In this collection, one of the great classics of science fiction, Asimov set out the principles of robot behavior that we know as the Three Laws of Robotics. Here are stories of robots gone mad, mind-reading robots, robots with a sense of humor, robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world, all told with Asimov's trademark dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction.

Determined to fit in at his New England prep school, the narrator has learned to mimic the bearing and manners of his adoptive tribe while concealing as much as possible about himself. His final year, however, unravels everything he's achieved, and steers his destiny in directions no one could have predicted. The school's mystique is rooted in Literature, and for many boys this becomes an obsession, editing the review and competing for the attention of visiting writers whose fame helps to perpetuate the tradition. Robert Frost, soon to appear at JFK's inauguration, is far less controversial than the next visitor, Ayn Rand. But the final guest is one whose blessing a young writer would do almost anything to gain.

This collection of new translations brings together the small proportion of Kafka's works that he himself thought worthy of publication. It includes Metamorphosis, his most famous work, an exploration of horrific transformation and alienation; Meditation, a collection of his earlier studies; The Judgement, written in a single night of frenzied creativity; The Stoker, th[Bokinfo]

For more than four hundred years, the personal essay has been one of the richest and most vibrant of all literary forms. Distinguished from the detached formal essay by its friendly, conversational tone, its loose structure, and its drive toward candor and self-disclosure, the personal essay seizes on the minutiae of daily life-vanities, fashions, foibles, oddballs, seasonal rituals, love and disappointment, the pleasures of solitude, reading, taking a walk -- to offer insight into the human condition and the great social and political issues of the day. The Art of the Personal Essay is the first anthology to celebrate this fertile genre. By presenting more than seventy-five personal essays, including influential forerunners from ancient Greece, Rome, and the Far East, masterpieces from the dawn of the personal essay in the sixteenth century, and a wealth of the finest personal essays from the last four centuries, editor Phillip Lopate, himself an acclaimed essayist, displays the tradition of the personal essay in all its historical grandeur, depth, and diversity.

An anthology of interconnected short stories captures the lives and destinies of the Samuelsons, a family struggling with tragedy and divorce, in a series of portraits that chronicle Gretel Samuelson's journey through betrayal, grief, conflicting loyalties, friendship, and loss.

Lai Zhen is about to die. As an Internet-famous survivalist, she's spent her life prepping for the end of the world. But now, desperate and cornered in a mall in Singapore, she's mad she might go out not knowing what the hell is going on. If she makes it out alive, what kind of a future will be waiting for her? Across the world, Martha Einkorn works the room at a gathering of mega-rich companies hell-bent securing a future just for them. Covert weapons, private weather, technological prophecy, when Martha fled her father's compound she may have left the cult behind, but if the apocalyptic warnings of his fox and rabbit sermon are starting to come true, how much future is actually left? Martha and Zhen's worlds are about to collide. While a few billionaires assured of their own safety lead the world to destruction, Martha's relentless drive and Zhen's insatiable curiosity could lead to something beautiful or the cataclysmic end of civilization.[Bokinfo]

A collection of 36 of Asimov's most important robot short stories and essays, from Robbie, his first robot story, and the tales of Susan Calvin and the detective team of Lije Bailey and R. Daneel Olivaw, to the title story, written specifically for this volume.

Twenty-five of the finest science fiction short stories from one of the genre’s greatest writers, Isaac Asimov.Isaac Asimov was the Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the founder of robot ethics, and one of the world’s most prolific authors of fiction and non-fiction. Asimov’s short fiction has been enjoyed by millions for more than half a century-- Provided by publisher.

In the Penal Colony ( In der Strafkolonie ) by Franz Kafka is presented here in a precise and faithful English translation. Written in 1914 and published in 1919, this stark and unforgettable story explores justice, obedience, and the cruelty of systems. It follows a visiting traveler to a remote island prison where executions are performed by a mechanical apparatus that inscribes the condemned man's sentence into his flesh. What unfolds is a confrontation between blind devotion to law and the dawning recognition of its absurdity. Kafka's calm, exact prose captures the horror of order turned against itself. Within this brief and haunting tale lies a vision of modern authority stripped of meaning. The officer's faith in the execution machine represents humanity's attachment to rules long after their purpose has decayed. Kafka portrays a civilization that worships efficiency over empathy and obedience over reason. The story's quiet tone and mechanical precision intensify its unease, leaving the reader to confront the terrifying logic of systems that operate without conscience. In the Penal Colony remains one of Kafka's most incisive works, combining psychological insight with moral clarity. It speaks to anyone who has questioned the power of institutions and the price of submission to them. This unabridged edition presents the complete text in a faithful, accessible translation that preserves Kafka's measured rhythm and disturbing lucidity. A cornerstone of twentieth-century literature and an essential read for those drawn to existential, philosophical, and allegorical fiction.

From the wondrously talented author of The mysteries of Pittsburgh and Wonder Boys comes a magnificent collection of ironic, understated tales that confirm his reputation as "the young star of American letters." -- Washington Post Book World . Here are eleven superb stories about growing up and growing wise -- stories in which people attempt to create and inhabit their own model worlds, only to watch them collapse in the face of the real world.

An unprecedented glimpse into the formation of the legendary talent of Leonard Cohen. Before the celebrated late-career world tours, before the Grammy awards, before the chart-topping albums, before 'Hallelujah' and 'So Long, Marianne' and 'Famous Blue Raincoat', the young Leonard Cohen wrote poetry and fiction and yearned for literary stardom. [Bokinfo]

The second collection of short stories from the highly acclaimed author of THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY and WONDER BOYS. There are the two boys of the title story, locked in their own world of fantasy and make-believe, reaching out to each other to survive the terrible prospect of fatherlessness. 'House Hunting' shows us the grim spectacle of a couple whose marriage is in its death throes, and whose search for a happy home is doomed; in another story a couple struggle to overcome the effects of a brutal rape. Elsewhere, a family therapist comes face to face with the dark secret of his childhood, and an American football star down on his luck makes his peace with his father. The collection culminates in a daring and wonderfully baroque horror story, 'In the Black Mill', which chronicles the terrifying fate that befalls an archaeologist as he uncovers cannibalism and ritual sacrifice in a gloomy Pennsylvanian town. Serious in their subject matter, yet shot through with wit, humour and compassion, these nine short stories are testament to Chabon's ability to weave together comedy and tragedy with unforgettable results.

Contains the scripts of nine significant plays of the modern theater, written between 1944 and 1975 by playwrights including Harold Pinter, Bertolt Brecht, Samuel Beckett, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Jean Genet, Eugene Ionesco, Slawomir Mrozek, Tom Stoppard, and David Mamet.

A stellar group of contemporary fiction masters offer their original takes on the tried-and-true genres of adventure, science fiction, crime story, romance, horror and more. Contributors include Michael Chabon, Roddy Doyle, Heidi Julavitz, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Amy Tan, Peter Straub, and Jonathan Safran Foer.

"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"--

2003, Paperback, 243 pages

From one of the preeminent literary voices in Israel comes a darkly funny collection of surrealist stories exploring the increasingly complex relationship between humans and technology. Set in our world, alternate realities, distant futures, and the immortal realm, the stories in Autocorrect traverse the wide range of human experience. With wit and creativity, Keret blends the absurd and the profound, juxtaposing life's smallest details with weighty existential questions. A man names an asteroid after his wife only to find that it's on a collision course with Earth in "For the Woman Who Has Everything." In "Squirrels," a widower's husband reincarnates as a rodent, and "Eating Olives at the End of the World" considers proper social etiquette in the face of destruction. Keret's collection speaks to the uncertainty and fragility of our time, expertly capturing its misunderstandings and miscommunications. His stories probe society's uncomfortable truths, searching for meaning in our ever-changing world.

This collection of horror stories features bizarre worlds, forces that can bring back the dead, eerie creatures, and more.

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