Fantasy Adventure Short Stories

Van Dorn is 18 and running solo, dodging the bloodthirsty hordes and militias that have emerged since the country went haywire. His dead father's voice rings in his head as Van Dorn sets his sights not just on survival but also on an old-fashioned system of justice. Meanwhile, a leader has risen among the gangs - and around him swirls the cast of brawlers from Donnybrook, with their own brutal sense of right and wrong, of loyalty and justice through strength. This is not the distant post-apocalyptic future - this is tomorrow, in a world Bill has already introduced us to.

In this collection of 19 short stories, Craig Nybo invites you to visit the lives of mostly unfortunate souls as they face the most terrifying moments of their existences. With everything from vampire hunting to zombie bashing, from steampunk death devices to shifty soul brokers, Nybo brings his own sense of perspective and, of course, his sense of humor to this collection of departures from reality. Terrifying Lies contains Nybo's acclaimed story, "The Mechanic", along with 18 other tales of the macabre.

In 11 reprints and two never-before-published stories, explore the harsh realities and boundless possibilities of mankind let loose on the greater universe. Pirates and gypsies, elite armed forces and scientific pioneers, all faced with the horror, wonder, and unexpected challenges that life in space has to offer.

Twelve classic tales of the unknown from the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Way Station.

The Starlight Express has a reputation as the wildest, most exotic alien bar, in two dozen galaxies. So, when Noah and Caleb want to kick back for a few hours on the night before Noah’s nuptials, it’s the obvious choice. And the wrong one. See, aliens tend to be the quirky sort, and humans haven’t quite gotten the hang of them yet - which is why no one should be surprised when a friendly disagreement, over one too many drinks, goes sideways. Now, a jailbreak, a police chase across seven galaxies, and an exploding ship have to get them out of this mess.

A long-forgotten pulp hero makes his glorious return to action and adventure in this special volume featuring Lance Star and his team of rough-and-ready Sky Rangers. Four brand-new, action-packed tales of highflying thrills await you.

Mentre l'orda di non morti dilaga nella città, all’interno della stazione della metropolitana solo pochi esseri umani riescono a sopravvivere, sempre alla disperata ricerca di provviste. Tra questi c’è il Cacciatore assieme ad Alice, la sua piccola figlia di otto anni, e alla bella Gilda. Ma le sorprese, i pericoli e la morte non si fanno attendere, neanche per loro.

1951. The Day the Earth Stood Still had just taken the world by surprise with Michael Rennie's portrayal of Klaatu. Motion pictures had seen a surge of female protagonists and heroines defying the norms of the time with films such as The Sword of Monte Cristo and Anne of the Indies. 20th Century Fox's subsidiary label, Astrys Pictures, embarks on something new, a Flash Gordon-type duo of movies...except with a female spaceship captain and action heroine.

By the late 21st century, humanity has final reached for the stars and established an off-world colony in the system of Tau Ceti, only to discover that man's greatest enemy is still man. On the colony world of Demeter, ADF power-armored troopers and their Parr scouts fight a desperate, covert war against invading corporate mercenaries. Even in the vastness of space, there is no room for lasting peace.

A collection of three stories by John Kaniecki: "Heretic", "Johnny Can't Run", and "The Psychology of Lady Jane Perkins". Religion and truth battle for control in a future society underground on Earth. In the not-so-far-off future a group of Nazis have been exiled to a distant planet. An engineering student is swept away in love by one Lady Jane Perkins, but what does the young man see in this homeless psychiatric patient?

Tonyo Logan and Zhag Paget are the stuff of legend. Their music is the soundtrack of the turbulent period after the signing of the Unity Treaty, when Simes and Gens must figure out how to live as their leaders have decided - together! When from time immemorial Simes have killed Gens in order to live, and Gens have murdered Simes to keep from being killed, how can they change literally overnight? And how can music help? The three stories told here span the first 15 years of Zhag and Tonyo's partnership, from their beginnings as starving musicians to their heyday as international superstars.

The Dance of Moonlighters: Heather needed to prove not only to herself, but the world, that she was more. More than a simple thief. It took her years to perfect her craft. Adapting to those around her. Surviving alone. Now her years looked to be spent on proving she held more in her hands than the items she borrowed. In this short story for Heather Halcyon, we discover a glimpse of her life and how she crosses paths with familiar names and faces. This is The Dance of Moonlighters, a tale of a thief who lives as a Queen.

The human instinct for survival is strong, especially when the circumstances are dire. When five women and two men return to Earth as part of a disjointed and meager population, with the intent of completing a barely conceivable mission of reestablishing themselves on the surface and repopulating the planet, dire is an understatement.

For 20 long unholy years, Hurtz, the pilot, dreamed of retirement...and found his "acre of heaven" on a death star. Hurtz went through the automatic motions of preparing himself for their landing on the small unnamed planet, but each thing he did was a wasted motion because it was really the boy, Jones, who was going to put the rocket down. And, what could Hurtz do now? The hard, aging muscles of his body were taut, and although the lines about his eyes had deepened, his eyes - blue and sparkling - still retained their old ferocity.

Andaris goes looking for adventure. What he finds is a world in the midst of tidal change, an extraordinary place where he encounters all manner of extraordinary things - vast landscapes teeming with flora and fauna capable of firing the most malnourished of imaginations. To be sure, danger lurks around every bend, a heady amalgam of sword and sorcery which threatens to bring his young life to an abrupt end.

In a world ravaged by climate change and teetering on the brink of disaster, marine biologist Elaine embarks on a life-altering journey. When her research submarine becomes trapped beneath the ocean's floor, Elaine discovers an extraordinary underground civilization—the enigmatic Luminari. These advanced beings hold the key to Earth's salvation, but their offer comes with a condition: humanity must change its ways.

A collection of faerie tales and adventure stories from two worlds parallel to each other. One is a world filled with fae folk and monsters, and the other is place of clockwork and alchemy. Both are brimming with magic, mystery, and mortals who must find their places within. Between the pages of these worlds, a boy learns his childhood friend is a dyrad, a lady must sneak away from her own ball to provide the cure to a plague-infected village, a siren has to solve a murder, and more.

Our wars were behind us. Mankind was moving out from the planet of its birth. New worlds were settled, and with the wealth of the galaxy at hand, poverty was eliminated. Then, out of a clear summer sky, came the first berserker attack. This collection of short stories continues the ongoing saga of the berserker wars with “The Machinery of Lies”, “Masque of the Red Shift”, “In the Temple of Mars”, “Brother Berserker”, and “Smasher.”

Ghost boy returns. It is the mid-1960s and the US is in thick of the Cold War with the Soviet Union and Red China. The country's greatest asset is Ghost Boy, a young genius with amazing supernatural powers, and his eight foot tall steel and chrome robot, Pops. Ripped from the pages of Jigsaw Comics, Ghost Boy returns in this collection of four brand new adventures.

The New York Times Best-selling fantasy author Anne Bishop makes her U.S. debut in science fiction with this engaging futuristic novella. The Restorers travel the universe fulfilling a purpose handed down through the generations. They live and die aboard city-ships, never knowing the worlds they create and save. What begins as a disastrous training exercise in creating and balancing ecosystems becomes an unexpected fight for survival. The only hope may be the secret project of an untried Restorer.