"Two expertly crafted crime stories set in a far-future science fiction universe, from two award-winning authors known for their gripping plots and unforgettable characters-a short novel and a long novella that will thrill fans of space adventures, mystery, and intergalactic intrigue in this Saga Double"-- Provided by publisher.

A messianic tale about a group of professional mourners—a darkly funny novel of grief, mystery and redemption from the author of The Delivery . Ed is a weeper. A professional weeper. He's a card-carrying member of an eccentric union hired to cry at funerals, wakes, services and burials. It’s an odd job, but his services are sorely needed these days, as the town, the region, the country as a whole has become more or less numb. No one is able to summon a shred of human emotion whatsoever. Not anymore. (What’d be the point? The world’s already gone to hell.) So there’s always work for Ed and his colleagues. But all those cries can wear a man down, and the tears don’t flow quite like they used to, even for a consummate pro like Ed. Then one morning, a stranger comes to town. A scrawny kid with no belongings, no parents, no name, no past. And at precisely the moment of his arrival, people begin to experience something new. Something strange. An onslaught of unbidden feelings, unfamiliar feelings, too many feelings A surrealist story of mourning and messiahs, deserts and droughts, cowboys and junkies, miracles and mass hysteria, the lure of despair and the solace of friendship. Peter Mendelsund’s Weepers is a novel for this age: our age of anesthesia and anger.

One of SF's most beloved rogues: the Stainless Steel Rat! Slippery Jim DiGriz is the Stainless Steel Rat: the galaxy's greatest interstellar thief and con artist. For novel upon novel, the Rat has outfoxed the forces of conventionality, cutting a stylish swathe through dozens of star systems-and stealing the hearts of thousands of readers. Now three of the Rat's greatest exploits are collected in a single volume. In A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born , we see the origin and early days of Jim DiGriz's brilliant criminal career, as our underworld hero is forced to work for the Good Guys. Conscripted again in The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted , this time into a planetary army, the Rat must avenge the murder of his mentor-in-crime. And in The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues , Slippery Jim must retrieve a missing alien artifact, while disguised as a futuristic rock-and-roller...or forfeit his life.

Rebecca and her mechanical companion investigate the mysterious disappearance of two rare, dog-like animals known as owsers.

"Star Trek" 's Captain Kirk is back, with another fast-paced adventure for the future's greatest private detective, Jake Cardigan. Best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship "Enterprise," William Shatner has created a whole new career for himself as a suspense novelist--and his bestselling Tek series has been hailed by "The Wall Street Journal" for novels "as tough and scrappy as Captain Kirk." Walt Bascom is head of the Cosmos Detective Agency, and therefore is Jake Cardigan's boss. As Tek Kill opens, Walt is having a bad morning: five police officers broke into his house, threw him out of bed, and arrested him for murder. The video security system at the home of wealthy entrepreneur Dwight Grossman clearly shows Bascom shooting Grossman in the back. And telephone records show that Grossman had been making threatening phone calls to a former girlfriend--a woman now involved with Bascom. Despite what looks like an open-and-shut case against Bascom, Jake and his partner Sid Gomez must find a way to clear the boss's good name--and find the real killer. They have allies: Jake's son, Dan, is friendly with Grossman's sister, Susan. And Susan Grossman has been having flashes of telepathy, including visions of her brother's murder that does not feature Walt Bascom. She's frightened, but she's prepared to testify in court about what she believes. Unfortunately, Susan Grossman is a user of the deadly drug Tek. The choice facing the police is obvious: they can believe what they see with their own eyes on videotape, or they can believe a known drug user who claims to have telepathic visions. Jake and Sid can see that they have a lot of work ahead if they're going toget the boss out of jail and back to the office. And the person who went to such trouble to make Walt Bascom look like a murderer is hardly likely to sit back and let them do their jobs without making an effort to put them off the trail--a deadly effort.

Young Jim Endicott has but one dream-- to attend the Solis Space Academy, the gateway to the stars and the far-flung civilization known as the Confederation. But unbeknownst to Jim, he has a secret encoded in his DNA. A secret that threatens an empire.

Intergalactic visions, deadly threats, and explosive standoffs between mostly good and completely evil converge in a dystopian fantasy that could only be conceived by the inimitable Walter Mosley, one of the country's most beloved and acclaimed writers Martin Just wakes up one morning after what feels like, and might actually be, a centuries-long sleep with two new innate pieces of knowledge: Humanity is a virus destined to destroy all existence. And he is the Cure. Martin begins slipping into an alternate consciousness, with new physical strengths, to violently defend his family--the only Black family in their neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles-- against pure evil. Think Octavia Butler meets Jeff VanderMeer meets Jordan Peele. Expansive and innovative, sexy and satirical, Touched brilliantly imagines the ways in which human life and technological innovation threaten existence itself.

Alfred Bester's first science fiction novel since The Stars My Destination was a major event -- a fast-moving adventure story set in Earth's future. A band of immortals -- as charming a bunch of eccentrics as you'll ever come across -- recruit a new member, the brilliant Cherokee physicist Sequoya Guess. Dr. Guess, with the group's help, gains control of Extro, the super-computer that controls all mechanical activity on Earth. They plan to rid Earth of political repression and to further Guess's researches -- which may lead to a great leap in human evolution to produce a race of supermen. But Extro takes over Guess instead and turns malevolent. The task of the merry band suddenly becomes a fight in deadly earnest for the future of Earth. Sequoya Guess, whom they love, must be killed. And how do you kill an immortal? THE COMPUTER CONNECTION is a jam-packed extraordinary science fiction novel -- what Alfred Bester's readers have been experiencing for over five decades.

Dead Man's Hand combines the writing talents of George R. R. Martin & John Jos. Miller Chrysalis, the glass-skinned queen of the Joker underworld, has been found brutally murdered in her popular restaurant, the Crystal Palace. New two men are out to find her killer: Jay Ackroyd, the Ace private investigator who discovered her ruined body, and the vigilante archer known as the Yeoman, who has been framed for the crime. Their quest leads them on a nightmare odyssey of madness, violence, passion, and political intrigue that will forever alter the fates of Aces and Jokers everywhere. Experience this gripping tale of mystery and suspense, brought to you from the incredible imaginations of George R. R. Martin and John Jos. Miller in their first collaborative novel. EXPLORE THE WILD CARDS UNIVERSE An alien virus has changed the course of history, and the surviving population of Manhattan struggles to understand the new world left in its wake. Natural humans share the rough city with those given extraordinary—and sometimes terrifying—traits. While most manage to coexist in an uneasy peace, not everyone is willing to adapt. The Wild Cards Universe The Original Triad #1 Wild Cards #2 Aces High #3 Jokers Wild The Puppetman Quartet #4: Aces Abroad #5: Down and Dirty #6: Ace in the Hole #7: Dead Man’s Hand The Rox Triad #8: One-Eyed Jacks #9: Jokertown Shuffle #10: Dealer’s Choice #11: Double Solitaire #12: Turn of the Cards The Card Sharks Triad #13: Card Sharks #14: Marked Cards #15: Black Trump #16: Deuces Down #17: Death Draws Five The Committee Triad #18: Inside Straight #19: Busted Flush #20: Suicide Kings The Fort Freak Triad #21: Fort Freak #22: Lowball #23: High Stakes The American Triad #24: Mississippi Roll #25: Low Chicago #26: Texas Hold 'Em

A replica of the July 1942 issue of FANTASTIC ADVENTURES pulp magazine featuring THE EAGLE MAN by Don Wilcox. "Fire Jump was a hybrid--half man, half vulture; which complicated his search for real happiness." THE RETURN OF THE HUN by William J. Brittain, THE WEIRD DOOM OF FLOYD SCRILCH by Robert Bloch, THE TRAITOR by Arthur T. Harris, VITALITY FOR MURDER by Richard O. Lewis, SAFARI TO THE LOST AGES by William P. McGivern, THE MYSTERY OF SHAFT 13 by Robert Moore Williams, DUNCAN'S DREADFUL DOLL by P. F. Costello, HOKUM HOTEL by David Wright O'Brien, MEN SCARED OF NOTHING by E. K. Jarvis, and HEADLINES FOR TOD SHAYNE by August W. Derleth.

The author of "The Comic Book Killer" offers up twelve tales of mystery, magic, and grouchiness - served with a liberal dash of sarcasm and cynicism. A woman's birthday celebration becomes a prelude to murder; an absinthe-minded author seeks inspiration from a bottle; a rare volume could destroy the love/hate relationship of two book dealers; an interplanetary romance is threatened by the untimely intervention of the Scorpion Men of Venus; and that's just the beginning! These stories leap from planet to planet, down dark avenues of hatred, and curl up in cozy nostalgic places.Stories include: "Happy Birthday, Birthday Girl!"; "The Green Fairy"; "Sisoh Promatem"; "Uncle Elmer"; "Greetings from Comrade Kim"; "Night Lands Dream"; "The Salamanca Encounter"; "Scorpion Men of Venus"; "Dead of Winter"; and from Rigel science fiction magazine, three "Tales of the Tin Can Worlds": "Lux Was Dead Right"; "Transtemporal Creatures Unlimited"; and "Joe Nieman's Knees.

Masters of the Maze by Avram Davidson is a science fiction novel that explores the concept of a mysterious, interdimensional maze used to protect Earth from alien invaders. The story follows the protagonist, Jung Mariner, as he navigates the maze, encountering strange beings and dangers along the way. The novel combines elements of mystery, adventure, and speculative fiction, with Davidson's trademark wit and rich, imaginative world-building.

In Tek Money, Jake Cardigan tries to relax. But as he enjoys a rare night out at the theater, his son Dan has a frightening experience at the Cardigans' beachfront home. A seemingly deranged man, muttering to himself about nightmare visions that torment him, comes looking for Jake - and then dies suddenly, as Dan tries to find out what he wants. So begins an unwelcome sequence of events. First Dan is accused of murdering the man. Once the police realize that accusation is ridiculous, suspicion falls on Jake: the dead man is Peter Traynor, a Tek addict, a friend of Jake's from the bad old days, when the drug had a strong hold on them both. The murderer did Traynor in with a Tek "sizzler", a powerful chip that plugs directly into the user's brain, starts by giving him wonderful visions, and ends by producing uncontrollable hallucinations. Traynor has literally died of fear. Jake had not seen Traynor in years, but the police are still suspicious. In the meantime, it appears that everybody else in Traynor's past wants Jake's help in solving the crime. The dead man's sister, who has no money but does have a tremendous chip on her shoulder, wants to hire Jake - as long as somebody else pays. The dead man's ex-wife, a mysteriously wealthy woman, also wants to hire Jake, and she'll pay plenty - but it isn't exactly clear that a solution to the crime is what she wants for her money. Jake knows that his own good name is on the line until he finds the real killer.

Meet Edinburgh Detective Inspector Liz Kavanaugh, head of the Innovative Crimes Investigation Unit, otherwise known as the Rule 34 Squad. They monitor the Internet for potential criminal activity, analyzing trends in the extreme fringes of explicit content. And occasionally, even more disturbing patterns arise… Three ex-cons have been murdered in Germany, Italy, and Scotland. The only things they had in common were arrests for spamming—and a taste for unorthodox entertainment. As the first officer on the scene of the most recent death, Liz finds herself sucked into an international investigation that isn’t so much asking who the killer is, but what—and if she doesn't find the answer soon, the homicides could go viral.

"An extravaganza . . . fertile invention and forceful style . . . Mr. Kersh's many admirers will undoubtedly devour this highly flavoured hotch-potch with avidity." - Julian Maclaren-Ross, Sunday Times "[F]irst-rate Kersh, richly peopled with the odd bit roles he sketches so well and written with style and individuality." - Anthony Boucher, New York Herald Tribune "Sometimes funny, sometimes nightmarish, always first-class entertainment." - Basil Davenport, New York Times Journalist George Oaks and his friend Albert Kemp, a mystery novelist, are on their way to meet their friend, the celebrated philosopher Dr. Monacelli. But when a clerical mix-up leads to their meeting the American gangster Monty Cello instead, Oaks and Kemp quickly find themselves caught up in a bizarre and dangerous plot involving a murdered reporter, a missing scientist, and a group of powerful madmen with a plan to destroy the world as we know it. It's a race against time as Oaks and Kemp must infiltrate the villains' stronghold and save humanity before it's too late! Equal parts hard-boiled crime novel and apocalyptic science fiction tale, The Great Wash (1953) is one of the most exciting novels by Gerald Kersh (1911-1968), who is best known for his classics Night and the City (1938) and Fowlers End (1957). Fowlers End and four volumes of Kersh's strange and brilliant short fiction are also available from Valancourt.

CAN'T FIND A RATIONAL EXPLANATION TO A MYSTERY? CALL IN THE QUIET COUNCIL. The mysterious and glamorous Lady De Winter is one of their most valuable agents. A despicable murder inside a locked and bolted room on the Rue Morgue in Paris is just the start. This whirlwind adventure will take Milady to the highest and lowest parts of that great city - and cause her to question the very nature of reality itself. File Under : Steampunk [ Alternate History | Reptilian Royalty | Murder Most Foul | The World’s Fair ]

The discovery of piles of bones seeming to belong to a previously unknown species of monster will help to unfold a macabre and grisly tale. - A lady is found dead in her bed, the apparent victim of a murder the coroner proves could not possibly have occurred. - A merman found by fishermen off the coast of Brighton in 1745 will reveal the truth behind one of the most terrible events of the 20th century. - A desperate man makes a bad bargain with a man in black; an extraordinarily horrible dummy exercises a frightful control over his terrified ventriloquist; a condemned murderer lives again through the eyes of an innocent child . . . These are the plots of just a few of the brilliant tales you will find in this volume as you enter the bizarre world of master storyteller Gerald Kersh. With a focus on Kersh's science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, On an Odd Note (1958) contains thirteen of his best. This first-ever reprint features a new introduction by Nick Mamatas. Contains: Seed of Destruction, Frozen Beauty, Reflections in a Tablespoon, The Crewel Needle, The Sympathetic Souse, The Queen of Pig Island, Prophet Without Honor, The Beggars' Stone, The Extraordinarily Horrible Dummy, The Brighton Monster, Fantasy of a Hunted Man, The Gentleman All in Black, and The Eye. "Gerald Kersh had a wild imagination matched by a vivid, near-hallucinatory style. Many of his concepts are so original that they blur the distinction between fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horror, but the cumulative impact of his short stories is horrific in the extreme." - Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural "Kersh tells a story, as such, rather better than anybody else." - Pamela Hansford Johnson, Daily Telegraph "Gerald Kersh has a strange, perverted sort of genius. And how he can write!" - Virginia Kirkus

Edenborn begins with a stark vision--a microbial apocalypse called Black Ep has wiped humanity from the globe, yet not all is lost. Six individuals have survived the epidemic and are now committed to the task of rebuilding a peaceful civilization. But not everyone shares the same vision, and soon two very different societies begin to form. As we follow a child from each 'family' someone - or something - begins to threaten their innocence. And as the mystery mounts, a mutated strain of Black Ep makes a deadly return. Now the architects who gave breath to this new world must scramble to protect their children from a two-front assault.

"An advanced alien civilization discovers a space probe from earth. Their quest to find us sets into motion a chain of events that threaten their very existence. At the center of the mystery is Agot, a 3-million-year-old android from another galaxy... and a mind-boggling solution to the missing link puzzle in human evolution"--Page 4 of cover.