Science Fiction City

In this thrilling collection of original stories, some of today’s hottest paranormal authors delight, thrill and captivate readers with otherworldly tales of magic and mischief.

When Mariana’s gargoyle crush Cisco kills her father, he frees her from the cycle of abuse that held her captive. Cisco urges her to flee Las Vegas before anyone can stop her. But Mari knows two things for certain: if she leaves Cisco won’t survive, and she can’t live with that. The opportunity to transform her city with the person she’s yearned for so long ignites a fiery passion she can’t resist. She decides to rule the Demon King’s criminal empire by Cisco’s side and heal the harm her father caused.

Humans have always been fascinated by darkness. Especially the darkness of a city at night, when the black sky is made ever more inky by the pools of illumination dropped under streetlights. Whether the mean streets be in an alternate past charmed with dark magic or the dirty alleyways of futuristic crowded space stations, the city—and its darkened streets—will always fascinate us. Here then, an anthology of all new stories of science fiction and fantasy with a hardboiled noir twist that acknowledge that the city is a living, breathing entity...and it isn’t always on our side.

Le roi-démon m'a brisé le cœur et exilé dans le monde des mortels, mais j'ai un plan pour me venger et sauver le monde. Si je vole sa couronne, je pourrai stopper le massacre, à condition de le vaincre dans une série d'épreuves et prouver que je suis la reine choisie par les dieux. Mais résister à son charme n'est pas aisé, et dans la Cité aux Épines, rien n'est ce qu'il paraît. Une erreur de jugement pourrait coûter la vie à des milliers d’innocents.

Among the dark streets of the city move thieves and cutthroats. And they don't like independent operators like Lhasha Moonsliver. But when she hires the town drunk as a bodyguard, she gets more than she bargained for. Together they'll have to battle the thieves' guild, the Cult of the Dragon, and other, darker foes. And a fallen man will have to remember the proud warrior he once was.

Hungry and exhausted, Ryan and his band emerge from a redoubt into a remarkably untouched pre-dark city and uncover a cache of weapons and food. But the group is not alone. Among other interlopers, the city is guarded by huge winged creatures, protecting the grisly secrets of a nearby barony. Holed up inside an old government building, where Ryan's son, Dean, lies near death, Ryan and Krysty must raid the treacherous ville across the desert where a local baron uses human flesh as fertilizer.

Welcome to Sunder City. The magic is gone, but the monsters remain. I'm Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are a few things you should know before you hire me: 1. Sobriety costs extra. 2. My services are confidential. 3. I don't work for humans. It's nothing personal - I'm human myself. But after what happened, to the magic, it's not the humans who need my help.

SEX AND THE CITY offers a tantalizing glimpse of the openings, launch parties, and celebrity affairs that keep society amused. Throughout, a cast of characters - the troubled writer, the successful businessman, the famous underwear model, and others - searches for true love...or at least someone to go home with at the end of the night. It's a chronicle of the true-life adventures of the "in" crowd that is often hilarious and sometimes terrifying, but always mesmerizing.

Hiding in The Wastes, Erroh and his band of exiles must find a way to defend a city that they can never return to. But with Magnus adrift, his warriors decimated, all appears lost as Uden begins his march. A world away, the deadly assassin, Aurora, is hunting down the man who stole her god’s eye. Meanwhile, Spark City’s fall has already begun from within its own walls. As war bears down on them all, The Outcasts are running out of time and options.

One thousand million infants are dead, and Nathan Treeves is back. He’s become the Master of Waterblack, the City of the Dead. And Sharli, once a sacrifice, then an assassin, is now a trained God-Killer. She has killed many—but failed in killing Nathan Treeves years ago. Soon she, and the Women’s Vanguard, will have another chance, even as The Master, The Mistress and the Atheistic Crusade hurtle toward their final confrontation. The world of Mordew returns in the epic conclusion to the Cities of the Weft trilogy. Welcome to Waterblack.

In the magical realm of Mystic City, Aria Rose, daughter to one of the city's ruling families, is betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' enemies. With the unwanted marriage drawing closer, Aria encounters a rebel mystic from the Depths - and begins to question everything she knows about her world.

From the shores of Ireland, Cormac O'Connor sets out on a fateful journey to avenge the deaths of his parents and honor the code of his ancestors. In return for aiding an African shaman who was brought to America in chains, Cormac is given an otherworldly gift: He will live forever - as long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan.

No longer stuck in Woodhaven, the survivors must race against the clock in order to get Mia to the City of Light before her delivery. Along the way, they meet a former resident of the City, and with this new acquaintance's help and guidance things begin looking up for Grady and company.

When a fire dragon attacks her village, the perfect opportunity presents itself - now she can take revenge on the creatures that killed her father. But the dragon she's determined to kill seems fascinated by Nara, something everyone slowly begins to notice. After this strange event, Nara is invited to join the Venators - a trained order of people who slay dangerous magical creatures - just like her father before her. This offer should be a dream come true. After all, who wouldn't jump at the chance to hunt down the cruel, destructive creatures that enslaved humans for thousands of years?

For a hundred and fifty years, Ezekiel Zane knew nothing but war—endless war in the name of the Fates, the Fae, and anyone who would hire him. Yet the glory of leading the most elite team of magical mercenaries in existence cost him the only thing he ever loved. He’s done. Retired to a community of renegade fae, street-racing shifters, and fallen celestials, Zane’s quiet life on the beach comes with challenges no greater than finding a reason to get out of bed in the morning and knowing when to call it a night at the bar down the street.

In I Wear the Black Hat, Klosterman questions the very nature of how modern people understand the concept of villainy. What was so Machiavellian about Machiavelli? Why don't we see Batman the same way we see Bernhard Goetz? Who's more worthy of our vitriol - Bill Clinton or Don Henley? What was O.J. Simpson's second-worst decision? Masterfully blending cultural analysis with self-interrogation and limitless imagination, I Wear the Black Hat delivers perceptive observations on the complexity of the anti-hero.

Arthos, the Infinite City, is a place of alien wonders and indescribable beauty—and, most importantly for Samantha, it’s also halfway across the universe from her abusive ex-fiancé. She came to the city desperate for a fresh start, but she finds herself downtrodden on a world of aloof alien beings with little hope of finding her place—and a good chance of being kidnapped or killed before she can even settle in.

Battered and broken, Sarkis and the Federation of Outer Planets emerged from the battle from Eire, victorious. However, it quickly becomes clear that they have won the battle, not the war. They know that before long, the Undying Legion will return. No matter how many human lives are sacrificed across the millions of miles of trench lines across the galaxy, the Legion will never break a sweat, will never rest, and will never stay dead. Sarkis, Noa, and their allies come to the conclusion the only way to end the war once and for all is the strike at the heart of the Techno King's Empire.

Becoming the Hero of the Dragon Lands isn't easy. You have to survive a ruthless tournament. However, even after his victory, one he'd earned with sweat and blood, Hadjar's deadly adventure had just begun. The winner gets everything he could ever ask for: accolades, a wreath that symbolizes his greatness, and the Emperor's undivided attention. His duty is to escort the dragon Princess to the Ruby Mountains, the dwarves' homeland. But the wreath isn't what it appears to be. And the path that leads to the mountains runs through the Red Mist Lands, place only a chosen few could survive.

Preserving the balance of nature is a way of life for Haarn Brightoak, no matter what the cost, but even his dedication to the customs of the druid is put to the test when a long-dead evil returns to the world of the living. As this vile creature gathers its undead army, Haarn must decide if he will compromise his way of life to defend the city that has never welcomed him.