Weird Life

In recent years, scientists have hypothesized life-forms that can only be called "weird": organisms that live off acid rather than water, microbes that thrive at temperatures and pressure levels so extreme that their cellular structures should break down, perhaps even organisms that reproduce without DNA. Some of these strange life-forms, unrelated to all life we know, might be nearby: on rock surfaces in the American southwest, hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, or even in our own bodies. Some, stranger still, might live in Martian permafrost, swim in the dark oceans of Jupiter's moons, or survive in the exotic ices on comets.

If you’re a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events, Edward Scissorhands, or the darkest bits of Roald Dahl, the Weirdie triplets - Barnacle, Garlic, and Melancholy - will feel like old friends. After being left behind when the entire estate of Deadeye Manor is packed up for a doomed vacation cruise, the triplets have to learn how to fend for themselves.

The Weirdie Triplets and Miss Emily are settling into Deadeye Manor when, against all logic, their parents return from the dead! Even worse, they want Barnacle, Melancholy and Garlic back, sparking a truly unusual effort to prove that Miss Emily is the best parent for them. Will the family get justice? Will the triplets succeed in their ridiculous fundraisers to pay for the lawyer? Why are there so many raccoons in the courtroom?

Things take a depressing turn at Deadeye Manor after the shocking return of Mr. Weirdie and the Enchantress. Barnacle Melancholy and Garlic are put to the treacherous task of finding a lost family fortune buried somewhere within the manor, only to awaken some vengeful spirits with a diabolical plan all their own. Meanwhile, Miss Emily has decided that disguising her sunny personality as a wretched criminal is the best way to rescue the triplets, only to find herself in a high-stakes roller-boogie contest with her most loathsome enemy. Listen at your own risk, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.

At last, we have nearly reached the end of our grim tale. When the Handsome Lawyer proposes (gross, love), Barnacle, Melancholy, and Garlic do not react well, sparking a cross-country adventure to bring the man Miss Emily loves back home. Unfortunately, everywhere the triplets go, trouble follows, and in this case, so do a bunch of wild characters, making it hard to stay under the radar. All the while Mr. Weirdie and the Enchantress are holding Miss Emily captive, forcing her to teach them how to be good people. Will anyone get the happy ending they deserve?

Learn why the concept of "weird" is being reclaimed and turned into a badge of honor, used to show how being different—culturally, socially, physically, or mentally—can be a person's greatest strength. "An insightful ode to oddballs." —The Washington Post Most of us have at some point in...

Discover the power of being a hot mess with these heartbreaking and hilarious stories of how God uses each "mess" in our lives to bring us closer to Him–showing readers that it's okay to celebrate exactly where they are right now. A lot of people struggle with the concept of being holy. But...

Mia knows her family is very different than her best friend's. In the 1980s, the coastal fishing town of Prince Rupert is booming. There is plenty of sockeye salmon in the nearby ocean, which means the fishermen are happy and there is plenty of work at the cannery. Eleven-year-old Mia and her best friend, Lara, have known each other since kindergarten. Like most tweens, they like to hang out and compare notes on their crushes and dream about their futures. But even though they both live in the same cul-de-sac, Mia’s life is very different from her non-Indigenous, middle-class neighbor.

The best-selling author, metaphysical lecturer, and teacher brings you her inspirational audio program, Life!, in which she deals with growing up, relationships, work, spirituality, our elder years, death . . . and many of the problems, fears and challenges that these passages bring...

 
In The WEIRDest People in the World, Joseph Henrich draws on cutting-edge research in anthropology, psychology, economics, and evolutionary biology to explore these questions and more. He illuminates the origins and evolution of family structures, marriage, and religion, and the profound impact these cultural transformations had on human psychology. Mapping these shifts through ancient history and late antiquity, Henrich reveals that the most fundamental institutions of kinship and marriage changed dramatically under pressure from the Roman Catholic Church.  

In the next novel in the Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International series by New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, the team faces new and old enemies alike as a bioengineered version of The Black Death surfaces. This program is read by award-winning narrator Ray Porter. Hundreds of...

In Weird Earth: Debunking Strange Ideas About Our Planet, Donald R. Prothero demystifies these conspiracies and offers answers to some of humanity's most outlandish questions. Applying his extensive scientific knowledge, Prothero corrects misinformation that con artists and quacks use to hoodwink others about geology - hollow earth, expanding earth, and bizarre earthquakes-and mystical and paranormal happenings - healing crystals, alien landings, and the gates of hell.

Bloomsbury presents Agnes Lives written and read by Hallie Elizabeth Newton "An astonishing debut as mesmerizing as it is unnerving." --Joyce Carol Oates A day-in-the-life debut novel about a fading socialite on the hunt for someone to kill her before her next SoulCycle class. "A tale of...

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first issues of Weird Tales Magazine, 100 Years of Weird is a masterful compendium of new and classic stories, flash fiction, essays, and poems from the giants of speculative fiction, including R. L. Stine, Laurell K. Hamilton, Ray Bradbury, H. P...

On a peat and heather island off the west coast of Scotland, Effie and her mother Nora take refuge in the large mouldering house of their ancestors and tell each other stories.Nora, at first, recounts nothing that Effie really wants to hear, like who her father was - variously Jimmy, Jack, or...

Tired of all the "shoulds" that guide your life? Want to create a life full of meaning? Work on your own terms? See the world a little differently? Then it's time to Own Your Weird. Creative entrepreneur Jason Zook certainly walks the walk of "owning his weird." He's had some crazy yet...

Ming often gets teased for being "weird". His curious mind and wild imagination make him extra nervous for his school's upcoming lockdown drill after a deadly dance hall shooting. His teacher calls the Helper Hounds to help calm his nerves, and King Tut comes to the rescue! King Tut knows all about being weird - she's been in some scary situations herself after being abandoned under a bridge as a puppy. King Tut helps Ming and his classmates through the lockdown drill. Discover how King Tut helps Ming and his friends see the beauty in being "weird".

A wealthy eccentric with a taste for playing the benevolent detective gathers nine guests aboard his barge, nine people whose lives have collided in ways none of them fully understands. One by one, they step forward with a story to tell: the Human Gargoyle, the Hypochondriacal Painter, the...

Bloomsbury presents Zombie Worms and Blue Dragons: Celebrating 100 Iconic Life Forms written and read by Ben Garrod Zombie Worms and Blue Dragons celebrates 100 of the largest, smallest, oldest, newest, most venomous, fearsome, intelligent and sometimes most bizarre forms of life on Earth in a...

"The perfect mix of horror and heart." —Kylie Lee Baker, author of Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng "Cho Yeeun is amazing. Insanely amazing." ―Bora Chung, author of The Midnight Timetable A young woman and a possessed teddy bear set out on a revenge quest unlike any other in this...