Russell Banner is a military vet. In his senior years life is mundane, except for Fridays at the VFW. Shane’s had work troubles. Today his problems escalate, and his life takes a complete turnaround learning a family member has died. Homeless for the past 30 years, James Fredrickson is offered an opportunity at gaining supernatural abilities, tying together the lives of these three characters.Lightspeed is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF—and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.In our August 2012 issue, we have original fantasy by Kat Howard (“Breaking the Frame”) and Linda Nagata (“A Moment Before It Struck”), along with fantasy reprints by Wil McCarthy (“The Necromancer in Love”) and Delia Sherman (“Cotillion”).Plus, we’ll have original science fiction by 2012 Nebula Award-winner Ken Liu (“The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species”) and a collaboration between Caroline M. Yoachim and Tina Connolly (“Flash Bang Remember”), and SF reprints by io9’s Charlie Jane Anders (“Love Might Be Too Strong a Word”) and award-winning author Michael Swanwick (“Slow Life”).For our ebook readers, our ebook-exclusive novella is “A Separate War” by Joe Haldeman, and we have an excerpt of Kitty Steals the Show, the new Kitty Norville novel by bestselling author Carrie Vaughn.All that, plus our usual assortment of author and artist spotlights, and feature interviews with bestselling authors Kim Stanley Robinson and Seanan McGuire (a/k/a Mira Grant).

Welcome to UTOPIA! The epitome of human existence, a place where every man, woman and child has everything they could ever want. A perfect existence for all. Guaranteed!Man had solved his food problem by making sure that the majority of people had no need to grow their own food[Agricultural Revolution]. Man had solved the meat problem in a similar way[Animal Husbandry]. Survival problems solved, man had gone on to refine everyone into a specialist role, to get the most out of those that were freed from gathering and hunting. With Mankinds ingenuity it was not long before the existence of specialists lead to even more people being freed from chores, and thus was born commerce. That commerce lead to even more people freed from having to expend effort to sustain themselves, which lead to actual invention of machines[Industrial Revolution], which lead to even more people with free time on their hands, which lead to abstract math and philosophy[Digital Revolution], which lead to even more people with ever more free time on their hands … It seems that society, in the process of trying to find a use for everyone in society, had simply resulted in even more people with free time.- excerpt from book.

Have you ever thought that animals might be thinking the same things as us? In the fanciful traditions of Aesop, “Wild” by T.K. Wade delivers ten short tales of how animals can sometimes resemble human traits… or visa versa.Have you ever seen a flock of ducks quacking in a creek and wondered what they might be saying? The truth might be closer to home than you may realize. “Wild” by T.K. Wade is a collection of short fables which depict animals in very familiar situations.In the fanciful traditions of Aesop, these ten short stories demonstrate aspects of the human race through similar parables. You may be surprised at how alike we are to our four-legged friends… and how that might not be a good thing.

"Please don't do this, please don't do this to us!" - A neighborhood is haunted by the powerful spirit of a prostitute, leading a vicious pack of hyena demons. Wallace, a young homeless man, is drawn into the conflict."Please don't do this, please don't do this to us!" - A neighborhood is haunted by the powerful spirit of a prostitue, leading a pack of vicious hyena demons. Revered as a saint by some, hunted relentlessly as a witch by others, Valeria struggles to find love and salvation while fighting for justice. Wallace, a young homeless man, is drawn into the conflict. Can he search for the truth hidden behind the veil which separates this world from the next? Can the diabolical cycle of evil be broken?

A 14 page guide discussing techniques for the Army National Guard Soldier to master the Army Physical Fitness Test.This is a 14 page guide designed for Army National Guard Soldiers who want or need to do better on the APFT. From the military member who's flagged and can't pass to the soldier who just wants to do a little better on the test. We take a look at diet as well as do a breakdown of each exercise and find out how to be more efficient at each one. You will begin to think about the human body as an animal and how that animal designed to function effectively.

A summer ("days like lost dogs") and a fall ("between the devil and the deep blue sea") connected by an old Roman Candle tape.The end of the world in a way you never imagined!The apocalypse strikes without warning. A mysterious geomagnetic event that sweeps the globe, leaving a powerful amnesia in its wake. In the blink of an eye, the human race is robbed of the most basic skills learned in childhood: reading, writing and the ability to speak. Civilization crumbles, plunging the world into an age of unparalleled barbarism.From the ashes emerge a handful of survivors, largely unaffected by the change. Alone, they must brave a dangerous and chaotic world in order to reach the only known refuge: a camp set in the foothills of Salt Lake City, Utah. There lies food, shelter and maybe even answers. But standing between them and safety is more than bands of armed thugs and bloodthirsty cannibals. A new evil is gathering. One that's eager to destroy the last vestiges of life on earth and finish what it started, once and for all.The survivors:A man who awakens in the bowels of a secret laboratory with no memory of how he got there and only an enigmatic tattoo to guide him. A Coast Guard sailor searching for a killer who may not be what he seems. A mother of two and recent widow, struggling to protect her family from a world gone mad. A former CEO and full-time scumbag determined to do whatever it takes to thrive in this new apocalyptic wasteland.Want to be notified when new episodes are released? Join my mailing list eepurl.com/q1FwL

Fourth book in series of five: The Anti-Christ gathers his massive Chinese-Korean, Dragon armies to attack the United States. He partners to deceive the world with the help of the False Prophet and the Harlot of Babylon. They gather in one final effort to turn the tables against the Lord of Host with hell and all its dark angels as they end up fighting against heaven in the Battle of ArmageddonFourth book in series of five: The Anti-Christ gathers his massive Chinese-Korean, Dragon armies to attack the United States. The Dragon armies also join with the Arab League and the Muslim Brotherhood to attack Israel in the Battle of Armageddon. The Anti-Christ partners to deceive the world with the help of the False Prophet and the Harlot of Babylon. They all gather in one final effort to turn the tables against the Lord of Host with the help of hell itself and all their dark angels against heaven and its angels. This dynamic book tells the story how God intervenes to deliver His people while the angels of heaven take personal interest to protect and defend believers.

Winstanley's girlfriend works with a machine that tests simulated universe theories. She wants to be left alone to fix an experiment gone wrong. He wants to know why she doesn't want him at her office party. And both will find that it may not just be their relationship that is broken.This short essay examines contours of one's creative thinking process in the formulation of concepts, transforming concepts into words, and by subtle argument insists that time and culture are amorphous paradigms which obscure clear thinking and imagination.COPYRIGHT DECEMBER 31 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDDonations welcome to All Souls College of the Dearly Departed, Oxford, - The Codrington Library

Foul-mouthed Marna Copparelli, who waitresses at Guido's Pizza on Federal Hill, wouldn't know a semicolon from a large intestine. Luther Buttafuoco writes books that get reviewed in the New York Times literary section. He wants a date with Marna Copparelli. Good luck, Luther!This is a short, poetic story about a mysterious object and the journey it takes through the hands of some cruel and obsessive men, men who will do anything to own it.

Perrin and Mahrree, now marked for elimination by the Guarders, would appreciate some inside information. The forest agrees and is sending in Shem Zenos, a charismatic soldier happy to tend the Shins' children, and anything that needs helping. Which leaves Mal wondering--who's this "Quiet Man" and just who is he helping?Perrin and Mahrree’s sense of security is shattered. Not only have the Guarders returned, they’ve been after Mahrree and the Shins’ children. Captain Shin, in violation of army rules, barged into the forests after the Guarders, which earned him warnings from Idumea, the increased hatred of Chairman Mal, and a slashed back. It'd be helpful to have a little inside information, and the forest agrees. So it's sending an insider named Shem Zenos--a volunteer soldier who’s brawny, charismatic, and conveniently loves babies. All of which leaves Chairman Mal wondering—just who is this “Quiet Man” who’s told his Guarders he has Captain Shin under control, and exactly what kind of “help” is he providing?

Death personified: Inside this volume are four tales of Death and his interaction with souls on their way to the afterlife. We all need a little help in life, follow the Reaper as he helps souls in their death find their eternity.Throughout the ages there have been countless creatures that have instilled fear in children and adults alike. Most of these are made up, or come from some type of legend and are told at night to frighten and entertain. One of these creatures of legend has been feared far before,and for good reason, for he is Death personified. He follows close behind us as we live our lives, watching and waiting for the day in which he can ferry our souls into the afterlife. These four tales are part of a larger volume held by the Reaper himself. They depict some of his most unforgettable interactions with souls moving on towards their eternity.

An aspiring writer finds sudden inspiration for his latest project after watching a documentary on government corruption. After working tirelessly to complete the story, he becomes paranoid that his fiction tale may turn out to parallel his own life.I was asked to be a guest speaker at an elementary school and this idea came form the kids from Mr. Barnhurst's 5th grade class.John is a farmer but after a distant relative died he was asked to attend the reading of the will. He was bequeathed a house, land and treasure! But there's a catch. Gypsys want the treasure and there will be consequences if they don't get it. Read what happens in this short story.

A relaxing Saturday morning turns into a gunfight for a young college student when one man steps in looking for his father; but when an unknown assailant kills this man, the student must survive the next wave of men along side his sister in order to learn the secret of this breach.Living an adventurous and suspenseful winter in the middle of the Colorado Rockies was the last thing Ian expected from his student merit award. Missing his best friend, Zack, and all his other friends was what he thought about most. That apprehension would soon be replaced with danger,intrigue, new friendships and an unbreakable bond with his Colorado host family and their daughter, Katie. He would soon become involved in discovering secret rooms, old mines, underground waterfalls, and the secret of French Pete and the Ghost of St. Elmo. What secret did the hidden room hold and would the underground waterfalls hold the answers to many of the mysteries that had long been unanswered in these haunted mountains? The strange flickering lights that would appear mysteriously in the high hills behind the ranch would only add to the intrigue and suspicions. Someone or some thing definitely wanted Ian to go back to where he came from. But, who and why? Could it be worth his life? In his latest book, "The Ghost of St. Elmo," L.Parks Sanford weaves this suspense and action filled novel with more twists and turns than the young characters involved can possibly believe. The true mystery takes place in and around the old mining town of St. Elmo. Would their lives in constant danger, force them to ask the question....Do ghosts really exist? With their lives hanging in the balance, the answer may haunt them, forever. This is a novel not to be missed. Can you solve the mystery before they do? This is the second book in the series with the adventures of Ian and Zack, the first one being, "The Mystery of Falcon Falls Lake."

The Lost Star's Sea is the complete sequel to The Bright Black Sea. Captain Wil Litang, shipwrecked on a floating island in the Archipelago of the Tenth Star, must survive its many perils -- storms, dragons, pirates, and the fabled Dragon Kings. Like the first volume of the Lost Star Stories, this is a rich, character-driven novel that celebrates and reinvents the classic planetary romance .The adventures and misadventures of Captain Wil Litang continue in this second and concluding volume of The Lost Star. Litang finds himself shipwrecked along with his nemesis, the St Bleyth assassin, Naylea Cin in the Archipelago of the Tenth Star. And that is only the desperate beginning of his adventures as he strives to stay alive and build a new life among the floating islands of the Archipelago. Along the way he must survive storms, pirates, bandits, dragons and the Dragon Kings themselves as he makes his way through the floating islands in the atmospheric ocean of the Nine Star Nebula's fabled, Tenth Star – the Lost Star.Like the Bright Black Sea, the Lost Star's Sea takes the classic first cousin of space operas, the planetary romance. and reinvents it as a long, episodic, character-driven novel of adventure and discovery. Join Wil Litang on his journey through the islands of the Pela. Share the danger, romance, humor, mystery, and good companions he discovers along his way.Readers please note: The first section of the Lost Star's Sea, Castaways, was originally published in 2016 as a standalone novel, Castaways of the Lost Star. The remaining 80% of The Lost Star's Sea is new, never before published material.

Jack Knight never went looking for trouble, it found him...corrupt foster parents, school bullies, and an insidious disease that Jack can't fight. After joining the Marines at seventeen, the CIA sends him on a covert op, and Jack finds himself alone in the midst of a South American jungle operating in a country rife with political unrest and the beginnings of a drug war, unsure who to trust.Jack Knight never went looking for trouble...it found him.Orphaned at a young age--his brother Nicky the only family he has left--Jack struggles to protect him, but the deck is stacked against him from the start...corrupt foster parents, school bullies, and eventually the insidious disease that Jack can't fight no matter how hard he tries.Nicky calls him a superhero, dubbing him ‘Jackknife’. Jack, however, knows superheroes aren't real and that he can never live up to his brother's image of him.But he has to try.After joining the Marines and successfully completing boot camp, Private Jack Knight, on a secret mission for the CIA, finds himself alone in the midst of a South American jungle operating in a country rife with political unrest and the beginnings of a drug war, unsure who to trust.This is the first book in the Agent Jack Knight Series.

Molly arranges stones in a circle while the city across the pond burns. Her parents wait inside and watch, deciding whether she is the reason for the world's end or the only force that can stop it. In this science fiction short story, we revisit the implications of the Sorter, the computer that can program humans.Molly arranges stones in a circle while the city across the pond burns. Her parents wait inside and watch, deciding whether she is the reason for the world's end or the only force that can stop it. In this science fiction short story, we revisit the implications of the Sorter, the computer that can program humans, first introduced in Peter Sargent's novella Average Joe and the main topic of The Dead Reckoner.

On the last day of the Tipton County Fair, young Billy Slater waited outside as his older sister and her boyfriend entered the haunted house. He glanced up and examined the faded mural painted on the outer wall. The monsters depicted were cheesy and hopelessly outdated. He shook his head, wondering why anyone would pay good money for such a lame ride. His sister and her boyfriend never returned.Robert Alphonse Moore was ill and told he would die within six months. The only way that he could continue to live would be to have his brain transplanted into the body of a healthy person. Benny Harris, was willing to provide his body - at a price. procedure was illegal but money talked. Robert had been told that hew would still be Robert with the except that his brain would reside in a healthier and younger body. But did Robert remain Robert after the operation?

Free short story that preludes the novel "The Prometheus Cycle: The Star, the Sword, and the Mirror." The North Wind details the origins of a character from the novel and gives a glimpse into the Realm's wilderness border culture with the coming winter.One of several free to read short stories for the upcoming "The Prometheus Cycle: The Star, the Sword and the Mirror", the North Wind is one of the possible beginnings to the novel for one of the characters in the novel. The North Wind is set many years before the events of the novel, and center on a young girl's life in a wilderness village that possesses a dark secret.