Science Fictions Stuart

The Pages of Glass. Myth to some. Legend to others. For the creature Yal-hara, it is a truth which could reveal how to return to her own universe. And how she can choose other universes to conquer. Only one thing stands her way. The Parallel Society. For Roni, the Pages are yet another mystery hidden by her grandmother, another piece of understanding the Society she is meant to lead, and another danger threatening her life and the lives of those she loves. Above all else, the Pages are to be guarded, kept safe, and never allowed in the hands of creatures like Yal-hara.

Jared Lobdell examines Tolkien's methods and his worldview by following the thread of three influences: the Edwardian adventure story, the science of philology, or comparative languages, and Roman Catholic theology. The "Edwardian mode" of adventure story ( King Solomon's Mines, The Lost World) is one in which a small group of Englishmen make an expedition to foreign parts and find supernatural terrors awaiting them, finally returning home, mission accomplished.

This volume brings together 17 masterful tales of cosmic horror inspired by Lovecraft's work. In his fiction, humanity is a tiny, accidental drop of light and life in the endless darkness of an uncaring universe a darkness populated by vast, utterly alien horrors. Our continued survival relies upon our utter obscurity, something that every fresh scientific wonder threatens to shatter.

Swords, sorcery and space ships clash in this science fantasy classic! After five years of slavery, Garthanas, the Hamarian Sword and defender of his oppressed people, returns to find the woman he loves has deserted him and his best friend has betrayed him. Now Garthanas lives only for revenge. But, his plans change suddenly when he learns of a plot by Thamas I, the planet's evil ruler, to liquidate the entire Hamarian race. It’s a plan Garthanas swears to stop, even if he has to fight his way through every guard and soldier in the palace. And he will!

After a bad day at work, accountant Dave Smith has one too many at the bar. A seemingly normal traffic stop later that evening rips him away from his wife and kids and into servitude. He has been drafted into Megacorp Greenrock Solutions’ newest business venture. A core of mercenaries established to provide a service for the purpose of killing for profit.

A brooding malevolence has emerged from the shadows, and loved ones are disappearing without a trace. Stranded on a strange alien world, with no idea how he got there or how he was going to get back home, Joshua Ellis meets a mysterious pirate; but can he be trusted?

When Max and the gang are hired by an art forging ghost to find a lost painting, Max thinks it'll be easy money. But villains old and new come out, and the race is on for the painting and the secrets it contains. A race that will lead Max into a mess of magic spells, haunted houses, ancient curses, and even Blackbeard the Pirate.

When Nathan and Robin are taken against their will, they end up under the thumb of a Colombian drug lord. In order to protect Robin, Nathan is forced to help defeat a rival organization. But his captors can never be trusted. Once they see how powerful Nathan is, they will never let him go. They’ll want him forever.

After returning to the East, Zev Asterling attempts to put away his Master-Solver days and rebuild his life. Political tensions have run high since the events at Ridnight Castle, and a summit between the Frontier and the East is a sliver of light that many cling to. But when a politician's daughter is kidnapped, Zev is called upon to do what he does best.

The world of Wonder has been thrown into chaos. Servers crashed, cities are in disarray, and death is permanent. Amidst all the upheaval, a new dungeon is growing. Undercroft Citadel. Ben Hales stands on the front lines, sword in hand, ready to continue his dark work. With an army of the dead and the blessing of a goddess, he’ll bring more fire and brimstone to Wonder than the game has ever known.

The Lord of Darkarrow has been forced to respawn, but things aren’t exactly as they should be. Kadorax has unlocked a powerful new class that few in Agglor have ever heard of. As a Bastion of Chaos Incarnate, he has the potential to become stronger than anyone has ever been, but he’ll need to carve through an army of jackals just to survive. Oscine City has all but fallen. All of Agglor’s most powerful forces have joined ranks to stave off the new threat from the north, and still...it may not be enough.

In the game, the people of Tamernil live under the harsh rule of a vile bureaucrat, and Bokta - an outcast blood witch practicing forbidden magic - has a bold plan to save them all. She'll need to summon a powerful demon, one she's been watching through a scrying mirror for years. There's just one hitch: the mighty demon she's been watching isn't real. He's a character in Realm of Crafted War, and the man behind the keyboard is a far cry from a savior.

Lady Scrapple is dead, but the war is far from over. Corpses fill Talonrend’s streets and victorious orcs revel in fresh blood. In the forest beneath Kanebullar Mountain, Gideon and Melkora wonder if they are the only two humans still alive. Under clouds of smoke, there might yet be a glimmer of hope. Deep within the darkest recesses of Gideon’s mind, Vrysinoch stirs to life. Humanity’s god is hungry for vengeance.

In the midst of war, the panicked citizens of Talonrend take to the road in search of their ancestral home. Unknown to them, the clans of the wilds have united under a mysterious shaman in search of conquest. Gravlox and Vorst are locked in the dungeon beneath Castle Talon, and Prince Herod wastes away on his deathbed. A field of goblin skeletons stretches from Terror's Lament to the Clawflow River, but Lady Scrapple's army has not been beaten. To the goblin queen, everything has purpose - even bones.

Alistair the Fourth was a mighty general from a long-forgotten war. Four hundred years later, Alster Lightbridge is barely a shadow of his legendary namesake. Crippled and confined to his family's estate, he spends his days dreaming of something larger than himself - something worthy of his name. Encouraged by his tutor to explore the Lightbridge archive, Alster discovers a magical dagger with the power to cleave shadows from their bodies. Blade in hand, Alster finally understands his purpose, though he needs to find a four-centuries-old grave in order to fulfill it.

Duncan Rose hustles his way through life, taking advantage of the foolish and overindulged. His weapon of choice - a deck of cards. Despite the dangers, he uses his skills with sleight-of-hand tricks to cheat at poker and tilt life in his favor. But when Duncan steps through a strange door and emerges in the Depression-ravaged world of 1934, he discovers a dark underworld of magicians and card cheats who use their skills simply to survive another day.

Elle Chambers is Edinburgh's hardest-working insurance investigator, and one who solves cases using unconventional means. Supernatural means. Elle is a witch - and a damn good one, too. In her personal life, Elle wants to know how her enchanter boyfriend, Niall, accrued his wealth. In her professional life, Elle investigates her first cause of death for an insurance company and discovers that things are not always as they appear.

The Parallel Society has a singular task—to protect the universe from the troubles caused by other universes intersecting with ours. But recent disruptions to the Society have place Veronica “Roni” Rider in the position of team leader, and they don’t have time for her to get acclimated.

A young girl, Ana, sits in the interview room, while the uniformed man who followed her lies dead. After the girl escapes, Tears pursues her and enters a world similar—yet shockingly different—to ours. He soon learns of a mysterious group called the Silencers, and the Transference Engine, which has irreparably damaged the fabric of space and time.

The Unidentified Funny Objects series serves an annual dose of funny, zany, and unusual science fiction and fantasy stories. All-new fiction from the genre's top voices! Our sixth volume features a Mad Amos story by Alan Dean Foster, a Harry the Book tale by Mike Resnick, and an Alexander Outland short by Gini Koch.