Science Fiction Monsters

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea's April Genevieve Tucholke. Each story draws from a classic tale or two - sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not - to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Darkness has taken Malem. The Breaker fights for Vorgon now. But that doesn’t mean Malem is going to let anyone harm the five women he’s bound to. They give him the power to control monsters, after all. Besides, they’re super hot. Vorgon doesn’t like the devotion Malem shows his women, so the evil demon decides to send him on a fool’s errand - his mission is to infiltrate the kingdom of the Tree Elves and Break their queen. No easy task, given that she is surrounded by an army of bloodthirsty fighters and merciless mages, not to mention a crapload of monsters.

The Gamer's friends are in beastly trouble! Villain Cynthia Cyber has trapped them in her dangerous Power Combat video game. If the Gamer isn’t able to rescue his friends in just ten minutes, they’ll be stuck in the electronic world forever as monsters! Can the Gamer make the save before it’s too late?

Gloriously rich and utterly delightful, Miss Peregrine’s Museum of Wonders is an indispensable guide to the peculiar world, perfect for longtime fans and new listeners alike. Covering everything from how to blend in with suspicious normals to the most popular time loops to visit as a temporal tourist, this essential volume is ideal for anyone curious about the world of Miss Peregrine: its strange history, curious practices, fascinating places, most famous (and infamous) names, and much more.

Luna Thorn’s past is a mystery...even to herself. She arrived in Detroit amid a swirl of lights and magic. She had no memory of where she came from. No idea why she was there. Years later, she’s established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the Detroit magical scene. She ingratiated herself with the local reapers. She set up a community called the Cathedral to help those who had been displaced from their homes and families, declaring that nobody would fall through the cracks. Still, doubt remains.

Nightmares are plaguing me. I wake up smelling sulfur, feeling my skin burning, knowing that I’m burning to death on the surface of Abaddon, but I’m not. I’m on Sel’Ani, my father’s home planet. I’m alive and using my true name and finally free to be myself. And yet, I’m completely falling apart. Every time I wake up screaming, Lorne is there. I don’t understand how he knows when I need him, but he does, and even if I can’t say the words aloud, I’m so thankful that he’s there. Because I wouldn’t survive this without him.

Everything I needed to fight until my dying breath was right there in my hands, until it wasn't anymore. I made Erick Adams into the monster that he is today. I doomed the whole world by giving him the means to become invincible. Wilder said to me once that, whether it's a blessing or a cruse, I'm never, ever on my own. This time, it will be no different. I'll go to the end of the worlds if I have to, sell my soul to whoever will buy it, just to kill the monster I created, and save the people I love from a fate more horrible than death.

I only got into trucking because my granddad was a trucker, and he was the best damn person I ever met. I'd always thought I was your average dude with an 18-wheeler and an addiction to energy drinks, but it turns out there might be something more brewing in my blood. Now instead of some desert highway, I'm stuck in a whole new realm, and it's full of worm cults, actual lot lizards, one seriously smoking catgirl mechanic, and enough sand and bloodthirsty creatures to make me think I took a wrong turn somewhere. But I might be able to add a whole new career path to my resume.

What do you do when you accidentally trigger a cross dimensional machine created by a mad scientist and teleport to a different version of Earth every 72 hours? Well, you obviously start recruiting beautiful monster girls and construct a fort, because these worlds are crazy deadly and you’re going to need all the help you can get to survive.

Dan’s first tournament may have ended, but life goes on. His luck is still with him in his regular life as well, and it seems to be endless. However, he is surrounded by very smart people, and surely one of them is going to start doubting his talents, at least a bit? Especially now, with a new game about to start. The latest foes are even more dangerous than the last and the rules are still unfamiliar to him. Dan wonders how reasonable the rules are in the first place. Is it really possible to take a competition that lasts a couple of hours at most seriously?

Leah asks Shimmer and Shine for a haunted house on Halloween—and gets a spook-tacular surprise when a real monster shows up!

London, 2053. One of the last remaining civilizations in the world. A decade on from the first wave of human-flesh-craving monsters that wiped out most of society, Noah finds himself stepping up to lead Squad E, part of London's East Regiment, fighting back against the creatures that threaten mankind. But between battling monsters, struggling with grief, and his rivalry with another lieutenant, Noah is sinking, fast. The last thing he needs is a young, weak conscript with an attitude problem to add to his issues. Especially when he can't seem to get him out of his head.

After a perilous train ride, Rudolph joins Tony in the countryside where his family is enjoying a taste of life on a farm. They spend the week hiding from Tony's parents, exploring old farm buildings under the full moon, and even getting chased by a bull! But will their sneaking around be enough to keep Rudolph from discovery?

When I went to the Caribbean for my friend's bachelor party, I wanted to experience white sand beaches, crystal blue waters, and gorgeous women. I didn't want to almost get assassinated. On the plus side, a beautiful mermaid saved me and magically healed my wounds. She’s got more scales than I pictured the beach babes having, but she's just as drop-dead gorgeous as I pictured them being.

This omnibus edition contains the final four books of the bestselling Tome of Bill series. Bill Ryder is an unlikely hero trying to survive in a world of supernatural horrors. Despite awesome powers, loyal allies, and a Brooklyn-sized attitude; the odds are stacked heavily against him. Bill must fulfill his destiny and save the world from the ancient terrors that threaten it -- all while trying to build some semblance of a social life.

As the second son, Prince Larkin doesn't have much of a role at court. When his brother sends him on a quest to slay a wyvern, he pounces on the opportunity. Only problem? It's not a wyvern. It's a dragon. A naked dragon in human form, who possesses two very large...anyway. Larkin is definitely, absolutely, very not interested in trying them out, but Jade is very, very persuasive. It helps that Jade's fluids make Larkin tingle all over in the best of ways.

Zelli Stormclash and the Danger Club have only one goal: save their friend Bauble from the evil clutches of Elgred Morbide. There’s only one problem—the evil machinations of Morbide’s selfish plots have come to a head, and the final battle for Dungeon Academy has already begun. Deep beneath the desert, a monstrous dracolich is about to be unleashed, an evil, undead dragon bent on revenge against everything in her path.

Emiko Soong, newly minted Sentinel of San Francisco, just can't catch a break. Just after she becomes the guardian for a sentient city, a murder strikes close to home. Called by the city and one of the most powerful clans to investigate, she traces the killer whose scent signature bears a haunting similarity to her mother’s talent.

My clients at my vet clinic have always called me an animal whisperer. I’ve never questioned it. Until I started hearing monsters, too. A man came in right at closing with a sick dog. The dog told me why he was sick, and I was able to treat him. I had no idea his owner would kidnap me. I had no idea his owner had an entire dungeon of monsters he wanted me to treat. I’ve met a minotaur, a mysterious kraken, a phoenix, and this really massive spider. I can hear them, too. If monsters are real and I can talk to them, then what am I?

I've let myself become more of a monster than I ever wanted to. Now the shadowkind are flocking to my side, eager to stand with me. But I don't know if I'm strong enough to foil to the villain who's put the whole world in his vicious sights. This borrowed heart might have given me my powers, but using them has rushed me toward my inevitable end. I hate having to drag anyone else into this horrible battle with me...but if I can't find a way to build up my new army—and fast—the world as we know it will disappear.