Fantasy Adventure Short Stories

Tad, like other young men, looked to the spaceways for adventure. But, George Barlow, like other fathers, knew that disaster would end his Wanderlust. Somehow, George Barlow had sensed that something was wrong the moment his son drove into the barnyard that evening. He had been waiting impatiently for Tad's return all afternoon; the men needed those tractor bolts before they could do the mowing. But, George had felt the uneasiness, quite suddenly, deep in his chest when he heard the boy's three-wheeler chugging up the rutted country road from town.

If there had ever been a time when Ollie Keith hadn't been hungry, it was so far in the past that he couldn't remember it. He was hungry now as he walked through the alley, his eyes shifting lusterlessly from one heap of rubbish to the next. He was hungry through and through, all 140 pounds of him, the flesh distributed so gauntly over his tall frame that, in spots, it seemed about to wear through, as his clothes had. That it hadn't done so in 42 years sometimes struck Ollie as in the nature of a miracle.

For 20 long unholy years, Hurtz, the pilot, dreamed of retirement...and found his "acre of heaven" on a death star. Hurtz went through the automatic motions of preparing himself for their landing on the small unnamed planet, but each thing he did was a wasted motion because it was really the boy, Jones, who was going to put the rocket down. And, what could Hurtz do now? The hard, aging muscles of his body were taut, and although the lines about his eyes had deepened, his eyes - blue and sparkling - still retained their old ferocity.

Dopo aver distrutto il mondo migliaia di volte, ipotizzato bizzarre utopie, trasformazioni postumane e derive tecnocratiche, ecco emergere – da più parti del mondo e dalle discipline più disparate – un piccolo nucleo di storie, di genere solarpunk, che sfidano l'ineluttabile concretezza del presente: racconti che spaziano dall'economia circolare alla sostenibilità ambientale, dalla critica al capitalismo predatorio alla costruzione di reti off-grid, dall'uso di risorse rinnovabili all'inclusività radicale:

Long ago the earth changed. Billions died. Cities crumbled and civilization as we know it perished. But humanity's drive to live is a stubborn thing, and in the ashes of the old world a new world was reborn. Born of bullets, battle-hardened men and woman scratched out a life on the empty plains of the land now known only as "The Waste". But in a world where every day is a fight for survival a full belly is a luxury, and living long enough to see another rising sun is a success.

The complete Battleborn saga in one volume! An imperfect hero for an imperfect time. For generations, the Riker men have been the best of the best. For the Battleborn, that comes with a cost.

In a quaint village, Elara receives a mysterious invitation to the Enchanted Manor, embarking on a magical journey with a group of uniquely gifted individuals. Together, they must unravel the mysteries of the Manor, break an ancient curse, and rediscover the power of love and friendship.

The Starlight Express has a reputation as the wildest, most exotic alien bar, in two dozen galaxies. So, when Noah and Caleb want to kick back for a few hours on the night before Noah’s nuptials, it’s the obvious choice. And the wrong one. See, aliens tend to be the quirky sort, and humans haven’t quite gotten the hang of them yet - which is why no one should be surprised when a friendly disagreement, over one too many drinks, goes sideways. Now, a jailbreak, a police chase across seven galaxies, and an exploding ship have to get them out of this mess.

Elin shows Johan the new sport she's just invented. Johan jumps in, a little too fast and hard....

The Vector have been destroyed. The planet torched. Alone in her escape pod, Sam Curtis drifts towards the Nova in search of sanctuary after her ordeal. Those aboard need to know the truth and the horrors she endured to survive. But when she reaches the mothership, Sam finds that not all is what it seems. Devoid of a crew, evidence of slaughter, she meets navigation officer, Henry Lincoln, who believes something from the planet below is responsible for his ship’s misfortune...and he’s not altogether convinced it isn’t Sam herself.

The war of the wizards has ended. What will happen to the golden fairies now? They were enslaved for six years and forced to create golden wands for the Zandles. Will the Ardoors be any different? In any case, without their magic, their lights are fading fast. And without their freedom, death is imminent....

In a world devastated by corruption, Father Darcy has lost his faith. After letting down the very people he pledged to protect, he decides to take a pilgrimage across the dangerous English countryside in an attempt to find his mission again. There, he meets men hungry for his blood. A vicious, relentless landscape. And two boys more dangerous than anything he has ever seen before. But can he save these children, or will they change his cause forever?

The world is divided between Asia and the United Continents - two great super powers locked in eternal warfare. But the balance of power is about to shift in Asia’s favor. They have developed a top-secret weapon - the cohesion projector-that could lead to annihilation on an unprecedented scale.... But as far as Lorrilard is concerned, the number one problem with the projector is that it stands in the way of his profits. Can he find a way to subvert the powerful weapon and resume his enterprising exploits?

The lives of six female superheroes and the girlfriends of superheroes. A ferocious riff on women in superhero comics. From the New York Times best-selling author Catherynne Valente comes a series of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes, and anyone who's ever been "refrigerated": comic book women who are killed, raped, brainwashed, driven mad, disabled, or had their powers taken so that a male superhero's storyline will progress.

Art is a scientist who has developed DNA-splicing technology to end disease and heal the sick. Things take a turn for the worse when an ancient alien race tries to get their hands on his technology. They kill his wife. They kidnap his daughter. And force him to splice together DNA between a human and alien body. Their goal? Create a host shell for an evil Locrylian demon. He plans to find a body, overrun the planet, and enslave mankind.

Colonies require support and expansion to other planets means shipping supplies to them. Pirates love long supply chains and not even Elon Musk is invulnerable, although there is reason to believe he might do slightly better than cumbersome governments. This highly speculative look at the perils of building the first functional Mars colony stars Elon Musk.

Perfect for lovers of Warhammer 40,000, Star Wars, and science fiction. Containing 22 short stories, this audiobook builds upon the Garro universe. Twenty-two amazing, thrilling, and fascinating short stories that will make you fall further in love with the Garro universe as we explore lore and events that have never been seen before.

For over a quarter of a century, Gorlen Vizenfirthe has entertained fans of wandering bards. Famous for playing his silver-strung eduldamer with one hand of flesh and one of stone, he has traveled from the dankest dens of Dankden to the desiccated domiciles of Wumnal Wells, first in search of a gargoyle with a hand of flesh, and then on the trail of the elusive wizard who swapped their hands in the first place. The Gargoyle’s Handbook collects for the first time all the Gorlen tales that take place before the events of the novel Underneath the Oversea.

Imagine Holmes trying to solve the case of an invisible man attacking London - matching wits with a traveler from out of time - tracking down a human/feline hybrid - using his deductive skills to help fight Martian and lunar invaders! These are just some of the stories included in Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells.

The Japanese military has turned the once-thriving Chinese city of Nencheng into a reeking pile of blood and ash. And now the Japanese Rising Sun threatens to scorch the ancient - and oil-rich - Kingdom of the Silver Lake. Can the Chinese survive the onslaught? Do they have a prayer? The answer is about to fall out of the sky. He is The Falcon Killer.