“Harry Turtledove [is] probably the best-known practitioner of alternate history working today.”— American Heritage The year is 1915, and the world is convulsing. Though the Confederacy has defeated its northern enemy twice, this time the United States has allied with the Kaiser. In the South, the freed slaves, fueled by Marxist rhetoric and the bitterness of a racist nation, take up the weapons of the Red rebellion. Despite these advantages, the United States remains pinned between Canada and the Confederate States of America, so the bloody conflict continues and grows. Both presidents—Theodore Roosevelt of the Union and staunch Confederate Woodrow Wilson—are stubbornly determined to lead their nations to victory, at any cost. . .

“Turtledove is the standard-bearer for alternate history.”— USA Today The novels of Harry Turtledove show history balancing on single moments: One act of folly. One poor decision. One moment of rage. In this astounding new series, the unthinkable has come to pass. The Cold War turns hot—and the United States and the Soviet Union unleash their nuclear arsenals upon each other. Millions die. Millions more are displaced. Germans battle side by side with Americans, Polish freedom fighters next to Russian fascists. The genie is out of the bottle. And there’s no telling what fresh hell will come next. At the heart of Fallout are Harry Truman and Josef Stalin. Even as Joe McCarthy rises in power, the U.S. president is focused elsewhere, planning to cut off the head of the Soviet threat by taking out Stalin. It’s a daring gambit, but the Soviets have one of their own. Meanwhile, Europe’s weak sisters, France and Italy, seem poised to choose the winning side, while China threatens to overrun Korea. With Great Britain ravaged and swaths of America in ruins, leaders are running out of options. When the United States drops another series of bombs to slow the Russian advance in Europe, Stalin strikes back—with horrifying results. These staggering events unfold through the eyes of a sprawling cast of characters: a Holocaust survivor in a displaced persons camp in Washington; the wife of a bomber pilot and her five-year-old daughter starting a new existence; a savage Soviet fighter waging war by his own rules; a British pub owner falling in love with an American pilot. In the masterly hands of Harry Turtledove, this epic chronicle of war becomes a story of human struggle. As the armies of the world implode, the next chapter will be written by the survivors—those willing to rise up for an uncertain future. Praise for Fallout “Turtledove proves, yet again, that he is the best when it comes to rewriting history!” — Suspense Magazine “Turtledove, the master of alternate history, has done well again.” — Shelf Awareness “No one writes alternate-history novels quite like Turtledove. . . . Expect epic political stakes as well as personal and heartfelt stories of war.” —BookTrib

In this spectacular, thought-provoking epic of alternate history, Harry Turtledove has created an unparalleled vision of social upheaval, war, and cutthroat politics in a world very much like our own—but with dramatic differences. It is 1924—a time of rebuilding, from the slow reconstruction of Washington’s most honored monuments to the reclamation of devastated cities in Europe and Canada. In the United States, the Socialist Party, led by Hosea Blackford, battles Calvin Coolidge to hold on to the Powell House in Philadelphia. And it seems as if the Socialists can do no wrong, for the stock market soars and America enjoys prosperity unknown in a half century. But as old names like Custer and Roosevelt fade into history, a new generation faces new uncertainties. The Confederate States, victorious in the War of Secession and in the Second Mexican War but at last tasting defeat in the Great War, suffer poverty and natural calamity. The Freedom Party promises new strength and pride. But if its chief seizes the reins of power, he may prove a dangerous enemy for the hated U.S.A. Yet the United States take little note. Sharing world domination with Germany, they consider events in the Confederacy of little consequence. As the 1920s end, calamity casts a pall across the continent. With civil war raging in Mexico, terrorist uprisings threatening U.S. control in Canada, and an explosion of violence in Utah, the United States are rocked by uncertainty. In a world of occupiers and the occupied, of simmering hatreds, shattered lives, and pent-up violence, the center can no longer hold. And for a powerful nation, the ultimate shock will come when a fleet of foreign aircraft rain death and destruction upon one of the great cities of the United States. . . .

A refreshing new look for this beloved classic! Because her noodle pudding is so delicious, a band of pirates kidnaps Grandma and her parrot, Oliver. When her granddaughter Melissa tries to save them, she gets captured too. Life aboard the pirate ship isn't so bad -- Grandma makes lots of noodle puddings and Melissa helps to sail the ship. But the pirates are mean and nasty. At last Melissa comes up with a plan: they'll stop trying to get away from the pirates, and let the pirates get away from them. Join Grandma, Melissa and Oliver for a rollicking adventure as they take to the high seas with three hungry, savage pirates.

"Stern" follows the story of Irving Stern, a Jewish man living in New York City who finds himself disillusioned with his life and career. As an advertising executive, Stern is successful but deeply unhappy, feeling trapped in a world of superficiality and materialism. The novel explores Stern's existential crisis as he grapples with questions of identity, purpose, and authenticity. Feeling disconnected from his Jewish heritage and dissatisfied with his marriage and career, Stern embarks on a journey of self-discovery, seeking meaning and fulfillment in a world that often seems absurd and meaningless. As Stern navigates the complexities of urban life, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters, including fellow advertising executives, artists, and intellectuals, each with their own struggles and desires. Through a series of darkly comedic and often surreal encounters, Stern confronts his own insecurities and fears, ultimately coming to terms with his place in the world.

Poor Jacob Two-Two. Not only must he say everything twice just to be heard over his four brothers and sisters, but he finds himself the prisoner of the dreaded Hooded Fang. What had he done to deserve such a punishment? The worst crime of all – insulting a grown-up! Although he’s small, Jacob is not helpless, especially when The Infamous Two come to his aid.

The final volume of In Search of Lost Time chronicles the years of World War I, when, as M. de Charlus reflects on a moonlit walk, Paris threatens to become another Pompeii. Years later, after the war's end, Proust's narrator returns to Paris, where Mme. Verdurin has become the Princesse de Guermantes. He reflects on time, reality, jealousy, artistic creation, and the raw material for literature-his past life.

*** USA Today bestseller *** The year is 2066 and the world is oblivious to the threat it faces. The fate of humanity lies on the shoulders of Burt Radcliffe, the new head of NASA's Near Earth Object program. He's been rushing the completion of DefenseNet, a ring of satellites that are both part of an early-warning system as well as the means to eliminate incoming threats. Yet Burt knows that despite the world's best efforts, nothing can be done about the alert he's just received. Coming out of deep space is a danger that's been approaching since the dawn of time. A black hole. An unstoppable threat that promises death for all in its wake. Dave Holmes was a modern-day Einstein. As the original architect of DefenseNet, he'd had visions of this Primordial Threat before he disappeared, yet he'd left behind no details on how the problem might be solved. Can Holmes be found, and if so, will his solution even work? The world has less than a year to find out.

Now in paperback for the first time, the story of Charlie, a kid who knows how to be ready for any situation…. Just in Case . If a downpour turns into a flash flood or the grocery store should close indefinitely, Charlie knows exactly what he’ll do. But as Charlie is about to discover, sometimes not being ready is even better than being prepared for everything. She wants them. She needs them. She loves them. Earrings! What won’t a girl do to finally get her ears pierced? Find out in this delightful tale that perfectly captures the yearnings of a young girl in desperate need of beautiful, glorious earrings! According to Olivia—who is practically perfect—her younger sister Sophie isn’t very neat. But she’s not just messy, either…. She’s Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest! Olivia’s family tries to show her that Sophie is plenty of things besides a slob, but Olivia is unconvinced. Pictures from Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of Fancy Nancy , make this book super-completely and totally fun!

Space Science Fiction was launched in may of 1952. During it's impressive run it published many of Science Fictions top writers. Collected here in this massive six hundred plus page anthology are all of the most important stories that were published during its distinguished run. If you enjoyed this book, you'll want to search on "Positronic Publishing Super Pack" and check out all our other Super Packs! Included here are: Second Variety by Philip K. Dick Youth by Isaac Asimov To Each His Star by Bryce Walton Security by Poul Anderson Divinity by William Morrison The Hour of Battle by Robert Sheckley Instant of Decision by Randall Garrett Let 'em Breathe Space! By Lester Del Rey The Ultroom Error by Jerry Sohl Infinite Intruder by Alan E. Nourse Collectivum by Mike Lewis The Adventurer by C. M. Kornbluth Decision by Frank M. Robinson Pursuit by Lester del Rey Exile by H. B. Fyfe Stop Look and Dig by George O. Smith The Worshippers by Damon Knight The Hunters by William Morrison The Ego Machine by Henry Kuttner The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick Ullr Uprising by H. Beam Piper

In Harry Turtledove's The Gladiator, the Soviet Union won the Cold War. The Russians were a little smarter than they were in our own world, and the United States was a little dumber and a lot less resolute. Now, more than a century later, the world's gone Communist, and capitalism is a bad word. For Gianfranco and his friend Annarita, a couple of teenagers growing up in Milan, life in a heavily regimented, surveillance-rich command economy is just plain dreary. The eventual withering-away of the state doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon. Annarita's a hard-working student and a member of the Young Socialists' League. Gianfranco is a lot less motivated--but on the other hand, his father's a Party apparatchik. The biggest excitement in their lives is a wargame shop called The Gladiator, which runs tournaments, and stocks marvelous complex games you can't find anywhere else. Then, abruptly, the shop is shut down. Someone's figured out that The Gladiator's games are teaching counterrevolutionary capitalist principles. The Security Police are searching high and low for the shop's proprietors, who've not only vanished into thin air, but have left behind sets of fingerprints that aren't in the records of any government on earth. Only one staffer is left: Gianfranco and Annarita's friend Eduardo. He's on the run, and he comes to them in secret with an astonishing story: he's a time trader from our own timeline, accidentally left behind when the store was evacuated. The only way Eduardo can get home to his own timeline is if Gianfranco and Annarita can help him reach one of the other time trader sites in this world--and the Security Police will be on their tails all the way there.

"A Stone for Danny Fisher" is an early masterpiece by Harold Robbins, who went on to become one of the most popular and most financially successful writers of all time. The early part of this book seems to be almost autobiographical, as Harold Robbins himself grew up as a poor Jewish boy who first went to work at age 15 to support his family and then held numerous low level jobs until he found his true calling as a millionaire writer and movie producer. A Stone for Danny Fischer is now most famous for being made into a 1958 movie starring Elvis Presley. The movie is entitled "King Carole" and all critics agree that this is by far the greatest acting performance by Elvis. Elvis has to play a complex and conflicted character, quite unlike the typical Elvis movies where Elvis sings while a bevy of girls swoon over him. Few novelists know the seamy side of New York as well as Harold Robins - the terror of the streets, the ways to make a shady buck by playing along with gamblers and mobsters, the unbridled lusts and passions of slum life. But his new hero does not start at the bottom. Instead, Danny Fischer, born into a family of modest means and respectability is gradually driven downward into the world of crime racketeering and poverty. His bitterness, his loneliness over the loss of the house in Brooklyn that was given to him for his eighth birthday, and his feud with his harsh father pull him one way, his natural decency and love for a sweet Italian girl, Nellie Petito, pull him another. Danny might have been one of the boys caught in the recent basketball scandal, though actually he is a boxer - a sensational amateur and potential champ. Later he becomes deeply involved in war time black markets and then in vending-machine rackets. Here Mr. Robbins reveals a little-known side of underworld life. But the driving force behind Danny's actions always is his sustaining love for Nellie. In a story that is harsh and yet tender, realistic and yet compassionate, Robbins reveals what makes the Danny Fishers what they are.

Graphic novel star Greg Rucka's new series featuring ex-Delta Force operative Jad Bell defending the most alarming terrorist target since 9/11: a summer theme park. For the visitors to Wilsonville, the largest theme park in the world, the day began with a smile. By the end, they wonder-will they be able to escape with their lives? Retired Delta Force operator, Master Sergeant Jonathan "Jad" Bell, is Wilsonville's lead undercover security officer. The threat begins with the announcement of a hidden dirty bomb, but quickly becomes something far, far worse. Trained since the age of seventeen to save innocent victims from impossible hostage situations, Jad scrambles to assess the threat and protect the visitors. He will come face to face with a villain whose training matches his in every way-and presents a threat Jad may not be able to stop.

Magically transported to Sherwood Forest, the reader must come to the aid of Robin Hood after the evil Sheriff of Nottingham captures Maid Marian

Kids can be such monsters. Literally. From the award-winning author of Hidden Talents, two remarkable short story collections - Kidzilla and The Witch's Monkey - together for the first time. Plus several brand new stories. Each hilarious and harrowing. A substitute teacher finds out she has some monsters for students. A group of kids attempt a levitation trick with hair-raising results. A neighborhood is so boring the grown ups are turning into...well...you know. And dozens more. So don't be a weenie! Read these stories!

From the celebrated, New York Times bestselling author comes the twisted thriller of an MIT grad student who unwittingly uncovers the hidden connection between the Gardner Museum heist and the most fascinating secret in American history. THE CARD SHARK : Hailey Gordon is looking to make some fast cash to help pay her tuition when she's caught counting cards at the Encore casino in Boston. She grabs her winnings and makes her escape. With guards closing in, she dives into an unlocked room to hide . . . only to find a dead body. THE EX-CON : Recently released from prison, Nick Patterson hasn't felt hope in a long time, but the job he "inherited" in prison promises to change that. He enters hotel room 633 to find that the person he was supposed to meet has been murdered. Next to the corpse stands a terrified young woman--Hailey Gordon. THE PROFESSOR : American history professor Adrian Jensen learns of the death of his professional nemesis, Charles Walker, the night after he received Walker's latest research. Skeptical at first, Adrian nearly deletes the file. But when one small, new detail catches his eye, he makes it his mission to uncover what could be one of the biggest secrets of the Revolutionary War. All three strangers find themselves on the cusp of an incredible discovery--one that someone is willing to kill to keep buried.

From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Alex Rider series. When the vertically-challenged Johnny Naples entrusts Tim Diamond with a package worth over three million pounds, he’s making a big mistake. Tim Diamond is the worst detective in the world. Next day, Johnny’s dead, Tim feels the heat, and his smart younger brother, Nick, gets the package—and every crook in town on his back!

From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Alex Rider series Thirteen-year-old Nick Diamond is in prison! Framed for a jewel heist, quick-thinking Nick finds himself sharing a cell with public enemy number one: Johnny Powers. Nick’s only chance of clearing his name is to nail the Fence, the country’s master criminal. But to do that, he needs to break out—which is where his bumbling older brother, Tim, comes in. Nick’s not so sure he’ll make it to his fourteenth birthday!