Science Fiction Monsters

When I arrived at the village last winter, the women faced starvation and extinction. But I've put food on their tables and babies in their bellies. My power—a gift of the gods—is growing ferociously, but I must learn to wield it without destroying everything, including myself.

I scented my mate and she disappeared before we could meet, leaving behind a forgotten piece of clothing. It’s driving me crazy. I’ve checked every unmated human female, asking if this mysterious red fabric is hers. Pissing off other males in the process, but what do I care? I’m on a quest to find my future bound, no matter what.

Jodie loves visiting her grandparents' farm. Okay, so it's not the most exciting place in the world. Still, Grandpa tells great scary stories. And Grandma's chocolate chip cookies are the best. But this summer the farm has really changed. The cornfields are sparse. Grandma and Grandpa seem worn out. And the single scarecrow has been replaced by twelve evil-looking ones. Then one night Jodie sees something really odd. The scarecrows seem to be moving. Twitching on their stakes. Coming alive...

After leaving the army, I thought the hardest thing I’d face was the job market. But then one night, my sister and I saved a beautiful blonde woman being attacked in an alley, and we discovered that magic was real. The supernatural was real.

Tessa—part witch, part werewolf, raised human and now the unofficial leader of a newly minted supernatural alliance—gets a distressing call from her brother, Axel, in the middle of the night. Tessa and her mate, Dastien, race to save Axel, but Tessa's learned that nothing is ever easy in the supernatural world. She has seconds to make a choice, but there’s only one thing Tessa can do to save the two most important men in her life—sacrifice herself.

I'm the next in line for Fyrifirar Tribe Jarl, a skilled warrior, and definitely not good at chopping down trees. But I can't stop thinking about the tiny human female who we'd found near our village with eleven other human females. She's so small, barely larger than an orkin child, and so lovely I can't get her out of my mind. And then I went and nearly killed her while felling a tree to distract myself. Yet somehow, she still ended up in my arms.

"Perfect deadpan marks the opening of Ali Simpson’s The Monster'" writes Susan Merrell of The Southampton Review in her introduction to this issue of Recommended Reading.

When a known Komran outpost that has recently been upgraded shows signs of staging an invasion, there are only two options: commit to a full-force assault and lose many lives and ships to take the base, or send in a small, elite team to take on an entire base by themselves. The council believes the barbarian has done well so far. Why not risk his team’s necks first and see how it goes before scheduling that assault? Joe and his team must make their way to a planet that has been under Komran control for decades.

As a witch in the walled city of Chernograd, Kosara has plenty of practice treating lycanthrope bites, bargaining with kikimoras, and slaying bloodsucking upirs. There’s only one monster she can’t defeat: her ex, the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters. She’s defied him one too many times and now he’s hunting her. Betrayed by someone close to her, Kosara’s only choice is to trade her shadow—the source of her powers—for a quick escape.

There is something weird happening in Fever Swamp. Something really horrible. It started with the strange howling at night. Then there was the rabbit torn to shreds. Everyone thinks Grady's new dog is responsible. After all, he looks just like a wolf. And he seems a little on the wild side. But Grady knows his dog is just a regular old dog. And most dogs don't howl at the moon. Or disappear at midnight. Or change into terrifying creatures when the moon is full. Or do they?

Evan visits an eerie old toy store and buys a dusty can of Monster Blood. But then he notices something weird about the slimy green ooze. It keeps growing. And growing. And growing. And all that growing has given the Monster Blood a monstrous appetite....

Amy's ventriloquist dummy, Dennis, has lost his head...for real. So Amy begs her family for a new dummy. That's when her dad finds Slappy in a local pawnshop. Slappy's kind of ugly, but at least his head stays on! Amy loves practicing her new comedy routine. It's like this dummy knows what she's thinking. Like he can move by himself. And it's a lot of fun...until Slappy starts a routine of his own. A nasty, horrible routine that isn't funny at all. Slappy may have a new owner, but he's up to the same old tricks....

Mirabelle is part of a very unusual family. Between Uncle Bertram transforming into a ferocious grizzly bear and Aunt Eliza’s body being made entirely of spiders, it’s safe to say they are an extraordinary lot. To the human residents of Rookhaven Village, the family is a threat. So long ago, a treaty was reached between them - in return for sundries and supplies, the monsters won’t eat the townspeople - and an invisible glamour was set around the perimeter of the Manor to keep strangers out. But it also keeps Mirabelle and her family hidden from those who would do them harm.

I’m the Hyrrokin High Priest of a remote monastery on the planet Salo. I spend my days in quiet contemplation, keeping my flame-throwing banked and nursing my war wounds. And I take my vows of silence and celibacy very seriously. Very. Seriously. Then one day a mouthy, gorgeous human female is dumped onto the stone steps of the main altar. And suddenly I’m tempted like never before.

Giant monsters. Tales of eternal love. The beginning of creation. Pint-sized warriors. Long voyages and insurmountable heroics are only a small piece of the classic myths that have helped shape Japan’s unique and immaculate history. Each story in this audiobook is filled with excitement and adventure that is just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

An experimental ASI with a terminal case of curiosity reached out and tampered with the universe in a way that it should not have, and unleashed a torrent of energy we would call magic into our galaxy. Humans, and every other intelligent lifeform for that matter, were ill-prepared, physically and mentally, for such an eventuality. In an effort to save itself, the ASI hastily created something it called the Framework to shape and codify this magical energy, and usher in a new world. A world of classes, levels, and extraordinary power. But also a world of monsters.

Life has been crazy since Tessa McCaide moved to Texas. She's gone from being a normal-ish girl with visions to a superpowered werewolf. She's fought off vampires and broken a nearly unbreakable curse. And she's got a hot mate, Dastien Laurent, to keep her busy. Things are looking up until the full moon ceremony rolls around. Before Tessa can strengthen her bond with Dastien, the local coven crashes the gates, demanding that Tessa - their heir apparent - be returned. If the pack wants to avoid a war with the witches, handing Tessa over is the only option.

I’ve always been a scrapper, so when I was snatched from my world by shadow creatures and hauled to another one, I did as I’d always done. I fought. But I still didn’t know anything about where I was. My luck was in, because I quickly had the good fortune of meeting a sexy prophetess and a gorgeous, blue-skinned, redheaded mage who said she was something called a moonwisp. Yeah, magic was a thing. The problem with that? Everyone in the world had some. Magic, that is. Everyone but me. I guess that’s what I get for coming from a non-magic world.

Our family is broken. Our hearts are shattered. Everything we’ve been fighting for is slipping through our hands like mist. Darkwinter fae murdered one of my mates. Traitors on all fronts threaten to obliterate the last of our hope. And the Dark Goddess won’t stop coming for us until she drains the last of my magick and reclaims Midnight for herself. But as much as I’d love to curl up under a blanket and wait for death, I can’t give up now. Not on our home. Not on my monsters.

Rossamund Bookchild has successfully negotiated the treacherous route to High Vesting. But even within the sturdy walls of the great city he is far from safe. For the path to becoming a Lamplighter is fraught with dangers – and not just from the dread monsters who lurk in the wilds. Rossamund will need all his wits to survive his training. And he must watch his back too, for enemies from his past are never far behind.