Monster Fiction

Steve likes to spend his mornings in the NCP village and trade his wheat for emeralds, armor, books, swords, and food. One morning, he finds that Zombies have attacked the villagers. The Zombies have also turned the village blacksmith into a Zombie, leaving Steve without a place to get swords. To protect himself and the few villagers that remain, Steve goes on a quest to mine for 40 diamonds, which are the most powerful mineral in the Overworld.

When it comes to stealing from mafia men, there are three rules. Don't get caught. Don't be seen. And most of all—don't fall in love with them. After being hired to steal a painting, I find myself ensnared. Damon, Minos, and Aaecus are monsters, and they only want one thing: Me. Seven days of sin in exchange for freedom from the Three Fates Mafia. If only it were that easy. The strings of fate have bound the four of us together, and not even gods or monsters can keep us apart.

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK NATIONAL BESTSELLER A timely, passionate, provocative, blisteringly smart interrogation of how we make and experience art in the age of cancel culture, and of the link between genius and monstrosity. Can we love the work of controversial classic and...

There are three rules in Black River Falls: Don’t break curfew unless you want the monsters to find you. Don’t ask questions, no matter what. And when someone goes missing, don’t go looking. Joey Barnes obeyed those rules, until the day her mother vanished without a trace. She’s spent two years secretly hunting for clues, and she’s discovered plenty of things that don’t make sense, even for Black River Falls.

On a snowy winter evening in 1982, 21-year-old Mary Brown accepted a ride from a handsome stranger in the resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado. The trip ended with her brutally beaten and raped. Mary survived, but her predator's violence had only just begun. After 10 years in prison, Tom Luther was released a far more vicious criminal. Soon, from the Rockies to West Virginia, like Ted Bundy, Luther enticed a chain of women into his murderous trap.

Cole Harper is struggling to settle into life in Wounded Sky First Nation. He may have stopped a serial killer, but the trouble is far from over. A creature lurks in the shadows of Blackwood Forest, the health clinic is on lockdown by a mysterious organization, and long-held secrets threaten to bubble to the surface. Can Cole learn the truth about his father's death? Why won't Choch give him a straight answer? Where the heck is Jayne? Oh, and high school sucks.

When a mysterious sound interrupts Cookie Monster's snack time, he follows that sound—hoping to find something tasty! Instead, he discovers super silly mysteries featuring a tap-dancing dinosaur, a not-so-sleepy baby, a mischievous monkey, and more surprising friends. With help from his Sesame Street pals, Cookie Monster learns to ask questions, follow clues, and stay focused (well, sort of). While nothing beats om-nom-nomming cookies, solving mysteries with friends comes pretty close.

Not all monsters are fantasy. Some are very real, and they walk among us. They're our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. They're the people we're supposed to trust...and they know it. Contained within this anthology are 35 never-before-published works by supremely talented authors and best-selling novelists. Brace yourself for the unexpected and unimaginable horror of...human monsters.

A big part of why I moved to a remote island was to escape my mother. She wants me to get married, settle down, and pop out some grand-trophies. I’m not opposed to the idea, but every time I swipe right, I seem to end up dating hot messes or worse: suspiciously perfect guys. I want a normal guy who loves to snuggle and binge watch TV until we fall asleep in each other’s arms. Is that too much to ask? I hadn’t even finished unpacking before my mom’s housewarming gift was tossed onto my porch—an antique lamp. While checking for damage, I rubbed the lamp, and you’d never guess what came out.

The monsters already own my body…but do they want my heart? Left to die in a monstrous land, I’m saved by the monster I least expect. He hates me, but he loves what my body can do for him. I shouldn’t want to keep him. I shouldn’t want to keep all of them. I’m just their plaything, after all. But, one by one, they find their way into my heart. Even as the world falls apart around me, I realize that I’ve become just as obsessed with my monsters as they are with me.

All that stands between rowdy long-haul trucker Jill MacLeod (aka Junkmouth) and her family back in Boston is two thousand miles of asphalt. Well, that and the monstrous game the System has had her playing ever since it descended on Earth. The reward: mana. Jill's goal: kill, score, drive—and stay alive. Behind the wheel of a turreted forty-ton semi named Bertha, Jill hammers east from Montana through a gauntlet of every kind of chomping, hissing, rabid creature imaginable. Barreling forward in her magical soulbound big rig and chalking up a bumper crop of roadkill, Jill isn't alone for long.

Accountant turned professional monster hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt, managed to stop the nefarious Old Ones' invasion plans last year, but as a result made an enemy out of one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Now an evil death cult known as the Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition wants to capture Owen in order to gain the favor of the great Old Ones.

Skye Brooks is an independent fae living in a modern world, though her culture's old-fashioned beliefs insist she get married and have lots of babies ASAP. As much as Skye tries to follow tradition, she is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend after a decade together. To add insult to injury, his booty calls keep coming in and Skye answers every time. To break this toxic cycle, she knows her only option to get over her ex is to get under someone new.

Wounded and fighting for survival in a complex dungeon consumed by civil war, a wolf's need to lead its own pack is fulfilled by a loyal and devoted connection to its elven companion, Emhreeil. Lost to each other, they've become easy prey for the monstrous creatures that prowl the multilevel mazes. To find Emhreeil, the wolf must learn to control its shapeshifting physiology and other supernatural abilities.

"Fated love means nothing when we can avoid extinction. One tiny sacrifice will appease the shadows. It's a shame, really. You've always been my pretty little monster." Those were the last words I heard from my Alpha, my fated mate, before his Beta tossed me off the cliff into a land of no return: Demon Valley, the place where no human or wolf shifter survives. Legends claim there's an escape from the shadowy, demon-infested haven, but no one has ever returned to confirm the truth. Except me.

Tour guide Ivy has always secretly fantasized about minotaurs. So when a Beast Hunters tour to Motham City goes horribly wrong, she's thrilled to be rescued by wickedly handsome minotaur, Bryn. Until she finds out that he runs a male escort agency with the sole purpose of pleasuring humans. And Ivy just isn't that sort of girl . . . Bryn isn't looking for love. He sells it. Besides he's too busy caring for his disabled mom and four brothers and sisters to have time for romance.

As Keith battles to conquer Monstros, his most formidable enemies begin to converge. After taking down a true beast of Monstros, Keith is ready to move deeper into the continent's depths on his quest to defeat the final World Monster. Enemies conspire against him though, pulling his attention in multiple directions.

John Birmingham is the master of alternate history adventure - and now he's mastered a new genre with the volcanically fast-paced and wildly inventive Dave Hooper urban fantasy series. The series is anchored by a thrilling high concept: An oil rig opens a rift deep in the ocean that unleashes terrifying monsters into the world. But perhaps its coolest asset is its hero, Dave Hooper, a tough, bleakly funny, down-on-his luck oil rig worker with an unlikely destiny as a monster-slayer and world savior.

Gather round close, for I have a secret to tell. Late at night, while everyone is sleeping, dreaming of white knights and fairytales. I'm making friends with the monsters. They call to me, like finds like, right? My biggest secret, I'm the scariest monster I know. I think I'm the bad guy.

I've always hated Christmas. With a name like Chris Kringle, it's hard not to. It's only gotten worse since I've been back from the war. Christmas is supposed to be jolly, but for me, it's a grim reminder of past failures. I need to get away from it. To be somewhere quiet. To heal. When I wake up in the South Pole after an accident to a Krampus tending my wounds, it feels like the perfect opportunity to get some much-needed R&R. Yet this gentle giant is so achingly sweet, I can't help but fall for him, even though he's a monster.