Science Fiction Monsters

In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone's only half-elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he'll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild. But just as it seems the boys' dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn...and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild.

Chris is the guy Cosette always wanted. Fun. Funny. Lighthearted and sweet. Chris always manages to find beauty and laughter, even when fighting a chapel full of demons. He's exactly what she needs. Except he's a werewolf and she's a member of the Lunar Court—the only fey court that holds sway over the werewolves. Even on his best day, Chris isn't strong enough to last a few hours in the Lunar Court without becoming a slave. No matter how much Cosette's heart wants him, she knows she has to let him go.

Demitra doesn't understand why romance is so difficult. Regular guys just don't manage to hold her interest, and it seems that the only thing she finds truly attractive are the inhuman faces of monsters on the silver screen. That is, until a chance encounter reveals that not only are monsters real, but they are inextricably intertwined with her past, future, and sexual discovery.

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.

Claudia de Santos has always looked out for every witch but herself. She fought from the shadows as her coven turned dark, and with a little help from her half-witch/half-Alpha werewolf cousin, Teresa McCaide, Claudia is doing everything she can to keeper friends and family in the light. Now the coven has splintered into two factions: Luciana's army of witches wielding dark magic, and Claudia's few stragglers who fight with the wolves. War is coming, and it won't be much of a battle if Claudia can't find the spells to counteract Luciana's demonic power.

Justin Trimble's fantasies come to life when a couple of sexy, middle-aged professors give his virtual world a try and are transformed both in-game and out. As an AI researcher, Justin Trimble already has access to some of the most advanced technology on the planet. On his nights and weekends, he explores the capabilities of the virtual systems to invent an immersive game. To make the game more appealing, he modifies the immersion rigs to stimulate pleasure as reward for achievements.

"I've got you now, you wizardly pest, in my stomach you soon will rest!" Thus spoke Guxx Unfufadoo to the mighty wizard, Ebenezum. The dreaded rhyming demon had cruelly cursed the mage with a malady of magicks and now he was determined that the suffering sorcerer never reach Vushta, the City of Forbodden Delights, where he might find a cure.

Running to a new realm that could hold vital information is our only chance. With that comes closing the distance between me and the godly powers that wish to use me for their own gain. What we need is time to uncover secrets and unlock the powers that reside within me, but that's a commodity we aren't granted. When the time comes to make our final stand, will I finally be able to let go of the doubt that's been festering my entire life? Will hope be able to cast out the shadows lurking round my mind and soul? I have to believe that it will.

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths - for good and evil - of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies.

Zed, Brock, and their friends may have saved Freestone from destruction, but the fight against the Dangers is far from over. No one knows what to expect next from the dark power that forced the elves to abandon their city. And the influx of elf refugees in Freestone strains resources and brews resentment among the townspeople. Things have shifted between best friends Zed and Brock, as well, with their friendship crumbling under the weight of the secrets they're keeping from each other.

Two pink flamingos. A whole family of plaster skunks. Joe Burton's dad loves those tacky lawn ornaments. But then he brings home two ugly lawn gnomes. And that's when the trouble starts. Late at night, when everyone's asleep, someone's creeping in the garden. Whispering nasty things. Smashing melons. Squashing tomatoes. No way two dumb, old lawn ornaments could be causing all the trouble. Is there?

When a man in my village makes demands I'm not willing to give into, my younger brother and I flee into the forest. It's the night of the Monster Mate Hunt, but the orcs who are gifted with brides in exchange for protecting the village will be too busy with the other woman to notice me. Until Turren claims me as his mate. I'm not interested in marrying, and orcs scare me. But there's something sweet and endearing about this one. My brother and I planned to make a new life far from our village. Could that new life be with Turren?

Auric Cain found his chance. He proved himself, took control of his life, and became stronger than he ever thought possible. So why is everything falling apart? Literally. With the help of allies old and new, Auric thwarted Salvo’s plan and narrowly avoided cataclysm. But in the wake of that confrontation, something went very, very wrong. Now everywhere Auric turns he sees that his home, his world, and even the System itself are coming apart at the seams. Entropic gateborn roam the wilds unchecked while rogue storms and freak anomalies spring up seemingly at random.

Marine-turned-Monster-Hunter Boyd Knight has found himself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the Fae Queen of Oblivion. Although the first leg of the Wyld Hunt has drawn to a close, there are still two more Hunts to go, and the targets will only get deadlier. After slaying a Vampire Monarch and being cheated out of victory, the time for fun and games is officially over, and Boyd is ready to unleash some good ol’ fashioned fire and brimstone on anyone who gets in his way again. But it’s not just the nightmarish monsters and Fae champions that Boyd has to worry about.

Eli is a young stowaway on a ship bound for North America. A strange birthmark on his arm, in the shape of a dragon, begins to sting. Then he meets a sailor on the ship with a dragon tattoo. The tattoo, and a weird cargo hidden on the ship, hold the secret to Eli's read identity.

Dory is brand-new to her neighborhood, so it's a good thing she has a pet monster to keep her company. When she tells the mailman about her monster, he doesn't believe her. Dory begins to get angry that he's not taking her seriously, so she opens up the mailbox to show him the monster—only to find that the mailbox is empty! Is Dory's monster real, or part of her imagination?

When the legend of Lake Lobo comes true, Kevin’s summer vacation gets pretty creepy. Will his dog protect him, or is his mutt an evil monster?

Molly Lewis has just inherited a mansion. The dashing and adventurous Margaret has left Molly a fortune, a manor house, and a destiny. Molly Lewis has no idea that she must become the futa monster girl tamer. Arriving at the mansion, Molly is created by Ash. The cute and busty futa-dragon maid is eager to welcome Molly. The young woman is shocked that monster girls are real. And when she learns what futa means, her life will change.

I am so close to triumph I can taste it, and everything is within my grasp. A bevy of scientifically engineered monster girls. The destruction of the Matriarchy. Wealth and power beyond reckoning. I just need to make The Duchess mine. For science.

When I arrived at the village last winter, the women faced starvation and extinction. But I've put food on their tables and babies in their bellies. My power—a gift of the gods—is growing ferociously, but I must learn to wield it without destroying everything, including myself.