In The Age of Wire and String Ben Marcus welds together a new reality from the scrapheap of the past. Dogs, birds, horses, automobiles and the weather are some of the recycled elements in Marcus's first collection - part fiction, part handbook - as familiar objects take on markedly unfamiliar meanings. Gradually, this makeshift world, in its defiance of the laws of physics and language, finds a foundation in its own implausibility, as Marcus produces new feelings and sensations - ...

'I wake up and I have to make the right choice,' he said.Master-stylist Ben Marcus returns with a wonder-cabinet of brain-rearranging stories. From the horrifyingly strange to the deeply touching, each story is a literary masterclass unlikely to leave the reader unchanged.From parent/child relationships thrown agonisingly off kilter, to intensely moving scenarios of dependence and emotional crisis; from left-alone bodies to new scientific frontiers,...

A terrible epidemic has struck the country and the sound of children's speech has become lethal. Radio transmissions from strange sources indicate that people are going into hiding. All Sam and Claire need to do is look around the neighbourhood: In the park, parents wither beneath the powerful screams of their children. At night, suburban side streets become routes of shameful escape for fathers trying to get outside the radius of affliction.With Claire nearing collapse, it seems t...

A bold new short story collection from one of the most exhilarating and innovative writers of our time. The stories in Leaving the Sea take place in a world which is a distortion of our own, where strange illnesses strike at random and where people disappear without a trace. Ben Marcus has created a labyrinth populated by disturbed, weary men; from the frustrated creative writing teacher to the advocate of self-inhumation; from Paul, whose return home leads him further into his is...

This "delightfully creepy" New York Times bestseller from the award-winning horror-comedy podcast team takes deep dives into nine infamous serial killers ( Booklist).Since its first show in 2010, The Last Podcast on the Left has barreled headlong into all things horror, covering subjects spanning Jeffrey Dahmer, Jonestown, and various supernatural phenomena. Deeply researched but with a morbidly humorous bent, the podcast has earned a dedi...

The history of the surfboard is one of innovation---innovation that has in turn shaped the sport of surfing. The Art of the Surfboard follows this history, from the first "wave-riding" redwood planks crafted by ancient Hawaiians to the vacuum-sealed, lightweight, "plastic fantastic" technological marvels of today.Beautifully illustrated with historical prints and engravings, as well as the latest surf photography and detailed closeups, this book documents the surfboards evolution a...

The story of the simple skateboard is part thriller, part underground, underdog success tale. It’s chock-full of innovations, far-out graphic artistry, and ever-more-incredible hot-dogging feats. And the story’s told in this book with contributions from the stars themselves—Tony Hawk, Stacey Peralta, Jeff Ho, the Dogtown Z-Boys, and more. Beautifully illustrated with historical posters, ads, and memorabilia along with new action photography, studio skateboard shots, and unique portraits of...

The short story is a barometer for the state and shape of literature. New American Stories presents the boldest, most innovative and most resonant fiction coming out of the American literary scene.Ben Marcus, author of The Flame Alphabet and Leaving the Sea, has here curated an anthology that gives the lay of the literary land. From established masters of the form like Don DeLillo and Lydia Davis to neoteric trailblazers such as Rebecca Curtis and Rachel ...

Whether you’re a beginner trying to get started or an experienced surfer looking to take it to the next level, The Surfing Handbook gives you the tips you need to maximize your performance on the water, with guidance on training and conditioning, technique and style, safety and etiquette, and gear. Written by veteran pro surfing journalist Ben Marcus, this guide is illustrated with instructional photos and drawings, providing step-by-step instructions, background history—as well a...

This book tells the story of how fossil fuel use is altering the climate of our planet and adversely affecting the Earth's ecosystems and our ability to produce food, both of which are necessary to sustain civilization. The book addresses common questions regarding the science of climate change and why we should trust the warnings of climate scientists, rather than those who try to cast doubt on the science of climate change. To reinforce this, the first part of the book describes ...

Ben Marcus has received numerous awards for his groundbreaking fiction, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and three Pushcart Prizes. In The Flame Alphabet, Marcus creates a chilling world where the speech of children is killing their parents. After being forced to leave their daughter Esther to fend for herself, Sam and Claire end up at a government lab intent on creating non-lethal speech. But when Sam discovers the truth about what's going on there, he realizes reuni...

Harvard Classics - Complete Collection of the Greatest Works of World Literature presents an ambitious archive of world letters, gathering epic, drama, philosophy, religious meditation, political argument, science, essay, fable, and memoir. From classical tragedy and Platonic dialogue to Romantic lyricism, Enlightenment prose, and Victorian social criticism, the collection situates masterpieces within a long conversation about ethics, imagination, reason, faith, and civic life. Its contrib...