Science Fiction First Contact Contemporary

First Contact explores the ancient idea—and epic quest to prove—that we are not alone in the universe. Presented in a cabinet of curiosities format, the book explores our fascination with aliens from early history to present day, including chapters on alien conspiracy theories, aliens in science fiction, the actual science behind our search for aliens, and what happens if and when they come…or, if we are in fact descended from them.

When Ben Saito goes searching for his father and the fate of the powerful starship sent on a mission to secure peace with Earth's colonies, he finds more questions than answers. It's clear that at least some of the starship and her crew survived, but where have they gone?

For small-time street hustler Cam Alvarez, the choice is simple. He has no family, no friends, no place in the world...nothing to lose. When his latest con results in the death of a cartel hitman, Cam opts to join the Marines and leave Earth to fight a vicious alien enemy.

First contact with a mysterious race of aliens reveals an unusual request; a family's pet dog comes to grips with the newly bestowed gift of human-like intelligence; a poet, in danger and alone on a distant world, makes unlikely allies; hundreds of years in the future, a famous hermit lives in the sea above the now-underwater Harvard University; former friends navigate unsteady peace between human refugees and the technologically superior race that saved them; in a future where human life can be infinitely extended through cybertronic rebirth, one woman declines immortality.

As part of the Greatest Generation, Major Anthony Spinelli, a World War II fighter pilot, flew into combat to save his family and keep them free. Two years later, he lost them in the blink of an eye, leaving Tony rudderless and without purpose. Then, on a dark, moonless night, in the skies above 1947 New Mexico, he has an encounter that will change humanity forever. However, when an accident threatens to unleash unimaginable destruction, Tony must race against time and unwinding plots to save us...and maybe himself along the way.

Keeping up-to-date with the most buzzworthy and cutting-edge science fiction requires sifting through countless magazines, e-zines, websites, blogs, original anthologies, single-author collections, and more - a task accomplishable by only the most determined and voracious readers. For everyone else, Night Shade Books is proud to introduce the latest volume of The Best Science Fiction of the Year, collecting the finest that the genre has to offer, from the biggest names in the field to the most exciting new writers.

“These are dangerous stories. The kind that warp reality and threaten to change the world” warns guest editor Hugh Howey in his introduction. The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 promises a treasure trove of audacious characters, daring worldbuilding, and twisted realties. A sibling duo of supernatural hitmen. A traveling spellbreaker and his trusty alligator mount. Superheroes registering for work. Sentient spaceships with an AI-human interface grow up together with their human pilots.

With The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 3, award-winning editor Neil Clarke provides a year-in-review and 27 of the best stories published by both new and established authors in 2017.

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn't actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it's 79 miles and a zillion light-years away from everything she can't wait to leave behind.

The science fiction genre has become increasingly influential in mainstream popular culture, evolving into one of the most engaging storytelling tools we use to think about technology and consider the shape of the future. Along the way, it has also become one of the major lenses we use to explore important philosophical questions. The origins of science fiction are most often thought to trace to Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, a story born from a night of spooky tale-telling by the fireside that explores scientific, moral, and ethical questions that were of great concern in the 19th century - and that continue to resonate today.

The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., 23-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship - like a 10-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor - April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads Online. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world - everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires - and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense media spotlight.

More than 50 years after publishing his first story, Hugo Award-winning author Asimov remains one of the great names in science fiction. Almost single-handedly he transformed the field from the romantic and Gothic legacy of Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs into the rational, clear-minded genre that exists today. This selection of some of Asimov's most enduring and unforgettable stories is read by the author himself. These vintage tales encompass the full range of Asimov's versatility, while displaying his puckish sense of humor.

They came in peace. But that was last time.... As the world gears up for the first anniversary of Contact Day, Dan McCarthy’s year-long effort to stay out of the limelight collapses in an instant. A direct call from the Messengers throws Dan into urgent action, but the fallout plants a troubling seed of doubt: This time, maybe they didn’t come here to help....

One. The silver-haired Cygnian Princess Nyleena was still safely frozen away in her cryopod. And two. There was a good chance she was his soul mate. He left anyway. Nyleena is what you might call feisty. Or sassy. Or maybe just...feral. She is wild. Much too wild for Luck’s taste. But now that he’s home there’s no way to deny it. Like it or not, she is his. Lucky for him, all Cygnian Princesses have one true weakness. They cannot resist cooking up crazy plans to tackle unsolvable problems. And he’s going to use that irresistible urge to tame her savage spirit.

Katherine, an ambitious New York City attorney, gets diagnosed with a concussion and must be monitored for forty-eight hours to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Unfortunately, she forgot to update her emergency contact, so the person they call is her ex-husband, Tom. Unable to be left alone, Katherine reluctantly agrees to travel to Chicago with him for the holidays. But thanks to a blizzard, what should have been a quick plane ride turns into an antagonistic overnight misadventure that stirs up old feelings even as Tom prepares to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.

From number one, worldwide, best-selling fantasy author Morgan Rice comes the third book in a long-anticipated science-fiction series. With planet Earth destroyed, what will become of 13-year-old Kevin and Chloe in the mother ship? Will the aliens enslave them? What do they want? Is there any hope of escape? And will Kevin and Chloe ever return to Earth again?

An unabridged audio collection spotlighting the "best of the best" hard science fiction stories published in 2016 by current and emerging masters of the genre, edited by Allan Kaster, as narrated by top voice talents.

Brittany Callaghan thinks she's dreaming when a blond, nearly seven-feet-tall Nordic god shows up on her doorstep in her tiny California town. He claims to be a barbarian warrior in need of her help. Though a stunning, statuesque beauty herself, intelligent and independent Brittany has struggled hard to earn respect in a man's world. She is taken aback when Dalden, a spectacular Viking who is a long way from home, needs her help - and is willing to pay for it.

The first time I saw Anders F--king Bash, he was shirtless, armed, and simultaneously the most beautiful and frustrating man I’ve ever met. He has not gotten any uglier. Or any less frustrating. And today I finally took a swing at him. Our boss thinks a simple op in East Texas is exactly the thing we need to mend our relationship and restore the team dynamic.

Danika Silva can’t stand Lt. Greer Burns. Her roommate’s older brother may be sexy as hell, but he’s also a cold, unfeeling robot. She just wants to graduate and forget about her scowling superior. But when a dangerous mistake lands Danika on probation - under Greer’s watch - she’s forced to interact with the big, hulking jerk. Call him daily to check in? Done. Ride shotgun in his cruiser every night? Done. Try not to climb into his giant, muscular lap and kiss him? Umm....