Fantasy Adventure Short Stories

Follow a core group of characters known as the Trailblazers as they use alien technology and knowledge discovered in Antarctic ruins to obtain limited immortality and lead humanity out into the galaxy, encountering, befriending, and fighting hundreds of alien races all the while desperately trying to prepare Earth for the unbeatable threat at the core of the Milky Way that is destined to return and reclaim their lost colony...and their former human slaves.

Published in chronological order, with extensive story and bibliographic notes, this series not only provides access to stories that have been out of print for years, but gives them a historical and social context. Series editors Scott Conners and Ronald S. Hilger excavated the still-existing manuscripts, letters and various published versions of the stories, creating a definitive "preferred text" for Smith's entire body of work. This third volume of the series brings together 21 of his fantasy stories.

As the pace of modern life accelerates, the old ways wither and die. But to the Society for Magickal Heritage, that just isn’t good enough.

A mysterious note from Merlin sends Jack and Annie to Paris, France, for the 1889 World's Fair. Their mission: find four "new magicians" and protect them from an evil sorcerer who plans to kidnap them and steal the secrets of their magic. When Jack and Annie arrive at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, they find exhibits from all over the world and thousands of people attending the fair!

For Hudson, the virtual world of PrimeVerse isn't all bad. It's beautiful, much nicer than overpopulated Earth. It almost feels like a vacation except for the volatile wildlife, lack of any amenities, and—oh yeah—the inability to log out. Exploring the world, learning his class, and leveling skills is all fun and games until a powerful rogue player with a vendetta shows up to wipe out Hudson and his primitive tribe. Thrust into a conflict he didn't create, Hudson is forced into a cycle of respawning where he learns that even death can be used as a tool. So much for that vacation.

Maximillian Bacchus is the ringmaster, ruler, guide, and owner of what he considers the greatest show in the world. Traveling with a crocodile named Malachi, a trapeze girl named Ophelia, a strongman they call Hero (which is short for Hieronymus), and a clown named Domingo de Ybarrondo, who paints in a wagon pulled by a giant ibis bird, the troupe wanders from adventure to adventure with mythic aplomb.

Here are the greatest stories of one of the greatest writers working in any genre today. All ten of the stories gathered here are Hugo or Nebula award winners - some even have the distinction of winning both. With a new Introduction by the author and personal afterwords to each story, plus a special look at three of Willis' unique public speeches - this is unquestionably the collection of the season, an audiobook that every Connie Willis fan will treasure.

This collection of Catherine Asaro's show fiction contains five stories, including the Nebula Award-winning novella, Spacetime Pool, the Hugo and Nebula nominated novella Aurora in Four Voices, and an essay on Asaro's use of mathematics in her fiction.

A collection of short stories that have a space opera feel to it. This short but sweet audiobook offers listeners a glimpse of storytelling, there are several timelines in this book because of the short stories, and because there were multiple writers working on this project. The best way to set up this book is to think of it as a dream, and how sometimes dreams just jump from one thing to the next. That is how this book works. The book starts off on board the spaceship Maya in the year 2392 where there is lift off of space shuttle starship Maya.

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

In a time before the pyramids and the Pharaohs and the glory, Egypt was home to nomadic travellers. Ana is one such person, and heir to a tribe she doesn't want to lead. She's but 15 years and longs for exploration. But duty is knocking on her door. A trial awaits her. The weight of her father's expectations is heavy. Witness the magic of a pre-pharaonic Egypt and see if Ana will succeed in this short story from the acclaimed young adult author of The Black Petal, Dan Thompson.

In this book Donald will take on giant monsters, sinister villains, he'll play a homicide detective in half a dozen stories, he'll fight Frankenstein, the werewolf, Freddie Kruger and even Popeye the Sailor. There are also stories about Donald being an American film star, fairytale about Snow-white and Donald Trump, Fast, funny, right to the point, dramatic, adventurous, and believe me so, so much more.

For over a quarter of a century, Gorlen Vizenfirthe has entertained fans of wandering bards. Famous for playing his silver-strung eduldamer with one hand of flesh and one of stone, he has traveled from the dankest dens of Dankden to the desiccated domiciles of Wumnal Wells, first in search of a gargoyle with a hand of flesh, and then on the trail of the elusive wizard who swapped their hands in the first place. The Gargoyle’s Handbook collects for the first time all the Gorlen tales that take place before the events of the novel Underneath the Oversea.

Contains the complete Runes of Issalia series. The Buried Symbol: Rejecting his role as an outcast, Brock risks his life and obtains a false rune, marking him a member of the Empire's ruling class. The Emblem Throne: Brock and his friends resume their training at the Academy. However, an expansive web of lies resides within the Ministry. An Empire in Runes: Led by a teen named Brock, a squad of young heroes seeks a means of stopping a dark force from consuming the rest of the continent.

Delve into the unknown, as you too begin to question the nature of reality. This short story tale is an emotional roller coaster ride, with poignant, yet subtle inferences to notions of technocratic neo-feudal-like societies. Scottie is made to question everything he’s ever known, as he finds that his known reality literally fades into inexistence. Was he dreaming? Was he in a prison? What happens to Carolyn?

Sergeant Delaney, outmoded and out-gunned, has been tasked with bringing down a rogue Police NT robot rampaging through Los Angeles. He and his young partner must question their own understanding about what defines them as human as they fight to bring down the mechanical beast.

All Ethan wanted was a new board game for his collection. With alien ooze creatures on the cover and the theme of a race on a faraway moon, it had everything he loved. He had no idea he, along with his sister and best friend, would end up in the game racing for their lives.

Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson, and Larry Niven have seen the future. Now you can, too. A constellation of the brightest lights in the science fiction and fantasy firmament have judged these authors to be the best, the brightest, the truest emerging stars in the field.

Michael Maloney reads this original adventure by Dan Abnett, featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory. For centuries the Maintainers have worked. With no help from other worlds, they subsist on the food they can grow and that’s little enough. But their purpose, their whole life, is to maintain the machines that will one day make their world as habitable as old Earth. Life used to be hard. Now as crops fail, livestock sicken, and the temperature drops, it’s becoming impossible.

There are plenty of mercenaries, spies, and guns for hire in the galaxy. But probably none as dangerous and determined as Bazine Netal. A master of disguise—and lethal with a blade, a blaster, or bare handed—she learned from the best. Now it’s her turn to be the teacher—even if schooling an eager but inexperienced recruit in the tricks of her trade is the last thing she wants to do. But it’s the only way to score the ship she needs to pull off her latest job.