To honor the magnificent career of Jack Vance, one unparalleled in achievement and impact, George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, with the full cooperation of Vance, his family, and his agents, have created a Jack Vance tribute anthology: Songs of the Dying Earth . The best of today's fantasy writers to return to the unique and evocative milieu of The Dying Earth, from which they and so many others have drawn so much inspiration, to create their own brand-new adventures in the world of Jack Vance's greatest novel. Half a century ago, Jack Vance created the world of the Dying Earth, and fantasy has never been the same. Now, for the first time ever, Jack has agreed to open this bizarre and darkly beautiful world to other fantasists, to play in as their very own. To say that other fantasy writers are excited by this prospect is a gross understatement; one has told us that he'd crawl through broken glass for the chance to write for the anthology, another that he'd gladly give up his right arm for the privilege. That's the kind of regard in which Jack Vance and The Dying Earth are held by generations of his peers. This book contains a collection of original short stories from George R. R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, Dan Simmons, Elizabeth Moon, Tanith Lee, Tad Williams, Kage Baker, and Robert Silverberg, along with fifteen others--as well as an introduction by Dean Koontz.

"In 1965, a mysterious beam of blue light descended from space, illuminating Northern California. This extraterrestrial beam possessed strange powers, causing those it touched to either die, go mad, or gain a unique, extraordinary ability. This newfound power represented the full actualization of human potential, bestowing strengths, understandings, and communication abilities far beyond normal human capacities. Those affected by the light were soon dubbed "Blues" and were segregated from society due to their superhuman abilities. United by their shared experiences, the Blues began searching for their purpose in the universe. However, an evil force known as the "Gray Man" soon emerged, setting the stage for a battle between good and evil. The Gray Man, originally Horace LaFontaine, was a character struck by the light at the moment of his death, revivified as a demon with a mission to annihilate the Blues. Once the Blues discovered their nemesis, they took refuge in the forests outside Northern California. Despite their efforts to hide, the Gray Man learned of their location through inside sources. Determined to confront their enemy, the Blues decided to declare war on the Gray Man. This epic battle, which takes place at the novel's climax, showcases the Blues utilizing their extraordinary powers to ultimately destroy the Gray Man. After their victory, the Blues settled into small cities in Northern California, integrating and living normal lives alongside the other residents of California"--

This story collection contains: The Singing Bell; The Talking Stone; What's in a Name; The Dying Night; Pate de Fois Gras; The Dust of Death; A Loint of Paw; I'm in Marsport Without Hilda; Marooned Off Vesta; Anniversary; Obituary; Star Light; The Key; and The Billiard Ball.

"This original anthology of all-new stories harkens back to the Golden Age of SF, when science fiction was filled with tales from our own solar system, at a time when no one knew what lay on the surface of our nearest galactic neighbors and speculation ran rampant. And though that old solar system was "disproved" in the 1960s, when space probes showed that the real worlds were very different from those of our imaginations, these linked anthologies take us back to the time when it still seemed possible that Mars was home to dying civilizations, and Venus was a steamy, swampy jungle world, with strange creatures lurking amidst the lush vegetation. "--

Over 400,000 words. More than 1,000 pages, including nine novellas, unpublished teleplays, rare, never before collected short stories, and a small volume's worth of introductions and commentary. Each of the more than 30 stories will feature a full-page black and white illustration commissioned especially for this volume by Tim Truman, Mark A. Nelson, Janet Aulisio, Ron Brown and other fine artists. Lettered: 52 signed leatherbound copies, housed in a handcrafted traycase, with original art not in the Limited or Trade editions This is copy ZZ.

Includes such stories as "Sally," about a thinking, feeling machine; "Franchise," in which an electronic democracy rules; and "Profession," in which only the gainfully employed are allowed to live

For more than forty years, Harry Turtledove has been the acknowledged master of one of science fiction's most durable sub-genres: the tale of alternate history. In the course of an incredibly prolific career, Turtledove has created a host of brilliantly imagined revisionist histories on subjects ranging from the American Civil War to the Byzantine Empire to the Second World War (in which an alien invasion plays an unexpected role.) His work includes standalone novels and multi-volume epics, along with an impressive array of short fiction, the best of which has been gathered in this generous, irreplaceable volume. The Best of Harry Turtledove opens with "Peace is Better," the first of three stories featuring Bill Williamson, the nine-foot-tall Sasquatch who serves as governor of the fictional state of Jefferson, a place where "everyone gets along, regardless of race or size." Or species. "Bonehunters" posits a world in which the extinction event that ended the reign of the dinosaurs never took place. Two subsequent stories, "Junior & Me" and the Melville-inspired novella, "The Quest for the Great Gray Mossy," continue to develop this scenario. "The Eighth Grade History Class Visits the Hebrew Home for the Aging" imagines a world in which Anne Frank survived and emigrated to the United States, where she recounts her experiences to a visiting middle school class. "But It Does Move" is the account of a fictional confrontation between Galileo and a leader of the Holy Inquisition. These are only a few of the people, places, and historical epochs you will encounter in this magisterial collection. The twenty-four stories in The Best of Harry Turtledove constitute a master class both in the technique of alternate history and in the art of narrative itself. Longtime Turtledove readers will take this book to their hearts. Newcomers will find themselves searching for more of the author's inimitable--and highly addictive--fiction. They have a lot to look forward to.

From New York Times bestselling author Harry Turtledove, the modern master of alternate history, a novel of alien contact set in the tumultuous year of the Watergate scandal. It's 1974, and Jerry Stieglitz is a grad student in marine biology at UCLA with a side gig selling short stories to science fiction magazines, just weeks away from marrying his longtime fiancée. Then his life is upended by grim-faced men from three-letter agencies who want him to join a top-secret "Project Azorian" in the middle of the north Pacific Ocean—and they really don't take "no" for an answer. Further, they're offering enough money to solve all of his immediate problems. Joining up and swearing to secrecy, what he first learns is that Project Azorian is secretly trying to raise a sunken Russian submarine, while pretending to be harvesting undersea manganese nodules. But the dead Russian sub, while real, turns out to be a cover story as well. What's down on the ocean floor next to it is the thing that killed the sub: an alien spacecraft. Jerry's a scientist, a longhair, a storyteller, a dreamer. He stands out like a sore thumb on the Glomar Explorer , a ship full of CIA operatives, RAND Corporation eggheads, and roustabout divers. But it turns out that he's the one person in the North Pacific who's truly thought out all the ways that human-alien first contact might go. And meanwhile, it's still 1974 back on the mainland. Richard Nixon is drinking heavily and talking to the paintings on the White House walls. The USA is changing fast—and who knows what will happen when this story gets out? Three Miles Down is both a fresh and original take on First Contact, and a hugely enjoyable romp through the pop culture, political tumult, and conspiracies-within-conspiracies atmosphere that was 1974.

"In 1973 celebrated writer and editor Harlan Ellison announced the third and final volume of his unprecedented anthology series, which began with Dangerous Visions and continued with Again, Dangerous Visions. But for reasons undisclosed, The Last Dangerous Visions was never completed. Provocative and controversial, socially conscious and politically charged, wildly imaginative yet deeply grounded, the thirty-two never-before-published stories, essays, and poems in The Last Dangerous Visions stand as a testament to Ellison's lifelong pursuit of art, uniting a diverse range of science fiction writers both famous and newly minted, including Max Brooks, Edward Bryant, Cecil Castellucci, James S. A. Corey, Howard Fast, P. C. Hodgell, Dan Simmons, Robert Sheckley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mildred Downey Broxon, and Cory Doctorow, among others. The historic publication of The Last Dangerous Visions completes the long-awaited final chapter in an incredible literary legacy."--Amazon.

The universe of the mind is a limitless expanse of wonders, filled with worlds and secrets that cannot be fully explored within the pages of a single novel. Avid readers of science fiction have long appreciated the myriad joys of returning to fictional galaxies already experienced. In Far Horizons, a variable "Who's Who" of science fiction's most beloved and highly honored writers once again revisit the remariable worlds they created and made famous. Perhaps the greatest concentration of science fiction talent ever in one volume, this unprecedented masterpiece reopens vast empires of imagination and adventure to new explorations and appreciations. It is a major SF event, sure to bring unparalleled joy to the hearts of serious fans everywhere.

The winner of a Nebula and three Hugos invites readers to view his gallery of very unusual portraits--some bizarre, some touching, all unforgettable. Martin is well-known for his television writing for such programs as The Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast.

Sister Emily's Lightship and Other Stories is Jane Yolen's first collection of short stories written for adults. It includes the award-winning title story, as well as three new, never-before published, works.

Aliens in all shapes and sizes--some fearsome, some outlandish, and some just plain fun--fill the pages of these hand-picked classic stories by sci-fi grand master Robert Silverberg, each featuring a new introduction by the acclaimed author. Every day we are discovering new worlds in far-reaching galaxies which may or may not sustain life as we know it. In Alien Archives: Eighteen Stories of Extraterrestrial Encounters , sci-fi Grand Master Robert Silverberg collects his finest short stories and novellas about one of the genre's most enduring themes. Spanning fifty years of writing from the Science Fiction Grand Master, this collection of alien encounters features new introductions to all fifteen stories, including the Hugo Award-nominated "Schwartz Between the Galaxies" and HBO adapted "Amanda and the Alien." In these pages lie tales of a young man venturing into the occupied territory of an alien conquered United States to rescue his brother, three visitors from a very strange alien world arriving on Earth and meeting a tragic fate, and a dangerous life-form from a far-off world finding that suburban California holds some beings that are even more dangerous than it is. With Alien Archives , Silverberg puts us in contact with extraterrestrial beings of all shapes, sizes, and personalities--some fearsome, some outlandish, and some just plain fun. The Associated Press says, "Done Silverberg's way, science fiction is a fine art." With sheer force of imagination and incredible storytelling skills, Alien Archives confirms that Silverberg's classic work continues to resonate for readers today.

What does a writer who produced two hundred books do with his spare time? If his name is Isaac Asimov, he writes - on any and every subject of interest to his fertile mind. Informative, amusing, timely, and provocative - OPUS 200 is Asimov at his sparkling best in selections carefully culled from his second hundred books. Drawing on novels (which have won both the Hugo and Nebula awards), on short stories, serious essays, and on children's books, Asimov addresses himself to everything from Black Holes to biblical Canaan. Here is a taste of the intelligence, the craftsmanship, and the ingenuity that have made Issac Asimov the most prolific writer of science fiction in the world.

A sci-fi classic from the master of space fiction. Iaac Asimov put together a book of his favorite short stories. If you are a sci-fi fan, you must own this book!

A collection of thirteen short stories includes tales of an alternate world where the weather is time, a faeries' challenge to a young prince, and a possible explanation for Jack the Ripper

With a Little Help is my first serious experiment in self-publishing. I’ve published many novels, short story collections, books of essays and so on with publishers, and it’s all been very good and satisfying and educational and so on, but it seems like it’s time to try something new. You see, I’ve always released my work under open licenses from the Creative Commons project, so that my readers could share and remix my works. A good number of these readers wanted to know why I didn’t distribute the physical book as well, and see what a writer working on his own could do. So here we have it. With a Little Help, consists of 12 stories, all reprints except for “Epoch,” which was commissioned by the Ubuntu project‘s Mark Shuttleworth for $10,000 (this being the most expensive option for buying the book — don’t worry, there are cheaper editions).

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.