142 results for "Fantasy"

Casanova in Bohemia: A Novel

Codrescu, Andrei
Beloved NPR commentator and popular author Andrei Codrescu makes a stunning return to historical fiction, detailing the adventurous life and erotic times of the famed illuminist Giacomo Casanova. In his national bestseller The Blood Countess, Andrei Codrescu brought to life the bloodthirsty royal Elizabeth Bathory, who embodied nearly all the contradictions of the seventeenth century. Now he depicts the astonishing life of the legendary Casanova, as the old adventurer relives his life while writing his memoirs in a provincial Bohemian castle at the end of the eighteenth century. Far from being defeated by age, Casanova delights in the maidservants, reacts with intellectual vigor to the unfolding of the French Revolution, and collaborates with Mozart on Don Giovanni. Long considered the rhapsodist of an age of aristocratic mirth, scandal, and innumerable affairs, Casanova was also a first-rate intellect who corresponded and argued with Voltaire and Rousseau. His published work, besides the celebrated History of My Life, includes a multivolume fantasy fiction novel that predates and anticipates Jules Verne; translations of Italian classics into French; and a number of plays that were produced on the great stages of Europe. Casanova's romantic legend overshadowed his literary work, which was, for the most part, not published until 1960. The fate of his writings was nearly as fabulous and intriguing as that of their author. Still, even in abridged, bowdlerized, and fragmentary form, Casanova's memoirs have inspired writers as diverse as Flaubert, Stendhal, Hermann Hesse, and now, Andrei Codrescu. Codrescu's vivid fictional account illuminates the interest we still have in this uncompromising and magical libertine, while it imagines how his life would have continued if Casanova's immortality had extended beyond the literary. In Codrescu's retelling of the Casanova legend, readers are introduced to an age far less inhibited than our own, and far more interesting in its vices. At once a libertine, a defender of women, a reactionary, a revolutionary, a brilliant observer, and a visionary, Casanova was a man ahead of his time both in thought and in action. Finally, in this inventive and absorbing work, Casanova is given due credit for his writings, his philosophies, and, of course, for the amorous magic that has been made known to so many.
Free Press 2007-06-25 336 pages

Ixion In Heaven

Benjamin Earl of Beaconsfi Disraeli
Venture into the realm of mythological fiction with Benjamin Disraeli's satirical fantasy, "Ixion In Heaven." This witty tale draws upon Greek mythology to explore timeless themes with humor and sharp social commentary. The story centers on Ixion, a figure from Greek myth, and his unexpected journey. Disraeli's work is a delightful example of satirical writing. Through clever prose and fantastical scenarios, the author delivers a story that transcends time. Readers who enjoy humorous fiction and imaginative reimaginings of classic tales will find this book a rewarding experience. "Ixion In Heaven" offers a unique blend of fantasy and satire, showcasing Disraeli's skill in crafting engaging and thought-provoking narratives. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Creative Media Partners, LLC 2025-03-28 26 pages

The country you have never seen: essays and reviews

Russ, Joanna
In 1959, at the age of 22, Joanna Russ published her first science fiction story, “Nor Custom Stale,” in The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. In the forty-five years since, Russ has continued to write some of the most popular, creative, and important novels and stories in science fiction. She was a central figure, along with contemporaries Ursula K. Le Guin and James Tiptree, in revolutionizing science fiction in the 1960s and 1970s, and her 1970 novel The Female Man is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential depictions of a feminist utopia in the entire genre. The Country You Have Never Seen gathers Joanna Russ’s most important essays and reviews, revealing the vital part she played over the years in the never-ending conversation among writers and fans about the roles, boundaries, and potential of science fiction. Spanning her entire career, the collection shines a light on Russ’s role in the development of new wave science fiction and feminist science fiction, while at the same time providing fascinating insight into her own development as a writer.
Liverpool University Press 2007-07-01 305 pages

Anno domini 2000, or, Woman's destiny

Vogel, Julius Sir
Anno Domini 2000; Or, Woman's Destiny (1889) is a novel by Sir Julius Vogel. Written by the former prime minister of New Zealand, the novel sold poorly upon publication. In recent years, however, the novel has been recognized as a groundbreaking work of science fiction that uncannily predicted many of the social developments that would define New Zealand's contribution to human civilization in the twentieth century, notably its status as the first nation to grant women the right to vote. "The barriers which man in his own interest set to the occupation of woman having once been broken down, the progress of woman in all pursuits requiring judgment and intellect has been continuous; and the sum of that progress is enormous." In the year 2000, the British Empire is an Imperial Federation apart from an independent Ireland. Having granted women the right to vote, British society has enjoyed a revolution in gender roles from the top down. Hilda Fitzherbert, the young and charismatic Prime Minister of New Zealand, is a shining example of the new woman of the twenty-first century. When her burgeoning romance with Emperor Albert threatens diplomatic relations with the United States, the peaceful world order faces the threat of war. This edition of Frank Aubrey's Anno Domini 2000; Or, Woman's Destiny is a classic of science fiction reimagined for modern readers. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
Mint Editions 2021 127 pages

Die Harzreise

Heine, Heinrich
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.
BiblioBazaar 2008-08-21 114 pages

DAI: (enough) : a play

Bahr, Iris
Set in a Tel Aviv café in the moments before a suicide bomber enters, Iris Bahr’s 2008 Lucille Lortel Award–winning DAI (enough) courageously speaks to tragic current events. Bahr plays eleven different characters who span the ideological and class spectrum of Israeli society, including a Zionist kibbutznik, an evangelical from America funding an Armageddon fantasy, a West Bank settler, a snooty expat living in Long Island, and a Palestinian professor trying to keep her son from taking the path of extremism. Thanks to the emotional depth and honesty with which Bahr endows these characters and their individual stories, a complex portrait of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict emerges. Alternately very funny and tragic, DAI (enough) is a brave attempt to humanize the headlines.
Northwestern University Press 2009-10-28 73 pages

The one-handed pianist and other stories

Stavans, Ilan
Haunting and enigmatic, these nine loosely connected stories are evidence of the growing field of Jewish-Latin American fiction. "A Heaven Without Crows," structured as a letter from Kafka to his friend Max Brod, details the labyrinthine paths of his tortured soul. "The Invention of Memory," awarded the Gamma Literature Prize, is also a tribute to Eastern European letters, in which a Czech man with a portentous memory is diagnosed with a deteriorating illness. He travels to Mexico to look for his past and fight against oblivion by carefully staging his vanishing reminiscences. "Three Nightmares" proves that fantasy and reality, people and things, are form-shifting aspects of one another. And the title story is a bizarre tale, a succinct and tangential homage to Felisberto Hernandez's piano narratives and to Oliver Sacks's neurological anecdotes, in which a young woman loses touch with one of her hands. The volume concludes with an autobiographical essay, "Lost in Translation," in which Stavans comments on his experience growing up Jewish in Mexico. Told with wit and precision, these stories are at once a meditation on politics and the imagination in the Hispanic world, compelling allegories on the nature of freedom and individuality, a study of guilt, and a savage satire on the rigorous banality of life. The delicious secrets of Stavans's imagination unfold in these endearing tales with the authority of dreams, questioning our philosophical assumptions and portraying the universe as a vast, mysterious theater where everything is sacred but nothing is absolute.
University of New Mexico Press 1996 196 pages

Time of the Phoenix

Aaron Rosenberg
KEEPING THE FLAMES ALIVE The immortal Phoenix, avatar of passion and individuality, appears at key points throughout history to inspire humanity's creative endeavors-and stop those who would quench their fire. In 1593, Christopher Marlowe struggles to complete his latest play-and battles dark forces drowning London in disease, madness, and mayhem. In Lake Geneva, in 1816, renowned poet Lord Byron gathers several friends at a villa for what becomes a harrowing experience. In 1920s Hollywood, someone is murdering young women in the silent film world-and it looks like a certain Latin Lover could be the culprit! In the 1930s, as a new form of music rises from the Mississippi Delta leads to answers, enemies, a chance to settle old scores-and a brand-new King. From bestselling author Aaron Rosenberg comes a historical dark fantasy thriller about art, inspiration, and the extraordinary sacrifices one man must make to shield mankind from all forms of darkness, even those rising from within.
CLOCKWORKS 2021-10-12 310 pages

Stealing the Storm

Aaron Rosenberg
Missing mages, rapacious pirates, deadly storms-and a pair of young adventurers stuck in the middle! Sundra Aruvar and his "brother" Ruhi Naidu have thus far survived being captured and indentured by pirates. In fact, after catching the culprit who murdered two pirate lords, the pair are thriving. That is, until one of the pirate lords assigns them a new task. Her weather mage, a member of the tight-knit thalakurioi, has gone missing. And she wants Sundra and Ruhi to find out what happened. Doing so will send them far from the pirate capital of Surpakat, all across the Areyat Isles. They'll make new friends-and new enemies-and discover a whole new level to this strange pirate society. But, in the end, can they survive this mystery? Because mages are a dangerous lot-and someone doesn't want the missing ones found! * * * The second in bestselling author Aaron Rosenberg's Areyat Isles series of fantasy pirate mystery adventures set within the world of Eldros Legacy!
Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp 2023-07-10 318 pages

The Joss A Reversion

Richard Marsh
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Creative Media Partners, LLC 2022-10-27 322 pages

Algorithmic Shapeshifting Poems

Bogi Takács
Algorithmic Shapeshifting is the first poetry collection of Bogi Takács, winner of the Lambda award for editing Transcendent 2: The Year's Best Transgender Speculative Fiction, and finalist for the Hugo and Locus awards. The collection includes poems from the past decade and previously unpublished work. The scope of pieces extends from the present and past of Jewish life in Hungary and the United States to the far-future, outer-space reaches of the speculative—always with a sense of curiosity and wonder. “Bogi Takács is a poet of visceral exuberance and Talmudic invention. Moving as dazzlingly between genres as languages, e makes the reader eir kaleidoscope where ancient traditions, unenvisioned technologies, and children's toys tumble with ordinary, transcendent precision, imagining new ways of being and observing others signally extant. These poems draw blood and spark synapses, make dauntingly familiar and tenderly strange. You should let them change you.” Sonya Taaffe, author of Forget the Sleepless Shores “Bogi Takács's poetry is gleefully and unabashedly itself, pulling the reader through surreal worlds of visceral magic, body modification, political wit, and interpersonal devotion. Whether looking back into Talmudic history, forward into a science fictional psychic war, or sinking into the earth and growing flowers from its own eye sockets, "Algorithmic Shapeshifting" presents a voice that is consistently fresh, startling, and sincere.” Ada Hoffmann, author of The Outside
Aqueduct Press 2019 114 pages

Concentration

Jack Dann
Tese confronting and thought provoking stories are written from a perspective rarely seen in literature. Concentration is nothing less than an attempt to describe the indescribable . . . to come to terms with the unthinkable. The Holocaust was so terrible, so far on the edges of comprehension, so surreal, so psychologically cyclonic and horrific in dimension and effect that perhaps it might best be glimpsed through the reflections of metaphor and fantasy. Dann answers the historian Hayden White's call to revise our notion of what constitutes realistic representation in order to take account of experiences that are unique to our century and for which older modes of representation have proven inadequate. And given the historical amnesia that seems to characterize our time, a work such as this is also . . . necessary.
PS Publishing Limited 2016 249 pages

Ninth Avenue

Maxwell Bodenheim
Step back into the vibrant and turbulent world of 1920s New York City with Maxwell Bodenheim's "Ninth Avenue." This rediscovered work of literary fiction offers a stark and compelling social commentary on urban life and the struggles of poverty. Bodenheim's narrative, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing metropolis, explores the social life and customs of a bygone era. "Ninth Avenue" provides a glimpse into the underbelly of a city teeming with ambition and hardship. Its enduring appeal lies in its unflinching portrayal of human experience, capturing the essence of a specific time and place while resonating with universal themes. Experience the raw energy and gritty realism of urban life in this rediscovered classic. A compelling read for anyone interested in literary fiction, urban fantasy, or the sociological study of city life. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Creative Media Partners, LLC 2025-03-29 134 pages

Blackguard

Maxwell Bodenheim,Wallace Smith
Maxwell Bodenheim's "Blackguard" plunges into the vibrant, turbulent heart of bohemian life, offering a sharp social commentary on urban existence. Set against the backdrop of New York City, this literary fiction explores the unconventional attitudes and struggles of individuals living outside the mainstream. Bodenheim's work provides a glimpse into a world of artists, dreamers, and social outcasts navigating the complexities of city life. More than just a story, "Blackguard" is an enduring reflection on societal norms and the timeless quest for personal expression. This meticulously prepared edition brings the historical text back into print, allowing readers to rediscover its unique perspective and lasting relevance. Its exploration of urban life and bohemianism remains as captivating and thought-provoking as when it was first written. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Creative Media Partners, LLC 2025-03-29 108 pages

Forgotten Lore A Fantasy Anthology

Martin Lewis
Rich, full, experimental and long lasting contributions to the ecology of fantasy. Forgotten Lore brings together fourteen fantasy writers who bring fourteen tales to life. Each one a unique glimpse into a new world they have meticulously crafted.If you're new to the genre, this is an ideal place to start, so you begin with the multitude of ideas that count here.
Independently Published 2018-03-13 228 pages