At the end of the third millennium, the Earth Empire is ready to collapse in on itself. Factions within an elite that controls thousands of worlds struggle in the vacuum left by the death of the Divine Empress. Nothing must get in the Doctor's way.

"Rose House, the AI-infused creation of legendary architect Basit Deniau, a building that can think for itself. On his death, Deniau specified that his life's work should be locked permanently away in Rose House, and that the building should be sealed, accessible only to his former student Dr. Selene Gisil. Now Rose House sits alone in the desert, haunting itself and guarding its hoard, until one night it discovers a dead man within its halls and contacts Det. Maritza Smith to investigate. Selene, living in Turkey, has denounced Deniau and would rather never return to Rose House--until she, too, learns of the impossible corpse. To crack the case and understand the house's dark mysteries, Selene and Maritza enter Rose House, knowing that the last person who did so never left, and that whatever killed him may still be inside."--.

A collection of eighteen first-person stories by the science fiction master includes tales featuring such diverse narrators as a dolphin in love with a human and an alien visitor living in disguise in a New York hotel.

"SFWA Grand Master Silverberg (Voyagers) demonstrates why he merits that plaudit in this superior collection of three novels and one short story linked by the theme of humanity encountering intelligent alien life, or, as he puts it in his introduction, “reach out to meet others with uncertain hands.” “Those Who Watch” begins with an explosion over New Mexico that turns out to be a crashing spaceship; the ship’s three crew members survive and successfully pose as humans until three Earthlings see through their disguise. “The Man in the Maze” offers a less traditional story line, inspired by Sophocles’s tragedy Philoctetes and centered on diplomat Richard Muller. Muller’s the first human to contact the inhabitants of Beta Hydri IV—and he becomes a pariah upon his return to Earth. Silverberg shifts gears dramatically in “Tom O’Bedlam,” in which all of Earth’s governments have collapsed, and the eponymous lead has visions of fantastic crystalline beings that others dismiss as psychotic episodes. The anthology is enhanced by Silverberg’s introductions to each piece, which provide the personal and editorial background to the stories. Lovers of first contact fiction owe it to themselves to pick this up."--Publishers Weekly

Reissued after seventy-five years out of print -- and in hardcover for the first time in a generation -- Lucky Starr and the Pirates of Asteroids is the second book in the Lucky Starr series written by the legendary Isaac Asimov, author of Foundation, the Galactic Empire series, and I, Robot. Twenty-five years before, Lucky Starr's parents had been destroyed during a pirate raid on the Terrestrial Empire. Now Lucky was a man, and an officer of the Council of Science. His ship was heavily armed and the pirates were at hand. The time for sweet blaster vengeance was near! Lucky Starr's Ergometrics probed space with widely stretching fingers. It detected many ships, but Lucky watched only for the one which he would recognize with certainty the instant it appeared. Nor did he fail. At a distance of twenty-million miles, the first quiverings roused his suspicions. At 100-thousand miles, his telescope showed it as a faint dot. At ten thousand, it had form and shape -- it was the flagship of Anton, the pirate chieftain! At a thousand miles, Lucky sent out his first message -- a demand that Anton return to Earth. At one hundred miles, Lucky received his reply -- a blast of energy that made his generators whine and rocked his ship as if he had collided with another. Lucky's tired face took on a drawn look. Anton's ship was heavily armed. It was not what Lucky had expected ...

From Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author, Robert Silverberg comes the classic: The Book of Skulls. Four friends embark on a cross-country trip in search of a legendary monastery. There, they hope to find the secrets of immortality promised in an ancient manuscript, the Book of Skulls There, they will present themselves-and pay the horrific price demanded. For immortality requires sacrifice. Two victims to balance two survivors. One by suicide, one by murder. Beneath the gaze of grinning skulls, the terror begins. . . .

"all will be impressed by Turtledove's immersive ancient world." − Publishers Weekly A new novel by one of the most acclaimed writers of alternate history in the world; a New York Times bestselling author who has been crowned as 'the Master of Alternate History' by Publisher Weekly and has won virtually every major award associated with the genre. Salamis is the fifth (standalone) novel in Harry Turtledove's critically acclaimed Hellenic Traders universe, detailing the adventures of two cousins, Menedemos and Sostratos, who work as seaborne traders following the death of Alexander the Great. This time the stage is one of the greatest sea battles ever fought in ancient times; the Battle of Salamis of 306 BC . The small, free, and independent polis of Rhodes is trying to stay neutral between the local great powers, each ruled by one of Alexander the Great's marshals: Asia Minor, controlled by one-eyed Antigonos, and Egypt, under the rule of Ptolemaios. As tensions between the great powers escalate, Menedemos and Sostratos are trying to resolve their own problems, oblivious to the fact that one of the greatest navel fleets in ancient history is about to set sail. Ptolemaios, needing shipping to carry weapons for the army he intends to land, coerces Menedemos into bringing their ship, the Aphrodite , along as part of his expeditionary force. And so, very much against their will, Menedemos and Sostratos become small parts of one of the ancient world's most significant naval battles.

"Owls to Athens demonstrates Turteltaub's excellent research skills ... an entertaining and intelligent story"-SF Site "Scholar and bestselling author [Turteltaub], encapsulates his vision of the ancient world through the eyes of these two engaging merchants."-Historical Novel Society After some long and perilous journeys, Menedemos and Sostratos finally head back to Athens just in time for the Dionysia, a bacchanalian festival of plays and celebrations. Like earlier installments in the series, Owls to Athens has the cousins going through various adventures, trade negotiations and sexual escapades, all set against a finely painted mosaic of Hellenic life in the fourth century BCE. However, this time, most of their time is spent in the City of Athens instead of sailing on the high seas. But even in the City, life can be treacherous, particularly when Menedemos decides to have an affair with one of the most influential and dangerous women in Athens.

Two sixth-grade boys try to control their teacher's mind, but find their project getting out of hand when serious things start happening to her.

Hand-picked authors and a literary legacy... You may want to read it in one quick bite... Or savor it slowly like fine Swiss chocolate... One delicious prose at a time! For 22 years, SF lovers from around the world have enjoyed the stories and poems of the Tesseracts series, ( Tesseracts One through Tesseracts Ten , and Tesseracts Q ). This unique collection of books has featured the work of some of Canada's finest speculative fiction writers, selected and edited by ever changing combinations of editors, hand-picked for each edition. For many science fiction writers, Tesseracts was a spring board to their fame. Tesseracts Eleven brings the series to a new height, with a tasty blend of past and present writers, with their own individual visions of the future. The literature of Tesseracts Eleven has been critically selected and shaped into the collection you see by this year's editors, two of Canada's finest writers - acclaimed authors Cory Doctorow and Holly Phillips. Together they have chosen a powerful combination of works by well-known writers, as well as newer authors whose futures you will want to follow. Some favorite Tesseracts ingredients are a featured part of this edition's literary blend: some very popular award winning names in Canada's SF scene, like Canada's grand dame of speculative fiction, Elisabeth Vonarburg, Claude Lalumiere, David Nickle and Candas Jane Dorsey, to name just a few. As well, readers will find some bright new stars in the science fiction world like Yukon's Jerome Stueart, or Calgary's Susan Forest - just 2 of the delicious authors featured in this fine offering. All told, Doctorow and Phillips have presented 22 pieces of literary delights to tantalize your imagination, and although you may want to consume the book in one sitting - take your time, and savor each exquisite morsel - delight in every bite. Grab your favorite beverage, settle down, and enjoy the latest in Canada's literary legacy - Tesseracts Eleven

"This volume showcases the nuanced, playful, ever-expanding definitions of the genre and celebrates its current renaissance." --Washington Post Science fiction and fantasy can encompass so much, from far-future deep-space sagas to quiet contemporary tales to unreal kingdoms and beasts. But what the best of these stories do is the same across the genres--they illuminate the whole gamut of the human experience, interrogating our hopes and our fears. With a diverse selection of stories chosen by series editor John Joseph Adams and guest editor Charles Yu, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017 continues to explore the ever-expanding and changing world of SFF today, with Yu bringing his unique view--literary, meta, and adventurous--to the series' third edition.

High quality reprint of "the Reign of the Super-man," the very first "superman" story by Gerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Not a comic book, but a short novel in the style of the pulps, it tells the story of Bill Dunn, a down-of-his-luck man who acquires superpowers through a radical experiment. The story has all the main elements of the superman myth: a bald super-villain, an unknown element coming from space that mutates human beings, telescopic-vision, aliens, and an indomitable quest for absolute power. It was originally published on Science Fiction - The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3 (Jan. 1933), one of the very first fanzine to be created, which Siegel and Shuster developed with a typewriter and mimeographic machine for printing. Also collected for the first time: "Goober the Mighty", Siegel's Tarzan parody, Stiletto Vance the vain detective, and other raw gems the creators of Superman developed for the Torch, the High School newspaper they worked for.

"In these 19 evocative pieces of short fiction, best-selling and award-winning writers tackle such intriguing issues as sex by telepathy, the pick-up scene on other planets, and making love with Superman. Thought-provoking, often shocking, always entertaining, 'Alien Sex' daringly explores those barriers between men and women that can make them seem so 'alien' to one another. probing the current and future state, shape, and complex problems of the human male/female relationship, this fantastic collection will make you think about sex in a whole new way."--Pg. [4] of cover.

Clarkesworld is a Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine. Each month we bring you a mix of fiction (new and classic works), articles, interviews and art. Our June 2017 issue (#129) contains: Original stories by Andy Dudak ("Fool''s Cap"), Julia K. Patt ("My Dear, Like the Sky and Stars and Sun"), Nina Allan ("Neptune''s Trident"), Sam J. Miller ("The Ways Out"), and A Que ("An Account of the Sky Whales"). Reprints by Jay Lake ("Human Error") and Aliette de Bodard ("The Waiting Stars"). Non-fiction by S. E. Jones, an interview with Greg Benford, an Another Word column by Jason Heller, and an editorial by Neil Clarke.

With an introduction by Neil Gaiman: Once a hero, now a pariah, Richard Muller is humanity's last hope Richard Muller was an honorable diplomat who braved unimaginable dangers to make contact with the first-known race of intelligent aliens. But those aliens left a mark on him: a psychic wound that emanates a telepathic miasma his fellow humans can neither cure nor endure. Muller is exiled to the remote planet of Lemnos, where he is left, deeply embittered, at the heart of a deadly maze . . . until a new alien race appears, seemingly intent on exterminating humanity. Only Muller can communicate with them, due to the very condition that has made him an outcast. But will Muller stick his neck out for the people who so callously rejected him? " The Man in the Maze] is courageous, exploring new territory, with one foot in the New Wave camp, but] it is still mindful of its roots. From the past of SF we get the strains of Space Opera, replete with incomprehensible aliens and mysterious artefacts." -From the introduction by Neil Gaiman "One of science fiction's modern masters . . . his words and his work have shaped the whole direction of the field." -Chicago Sun-Times "Robert Silverberg's versatile, skeptical intelligence controls a lavish and splendid imagination." -Ursula K. Le Guin "Done Silverberg's way, science fiction is a fine art." -Associated Press Robert Silverberg is one of science fiction's most beloved writers, and the author of such contemporary classics as Dying Inside, Downward to the Earth, and Lord Valentine's Castle. He is a past president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the winner of five Nebula Awards and five Hugo Awards. In 2004 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America presented him with the Grand Master Award. Silverberg is one of twenty-nine writers to have received that distinction.

Here are thirteen stories to delight the fans who all know Robert Silverberg. He has acquired the status of an old master of science fiction. Eve and the Twenty-Three Adams (1958) Warm Man (1957) By the Seawall (1967) Dark Companion (1961) The Four (1958) Bride Ninety-One (1967) World of a Thousand Colors (1957) En Route to Earth (1957) The King of the Golden River (1967) Prime Commandment (1958) Halfway House (1966) Journey's End (1958) Solitary (1957)

Thirty original stories-each inspired by a Janis Ian song-from some of the biggest names in science fiction and fantasy, including: Tad Williams, Harry Turtledove, Orson Scott Card, Joe Haldeman, John Varley, Mercedes Lackey, Judith Tarr, Janis Ian, and others.

Isaac Asimov's death on April 6, 19892, was a great loss to the world of both science and literature. This collection of essays reflects Asimov's extraordinary skill in disseminating knowledge from across the spectrum of human thought. Included are thoughtful and touching tributes from colleagues and friends who discuss Asimov's work and his inspiration and impact on others. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

The first Agrav ship ever built was named Jovian Moon. It would bring the stars into man's reach, but Sirian sabotage threatened to snatch the prize from Earth. Lucky Starr, officer of the Council of Science, had a job to do: find the traitor who was transmitting the information to the Federation's Sirian enemies.