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Beyond the Woods: Fairy Tales Retold
By Paula Guran. 2016
Once upon a time, the stories that came to be known as "fairy tales" were cultivated to entertain adults more…
than children; it was only later that they were tamed and pruned into less thorny versions intended for youngsters. But in truth, they have continued to prick the imaginations of readers at all ages. Over the years, authors have often borrowed bits and pieces from these stories, grafting them into their own writing, creating literature with both new meaning and age-old significance. In the last few decades or so, they've also intentionally retold and reinvented the tales in a variety of ways--delightful or dark, wistful or wicked, sweet or satirical--that forge new trails through the forests of fantastic fiction. This new anthology compiles some of the best modern fairy-tale retellings and reinventions from award-winning and bestselling authors, acclaimed storytellers, and exciting new talents, into an enchanting collection. Explore magical new realms by traveling with us, Beyond the Woods . . .Carnal Machines: Steampunk Erotica
By D L King. 2011
The Victorians wrote some of the best and most enduring erotica. For such a tightly-laced age, people spent a lot…
of time thinking about things carnal. Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, et al enthralled us with their visions of new possibilities. The rich and slightly decadent visuals of the steam age lend themselves perfectly to the new carnality of post-punk era. And, of course, what is repressed will be even more exciting once the corset is unlaced. Steampunk, even without sex, is erotic; with sex, it's over-the-top hot. A widowed lady engineer invents a small device that can store the energy from sexual frustration and convert it to electricity to help power a home. Teresa Noelle Roberts shows us what it can do, confronted with sexual fulfillment. What volume of steampunk would be complete without a tale of sailing ships and the men who sail them? If your taste runs to sexy pirates in space, Poe Von Page will delight you with the mutinous crew of the Danika Blue and their new captain. Then there's the very special room on the top floor in the House of the Sable Locks, a brothel where sexually discriminating men go to have their fantasies fulfilled. Even if a man daren't put those fantasies into words, Elizabeth Schechter's "Succubus" will give the madam all the information she needs with which to make her clients happy. There are brothels, flying machines, steam-powered conveyances, manor houses, spiritualist societies. The following stories afford intelligently written, beautifully crafted glimpses into other worlds, where the Carnal Machines won't fail to seduce you, get you wet or make you hard so, lie back, relax; a happy ending is guaranteed.Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy
By Robert Silverberg. 2004
Fantasy fans, rejoice! Seven years after writer and editor Robert Silverberg made publishing history with Legends, his acclaimed anthology of…
original short novels by some of the greatest writers in fantasy fiction, the long-awaited second volume is here. Legends II picks up where its illustrious predecessor left off. All of the bestselling writers represented in Legends II return to the special universe of the imagination that its author has made famous throughout the world. Whether set before or after events already recounted elsewhere, whether featuring beloved characters or compelling new creations, these masterful short novels are both mesmerizing stand-alones--perfect introductions to the work of their authors--and indispensable additions to the epics on which they are based. Beyond any doubt, Legends II is the fantasy event of the season. ROBIN HOBB returns to the Realm of the Elderlings with "Homecoming," a powerful tale in which exiles sent to colonize the Cursed Shores find themselves sinking into an intoxicating but deadly dream ... or is it a memory? GEORGE R. R. MARTIN continues the adventures of Dunk, a young hedge knight, and his unusual squire, Egg, in "The Sworn Sword," set a generation before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire. ORSON SCOTT CARD tells a tale of Alvin Maker and the mighty Mississippi, featuring a couple of ne'er-do-wells named Jim Bowie and Abe Lincoln, in "The Yazoo Queen." DIANE GABALDON turns to an important character from her Outlander saga--Lord John Grey--in "Lord John and the Succubus," a supernatural thriller set in the early days of the Seven Years War. ROBERT SILVERBERG spins an enthralling tale of Majipoor's early history--and remote future--as seen through the eyes of a dilettantish poet who discovers an unexpected destiny in "The Book of Changes." TAD WILLIAMS explores the strange afterlife of Orlando Gardiner, from his Otherland saga, in "The Happiest Dead Boy in the World." ANNE McCAFFREY shines a light into the most mysterious and wondrous of all places on Pern in the heartwarming "Beyond Between." RAYMOND E. FEIST turns from the great battles of the Riftwar to the story of one soldier, a young man about to embark on the ride of his life, in "The Messenger." ELIZABETH HAYDON tells of the destruction of Serendair and the fate of its last defenders in "Threshold," set at the end of the Third Age of her Symphony of Ages series. NEIL GAIMAN gives us a glimpse into what befalls the man called Shadow after the events of his Hugo Award-winning novel American Gods in "The Monarch of the Glen." TERRY BROOKS adds an exciting epilogue to The Wishsong of Shannara in "Indomitable," the tale of Jair Ohmsford's desperate quest to complete the destruction of the evil Ildatch ... armed only with the magic of illusion.Beyond Human: An Urban Fantasy Collection Goddess with a Blade To Catch a Stolen Soul Mark of the Moon (Goddess with a Blade)
By Lauren Dane, R. L. Naquin, Beth Dranoff. 2018
Don’t miss this enthralling collection of urban fantasy novels, including books from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Dane, R.L.…
Naquin, and Beth DranoffGoddess with a Blade by Lauren DaneRowan Summerwaite is no ordinary woman. Physical vessel to the Celtic Goddess Brigid and raised by the leader of the Vampire Nation, she’s a supercharged hunter with the power to slay any vampire who violates the age-old treaty.A recent string of murders has her at odds with Las Vegas’s new Scion, the arrogant and powerful Clive Stewart. The killings have the mark of Vampire all over them, and Rowan warns Clive to keep his people in line—or she’ll mete out her own brand of justice.Though her dealings with Clive are adversarial to say the least, Rowan is intensely aware of her attraction to him. But she can’t let it distract her from her duty—to find and battle the killer before more women die.To Catch a Stolen Soul by R.L. Naquin Kam is a soul chaser for the Hidden Government, a much harder job now that the Hidden look like everyone else. Broke, out of magic and sick of playing waitress in a pirate-themed dive bar, Kam jumps at a chance for an out-of-town mission. A reaper—and his loaded soul stone—have gone missing. The stone contains souls that might get permanently stuck if Kam doesn’t find it, like, yesterday. She tracks the reaper down to a food truck outside Kansas City, only to find a dead reaper and no soul stone in sight. Which means that someone who should be dead killed the reaper and is running around with a powerful magic item. Not good. The killer is targeting food-truck owners that also happen to be Hidden. The only thing to do is open her own truck and go undercover—goodbye Kam the Djinn, hello Mobile Food Entrepreneur—and hope that she and her new runaway friend won’t be the next targets. Mark of the Moon by Beth Dranoff I’m Dana Markovitz. And my world is shifting. My experience with the paranormal community was a good one, pouring shots in the creature-friendly pit stop where I tend bar. Until last night. A hookup with a vampire ended in a scratch from a jealous were-cat. Surprise! I caught a cat-shifting virus. I should be immune. Or so I’ve always been led to believe. For some reason the infection has riled a demon underworld that apparently knows more about my secret past than I do. They aren’t thrilled with me. In fact, they want me dead. At least I have one normal male on my side. Relatively normal. I think he’s on my side. Tell you one thing. There’s no way I’m being put down like a feral stray. I may not know who to trust, but I’ll be damned if I’m not fighting back. Hell, my claws are already starting to show.In the Footsteps of Dracula: Tales Of The Un-dead Count
By Stephen Jones. 2017
More than thirty chilling stories and novellas featuring Bram Stoker’s King of the Vampires: Count Dracula, Prince of Darkness! Since…
his creation one hundred and twenty years ago, the name of Dracula has become synonymous with the legend of the vampire and the character is one of the world’s most iconic to appear in fiction and film. Now, this history of the blood-drinking nobleman follows Dracula from his origins in Transylvania, through his travels down the decades, into a dystopian twenty-first century where vampires rule the world. Is it possible that the Count’s condition can be cured by modern medicine? How does the mythology perpetuated by literature and movies affect the existence of a real bloodsucker? How can an immortal creature adapt to the social and technological changes that have already shaped our modern world? And what happens when Dracula turns up for his own birthday party? These and many other questions are answered by acclaimed authors such as Ramsey Campbell, Christopher Fowler, Charlaine Harris, Nancy Holder, Nancy Kilpatrick, Brian Lumley, Graham Masterton, Paul McAuley, Kim Newman, Michael Marshall Smith, F. Paul Wilson and many others, including Dracula’s original creator Bram Stoker with a long-lost version of the story first presented in 1897.Other Aliens (Conjunctions #67)
By Peter Straub, Howard Norman, John Edgar Wideman, Elizabeth Hand, Rick Moody, Bradford Morrow, Joanna Scott, John Ashbery, Robert Kelly, William H. Gass, Karen Russell, David Shields, Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Peter Gizzi, Norman Manea, Brian Evenson, Ann Lauterbach, Martine Bellen, Mary Caponegro. 2016
New writings on our fear of—and fascination with—the “other” from Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Straub, Kelly Link, Jeffrey Ford, and…
more.Alien is a powerful and flexible word. Aliens are “other.” Aliens are the stuff of science fiction and fantasy. Aliens are traditional literary figures that cause us to see ourselves anew. Indeed, when we witness our “normal” lives through these strangers’ eyes, we become the unfamiliar ones.Conjunctions: 67, Other Aliens collects works of speculative and literary science fiction: innovative short stories, poetry, interviews, letters, and essays that explore the vast precincts of unfamiliarity, keen difference, weirdness, and not belonging.This provocative issue includes contributions from an all-star lineup, including Leena Krohn, Jeffrey Ford, Julia Elliott, John Crowley, Laura Sims, Valerie Martin, Lavie Tidhar, Samuel R. Delany, Matthew Baker, Paul Park, James Tiptree Jr., Michael Parrish Lee, Peter Straub, Kelly Link, Madeline Bourque Kearin, Jean Muno, Jonathan Thirkield, John Clute and John Crowley, Joyce Carol Oates, S. P. Tenhoff, Brian Evenson, Jessica Reed, E. G. Willy, and James Morrow.Hellbound Hearts
By Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Paul Kane, Marie O'Regan. 2009
Clive Barker's iconic masterpiece The Hellbound Heart, the novella adapted into the film Hellraiser, unleashed a new mythology of horror,…
brilliantly conceived and born of the darkest imagination. Now, enter this visionary world -- the merciless realm of the demonic Cenobites -- in this collection of stories inspired by The Hellbound Heart. Featured here is the graphic work "Wordsworth," from bestselling author Neil Gaiman and artist Dave McKean, who unlock an explicit way to violate innocence -- one torturous puzzle at a time.... New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong logs on to a disturbing website for gamers, where the challenge is agonizing, and the solution beyond painful. When his father disappears, an Oxford student returns to his family's mansion, where a strange mechanism in the cellar holds a curious power, in a haunting illustrated work by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola.Naked Delirium
By Kristina Wright, Sommer Marsden, Velvet Tripp, Vanessa Sade, Fulani. 2012
The mind has the power to save us from depravity...or to drive us further to it! From hypnotic highs to…
paranormal possession, Naked Delirium delves deep into the human psyche to celebrate sex in altered states! Five twisted tales, with the illustrated version lusciously illustrated by Giorgio Verona.The Dream of the Red Chamber
By H Joly, John Minford, Cao Xueqin. 1857
"Henry Bencraft Joly's attention to detail and the faithfulness in his translation of Hong Lou Meng makes this revised edition…
of The Dream of the Red Chamber an excellent book for the student of modern Chinese."--Edwin H. Lowe, from his introductionThe Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the "Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese Literature." It is renowned for its huge scope, large cast of characters and telling observations on the life and social structures of 18th century China and is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the classical Chinese novel.The "Red Chamber" is an expression used for the sheltered area where the daughters of wealthy Chinese families lived. Believed to be based on the author's own life and intended as a memorial to the women that he knew in his youth, The Dream of the Red Chamber is a multilayered story that offers up key insights into Chinese culture."...this partial version certainly deserves a wider readership, as a brave early skirmish on the outer ramparts of this masterpiece. The re-issuing of Joly's work will undoubtedly provide a rich crop of fascinating raw material for the growing community of Translation Studies scholars."--John Minford, from his foreword7&7
By Clare London, Jamie Fessenden, Carole Cummings, Andrea Speed, Pearl Love, Rick Reed, Sean Michael, John Inman, Amy Durreson, Rhys Ford, Serena Yates, J S Cook, Brandon Witt, J Hennig. 1979
Humankind possesses a dual nature, the ability to rise to the brightest heights--or sink to the darkest and most perverse…
depths. What inspires some to reach the pinnacles of virtue while others cannot resist the temptations of vice? Is it something innate, or a result of destiny and circumstance? Delve into the minds and spirits of saints and sinners alike with a collection of stories that explore the call toward good or evil--and the consequences of answering it. For while rewards certainly await the righteous, there are also pleasures to be found in the darkness. Venture off the expected path with some of the most innovative voices in LGBT speculative fiction as they present their unique takes on the classic vices and virtues. Stories Included: The Dark of the Sun by Amy Rae Durreson The Bank Job by Andrea Speed Prudence for Fools by Sean Michael The Gate by J.S. Cook Heirs to Grace and Infinity by Carole Cummings The Rendering by John Inman Beyond the Temperance Effect by Serena Yates Covetous by Pearl Love Hope by Rick R. Reed Horseboy by J Tullos Hennig Train to Sevmash by Jamie Fessenden Red Light Special by Rhys Ford Traitor by Clare London Couches of Fabric and Snow by Brandon Witt7&7
By Clare London, Jamie Fessenden, Carole Cummings, Andrea Speed, Pearl Love, Rick Reed, Sean Michael, John Inman, Amy Durreson, Rhys Ford, Serena Yates, J S Cook, Brandon Witt, J Hennig. 1979
Humankind possesses a dual nature, the ability to rise to the brightest heights--or sink to the darkest and most perverse…
depths. What inspires some to reach the pinnacles of virtue while others cannot resist the temptations of vice? Is it something innate, or a result of destiny and circumstance? Delve into the minds and spirits of saints and sinners alike with a collection of stories that explore the call toward good or evil--and the consequences of answering it. For while rewards certainly await the righteous, there are also pleasures to be found in the darkness. Venture off the expected path with some of the most innovative voices in LGBT speculative fiction as they present their unique takes on the classic vices and virtues. Stories Included: The Dark of the Sun by Amy Rae Durreson The Bank Job by Andrea Speed Prudence for Fools by Sean Michael The Gate by J.S. Cook Heirs to Grace and Infinity by Carole Cummings The Rendering by John Inman Beyond the Temperance Effect by Serena Yates Covetous by Pearl Love Hope by Rick R. Reed Horseboy by J Tullos Hennig Train to Sevmash by Jamie Fessenden Red Light Special by Rhys Ford Traitor by Clare London Couches of Fabric and Snow by Brandon Witt7&7
By Clare London, Jamie Fessenden, Carole Cummings, Andrea Speed, Pearl Love, Rick Reed, Sean Michael, John Inman, Amy Durreson, Rhys Ford, Serena Yates, J S Cook, Brandon Witt, J Hennig. 1979
Humankind possesses a dual nature, the ability to rise to the brightest heights--or sink to the darkest and most perverse…
depths. What inspires some to reach the pinnacles of virtue while others cannot resist the temptations of vice? Is it something innate, or a result of destiny and circumstance? Delve into the minds and spirits of saints and sinners alike with a collection of stories that explore the call toward good or evil--and the consequences of answering it. For while rewards certainly await the righteous, there are also pleasures to be found in the darkness. Venture off the expected path with some of the most innovative voices in LGBT speculative fiction as they present their unique takes on the classic vices and virtues. Stories Included: The Dark of the Sun by Amy Rae Durreson The Bank Job by Andrea Speed Prudence for Fools by Sean Michael The Gate by J.S. Cook Heirs to Grace and Infinity by Carole Cummings The Rendering by John Inman Beyond the Temperance Effect by Serena Yates Covetous by Pearl Love Hope by Rick R. Reed Horseboy by J Tullos Hennig Train to Sevmash by Jamie Fessenden Red Light Special by Rhys Ford Traitor by Clare London Couches of Fabric and Snow by Brandon WittLady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet No. 19
By Gavin Grant. 2006
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet No. 26
By Kelly Link, Gavin Grant. 2010
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet No. 20
By Kelly Link, Gavin Grant. 2007
Magic Mourns: A Novella in the World of Kate Daniels (Kate Daniels)
By Ilona Andrews. 2009
Atlanta is going to the dogs in this "sexy" (Publishers Weekly) story from the New York Times bestselling author... Andrea…
Nash of the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid--with an assist from her partner, Kate Daniels--tries to figure out why the giant three-headed dog who guards the gates of Hades is sniffing around Atlanta in this tale by the author of the "edgy series" full of "complex world-building and skilled characterizations" (Library Journal). Praise for the Kate Daniels novels: "Splendid...An edgy, dark fantasy."--Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author "[A] vividly drawn, kick-butt series."--Monsters and Critics "Fans of urban fantasy will delight in Ilona Andrews's alternate-universe Atlanta."--Fresh FictionDeath of the Planet of the Apes
By Andrew E. Gaska. 2018
New adventures revealing secrets stemming from Beneath the Planet of the ApesIn Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Col. George…
Taylor (played by Charlton Heston) disappears into the Forbidden Zone, only to return in the film's climactic scene. For forty-eight years, the question has remained--what happened to Taylor?Finally the truth is revealed. Beneath the irradiated wasteland, the astronaut faces the deadly wonders of a gleaming city and its inhuman citizenry. On the surface the gorillas--led by General Ursus--launch an all-out assault to exterminate the savage animals known as humans.And out in the desert, the chimpanzee scientist Milo strives to reconstruct the spacecraft that brought the humans from the past. Events spiral at a breakneck pace, with the fate of a world at stake.Twenty-six terrifying tales set on the scariest night of the year! Treat yourself to some very tricky stories! Halloween .…
. . All Hallows’ Eve . . . Samhain . . . Día de los Muertos . . . the Day the Dead Come Back . . . When the barriers between the worlds are at their weakest—when ghosts, goblins, and grisly things can cross over into our dimension—then for a single night each year the natural becomes the supernatural, the normal becomes the paranormal, and nobody is safe from their most intimate and terrifying fears. The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories brings you a dark feast of frightening fiction by some of the most successful and respected horror writers working today, including Ramsey Campbell, Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Helen Marshall, Richard Christian Matheson, Robert Shearman, Robert Silverberg, Angela Slatter, Steve Rasnic Tem, and many more, along with a very special contribution by award-winning poet Jane Yolen. Here you will encounter witches, ghosts, monsters, psychos, demonic nuns, and even Death himself in this spooky selection of stories set on the night when evil walks the earth . . .Devil Take Me
By Rhys Ford, C. S. Poe, Ta Moore, Jordan L. Hawk, Ginn Hale, Jordan Castillo Price. 2018
Temptation lurks around every corner in worlds sometimes dark, sometimes lurid. Giving in is both dangerous and satisfying, though never…
in the ways one expects. While these enticements offer a vast range of benefits and boons, the cost is a soul and the devil expects his due. Sometimes suave and charming or calculating and cruel, these devils have schemes and desires of their own. They can be creatures to run away from… or toward. Join the most unique and celebrated authors of LGBT urban fantasy and paranormal fiction for a fast-paced and unpredictable ride, from a city on the other side of reality, to a world suspended in dusk, to a twisted version of the 1960s and 70s. Meet devils in top hats and waistcoats, a defrocked motorcycle-riding priest, and a genderfluid antihero—among many more. Full of humor, romance, horror, action, intrigue, and magic, these stories have one common element…. They’re one hell of a good time.Nebula Awards Showcase 2018
By Jane Yolen. 2018
The latest volume of the prestigious anthology series, published annually across six decades!The Nebula Awards Showcase volumes have been published…
annually since 1966, reprinting the winning and nominated stories of the Nebula Awards, voted on by the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). The editor, selected by SFWA's anthology Committee (chaired by Mike Resnick), is Jane Yolen, an author of children's books, fantasy, and science fiction. This year's Nebula Award winners are Charlie Jane Anders, Seanan McGuire, William Ledbetter, Amal El-Mohtar, and Eric Heisserer, with David D. Levine winning the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Book.