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...

The universe shifts and changes: suddenly you understand, you get it, and are filled with wonder. That moment of understanding drives the greatest science-fiction stories and lies at the heart of Engineering Infinity.Whether it’s coming up hard against the speed of light – and, with it, the enormity of the universe – realising that terraforming a distant world is harder and more dangerous than you’d ever thought, or simply realizing that a hitchhiker on a starship consumes...

Conflict is EternalWe have always fought. War is the furnace that forges new technologies and pushes humanity ever onward. We are the children of a battle that began with fists and sticks, and ended on the brink of atomic Armageddon. Beyond here lies another war, infinite in scope and scale.But who will fight the wars of tomorrow? Join Elizabeth Bear, Indrapramit Das, Aliette de Bodard, Garth Nix

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

The Future Is OurselvesThe world is rapidly changing. We surf future-shock every day, as the progress of technology races ever on. Increasingly we are asking: how do we change to live in the world to come?Whether it’s climate change, inundated coastlines and drowned cities; the cramped confines of a tin can hurtling through space to the outer reaches of our Solar System; or the rush of being uploaded into cyberspace, our minds and bodies are going to have t...

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...

THOSE KZIN DON'T KNOW WHENTHEY'RE LICKED(AND MAYBE THEY AREN'T . . . .)It was so unfair! Here the Kzin were, warcats supreme, bringing the galaxy piece by piece under feline dominion, carving out satrapies for the home planet like the lords of creation that they were—and then they ran into those pesky humans. Mere apes! Contemptible salad-eaters! Taking pride in sneaking up on a leaf! Obviously fit only to be lunch, n...