Four dystopian yet hopeful science fiction stories explore the power of determination, compassion, and endurance to turn anyone into a hero.Eric is imprisoned and condemned in the place of "John Kosichev," a rebel the police state has never been able to catch. A rebel Eric only superficially resembles, but whose myth could be broken if he's shown in defeat. Trapped in the lie, Eric finds his own truth and the courage to resist.Resisting her supposed duty to help restore the...

Six stories explore the means and the price of survival when everything seems lost:An astrologer loses her stars but not her faith in them. A woman watches as her lover and her planet transform with new life—or die with it. A young man seeks revenge for unwelcome mercy in a world where every breath is agony. A group of artists discovers the strange loveliness which is all that remains of other worlds.At the end of things, people display selfishness and exhaustion, but also ...

New authors and collections. Somewhere between epic historical fantasy, sword and sorcery and Tolkien-esque fantasy exists a thick vein of storytelling that would make Robert E Howard and H.G. Wells proud. Following the great success of our Gothic Fantasy, deluxe edition short story compilations, Ghosts, Horror, Science Fiction, Murder Mayhem and Crime & Mystery we present a compilation of savage swordplay, and high magic, of daring deeds and gaudy battles, in a blazing mix of classic and ...

An epic, tragic, bewitching tale of strange spells and unexpected loyalties.To Hethan A'Manth, it seems like a routine enough mission: one more message to deliver. Certainly, this time it goes to a rebel queen, but he knows to keep his head down as he passes through the affairs of monarchs, armies, and sorcerers.Yet he becomes beguiled, entangled in the last stand of Felinda against the most puissant Empress of Xeocib—and in the friendship he forms with Asmadene the Halcyon...

It was hard for Little Acorn to believe he would ever be a big, strong oak tree. Soon Little Acorn grew into Little Oak. But now what was he to do? He couldn't grow oranges like the orange tree or flowers like the rose bush. He just grew and grew until he became Big Oak, and his branches were big and strong-but still he didn't know what he was to do. Then one day Big Oak found that his strong branches were just right for a very special purpose. The Oak Inside the Acorn is the stor...

Planets, stars, and constellations feature prominently in this beautiful, original poetry collection from Lang Leav. Inspired by the wonders of the universe, the best-selling poetess writes about love and loss, hope and hurt, being lost and found. Lang's poetry encompasses the breadth of emotions we all experience and evokes universal feelings with her skillfully crafted words.

War is coming. The Lady of Battles will have it no other way.Lillian and Gregory fear the demi-goddess is already moving her pawns and dark knights into place, preparing for the first strike. Earth must be ready, but first Lillian needs to ensure that the uneasy alliance between the Fae and the human military does not fail. Every ally is needed if earth is to have any hope of surviving the coming war.As fate draws friends and enemies closer together, one ne...

This is the sixth annual edition of the Long List Anthology. Every year, supporting members of WorldCon nominate their favorite stories first published during the previous year to determine the top five in each category for the final Hugo Award ballot. This is an anthology collecting more of the stories from that nomination list to get them to more readersThe Long List Anthology Volume 5 collects 20 science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories from that nomination list, totaling over 450 p...

RIDMARK ARBAN was once an honored Swordbearer. Now he is a disgraced exile, outcast and alone.Yet he is still a warrior without peer, and when death cultists attack an innocent village, Ridmark must put himself to the test to save the villagers.Or die in the attempt...

Bad Kitty faces her toughest challenge yet, in Bad Kitty School Daze from Nick Bruel.Kitty and Puppy are out of control! They're screaming, fighting, hissing, and drooling all over the house, and all of the commotion is upsetting Baby. Time for school—obedience school, that is. Can Kitty learn to follow the rules and make friends with the other students or will she bring chaos to the classroom?Find out in Bad Kitty's hilarious, new (mis)adventure!

Harlan Ellison, Richard Christian Matheson, Connie Willis, and many more contribute to a compelling psychological exploration of the many shades of love.World Fantasy Award–Winning EditorAn incubus disguised as a high school girl puts a disturbing spin on the teacher/student fantasy. An engineer creates a robot with unexpected consequences during the end of the world. A man becomes the pet of alien invaders. From stories of aliens in other ...

RIDMARK ARBAN was once an honored Swordbearer. Now he is a disgraced exile, outcast and alone.To redeem himself, he seeks the secret of the return of the Frostborn, guarded by the mysterious Elder Shamans of Qazaluuskan Forest.But the Shamans hold their secrets tightly, and their guardians might kill Ridmark before he draws near...