He is the world’s greatest film director. His characters, his scenery, his costumes―all are authentic, zestful, artistic, artful. But nobody knows he is the world’s greatest film director. Maybe nobody ever will. For all of his masterpieces are stored in an impregnable canister: the head of the film-maker. Inside his brain, nestling safely, reel upon reel of film, magnificently photographed, brilliantly edited, not a frame of it accessible to the viewing public. An Unusual Angle is about the making of this great film. It is also the film itself. Here is a blazing epic of stupendous events: four years of an ordinary Australian secondary school. Few would have suspected before that an ‘ordinary’ school could provide the material of rich humour, zany lunacy and near tragedy. Greg Egan was born in Perth in 1961. He was educated at the University of Western Australia. He has worked for mercifully brief periods as a kitchen hand, a milk-vendor’s runner, and as a public servant. Meanwhile, his real efforts have been directed towards writing novels and short stories (four novels and a book of short stories written so far) and making amateur films (a 65-minute, 16 mm film completed recently).

Necessity: the sequel to the acclaimed The Just City and The Philosopher Kings, Jo Walton's tales of gods, humans, and what they have to learn from one another. More than sixty-five years ago, Pallas Athena founded the Just City on an island in the eastern Mediterranean, placing it centuries before the Trojan War, populating it with teachers and children from throughout human history, and committing it to building a society based on the principles of Plato's Republic. Among the City's children was Pytheas, secretly the god Apollo in human form. Sixty years ago, the Just City schismed into five cities, each devoted to a different version of the original vision. Forty years ago, the five cities managed to bring their squabbles to a close. But in consequence of their struggle, their existence finally came to the attention of Zeus, who can't allow them to remain in deep antiquity, changing the course of human history. Convinced by Apollo to spare the Cities, Zeus instead moved everything on the island to the planet Plato, circling its own distant sun. Now, more than a generation has passed. The Cities are flourishing on Plato, and even trading with multiple alien species. Then, on the same day, two things happen. Pytheas dies as a human, returning immediately as Apollo in his full glory. And there's suddenly a human ship in orbit around Plato--a ship from Earth. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

"A showcase for Green's bone-dry satire. A delight." - The Telegraph "A talented writer having lots of very smart fun"Mount Ararat, a world the size of an asteroid yet with Earth-standard gravity, plays host to an oddball community whose children are protected by the Devil, a mechanical killing machine.But who placed the robot there, and who - or what - is really in need of protection?"A showcase for Green's bone-dry satire and deadpan humour ... Green's agile imagination constantly wrong-foots the reader. A delight."-Peter Ingham, The Telegraph"The work of a talented writer having lots of very smart fun"-- S F Winser, Booksquawk.comSmallworld is like nothing you've read before... innovative speculative fiction from Hugo-listed Brit SF writer Dominic Green.Mount Ararat, a world the size of an asteroid yet with Earth-standard gravity, plays host to an oddball farming community whose children are protected by the Devil, a mechanical killing machine.But who placed the robot there, and who - or what - is really in need of protection?

This is a story about the early years of the post apocalyptic hero Wanderer and tells of his search for his missing wife. He has not yet found his battlesuit and his foes in this tale are his fellow humans, the ones, like him, who have survived the end of days.Don't mess with a girl and her dragon, at least not these two. A young dragon loses his mother to lair raiders and is left to fend for himself. A lucky girl happens upon him and together they form a lasting bond. When more men come to raid the lair the two are forced to defend themselves, and each other, in a wicked battle. Magic, swordplay, and dragon riding await in this satisfying short story.Snippet:The cool night air rushed over them as they circled slowly upward on Crimzon's strong, steady thrusts. In the dragon's head his mother's soft voice whispered both instruction and encouragement, and the feeling of Clover on his back gave him the confidence and reassurance he needed to avoid falter. They climbed so high into the sky that Clover thought she just might be able to touch the stars twinkling above them. Her blood was electric with sensation. Her skin was chilled by the rushing air and her stomach was tingling as if full of wiggling snakes. She drew in a deep breath trying to calm herself but it was no use. Just as soon as she exhaled Crimzon rolled to the right and then dove sharply, leaving the wiggling snakes from Clover's belly lumped in the back of her throat. Her mind was spinning like a whirlpool. Far below, the majesty of the moonlit valleys and the hue of colors reflecting from the rocky snow-capped ridges unfolded before them. Clover marveled at the dozens of rivers and streams that glittered like strands and pools of molten gold. The force of the air pressed hard against her as Crimzon dove. She began to feel dizzy and distant, but before she slipped into unconsciousness, the dragon leveled out and sped them across the treetops at such speed that all Clover could see below was a shadowy blur. Soon their momentum died away and Crimzon began to circle and rise again, but now at a more relaxed pace. Clover was glad. She felt rubbery and nauseated. Sick or not she had to admit that it was the most exhilarating experience she had ever had. Don't miss Crimzon & Clover II - The Tricky Wizard

Piers Anthony is the acclaimed author of more than 100 novels and short story collections. His works include the Xanth series, the Mode series, Chthon and Total Recall.

HUMANITY'S LAST HOPE It begins when a man delivers a message for former government agent Frank Compton--only to fall dead at his feet. The message is a summons from the Spiders, the exotic and mysterious creatures who run the Quadrail, an incredible transportation system connecting civilizations across the galaxy. The Spiders believe that someone or something is preparing to attack their entire network and the worlds it serves, by smuggling battleships through the Quadrail--something that should be impossible to do. Compton, with the aid of a beautiful but enigmatic agent of the Spiders, is their last hope. Because nobody else has been able to find the elusive enemy who seeks to enslave the entire galaxy…and Earth is its next target.

"One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves." --SF Site For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, STAND ON ZANZIBAR) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now E-Reads is pleased to re-introduce many of his classic works. For readers familiar with his vision, it's a chance to re-examine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner's work proves itself the very definition of timeless. In THE LADDER IN THE SKY, a starving youth, trapped in poverty and with no hope of escape, is taken prisoner and offered up in an actual "deal with the devil,"--servitude for a year and a day in return for helping a resistance group free their imprisoned planetary leader. When he returns to consciousness, he is told that the devil has taken up residence inside him. At first, he thinks nothing is changed and he can take advantage of the situation but some upsetting surprises are in store for him. With an SF setting and a fantasy premise, this is one of Brunner's best hybrids of action, magic, technology and suspense.

Paul Frederick Ernst (born between 1899 and 1902 - died between 1983 and 1985) was an American pulp fiction writer. He is best known as the author of the original 24 "Avenger" novels, published by Street & Smith under the house name Kenneth Robeson.

When I Grow Up is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Richard E. Lowe is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Richard E. Lowe then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

When Insidious Chi threatens the universe with apathy, all its heroes are gathered to do battle. Unfortunately two bumbling Earthlings qualify for an invite.Insidious Chi (Sid) knows attacking the universe with force is futile. The law of inevitability states a small band of unlikely heroes would avoid the initial attack and ultimately thwart his plan. Instead he decided to wipe out any resistance by saturating the ether with apathy, leaving any fight-back in bed, having a lie-in.Brick and Spiritwind never needed an excuse for a lie-in, or to accept The Heroic Guild's invitation to partake in the mission to thwart evil's plan. The duo believed they could follow their usual work ethic of showing their faces at the right times and places while everyone got on with the actual job, leaving them to enjoy the complimentary buffet. Destiny, however, had other plans.Joining a crew of misfits, led by the perpetually intoxicated Jam Shandy, they're sent to explore numerous Earth franchise planets that are spreading the lazy sentiment throughout all that is. Hugo Cortizone is the pop star of the hero world, and Sid knows the likely fly in his takeover ointment. Capturing the Emperor of good, via a compound that makes him believe universal peace has been declared, Sid offers Hugo sanctity to come to terms with his unemployment. Guarded by a henchman disguised as a damsel, love soon becomes Hugo's new purpose, and social awkwardness the henchman's normality.With good's main hope embroiled in a futile romance, a vacuum needs filling at the pointy end of heroics. Sadly a vacuum has no quality control over who it sucks into it.

The Metal Maiden Series is a wildly different kind of story that tells how Elasa, a humanoid robot who achieves consciousness, eventually saves the world from surpassing horror Elasa the robot’s friend Mona exchanges to the colony planet to occupy the body of a woman five months pregnant. Even so, she gets more than she bargained for, as she works with a precognitive lamb.

A man has a dream, a vision to see the world through eternal eyes. Dr. Heisler, roboticist, funds Project Human to advance the human race. After funding is diminished, he takes drastic measures and uploads a human awareness into a mobile robotic construct.Mad-Sci-Soc? It used to be a University club, a crazy one, but then it morphed into something else. Something that was not quite definable and definitely crazy. How do you solve all the problems facing civilisation: cyborgs out of control, super-powered vigilantes hogging the digital channels and keep your girl happy? There may be a parallel universe that did not start in New York, 2123; a universe that does not start with Mad-Sci-Soc and a broken fridge. But that is always the problem with disturbances in the space-time fabric; nothing makes sense except to the time traveller.