Money was worthless; it had no value! It couldn't buy housing, clothing, or food. Someone with enormous quantities of cash was buying houses and tearing them down, buying stores and closing them. Perhaps a few people could have stopped the transactions before it was too late. They could have said that Earth was being taken over by alien beings in the shapes of bowling balls, talking dogs, and dolls that walked like men. In fact, they did say it. The trouble was, no one believed them!

A sci-fi space opera with a dash of romance, action, and mystery, A Plain Jane follows Jane as she travels the galaxy desperately trying to find out who she is, where she's from, and what she's really capable of.What if you had lived your whole life thinking you were normal? No, worse than normal – plain? What would happen if one of the most highly-trained and vicious assassins in the galaxy attacked you one warm summer's night? What would happen if you were thrust into an adventure with the galaxy's greatest heroic heart-throb? What would happen if a mysterious and ancient race appeared with one desire – to kill you? What would you do?Jane grew up knowing one thing: she's nothing but normal. But then one little run-in with an assassin robot threatens to destroy everything she thought she knew about herself. Soon she finds herself with none other than Lucas Stone, the galaxy's number one pin up and hero. And together the two of them have to find out exactly who Jane is and what's after her before the galaxy is plunged into war.

Nine misfit academics on an expedition to find the volcryn, a mythic race of intersteller nomads, and the only ship available for this strange quest is the Nightflyer, a cybernetic wonder with a never-seen captain... Nine innocents are about to find themselves in deep space, trapped with an insane murderer who can go anywhere, do anything, and intends to kill them all.

This is a military-science fiction novel with some fantasy elements that deals with the real-life horrors of war set in an urban environment.In the not-so-distant future, the United States of America finds itself on the brink of a second civil war, and an unlikely team of scientists and engineers finds itself in charge of creating Washington's next super weapons, robot soldiers designed to help restore law and order to the reeling nation. However, they all soon realize that they are up against powers beyond their control.

It's good to stay in touch with friends, even when they live on Mars!Sophie vanished - where did she go? For 100 years nobody knows.A photo of 8 year old Sophie and an antique perfume bottle are found in the fireplace of an old house. The story of a Balmain family over 170 years. Finally they uncover what happened.Set around beautiful Sydney Harbour this is a story of this place and its people, an imagined history from early Australia to the present dayWho was Sophie and what happened to her? On buying an old weatherboard house in Balmain, Sydney, we discover her photo, dated 1900-1908, long hidden, along with a small perfume bottle in an old fireplace. Then we discover that Sophie disappeared with a childhood friend in 1908 and was never seem again, leaving a trail of sadness through generations of her family. This book tracks the journey of the discovery of Sophie and her family, from their first arrival in Sydney, over five generations of the family, until the mystery is finally laid to rest.It is a story of loss and grief, mixed with joy, which passes through the successive generations of a family. The way the family deals with unresolved tragedy and finally the the way their love transcends time is the story from which the real Sophie emerges.Graham Wilson, the author, lived in the house in Balmain around which this story is based for seven years, before moving to Millers Point. This is his first novel. Graham has previously written a family memoir, “Children of Arnhem’s Kaleidoscope” which describes his childhood, growing up in a aboriginal community in Western Arnhem Land. This is also available from this site.

A legend among sci-fi readers, C. J. Cherryh's Union-Alliance novels, while separate and complete in themselves, are part of a much larger tapestry—a future history spanning 5,000 years of human civilization. A blockbuster space opera of the rebellion between Earth and its far-flung colonies, it is a classic science fiction masterwork.

ENGELLA is on a fantastic adventure through TIME and SPACE! After months on the run - chased by the scary HUNTERS - she has finally found somewhere safe to call home. The problem is - it's not long before her past catches up with her. Will she get away this time?From the streets of New Shanghai in 2074 to Scotland in 1998, Engella is a sci-fi short story you DO NOT want to miss!Prince Kristian's army was annihilated and his attempt to free his betrothed, Allisia, was a complete failure. Through his mistakes, King Kristian now understands what true honor means and what he must do to make amends.But the sorcerer-king, Ferral, still controls the demon and a vast army of the dead. It would seem that no one is left to challenge the evil man -- a power-hungry religious fanatic whose plans to subvert the Erinian continent are closer to becoming reality.Will Kristian be able to raise a new army when the only kingdoms with soldiers left have been at war with each other for one thousand years? Can Kristian truly learn from the past and earn back the trust of those he needs to lead? Will Allisia ever escape Ferral?Only with the help of Mikhal, the cavalier sworn to protect his king despite his anger and haunting dreams of the demon, and Cairn, the mysterious swordsman seeking revenge for the death of his love, can King Kristian hope to survive and get another chance at saving Allisia ... and defeating Ferral. Follow the continued epic fantasy adventure in Ferral's Deathmarch Army, Book Two of the Erinia Saga.

A hilarious spoof on the classic country-house murder mystery, from the Russian masters of sci-fi—never before translated When Inspector Peter Glebsky arrives at the remote ski chalet on vacation, the last thing he intends to do is get involved in any police work. He’s there to ski, drink brandy, and loaf around in blissful solitude. But he hadn’t counted on the other vacationers, an eccentric bunch including a famous hypnotist, a physicist with a penchant for gymnastic feats, a sulky teenager of indeterminate gender, and the mysterious Mr. and Mrs. Moses. And as the chalet fills up, strange things start happening—things that seem to indicate the presence of another, unseen guest. Is there a ghost on the premises? A prankster? Something more sinister? And then an avalanche blocks the mountain pass, and they’re stuck. Which is just about when they find the corpse. Meaning that Glebksy’s vacation is over and he’s embarked on the most unusual investigation he’s ever been involved with. In fact, the further he looks into it, the more Glebsky realizes that the victim may not even be human. In this late novel from the legendary Russian sci-fi duo—here in its first-ever English translation—the Strugatskys gleefully upend the plot of many a Hercule Poirot mystery—and the result is much funnier, and much stranger, than anything Agatha Christie ever wrote.

A post-apoc short/novelette, from "Envisioning".A post-apoc short/novelette, from "Envisioning". A young angel finds her place in a broken land with broken dreams. Sometimes, the truth hurts more than it enlightens.

Alyson Reid fled from home at the age of seventeen, surviving off of the wealthy by stealing their identities and draining their bank accounts. After a banking executive is murdered, she inadvertently takes on his wife's identity, and draws the attention of the police and the bank's internal investigation staff.Alyson Reid fled from home at the age of seventeen, and has survived off of the wealthy by stealing their identities, and drying out their bank accounts. After a banking executive is murdered, she inadvertently takes on his wife's identity, and draws the attention of the police and the bank's internal investigation staff.A Ballad of Wayward Spectres: Day 1 is the first volume of a four part serial from William Hill.

The second of the Land Taking Records of Palsenz, Hunted is a gripping tale set on an alien planet, where not only are the lives of the three survivors from the Argoss mission in jeopardy, but the entire future of humanity in that section of space hangs in the balance.Following directly on from the events in Salvage, the crew of the Shuttle Heimdal face a whole new series of ordeals. Forced to make an emergency landing on Palsenz, they discover they are in the infamous Badlands, but, worst of all, they are being hunted by the same things that had infested the Argoss III.With nothing between them and certain death other than their cunning, can Stephanie Chu keep them alive long enough to be rescued?

This month we have a few trips into the surreal, with a workplace fight, a shape-shifting shopper, and an unidentified no-longer-flying object. There are plenty of great ideas and storylines to enjoy, so have a seat in the shade and get started.A retired MLB pitcher finds love and redemption via a hurled can of humble soup. Refusing to obey signals cost him his career, once--but this time--a beanball is exactly what's called for, and the signs all make sense. Making a hero often requires a "zero" to balance the equation. Seeing life from both sides of the fence, the protagonist reconciles his past, finds humility, and creates a new beginning. This story isn't about about baseball, though it makes significant commentary on contemporary status, thereof, and incisively nails what's wrong with the sport...where greed has driven it awry. This narrative is primarily about what's truly important in life--what's solidly pure and what's vacuously hollow--what's important when looming largely in front of us, but insignificant in the rear-view mirror with distance applied. Dreams and aspirations loudly drive us when young, while wisdom softly chuckles from the quiet perch of maturity. Each has its time and purpose.

A short story collection that travels from the depths of space to the realms of fantasy. Young and New Adults struggle against inner demons, outer hardships, and seek to defeat the darkness which surrounds them.Tired of repairing her old house, Bobette and her nephew Scrotty and Blimp, his ginger cat, go in search of a house that will look after itself. But in "The Dipsy Dream House" they are pitched by the estate agent into the past and instead of finding a house, are joined by three ghost children and their strange pets. On magically returning home, children and animals are restored to life and they all decide that living in the old house, is not such a bad idea after all.In "The Fleeting Fame of Benjamin Sprockett" Benjie is brought up in the hills by the grey fairies. He flies away, becomes Clown Number One in a circus and has several misadventures before being promoted to Star Turn, as he flies round the Big Top. But when claimed by his fairy mother and Mrs Sprockett, he chooses his real mum and becomes an ordinary boy again.

Trapped. Hunted. And all alone. The nightmare begins…Fourteen-year-old Sam McKinley and his kid sister, Amy, are left unprotected in a dying world. After the alien invasion, there’s no one to turn to. No one to help. Or so they thought. When Sam hears a voice on the other end of their shortwave radio offering salvation, it ignites a tiny spark of hope.Will they make it?Trapped. Hunted. And all alone. The nightmare begins…Fourteen-year-old Sam McKinley and his kid sister, Amy, are left unprotected in a dying world. After the alien invasion, there’s no one to turn to. No one to help. Or so they thought.When Sam hears a voice on the other end of their shortwave radio offering salvation, it ignites a tiny spark of hope.This may be a story about survival. But it’s only the beginning.

Readers of I Am Number Four, The Maze Runner, and Legend will love this exciting new adventure series by the co-creator of the groundbreaking television show Twin Peaks, with its unique combination of mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural. Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam. Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.