Systems Science

Step into a chilling future where warfare isn’t just fought with weapons—but with the mind. The Hour of Battle by Robert Sheckley delivers a gripping tale of suspense, set against the vast backdrop of deep space.

Set in a futuristic world of interplanetary travel and moral regulation, this darkly humorous sci-fi tale explores the perils of trading authentic human connection for artificial pleasure. When Ralph Garvey activates his mysterious companion, he gets far more than he bargained for—sparking a suspenseful, satirical battle for survival.

Meet Tanjihiro Chae Wong, a scarred man with no past. A nomad. A simple cabbage farmer with an ominous black gauntlet living happily with his family... Or is he? Unbeknownst to everyone he keeps a secret. Not only of his identity, but what he is, and what he can do. Keeping to the shadows as he stays out of the war he never wanted to be a part of and lives a life of... Peace.

Only 30 years ago, rape within marriage was not a crime, Judges saw rape victims as complicit for wearing short skirts; teenage runaways were groomed, pimped and then arrested as ‘common prostitutes’, and harassment, stalking, forced marriage and honour-based violence were not defined or recognised as separate offences in law. Since then there have been important legislative reforms but the law is only as good as those who enforce it. Telling the stories of a series of ground-breaking cases, Harriet Wistrich illustrates how far misogyny is baked into our justice system.

Outdoor writer Mike Arnold takes us on an impressionistic journey through Coutada 11, a once again magnificent natural area in Mozambique's Zambeze Delta. Mike leads us from its poached-out days as a source of bush meat for starving villagers and civil war military troops to the arrival in the early '90s of hunting outfitter Mark Haldane and his partners, on their often perilous, sometimes hilarious, travails to take the defiled and uninhabitable place and make it whole again.

"A Pail of Air” by Fritz Leiber is a haunting and poetic science fiction short story set in a frozen, post-apocalyptic Earth where the sun has gone dark. Written in the early 1950s, this atmospheric tale follows a resilient family struggling to survive in a world turned to eternal night, where even breathable air must be collected by hand. Told through the eyes of a young boy, the story captures the stark beauty of isolation, the desperation of survival, and the enduring hope that flickers in humanity’s darkest hours.

In no more than the blink of an eye, a naïve optimism about technology’s liberating potential has given way to a dystopian obsession with biased algorithms, surveillance capitalism, and job-displacing robots. System Error exposes the root of our current predicament - how big tech’s relentless focus on optimization is driving a future that reinforces discrimination, erodes privacy, displaces workers, and pollutes the information we get- and outlines steps we can take to change course, renew our democracy, and save ourselves.

Nick Vandal faces his greatest challenge yet in the Risen Tower, a place of trials and floors designed to test the survivors' limits. As Nick and his new companions battle through casino mazes—and relentless hordes—they uncover the truth behind the Admin's grand design. Hidden enemies within the survivors' ranks plot to sabotage their progress, and success is far from guaranteed. Nick must use every resource, including his knowledge of the future, to navigate the challenges and forge alliances necessary to reach the top.

Across every era of human history, one star has commanded the gaze with unmatched brilliance: Sirius. Visible from nearly every inhabited corner of the Earth, it has guided travelers, inspired mythmakers, and puzzled astronomers. But beyond its brightness lies a far deeper story—of science and symbolism, of stellar evolution and ancient memory, of cosmic scale and human meaning.

The U.S.S. Enterprise is stunned when famed scientist Lynn Costa is murdered in one of the ship's science labs. She and her husband, Emil, were known as science's greatest ongoing collaboration and together had received the Federation's highest honors for their achievements in scientific research. Determined to see the culprit brought to justice, Captain Picard assigns Lt. Worf and Counselor Deanna Troi to the case. Their routine investigation of the ship's science lab soon reveals a dangerous web of deceit, betrayal, and madness.

In a violent world, peace always comes at a cost. And to pay for this expansive commodity, to give those he cares about a chance, Jack has to step up... Even if it means doing things he would have never imagined.

What if your next business partner was artificial intelligence? What if you could write faster, earn smarter, and automate the boring stuff—without coding, a team, or any technical skills? This isn’t a fantasy. It’s the future of online income. And it starts here. AI ChatGPT Automation Money Machine is the ultimate guide to transforming ChatGPT into your most powerful business tool. Whether you’re a freelancer, digital creator, solopreneur, or total beginner, this book will show you how to turn prompts into profit.

Hyperpartisanship has gridlocked the American government. Congress' approval ratings are at record lows, and both Democrats and Republicans are disgusted by the government's inability to get anything done. In It's Even Worse Than It Looks, Congressional scholars Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein present a grim picture of how party polarization and tribal politics have led Congress - and the United States - to the brink of institutional failure.

Youth by Isaac Asimov is a clever and heartwarming science fiction short story that captures the boundless imagination of childhood against the backdrop of an alien encounter.

A narrative of personal experiences and observations, A Tale of Two Systems is the honest diary of someone who has experienced two opposite governmental systems side by side. Comparing the two cultures in a compelling and personal way, it is a powerful insight into what life’s really like under two opposing systems. In A Tale of Two Systems, you’ll find a rich and engaging narrative detailing exactly what it’s like to transition between Communism and democracy.

Look no further than The Solar System for Kids Six to Eight! This book is the perfect resource for children ages six to eight who are curious about the planets, stars, and other celestial bodies that make up our galaxy.

What if you died, only to wake up in a new body, in a world where magic is real and battles are fought like in a video game? That's what happens to James Thompson, who finds himself reincarnated as Talon Nightstrider, a young man with a destiny to become a powerful member of the Blackfang Guild. But Talon is not just any member; he is connected to the System, an advanced interface that displays his stats and powers, and allows him to level up like in an RPG.

Weaving together cutting-edge social science with riveting stories that take us from the front lines of the Volkswagen scandal to backstage at the Oscars, and from deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico to the top of Mount Everest, Chris Clearfield and András Tilcsik explain how the increasing complexity of our systems creates conditions ripe for failure and why our brains and teams can't keep up. They highlight the paradox of progress: Though modern systems have given us new capabilities, they've become vulnerable to surprising meltdowns - and even to corruption and misconduct.

It once seemed like the world had been shaken by the coming of the System, leaving no chance for humanity to survive. But the System didn't always mean death! Yes, it had killed the majority of the population on the planet, making horrifying monsters out of the dead, who, in addition to everything else, had a tendency to evolve right in front of your very eyes. But that had also given people the opportunity to develop!

A space cloud of unknown composition is on a collision course with Earth as the world holds its breath. The anomaly sails through the solar system, and the International Space Station, along with three astronauts and one cosmonaut, are thrown back to the Cretaceous period, where dinosaurs roam Earth hunting prey and great pterosaurs patrol the skies.