Short Stories Science

When magic awakens, making its claim on her humanity, Gabrian loses control of her life and nearly her mind as she becomes a danger to everyone around her. The reality of the world she knows is torn apart. Stubborn and hell-bent on getting her life back, Gabrian makes a deal with a smooth-tongued devil who claims he can help her regain control. But she soon learns the cost might be higher than she could ever imagine.

Venir didn't choose to be the defender of this unforgiving world full of bloodthirsty, magic-wielding underlings set on world domination. The helm of power and his waraxe called Brool chose him. And there's no turning back. With enemies closing in from all directions, Venir, his thief friend, Melegal, and their companions must battle through an endless cycle of backstabbing royals, bloody skirmishes, and waves of lies and deceit. Or see their home descend into total chaos and devastation.

Life can kick us when we are down. In Shawn Speakman's case, he is fighting back. Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011, Speakman beat the disease as well as the massive medical debt he amassed from its treatment. He did this by publishing Unfettered, an anthology featuring short stories donated by some of the best science fiction and fantasy writers working today. Speakman has again collaborated with celebrated genre authors to publish Unfettered II.

Hey there, weary parents and little dreamers alike! Are you ready to embark on a magical journey to the land of nod? Picture this: cozy blankets, twinkling stars, and the soft sound of storytelling drifting through the air. That's exactly what awaits you in our captivating collection of bedtime tales.

Monster Hunter International may have had its roots in the United States of America, but there are plenty of monsters in the big old world. And wherever there are monsters, humans will need monster hunters. Here then, stories of the things that go bump in the night and the men and women who bump back—focusing on the myths, legends, and folklore of Czechia, by Czech authors. Includes a new short story by Larry Correia.

After Thoughts collects 12 speculative fiction tales you'll never forget.

A powerful, eerily unsettling story collection from a major international literary star. Unearthly and unexpected, the stories in Mouthful of Birds burrow their way into your psyche and don't let go. Samanta Schweblin haunts and mesmerizes in this extraordinary, masterful collection. Schweblin's stories have the feel of a sleepless night, where every shadow and bump in the dark take on huge implications, leaving your pulse racing, and the line between the real and the strange blur.

The pulse hits without warning. In one harrowingly destructive instant, a mysterious seismic pulse in the Scottish Highlands rips away all semblance of global security. When peace is shattered, fear takes over. The stakes rise without mercy. As the pulse's chaos spreads across the world, it becomes painfully clear that Piper McCarthy - a child born like no other - might hold humanity's only hope of averting total disaster.

A Gift of Ghosts: Akira has secrets. But so does the town of Tassamara. A Gift of Thought: Sylvie Blair swore she’d never go back to Tassamara. She was wrong. The Spirits of Christmas: Akira's plans are simple: Write wedding invitations, bake Christmas cookies, and eat red meat. (The last surprises her, too.) But when Rose, the ghost who haunts her house, asks for a favor, Akira can't say no. A Gift of Time: Natalya thought she knew everything. Time is proving her wrong.

Look outward beyond the stars with six stories from bestselling visionary authors. An AI awakens to its purpose. A researcher seeds a thousand new worlds for one more chance at love. A murder rocks the crew of an interstellar ship. With a sweeping sense of wonder, these stories explore the galaxy . . . and the horizons of humanity’s potential.

A wonderful new collection of short stories about our favourite fluffy friends, from national treasure Enid Blyton. Enjoy 25 charming tales about cats, dogs, budgies, rabbits and other adored family pets in this fantastic new bumper collection. Enid Blyton, author of The Famous Five, loved dogs and other animals. Her perfectly crafted short stories about children and their pets are ideal for young listeners to enjoy alone or as stories for the classroom or at bedtime. Ideal for children aged five and over.

Prepare to be dazzled with stories of witches, wizards and magical folk. From spells and enchantments to potions and wishes, there's magic and wonder brewing in this bumper collection by Enid Blyton. These traditional tales are ideal for both younger and older listeners. Each story stands alone and is the perfect length for listening to at bedtime or in the classroom.

Setting out into exile is never much fun, but Minalan wants to publicly comply with Prince Tavard's order to leave Sevendor for three years to spare his home any retribution. Instead of using magic to transport himself to his new lands, Minalan decides to leave cross-country in a wagon with his father. Down the Bontal River, Min and his dad make a stop at Robinwing, get snowed in at Barrowbell, and enjoy a few days as guests of Baron Astyral.

One protector. Five kings. And one destiny none of them could get away from. This collection contains all three books in the Full-Blood series: Protector, Saviour, and Queen. If you like magic, witches, and a badass woman who doesn't stop to save those she loves, then this is the series you want to pick up!

Ryan David Ginsberg bursts onto the literary scene with this hauntingly beautiful collection of stories that cannot be listened to just once and then forgotten. They are stories to be listened to again and again, stories that will stay with the listener long after the book has been put down. Within these stories, you will meet a woman who must auction her unborn baby’s rights away; a twelve-year-old boy who suddenly finds himself in the middle of a war; an extraterrestrial being sent to Earth to determine whether or not humans are worthy of an invitation to the Confederation of the Cosmos.

This story describes a world of the future in which humans all remain in their cubicles while all their needs are met by a supercomputer called, "The Machine". They communicate with each other and attend "online" classes and meetings through the Machine and people seldom meet face to face. A problem arises when one man, Kuno, decides he is not satisfied with staying in his room and decides to explore outside.

In “The Center for Immortality Research,” a low-level employee runs herself ragged planning a fancy gala for donors, only to be blamed for a crime she witnessed during the event, under the noses of the mysterious celebrity benefactors hoping to live forever. But she can’t be fired—no one can. In “One More Kiss, Dear,” a tender, one-sided love blooms in the AI-elevator of an apartment complex; as in, the elevator develops a profound affection for one of the residents.

At turns nonchalantly hip and charmingly deranged, Suzuki's singular slant on speculative fiction would be echoed in countless later works, from Margaret Atwood and Harumi Murakami, to Black Mirror and Ex Machina. In these darkly playful and punky stories, the fantastical elements are always earthed by the universal pettiness of strife between the sexes, and the gritty reality of life on the lower rungs, whatever planet that ladder might be on.

This last volume in the definitive collection of the best science fiction novellas published between 1929 and 1964 contains 11 great classics. No anthology better captures the birth of science fiction as a literary field. Published in 1973 to honor stories that had appeared before the institution of the Nebula Awards, The Science Fiction Hall of Fame introduced thousands of young listeners to the wonders of science fiction and was a favorite of libraries across the country.

This exciting new anthology has over a dozen original tales starring the vicious foes of Marvel's superheroes: Greg Cox's chronicle of the Super-Skrull's conflict with the Avengers, Michael Jan Friendman's story of evil Loki's latest attempt to snare his stepbrother Thor, Adam-Troy Castro's tale of a mutant who brings Magneto and X-Men's Professor X together in a unique manner, Glenn Greenberg's pairing of Venom and the Absorbing Man in an unlikely jailbreak.