Nethe is investigating strange sounds up in the mountains. What he finds is an ancient and powerful creature that even he might not be able to handle or escape.A Short Story. Nethe is investigating strange sounds up in the mountains. What he finds is an ancient and powerful creature that even he might not be able to handle or escape.

Gerry wakes up in in a bath full of cold water in her interview suit and best shoes. How did she get there? How did she sleep and why is there nothing aluminium left in the flat? Her flatmate Jane wants a shower, her other flatmate, Nina, is looking for her saucepans but Gerry... she just wants answers. British English, a bit of light swearing U/PGIf you were a sentient gadget, what would you do? Travel? See the world? After overhearing one warehouse worker tell another that 'Green Bay is better than San Francisco', a newly conscious handheld device decides to re-route its shipping destination. Along the way its talent for personality recording and playback leads a number of unsuspecting human carriers through a host of changes. (Book Two of the "All Geeked Up" trilogy)

Now that the war has ended, three soldiers make a pact to meet again in two years. One has lost a foot, one has lost a hand, and one hears voices in his head. Will they keep their promise to meet? Will their plans for the future work out as they hope? Find out what lies ahead for these soldier friends.The Heavens are real and have been warring with Hell since the beginning. Using Earth as a labratory they've bred the ultimate warriors; advanced species with near perfect genetic make-up which Humans call Warewolves and Vampires. Johnny Johnson is a Cloak; a unique individual who possesses the ability to remain hidden from his own kind. His blood adapts to camouflage his scent of any who blood-bond with him share his gift but there is a catch; he's forbidden to exist. The LeTorque are a family in Third Clan who've been manuevering to fulfill their destiny and rule. When one of their Wolves is killed in a sales pitch Johnny was involved with they capture and identify his true nature. As they prepare for war Johnny learns the truth of mankind's existance, the untarnished version of Nature's fury and something else, something more dangerous; the coming invasion of the Hellion Hoard..

Sixteen-year-old Eliza Thorn was never supposed to see the people with the white eyes like marbles, hear whispers in the dark and have knowledge of a hidden world. And she wouldn’t, if Eliza wasn’t good at stealing.Sixteen-year-old Eliza Thorn was never supposed to see the people with the white eyes like marbles, hear whispers in the dark and have knowledge of a hidden world. And she wouldn’t, if Eliza wasn’t good at stealing.When Eliza fails to return the jeweled pin from the obviously too-rich-for-her-own-good lady accidently drops, everything changes. Now she sees white-haired, white-eyed people walking among oblivious humans. Realizing she’s the only one who can see them, Eliza thinks she’s hallucinating and on the verge of insanity when one of the white-eyed people saves her from a demon. This is her first encounter with the glass people—who’ve lived here undetected for hundreds of years.What Eliza didn’t know was that the pin was an initiation coin never meant for her. Now, she’s bound to serve not only the guardians who made the coin, but also to a demon, gorgon, and the glass people who’d put their mark on it. The only way out is to kill those she’s bound to, but they also hold the key to Eliza’s past—a past involving things she never knew.With worlds colliding, Eliza is a pawn in their game, and she may have the power to decide the outcome.

After setting out from their underground shelter, Hatch and his company struggle to survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland, as they search for knowledge of human civilization and life beyond the Dead Land.This is the first chapter of the post-apocalyptic anthology, Dead Land, currently being developed for an unprecedented multi-media book. If you're an illustrator, animator, a website or game developer, or otherwise interested in being a part of this project, please contact Richard at [email protected]:Richard CunninghamDavid SechrestKalju LeeCurran AltshulClancy Smith

In late Victorian England, anthropologist Sir Colin Scott Cross sets out to find the historical location of the Garden of Eden.An early short story by Charles Sheehan-Miles, author of the indie bestseller Republic: A Novel of America's Future.Zelf, a Welfing, a humanoid wolf, is lost in a hostile alternate universe: the world of 1935 London. Will she ever get home to First Den? But the unthinkable happens: she impresses on Zev the werewolf, standing in his wolf form gazing at her on the docks. This is book one in the Steam Submarine series. If you like Tolkien, CS Lewis, Fringe, Susanna Clarke's supernatural alternate histories, Naomi Novik, you will love this paranormal alternate history adventure. Download now and be captivated!Proloup: Reflexion of a WolfThere was no sound but for the steady murmuring of the drizzling rain pelting the submarine’s hull. In the shiny brass dashboard she caught a glimpse of her own reflexion. Bright golden eyes stared back at her, and in the shadow of her grey cape she glimpsed the grey and white fur on her muzzle and ears, and the wet black nose of a wolf.She bared her teeth at her own visual echo and growled a deeply satisfying growl.In this realm, she was the monster.If she was caught they would surely kill her, or even worse, in this strange world of vivisection and animal experimentation, she would end up in a laboratory somewhere, being prodded by sticks and pricked with needles and cut apart by knives, so that human scientists could see what it was that made her different from everything else.In her home, in her cubhood the monsters in the fairytales and stories were all humans: evil hunters with their guns and bombs and bad knights slashing and killing with swords and pikestaffs; crazed, savage, barbaric men.In the Red Riding Hood story in her world, the heroine was a wolf cub, and her grandmother was killed by a woodsman who lay in wait in Red Riding Hood’s bed for her to return, lying there inside her grandmother’s skin that had been flayed from the poor unfortunate old wolf matriarch. It was not a comforting story, and it did not end nicely, not in the version she knew. She did not like to think of the end of it - that one was not a story for cubs. But she had to admit that, despite its gruesomeness, there was a grain of truth in it.Hmph.In the Fallen Realms, she thought to herself, something is broken in the very fabric of the world - fruit and vegetables are no longer nutritious enough to sustain life - Zelf had almost died of malnutrition before she finally relented and ate meat, and only because she would not have been able to fulfil her mission if she had died.Hunting was not a pleasure for her; it was a sad necessity. She always killed her prey quickly and cleanly, and only took what she needed.

Two fantasy short stories about people who are haunted by (and protected by) the unseen.The A side "Voice Like a Cello" was originally published in Fantasy Magazine, and was a Locus recommended pick for 2009.The B side, "Bear Country" is an award-winning story originally published in the print magazine Pagans and Witches.Two fantasy short stories about people who are haunted by (and protected by) the unseen.In "Voice Like a Cello," a woman who is tormented by the voices of the dead travels to France for her father's wedding.In "Bear Country," an artist living in the back country to get away from it all realizes that there's nothing protecting him from the wilderness but his art.

A 13 year old girl pretends to turn to prostitution to gain her freedom from her crime boss father. In Wilizy family news, Winnie agrees not to meddle in Mathias' love life. No, the world isn't ending, so long as you don't have a green vegetable for your name. Best advice ever? If somebody wearing moccasins and sitting in a wheelchair offers to sing you to sleep... run!the void sutras is a book of poems and short prose by Alexx Bollen, author of "Periphery." It focuses on the spaces left between major moments in life, and the moments between poems. It's a meditation on the vacuum that is left when one's life has been changed by loss, or marked by absence.

With The Dragonbone Chair, Tad Williams introduced readers to the incredible fantasy world of Osten Ard. His beloved, internationally bestselling series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn inspired a generation of modern fantasy writers, including George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Christopher Paolini, and defined Tad Williams as one of the most important fantasy writers of our time. This edition features a brand-new introduction from Tad Williams' editor as well as the original introduction from Williams himself! A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard. Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die. After the landmark Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, the epic saga of Osten Ard continues with the brand-new novel, The Heart of What Was Lost. Then don’t miss the upcoming trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard, beginning with The Witchwood Crown!

"A trilogy of remarkable scope and sophistication." LOS ANGELES TIMES Twice before Thomas Covenant had been summoned to the strange other-world where magic worked. Twice before he had been forced to join with the Lords of Revelstone in their war against Lord Foul, the ancient enemy of the Land. Now he was back. This time the Lords of Revelstone were desperate. Without hope, Covenant set out to confront the might of the enemy, as Lord Foul grew more powerful with every defeat for the Land....

The Ghost Okay, I admit it. I'm not perfect, no matter what you've heard. First off, I'm dead. Second, I got sent back from the Great Beyond. I mean, seriously, who is running things up there? Now I have to spend the summer after my senior year working - and on behalf of a bunch of whiny spirits, no less. But a girl's got to what a girl's got to do. It's a good thing Will Killian is still around. Even though he drives me crazy, and he could seriously do with a tan - Hello! It's summer! - I'm glad he's here to help me. Now he's all distracted by this frizzy-aired girl who can - big deal - communicate with the dead, too. Whatever. I don't need Will. But there are some things - like saving my parents from a couple of horrible mistakes - that would be easier with his assistance. Still, I will get what I want... with or without him. The Goth I'm still totally amazed that Alona Dare is my spirit guide and that it works. Yes, I've had a crush on her since sixth grade, but I also kind of hated her. And sure, she had to die before she'd talk to me - but I don't know, I kind of like having her around. Things get confusing when I meet Mina, who's the first ghost-talker I've ever encountered (other than my dad). I always thought Alona and I were doing the right thing helping those other ghosts, but mina has me thinking otherwise. Plus, she might know stuff about my dad that even my mum doesn't. But if there's one thing I should have learned by now, it's not to ignore Alona. That's never a good idea.

Will there be happily ever after? Don’t miss the fractured-fairy tale conclusion to the action-packed and humor-filled Half Upon a Time trilogy! Jack and May have gone their separate ways, and each is now set on course to fulfill their destiny…or are they? Nothing is ever quite as it seems in the world of fairy tales, and the two friends are in for some huge surprises as they prepare to battle the Wicked Queen once and for all. Knights, fairy godmothers, giants, and beanstalks—all of these and more fill the pages of the thrilling and hilarious conclusion to the Half Upon a Time trilogy!

Transported into a bizarre alternative reality, the story follows the stranded hero as he struggles through a world of which he is not part in his search for a way home. Alice in Wonderland for adults, Odyssey for the post-psychedelic age, or improbable mystical allegory, the four books of White Rabbit combine black comedy with surreal adventure into a weird and fantastical entertainment.With his life in complete meltdown in this world, Simon Cadwallader finds himself unexpectedly transported into an alternative reality. Hallucinogenic dream or a parallel universe? Either way, he arrives completely disorientated and with no memory of his previous life – not even his own name.As he gradually gets his bearings, it becomes apparent that our amnesiac hero is an unwitting participant in a game about which he knows nothing. Indeed, as the story unfolds, the absolutely pivotal nature of his role in this game becomes disturbingly clear, as does the multitude of attendant dangers.There are of course other players in the great game, such as Miss Leggett, the Under Manager for the Company, and Norbert Dentressangle, the handsome and charming Frenchman who claims to be his dearest and most faithful friend. And then there is plethora of strange beings – including a clothes peg and a giant flatworm – who seem to be servants of the government and who are distinguished by their incessant exhorting of him to search for an enigmatic female Janus, The Woman Who Looks Both Ways. It is soon clear to him that he is central to all of their schemes, but what are they hoping to gain from him? And above all which of them have his interests at heart and which do not?But it is the final player in the game that is the most worrying of all. In particular, what is the nature of his own relationship to this baleful creature – 'two sides of the same coin', he is told, 'two halves of the same whole' – and can something so like him really be the monster of evil that it appears to be?The four books of White Rabbit follow our hero as he pursues his quest to find the way home through this grotesque and contrary world, encountering bizarre people and creatures, both friendly and hostile – and it's usually difficult to tell which is which – who either guide him on his way or try to block his every step... and worse.The White Rabbit seriesBook 1: The One Who Is TwoBook 2: Friends and EnemiesBook 3: Red TapeBook 4: The Woman Who Looks Both Ways

A dinner at a minotaur's house brings an unwelcome intruder. Raoul Mithras, a godling both old and new, is forced to pursue an old foe across a surreal landscape, hoping to prevent the awakening of the One-Way-World - if he is not destroyed first.This story was a winner in the "L Ron Hubbard presents the Writers of the Future" contest, and first appeared in WOTF Vol XXVI.When a catastrophic natural disaster looms on the near horizon, the government releases an airborne virus designed to make the human race tougher, better able to survive. It was developed for soldiers to make them better able to fight, go longer without food and water, and increase their strength. In its virus host it bonds itself to our own cells and helps them to regenerate at an advanced rate, so that even if you die you can rise again. In non combat field tests the soldiers become aware of this, they called the phenomenon Overclocking and looked at it in a positive light. How could you look negatively at being able to live forever? A quick shot of the antidote after the heart had begun to beat again and the virus seemed to slip into remission, leaving a healed body the would come out of the virus induced coma in a few days once again its own.But the virus does something the governments didn't consider, it never stops working, never truly becomes dormant. Even after the body has ceased any real life, the virus lives on, rebuilding it's host in a new and potentially indestructible way. Days later, what was dead becomes alive once more. In this book those closest to Project Bluechip begin to pick up the pieces of their world and get themselves to safety. They have heard rumors of a place in the South that might offer safety, but getting there may require a price that is far too high to pay...

In this first novelette of a five part series, Regina Lepue finds herself taken hostage by a nameless vandal, who claims the world's Crystals of Balance are in peril. Can she believe this ruthless killer, or is there something deeper to his story?Without the power of the world's five elemental crystals, the world of Vida will fall into darkness. Only the prophecy of the Light Bringer can restore peace to Vida.In this first novelette of a five part series, Regina Lepue finds herself taken hostage by a nameless vandal, who claims the world's Crystals of Balance are in peril. Can she believe this ruthless killer, or is there something deeper to his story?