Science Fiction Anthology Short Stories

This is a collection of the first six short stories in the Caverns and Creatures series. It includes "Cave of the Kobolds"; "Zombie Attack"; "Orcs, Bears, and Assholes"; "Shipfaced"; "Dungeon Crawl"; and "The Creep on the Borderlands".

Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as The Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar.

Ein is on a mission from God...the God of Death. Time is up for the emperor of Ten Kings, and it falls to Ein, an eight-year-old boy, to render the judgement of the reaper. He can't do it alone, but luckily the world is full of travelling heroes. There's only one catch; in order to serve him, they must first die.

A collection of short stories, The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories was first published in 1979 and awarded the Cheltenham Festival Literary Prize. This Audible exclusive adaptation is narrated by legendary actors, Richard Armitage and Emilia Fox, who take on different chapters of the audiobook. Among these are 'The Bloody Chamber', 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon', 'The Tiger's Bride', 'Puss in Boots', 'The Erl-King', 'The Snow Child', 'The Lady of the House of Love', 'The Werewolf' and 'Wolf-Alice'.

I have been separated by my companions, left far to the north of civilization. My quest is a simple one: Find a dragon and bond with it. However simple this quest may seem, it is exceedingly difficult. Not only that, but my companions have been called to the goblin city of Geriarc to do battle with the undead, led by shadowlords. All the while, evil festers in the Jade Bastion. First things first; I must tame a dragon, then I will deal with the undead scourge and the evil that has taken root in my new home.

Galein, the Terrible Man, fearing the darkness he sees in his own soul, has retreated into the monastery of Sheogarath, hoping to find solace and peace. But a new evil has come to the land of Uruad, a creature of such malevolent hatred that threatens to consume the Earth. It is a werewolf. Galein will have to confront more than the darkness he sees in himself, or watch the world die.

Here is a story that goes beyond space and time. Isaac Asimov takes on a journey that explores the ultimate fate of the universe, along with the question, what will become of the human race? So take a journey into the outer twilight of your mind. Turn off the light, sit back and relax, close your eyes, and enter the infinite universe of your imagination.

OK, Reg. You’re a bouncer who’s barely eking out a meager existence in the decaying Wilds outside Detroit. So a little job tracking the Eddies on their patrols seems like easy money. Well, think again, Reg. Because a riot’s about to happen… and you’re going to be the cause…

This story was originally published in the Hugo Award-nominated METAtropolis.

From terraformed outposts to magical realms, journey to worlds where deadly plants, rampant biodiversity, or failed colonies have created irresistible opportunities for those brave enough to seize them. New worlds, found family, mystical secrets, and deadly science weave together in this lesbian-centric anthology focusing on a very different kind of first time - a first encounter with a world, or being, entirely unlike our own.

The Sheep Dragon is a collection of 14 short stories set before, during, and after the first four parts of The Unconventional Heroes series. Each story addresses questions of world-shaking importance like: Is it possible for a young dragon to watch over a flock of sheep without those sheep ending up in his stomach? What do necromancers actually do at necromancer conventions? And what is the best way to deal with a surprise demonic invasion?

For those who view - with deep suspicion - the tyranny of unrelenting technological advance...and those who do not have the need to take their science fiction too seriously.

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

An ancient foe lurks in the shadows...licking its wounds and assembling its forces. Risen from the ashes and shrouded in darkness, these ancient beings are waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike back and set the universe on fire. After their world is ambushed in a devastating onslaught, the Star Alliance is nearly wiped out in one fell swoop. Hotheaded pilot Chase Athanatos leads the barely surviving fleet to the far edge of space and a small backwater planet.

This enchanting collection of stories invites young listeners aged 5-10 on a journey to the land of slumber, where every tale is woven with wonder, warmth, and quiet joy. From Willow floating on a whispering breeze to meet the wise Whispering Stars, to Timothy Tortoise discovering the secrets of slow, sleepy journeys, and Leo soaring high on a magical Blanket of the Wind, these stories are designed to soothe busy minds and encourage peaceful sleep.

Revisiting the paranormal realms they've made famous in their wildly popular fiction, New York Times best-selling authors Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, and Jocelynn Drake—plus New York Times best-selling young-adult author Melissa Marr, with her first adult supernatural thriller—unleash their full arsenal of dark talents, plunging us into the shadows where the supernatural stalk the unsuspecting... and every soul is a target.

Jim May grew up in the 1950's, among farm people who had lived along Illinois's Nippersink Creek for generations. Stories told around the kitchen tables, front porches, and horse-trading barns brought laughs, inspired love, and helped ease the sometimes tragic turn of life's events. Speaking in the familiar voice of a longtime neighbor, May shares humorous and affecting events, as well as his Chicago Emmy Award winning tribute to his father, "A Bell for Shorty".

Twelve stories by science-fiction master Stanislaw Lem, nine of them never before published in English.

Brace yourself. You will begin to listen to all kinds of stories, from zombie-killing individuals to spooky warnings from ghosts. Most of these are not heavy, gory horror stories but lightly sprinkled humorous ones with casual plot twists that most people will enjoy. Murder is definitely one of the main themes as is survival in a post-apocalyptic era. Ghosts and beasts in different forms will adorn the elements of these psychological and action-packed stories.

In a post-apocalyptic America, Deaver Teague makes a living salvaging things left behind from before the war. When he hears some truck drivers talking about a hidden cache of gold in a Mormon temple in flooded Salt Lake City, he enlists some friends to look for it.

This story is included in Orson Scott Card's collection The Folk of the Fringe.