Science Fiction Monsters

My indentured servitude is almost over and freedom is a heartbeat away! Until some alien guy buys me because he needs a nanny, quick. What? I’m not even good with kids. I’ve never changed a diaper in my life. But the beings at the employment agency won’t listen. “Hew-mans are hot right now. Everyone wants a hew-man nanny”. Great. And since there isn’t another human available...I’m hired on the spot. Yay, me. And on day one of my new job I’m having a panic attack because I finally meet my new boss and he looks like Satan himself.

His name is Taylor McFadden, survivor of eighty-three trips into the ZOO. Now, he's retired, and yet his country needs his skills to save people in the country he calls home.

I'm determined to turn Quirky Kingdom into the showpiece it used to be. Problem is—more than just the rides need fixing. It's way more than I can handle on my own. I tap my new neighbor to help—Rexin, a hunky orc handyman who's also a single dad extraordinaire. Since it's summer, he brings his twelve-year-old son to the job with him.

Celestine is a land of beauty and horror where the heroic souls of men are tempted to fall from heights mere mortals were never meant to attain. Terrence Mack has managed to survive in this brutal world, gathering bonds of great power and ability, passing trials and tribulations that would crush lesser men. Yet his own unwillingness to let others share his burdens may be his undoing, and his greatest challenges are yet to come. To even reach his destiny, Terry must once again cross the Wildervast, a dream world where desires rule fate.

Dan’s first tournament may have ended, but life goes on. His luck is still with him in his regular life as well, and it seems to be endless. However, he is surrounded by very smart people, and surely one of them is going to start doubting his talents, at least a bit? Especially now, with a new game about to start. The latest foes are even more dangerous than the last and the rules are still unfamiliar to him. Dan wonders how reasonable the rules are in the first place. Is it really possible to take a competition that lasts a couple of hours at most seriously?

The Horde has been raising hell and leveling cities from New York to Los Angeles, keeping Dave and his fellow monster killer, Russian spy Karin Varatschevsky, very busy. But when the legions of hell invade the small seaside town his boys call home, Dave has to make a call. Save the world? Or save his family? Not as easy a choice as you'd think, since Dave's ex-wife expects to be saved, too.

As the second son, Prince Larkin doesn't have much of a role at court. When his brother sends him on a quest to slay a wyvern, he pounces on the opportunity. Only problem? It's not a wyvern. It's a dragon. A naked dragon in human form, who possesses two very large...anyway. Larkin is definitely, absolutely, very not interested in trying them out, but Jade is very, very persuasive. It helps that Jade's fluids make Larkin tingle all over in the best of ways.

"Perfect deadpan marks the opening of Ali Simpson’s The Monster'" writes Susan Merrell of The Southampton Review in her introduction to this issue of Recommended Reading.

His name is Taylor McFadden, survivor of eighty-three trips into the ZOO. Now he's retired, and yet his country still needs his skills to save people in the country he calls home.

Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing brands: heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot. His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game.

Ghoulia lives in Crumbling Manor with her Auntie Departed and spends most of her time playing with Tragedy, her beloved albino greyhound. But things aren't as easy as they seem for this little zombie girl - all she wants is a real friend. She tries to venture past the manor's walls, but she can't hide her pale green skin or the deep purple circles under her eyes. The other children will be afraid of her, and no one will want to be her friend. But when Halloween rolls around, Ghoulia hatches a brilliant plan.

In the small town of Shadow Hills, Tennessee, paranormals and humans coexist on charming cobblestone streets. For tourists, it's the perfect place to visit and experience Halloween all year round. But for Raegan Baker, it's home. Living among werewolves, vampires, and other beings unlike herself is perfectly normal, and besides the small town drama, Raegan's life is peaceful. She's happy working at the local bookstore, Bound & Buried, and spending time with her two best friends, Jamie and Joanna.

London, 2053. One of the last remaining civilizations in the world. A decade on from the first wave of human-flesh-craving monsters that wiped out most of society, Noah finds himself stepping up to lead Squad E, part of London's East Regiment, fighting back against the creatures that threaten mankind. But between battling monsters, struggling with grief, and his rivalry with another lieutenant, Noah is sinking, fast. The last thing he needs is a young, weak conscript with an attitude problem to add to his issues. Especially when he can't seem to get him out of his head.

When she finds her best friend, Meredith, getting sick in the bathroom, Tessa knows something’s majorly wrong. Meredith was cursed years ago, and the dark magic kept her wolf dormant - only now the wolf is awake, and that same spell is killing her. Tessa has no intention of sitting around while Meredith wastes away. Even if it means playing with magic she doesn’t understand, she’ll do anything to save Meredith’s life. Including bargaining with the local coven of witches and its crazed leader, whose only goal is getting Tessa to join the witchy ranks.

Wells weaves a story of scientific excess into a high-speed thriller. Montgomery, a brilliant but twisted biologist, is delivering exotic animals to his private island when he rescues a shipwrecked man. An act of compassion, or another addition to his collection?

Malem is a breaker. He breaks the minds of beasts, exerting the steel vise of his will over their own, bending them to his wishes. His ability is severely limited in terms of the types of creatures he can control and how many. Most monsters have always been beyond him. And then one day he accidentally breaks a monster girl. Doors begin to open for him faster than he thought possible.

Hades kidnapped me. Yeah, that Hades. Greek mythology is real, and I’m learning the gods are real dicks. I’m tasked with caring for the monsters in the Underworld. Oh, yeah, Demeter is pissed about the whole Persephone thing. She’s kidnapped her daughter and making the monsters fight for sport. Persephone is quite happy in the Underworld according to Hades pet dog...who has three heads and is kind of a goof. I’ve met a Kraken, a minotaur, a phoenix, and a black widow spider. I’ve also met Hephaestus, the God of the Forge, who has been abused by his family.

While struggling to raise my little sister, I suddenly inherit a run-down B&B from a grandmother I didn't know existed. The only condition to inherit is that I marry and live with my husband for a year. One problem: I'm not dating, and the only one I want to propose to is the gargoyle I've been crushing on for months. When I explain, Goreg offers a marriage of convenience with a quickie divorce at the end. He's sweet and shy, and with his muscular frame and glorious wings, I'm kind of blown away by his offer, even if he does occasionally turn to stone and lurk on the roof.

Hendric and his companions have braved the treacherous depths of the Dungeon of Despair and now face levels unlike anything they’ve encountered before. My Monster Companions – Book 3: The Third takes listeners into the heart of danger, where monsters are deadlier, the stakes are higher, and the bonds of trust and friendship are put to the ultimate test. As the group ascends the icy peaks of Level Twelve and battles the fiery infernos of Level Fourteen, the dungeon proves to be more than just a labyrinth of monsters and treasure...

Life hit Liam Cosgrave hard, like it has for a lot of people. Forced to work a dead end job to make ends meet, he barely had energy to do anything besides work and sleep. His life was basically just day to day survival. That is, until he was summoned to another world in a freak accident. Sitting in his truck after a fender bender on the highway, Liam was questioning whether something was out to get him.