181 results for "Science Fiction"

The Cat Who Came in from the Cold

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
In this sentimental, didactic fable, Masson imagines how the lone, nonsocial, domesticated animal came to share hearth and home.Billi, an Asian leopard cat, lives in a mango forest in ancient India. He enjoys his independence, but he feels pangs of loneliness and curiosity about the "two-foots." He learns their languages - Hindi, Malayam and Sanskrit - and he can "see the appeal of south India's three major religions."Billi embarks on a quest to learn more about humans by discovering what their animals think of them. A water buffalo mourns being underappreciated; a parrot bemoans his cage; a mongoose tells a chilling story about human ingratitude. Billi reminds a cow that it's worshipped by humans. "Oh, great," the cow says. "That and five rupees will get you a chapati."Nine months of travel and no truly good word for humans leaves Billi undeterred and, back home, he seeks out a young girl he'd often watched. It's not easy proving his good intentions or trying to be "the only animal to have a mutually satisfying relationship with humans," but Billi makes it happen in a story that's heartwarming not only for the passionate cat fan but for all readers.A novelette from the author of Raising the Peaceable Kingdom.
Histria Books 2024-03-04 70 pages

The Plainswalker (The Plainswalker Series)

Rothman, M.A.
"The Plainswalker: A Mind-Bending Journey Beyond Imagination" Prepare for an electrifying adventure penned by a USA Today bestselling author, hailed by none other than James M. Ward, author of "Deities and Demigods," as one of his top five fantasy novels. Meet Peabo Smith, a former Special Forces soldier who embarks on a journey that defies the boundaries of science and reality. Volunteering for a daring experiment that rivals the audacity of the moon landing, Peabo believes it's a chance to get back into the action. But as the clandestine government operation known as STAG, the Special Technologies Analysis Group, unfolds its enigmatic mission fifty feet beneath Marine Base Quantico, Peabo realizes that the experiment holds secrets beyond his wildest imagination. "The Plainswalker" is a tale of a soldier thrust into a science experiment that challenges the very fabric of existence. When the unexpected occurs, Peabo's life takes a turn he never saw coming. Join him on a mind-bending journey where the boundaries of reality blur, and the line between science and fantasy vanishes. Will Peabo emerge unscathed from this extraordinary odyssey, or will it change him forever? Buckle up for a thrill ride beyond the cosmos and into the unknown.
Independently published 2021-03-28 378 pages

Pebble in the sky

Asimov, Isaac
Two minutes before he disappeared forever from the face of the Earth he knew, Joseph Schwartz was strolling down the pleasant streets of a Chicago suburb, thinking about his family, He was a simple man, a kind man, a practical man not given to wild flights of imagination. So when he saw the old Raggedy Ann doll lying in his path, he merely smiled and lifted his foot to step over it... That was the only thing he remembered. He did not know that it marked the last act of his life on this earth - and the beginning of a terrifying journey into a strange new world where the twentieth century was already ancient history.
Fawcett 1971 191 pages

Blue light

Mosley, Walter
"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"--
Black Classic Press 2024-12-10 385 pages

Iron Man

Peter David
THE ORIGINAL HEAVY METAL HERO Millionaire industrialist Tony Stark’s genius for designing and building high-tech, ultradestructive weapons for America’s armed forces has inspired critics to dub him the modern-day Leonardo da Vinci–as well as “merchant of death,” a moniker he embraces with cool arrogance. But when he’s ambushed and kidnapped in the middle of a war zone, Stark comes face-to-face with his own mortality . . . and his true destiny. Now, thanks to him, enemy forces are about to meet their maker. And the world of warfare is about to meet its future–a weapon of mass destruction that walks and talks. When man and machine unite, it can only mean one thing: It’s time to stand ready or stand back–but don’t stand in the way, or else risk the mighty metallic fury of . . .
Random House Publishing Group 2008-04-04 320 pages

Secrets from the Deep

Linda Fairstein
In the third Devlin Quick adventure from internationally bestselling author Linda Fairstein, Dev goes to Martha's Vineyard for rest, relaxation...and a hidden pirate treasure! It's the end of summer, and Devlin Quick is invited to join her best friend Booker's family on vacation at their summer home in Martha's Vineyard. Devlin has a science project for school- to take a daily bucket of water from the Vineyard Sound and submit a sample to an oceanographic DNA lab. From that, they can actually tell you what species of fish have been in those waters- striped bass, blues...and sharks! But Devlin comes up with something else in her bucket from the days when pirates hid treasures along the New England coastline. With access to the crime DNA lab back in NYC (courtesy of her mother), Dev is going to solve the mystery of this treasure...and figure out all of the secrets Martha's Vineyard is hiding.
Penguin Publishing Group 2019-11-05 272 pages

Fable for the end of the world

Reid, Ava
By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society. Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt, enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus's livestreamed assassination spectacle : the Lamb's Gauntlet. Melinoe is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks. When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs, the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she's had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother she might stand a chance of staying alive. For Melinoe, this is a game she can't afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption. As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything : Inesa wonders if there's more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she's capable of more than killing. And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 2025-03-04 371 pages

Fantasy Hall of Fame

Silverberg, Robert
Trouble with water / H. L. Gold --Nothing in the rules / L. Sprague de Camp --Fruit of knowledge / C. L. Moore --Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius / Jorge Luis Borges --Compleat werewolf / Anthony Boucher --Small assassin / Ray Bradbury --Lottery / Shirley Jackson --Our fair city / Robert A. Heinlein --There shall be no darkness / James Blish --Loom of darkness / Jack Vance --Man who sold rope to the gnoles / Margaret St. Clair --Silken-swift / Theodore Sturgeon --Golem / Avram Davidson --Operation afreet / Poul Anderson --That hell-bound train / Robert Bloch --Bazaar of the bizarre / Fritz Leiber --Come lady death / Peter S. Beagle --Drowned giant / J. G. Ballard --Narrow valley / R. A. Lafferty --Faith of our fathers / Philip K. Dick --Ghost of a Model T / Clifford D. Simak --Demoness / Tanith Lee --Jeffty is five / Harlan Ellison --Detective of dreams / Gene Wolfe --Unicorn variations / Roger Zelazny --Basileus / Robert Silverberg --Jaguar Hunter / Lucius Shepard --Buffalo gals, won't you come out tonight / Ursula K. Le Guin --Bears discover fire / Terry Bisson --Tower of Babylon / Ted Chiang.
Harper Prism 2000-01-01

A City in Winter

Mark Helprin
Driven to avenge the murder of her royal parents & reclaim her lost kingdom, a daring young heroine & would-be queen journeys to the besieged city on the plain to seek out its evil conqueror, the Usurper. Helprin's spellbinding tale reveals a city veiled in snow, at once divine & deadly. Evocatively told & beautifully rendered, it will enchant readers of all ages. Stunning color illustrations by Chris Van Allsburg capture the exhilaration of the story -- from the pulse of the masses in the palace square to the wrath of the bloodthirsty Usurper who scours the city streets after curfew, to the opulence of an intimate dinner party set for a thousand guests.
Viking/Penguin 1996-04-01 147 pages