Metaphysical Fiction

Robert Baxter once reveled in the intoxicating delights of Atopia - the man-made island where humans lose themselves in a world of boundless virtual realities. Now, Bob has returned to immerse himself in this mind-altering, consciousness-sharing refuge from the eroding Earth. But something is very wrong. Bob feels a tidal wave of doom cresting above the pleasure dome that is Atopia. As alternate universes perish, the salvation of all he loves - and all that exists - rests with Bob alone.

After crashing his plane in the South Pacific (the direct result of his own arrogance), Graham begins to question who he is and what his life is about. Shortly after his rescue, he makes the bold decision to return to the deserted island to do some soul searching for 30 days; only to discover that he's not alone! What unfolds is an exciting adventure; a compelling tale of self-discovery, transformation, and awakening to spirituality.

Conceived jointly as an opera, The Age of Anxiety deals with mythic and operatic themes. Hallucinations and soundscapes haunt this novel, which on one level is an extended meditation on manic genius and the dark art of creativity.

Disenchanted with her personal life and faced with mounting career pressures, 39-year-old Michelle Black dreams of escape. But the high-octane finance professional and mother of two is ashamed to admit the depth of her struggles. Michelle’s frustration intensifies when her fumbling attempts to ask for help go unheeded. Then, work goes from bad to worse. Desperate to relieve the bleakness inside, Michelle turns to unspoken addictions and dangerous behaviors for a balm to her wounded soul. When the band-aids fail, what can she do next?

It’s been a year since Yuki Hirano left home - or more precisely, was booted from it—to study forestry in the remote mountain village of Kamusari. Being a woodsman is not the future he imagined, but his name means “courage,” and Yuki hopes to live up to it. He’s adapting to his job and learning constantly. In between, he records local legends—tales pulsing with life, passion, and wondrous gods. Kamusari has other charms as well. One of them is Nao.

"It is fitting that I'm beginning a new notebook up here. New surroundings and new ideas, a new beginning. Fresh air." This passage is from the first entry of a journal kept by the narrator of Daniel Kehlmann's spellbinding new novel. It is the record of the seven days that he, his wife, and his four-year-old daughter spend in a house they have rented in the mountains of Germany - a house that thwarts the expectations of the narrator's recollection and seems to defy the very laws of physics.

Henry Bright has newly returned to West Virginia from the battlefields of the First World War. Grief-stricken by the death of his young wife and unsure of how to care for the infant son she left behind, Bright is soon confronted by the destruction of the only home he's ever known. His hopes for safety rest with the angel who has followed him to Appalachia from the trenches of France and who now promises to protect him and his son.

Combien de fois avez-vous pensé que votre vie serait meilleure si vous pouviez changer une chose ou devenir quelqu'un d'autre ? Si on vous offrait une chance de le faire, la saisiriez-vous ? Il se passe bien plus de choses dans le monde que ce que l'œil naturel peut voir. La misère, la tentation et les vices jouent un rôle majeur dans la formation du chemin des gens. C'est une histoire de volonté et de foi, ou plutôt de manque de volonté et de foi. Tout le monde a un chemin à parcourir et tout le monde sera mis à l'épreuve... mais il y a toujours un prix à payer.

Ein Musiker ist für drei Jahre ans Bett gefesselt bis er eines Tages ein Telefongespräch mit einem Fremden führt. Geschrieben mit außerordentlicher Energie, Aufrichtigkeit und Demut, ist dies die fesselnde Erzählung über das Erwachen eines Mannes. Der Seher, das erste Buch aus Lars Muhls Trilogie "The O Manuscript", ist der Beginn einer persönlichen und philosophischen Suche, die die Seele für eine neue Wahrheit öffnet. Es ist die mitreißende Geschichte einer fundamentalen Verwandlung.

Many years have passed since the Sanctuary was built as a refuge for the lost. It is just two marble rooms: one for those waiting to be heard and one for the Man Who Listens. Drawn to it are the grieving, the despairing, the cynical, the defeated, the dying, the betrayed, and the broken. They know that the Man Who Listens accepts every blasphemy, every pitiful excuse, and every intimate tale of degradation with silent understanding. Now, 12 new souls are about to seek help for their unimaginable anguish....

Every survivor dreams of one day making it to the City. Humanity's last hope, it boasts the best resources and the greatest minds, bringing together the creme de la creme of the surviving civilization. Behind its unassailable walls and impregnable protection dome, the City bustles with life almost indistinguishable from the state-of-the-art culture of the fabled Utopian era. Grey sets off on a journey to the City in order to solve the mystery of his past.

The situation is dire. The Alliance is crumbling. Thine, Pleidian, and Human civilizations are each at a crossroads for their very survival. Captain Galvin Quintos has a plan to defeat the Grish and the far more dangerous Varapin. But to pull this off, he’ll have to go it alone, cut ties with the US Space-Navy, and become a true outlaw - a full-fledged pirate. That and say goodbye to his loyal friend Derrota, Admiral Block, and Captain Gail Pristy. Feeling he may have just jumped from the frying pan into the fire, Quintos is forced to build new strategic alliances with the Pylors.

Magister Coelus, the College’s young and brilliant theorist, finally has a student capable of learning theoretical magery at the level at which he can teach it. He invites her to help him with his current research project, which promises to funnel through the hands of one mage more power than any mage has ever had. Ellen, who knows more about both the theory and practice of magic than a first year student should know, refuses, arguing that the Cascade will do more harm than good.

Lucy is a lapsed Catholic whose adolescent pretentions to sainthood are unexpectedly revived. It all starts when her cousin Zoltan, in hospital following a bizarre incident at a party, offers her a disturbing deathbed confession. Lucy's grief takes an unusual turn: Zoltan's death appears to have turned her into a magnet for the unshriven. Lucy is transformed into a self-described "flesh-and-blood Wailing Wall" as strangers unburden themselves to her. She becomes addicted to the dark stories and finds herself jonesing for hit after hit.

Gerard sits, fully clothed, in his empty bathtub and pines for Benna. Neighbors in the same apartment building, they share a wall, and Gerard listens for the sound of her toilet flushing. Gerard loves Benna. And then Benna loves Gerard. She listens to him play piano, she teaches poetry, and sings at nightclubs. As their relationship ebbs and flows, through reality and imagination, Lorrie Moore paints a captivating, innovative portrait of men and women in love and not in love.

I just sped across the galaxy to a strange planet, upgraded my first alien racer girl, and now will race to my inevitable death. I, Lorean Michaels, a budding stunt driver, just travelled back home after my father's passing to find I was left a unique vehicle. Never did I think that very car would take me places beyond my wildest dreams. Now, I must protect a team of high-octane women, unlock transformations, and ultimately win their freedom.

America today is teetering on the edge of the alarming vision presented in LeVar Burton’s debut novel, written more than two decades ago. In 2012, the first African American president is assassinated by a White extremist - just four days after he is elected. The horrific tragedy leads to riots, financial collapse, and ultimately, a full-on civil war. In its aftermath, millions are left homeless as famine and disease spread throughout the country. But from Chicago, a mysterious voice cries out.

Don Alvaro, a young but wise man, invokes Satan in a goetic-style magical ritual. Upon seeing the young Alvaro, Beelzebub falls in love with him and assumes the appearance of a beautiful young woman. In the journey that unfolds, Satan, disguised as a woman, tries to seduce Alvaro who rejects his advances lest he lose his precious virginity.

For Bobbie, the normal difficulties of growing up are overshadowed by his unique condition. Bobbie's inability to communicate normally is misdiagnosed as autism, and masks the great part in history he is destined to play. His unique ability to create beautiful works of art is just the tip of the iceberg. Coveted by those who would use him for their own purpose, Bobbie and his mother flee their home out of desperation. In the course of their escape, the truth behind Bobbie's gift and its effects on the planet begin to reveal themselves, as the future of humanity hangs in the balance.

A bond forged through secrets. A devastating, simmering attraction. And beneath it all, the truth that will save or doom me. The heart-wrenching sequel to Among Shadows.