Harlan Ellison has been compared to an annoying gnat, a no-see ’em buzzing in your peripheral vision till you try to swat him, and he’s gone. The great English writer Michael Moorcock—and if his name does not leave you dumbstruck with awe, you should move on—called Ellison a “fox in the sf hen-coop” whose presence will “produce a brighter, faster hen, with improved survival characteristics, laying a tastier, more nourishing egg” and went on to say Ellison was “a brave and lively little beast, who makes a great show of himself to the hounds, but remains too wary ever to lead them to his lair.” The brilliant novelist Joanna Russ, in admiring frustration, opined that Ellison’s stories “have an assault on you,” but complained that “they’re not like a piece of sculpture that you can stop and walk around and look at from all sides.” Ellison’s reply: “Absolutely not; I want them to grab you by the throat and tear off parts of your body.” Ellison’s a double agent who lures you into the bush, and when you blink, he’s gone; you don’t know whether to turn left or right, or just dig a hole. He crafts enigmas set to entrap you. When Ellison sees where a story is going, he figures—since he’s writing for the smartest readers alive—you do, too. So he stops and turns left. Or right. Or widdershins. Or digs a cave with 200 tunnels. Can & Can’tankerous gathers ten previously uncollected tales from the fifth and sixth decades of Harlan Ellison’s professional writing career: a written-in-the-window endeavor that invites re-reading from the start before you’ve even finished it; a second entry in his (now) ongoing abcedarian sequence; a “lost” pulp tale re-cast as a retro-fable; a melancholy meditation for departed friend and fellow legend, Ray Bradbury; a 2001 revision of a 1956 original; an absurdist ascent toward enlightenment (or its gluten-free substitute); a 200-word exercise in not following the directions as written (with a special introduction by Neil Gaiman that weighs in at four times the word count of its subject); a fantastical lament for a bottom-line world; the 2011 Nebula Award-winning short story; and Ellison’s most recent offering, a fusion of fact and fiction that calls to mind Russ’s frustration and Moorcock’s metaphor while offering a solution to the story’s enigma in plain view. Strokes be damned! Ellison’s still here! HE’s still writing! And with more new books published in the last ten years than any preceding decade of his career, his third act is proving to be the kind other living legends envy.

The adventures of four cousins picking up where their parents left off saving children from a brutal regime after discovering costumes of unlimited power.Four CousinsMelaleuca (pronounced “mel – la – luke – ka’) is a serious minded girl with spot-on gut instincts – always making the right decision. It drives her cousin Lexington batty as Lexington needs facts, lives in her mind and will not do anything without knowing why. Ari loves to roam the land and often says he can feel it inside him, and Quixote lives to annoy them all with his constant jokes and pranks much to the disapproval of Lexington.AttackedWhen their peaceful valley is attacked one night by a horde of unknown men, the cousins are rescued and sent on a torturous argumentative journey to the remote land of their parent’s birth – a veiled land hidden at the bottom of the world.Lost Kingdom An ancient civilisation, its roots lost to the whispers of time, steeped in brutal rites and dogma, flourishes there and only the strong survive and the weak are cast out.Costumes of Great Power Melaleuca is put in charge and given the preposterous task of uniting her cousin’s to fight and free the oppressed, though when they find a room full of thousands of unexplained costumes that give them power to follow their wildest dreams, pandemonium follows.ThousandsWith danger and the threat of death around every corner Melaleuca begins to understand why she was told to trust herself more than she ever has, after all how can four stand against thousands?InescapableWith incomprehensible events set in motion from ancient times, myriad deep mysteries lie in wait at every turn embroiling them in escapades out of their control.

ForMariah Carey Cannon, Britney Spears, Shakira, Oscar Pistorius & Justin BieberMay the Lord be with you. Salaam, KhaleelI seek protection in Allah from Satan the outcast and I start with the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.The events in this novel are just a glimpse into my imagination, of which my Lord is also the King.However, the book tries to fashion the circumstances of the then South-West Africa, now Namibia, and South Africa, just as with former President Nelson Mandela's release from Robben Island. Then of course, the current situation in and around Cape Town, South Africa.Under no circumstances am I trying to encourage the use of hard liquor or consumption of pork. It is indeed prohibited by my Lord. Nor any violent behaviour as illustrated in this book.As Allah wills.

A peasant fights to save his wife from becoming a living sacrifice to the Old Gods.Henrietta closed her eyes and imagined them growing up, holding hands in grade school, working as scientists and doctors. “You suppose they’ll be good friends?”“Oh I don’t see why not. We might be good friends ourselves,” Georgia told her.Henrietta smiled and opened her eyes, staring up at the stamped plastic ceiling tiles with elephants and horses and creatures Henry and George would never see in space. “They’ll be famous,” she said. “They’ll be astronauts.”There was a knock on the door frame, and they turned to see a nurse standing half-hidden in the florescent light. “Lunch is on the way up, ladies,” she said, and she nodded at each of them before turning and going back down the hall.A few minutes later, Henrietta sighed and said, “Henry and George, George and Henry. The Astronauts.”

Taiyra Sunmourn is a young tarin doe in training to become a druid, but it is also her dream to learn how to take on the forms of other animals and even to fly. Taiyra's unwavering determination and keeps her coming back after every failure, and hope keeps alive her dream of learning to fly on eagle's wings.Taiyra Sunmourn is a young tarin doe in training to become a druid, but it is also her dream to learn how to take on the forms of other animals and even to fly. The journey is not and easy one, however, and there are many lessons her two teachers, an elder druid and a black eagle, have to teach her. Taiyra's unwavering determination and keeps her coming back after every failure, and hope keeps alive her dream of learning to fly on eagle's wings.

Nicola Grainger is young, beautiful and gets whatever she wants. That is until she meets the deeply troubled Vaughan. Vaughan is a 65 year old vampire who wants nothing more than to be human again. He loathes those who abuse the life they are given, the one he wishes he could lead. The two enter a forbidden relationship that sees them thrust into a vampire turf war with Ulrich and his coven.Nicola Grainger appears to have it all, she is young, beautiful and gets whatever she wants. That is until she meets the mysterious and deeply troubled Vaughan. Vaughan is a 65 year old vampire who wants nothing more than to be human again. He loathes those who abuse the life they are given, the one he wishes he could lead. The two enter a forbidden relationship that sees them thrust into the middle of a vampire turf war with Ulrich and his rival coven. Loyalties are tested, who will survive?

There is a world where humans have a unique counterpart. Their zodiac. Carnivores and herbivores live separated by the great wall. Till now. Follow the story of Thomas. The boy with a not so average zodiac who has more power, more responsibility than he realizes that he has a role to play in the epic battle about to unfold. The Carnivores are coming and they are hungrythere is a world where humans have a unique counterpart. their zodiac. from the smallest rodent to the largest mammal each person is different but this is a world divided.carnivores and herbivores live separated by the great wall. follow the story of Thomas the boy woth the stag zodiac as he discovers that he has more power, more responsibility than he ever thought possible with a key role to play in the epic battle about to unfold. the carnivores have come an they are hungry

What do you do when your gift from the Gods is considered a curse?For a Northern woman pledged to the Gods the only salvation is escape. Or suicide. Nuria has been gifted by the Night Lord, the God of Death. As their winters shorten her people become ever more restless to appease the Sun God. Nuria’s family has helped her hide the truth for years, but now her Father, in an effort to protect their people, turns her over to the elders and their waiting pyre...

Nick Slate, in order to protect his father and little brother, reluctantly must help the Accelerati complete Tesla's great device. Their power-mad leader wants nothing less than to control the world's energy--but there are still three missing objects to track down. Nick's friends can't help him, as they are spread across the globe grappling with their own mysteries--with Vince in Scotland, Caitlin and Mitch on their way to New Jersey, and Petula's whereabouts unknown. On his own, Nick must locate Tesla's final inventions-- which are the most powerful of all, capable of shattering time and collapsing space. Praise for Tesla's Attic "...Shusterman and Elfman have crafted a plot more devious, characters far quirkier, climaxes (yes, there are two) more breathless, and a narration much, much funnier than recent mad-science offerings. Sticking with a third-person narration frees the authors to be as wryly and sophisticatedly witty as they please without compromising the veracity of their middle-school cast, resulting in storytelling as delightful as the story being told." -Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books (starred review) "Lively, intelligent prose elevates this story of teenagers versus mad scientists, the third-person point of view offering a stage to various players in their play of galactic consequence. A wild tale in the spirit of Back to the Future, with a hint of Malamud's The Natural tossed in."--Kirkus Reviews "This collaboration between Shusterman and Elfman tempers the scarier elements of Nick's quest with deft, humorous writing and plenty of the ordinary adventures of a new kid in school finding his niche. Hand this one to fans of Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles or Kenneth Oppel's Airborne."--Booklist 2014 VOYA Magazine Top Shelf Honoree A Junior Library Guild Selection

Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first?

Kim Stanley Robinson has been an ongoing force in the Science Fiction genre for over twenty years, with his novels (Year’s of Rice and Salt, Forty Signs of Rain) crossing over to the mainstream, and routinely appearing on the New York Times best sellers list. During the 80s and early nineties, his short fiction continued to push the boundaries of science fiction, defining the science-focused side of the science fiction genre. Award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan worked with Kim Stanley Robinson to select the stories that make up this landmark volume. In addition to these reprints, The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson features a brand-new short story, "The Timpanist of the Berlin Philharmonic, 1942." Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

Are you lonely? At Cutthroat Heroes, we can cure your wretchedness by injecting a “love ghost” into the heart of that special someone and make them fall in love with you. Call your local priest today for details! (A fantasy comedy novella.)It's poetry, y'all--poetry!

When Aimee is thrust into her past, she has to come to terms with who and what she is. While battling feelings with her past and present love. Can she overcome her bloodthirsty power or succumb to who she's destined to be?After witnessing the horrific murder that was committed by her fiancée just days before their wedding, Aimee immediately flees from the life she knows. Lost in Greece, Aimee is inevitably and uncontrollably thrust into a supernatural world where she is terrified to learn what she really is. Crouching at every corner lies a new confusing memory that torments her from her previous life, while her feelings of love cease to die, but awaken more deeply for the mysteriously handsome stranger, who wants to rescue her. Battling the man, who she mistakenly still loves is a bigger conquest than imagined, but can she free her captured thoughts from the man who owns her? Facing the ultimate decision, to lose all humanity by becoming the weapon the Rogues desire most, or to destroy the creation of love. Can Aimee make the sacrifices needed to overcome deceit, love and her power that is irrepressibly blood thirsty?

Nine-year- old Ashlynn Elliott was a normal girl. She has an annoying brother and a cute sister. One day, her grandma gives her a stuffed animal, but this isn't an ordinary dog! It can talk! But what if some friends don't approve? They're in a hairy(or should I say "Furry") situation! What happens next is all up to the dog."I AM NOT A TOY!" Huggins states. Well, he is. He just dosen't like it. He was given to this girl named "Ashlynn". No one knows he is a talking stuffed dog exept him. Well, until he freaks Ashlynn out at Thanksgiving dinner! Sooner or later, everyone in the neighborhood knows. Some kids may know, but they don't approve, espesically her brother AND her best friend. Join Ashlynn, Huggins, Andre', and Carly on this wild tale of fantasy, screaming girls, laughs, and of course, talking dogs!

Can you entice a mate to sea? That is what a Sea Nymph must do. To gain a mate, he must woo a human female and take her to his underwater home. Will Dylan succeed in gaining a mate or will he return to the ocean without one?Every Sea Nymph comes up to the surface to find his mate. A sea nymph will sing to her, woo her with his voice down, entice her to join him in his oceanic home. Unfortunately for Dylan, he finds a mate who is deaf and suffering from depression. Will he stay on the surface with her or leave for his underwater home without a mate?