Showing titles in Anthologies & Short Stories

Of science fiction and fantasy, guest editor Nnedi Okorafor writes, “There are times when it feels like a box, but within it, technically, you can expect anything.” The twenty stories in this collection simultaneously fulfill and defy expectations of genre, showcasing boundary-pushing...

For more than fifty years Ray Bradbury has regaled us with wonders, enabled us to view from fresh perspectives the world we inhabit, and see others we never dreamed existed. Here are eighteen brand-new stories and seven previously published but never before collected stories -- proof positive...

Allen Ming awakens in an unfamiliar realm, trapped within an unfamiliar form—feeble in body and spirit. Thrust into a world of cultivation, Allen Ming finds himself grappling with a reality of a wastrel body, and a world filled with danger and killing. With an AI-enhanced eye, he seeks his way through the dark world of cultivation. But with his newfound family haunted by a looming threat, he has to take charge of the situation even before he gets familiar with the new body.

Escape on a journey from the ordinary to the extraordinary with award-winning fantasy editor Paula Guran. This superbly curated collection explores myth and fable, dark and light—a heroic creature facing a dangerous demon; an earthly love facing the mossy decay of death. With tales of living ball gowns and timid monsters, of modern witches and multidimensional magic, these twenty-four stories will transport you from fantastical realms that push the limits of imagination to alternative realities mirroring much of our own.

In Conan and the Emerald Lotus, the seeds of a deadly plant grant sorcerers immense power, but turn its users into inhuman killers. In the exclusive, long-awaited sequel Conan and the Living Plague, a Shemite wizard seeks to create a serum to use as a lethal weapon. Instead he unleashes a hideous monster on the city of Dulcine. Hired to loot the city of its treasures, Conan and his fellows in the mercenary troop find themselves trapped in the depths of the city’s keep. To escape, they must defeat the creature, its undead followers, then face Lovecraftian horrors beyond mortal comprehension.

Niemals hätte sie gedacht, dass sie sich einmal so machtlos und ausgeliefert fühlen könnte. Maya Davis ist 17 Jahre alt, als ihre Eltern ihr verkünden, dass sie ihre geliebte Heimatstadt Angel Springs aufgrund von Verschuldung bald verlassen müssen. Und somit auch ihre Freunde und ihre Schule. Doch Maya will das nicht wahrhaben und hofft auf ein Wunder. Ein Wunder, das auch eintritt. Denn als der mysteriöse Junge, Rafael, in ihr Leben tritt, bekommt sie durch ihn tatsächlich die Chance, die Schulden ihrer Eltern zu begleichen.

Every year some of the best in the genre get together to tell awesome stories in a combined offering. Inside this audiobook you will find action, adventure, love, lust, and intrigue.

Meet the Unreliable Nature Writer: a macabre product of late capitalism, climate anxiety and personal loss. Finding herself alone at a wedding, tailed by an unctuous and infatuated fellow guest, she proceeds to have her fun—plunging us into a potpourri of disturbing, darkly funny visions of a near future. Aloof, evasive and sardonic, she will be our guide; her stories will bare truths about how the world we’re changing so violently might affect us in turn.

Il vecchio è il più grande alchimista di tutti i regni, il "Maestro delle essenze", come dimostrano in modo impressionante le sue ingegnose pozioni "Maledizione dell'ombra curiosa" o "Specchio dell'ultimo istante". Che siano altri a inventare la pozione per l'umiltà e la modestia. Mentre indaga su una morte misteriosa, il soldato della guardia cittadina trova una lettera con il sigillo del re. Non riesce a resistere alla tentazione. La figlia dello scorticatore si addentra nella foresta col suo amico per raccogliere funghi. Uno strano bagliore li attira in una grotta nascosta.

Mike Vendetti's mesmerizing voice brings "The Valley of the Worm" to life, capturing the essence of Howard's vivid characters and thrilling plot twists. Listeners will be transported to a world where swordplay and ancient beings collide in an epic battle for survival. Whether you're a fan of Fantasy Science Fiction or just looking for an exciting new adventure, "The Valley of the Worm" is sure to captivate and enthrall you from start to finish.

Schatten, die flüstern, Geheimnisse, die nicht länger verborgen bleiben, und eine Liebe, die sämtliche Hindernisse überwinden muss... Mel ist Journalistin, lebt in Verona und glaubt nur an das, was sie sieht. Bei Recherchen für einen neuen Artikel stolpert sie über seltsame Vorkommnisse. Jemand verfolgt sie, oder bildet sie sich das nur ein? Je tiefer sie in die Geschehnisse eindringt, desto unerklärlicher werden sie. Als sie dann auch noch von ihrem Vater ein altes Erbstück ausgehändigt bekommt, steht ihre Welt Kopf.

Die Ewigkeit ist eine Lüge. Der Rattenfänger hinterlässt Tod und Zerstörung, und stellt den Illusionisten Ryuk vor die Wahl: Begibt er sich auf die Jagd nach Konstantins Seelensplittern oder rettet er die spurlos verschwundene Alexis? Seine Verzweiflung wächst ins Unermessliche, und die schaurige Melodie des Rattenfängers naht. Doch die Ewigen bekommen Hilfe von einer unerwarteten Person, während die Intrigen des Rates die Loyalität der Schatten auf eine enorme Probe stellen.

Todays software can only imitate art, but what about tomorrow? Will true artificial intelligences be able to appreciate or even create art? Explore dystopian societies, where AI generates most of the content and human artists must eke out an existence, and utopias, where artificial minds help...

Ich hatte nur einen kleinen Spaziergang geplant. Einen kurzen Abstecher in das unheimliche Waldgebiet, das ich von meinem wunderlichen Onkel geerbt hatte. Ich konnte ja nicht ahnen, dass dieser riesige, uralte Wald einige sehr finstere Geheimnisse bereithielt, die in unserer Welt gar nicht existieren durften. Und ganz bestimmt hatte ich nicht mit den drei einschüchternden, gehörnten Kreaturen gerechnet, die gar nicht daran dachten, mich wieder gehen zu lassen. Sie hatten nämlich mein Geheimnis gewittert: Meine Jungfräulichkeit.

La giovane nativa Fiore d'Argento, per colpa dell'avidità dei suoi genitori, riceverà un dono pericoloso da parte di uno sciamano: una penna magica, che darà alla sua risata il potere di trasformare i chicchi di caffè in pepite d'argento. Possedere un simile potere nel vecchio West significa avere guai. Soprattutto quando la faccenda arriverà alle orecchie dello spregiudicato señor Ferano, il più grande produttore di caffè del continente. La sola speranza di Fiore di liberarsi dall'incantesimo è trovare cinque persone che rifiutino la penna del Condor Iridescente.

Magic & Malice: When Ember Rose is tasked with covering the birthday party of a wealthy 200-year-old matriarch for the local paper's society section, she doesn't bank on the guest of honor dying before the cake is served. Magic & Mythos: A murder in Starry Hollow forces Ember to team up with her law enforcement nemesis—leprechaun Deputy Bolan. Magic & Mishaps: Ember Rose is working hard to smooth the path for her relationship with the stoic vampire Alec Hale. She hits a massive bump, however, when a body is discovered drained of blood and Alec is one of the key suspects.

Join James, our intrepid adventurer, streamer, and bug hunter, as he jumps headfirst into the first true immersion VRMMORPG game and explores the digital reality that the dev's have kept under lock and key. No previews? No class or race info before launch? What could possibly go wrong? Especially starting in the empire inspired by ancient Egypt. Rolling a character reminiscent of an old-school D&D cleric, James takes on the world of Sosaku Online with spear, shield, and holy fire.

Zach Riley is a man on the run… from something, or someone, that he just can’t figure out. What, pray tell, might that be? Women who are around him want to jump him, and get him into bed. But Zach can’t figure out why! He simply can’t take it anymore, so he escapes, taking refuge in his own spaceship and he never, ever, leaves it. But his comfortable, if lonely, lifestyle is suddenly thrown into chaos.

My life definitely wasn’t going according to plan, but that all changed the moment I died unexpectedly. Now I’ve been reborn into the fantasy metropolis of Dragonmont City, where I get a second chance to flourish. A twist of fate brings me into contact with Paulina, the proud but troubled owner of Goblin Girl Maid Service. Together with her slightly crazy best friend Kennedi, these two insanely beautiful goblin girls are trying to get their struggling business off the ground. But the competition, in the form of bearded dwarf ladies with a serious attitude problem, has never been stiffer.

In a magical world known as ‘The Wyrd’ only those who have the Spark can be adventurers, diving into magical dungeons, getting epic loot, and leveling up by collecting essence. Caldor is several years past the age when most people find out they are sparked, but that doesn’t stop him from wishing. Caldor’s father was an adventurer and he wants nothing more than to be like him, an Arcane Knight. When his hunt goes sideways and he finds that he can harness the powers of being a Sparked, he is filled with excitement and ready to battle his way to the top!