret underground base. DCI Tom Cutler is watching from a distance, fascinated by the process. There are people in his dreams. People he feels he should know.

The disbanded Torchwood Institute spent a century accumulating non-terrestrial artefacts and catching aliens. Who knows what - or who - might still be intact down there. But by the time they find the first body, Suzie Costello is long gone.

Die and Stay Dead

Trent: Book 2

Nicholas Kaufmann

In this pulse-pounding sequel to Dying Is My Business, Trent, a man who can't stay dead or retain his memories, tries to uncover his connection to a deadly doomsday cult bent on destroying NYC.

A brutal murder in Greenwich Village puts Trent and the Five-Pointed Star on the trail of Erickson Arkwright, the last surviving member of a doomsday cult. Back in the day, the Aeternis Tenebris cult thought the world would end on New Year's Eve of 2000. When it didn't, they decided to end it themselves by summoning Nahash-Dred, a powerful, terrifying demon known as the Destroyer of Worlds. But something went wrong. The demon massacred the cult, leaving Arkwright the sole survivor.

Now, hiding somewhere in New York City with a new identity, Arkwright plans to summon the demon again and finish the job he started over a decade ago. As Trent rushes to locate a long-lost magical artifact that may be the only way to stop him, the clues begin to mount... Trent's past and Arkwright's might be linked somehow. And if they are, it means the truth of who Trent really is may lie buried in the twisted mind of a madman.

Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined

Twilight Series

Stephenie Meyer

For fans of the worldwide phenomenon Twilight comes a bold reimagining of Stephenie Meyer's novel, telling the classic love story but in a world where the characters' genders are reversed...

There are two sides to every story...

You know Bella and Edward, now get to know Beau and Edythe.

When Beaufort Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edythe Cullen, his life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With her porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edythe is both irresistible and enigmatic.

What Beau doesn't realize is the closer he gets to her, the more he is putting himself and those around him at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back...

With a foreword and afterword by Stephenie Meyer, this compelling reimagining of the iconic love story is a must-read for Twilight fans everywhere.

Death and the Hobbyist

Twinmaker

Sean Williams

This short story originally appeared in Lightspeed, November 2013.

Read the full story for free at Lightspeed.

Dead Sky, Black Sun

Ultramarines: Book 3

Graham McNeill

The Ultramarines are the epitome of a Space Marine Chapter. Warriors without peer, their name is a byword for discipline and honour, and their heroic deeds are legendary.

Exiled from the Ultramarines Chapter, former captain Uriel Ventris and his battle-brother Pasanius embark upon a deadly quest into the heart of darkness--the daemon world of Medrengard. There, they must destroy a facility creating new warriors for the Traitor Legions--but Warsmith Honsou and his Iron Warriors stand in their way. Can the Ultramarines complete their mission and redeem their honour, or will they join the ranks of the lost and the damned?

This edition also includes the prequel short story 'Consequences', in which Uriel and Pasanius face trial for their breaches of the Codex Astartes, with their lives on the line.

Victories Greater Than Death

Unstoppable: Book 1

Charlie Jane Anders

Tina never worries about being 'ordinary' – she doesn't have to, since she's known practically forever that she's not just Tina Mains, average teenager and beloved daughter. She's also the keeper of an interplanetary rescue beacon, and one day soon, it's going to activate, and then her dreams of saving all the worlds and adventuring among the stars will finally be possible. Tina's legacy, after all, is intergalactic – she is the hidden clone of a famed alien hero, left on Earth disguised as a human to give the universe another chance to defeat a terrible evil.

But when the beacon activates, it turns out that Tina's destiny isn't quite what she expected. Things are far more dangerous than she ever assumed – and everyone in the galaxy is expecting her to actually be the brilliant tactician and legendary savior Captain Thaoh Argentian, but Tina... is just Tina. And the Royal Fleet is losing the war, badly – the starship that found her is on the run and they barely manage to escape Earth with the planet still intact.

Luckily, Tina is surrounded by a crew she can trust, and her best friend Rachel, and she is still determined to save all the worlds. But first she'll have to save herself.

V: Death Tide

V: Book 10

A. C. Crispin

A deadly new Visitor plot spells ecological disaster for the entire West Coast.

Demon Deathchase

Vampire Hunter D: Book 3

Hideyuki Kikuchi

The vampire hunter known only as D has been hired by a wealthy, dying man to find his daughter, who was kidnapped by the powerful vampire Lord Meierlink. Though humans speak well of Meierlink, the price on his head is too high for D to ignore and he sets out to save her before she can be turned into an undead creature of the night. In the nightmare world of 12090 A.D., finding Meierlink before he reaches the spaceport in the Clayborn States and gets off the planet will be hard enough, but D has more than just Meierlink to worry about. The dying man is taking no chances, and has also enlisted the Marcus family, a renegade clan of four brothers and a sister who don't care who they kill as long as they get paid. Beautiful illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano complement the post-apocalyptic plot, filled with chilling twists.

Tale of the Dead Town

Vampire Hunter D: Book 4

Hideyuki Kikuchi

When a floating city becomes the target of a rash of vampire attacks, only one man can restore the oasis. "The City," a tiny metropolis of a few hundred sheltered citizens floating serenely on a seemingly random course a few feet above the ground, has long been thought safe from the predation of marauding monsters. It seemed like a paradise. A paradise shattered when an invasion of apparent vampires threatens the small haven. While the Vampire Hunter known only as "D" struggles to exterminate the scourge, a former denizen of the city, the attractive Raleigh Knight, and the brash John M. Brassalli Pluto VIII seize control of the city lurching it onto a new and deadly course. D's travails are just beginning.

Undead Island

Vampire Hunter D: Book 25

Hideyuki Kikuchi

On an isolated island, vampire Nobility run a mysterious laboratory, continuously pumping out a white mist which compels the inhabitants of a nearby fishing village to become the vampire's slaves! When the village tries to retaliate, their fighters never return. The vampire hunter known only as D has been sighted on the island, but how did he come to be there, and whose side is he on, and will any mortals survive the brewing conflict?

Very Bad Deaths

Very: Book 1

Spider Robinson

Aging baby-boomer Russell Walker wants only to retreat from the world and the shattering death of his beloved wife, into the woods of British Columbia. But the real world won't let him become a hermit. Instead, he finds himself thrust into the mystery of a series of mass murders by a monsterous sadist and seriel killer who makes Hannibal Lector look like a boy scout. And he is caught in a frightening predicament: He is the only possible intermediary between a telepath called Smelly, so sensitive he can't stand to be near most people, and a skeptical police officer who needs to hear and believe what Smelly knows about the fiend. This involuntary trio may be the only ones who can catch the inhuman butcher before he kills again-if he doesn't catch them first.

Island of Power

Vor - The Maelstrom: Book 3

Dean Wesley Smith

Torn from the universe by an insatiable cosmic vortex, Earth is trapped in the grotesque parody of reality called the Maelstrom -- along with thousands of other planets, millions of species, billions of warring creatures... all swirling toward ultimate destruction.

ALIEN HORROR

It materializes off the Oregon coast in a burst of devastation and tsunamis: an island containing an alien city... and perhaps the way for Earth to escape the Maelstrom. But the Union soldiers and civilian scientists sent to the strange ruins aren't the only ones who want the island's power. For the humans are soon confronted by unearthly monsters -- the walking-dead Pharons and morphing Sand. And these horrors intend to claim victims on their unholy journey through the Maelstrom, even as the entire island itself begins to disappear.

Riders of the Dead

Warhammer

Dan Abnett

Far to the north of the Empire lies the dreaded Chaos Wastes, home of the Dark Powers and their mutated servants. As they head into this sinister region, two brothers-in-arms find their destinies thrown into turmoil as their fight against the hordes of Chaos rips them asunder Such is the destructive power of this fallen land, that the strongest of friends can soon turn into the most bitter of enemies, hurtling inexorably towards a final cataclysmic showdown.

Death & Dishonour

Warhammer

Alex Davis
Nick Kyme
Lindsey Priestley

The Warhammer world is filled with great heroes, and defined by honour and survival against the odds. But sometimes these values are overridden, and death and dishonour prevail. This collection contains nine new stories featuring some of Warhammer's most legendary heroes including Gotrek and Felix, Florin and Lorenzo and Brunner the Bounty Hunter.

Way of the Dead

Warhammer

Christian Dunn
Marc Gascoigne

Anthology of fantasy stories set in Games Workshop's Warhammer universe

Genevieve Undead

Warhammer: Genevieve Dieudonne: Book 3

Kim Newman

Humanity was not the first species to walk amongst the stars. Their existance is a mere blink of an eye to those immortal beings that still exist. Now a discovery has been made that may lead to a savage upheaval in their aeon-long dormancy. A race will begin for an ancient device of galaxy-destroying power.

Deathblade

Warhammer: The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Book 6

C. L. Werner

Darkblade must decide where his loyalties lie - will he follow Malekith to the death, or will he finally rise up and try to claim the throne of Naggaroth for himself? And either way, will he survive?

It has taken decades, but Malus Darkblade has finally plotted, schemed and murdered his way to power, as the ruler of the city of Hag Graef and general of the Witch King Malekith's armies. But his position is imperilled when Malekith orders an all-out assault on Ulthuan - with Darkblade in the vanguard. As he wages war on the high elves, Darkblade must decide where his loyalties lie - will he follow Malekith to the death, or will he finally rise up and try to claim the throne of Naggaroth for himself? And either way, will he survive?

Master of Death

Warhammer: Time of Legend: Blood of Nagash: Book 2

Josh Reynolds

An ancient follower of the Great Necromancer seeks power over death itself.

W'soran, one of the first vampires and former pupil of the Great Necromancer Nagash, plots to unravel the secrets of life and death. But his hunt for power is interrupted by a civil war in Mourkain, the mountain nation ruled by his former ally, Ushoran. Now W'soran must battle old friends and new enemies as he weaves a complex web of treachery and deceit in order to anoint himself the Master of Death...

Dead Winter

Warhammer: Time of Legend: The Black Plague: Book 1

C. L. Werner

Book one in the Black Plague trilogy from the Time of Legends.

A thousand years after the Age of Sigmar, the Empire is struck by a deadly plague which decimates the population. In its wake, the foul skaven move to lay claim to the land of men.

More than a thousand years after the Age of Sigmar, the Empire he struggled to create rests on the edge of destruction - the reign of the greedy and incompetent Emperor Boris Goldgather has shaken down the great and prosperous edifice of his erstwhile realm. Without warning, a terrible and deadly plague strikes, wiping out entire villages and leaving towns eerily silent through the long frozen months. As the survivors struggle to maintain order and a worthy military presence, vermin pour up from the sewers and caverns beneath the cities, heralding a new and unspeakable threat - the insidious skaven!

The Dead and the Damned

Warhammer: Torben Badenov

Jonathan Green

Fantasy novel set in Games Workshop's Warhammer universe

Death's Messenger

Warhammer: WFRP: Book 1

Sandy Mitchell

Village life in the Empire is a relatively dull affair for Rudi. Living with his father, he dreams his life away, wishing he was anywhere else but here! That all changes when a group of savage beastmen attack the village and Rudi is accused of Chaos worship in the subsequent investigation. Forced to flee, Rudi heads for the safety of Marienburg an the life of adventure that he wished so hard for.

Death's City

Warhammer: WFRP: Book 2

Sandy Mitchell

In the wild forests of the Warhammer world, there is never any chance of peace. Forced to flee from their home by witch hunters, Rudi and Hanna take refuge in Marienburg, but it soon becomes clear that life in the city is just as dangerous. Can Rudi come any closer to discovering the secret of his past before he is hunted down by the forces of Chaos?

Death's Legacy

Warhammer: WFRP: Book 3

Sandy Mitchell

Rudi and Hanna seek refuge in Altdorf, capital city of the Empire. Rudi finally discovers the dark secret of his family, and is forced to turn to his mortal enemy, the witch hunter Gerhard, for help. Can Rudi ever be free from the evil trapped in his soul, or will the battle to destroy it also destroy him?

The Book of Phoenix: (Excerpted from The Great Book)

Who Fears Death

Nnedi Okorafor

This novelette originally appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, #54 March 2011. It can also be found in the anthologies The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Six (2012), edited by Jonathan Strahan, and Clarkesworld: Year Five (2013), edited by Neil Clarke and Sean Wallace.

Read the full story for free at Clarkesworld.

Who Fears Death

Who Fears Death: Book 1

Nnedi Okorafor

International award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor enters the world of magic realist literature with a powerful story of genocide in the far future and of the woman who reshapes her world.

In a post-apocalyptic Africa, the world has changed in many ways, yet in one region genocide between tribes still bloodies the land. After years of enslaving the Okeke people, the Nuru tribe has decided to follow the Great Book and exterminate the Okeke tribe for good. An Okeke woman who has survived the annihilation of her village and a terrible rape by an enemy general wanders into the desert hoping to die. Instead, she gives birth to an angry baby girl with hair and skin the color of sand. Gripped by the certainty that her daughter is different--special--she names her child Onyesonwu, which means "Who Fears Death?" in an ancient tongue.

From a young age, stubborn, willful Onyesonwu is trouble. It doesn't take long for her to understand that she is physically and socially marked by the circumstances of her violent conception. She is Ewu--a child of rape who is expected to live a life of violence, a half-breed rejected by both tribes.

But Onye is not the average Ewu. As a child, Onye's singing attracts owls. By the age of eleven, she can change into a vulture. But these amazing abilities are merely the first glimmers of a remarkable unique magic. As Onye grows, so do her abilities--soon she can manipulate matter and flesh, or travel beyond into the spiritual world. During an inadvertent visit to this other realm she learns something terrifying: someone powerful is trying to kill her.

Desperate to elude her would-be murderer, and to understand her own nature, she seeks help from the magic practitioners of her village. But, even among her mother's people, she meets with frustrating prejudice because she is Ewu and female. Yet Onyesonwu persists.

Eventually her magical destiny and her rebellious nature will force her to leave home on a quest that will be perilous in ways that Onyesonwu can not possibly imagine. For this journey will cause her to grapple with nature, tradition, history, true love, the spiritual mysteries of her culture, and ultimately to learn why she was given the name she bears: Who Fears Death?

The Book of Phoenix

Who Fears Death: Book 2

Nnedi Okorafor

A fiery spirit dances from the pages of the Great Book. She brings the aroma of scorched sand and ozone. She has a story to tell....

The Book of Phoenix is a unique work of magical futurism. A prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death, it features the rise of another of Nnedi Okorafor's powerful, memorable, superhuman women.

Phoenix was grown and raised among other genetic experiments in New York's Tower 7. She is an "accelerated woman" - only two years old but with the body and mind of an adult, Phoenix's abilities far exceed those of a normal human. Still innocent and inexperienced in the ways of the world, she is content living in her room speed reading e-books, running on her treadmill, and basking in the love of Saeed, another biologically altered human of Tower 7.

Then one evening, Saeed witnesses something so terrible that he takes his own life. Devastated by his death and Tower 7's refusal to answer her questions, Phoenix finally begins to realize that her home is really her prison, and she becomes desperate to escape.

But Phoenix's escape, and her destruction of Tower 7, is just the beginning of her story. Before her story ends, Phoenix will travel from the United States to Africa and back, changing the entire course of humanity's future.

Dead Man's Hand

Wild Cards: Book 7

George R. R. Martin

On waking on Monday morning from his regular nightmare, Jay Ackroyd's new assignment as Chrysalis' bodyguard gets off to a bad start when he discovers his employer's battered corpse at the Crystal Palace with an ace of spades placed conveniently on top - the calling card of the bow-and-arrow killer, Yeoman. Not trusting the nat police to put too much effort into finding the killer of a joker, Jay sets off to solve the case by himself.

Daniel Brennan, thinking he's escaped the violence for a quieter life in the country, sees the news of his ex-lover's murder on TV (and his implied role in it), and finds himself dragged back into his old life when he, too, chooses to pursue the matter himself and find the person responsible.

In the process of searching for the murderer, Jay bets the farm on finding the missing reporter, Digger Downs; gets sweaty with the ultimate femme fatale; briefly gains a Takisian sidekick; and comes face to face with the hideous Ti Malice. Brennan. meanwhile, takes a trip in the magic kingdom; hears Wyrm's horrible confession; finds unexpected help from the church; and uncovers the secret of Chrysalis' success.

Dealer's Choice

Wild Cards: Book 11

George R. R. Martin
Walter Jon Williams
Edward Bryant
Stephen Leigh

As the final battle between the Nats and Bloat rages on Ellis Island, the Turtle throws in the towel, Modular Man switches sides, Reflector faces defeat, and assassins reach Bloat's chamber.

Death Draws Five

Wild Cards: Book 17

George R. R. Martin

John Fortune-son of Peregine and Fortunato, two of the most powerful and popular Aces the world has ever known-has finally turned his card. He's an Ace! And proud of it... except that his new powers put him on a collision course with enemies he never knew he had. Is he the new messiah? Or the Anti-Christ? Or is he just a kid who's in over his head and about to drown? It's really quite simple. Mr. Nobody wants to do his job. The Midnight Angel wants to serve her Lord. Billy Ray, dying from boredom, wants some action. John Nighthawk wants to uncover the awful secret behind his mysterious power. Fortunato wants to rescue his son from the clutches of a cryptic Vatican office. John Fortune just wants to catch Siegfried and Ralph's famous Vegas review. The problem is that all roads, whether they start in Turin, Italy, Las Vegas, Hokkaido, Japan, Jokertown, Snake Hill, the Short Cut, or Yazoo City, Mississippi, lead to Leo Barnett's Peaceable Kingdom where the difference between the Apocalypse and Peace on Earth is as thin as a razor's edge and where Death himself awaits the final terrible turn of the card.

The Wisdom of Dead Men

Wildenstern Saga: Book 2

Oisin McGann

The British Empire is no longer the authority it once was. Instead, it's controlled by private business organizations--the most powerful of which is Ireland's ruthless Wildenstern family. Eighteen-year-old Nathaniel Wildenstern has given up his dreams of travel and adventure to devote himself to being his brother Berto's head of security. With the help of his wife, Daisy, Berto wants to change the barbaric ways of the clan. But there are many among the Wildensterns who like things the way they are, and will resort to whatever devious methods necessary to keep them that way.

Meanwhile, the burned bodies of women are appearing around Dublin. When a connection to the Wildenstern family is discovered, Nate, Daisy, and Nate's sister Tatiana decide to investigate. Soon they are digging into shadowy societies and dark family secrets that date back to the origin of the part-animal, part-machine enigmals. And what the young Wildensterns find could shed light on the savage nature of their family itself.

Invasion

Winter Moon: Book 1

Dean Koontz

In Los Angeles, a city street turns into a fiery apocalypse. In a lonely corner of Montana, a mysterious presence invades a forest. As these events converge and careen out of control, neither the living nor the dead are safe.

Completely rewritten as Winter Moon (1994)

Winter Moon

Winter Moon: Book 2

Dean Koontz

In Los Angeles, a hot Hollywood director, high on PCP, turns a city street into a fiery apocalypse. Heroic LAPD officer Jac McGarvey is badly wounded and will not walk for months. His wife and his child are left to fend for themselves against both criminals that control an increasingly violent city and the dead director's cult of fanatic fans.

In a lonely corner of Montana, Eduardo Fernandez, the father of McGarvey's murdered partner, witnesses a strange nocturnal sight. The stand of pines outside his house suddenly glows with eerie amber light, and Fernandez senses a watcher in the winter woods. As the seasons change, the very creatures of the forest seem in league with a mysterious presence. Fernandez is caught up in a series of chilling incidents that escalate toward a confronation that could rob him of his sanity or his life--or both.

As events careen out of control, the McGarvey family is drawn to Fernandez's Montana ranch. In that isolated place they discover their destiny in a terrifying and fiercely suspenseful encounter with a hostile, utterly ruthless, and enigmatic enemy, from which neither the living nor the dead are safe.

Living with the Dead

Women of the Otherworld: Book 9

Kelley Armstrong

The men and women of the Otherworld - witches, werewolves, demons, vampires - live unseen among us. Only now a reckless killer has torn down the wall, trapping one very human woman in the supernatural crossfire.

Robyn moved to LA after her husband died to try to put some distance between herself and the life they had together. And the challenges of her job as the PR consultant to a Paris Hilton wannabe are pretty distracting. But then her celebutante is gunned down in a night club, and Robyn is suddenly the prime suspect. The two people most determined to clear her are her old friend, the half-demon tabloid reporter Hope Adams, and a homicide detective with an uncanny affinity for the dead.

Soon Robyn finds herself in the heart of a world she never even knew existed -; and which she was safer knowing nothing about...

Dearest

Woodcutter Sisters: Book 3

Alethea Kontis

Readers met the Woodcutter sisters (named after the days of the week) in Enchanted and Hero. In this delightful third book, Alethea Kontis weaves together some fine-feathered fairy tales to focus on Friday Woodcutter, the kind and loving seamstress. When Friday stumbles upon seven sleeping brothers in her sister Sunday's palace, she takes one look at Tristan and knows he's her future. But the brothers are cursed to be swans by day. Can Friday's unique magic somehow break the spell?

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future: Volume 39

Writers of the Future: Book 39

Jody Lynn Nye
Dean Wesley Smith

In the world of speculative fiction... Your favorite authors... Have selected the best new voices of the year. 24 Award-winning Authors and Illustrators

3 Bonus Short Stories by Kevin J. Anderson, L. Ron Hubbard, and S. M. Stirling

Art and Writing Tips by Lazarus Chernik, L. Ron Hubbard, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Edited by Dean Wesley Smith and Jody Lynn Nye

16-page color gallery of artwork and Cover art by Tom Wood

Check out the stories Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Robert J. Sawyer, Kevin J. Anderson, Jody Lynn Nye and others chose as the best of the best.

Be amazed. Be amused. Be transported ... by stories that take you by surprise and take you further and deeper into new worlds and new ideas than you've ever gone before....

Twelve captivating tales from the most exciting new voices in science fiction and fantasy accompanied by three from masters of the genre.

A miracle? An omen? Or something else? One day, they arrived in droves -- the foxes of the desert, the field, the imagination.... -- "Kitsune" by Devon Bohm

When a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua meet on a beach in Key West, fireworks go off! But that's just the background. -- "Moonlight and Funk" by Marianne Xenos

Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., faces one of his funniest and most perplexing cases ever -- an enlightened ogre, a salamander with low self-esteem, and a raging fire dragon terrorizing the Unnatural Quarter! -- "Fire in the Hole" by Kevin J. Anderson

The Grim Reaper, trapped in an IRS agent's dying body, must regain his powers before he dies and faces judgment for his original sin. -- "Death and the Taxman" by David Hankins

In a metaverse future, a woman who exposes falseness in others must decide what is real to her -- the love she lost or the love she may have found. -- "Under My Cypresses" by Jason Palmatier

Vic Harden wasn't lured by glory on a daring mission into the reaches of outer space -- he was ordered out there by his editor. -- "The Unwilling Hero" by L. Ron Hubbard

Dangerous opportunities present themselves when an alien ship arrives in the solar system seeking repairs. -- "White Elephant" by David K. Henrickson

With her spaceship at the wrong end of a pirate's guns, a former war hero must face down her enemies and demons to save Earth's last best chance for peace. -- "Piracy for Beginners" by J. R. Johnson

Years after the Second Holocaust, the last surviving Jews on earth attempt to rewrite the past. -- "A Trickle in History" by Elaine Midcoh

When I said I'd do anything to pay off my debts and get back home to Earth, I didn't mean survey a derelict spaceship at the edge of the solar system -- but here I am. -- "The Withering Sky" by Arthur H. Manner

High-powered telescopes bring galactic life to our TVs, and network tuner Hank Enos figures he's seen everything -- until the day an alien boy stares back. -- "The Fall of Crodendra M." by T. J. Knight

Knights, damsels and dragons, curses and fates foretold -- the stuff of legends and stories, but unexpectedly perverse. -- "Constant Never" by S. M. Stirling

Determined to save his wife, Tumelo takes an unlikely client through South Africa's ruins to the heart of the Desolation -- a journey that will cost or save everything. -- "The Children of Desolation" by Spencer Sekulin

When a terrorist smuggles a nuclear weapon into London, a team regresses in time to AD 1093 to assassinate a knight on the battlefield, thereby eliminating the terrorist a millennia before his birth. -- "Timelines and Bloodlines" by L. H. Davis

The Grand Exam, a gateway to power for one, likely death for all others -- its entrants include ambitious nobles, desperate peasants, and Quiet Gate, an old woman with nothing left to lose. -- "The Last History" by Samuel Parr

You will love this collection of the best new voices because, as Locus magazine puts it, "Excellent writing...extremely varied. There's a lot of hot new talent."

Get it now.

A Disagreement with Death

Wuntvor Trilogy: Book 3

Craig Shaw Gardner

Wuntvor has caught the cold eye of Death himself, who seeks to add the hapless apprentice to his morbid minions...

Land of the Dead

Year of the Scarab Trilogy: Book 3

Andrew Bates

Even in Failure...

The Heart of Osiris has been stolen, all but one of his Eset-a cultists have been murdered , and his prey has escaped. Nicholas Sforza - an undying mummy resurrected by the power of Osiris - has failed in his righteous dury to Ma'at.

All but one of her fellow hunters are dead, her relationship with her best friend is a shambles, and the monster who's responsible has disappeared. Thea Ghandour - a hunter imbued by a mysterious force represented by beings known only as "the Messengers" - is watching her life fall apart all around her.

...One May Still Find Redemption

Yet the one responsible for all this turmoil is not satisfied, Maxwell Carpenter, a rotting horror that will not die has left a trail of terror and destruction in his wake as he heads inexorably toward the Lands of Faith with the ancient prize that he has stolen. Driven to once again taste the life that was stolen from him, he leads a chase to Egypt, where he hopes to unlock the secrets of Osiris' power. The race to this ancient land will tie the fates of these three souls together as the epic year of the Scarab trilogy draws to its stunning conclusion.

Invisible Death

Zarkon: Book 2

Lin Carter

Dead men. One after another. Rich. Famous. Powerful. And all defenseless against the invisible occult force that struck them down and left no trace of its devilish origins.

The police were powerless. The governments of the world were struck with fear. And only Prince Zarkon and his Omega Crew could hope to stem the bloody flood of terror about to engulf mankind.

But even the great Zarkon and his miracle men might have met their match, as the defenders of Good move into a shattering showdown with an eerie empire of pure Evil...

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