Monster Fiction

The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should ever set foot in the deep dark wood. But one wild and windy night the Gruffalo's child disobeys her father's warnings and ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't really exist...does he? Perfect for listening to at home, in the car, at bedtime - or any time at all!

Outside the house where Wexford investigated his first murder case—a woman found strangled in her bedroom—he noticed a short, muscular man wearing a scarf and walking a dog. He gave Wexford an unnerving stare. Without any solid evidence, Wexford began to suspect that this man—Eric Targo—was the killer. Over the years there are more unsolved, apparently motiveless murders in the town of Kingsmarkham, and Wexford continues to quietly suspect that the increasingly prosperous Targo—van driver, property developer, kennel owner, and animal lover—is behind them.

I'm Kat—I've got a ghost inside my head, and he helps me fight monsters. Together, we hunt the dark creatures of Hope City to pay the bills. But picking up pint-sized beasts on the MonsterSlayer App isn’t cutting it anymore. I need to enter the big leagues. Hunt bigger monsters, get bigger rewards. It's not all about the money, fame, or glory. Hunting down the big bads might just give me a lead on the damned necromancer who killed my parents. But will I be able to look into the dark maw of my city and survive?

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Luca is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta, and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply held secret: They are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.

In the Clandoms, every person is born with wings, along with the ability to fly. But there has always been one deadly restriction to this gift—a rule that must never be broken. Flying in cloudy skies summons gargols, vicious stone monsters that will tear any poor trespassers apart. History doesn't tell where the gargols came from, or why they're so intent on punishing those who soar too high. But now Ellie Meadows thinks she knows why. An aspiring knight turned wanted fugitive, Ellie has seen the truth with her own eyes.

Most people cry when they’re left at the altar. Me? I cast a spell to find the perfect man. But when a very bare and uh…impressive…incubus appears in my living room, I know I messed up. Serves me right for trying a spell I found on the internet! I’m both disappointed and relieved when Prax is summoned away. I think he’s gone for good, until I wake the next morning to my sexy incubus in nothing but an apron, making me breakfast in bed.

Palahniuk’s fashion-model protagonist has it all - boyfriend, career, loyal best friend - until an accident destroys her face, her ability to speak, and her self-esteem. Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from becoming a bona fide woman.

Travels take our monster girls and their fearless leader around the globe in search of new magic and to build their army. When they discover a potential new recruit with insanely high levels of power, they learn they're going to need help to have any chance of summoning her. What follows is a journey into ancient lands, fights with a secret order, and one man's journey to expand his abilities.

Alexander Caldwell needs to settle down. Hence the giant white house he just bought in the suburbs. The one that backs up to the house filled with three single women living in it. They all have their sights set on him...but it’s her he can’t get out of his head. Alexander has absolutely no place getting involved with a teenage girl with the world in her eyes. But he does.

Diego was separated from his family in the early days of the Infection. Since then, he has moved from town to town and place to place—getting by as best as he can. Recently, he has met and joined up with a motley crew of other survivors. After an encounter with a pack of the Infected, members of the group begin to disappear in mysterious and macabre ways. It's becomes clear that not everyone in the group is telling the whole truth. Can Diego and his new friends discover the traitor amongst them before it's too late?

My role as Moric—ruler of a small and prosperous fiefdom in a quiet corner of the world—has always been painfully dull and stifling. Until a beautiful, otherworldly creature with pink skin and a mane of golden hair falls through a strange void that has appeared in my guestroom. I am instantly captivated by him. I have never seen anything like him. I have no idea where he came from, and what else is through that unsettling void—another world filled with soft-skinned, defenseless creatures like him? No tails, no horns, no claws, no sharp teeth. Tiny clothing, rounded ears, bright blue eyes.

Molly Lewis has just inherited a mansion. The dashing and adventurous Margaret has left Molly a fortune, a manor house, and a destiny. Molly Lewis has no idea that she must become the futa monster girl tamer. Arriving at the mansion, Molly is created by Ash. The cute and busty futa-dragon maid is eager to welcome Molly. The young woman is shocked that monster girls are real. And when she learns what futa means, her life will change.

No, I'm not hot for the criminal, just the two Gargoyles I have to work with to catch him. One of these guys broke my heart twelve years ago. The other is my partner with the Supernatural Branch of the Seattle PD. Both should be off limits but my body isn't getting the message. When the three of us go undercover at a local "den of iniquity" to catch the killer, all the lines get blurred. Now I'm on the brink of falling for not one, but two growly Gargoyles.

When I took a job at the Monster Relations Bureau, the last thing I wanted was to stand out. There's just one problem—a grumpy, unapproachable dragon shifter who can't keep his golden eyes off me. Getting involved with Ewan Blair is the definition of a bad idea. Not only is he completely off-limits as the Bureau's Director, but the way he looks at me—like he'd devour me one moment, and wishes he never met me the next—should be enough warning to stay far away. But I've always had a reckless streak.

The time has come! After discovering the true reason for the monster migration, Rowan is on an expedition to ultimately prove that she is worthy of the ebony monster-slaying sword on her back. She and her twin brother, Rhydd, their friends Dain and Alianor, as well as some other trusted advisors—and the ever-growing group of monstrous companions—are on a mission to help protect the dragon living in their homeland and are traveling to kingdoms beyond to make their case.

Nadezhda is running away from her problems—mainly her family's supernatural murder cult that's constantly putting her loved ones in danger. Fortunately, her grandmother left her the house at the edge of a swamp life preserve so she can go off-grid for a while. It turns out the shack isn't the only thing she's inherited—the ancient kikimora who followed her family from Ukraine years ago is still dwelling in the swamp and she's looking for an offering.

In a gauntlet-throwing essay at the start of this brilliant assemblage, Cynthia Ozick stakes the claim that, just as surely as critics require a steady supply of new fiction, novelists need great critics to build a vibrant community on the foundation of literary history. For decades Ozick herself has been one of our great critics, as these essays so clearly display. She offers models of critical analysis of writers from the mid-20th century to today, from Saul Bellow, Bernard Malamud, and Kafka to William Gass and Martin Amis, all assembled in provocatively named groups.

Nita doesn't murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet - her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they've been "acquired". Until her mom brings home a live specimen and Nita decides she wants out; dissecting a scared teenage boy is a step too far. But when she decides to save her mother's victim, she ends up sold in his place - because Nita herself isn't exactly "human". She has the ability to alter her biology, a talent that is priceless on the black market.

They say every proud man must fall. Mortals who fancy themselves gods will one day kneel. I thought myself invincible; Apollo on Earth. Mocked my brother when he succumbed to such a fate. Before I noticed the blue-haired nymph lurking in the background. Cora Astor shouldn’t have come to this island. She sneered in my direction, beguiling me with her disgust. As a Wolfe, hunting is in my blood. Getting what I want is my nature. Even when I know I can never have it. Though I cannot keep her, I plan to relish the chase.

After my grandmother passed away, it left me with this feeling of emptiness. I had a dead-end job, no friends or family, and I was trying to navigate this new world while being utterly alone. The perfect solution? Take a once in a lifetime trip to Alaska and reconnect with the wilderness and all the things that make me happy.