A consultant discovers how to communicate effectively with ancient, alien beings who have an entirely different perspective on the universe. A human becomes a hero for his actions, even though they were after his death. Hard choices must be made to save loved ones. When trying to prevent imminent death, insanity becomes an asset. Journey into the last frontier with these seventeen tales of wonder and science, including award-winning stories by some of the top writers in science fiction and...

A consultant discovers how to communicate effectively with ancient, alien beings who have an entirely different perspective on the universe. A human dies, then becomes a hero for taking action after his death. Hard choices must be made to save loved ones. When trying to prevent imminent death, insanity becomes a real asset. Aliens explore humans' need for independence and attachment. A transport worker must balance the needs of the few against those of the many.Journey into the las...

Supernatural evils lay hidden, deep in the shadows of society. Be these dangers man or beast, they will strike at unsuspecting, everyday people. What if there are no selfless wizards around when a demon steps from the alley? What if there are no supers to be found when the ancient demigod awakens? What if there is no prophesy and no chosen one to stand in the way of the dark forces? In these cases, the regular people must must courage to face the foe. The protagonists in these stories have...

In the modern world, paranormal dangers lurk all around. When there is no chosen one to be found, no altruistic half-vampire around, and no superheros flying overhead, it's up to average people to do the business of defeating evil. They have no powers, no prophecies, and all the odds are stacked against them.In this short story collection, regular folk find themselves up against nightmare creatures, conniving warlocks, and all manner of supernatural dangers. All set in contemporary...

Evil hides is the shadows of modern life. Mythic monsters lurk among the refuse of city streets. Wizards that peep and mutter seek unholy power in the present-day. Unfortunately, there aren't enough kindly sorcerers, children of prophecy, or battlesuit-powered billionaires to go around. So when average people are swallowed up in supernatural trouble, sometimes they have to stand against the darkness by themselves.Included in this volume are twelve new stories of regular people faci...

“An imaginative and stunning tale of the perfect future threatened . . . a book of epic proportions not unlike Frank Herbert’s Dune or Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.”—SFRevuThe year is 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars, contains more than six hundred worlds interconnected by a web of transport “tunnels” known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: over one thou...

"A well-written and worthy sequel to one of SF's enduring classics" —the Hugo and Nebula Award winner The Forever War —now with a bonus story ( Publishers Weekly ).Ranked at the top of virtually every list of the greatest military science fiction adventures ever written is Joe Haldeman's Hugo and Nebula Award–winning classic, The Forever War, now celebrating its 50th ann...

Earning comparisons to such sci-fi/fantasy greats as Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and George R. R. Martin, Peter F. Hamilton is a one-of-a-kind voice in space opera. His interstellar adventures are hugely ambitious, wildly entertaining, and philosophically stimulating. Now Hamilton’s centuries-spanning Commonwealth Saga—the linked novels Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained—is available in one epic eBook bundle.Contains a thrilling preview of Peter F. Hamilt...

After ten thousand years in exile, the cyber-warriors return in their fleet of spaceships to the planet that rejected them: Earth.Other Series by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.The Saga of RecluceThe Imager PortfolioThe Corean ChroniclesThe Spellsong CycleThe Ghost BooksThe Ecolitan MatterThe Forever HeroTimegod's WorldOther BooksThe Green ProgressionHammer of Darkness

In the new millennium, what secrets lay beyond the far reaches of the universe? What mysteries belie the truths we once held to be self evident? The world of science fiction has long been a porthole into the realities of tomorrow, blurring the line between life and art. Now, in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Third Annual Collection, the very best SF authors explore ideas of a new world. This venerable collection brings together award-winning authors and masters of the fie...

A major anthology of the "hard SF" subgenre-arguing that it's not only the genre's core, but also its future.Something exciting has been happening in modern science fiction. After decades of confusion, many of the field's best writers have been returning to the subgenre called, roughly, "hard SF"--science fiction focused on science and technology, often with strong adventure plots. Now, World Fantasy Award-winning editors David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer present...

Over twenty years after returning to Earth from the Ringworld, Louis Wu is kidnapped, along with a warrior kzin named Chmeee, by a Pierson's puppeteer, a brilliant 2-headed alien who calls himself the "Hindmost". The puppeteer hopes to regain status with his fellow citizens by traveling to the Ringworld to bring back treasures. Upon reaching the vast and mysterious Ringworld, Louis and his companions find many surprises, including that the Ringworld is unstable. Its billions of inhabitants...