Another Normal is the first collection of stories from the Modern Twaddle website.In 22 tales, politics and satire, science fiction, history and humour all collide. An artificial intelligence takes vengeance upon its maker. An advanced survey ship changes the world, only to be written out of the history books for popular media. Simple-hearted gossips clean one of the oldest monuments in Church history. Women reject the advances of men with impunity. Reality and th...

Aided by his past-life memories, Ash went through strenuous efforts at his village to recreate the convenient and bountiful life recorded in the legends of the ancient civilization in this world. As a result, he obtained the right to study alongside Maika in Itsutsu city, where a vast collection of unseen books awaits him.At his arrival, Ash is welcomed by the acting count Itsuki, as well as a girl disguised as the former’s younger brother, Arthur. But more importantly, he is faced...

She's trapped in a deadly alien game. One orc warrior will tear the planet apart to reach her.Aliens are real.I know because they abducted me. Now I’m trapped in a deadly game and everything I do is for the entertainment of aliens. If I fail, I die. My only chance of survival is a big, scary monster…but is he truly on my side or is this yet another game?She’s my mate.They showed me my fated female, ...

Sixteen original stories of science fiction and wonder from sixteen talented authors, written to commemorate the first ten years of NewCon PressContents:Introduction by Ian WhatesThe Final Path – Genevieve CogmanWomen’s Christmas – Ian McDonaldPyramid – Nancy KressLiberty Bird – Jaine FennZanzara Island – Rachel ArmstrongTen Sisters – Eric BrownLicorice – Jack SkillingsteadThe Time Travell...

The Witches - Will you DARE read it?

With Star Over Bethlehem, the beloved Queen of Mystery Agatha Christie shines in a totally unexpected way, offering readers a wondrous collection of poems and holiday short stories.A retelling of the Christmas Story in a way you’ve never heard it before. . . . The fable of a donkey who carries a mother and child safely to Egypt. . . . The tale of a widow who dislikes people until she meets a stranger. . . .From the most popular writer of all time c...

The cat sat comfortably on the wall.Are you sitting comfortably?Then I will continue.As you know cats like to sit. Sometimes they like to sit and think, and sometimes they just like to sit. But on this occasion the cat was sitting and thinking,'What a lovely day'.But little did the cat know that it was all going to go horribly wrong.

A comforting and philosophical guide for the restless insomniac.Not being able to sleep is deeply frightening. We panic about the demands of the next day; we panic that we are panicking; the possibility of sleep recedes ever further as the clock counts down to another exhausted, irritable dawn.This book is an elegant companion to console us through even the longest of sleepless nights. It provides an alternative to pills and medicine, instead offering tools...

You've written a book, triumphantly typed 'The End', but now, it seems, no-one wants to publish it. What do you do next?Author of over thirty novels, stories and screenplays, and tutor on the prestigious creative writing course at Bath Spa, Fay Weldon has a lifetime of wisdom to impart on the art of writing.Why Will No-One Publish My Novel? will delight and amuse, but it isn't just another how-to-write handbook: it shows you how not

“The stories in this anthology are special because they capture the school experience with rare authenticity. These are not adults writing about teenagers, but real young adult writers.” —Alice PungAward-winning author Alice Pung has selected 25 diverse stories written by high school students inspired by her bestselling YA novel, Laurinda. The collection features an impressive range of genres by exciting new voices, exploring themes as varied as intergenerational ...

'Hilarious and heartbreaking' Sara Pascoe'Sheer bloody joy' Philippa PerryOver the course of a year, comedian Rachel Parris asked members of her live audience for advice - and here's what she learned from a bunch of total strangers...She takes those random nuggets of wisdom - 'Be kind', 'Never pass up the opportunity for a wee', 'When it doubt, wing it' - and explores them in ways that are entertaini...

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.This month, we have original science fiction by Timothy Mudie ("An Ever-Expanding Flash of Light") and Giovanni De Feo ("Ugo"), along with SF reprints by Marissa Lingen ...