Terry Pratchett Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren't there supposed to be five? Indeed there were. So where is it?...

When duty calls. Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary answers. Even when he doesn't want to. He's been "invited" to attend a royal function as both detective and diplomat. The one role he relishes; the other requires, well, ruby tights. Of course where cops (even those clad in tights) go, alas, crime follows. An attempted assassination and a theft soon lead to a desperate chase from the low halls of Discworld royalty to the legendary fat mines of Uberwald, where lard is found in underground seams along with tusks and teeth and other precious ivory artifacts. It's up to the dauntless Vimes — bothered as usual by a familiar cast of Discworld inhabitants (you know, trolls, dwarfs, werewolves, vampires and such) — to solve the puzzle of the missing pachyderm. Which of course he does. After all, solving mysteries is his job.

John Cleve

John Cleve

John Cleve

John Cleve

John Cleve

John Cleve

John Cleve

John Cleve

Timothy Zahn It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi Twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousand of light-years away, the last of the emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars.

Stephen Donaldson

Arthur Clarke The ultimate trip began with a story called THE SENTINAL, by Arthur C. Clarke. It took flight when stanley Kubrick asked Clarke to write a novel of space exploration unpon which the acclaimed director would base a movie. The result was one of the most extraordinary films of all time. Now for the first time the reader is taken on every stage of this great adventure. Here is the original story. Here are the different versions of 2001 as they evolved in the interplay between two brilliantly charged imaginations. And here is Clarke's own intimate account of the unique chemistyr between author and director which created—2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.

Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke, Gentry Lee Decades have passed since Commander Norton and his crew met with the enormous alien ship dubbed Rama and declared it an intelligent robot with no interest in the creatures of our solar system. But now another ship has been sighted near Earth, and this time, humanity will discover startling—perhaps deadly—differences.

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg The vast populous world of Majipoor with its strange political hierarchies and myriad alien races is one of the more impressive creations of planetary romance; Robert Silverberg brings to its exoticism his sensitive and evocative prose and his sense of story as an end in itself. The Majippor Chronicles is a collection of linked shorts, in which the boy Hissune, a minor character in Lord Valentine's Castle, rummages in archives of recorded memories and acquires an education in the ways of this particular world. A self-willed woman becomes a recluse and befriends a crippled lizard-man; a great navigator discovers the price of crossing a great ocean; a murderer is pursued by dreams and his own demons; a defrauded young woman discovers the rich ironies possible in a complicated civilisation; two brothers receive an ambiguous prophecy that we know will come true. Individually, these are powerful moody stories, full of memorable people whom we come to know intensely even in a few pages, but together they help amplify our sense of the vast reach of Majipoor in history and geography—and the education of Hissune becomes more than a framing narrative, it becomes another tale of Majipoor in its own right. —Roz Kaveney

Robert. Silverberg

Robert Silverberg

Robert. Silverberg

Irving Wallace

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman /Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Enemies from birth, the headstrong Prince Khardan and impetuous Princess Zohra must unite in marriage to stop Quar, the God of Reality, Greed, and Law, from enslaving their people. But can Khardan and Zohra keep from betraying each other? Volume I in an epic new trilogy of magic, adventure, and immortal intrigue.

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman /by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman After the overwhelming defeat of their tribes, Khardan and Zohra find themselves prisoners of an evil god's disciples—and in danger of losing their honor, their lives and their souls! Second in yet another of Weis and Hickman's epic fantasies.

J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien

JRR Tolkien

Peter David Deep Space NineTM is forced to curtail entry to the wormhole due to increased graviton emissions, and an air of biting tension settles over the station. This anxiety leads to the murder of an Edeman religious leader, Commander Benjamin Sisko and Security Chief Odo realize they face a larger problem.

Soon Sisko and Odo have more lifeless bodies on their hands and a killer who strikes without motive. Then, both the Edemans and Cardassians arrive threatening to destroy the station unless the murderer is given to them for retribution. In order to save Deep Space Nine and stop the killing, Odo must try to destroy a powerful assassin who is the only link to his mysterious past.

Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch Centuries ago, the Supreme Ruler of the planet Jibet fled a democratic uprising, taking with him many priceless works of art. Now Quark's greed leads Commander Sisko and his crew to the lost treasures — and to the Supreme Ruler himself, preserved in cryogenic suspension.

The discovery sparks unrest on Jibet, and launches an alien armada against Deep Space Nine ™. As Dr. Bashir struggles to keep the dying ruler alive, Jake and Nog uncover deadly evidence of lingering Cardassian treachery. Now, Sisko must somehow keep the mysteries of the past from destroying all hope for DS9's future.

John Vornholt The Bajoran shipyard is assigned to build an engine for a new starship, a project which could be instrumental in revitalizing the planet's war-ravished economy. As Commander Sisko awaits the arrival of a tanker containing the antimatter that will power the starship, a band of hijackers captures the extremely valuable cargo and escapes through the wormhole.

When the hijacking spurs a political debate, Major Kira struggles to mediate the dispute between the opposing factions. Meanwhile, Sisko makes a desperate move to retrieve the antimatter. With the stability of the Bajoran economy at stake, Sisko, Dax, and Odo infiltrate the hijackers, a move that could have deadly consequences for them and the planet Bajor.

Diane Carey What begins as a sticky political problem soon evolves into full-scale chaos for Commander Sisko when a tomb of Cardassian soldiers is discovered on Deep Space Nine ™. While Sisko searches for a diplomatic way to return the soldiers to Cardassia, the "bodies" begin to pulsate with life, determined to seek revenge on the enemies now occupying the former Cardassian stronghold.

But as the soldiers launch their attack to cripple the station, and Sisko struggles to regain control, another old enemy plots to destroy the soldiers at any cost — even if it means destroying Deep Space Nine as well!

Nathan Archer Tensions caused by speculation that Cardassia is about to reoccupy Bajor are complicated by the arrival of a strange alien ship. When it's discovered that the crew is dead and the ship is carrying valuable Gamma-quadrant technology, it becomes a sought after prize, which Commander Sisko must fight to keep out of Cardassian hands. Meanwhile, Sisko also finds himself at odds with Major Kira, who believes the ship is Bajoran property.

When the alien ship suddenly seizes control of Deep Space Nine™, and the Cardassians move in to try to capture it, Sisko must face off against a shipload of angry Cardassians — and the alien being controlling Deep Space Nine!

Melissa Scott The free flow of traffic to the Gamma Quadrant is vital to the recovery and survival of the planet Bajor and to Federation interests as well. When a mysterious cloaked ship begins raiding wormhole shipping, cleaning out holds and killing entire crews, Commander Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space Nine™ acts at once to stop the menace.

Commander Sisko has unexpected aid: the cloaked vessel has been striking Cardassian ships as well, and the Cardassian commander Gul Dukat intends to destroy the ship at all costs. Their unlikely alliance works well — until two of Sisko's crewmen are captured by the raiders. Gul Dukat will stop at nothing to gain his victory; now Sisko must locate the predator ship, hold off the Cardassians long enough to rescue his people — and prevent an interstellar war!

Jasper Fforde

Philip Pullman The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife to a heart-stopping end, marking the final volume of His Dark Materials as the most powerful of the trilogy.

Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, come a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. So, too, come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live—and who will die—for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that—in its shocking outcome—will uncover the secret of Dust. Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliff-hangers and mysteries of His Dark Materials to an earthshattering conclusion—and confirms his fantasy trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic.

From the Hardcover edition.

Stuart J. Robinson Completely revised and updated for 2005, Let's Go: Europe is your comprehensive guide to the European landmass. Our original bestseller, updated for the forty-fifth consecutive year, covers thirty-six countries from Andorra to the Ukraine. This year's update features improved suggested itineraries and brand-new themed trips, so you can make the most of your time, whether you have three days or three months. Expanded outdoors coverage, from volcano-hiking in Italy to skydiving in Switzerland, takes you off the tourist track, while completely fresh nightlife coverage lets you see and be seen all over the Continent. So, whether you'd rather help restore French castles and churches or sip an exotic red in a Croatian wine cellar, Let's Go can show you the way with style to spare.

Jim Butcher The new novel in the New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series.

No one's tried to kill Harry Dresden for almost an entire year, and his life finally seems to be calming down. For once, the future looks fairly bright. But the past casts one hell of a long shadow.

An old bargain has placed Harry in debt to Mab, monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, the Queen of Air and Darkness-and she's calling in her marker. It's a small favor he can't refuse...one that will trap Harry Dresden between a nightmarish foe and an equally deadly ally, and one that will strain his skills- and loyalties-to their very limits.

It figures. Everything was going too well to last...

Jeter On July 31, 1991, the final episode of Alien Nation, "Green Eyes" aired, ending the series with a blockbuster finale and an exciting cliffhanger. In "Green Eyes" the Newcomers were faced with a deadly new bacteria created by a ruthless group of humans called Purists, who were determined to rid the Earth of the alien Tenctonese. As the story closed, all of the Alien Nation characters were in crisis, and the Francisco family was infected with the bacteria, facing certain death. This story was never resolved...until now. "Dark Horizon" was a two-hour Alien Nation script commissioned by Twentieth Century Fox. The story would have resolved the cliffhanger and kicked off Alien Nation's second seacon. With the final cancellation of the series, the script was put away and fans were left with their questions unanswered. Pocket Books is now proud to present a novelization by critically acclaimed science fiction author K.W. Jeter, of the entire action-packed story that began with "Green Eyes" and ended with "Dark Horizon." As the story opens, George Francisco and Matthew Sikes stand watch over George's family, while the Earth faces a new threat. A ruthless Overseer has come from space to recover the Tenctonese slaves, and he will stop at nothing to see that the Newcomers— as well as the entire human race— are enslaved forever.

Barry B. Longyear

Algis Budrys

Larry Niven

Arjouni

LAWRENCE WATT-EVANS

Robin McKinley

M. K. Wren

Katherine Kurtz

Julian May

George R.R. Martin

David Langford

LYNDON HARDY

Stephen Hawking A Brief History of Time, published in 1988, was a landmark volume in science writing and in world-wide acclaim and popularity, with more than 9 million copies in print globally. The original edition was on the cutting edge of what was then known about the origins and nature of the universe. But the ensuing years have seen extraordinary advances in the technology of observing both the micro- and the macrocosmic world—observations that have confirmed many of Hawking's theoretical predictions in the first edition of his book.

Now a decade later, this edition updates the chapters throughout to document those advances, and also includes an entirely new chapter on Wormholes and Time Travel and a new introduction. It make vividly clear why A Brief History of Time has transformed our view of the universe.

Alan Nourse

Peter Fox

Lorna Baxter In a country ruled by four families endowed with special powers, a boy and girl from two of the families find a mysterious Eggchild and feel compelled to protect it and discover its true identity.

Anne McCaffrey

ROBERT SILVERBERG

Peter F. Hamilton The Confederation is starting to collapse politically and economically, allowing the 'possessed' to infiltrate more worlds. Quinn Dexter is loose on Earth, destroying the giant arcologies one at a time. As Louise Kavanagh tries to track him down, she manages to acquire some strange and powerful allies whose goal doesn't quite match her own. The campaign to liberate Mortonridge from the possessed degenerates into a horrendous land battle, the kind which hasn't been seen by humankind for six hundred years; then some of the protagonists escape in a very unexpected direction. Joshua Calvert and Syrinx fly their starships on a mission to find the Sleeping God - which an alien race believes holds the key to overthrowing the possessed.

Hans Bemmann Setting out to find his grandfather, Listener carries with him a mysterious stone which takes him far away to do great harm. But, through the magical powers of the stone and his grandfather's flute, he also comes to find happiness and to possess a power greater than life itself.

Terry Pratchett Lost in the chill deeps of space between the galaxies, it sails on forever, a flat, circular world carried on the back of a giant turtle—

DISCWORLD

—a land where the unexpected can be expected. Where the strangest things happen to the nicest people. Like Brutha, a simple lad who only wants to tend his melon patch. Until one day he hears the voice of a god calling his name. A small god, to be sure. But bossy as Hell.

Raymond E. Feist The astonishing first volume in Raymond E. Feist's bestselling Serpentwar series! Ancient powers are readying themselves for a devastating confrontation, and a dark queen has raised a standard and is gathering armies of unmatched might. Into this battleground of good and evil a band of desperate men are forced whose only hope for survival is to face this ancient power and discover its true nature. Their quest is at best dangerous and at worst suicidal. Among them are some unlikely heroes - Erik, a bastard heir denied his birthright, and his friend Roo, an irrepressible scoundrel with a penchant for thievery are accompanied by the mysterious Miranda upon whom all must wager their lives. She appears to be an ally but also possess a hidden agenda and may prove to be a more deadly foe when the final confrontation is at hand!

Raymond E. Feist The second book in Raymond Feist's super-selling quartet: The Serpentwar Saga. Triumphant but overconfident after his defeat of the reptilian Sauur army, Roo must resist a beguiling seductress who threatens to undo him and all of Midkemia. Roo Avery, recently returned from a harrowing brush with the armies of the Emerald Queen, is now free to choose his own destiny and his ultimate ambition is to become one of the richest and most powerful merchants in Midkemia. But nothing can prepare him for the dangers of the new life he has chosen, where the repayment of a debt can be as deadly as a knife in the shadows. Even those closest to him are suspect and as Roo struggles to build his financial empire, betrayal is always close at hand. But while Roo works towards achieving his goal, memories of the invasion haunt him still. For the war with the Emerald Queen is far from over and the inevitable confrontation will pose the biggest threat yet to his new found wealth and power.

Terry Pratchett

George R.R. Martin The third volume of his six-volume fantasy epic "A Song of Ice and Fire", "A Storm of Swords" continues Martin's vigorous account of the civil wars which follow the death of King Robert—the usurper who deposed a dynasty gone mad and dangerous—and the judicial murder by his widow and heir of Ned Stark, the man who made him king. The surviving Stark children are scattered—Robb leading a revolt in the North; Arya learning hard lessons as she treks through the war zone; Sansa an observer of court intrigue; crippled Bran heading towards a sorcerous destiny; and Jon engaged in desperate defence of the ice-wall against barbarians and worse things. Daenerys, pretender and ruler of dragons, is building an empire elsewhere. Meanwhile, characters we have thought of as villains, notably Jaime Kingslayer, are developing belated consciences. Martin keeps on upping the ante of violence and betrayal in this compelling saga of a fantasy middle ages soiled with blood and mud; his economic use of magic and his fascination with complex characters make this the sword-and-sorcery series for people with adult taste. As the series proceeds, his writing gets ever leaner and sharper, the evocation of the magical ever more sinister. —Ros Kaveney

TERRY PRATCHETT

Rudy Rucker It was Cobb Anderson who built the"boppers"—the first robots with real brains. Now, in 2020, Cobb is just another aged "pheezer" with a bad heart, drinking and grooving an the old tunes in Florida retirement hell. His "bops" have came a long way, though, rebelling against their subjugation to set up their own society an the moon. And now they're offering creator Cobb immortality but at a stiff price: his body his soul ... and his world.It was Cobb Anderson who built the "boppers"—the first robots with real brains. Now, in 2020, Cobb is just another aged pheezer with a bad heart, drinking and grooving on the old tunes in Florida retirement hell. His "bops" have come a long way, though, rebelling against their subjugation to set up their own society on the moon. And now they're offering creator Cobb immortality, but at a stiff price: his body, his soul. . .and his world.

Rudy Rucker Rudy Rucker has seen the future. . .and it is extreme.

The Godfather of cyberpunk—a mad scientist bravely meddling in the outrageous and heretical—Rucker created Bopper Robots, who rebelled against human society in his award-winning classic Software.

Now, in 2953, "moldies" are the latest robotic advancement—evolved artificial lifeforms made of soft plastic and gene-tweaked molds and algae, so anatomically inventive and universally despised that their very presence on the planet has thrown the entire low-rent future into a serious tailspin. So the moon is the place to be, if you're a persecuted "moldie" or an enlightened "flesher" intent an creating a new, more utopian hybrid civilization. Of course up there, there are other intergalactic intelligences to contend with—and some not so intelligent—who have their own agendas and appetites.

This is scientific fabulation at its most brazenly inventive—funny, cutting-edge and deeply informed. No writer alive puts it all together like Rudy Rucker.Artificial life forms made of soft plastic and gene-tweaked mold and algae, moldies are evolved robots in the year 2053—anatomically inventive and universally despised. In a sleazy, low-rent future, sexual fraternization with moldies is strictly taboo—a societal sin that is of no concern whatsoever to Randy Karl Tucker. A Kentucky boy who has seriously strayed from the Heritagist religion1s stern teachings about the evils of artificial life, Randy feels a definite something for Monique, moldie bookkeeper and maid at the Clearlight Terrace Court Motel But Monique1s sudden and inexplicable abduction from the planet—coupled with unsettling revelations about Randy1s own dubious origins—is dragging the degenerate flesher and all those around him into an ugly, conspiratorial mess. . .even as it pulls an unsuspecting humanity ever-closer to a stunning encounter with intergalactic intelligence.

Rudy V. B. Rucker In 2030, bopper robots in their lunar refuge have founds a way to infuse DNA wetware with their own software code. The result is a new lifeform: the meatbop. Fair is fair, after all. Humans built the boppers, now bops are building humans. . .sort of. Its all part of an insidious plot thats about to ensnare Della Taze—who doesnt think she killed her lover while in drug-induced ecstasy. . .but isnt sure. And its certainly catastrophic enough to call Cobb Anderson—the pheezer who started it all—out of cold-storage heaven.

George R.R. Martin Split into two books for the paperback, the third volume in George R.R. Martin's superb and highly acclaimed epic fantasy A Song of Ice and Fire continues the richest, most exotic and mesmerising saga since The Lord of the Rings. The Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud, and winter approaches like an angry beast. Beyond the Northern borders, wildlings leave their villages to gather in the ice and stone wasteland of the Frostfangs. From there, the renegade Brother Mance Rayder will lead them South towards the Wall. Robb Stark wears his new-forged crown in the Kingdom of the North, but his defences are ranged against attack from the South, the land of House Stark's enemies the Lannisters. His sisters are trapped there, dead or likely yet to die, at the whim of the Lannister boy-king Joffrey or his depraved mother Cersei, regent of the Iron Throne. And Daenerys Stormborn will return to the land of her birth to avenge the murder of her father, the last Dragon King on the Iron Throne.

George R.R. Martin First volume of a brilliant new fantasy trilogy: the most powerful, original and absorbing new epic since Stephen Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. The first volume of George R R Martin's glorious high fantasy tells the tragic story of treachery, greed and war that threatens the unity of the Seven Kingdoms south of the Wall. Martin unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions, thronged with memorable characters, a story of treachery and ambition, love and magic. Set in a fabulous world scarred by battle and catastrophe over 8000 years of recorded history, it tells of the deeds of men and women locked in the deadliest of conflicts and the terrible legacy they will leave their children. In the game of thrones, you win or you die. And in the bitter-cold, unliving lands beyond the Wall, a terrible winter gathers and the others — the undead, the neverborn, wildlings to whom the threat of the sword is nothing — make ready to descend on the realms of men. A Game of Thrones begins the most imaginative, ambitious and compelling fantasy epic since The Lord of the Rings. Thronged with memorable characters, it unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions. There have been many pretenders to the throne of Tolkien: now at last he has a true heir.

George R.R. Martin George R. R. Martin's superb fantasy epic continues in consummate style as bloodshed and alchemy lay waste the Seven Kingdoms in the second volume of A Song of Ice and Fire. The Iron Throne once united the Sunset Lands, but King Robert is dead, his widow is a traitor to his memory, and his surviving brothers are set on a path of war amongst themselves. At King's Landing, the head of Lord Eddard Stark rots on a spike for all to see. His daughter Sansa is betrothed still to his killer's son Joffrey — Queen Cersei's son, though not the son of her late husband Robert. Even so, Joffrey is now a boy-king, Cersei is his regent, and war is inevitable. In Dragonstone, Robert's brother Stannis has declared himself king, while his other brother Renly proclaims himself king at Storm's End — and Eddard Stark's fifteen year old son Robb wears the crown of the north at Winterfell. A comet in the night sky, red and malevolent, the colour of blood and flame, can only be an omen of murder and war. Stannis's child Princess Shireen dreams of dragons waking from stone. And a white raven has brought word from the Citadel itself, foretelling summer's end. It has been the longest summer in living memory, lasting ten years, and the smallfolk say it means an even longer winter to come...The first rule of war is never give the enemy his wish. But winter will be the biggest enemy. From beyond the Wall the undead and Others clamour for freedom, and from beyond the sea the long-dead Dragon King's daughter hatches her revenge. Robb Stark will be exceedingly lucky to reach adulthood.

TERRY PRATCHETT

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett Terry Pratchett puts his stamp on the new Discworld novel.

Moist von Lipwig was a con artist and a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork’s ailing postal service back on its feet. It was a tough decision. But he’s got to see that the mail gets through, come rain, hail, sleet, dogs, the Post Office Workers Friendly and Benevolent Society, the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer. Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too. Maybe it’ll take a criminal to succeed where honest men have failed, or maybe it’s a death sentence either way. Or perhaps there’s a shot at redemption in the mad world of the mail, waiting for a man who’s prepared to push the envelope...

Terry Pratchett Vroom Valley? That was where the trolls ambushed the dwarfs, or the dwarfs ambushed the trolls. It was very far away. It was a long time ago. But if he doesn’t solve the murder of just one dwarf, Command Sam Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch is going to see it fought again, right outside his office. With his beloved Watch crumbling around him and his war-drums sounding, he must unravel every clue, outwit every assassin and brave any darkness to find the solution. And darkness is following him. Oh . . . and at six o’clock every day, without fail, with no excuses, he must go home to read Where’s My Cow?, with all the right farmyard noises, to his little boy. There are some things you have to do!

From the Hardcover edition.

Hans de Bruijn Topical and taking a bold stance in the contentious debate surrounding performance in the public sector, this new edition shows readers how performance thinking has a substantial impact on the management of public organizations.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this highly successful text, written by an experienced academic and practitioner is packed full with a wealth of new features. These include:

more examples and cases, from a variety of different sectors, including, hospitals, courts, school and universitiesa whole new chapter on the dynamics of performance management; answering the questions – how do PM systems evolve? Which effects will dominate in the long run?many extra recommendations for making PM attractive for managers.

An informed and up-to-date analysis of this subject, this is an essential text for all those studying, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, performance management in the public sector.

Christopher McDougall

Robert L. Forward

Robert Silverberg

Kingsley Amis And Robert Conquest

Dave Wolverton Seeking rich, powerful allies to bring into the Rebel Alliance and a new home planet for the refugees of her native Alderaan, Princess Leia considers a proposal that could tip the balance of power against the evil Empire. The Hapes Consortium of 63 worlds is ruled by the Queen Mother, who wants Leia to marry her son, the dashing and wealthy Prince Isolder. Han Solo has always dreamed of marrying Leia himself, and now he makes a desperate last gamble to win her back. Soon he, Isolder, Luke Skywalker and Artoo will be at the center of an adventure leading to an awesome treasure, a group of Force-trained "witches," and a showdown with an invincible foe.

Langdon (editor) (Thomas M. Disch; J. G. Ballard; George MacBeth; Giles G Jones

Timothy Zahn It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi Twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousand of light-years away, the last of the emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars.

Longyear Detective Matthew Sikes and his Newcomer partner George Francisco must track down a missing human journalist, named Micky Cass, who has gone undercover as a Newcomer to expose racism and discrimination against the Tenctonese. From the beginning, the journalist's articles about his experiences ignited fierce controversy. When Micky Cass disappears, the controversy explodes and violence wracks the city. It is now up to Sikes and Francisco to solve a case that has the entire city caught in a grip of hate. Finally, as the city burns, Matt Sikes must go undercover as a Newcomer and place himself at the center of the worst violence Los Angeles has ever known...

Peter David Alien Nation was a ground-breaking and thought-provoking televison program that was part science fiction and part hard-hitting police drama— taking on tough social issues. Despite raves from critics as well as a loyal following, Alien Nation was canceled, but not before additional scripts were created. Now, Pocket Books is proud to present the novelization of one of these never-before-seen scripts. Matthew Sikes and his Tenctonese partner George Francisco try to unearth the truth behind the hysteria generated by the reports of the birth of the first half-human, half-Tenctonese child. Meanwhile, Sikes and his Tencotnese friend Cathy find their relationship heating up and realize they can no longer deny their feelings. They quickly learn just how dangerous human-Tenctonese love can be, and how far it can go...

Longyear The Change is one of a small number of scripts developed by the producers and staff of Alien Nation— scripts never televised because of the show's early demise. A piece of history for Alien Nation fans, the Change provides an incredible glimpse at an Alien Nation story that never was. Critically acclaimed science fiction novelist Barry B. Longyear brings to life an exciting story in which Newcomer police detective George Francisco undergoes a startling metamorphosis that will either mean his death or the beginning of a new life. In the midst of this time of change, George must also face a vicious, unstoppable killer from his past who has sworn a deadly revenge on George and everyone he cares for...

Jeter On July 31, 1991, the final episode of Alien Nation, "Green Eyes" aired, ending the series with a blockbuster finale and an exciting cliffhanger. In "Green Eyes" the Newcomers were faced with a deadly new bacteria created by a ruthless group of humans called Purists, who were determined to rid the Earth of the alien Tenctonese. As the story closed, all of the Alien Nation characters were in crisis, and the Francisco family was infected with the bacteria, facing certain death. This story was never resolved...until now. "Dark Horizon" was a two-hour Alien Nation script commissioned by Twentieth Century Fox. The story would have resolved the cliffhanger and kicked off Alien Nation's second seacon. With the final cancellation of the series, the script was put away and fans were left with their questions unanswered. Pocket Books is now proud to present a novelization by critically acclaimed science fiction author K.W. Jeter, of the entire action-packed story that began with "Green Eyes" and ended with "Dark Horizon." As the story opens, George Francisco and Matthew Sikes stand watch over George's family, while the Earth faces a new threat. A ruthless Overseer has come from space to recover the Tenctonese slaves, and he will stop at nothing to see that the Newcomers— as well as the entire human race— are enslaved forever.

Judith Reeves-Stevens, Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Samuel R. Delany

Samuel R. Delany

SAMUEL R. DELANY

Michael Jan Friedman

Carmen Carter

Jean DeWeese

Melissa Scott The free flow of traffic to the Gamma Quadrant is vital to the recovery and survival of the planet Bajor and to Federation interests as well. When a mysterious cloaked ship begins raiding wormhole shipping, cleaning out holds and killing entire crews, Commander Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space Nine™ acts at once to stop the menace.

Commander Sisko has unexpected aid: the cloaked vessel has been striking Cardassian ships as well, and the Cardassian commander Gul Dukat intends to destroy the ship at all costs. Their unlikely alliance works well — until two of Sisko's crewmen are captured by the raiders. Gul Dukat will stop at nothing to gain his victory; now Sisko must locate the predator ship, hold off the Cardassians long enough to rescue his people — and prevent an interstellar war!

Diane Carey What begins as a sticky political problem soon evolves into full-scale chaos for Commander Sisko when a tomb of Cardassian soldiers is discovered on Deep Space Nine ™. While Sisko searches for a diplomatic way to return the soldiers to Cardassia, the "bodies" begin to pulsate with life, determined to seek revenge on the enemies now occupying the former Cardassian stronghold.

But as the soldiers launch their attack to cripple the station, and Sisko struggles to regain control, another old enemy plots to destroy the soldiers at any cost — even if it means destroying Deep Space Nine as well!

John Vornholt The Bajoran shipyard is assigned to build an engine for a new starship, a project which could be instrumental in revitalizing the planet's war-ravished economy. As Commander Sisko awaits the arrival of a tanker containing the antimatter that will power the starship, a band of hijackers captures the extremely valuable cargo and escapes through the wormhole.

When the hijacking spurs a political debate, Major Kira struggles to mediate the dispute between the opposing factions. Meanwhile, Sisko makes a desperate move to retrieve the antimatter. With the stability of the Bajoran economy at stake, Sisko, Dax, and Odo infiltrate the hijackers, a move that could have deadly consequences for them and the planet Bajor.

Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch Centuries ago, the Supreme Ruler of the planet Jibet fled a democratic uprising, taking with him many priceless works of art. Now Quark's greed leads Commander Sisko and his crew to the lost treasures — and to the Supreme Ruler himself, preserved in cryogenic suspension.

The discovery sparks unrest on Jibet, and launches an alien armada against Deep Space Nine ™. As Dr. Bashir struggles to keep the dying ruler alive, Jake and Nog uncover deadly evidence of lingering Cardassian treachery. Now, Sisko must somehow keep the mysteries of the past from destroying all hope for DS9's future.

Peter David Deep Space NineTM is forced to curtail entry to the wormhole due to increased graviton emissions, and an air of biting tension settles over the station. This anxiety leads to the murder of an Edeman religious leader, Commander Benjamin Sisko and Security Chief Odo realize they face a larger problem.

Soon Sisko and Odo have more lifeless bodies on their hands and a killer who strikes without motive. Then, both the Edemans and Cardassians arrive threatening to destroy the station unless the murderer is given to them for retribution. In order to save Deep Space Nine and stop the killing, Odo must try to destroy a powerful assassin who is the only link to his mysterious past.

Esther M. Friesner

Lois Tilton

Dafydd ab Hugh

Sandy Schofield

K.W. Jeter

K.W. Jeter

Diane Carey

Greg Cox, John Betancourt

J.M. Dillard

Robert Holdstock

Robert Holdstock

David Eddings

David Eddings

Jim Butcher Private detective/wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden is suckered into tangling in the affairs of Faerie, where the fate of the entire world-and his soul-are at stake.

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman /Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Enemies from birth, the headstrong Prince Khardan and impetuous Princess Zohra must unite in marriage to stop Quar, the God of Reality, Greed, and Law, from enslaving their people. But can Khardan and Zohra keep from betraying each other? Volume I in an epic new trilogy of magic, adventure, and immortal intrigue.

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman /by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman After the overwhelming defeat of their tribes, Khardan and Zohra find themselves prisoners of an evil god's disciples—and in danger of losing their honor, their lives and their souls! Second in yet another of Weis and Hickman's epic fantasies.

Louis V. , Jr. Gerstner

Jim Butcher

John Vornholt

Stephen Donaldson This story features the further adventures of Thomas Covenant which began in "Lord Foul's Bane". Forty years have passed, and Lord Foul, immortal enemy of the land, has moved to fulfil his prophecy of doom. In desperation Lord Elena turns to Covenant and the white gold magic of his ring.

David Eddings

David Eddings

David Eddings

David Eddings

David Eddings

David Eddings

David Eddings

Irving Wallace

Robert Silverberg Follows four unwilling colonists to a virgin planet out beyond the limits of the solar system. Like all of Earth's new pioneers, they had been chosen the THE COMPUTER - but no one had prepared them for the vicious attacks of primitive aliens

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg Duncan Chalk's six-hundred-pound frame is nearly as large as his media empire. Beneath the depths of his immense rolls of flab, the fabulously wealthy mogul wields the editorial power to deliver his programming across the solar system to billions of viewers. His newest real-life romance drama is between a starman who survived painful surgical experimentation while in alien captivity, and an emotionally scarred 17-year-old virgin. When the arranged relationship takes off on a whirlwind tour of the antarctic and out to the moons of Saturn, the viewers are swept up in the romance, but Chalk's true motives are revealed when the doomed relationship begins to unravel ... and Chalk can feed on the emotional anguish of the two lost souls. Nebula Award- Nominee, Hugo Award Nominee

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg Three thousand years after Earth's colonization of the planet Borthan, stories of self-serving hypocrisy that occurred among the first arrivals have bred a culture that forbids emotional sharing and denies the naturally human concept of 'self.' Kinnall Darival breaks the strict code of the Covenant to record the sordid details of his rebellious life from the days of his royal youth to self-appointed prophet of love.

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg A brilliant fantasy novel.The concluding part of the Majipoor trilogy

Terry Jones Starship Titanic was inspired by Douglas Adams—the creator of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy—and forms the basis of a computer game which was launched in late 1997.

At the centre of the galaxy, a vast, unknown civilisation is preparing for an event of epic proportions—the launch of the greatest, most gorgeous, most technologically advanced spaceship ever built—the Starship Titanic. Leovinus, the galaxy's most renowned architect and designer of the craft, notices something is not quite right just before the ship is launched: poor workmanship, cybersystems out of control, and robots walking into doors. The maiden voyage goes horribly wrong as the Titanic veers off course and crashes towards Earth.

Robert A. Heinlein Stranger in a Strange Land, winner of the 1962 Hugo Award, is the story of Valentine Michael Smith, born during, and the only survivor of, the first manned mission to Mars. Michael is raised by Martians, and he arrives on Earth as a true innocent: he has never seen a woman and has no knowledge of Earth's cultures or religions. But he brings turmoil with him, as he is the legal heir to an enormous financial empire, not to mention de facto owner of the planet Mars. With the irascible popular author Jubal Harshaw to protect him, Michael explores human morality and the meanings of love. He founds his own church, preaching free love and disseminating the psychic talents taught him by the Martians. Ultimately, he confronts the fate reserved for all messiahs. The impact of Stranger in a Strange Land was considerable, leading many children of the sixties to set up households based on Michael's water-brother nests. Heinlein loved to pontificate through the mouths of his characters, so modern readers must be willing to overlook the occasional sour note ("Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it's partly her fault."). That aside, Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the master's best entertainments, and provocative, as he always loved to be. Can you grok it? —Brooks Peck

Arthur Clarke The ultimate trip began with a story called THE SENTINAL, by Arthur C. Clarke. It took flight when stanley Kubrick asked Clarke to write a novel of space exploration unpon which the acclaimed director would base a movie. The result was one of the most extraordinary films of all time. Now for the first time the reader is taken on every stage of this great adventure. Here is the original story. Here are the different versions of 2001 as they evolved in the interplay between two brilliantly charged imaginations. And here is Clarke's own intimate account of the unique chemistyr between author and director which created—2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.

Robert A. Heinlein

Arthur C. Clarke, Gentry Lee

Phillip Adams, et al

Raymond E. Feist Silverhorn is the sequel to Magician, which, like a venerable patriarch, stands at the head of a great tribe of fantasy writing. When Raymond Feist's enormous novel was published, critics called it "the best new fantasy concept in years", and Feist has refined and explored that concept over a dozen novels. His "concept" was to bring together two (and later, more) whole, intricately realised Fantasy worlds. Midkemia is a Tolkienian realm, a European-Medieval series of kingdoms in which magic is prominent, and where men share the earth with dwarves and elves. Feist's genius was inventing another sword and sorcercy realm based more closely on eastern models, the Empire of Tsuranuanni, as vast as Ancient China, as formalised and devoted to the arts of war as a samurai Japan. A magical rift in time-space brings these two worlds clashing together, and the young boy Pug and his soldier friend Tomas are thrown into the ensuing maelstrom of invasion and epic battle, before embarking on a more fundamental magical journey towards the very roots of evil itself. Feist's two sequels to Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon complete the richly conceived "Riftwar Saga", and Fiest has gone on to chronicle other aspects of his invented worlds. With Janny Wurts he wrote the "Empire" trilogy, which charts the rise, through the rigid patriarchy of the Empire of Tsuranuanni, of a remarkable female heroine, a woman who eventually reaches the heights of the imperial throne itself Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of Empire. More recently he has returned to the world of Medkemia, and to his hero Pug, with the Serpentwar saga, beginning with Shadow of a Dark Queen and continuing with Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King and Shards of a Broken Crown. Heroic Fantasy is a crowded-enough field, but Feist stands out in it for his sheer inventive power, the scope and range of his narratives, the diversity of his characters and his thundering battle sequences. Start reading here, and you may find yourself unable to stop until you have followed the saga right up to date. —Adam Roberts

Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts

Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts

Raymond E. Feist

Raymond E. Feist, Janny Wurts

Raymond E. Feist Like a venerable patriarch, Magician stands at the head of a great tribe of fantasy writing. When Raymond Feist's enormous novel was published, critics called it "the best new fantasy concept in years", and Feist has refined and explored that concept over a dozen novels. His "concept" was to bring together two (and later, more) whole, intricately realised fantasy worlds. Midkemia is a Tolkienian realm, a European- Medieval series of kingdoms in which magic is prominent, and where men share the earth with dwarves and elves. Feist's genius was inventing another sword and sorcercy realm based more closely on eastern models, the Empire of Tsuranuanni, as vast as Ancient China, as formalised and devoted to the arts of war as a samurai Japan. A magical rift in time-space brings these two worlds clashing together, and the young boy Pug and his soldier friend Tomas are thrown into the ensuing maelstrom of invasion and epic battle, before embarking on a more fundamental magical journey towards the very roots of evil itself. Feist's two sequels to Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon complete the richly conceived Riftwar Saga, and Feist has gone on to chronicle other aspects of his invented worlds. With Janny Wurts he wrote the Empire trilogy, which charts the rise, through the rigid patriarchy of the Empire of Tsuranuanni, of a remarkable female heroine, a woman who eventually reaches the heights of the imperial throne itself Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of Empire. More recently he has returned to the world of Medkemia, and to his hero Pug, with the Serpentwar saga, beginning with Shadow of a Dark Queen and continuing with Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King and Shards of a Broken Crown. Heroic Fantasy is a crowded-enough field, but Feist stands out in it for his sheer inventive power, the scope and range of his narratives, the diversity of his characters and his thundering battle sequences. Start reading here, and you may find yourself unable to stop until you have followed the saga right up to date. —Adam Roberts

Raymond E. Feist

Richard Woodley

Sue Townsend

Barry N. Malzberg

Ben Bova

Bill Fawcett

Eugene Carl Shaffer

Dave Van Arnam

Jeffrey N. Wallmann

Edward Whittemore

Gene Wolfe

Michael G. Coney

Paul Cook Nicholas Tehada is dreamer having his dreams harvested by Mnemos Nine-a computer used in a top secret government project. **** But where do the dreams end and reality begin? And what is the ultimate goal of Project Foresee?

James Lowder One of the Harpers (a secret organization fighting for good) searches the jungle for a missing explorer and happens on a lost civilization—complete with dinosaurs—and the evil Cult of Frost, which tries to steal his magic ring. Original.

Ira Greenberg

Ben Fry

Casey Reas, Ben Fry

Louise Cooper

Frank Herbert

Robert Vardeman

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Marion Zimmer Bradley / John Rackham

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Rice Burroughs Edgar

Rice Burroughs Edgar

Kevin J. Anderson

Charles L. Grant

Charles L. Grant

Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton Harry has a problem. Ever since getting in a car accident, he's suffered from "thought seizures", violent fits in which he attacks other people. He used to be an artificial intelligence researcher, which may explain why he targets anyone who either works on machines or who acts like a machine—mechanics, gas-station attendants, prostitutes, exotic dancers. But there's hope: He can become part machine himself, undergoing "Stage 3", an experimental procedure implanting 40 electrodes deep in the pleasure centres of his brain. The surgery is successful and blissful pulses of electricity short- circuit Harry's seizures. That is, until Harry figures out how to overload himself with the satisfying jolts and escapes on a murderous rampage. One of Crichton's earliest, playing ably on 70s' fears of computers and mind-control. —Paul Hughes, Amazon.com

Melanie Rawn In the sequel to Stronghold, as Rohan's son and heir, Pol, rallies his forces in a desperate bid to halt the advance of the invaders, ancient rivalries weaken his alliance. Reprint.

Michael Crichton A space probe, designed to collect organisms and dust for study, falls to earth in a desolate area of north-eastern Arizona. In a nearby town, bodies lie flung about, faces frozen in surprise. The terror has begun. This bestseller is by the author of "Jurassic Park".

Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton Some biologists speculate that if we ever make contact with extraterrestrials, those life forms are likely to be—like most life on Earth—one-celled creatures or less, more comparable to bacteria than little green men. And even though such organisms would not likely be able to harm humans, the possibility exists that first contact might be our last.

That's the scientific supposition that Michael Crichton formulates and follows out to its conclusion in his excellent debut novel, TheAndromeda Strain. A Nobel-winning bacteriologist, Jeremy Stone, urges the president to approve an extraterrestrial decontamination facility, to sterilise returning astronauts, satellites and spacecraft that might carry such an "unknown biologic agent." The government agrees, almost too quickly, to build the top- secret Wildfire Lab in the desert of Nevada. Shortly thereafter, unbeknownst to Stone, the US Army initiates the "Scoop" satellite program, an attempt to actively collect space pathogens for use in biological warfare. When Scoop VII crashes a couple years later in the isolated Arizona town of Piedmont, they end up getting more than they asked for.

The Andromeda Strain follows Stone and rest of the scientific team mobilised to react to the Scoop crash, as they scramble to understand and contain a strange and deadly outbreak. Crichton's first book may well be his best, with an earnestness missing from his later, more calculated thrillers. —Paul Hughes, Amazon.com

Michael Crichton Within a space ship lying on the sea bottom is a mysterious sphere that promises each of the main characters some personal reward: military might, professional prestige, power, understanding. Trapped underwater with the sphere, the humans confront eerie and increasingly dangerous threats after communication with the alien object has been achieved.

Melanie Rawn

Douglas Niles

Troy Denning Determined to drive a trade route through Anauroch, the Zhentarim have sent an army to enslave the fierce nomads of the Great Desert. falls to the intruders, help comes from an unexpected source—the Harpers, guardians of liberty throughout the realm. The Parched Sea begins an exciting new Forgotten Realms series.

Douglas Niles

Elaine Cunningham Harpers—members of the secret organization dedicated to preserving Good—are being murdered. The trail leads to the half-elven adventurer Arilyn Moonblade, once an assassin, though now a Harper agent, and armed with a magical sword that cannot shed innocent blood. Is Arilyn guilty, or is she the next target?

R. A. Salvatore

Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb

Douglas Niles

Niles Douglas

Douglas Niles

R.A. Salvatore

R. A. Salvatore Not even Cadderly's powerful companions can insulate him from the trials of courage and character he must face when he sets out to save the inhabitants of the elven forest, Shilmista. Original.

R. A. Salvatore The young priest Cadderly learns more than he ever wanted to know when he runs to the city of Carradoon for solace and finds himself besieged by resident assassins, the Night Masks. Original.

Rose Estes

Rose Estes

Rose Estes

Jean Meeus

Michael Moore Plenty of liberal scholars, entertainers and pundits have railed against the hoodwinking of the American people, but Michael Moore's Dude, Where's My Country? stands out for its thoroughly positive perspective. He says America has been tricked by Republican lawmakers and their wealthy corporate pals, who use a combination of concocted bogeymen and lies to stay rich and in control. Moore is angry and has harsh words for George W Bush and his fellow conservatives concerning the reasoning behind going to war in Iraq, the collapse of Enron and other companies, and the relationship between the Bushes, the Saudi Arabian government and Osama bin Laden. But his book is intended to serve as a handbook for how people with liberal opinions (which is most of America, Moore contends, whether they call themselves liberals or not) can take back their country from the conservative forces in power.

Moore uses his trademark brand of confrontational, exasperated humour skilfully as he offers a primer on how to change the world view of one's annoying conservative blowhard brother-in-law, and he crafts a surprisingly thorough "Draft Oprah for President" movement. Refreshingly, Dude, Where's My Country? avoids being completely one-sided, identifying areas where Moore believes Republicans get it right and making some cutting criticisms of his fellow lefties. Such allowances, brief though they may be, make one long for a political climate where the shouting polemicists on both sides would see a few more shades of grey. Dude, Where's My Country? is a little bit scattered, as Moore tries to cram opinions on Iraq, tax cuts, corporate welfare, Wesley Clark and the Patriot Act into one slim volume—and the penchant to go for a laugh sometimes gets in the way of clear arguments. But such variety also gives the reader a broader range of his bewildered, enraged yet stalwartly upbeat points of view. —John Moe

Melanie Rawn

Melanie Rawn

William Tedford

Douglas Adams

Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weis

Margaret Weis

Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weis

Kirchoff Mary; Niles Douglas

Paul B, and Tonya R Carter Thompson

Kevin Stein

Mary Kirchoff

Paul B. Thompson, Tonya R. Carter

MICHAEL WILLIAMS

M. Williams

N.V. Berberick

Richard Knaak

Richard Awlinson

Ed Greenwood

Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb

Richard Awlinson

Richard Awlinson

Fiona Mcintosh The fate of nations hangs
in precarious balance
as a young soldier urgently
seeks answers to a
sinister blessing . . .

General Wyl Thirsk of Morgravia has seen his best friend slain, his sister tortured, and his mentor consigned to a certain death — all at the sadistic whim of his sovereign, King Celimus. Now Celimus hungrily eyes the neighboring realm, Briavel, and its inexperienced Queen Valentyna, pressuring her into a doomed political marriage — and thereby forcing Wyl's hand toward confrontation and treason, for only he can save the woman he loves from her hideous fate.

But destiny will send Wyl far from the evil machinations of the despicable king. And as war threatens from the north, where the hated King of the Barbarians plots against the south, Wyl must find the mysterious bestower of Myrren's gift in a bid to control the curse that has thrown his life into chaos . . . and is intricately and terrifyingly woven into the future of three realms.

Fiona McIntosh War looms between Morgravia and Briavel, and the threat from the Mountain King grows stronger. Struggling against time and repulsed by his latest disguise, everything Wyl Thirsk has striven to prevent is happening, including the marriage of his beloved Queen Valentyna of Briavel to the reviled King Celimus.

Karen Joy Fowler

Fiona McIntosh

C. S. Lewis

Fritz Leiber

Fritz Leiber

Fritz Leiber Have you ever worried about your memory, because it doesn't seem to recall exactly the same past from one day to the next? Have you ever thought that the whole universe might be a crazy, mixed-up dream? If you have, then you've had hints of the Change War.

It's been going on for a billion years and it will last another billion or so. Up and down the timeline, the two sides——"Spiders—"Spiders" and "Snakes"—battle endlessly to change the future and the past. Our lives, our memories, are their battleground. And in the midst of the war is the Place, outside space and time, where Greta Forzane and the other Entertainers provide solace and r-&-r for tired time warriors.

Fritz Leiber

Hugh Cook

Anne McCaffrey Open these pages and discover 14 remarkable stories of fantasy by a grand master of the genre. A wonderful writer, as well as successful and beloved by fans across the world, Anne McCaffrey has created an exciting collection of telepaths, secret gifts, dangerous missions, dragonriders, and more.

Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey, Margaret Ball Nancia, a new member of the elite Courier Service of the Central Worlds and the brain of one of the most advanced stellar ships, finds her innocent vision of human nature shattered when she is paired up with brutish partner Forister.

Henry Kuttner Under the roiling seas of Venus, under the deadly atmosphere are the Keeps, fully enclosed cities, and within them live the descendants of those survivors who used that atomic energy to propel the spaceships which first took them to Venus. In the massive superstructures that were built under the Venusian seas a complex feudal society devoted to decadence has evolved. Presiding over that society are the Immortals - genetic throwbacks to the mutant atomic survivors - who control the culture. This is a stable society but the stability will lead only to its destruction; the environment of Venus outside the Keeps is malevolent and it is encroaching. Into this society is born Sam Harker, the son of an Immortal whose human mother perishes in childbirth. The object of his father's hatred and disdain, Sam Harker is subjected to treatments which stunt his growth and render him hairless, then exiled from the society of Immortals to lead a tumultuous, rebel's life, one inspired by his hatred and desire for vengeance upon that society which exiled him. Sam wants revenge, he wants to destroy the society which has made him an outcast. His search for revenge and his great abilities make him more powerful than the decadent residents of the Keeps, even more powerful than the Immortals. As Sam becomes a politician appealing to the masses in his search for power, his campaign assaults the society itself that society becomes at risk. In the aftermath of destruction, the reclamation of human destiny becomes possible if humanity is forced to leave the Keeps.In unpublished correspondence with Sam Moskowitz in the l960's, in relation to Moskowitz's Seekers of Tomorrow, a collection of biographies of major science fiction writers, C.L. Moore wrote that Fury came about because John Campbell, the editor of Astounding, wanted a novel from the Kuttners and insisted upon its immediate delivery. The novel was scheduled and written so quickly Moore said, that the first part (of a three part serial) was in print before they had completed the final installment. The novel was half-written before the Kuttners themselves truly understood its plot and characters. Paradoxically, this urgency and improvisation led to a novel with great spontaneity, with high-wire intensity and unpredictability and Fury has been acclaimed as perhaps the only novel at the level of the great Kuttner and Moore short stories which dominated Astounding in the l940's. (Mutant, also published by Rosetta), is also highly regarded but that latter work was assembled from five self-standing novelettes spaced over a more considerable period.) The influence of Fury upon other writers is evident; much of the decadence of John Brunner's, Robert Silveberg's, Brian Aldiss's and Philip K.Dick's projected human societies in their fiction of the l960's was foreshadowed by the Kuttners.

Anne McCaffrey, S.M. Stirling

ARTHUR MILLER

L. Sprague De Camp, Lin Carter

Jack Dann, Gardner Dozois

Nigel KNEALE

JOHNNY HART

Sheri S. Tepper

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman /Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Wielding the powerful, magic-absorbing Darksword, Joram returns to Merilon to win revenge and claim his birthright. Here he will test Bishop Vanya and his fierce army of Duuk-tsarith in a battle unlike any their world has known. From the bestselling authors of the Dragonlance series.

Anne McCaffrey Of all the young singers at the Harperhall of Pern, Piemur was the one chosen for the leading role at Lord Groghe's Gather...and then his voice broke. Suddenly his whole future at Harperhall became uncertain. But Masterharper Robinton, Menolly and Sebell had other plans for Piemur. They were sure that his quick wits and discretion could be used to keep a check on the troublesome Oldtimers and their strange traffic in fire lizards. So, whilst serving as a messanger-drum apprentice, Piemur carried out special errands for the three. And it was on one such errand that he realized his wildest dreams.

J.R.R. Tolkien This is the 50th anniversary edition of Tolkien's best-loved short fairy story, originally told to his children in the 1920s and expanded for publication in 1949. Bluff Farmer Giles lives in a land-of-fable England, full of giants and dragons. A reluctant hero like the Brave Little Tailor or Bilbo in The Hobbit, Giles wins a great reputation by firing his blunderbuss at a wandering giant—who retreats not in fear but to avoid this tiresome stinging "insect". One thing leads to another, and despite all his excuses the now famous Giles is called to save his country from the marauding dragon Chrysophylax. He has a legendary anti-dragon sword and a lot of luck, but dragons can be as devious as politicians... Tolkien crammed much sly wit into his little story, plus jokey philological explanations that Giles's amazing adventures are commemorated in Thames Valley placenames like Worminghall and Thame. It's illustrated with nearly 50 line drawings by Paula Baynes: Tolkien loved these, but some look sadly faded here, like fourth-generation photocopies. As a bonus, the anniversary edition includes an introduction telling the story's history, a transcription of the original, unfinished draft, and 23 pages of notes on allusions and names (Chrysophylax means "keeper of gold", which is indeed what dragons do). A pleasant gift book. —David Langford

J. R. R. Tolkien A new edition of the fantasy tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. Re-set with colour illustrations re-originated from Tolkien's artwork.

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman /Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Enemies from birth, the headstrong Prince Khardan and impetuous Princess Zohra must unite in marriage to stop Quar, the God of Reality, Greed, and Law, from enslaving their people. But can Khardan and Zohra keep from betraying each other? Volume I in an epic new trilogy of magic, adventure, and immortal intrigue.

Margaret Weis

Margaret Weis

Fritz Leiber Professor Norman Saylor considered magic nothing more than superstition.  Then he learned that his own wife was a practicing sorceress.  But he still refuses to accept the truth…that in the secret occult warfare that governs our lives, magic is a matter of life and death.  And that unbeknownst to men, every woman knows it.

Filmed twice, as Weird Woman (1944) and Burn Witch Burn (1961), this tale of secret witchcraft on a modern college campus is as readable today as the day it was written.

Fritz Leiber Fritz Leiber (1910-1992) may be best known as a fantasy writer, but he published widely and successfully in the horror and science fiction fields. His fiction won the Hugo, Nebula, Derleth, Gandalf, Lovecraft, and World Fantasy Awards, and he was honored with the Life Achievement Lovecraft Award and the Grand Master Nebula Award. One of his best novels is the classic dark fantasy Our Lady of Darkness (1978 winner of the World Fantasy Award.

Our Lady of Darkness introduces San Francisco horror writer Franz Westen. While studying his beloved city through binoculars from his apartment window, he is astonished to see a mysterious figure waving at him from a hilltop two miles away. He walks to Corona Heights and looks back at his building, to discover the figure waving at him from his apartment window—and to find himself caught in a century-spanning curse that may have destroyed Clark Ashton Smith and Jack London.

Stephen Donaldson

Stephen Donaldson He called himself Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, because he dared not believe in this strange alternative world in which he suddenly found himself. Treated as an outcast, he was now believed to be the reincarnation of Berek Halfhand, armed with the mystic power of white gold.

Stephen Donaldson

Douglas Adams Life, the Universe and Everything: The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy Part Three In consequence of a number of stunning catastrophes, Arthur Dent is surprised to find himself living in a hideously miserable cave on prehistoric Earth. However, just as he thinks that things cannot get possibly worse, they suddenly do. He discovers that the Galaxy is not only mind-boggingly big and bewildering but also that most of the things that happen in it are staggeringly unfair. VOLUME THREE IN THE TRILOGY OF FIVE

Douglas Adams When all questions of space, time, matter and the nature of being have been resolved, only one question remains - "Where shall we have dinner?" "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" provides the ultimate gastronomic experience, and for once there is no morning after to worry about. This is volume two in the Trilogy of five.

Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams

Stephen Donaldson

Stephen Donaldson Volume Two of Stephen Donaldson's acclaimed second trilogy featuing the compelling anti-hero Thomas Covenant.

Stephen Donaldson In this story Thomas Covenant returns unwillingly to the Land ravaged by 4000 years of Lord Foul's pestilence. Under the evil Sunbane, the people of the Land submit to cruel sacrifices, the rulers of Revelstone are corrupt and the countryside is laid waste.

Stephen Donaldson

Stephen Donaldson

TERRY PRATCHETT

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

TERRY PRATCHETT

Hugh Cook

Hugh Cook

Hugh Cook

Hugh Cook

Hugh Cook

Hugh Cook

Hugh Cook

Robert A. Heinlein With several Hollywood Heinlein adaptations about to be launched (including "Starship Troopers" by the director of "Total Recall"), this SF superstar is shining brighter than ever. To celebrate his success, Del Rey is reissuing the author's classic works back into the forefront, beginning with "The Door into Summer", the story of a modern-day—and future-time—Rip Van Winkle.

Robert A. Heinlein It was just a test . . .
But something had gone wrong. Terribly wrong. What was to have been a standard ten-day survival test had suddenly become an indefinite life-or-death nightmare.
Now they were stranded somewhere in the universe, beyond contact with Earth . . . at the other end of a tunnel in the sky. This small group of young men and women, divested of all civilized luxuries and laws, were being forced to forge a future of their own . . . a strange future in a strange land where sometimes not even the fittest could survive!
". . . fascinating . . . ingenious . . . this a book in the grand tradition of high literature!"
— The New York Times

From the Paperback edition.

VIZ Media Ginji is a normal schoolboy until the day he awakes to discover that he's been transformed into a Pokemon! Now in the form of a Torchic, Ginji meets a very friendly Mudkip who convinces him to join his Rescue Team.

Their mission: to help any and all Pokemon in need. Saving adorable Pokemon is good and fine, but will Ginji ever be able to turn back into a human again?

Tracey West

Tom Igoe Building electronic projects that interact with the physical world is good fun. But when devices that you've built start to talk to each other, things really start to get interesting. Through a series of simple projects, you'll learn how to get your creations to communicate with one another by forming networks of smart devices that carry on conversations with you and your environment. Whether you need to plug some sensors in your home to the Internet or create a device that can interact wirelessly with other creations, Making Things Talk explains exactly what you need.

This book is perfect for people with little technical training but a lot of interest. Maybe you're a science teacher who wants to show students how to monitor weather conditions at several locations at once, or a sculptor who wants to stage a room of choreographed mechanical sculptures. Making Things Talk demonstrates that once you figure out how objects communicate — whether they're microcontroller-powered devices, email programs, or networked databases — you can get them to interact.

Each chapter in contains instructions on how to build working projects that help you do just that. You will: Make your pet's bed send you emailMake your own seesaw game controller that communicates over the InternetLearn how to use ZigBee and Bluetooth radios to transmit sensor data wirelesslySet up communication between microcontrollers, personal computers, and web servers using three easy-to-program, open source environments: Arduino/Wiring, Processing, and PHP.Write programs to send data across the Internet based on physical activity in your home, office, or backyardAnd much moreWith a little electronic know-how, a couple of inexpensive microcontroller kits and some network modules to make them communicate using Ethernet, ZigBee, and Bluetooth, you can get started on these projects right away. With Making Things Talk, the possibilities are practically endless.

Jean M. Auel The Shelters of Stone opens as Ayla and Jondalar, along with their animal friends, Wolf, Whinney, and Racer, complete their epic journey across Europe and are greeted by Jondalar’s people: the Zelandonii. The people of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii fascinate Ayla. Their clothes, customs, artifacts, even their homes—formed in great cliffs of vertical limestone—are a source of wonder to her. And in the woman Zelandoni, the spiritual leader of the Ninth Cave
(and the one who initiated Jondalar into the Gift of Pleasure), she meets a fellow healer with whom to share her knowledge and skills.

But as Ayla and Jondalar prepare for the formal mating at the Summer Meeting, there are difficulties. Not all the Zelandonii are welcoming. Some fear Ayla’s unfamiliar ways and abhor her relationship with those they call flatheads and she calls Clan. Some even oppose her mating with Jondalar, and make their displeasure known. Ayla has to call on all her skills, intelligence, knowledge, and instincts to find her way in this complicated society, to prepare for the birth of her child, and to decide whether she will accept new challenges and play a significant role in the destiny of the Zelandonii.

Jean Auel is at her very best in this superbly textured creation of a prehistoric society. The Shelters of Stone is a sweeping story of love and danger, with all the wonderful detail—based on meticulous research— that makes her novels unique. It is a triumphant continuation of the Earth’s Children® saga that began with The Clan of the Cave Bear. And it includes an amazing rhythmic poem that describes the birth of Earth’s Children and plays its own role in the narrative of The Shelters of Stone.

From the Hardcover edition.

Jim Butcher The inspiration for the Sci Fi channel television series

In Chicago, someone has been killing practitioners of magic, those incapable of becoming full-fledged wizards. Shockingly, all the evidence points to Harry Dresden's half-brother, Thomas, as the murderer. Determined to clear his sibling's name, Harry uncovers a conspiracy within the White Council of Wizards that threatens not only him, but his nearest and dearest, too...

Keri Arthur From Melbourne’s gleaming skyscrapers to its throbbing nightclubs, Riley Jenson’s world is raging with danger and desire. A drop-dead-gorgeous werewolf–with a touch of vamp coursing in her blood–Riley works for an organization created to police the supernatural races. But when she wakes up naked and bruised in a barren alley, she knows only that she must run for her life.

Within moments Riley collides with the sexiest man she’s ever seen: steely, seductive Kade, who is fighting a life-and-death battle of his own. With old lovers and enemies gathering around her, Riley knows she is being pursued by a new kind of criminal. Because in Riley’s blood is a secret that could create the ultimate warrior–if only she can survive her own dangerous desires….

Keri Arthur In a world of sorcery and seduction, the nights bring out the beautiful, the damned, and the desired. Here, Riley Jenson is on her own–half werewolf, half vampire, working for an organization created to police the supernatural races. Trusting her superiors and lovers barely more than she trusts her worst enemies, Riley plays by her own set of rules. Her latest mission: to enter the heavily guarded pleasure palace of a criminal named Deshon Starr–a madman-scientist who’s been messing around in the gene pool for decades.

With two sexy men–a cool, seductive vampire and an irresistibly hot wolf–vying for her attention, Riley must keep focused. Because saving the world from Deshon Starr will mean saving herself–from the trap that’s closing in around her. . . .

Keri Arthur In this exciting debut, author Keri Arthur explodes onto the supernatural scene with a sexy, sensuous tale of intrigue and suspense set in a world where legends walk and the shady paths of the underworld are far more sinister than anyone envisioned.

A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races–and protect humans from their depredations. While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker–until her brother goes missing on one of his missions. The timing couldn’t be worse. More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the weeklong period before the full moon, when her need to mate becomes all-consuming.…

Luckily Riley has two willing partners to satisfy her every need. But she will have to control her urges if she’s going to find her brother….Easier said than done as the city pulses with frenzied desire, and Riley is confronted with a very powerful–and delectably naked–vamp who raises her temperature like never before.

In matters carnal, Riley has met her match. But in matters criminal, she must follow her instincts not only to find her brother but to stop an unholy harvest. For someone is doing some shifty cloning in an attempt to produce the ultimate warrior–by tapping into the genome of nonhumans like Rhoan. Now Riley knows just how dangerous the world is for her kind–and just how much it needs her.

From the Hardcover edition.

Jane Yolen

Patrick Tilley

PATRICK TILLEY

Patrick Tilley

Patrick Tilley

Robert L. Forward

Mike Jefferies

Robert Silverberg

Robert Silverberg

Kevin Anderson Luke Skywalker finds his academy threatened by untold dangers when his most talented and rebellious student, Kyp Durron, delves dangerously into the Dark Side of the Force, aided by an evil and deadly enemy.

Kathy Tyers No sooner has Darth Vader's funeral pyre burned to ashes on Endor than the Alliance intercepts a call for help from a far-flung Imperial outpost. Bakura is on the edge of known space and the first to meet the Ssi-ruuk, cold-blooded reptilian invaders who, once allied with the now dead Emperor, are approaching Imperial space with only one goal; total domination. Princess Leia sees the mission as an opportunity to achieve a diplomatic victory for the Alliance. But it assumes even greater importance when a vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi appears to Luke Skywalker with the message that he must go to Bakura-or risk losing everything the Rebels have fought so desperately to achieve.

Langdon (editor) (Thomas M. Disch; J. G. Ballard; George MacBeth; Giles G Jones

Steven Bauer

Dave Wolverton Seeking rich, powerful allies to bring into the Rebel Alliance and a new home planet for the refugees of her native Alderaan, Princess Leia considers a proposal that could tip the balance of power against the evil Empire. The Hapes Consortium of 63 worlds is ruled by the Queen Mother, who wants Leia to marry her son, the dashing and wealthy Prince Isolder. Han Solo has always dreamed of marrying Leia himself, and now he makes a desperate last gamble to win her back. Soon he, Isolder, Luke Skywalker and Artoo will be at the center of an adventure leading to an awesome treasure, a group of Force-trained "witches," and a showdown with an invincible foe.

Timothy Zahn It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi Twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousand of light-years away, the last of the emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars.

Kevin Anderson In the third and last installment in the Jedi Academy Trilogy, a powerful remnant of the defunct Empire tries to destroy Han and Leia's Jedi twins, the next generation of Jedi Knights and the hope of the New Republic.

Timothy Zahn When Grand Admiral Thrawn takes command of what is left of the Imperial fleet and launches a massive campaign against the New Republic, Han and Lando Calrissian race to find proof of treason inside the highest Republic Council. Reprint.

Kevin Anderson As the war between the Republic and the scattered remnants of the Empire continues, two children—Princess Leia's Jedi twins—come into their powers in a universe on the brink of vast changes.

Aaron Hillegass According to Apple, "The Cocoa application environment is designed specifically for Mac OS X-only native applications. It is comprised of a set of object-oriented frameworks that support rapid development and high productivity. The Cocoa frameworks include a full-featured set of classes designed to create robust and powerful Mac OS X applications. The object-oriented design simplifies application development and debugging." Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X, 2/e teaches programmers and developers all the tools for Cocoa development. This book has a strong tutorial format and is completely updated for Mac OS X 10.2. The reader is guided through writing five applications and an InterfaceBuilder palette. Each project teaches several new ideas. As a new concept or technique is introduced, the text describes it in detail. This book will cover in depth the following topics: Cocoa: What is it?Where did it come from; ProjectBuilder, Objective-C, Controls, Archiving, Helper Objects, Multiple nibs, Getting and Setting User Defaults, Using Notifications, Custom Views, Responders and Keyboard events, Creating InterfaceBuilder Palettes, NSTimer, Updating Menus, Working with NSTextView and Using Java with Cocoa.

Thomas Denmark The Lich Lord has returned! And he has released the dead from their wormy graves. Now these undead hordes are stalking the land. The call has gone out for great heroes to stop this evil plague...are you brave enough to enter the deadly Tomb of the Lich Lord?

Each Dungeoneer set is a stand-alone card game for 2 to 4 players, that may be combined with other sets for more dungeon-delving fun! You take on the role of a hero attempting to complete a series of quests, while the other players act as the Dungeonlord on their turns, directing perils against you. Dungeoneer also features a "campaign" mode that lets one player take the role of the Dungeonlord and the other players participate as heroes, much like a traditional roleplaying game.

Wilbur Smith

Peter Turner Jeff Williams This practical guide will introduce you to the spectacular natural wonders, rich Maori culture and friendly people of New Zealand. If you're after adventure, get ready for an adrenalin rush - from climbing mighty Mt Cook to kayaking an underground river or rap jumping from an Auckland skyscraper.

Features: 113 detailed maps, including national parks and ski areas; extensive background information on Maori history and culture; accommodation options from scenic camping grounds to down-to-earth farmstays to classy B&Bs; exhaustive coverage of outdoor activities; details on the outer islands; Maori and Kiwi English language section.

Kevin J. Anderson Sixteen stories highlight the familiar characters from the Moss Eisley Cantina of Star Wars and feature the writings of such authors as David Bischoff, A. C. Crispin, Barbara Hambly, and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

Tracy Hickman Margaret Weis

Kate Novak Jeff Grubb

Tracy Hickman Margaret Weis

R.A. Salvatore

Carl Sagan At first it seemed impossible - a radio signal that came not from Earth but from far beyond the nearest stars. But then the signal was translated, and what had been impossible became terrifying. For the signal contains the information to build a Machine that can travel to the stars. A Machine that can take a human to meet those that sent the message. They are eager to meet us: they have been watching and waiting for a long time. And now they will judge.

Robin McKinley Harry, bored with her sheltered life in the remote orange-growing colony of Daria, discovers magic in herself when she is kidnapped by a native king with mysterious powers.

M. K. Wren “A Gift upon the Shore is a lyrical, haunting story of two women, an artist and a writer, surviving in a dark near future. Driven by rich and fully drawn characters, this is a powerful, compelling story of a friendship that survives the devastation, only to face a more difficult test from the ‘gift’ found upon the shore… It is also about remaining human under the worst of conditions, and the humanizing influence of books and art, even when their existence is threatened.

“Above all, it is a poignant expression of the durability, grace, and potential of the human spirit.”

—Jean M. Auel

E.O. Parrott

Anthony Burgess

Douglas Niles

David Eddings The final breathtaking volume in the Tamuli series. The pace, as always, is white hot - as are the special effects. As readers will know from Book Two, the Shining One Xanetia can melt her enemies with a touch. Fortunately, she is on the side of our hero, and so is the god Edaemus, whose (literally) volcanic rage will be useful in the continuing fight to save the Tamul Empire from the ravages of sinister King Cyrgon of the Cyrgai. Cyrgon has called forth Bhelliom's equal in supernatural power, Klael, the very essence of evil. And while Sparhawk is leading armies of Pandion Knights, Atan giants and Trolls in battle, Queen Ehlana is taken hostage in Matherion by the renegade Styric Zalasta and the madman Scarpa. The price for her return is no less than the Blue Rose. Taken in chains first to the jungles of Arjuna in the South, Ehlana is tracked by Sparhawk using both Delphaeic and Styric magic. But by then Sephrenia has been murdered and Ehlana has been removed to the Hidden City of the Cyrgai. The City is protected by magic and by the invincible Klael. The ultimate battle must be fought.