One November day in the year 2087, everything was normal. The very next, Ancient ships had descended from the sky and just like that, there was no normal. Not anymore.One November day in the year 2087, everything was normal. The very next, Ancient ships had descended from the sky and just like that, there was no normal. Not anymore.There were only two governments left standing, the United States and Germany. In mere minutes of news coverage, we had answers to some of mankind's greatest mysteries. They left shortly after the rise of the Egyptian armies. Not out of fear, that's for damn sure. To our best estimation, they left so we would breed, expand the population that would eventually be enslaved by them.The smallest Ancient that anyone has ever laid eyes on is roughly eight feet in height. The largest, about the same. They walk like we do, but that's where the similarities end. A pasty gray skin, the pupils of their eyes burning with an amber-colored pigment that helps them deal with the rays of the sun, or so we're told. Transparent skull and bones, which have been linked to their ability to heal quickly. Very quickly.Sometimes not quickly enough though. In other words, they die. I should know, my unit has killed more of the sky-born bastards than any other group of soldiers on Earth. -Alicia Lucard

A collection of twelve Sci-Fi and Fantasy short stories by Gabe Sluis.Refering back to the Chaos Gate in the short novel Other Worlds Than These, Beyond the Gate is a collection of a dozen Sci-Fi and Fantasy short stories that give further views of the worlds beyond our own.A Story for Enchu- A young Amazon child is told a story about the days proceeding his birth.And the Scroll Read... - Old scrolls always say interesting things!Statues in the Southern Marsh- A young magician living in a swampland meets a friend of his late father.Chapter 20- The Lost Chapter- The missing chapter from the book Saving John.Hill 136- An airship crew pick up an unexpected passenger on a secluded hilltop.The Treasure Map- On a summer morning, three youths have the adventure of their young lives.The Bronze Coin- A gas station attendant flips a special coin, sending him places he never thought he could be.The Supervisor- The final part of The Treasure Map trilogy finds Aros and Vega confronted by a tourist with the upper hand.Seven Forty Seven- An EMT on a transfer ambulance has a patient he will never forget.Blackheart- Across a shallow sea on a clouded world, a nameless traveler walks toward a great mountain and his fate.A Deep Dive- A group of four divers go for a dive in the morning and come back with a fifth late in the evening.Vega's Lullaby- "They had just made it out of one war and found themselves thrust into another..."

Sam Hillman was just a normal girl, raised in a quaint small town with a typical clique of friends at her side. Little did she know that her and her close friends were part of a 'higher race' of human being. As their powers start emerging, enemies pop up in unexpected places. Now not only are Sam and her friends trying to understand their new abilities, they're also fighting for their lives.Peta has been living in London and having a great time. Then she finds herself heading home to Australia, as her parents have gone missing whilst bush walking near the town of Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains.Unsure what to do, as the search continues for her parents, Peta does manage to uncover some very interesting information about her family and finds out that, people are not always what they seem.

The Vagary Tales are a collection of eight short stories that each follow a separate path on a wandering journey. Several genres are represented, so there is a story to appeal to almost anyone.The Vagary Tales are a collection of eight short stories that each follow a separate path on a wandering journey. Several genres are represented, so there is a story to appeal to almost anyone."What is Right" is a story about Christian, a young man who finds himself unable to recall his recent past. This puts him in danger when he discovers that remembering may cost him his life.​"The Man in Black" is my tribute to the great Johnny Cash. See how many song titles you can find in this short story about George, a prisoner in Folsom Prison.​​"Without a Trace" tells of the adventures of Todd and Charles who find a pair of underwear that turn the wearer invisible.​​"Three Gifts from the Queen" is an epic fantasy about a visit Lord Ranor makes to see the Queen. She presents to him three gifts: great and terrible gifts that Ranor wishes he hadn't received.​​"Cross Word" is a short story of a woman cursed with a cryptic message in her New York Times.​"Sweet Tea" is a story about a boy, and his dog, Barnard. Poor Barnard has post traumatic mowing syndrome. Lance asks his neighbor, Mr. Wegner, if he can help alleviate Barnard's psychosis.​​"The Grass is Greener" gives reason #52 why you shouldn't take your wife golfing.​Being a high-level assassin isn't all its cracked up to be. Just when you think you have it all--expensive suits, fast cars, weekends on a yacht, travel to exotic lands--everything you know comes crashing down around you. Jake Monday hates Mondays more than any other day of the week. This Monday will change his life forever. "Jake Monday" is an excerpt from my upcoming (2013) series.

A simple shepherd in ancient Greece, Cimon struggles to deal with the aftermath of being torn from his home and wife by a wandering Rabisu. As he changes in ways he could never have imagined, it seems that the gods may not have finished with him yet. Might there be a chance for him to regain his former life and love, a shadow of hope?But Kora sat unmoving, in great magic. The walls, her home, faded about her. Warmth went; all alone and on a freezing plain, dressed in a tunic, sharp knife in her belt, bow on her shoulder, arrows in a quiver behind. Her eyes gleamed; a pale cold light, ˈlɪmpɪd ɪn ˈdʌlnəsShe looked around. Away, at vision’s limit, a dark shape rose above the plain: a Tower, the only thing in all this barren place: no bird flew, no grass grew. Despite the wool she shivered. Breath-clouds hung in the raw air, ˈsləʊli dɪˈzɒlvɪŋThen in eye’s corner something moved. She turned to gaze across the Waste and saw a Cloud. Far, almost straight behind her as she faced the Tower, it too reared up black and sheer. Unlike the Tower, moving, whirling, wisps trailing their tentacles around a core, ˈtwɪstɪŋ ɪnˈseɪnli

"Shadan, it falls to you to trace, seek and kill one individual…"A simple task, Shadan thinks, when it's handed down to her by her overseer. However, when she becomes trapped in some unreality with another individual, it's not just the environment that isn't as it seems…A story of friendships forged in a time of crisis; of honour, and integrity.Set against the backdrop of the D-Day invasion of France, an old man’s dying confession reveals an intriguing tale of theft, unflagging loyalty, murder and soul-searching redemption.The unveiling of this family secret sparks a compelling quest as a dutiful son endeavors to complete his father’s final wish. The touching journeys of both father and son initiate a captivating series of unexpected life-changing events for everyone concerned; far greater than they ever imagined.

The Space Pirate Series is an action-comedy aboutCaptain Meek and his mischievous band of pirates whoset out to find trouble and treasure in the wilds of space.They are met with alliances, betrayal, pirates, spacepolice, telepaths, sorcery, bar fights, beasts and of courseSpace Dragons.This is one of many series that takes place in the Galaxyof Empires Universe.A small town in America decides to cancel seventh grade, after a tumultuous group of sixth graders forces all of their teachers to quit. Instead of returning to school after summer break, the group is sent to an innovative enrichment camp, which turns out to be nothing like what the students or their parents expected. The seventh graders find themselves alone, with no adults, and no way to return to civilization. A series of surprising and humorous events leads them to discover the true meanings behind life and the freedom to learn.

Until the arrival of a pair of brothers, Buck would have whispered to anyone who could hear him that loneliness was the most painful aspect of his haunting. With the arrival of brothers, Buck's old home is filled with games that remind Buck how to laugh. But when an uninvited spirit intrudes, Buck's ghost will transform into any shape needed to defend the new brothers he comes to call family.Their family's new move into the large home in the country makes brothers Trent and Trevor very happy. They enjoy the space now provided in the home for their toys and games. They enjoy the open air of the woods behind their home. And most of all, Trent and Trevor enjoy the company of the ghost residing in the home who joins them in contests of video game hockey. Trent and Trevor's mother, however, does not share her sons' excitement for a trespassing ghost. When she returns from a business trip with a voodoo mask she believes will exorcise the young ghost from her home, she instead brings a far more terrible, and vengeful, spirit into the brothers' room. That terrifying new spirit shrieks and chokes, and the war Carol and her sons will wage with that wraith reminds them that blood is not the only defining marker of family.

Set between the events of 'The Siege' and 'The Imperial Banner', this compelling short story follows Roman agent Cassius Corbulo as he investigates a mysterious series of fires.We have conclusive proof in this issue that the May issue was more than just a fluke because we have yet another month's worth of fantastic science fiction and fantasy stories to deliver. This issue has some great surprises, too. While some seem to fit into traditional genres, such as alien invasion, fairy grove visitation, and haunting ghosts, there are also a few that defy description. For instance, what genre covers a botanist who finds more than he bargains for while searching for Ghost Orchids? There's a story that seems to be a general dystopia until you realize it's dealing with the most dystopic medium of all: reality television. And of course, how do you classify a story where the language changes as the story progresses?Now perhaps you can see why we're so proud of these stories.Of course, being the narcissistic sociopaths (say that ten times while drunk) that we are, we couldn't just let the fiction writers have all the fun, so you'll also see a few writing tips from me and the Editor-in Chief, Mike Cluff, near the end of this issue. They involve vehicular manslaughter and malicious fairy hit squads, so at least they should be interesting.Fiction Vortex publishes science fiction and fantasy short stories from writers around the world. All stories in this issue appeared on the FictionVortex.com site during the month of June 2013.

An anonymous author has posted a manifesto calling for the worldwide elimination of the unproductive elderly. The aim is to improve the human race, physically and more importantly, economically. It goes viral and makes such logical sense that seniors world wide act on it, almost to the point of being a fad. Some of the posh retirement community of Harbor Trace join the tide.An anonymous author has posted a manifesto calling for the worldwide elimination of the unproductive elderly. The aim is to improve the human race, physically and more importantly, economically. It goes viral and makes such logical sense that seniors world wide act on it, almost to the point of being a fad. The posh retirement community of Harbor Trace joins the tide and a contentious community meeting is the setting of our story.

This book contains step-by-step build simple applications in which there is no input process, edit, and delete. The steps in the pillowcase in detail with images that are easier to understand.This book contains step-by-step build simple applications in which there is no input process, edit, and delete. The steps in the pillowcase in detail with images that are easier to understand. As for this book include:• Getting started• Creating a database• Preparation of the site• Creation of web pages• Setting database connection• The command data input• Enabling hyperlink• commands edit data• Command delete data• Creating print page• Command log in user• The command logs the user out

Harmon’s heart breaks when his dog Tonka turns wild and and buries teeth into his master. The madness overtakes that mighty dog just as Harmon fears the third man drawing close. The third man brings the bullet and the blade. The third man reminds all the old pushers and pimps that the city never forgets. So Harmon hurries to train Tonka’s replacement, and in the end, Harmon succeeds too well.Harmon Fowler fears the past hunts him. Harmon could once count himself as one of the street princes, once as one of the street boss's trusted men, granted the permission to pimp women and peddle dope in the city's underground trade. But then one street boss replaced another, and Harmon was forced to flee the corner he once ruled, stopping only when he found a rural and ruined town in the heartland so forgotten that Harmon believed the village might hide him from the hitmen the new boss would likely one day send on his trail. He transformed himself into a breeder and trainer of fine dogs, and he strove to introduce a new canine line that would cement his fame. Harmon nearly had that goal in hand when the sheriff warned that strangers came to town, strangers who Harmon sensed came from those old street corners he long ago fled.

In his highly acclaimed debut, A Pale View of Hills, Kazuo Ishiguro tells the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her daughter. Retreating into the past, she finds herself reliving one particular hot summer in Nagasaki, when she and her friends struggled to rebuild their lives after the war. But then as she recalls her strange friendship with Sachiko - a wealthy woman reduced to vagrancy - the memories take on a disturbing cast.

It is the wet season in the Australian outback. Drunk and delirious, an old ex-pilot known as “Pisspot Stevie” lies dying in a remote cabin in the Queensland bush. When a priest named Roger Hargreaves comes upon him, Stevie is smoking opium to relieve the pain of his last moments. The priest listens as Stevie, in an opium-fueled haze, begins to describe a very different life he once lived—not in the past, but decades in the future, as a mixed-race aviator who finds love and glory in service to the Queen. After Stevie’s death, as Hargreaves tries to sort dream from reality, he makes discoveries that cause him to wonder if he has been granted a glimpse beyond the veil.

The Portable Blake contains the hermetic genius's most important works: Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience in their entirety; selections from his "prophetic books"--including The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Visions of the Daughters of Abion, America, The Book of Urizen, and The Four Zoas--and from other works of poetry and prose, as well as the complete drawings for The Book of Job.

In me are the memories of a boy's life, spent in that realm of enchantments. These are the things I want to tell you.... Robert McCammon delivers "a tour de force of storytelling" (BookPage) in his award-winning masterpiece, a novel of Southern boyhood, growing up in the 1960s, that reaches far beyond that evocative landscape to touch readers universally. Boy's Life is a richly imagined, spellbinding portrait of the magical worldview of the young -- and of innocence lost. Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson -- a place where monsters swim the river deep and friends are forever. Then, one cold spring morning, Cory and his father witness a car plunge into a lake -- and a desperate rescue attempt brings his father face-to-face with a terrible, haunting vision of death. As Cory struggles to understand his father's pain, his eyes are slowly opened to the forces of good and evil that surround him. From an ancient mystic who can hear the dead and bewitch the living, to a violent clan of moonshiners, Cory must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown -- for his father's sanity and his own life hang in the balance....

In this thrilling novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra—the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sleepers, Gangster, and Midnight Angels—organized crime goes to war with international terrorism in the name of one man’s quest for revenge.   My name is Vincent Marelli, though most people call me The Wolf. You’ve never met me, and if you’re lucky you never will. But in more ways than you could think of, I own you. I run the biggest criminal operation in the world. We’re invisible but we’re everywhere. Wherever you go, whatever you do, however it is you spend your money, a piece of it lands in our pockets. You would think that with that kind of power I would be invincible. You would be wrong. I made a mistake, one that a guy like me can never afford to make. I let my guard down. And because I did, my wife and daughters are gone. Murdered by terrorists with a lethal ax to grind. That was my mistake. But it was also theirs. I wasn’t looking for a war with them. No one in my group was. But they’ve left me with nothing but a desire for revenge—so a war is what they’ll get. The full strength of international organized crime against every known terrorist group working today. Crime versus chaos. We will protect our interests, and I will protect my son. We won’t get them all, but I will get my revenge, or I will die trying. They will know my name. They will feel my wrath. They will fear The Wolf. Praise for Lorenzo Carcaterra   “Crackles with action . . . a riveting and ingenious read that will keep you turning the pages.”—Douglas Preston, on Midnight Angels “A powerful read . . . with plenty of action and dialogue as authentic as the streets of New York.” —St. Petersburg Times , on Paradise City   “Terrifying and heartbreaking . . . a brilliant, troubling, important book.”—Jonathan Kellerman, on Sleepers “A brilliant, multilayered novel that breathes and bleeds on every page. This book transcends the genre of crime fiction. It is a full-blooded novel and an epic read.”—Robert Crais, on Gangster

On the 10th anniversary of when UN peacekeepers landed in Rwanda, Random House Canada proudly publishes the unforgettable 1st-hand account of the genocide by the leader of the mission. Digging deep into shattering memories, Dallaire has written a powerful story of betrayal, naïveté, racism & international politics. His message is simple, undeniable: Never again. When Lt-Gen. Roméo Dallaire was called to serve as force commander of the UN intervention in Rwanda in '93, he thought he was heading off on a straightforward peacekeeping mission. Thirteen months later he flew home from Africa, broken, disillusioned & suicidal, having witnessed the slaughter of 800,000 Rwandans in 100 days. In Shake Hands with the Devil, he takes readers with him on a return voyage into hell, vividly recreating the events the international community turned its back on. This book is an unsparing eyewitness account of the failure by humanity to stop the genocide, despite timely warnings. Woven thru the story of this disastrous mission is his own journey from confident Cold Warrior, to devastated UN commander, to retired general engaged in a painful struggle to find a measure of peace, hope & reconciliation. This book is a personal account of his conversion from a man certain of his worth & secure in his assumptions to one conscious of his own weaknesses & failures & critical of the institutions he'd relied on. It might not sit easily with standard ideas of military leadership, but understanding what happened to him & his mission to Rwanda is crucial to understanding the moral minefields peacekeepers are forced to negotiate when we ask them to step into dirty wars.

Avaline Hall is no ordinary girl.  She’s a student at Blythewood Academy, an elite boarding school that trains young women to defend human society from the shadowy forces that live among us.  After the devastating events of her first year at Blythewood, Ava is eager to reunite with her friends—and with Raven, the compelling but elusive winged boy who makes her pulse race. She soon discovers, though, that the sinister Judicus van Drood hasn’t finished wreaking havoc on Blythewood—and wants to use Ava and her classmates to attack a much bigger target. Ava’s the only one with any hope of stopping van Drood. But to scuttle his plans, she must reveal her deepest secret to everyone at Blythewood. What’s she willing to sacrifice to do what’s right—her school?  Her love?  Or her life?

A DEADLY MENACE IS BREAKING THROUGH THE GROUND. THE PEOPLE OF ABASCAR MUST ABANDON THEIR STONE REFUGE AND FLEE INTO VULNERABILITY IN THE FOREST. BUT THEIR KING HAS HAD A VISION… Following the beacon of Auralia’s colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of refugees. It’s a city only imagined in legendary tales. And it gives him hope to establish New Abascar. But when Cal-raven is waylaid by fortune hunters, his people become vulnerable to a danger more powerful than the prowling beastmen––House Bel Amica. In this oceanside kingdom of wealth, enchantment, and beauty, deceitful Seers are all too eager to ensnare House Abascar’s wandering throng. Even worse, the Bel Amicans have discovered Auralia’s colors, and are twisting a language of faith into a lie of corruption and control. If there is any hope for the people of Abascar, it lies in the courage of Cyndere, daughter of Bel Amica’s queen; the strength of Jordam the beastman; and the fiery gifts of the ale boy, who is devising a rescue for prisoners of the savage Cent Regus beastmen. As his faith suffers one devastating blow after another, Cal-raven’s journey is a perilous climb from despair to a faint gleam of hope––the vision he sees in Auralia’s colors. From the Trade Paperback edition.