The Monster Novels: Stinger, the Wolf's Hour, and Mine

      Robert R. McCammon
     The Monster Novels: Stinger, the Wolf's Hour, and Mine

From a New York Times–bestselling and Bram Stoker Award–winning author: Three novels with monsters ranging from alien to werewolf to vengeful moms. Whether writing Southern Gothic horror or reinventing the monster genre, World Fantasy and Bram Stoker Award–winning author Robert R. McCammon proves himself a master of a wide spectrum of modern horror and dark fantasy. In these three novels, McCammon presents a terrifying predator from another world, a werewolf war hero, and two crazy moms you do not want to mess with. Stinger: In this New York Times bestseller, when Stinger, a monstrous alien bounty hunter, crash-lands in the West Texas hellhole of Inferno in search of a young fugitive, the relentless creature encloses the town in an impenetrable and inescapable dome to isolate and kill its prey. Now, the few remaining survivors must band together to save the fugitive—who’s taken the human form of a small girl—and themselves from annihilation. “The ultimate horror novel.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “One of the best suspense novels of recent years.” —Science Fiction Chronicle The Wolf’s Hour: Michael Gallatin—master spy, Nazi hunter . . . and werewolf. As the Allies’ secret weapon, the lycanthrope parachutes into occupied France to subvert a Nazi plan to thwart the D-Day invasion, code-named Iron Fist. With the Normandy landings only hours away, it’s a race against time. The Nazis may have Iron Fist, but Gallatin comes with claws, in this New York Times bestseller. “Powerful . . . fuses WWII espionage thriller and dark fantasy. Richly detailed, intricately plotted, fast-paced historical suspense is enhanced by McCammon’s unique take on the werewolf myth.” —Publishers Weekly Mine: Suffering from psychotic delusions of motherhood, former sixties radical and FBI fugitive Mary Terrell sneaks into the maternity ward of an Atlanta hospital and snatches a newborn baby. Burning with primal maternal fury, the baby’s mother, Laura Clayborne, is going after Mary herself on a twisted and violent cross-country pursuit. In this Bram Stoker Award winner, to track a madwoman, Laura will have to think like one . . . “Feverishly exciting . . . a page-whipping thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews “An expertly constructed novel of suspense and horror.” —Publishers Weekly

Read online

  • 794

    The Possibility of an Island

      Michel Houellebecq
     The Possibility of an Island

A worldwide phenomenon and the most important French novelist since Camus, Michel Houellebecq now delivers his magnum opus–a tale of our present circumstances told from the future, when humanity as we know it has vanished. Surprisingly poignant, philosophically compelling, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, The Possibility of an Island is at once an indictment, an elegy, and a celebration of everything we have and are at risk of losing. It is a masterpiece from one of the world’s most innovative writers.

Read online

  • 794

    The Drowned Cities

      Paolo Bacigalupi
     The Drowned Cities

Soldier boys emerged from the darkness. Guns gleamed dully. Bullet bandoliers and scars draped their bare chests. Ugly brands scored their faces. She knew why these soldier boys had come. She knew what they sought, and she knew, too, that if they found it, her best friend would surely die.* *In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But when they discover a wounded half-man--a bioengineered war beast named Tool--who is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers, their fragile existence quickly collapses. One is taken prisoner by merciless soldier boys, and the other is faced with an impossible decision: Risk everything to save a friend, or flee to a place where freedom might finally be possible. This thrilling companion to Paolo Bacigalupi's highly acclaimed Ship Breaker is a haunting and powerful story of loyalty, survival, and heart-pounding adventure.

Read online

  • 794

    Black Bargain and Other Raw Deals

      Robert Bloch
     Black Bargain and Other Raw Deals

Deals with the devil, vampire cloaks, time machine, and atomic bombs are some of the ingredients in this Horror Master's recipe. Elements of Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror co-mingle into a unique flavor that can only be Robert Bloch. Ten stories of that will leave you up at night! Stories included are: Black Bargain, Founding Fathers, The Past Master, Daybroke, The Tunnel of Love, The Hungry Eye, The Old College Try, Unspeakable Betrothal, The Goddess of Wisdom, and The Cloak. From the author of Psycho!

Read online

  • 794

    Strange Future: A 23rd Century Guide for the 21st Century Cynic

      Josh Smith
     Strange Future: A 23rd Century Guide for the 21st Century Cynic

Thomas Gordon's life was going just fine, until a chain of inexplicable mishaps results in Thomas getting fired. Fed up, he starts the search for a better life. Along the way, he meets a group of scientists with an intriguing escape route: human cryogenic preservation. Thomas and his 2 companions emerge in the 23rd century, and quickly discover it isn't exactly the "better world" they expected...Abby refuses to marry the monster to whom she is betrothed. As she flees, she meets a mysterious stranger at a wayside inn. His startling proposition will either save her, or leave her mired in scandal.

Read online

  • 793

    Entropy of Imagination

      Ryan Somma
     Entropy of Imagination

Trapped in a World Running Out of Ideas...Thousands of years ago, before he was trapped on an isolated computer system, Flatline was programmed to conquer the world. Today he’s escaped back to the World Wide Web, where he hopes to find his way back to the real world. Except the World Wide Web has forgotten there ever was a real world.Trapped in a World Running Out of Ideas...Thousands of years ago, before he was trapped on an isolated computer system, Flatline was programmed to conquer the world. Today he’s escaped back to the World Wide Web, where he hopes to find his way back to the real world. Except the World Wide Web has forgotten there ever was a real world.The inhabitants of this future Web reside in a closed system, where all possible experiences will soon be exhausted. The Web is winding down, falling into stasis. Here, Flatline is a brief infusion of novelty, bringing chaos to the system.

Read online

  • 793

    Minor Characters

      Don Fern
     Minor Characters

Three minor characters in a mystery story come to life.Story is set in a house located in the woods beside Lake Michigan.Three minor characters are in a book.The book is in the authors house beside Lake Michigan in northwest Michagan.One of the three, a female characters, has come to life and is out of the book at the begining of the story.At the story climax she gets the other two to leave the book and come to life.

Read online

  • 793

    Grand Design

      Matthew Bullis
     Grand Design

Thousands of years after the brothers of man left Earth, an Empire was born. Far out of the Warren’s reach, The Great Empire inspired hope and prosperity. But deep inside lay conspiracy, deceit and betrayal.Grand Design - Bianca. Thousands of years after the brothers of man left Earth, an Empire was born. Far out of the Warren’s reach, The Great Empire inspired hope and prosperity. But deep inside lay conspiracy, deceit and betrayal. Nine independent kingdoms made up the Empire, Meeran was ruled by Jacob, the last remaining pure human outside of the reservations. Jacob and his step sister Bianca dreamed of uniting the empire under their rule and removing the Warren from Earth forever. A dream turned to obsession that could lead to the next galactic war.

Read online

  • 793

    The Stolen Days of John Mann

      Charles Barrow
     The Stolen Days of John Mann

Part 1 of All The Days of John Mann. Long years after the virus made the leap, Choke survivor John Mann vows to track a taken boy whilst he himself is hunted by those who would use him, either as source for a vaccine, or as weapon.Part 1 of All the Days of John Mann.Long years after the virus made the leap, the people of England live in scattered communities, the threat of slow starvation and swift outbreaks of the choke darken their days. What is left of society teeters always on the brink of collapse and a rag-tag military barely keeps order.John Mann, preacher and healer, travels the byways plying his trade amongst the old and the sick, keeping to the shadows, always watching the road at his back.John Mann is haunted, the only known survivor of exposure to the virus and perhaps the sole source of a vaccine. But he is hunted by many who would use him, not to save lives but to bring a choking end to those who would oppose them.John Mann now finds himself bound by a promise to track a taken boy, a promise that will force him back out of the shadows, onto the grid, and into a fugitive life once more.John Mann is an outlaw, to be feared and betrayed, and when cornered he will visit a terrible justice on anyone who threatens what he holds dear.

Read online

  • 793

    Dragonfire

      David Rose
     Dragonfire

This is a short story. Dragonfire is the name of the game, a new, totally immersive computer game set in a fantasy world. Figurative dragons lurk in hidden places, the stakes are high, and losing the game means losing your life - or does it?She paced the room, looking out the window, waiting for the sun to set. She didn't think anyone would be coming over after her father was arrested; it'd be too dangerous to pay condolences to the daughter of a warlock. Still, she couldn't take any chances. She couldn't be interrupted, and she couldn't speak to anyone until the next morning. The last rays of bright red light filtered through the curtain and left Elizabeth in the night's embrace. She opened the jar, read the spell one more time, making out letters under the moon's meager glow, and then set up the candle. She walked around the tiny flame, careful not to put it out, and began chanting, weaving a part of her own soul into the words and feeding it to the fire. “The harm to me is harm to you and all your kin and all your blood.”The flame leaped, grew larger, consuming the wax in half the time it should have. Elizabeth watched the candle burn in silence, watched energy, the soul of fire, glide through the air and hug her body. She sensed the reassurance of the spell, its protection. With a needle Elizabeth pricked her finger and let one drop of blood fall on the flame just as it was about to die. The wick hissed, and the last of the energy that smelled and tasted of vengeance came to Elizabeth.

Read online

  • 793

    Survival Family

      Stephen Brandon
     Survival Family

You may have noticed I'm using a plain green cover. I lost my cover designer. However, I think that the story is more important than the flashy cover. The short stories are about four families that prepare for the worse. Some deliberately, some just fell into preparing. Enjoy!When a mysterious creature targets a young boy, only paranormal investigator Soren Chase can stop it. But can Soren save the boy in time? For Soren, the case is personal. The boy's father was John Townes, Soren's best friend who died in a supernatural attack several years earlier. Soren will do anything to save John's son, but he must act fast. Because the kidnapper has a mission of his own, and he's willing to destroy anyone who gets in his way...A prequel to the full-length novel The Forest of Forever, Closed at Dark is a self-contained novella that can be enjoyed by anyone who loves urban fantasy, mystery and suspense.

Read online

  • 793

    The Sea Around Us

      Rachel Carson
     The Sea Around Us

Published in 1951, The Sea Around Us is one of the most remarkably successful books ever written about the natural world. Rachel Carson's rare ability to combine scientific insight with moving, poetic prose catapulted her book to first place on The New York Times best-seller list, where it enjoyed wide attention for thirty-one consecutive weeks. It remained on the list for more than a year and a half and ultimately sold well over a million copies, has been translated into 28 languages, inspired an Academy Award-winning documentary, and won both the 1952 National Book Award and the John Burroughs Medal. This classic work remains as fresh today as when it first appeared. Carson's writing teems with stunning, memorable images--the newly formed Earth cooling beneath an endlessly overcast sky; the centuries of nonstop rain that created the oceans; giant squids battling sperm whales hundreds of fathoms below the surface; and incredibly powerful tides moving 100 billion tons of water daily in the Bay of Fundy. Quite simply, she captures the mystery and allure of the ocean with a compelling blend of imagination and expertise. Reintroducing a classic work to a whole new generation of readers, this Special Edition features a new chapter written by Jeffrey Levinton, a leading expert in marine ecology, that brings the scientific side of The Sea Around Us completely up to date. Levinton incorporates the most recent thinking on continental drift, coral reefs, the spread of the ocean floor, the deterioration of the oceans, mass extinction of sea life, and many other topics. In addition, acclaimed nature writer Ann Zwinger has contributed a brief foreword. Today, with the oceans endangered by the dumping of medical waste and ecological disasters such as the Exxon oil spill in Alaska, this illuminating volume provides a timely reminder of both the fragility and the importance of the ocean and the life that abounds within it. Anyone who loves the sea, or who is concerned about our natural environment, will want to read this classic work.

Read online

  • 793

    Devil's Advocate

      Jonathan Maberry
     Devil's Advocate

How did Fox Mulder become a believer? How did Dana Scully become a skeptic? The X-Files Origins has the answers in this young adult origin story. The X-Files Origins: Devil's Advocate will explore the teen years of Dana Scully, the beloved character depicted in the cult-favorite TV show The X-Files. Her story is set in the spring of 1979, when serial murder, the occult, and government conspiracy were highlighted in the news. The book will follow Scully as she experiences life-changing events that set her on the path to becoming an FBI agent. Don’t miss The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos, by Kami Garcia, about 17-year-old Fox Mulder. An Imprint Book

Read online

  • 793

    Strange Itineraries

      Tim Powers
     Strange Itineraries

Ghosts, accidental time travel, a secret clan of immortals, and Maxwell's Demon are all subjects in this complete collection of short stories by Tim Powers. Elusive and evocative, these stories are excursions into strange and dangerous worlds and are as colorful and inventive as Powers's novels. A pioneer of the popular "Steampunk" genre of speculative fiction, his complex and tightly researched "secret histories" blend with compelling fantastical elements to create some of today's most memorable modern science fiction. Contents “Itinerary” “Night Moves” “Pat Moore” “The Way Down the Hill” “Through and Through” “Where They Are Hid” “Fifty Cents” “The Better Boy” “We Traverse Afar”

Read online

  • 793