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A Perfect Vacuum
Par Stanislaw Lem. 1983
Ingenious essays from &“a Jorge Luis Borges for the Space Age, who plays in earnest with every concept . . . from free will…
to probability theory&” (The New York Times Book Review). In A Perfect Vacuum, Stanislaw Lem steps outside of his fictional comfort zone to try his hand at reviewing the literature of others. The only catch is this: None of these books have actually been published—or even written—he just made them up. These sixteen satirical and brilliantly insidious commentaries on non-existent books cover the gamut of unconventional writing techniques: from a Joycean review that doggedly dissects every word to a critique that is written entirely in negatives to an analysis presented in fragments for the reader to assemble as he or she likes. Along the way, Lem presents his trademark examinations on topics ranging from modern art to computer technology to philosophy. At once a disarming delight and a clever mental exercise, A Perfect Vacuum lends credence to the assertion that Lem is &“Harpo Marx and Franz Kafka and Isaac Asimov rolled up into one and down the white rabbit&’s hole&” (Detroit News).Tales of Pirx the Pilot
Par Stanislaw Lem. 1990
Brilliant stories of a bumbling astronaut, and the human desire to discover the unknown, by the much-loved author of Solaris.…
Set in the not-too-distant future, when space flight has evolved to the point where humanity is ready to colonize the solar system, Tales of Pirx the Pilot follows one somewhat-hapless explorer as he struggles though his training as a cadet, his career as a pilot, and his tenure as captain of a merchant ship. In these collected stories, Pirx stumbles his way through various exploits: traveling to the moon; battling mechanical malfunctions; encountering robots; and confronting questions of ambition, evolution, exploration, experimentation, and the nature of humanity itself. And in classic Pirx fashion, he faces down each dilemma with charm, curiosity, courage, and intuition. These early works by revered speculative fiction author Stanislaw Lem are filled with both the sharp insight for which he is known and a childlike innocence, making them an entertaining and thought-provoking read for science fiction fans of all ages.The Penultimate Truth (S. F. Masterworks Ser.)
Par Philip Dick. 2012
In this dystopian novel from the author of The Man in the High Castle, humanity is forced to live underground while…
a great secret hides above them.In the future, most of humanity lives in massive underground bunkers, producing weapons for the nuclear war they&’ve fled. Constantly bombarded by patriotic propaganda, the citizens of these industrial anthills believe they are waiting for the day when the war will be over and they can return aboveground. But when Nick St. James, president of one anthill, makes an unauthorized trip to the surface, what he finds is more shocking than anything he could imagine.&“At a time when most 20th-century science fiction writers seem hopelessly dated, Dick gives us a vision of the future that captures the feel of our time.&”—WiredRepo Men
Par Eric Garcia. 2009
In a brave new world, you'll never have to die . . . as long as you keep up with…
the payments.Thanks to the technological miracle of artiforgs, now you can live virtually forever. Nearly indestructible artificial organs, these wonders of metal and plastic are far more reliable and efficient than the cancer-prone lungs and fallible kidneys you were born with—and the Credit Union will be delighted to work out an equitable payment plan. But, of course, if you fall delinquent, one of their dedicated professionals will be dispatched to track you down and take their product back.This is the story of the making—and unmaking—of one of the best Repo Men in the extraction business, who finds his soul when he loses his heart . . . and then he has to run.Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams
Par Philip Dick. 2017
From the iconic author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, stories that inspired the original dramatic series.Though perhaps most famous…
as a novelist, Philip K. Dick wrote more than one hundred short stories over the course of his career, each as mind-bending and genre-defining as his longer works. Philip K. Dick&’s Electric Dreams collects ten of the best. In &“Autofac,&” Dick shows us one of the earliest examples (and warnings) in science fiction of self-replicating machines. &“Exhibit Piece&” and &“The Commuter&” feature Dick exploring one of his favorite themes: the shifting nature of reality and whether it is even possible to perceive the world as it truly exists. And &“The Hanging Stranger&” provides a thrilling, dark political allegory as relevant today as it was when Dick wrote it at the height of the Cold War. Strange, funny, and powerful, the stories in this collection highlight a master at work, encapsulating his boundless imagination and deep understanding of the human condition.Praise for Philip K. Dick&“In his top form, Philip K. Dick rivals Kurt Vonnegut.&”—New York Times&“Dick is one of the ten best American writers of the twentieth century, which is saying a lot. Dick was a kind of Kafka steeped in LSD and rage.&”—Roberto BolañoA science fiction spin on the story of Jesus&’s nativity, from the iconic author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?God…
is not dead, he has merely been exiled to an extraterrestrial planet. And it is on this planet that God meets Herb Asher and convinces him to help retake Earth from the demonic Belial. Featuring virtual reality, parallel worlds, and interstellar travel, The Divine Invasion blends philosophy and adventure in a way few authors can achieve. As the middle novel of Dick&’s VALIS trilogy, The Divine Invasion plays a pivotal role in answering the questions raised by the first novel, expanding that world while exploring just how much anyone can really know—even God himself.Eden
Par Stanislaw Lem. 1991
From the author of Solaris, this novel of an encounter with an alien intelligence creates &“a terrifyingly plausible picture of…
a world gone mad&” (Kirkus Reviews). Six explorers—the Captain, Doctor, Engineer, Chemist, Physicist, and Cyberneticist—crash land on a beautiful but strange planet, fourth from another sun. The landscape is bizarre, hosting acrid deserts, hissing trees, and thick spiderlike vegetation. But it is the signs of humanity that are most puzzling. In a labyrinth of plant-shaped buildings are dead ends, passageways, domes, vaulted ceilings, and giant statues. And everywhere there are images of death: mass graves, bodies in ditches and wells, clusters of egglike structures filled with skeletons. Something is wrong with the inhabitants of Eden. But as the crew unlocks the secrets of this twisted society, the most haunting fact they must face is how similar it is to their own. The Chicago Tribune lauded Stanislaw Lem as &“not only a marvelous spinner of tales of the fantastic but also a challenging philosopher of the meanings and ramifications of technology.&” Eden stands as a timeless and powerful examination of the conflict between human nature, human discovery, and all-too-human flaws.Cannibal Reign
Par Thomas Koloniar. 2012
A new star bursts onto the post-apocalyptic fiction scene: Thomas Koloniar. An epic dark saga set in a dystopian near-future,…
Cannibal Reign follows the fortunes of a small band of survivors, as they make their way across a nightmare landscape populated by bestial, flesh-eating savages after an asteroid strike destroys America. A dark, smart, action-packed vision of a terrifying possible tomorrow—when the only law left is “eat or be eaten”—Koloniar’s Cannibal Reign is an absolute must-read for fans of TV’s zombie smash hit The Walking Dead, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, Lucifer’s Hammer, the Mad Max movies, and, of course, Stephen King’s immortal horror masterwork The Stand.Bannerless: A Novel (The Bannerless Saga)
Par Carrie Vaughn. 2017
In this Philip K. Dick Award–winning, post-apocalyptic mystery, murder leads a novice investigator to question her population-controlled society.Decades after economic…
and environmental collapse destroys much of civilization in the United States, the Coast Road region isn’t just surviving but thriving by some accounts, building something new on the ruins of what came before. A culture of population control has developed in which people, organized into households, must earn the children they bear by proving they can take care of them and are awarded symbolic banners to demonstrate this privilege. In the meantime, birth control is mandatory.Enid of Haven is an Investigator, called on to mediate disputes and examine transgressions against the community. She’s young for the job and hasn't yet handled a serious case. Now, though, a suspicious death requires her attention. The victim was an outcast, but might someone have taken dislike a step further and murdered him?In a world defined by the disasters that happened a century before, the past is always present. But this investigation may reveal the cracks in Enid’s world and make her question what she really stands for.Praise for Bannerless“Bannerless is both a fine murder mystery and a multi-layered look at a different kind of society.” —Analog Science Fiction & Fact“Vaughn skillfully portrays a vastly altered future America that’s almost unrecognizable decades after its total collapse; the . . . focus on sustainability and responsibility is unusual, thought-provoking, and very welcome.” —Publishers Weekly“[A]n intimate post-apocalyptic mystery. . . . a deft portrait of a society departed so completely from the complexities of the now-destroyed civilization . . . that survivors don’t even understand what it is they’ve lost. . . . [A] well-crafted and heartfelt effort.” —Kirkus “Amazing and compelling, Vaughn brings her deft characterization and humanity to bear on a post-apocalyptic world that is all too real.” —Tobias S. Buckell, bestselling author of Arctic RisingSteven Universe: The Tale of Steven
Par Rebecca Sugar. 2019
The interactive story of magical beings from another world and how one very special boy came to be, by the…
New York Times–bestselling author of The Answer.Once upon a time, a silly, impossible little Gem named Pink Diamond ran away from her homeworld to the planet Earth. She transformed into Rose Quartz and gave up her existence to create a half-human child, Steven Universe. But so long as Steven has her Gem, can they BOTH exist? Is he her? Is she him? Is she trapped inside his Gem? This is so DISORIENTING! In a story unlike any other—made up of multiple points of view—who gets to tell the Tale of Steven? . . .The official picture-book adaptation of the Steven Universe special “Change Your Mind” by the series creator Rebecca Sugar.“The Tale of Steven is a storybook unlike any other, in an interactive format that tells the same story from multiple viewpoints, inviting the reader to interact with the story as they wish.” —The Hollywood Reporter“Beneath the surface Tale of Steven is a wonderfully smart commentary on bias and perspective, and how different points of view can all color and reframe the same story.” —Gizmodo“Challenging in all the right ways, heartstring-tugging and entertaining.” —Animation MagazineAn Excess Male: A Novel
Par Maggie King. 2017
One of the Washington Posts' "The 5 best science fiction and fantasy novels of 2017"!James Tiptree, Jr Literary Award Honor…
ListA B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog "Best SFF of 2017" pick!A Kirkus "Best of the Best!" of 2017 Honorable MentionFrom debut author Maggie Shen King, An Excess Male is the chilling dystopian tale of politics, inequality, marriage, love, and rebellion, set in a near-future China, that further explores the themes of the classics The Handmaid's Tale and When She Woke.Under the One Child Policy, everyone plotted to have a son. Now 40 million of them can't find wives.none noneChina’s One Child Policy and its cultural preference for male heirs have created a society overrun by 40 million unmarriageable men. By the year 2030, more than twenty-five percent of men in their late thirties will not have a family of their own. An Excess Male is one such leftover man’s quest for love and family under a State that seeks to glorify its past mistakes and impose order through authoritarian measures, reinvigorated Communist ideals, and social engineering.Wei-guo holds fast to the belief that as long as he continues to improve himself, his small business, and in turn, his country, his chance at love will come. He finally saves up the dowry required to enter matchmaking talks at the lowest rung as a third husband—the maximum allowed by law. Only a single family—one harboring an illegal spouse—shows interest, yet with May-ling and her two husbands, Wei-guo feels seen, heard, and connected to like never before. But everyone and everything—walls, streetlights, garbage cans—are listening, and men, excess or not, are dispensable to the State. Wei-guo must reach a new understanding of patriotism and test the limits of his love and his resolve in order to save himself and this family he has come to hold dear.In Maggie Shen King’s startling and beautiful debut, An Excess Male looks to explore the intersection of marriage, family, gender, and state in an all-too-plausible future.When a one night stand leads to pregnancy, the billionaire father is determined to marry for the child’s sake in…
this sexy international romance.She can’t deny him his heir . . . but she won’t surrender her heart!Dimitrios Papandreo once spent a desperate, passionate night with Annie Hargreaves. Knowing he couldn’t offer the happily-ever-after she deserved, he’s been trying to forget her ever since . . . until he’s told she’s raising their son!Annie’s speechless when Dimitrios arrives on her doorstep, declaring he knows her secret. He’ll accept nothing less than marriage to claim his child! That means moving to Singapore and facing their electrifying connection . . . Can Annie walk down the aisle this Christmas, knowing Dimitrios might never be capable of loving her?Far Horizons: All New Tales From The Greatest Worlds of Science Fiction
Par Robert Silverberg. 1999
The universe of the mind is a limitless expanse of wonders, filled with worlds and secrets that cannot be fully…
explored within the pages of a single novel. Here, science fiction's most beloved and highly honored writers revisit their best-known worlds in perhaps the greatest concentration of science fiction ever in one volume.Apex
Par Aer-Ki Jyr. 2015
Author of the epic Star Force Origin series, Aer-ki Jyr's impressive galactic world-building is on full display in this stand-alone…
space opera adventure reminiscent of Ryk Brown, Christopher Nuttall, B.V. Larson, and Evan Currie.A new dawn is coming.It's been eons since Humans controlled the universe. Defeated by a mysterious enemy, the downfall of Humanity brought about a virtual dark age. Culture and technology stagnated in their absence. But now, trade is once again flourishing as Human artifacts resurface throughout the galaxy, resurrecting long forgotten advancements.And one such discovery might very well alter the course of the future forever.An epic space adventure, Aer-ki Jyr's APEX is a breathless race to the ultimate prize, with the very fate of the stars hanging in the balance.The Author's Definitive Edition (previous edition published in 2013)The Journeys of Socrates: An Adventure
Par Dan Millman. 2005
The international bestselling author is bck with a page-turning tale of the origins of the peaceful warriorIn the heart of…
nineteenth century Tsarist Russia an orphaned boy born of both Jewish and Cossack blood desperately seeks to find a place in a dangerous world. Sergei Ivanov’s (Socrates’) journey from a military academy to America is a spellbinding and tragic odyssey of courage and love. This riveting novel reveals how a boy became a man, how a man became a warrior, and how a warrior discovered peace. From his birth, this boy—Sergei Ivanov—is destined to become the peaceful warrior and sage who changed the life of Dan Millman and millions of readers worldwide.The Janus Affair: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel (Ministry Of Peculiar Occurrences Ser. #2)
Par Tee Morris, Pip Ballantine. 2006
Hang onto your bowler hats, agents Books and Braun of Britain’s top-secret Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences are back in The…
Janus Affair. In their second wildly imaginative, utterly fantastic steampunk adventure, authors Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris carry readers back to an alternate history Edwardian England, where suffragettes are inexplicably disappearing in flashes of lightning, and the brainy, intrepid Mr. Books and his partner, the fearless, lovely, weapons-loving Eliza Braun, must get to the bottom of the nefarious matter—while confronting high-flying assassins, a traitorous turncoat, and the Queen of the Underworld herself. The Janus Affair is the British TV classic, The Avengers, updated for the 21st Century and given a delectable steampunk twist—an Affair that will satisfy fantasy lovers, graphic novel aficionados, and dedicated fans of the novels of Gail Carriger.Hieroglyph: Stories & Visions for a Better Future
Par Neal Stephenson. 2013
Inspired by New York Times bestselling author Neal Stephenson, some of today's leading writers, thinkers, and visionaries have come together in this…
anthology of stories, set in the near future, that reignites the iconic and optimistic visions of the golden age of science fictionBorn of an initiative at the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University, this remarkable collection unites a diverse group of celebrated authors, prominent scientists, and creative visionaries—among them Cory Doctorow, Gregory Benford, Charlie Jane Anders, David Brin, and Neal Stephenson—who contributed works of "techno-optimism" that challenge us to imagine fully, think broadly, and do Big Stuff.Inside this volume you will find marvels of imagination and possibility, including a steel tower so tall that the stratosphere is just an elevator ride away . . . a drone-powered Internet . . . crowdfunded robots descending on the moon . . . cities that work like a single cell of algae powered entirely by the sun . . . and much more.Engaging, mind-bending, provocative, and imaginative, Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future offers a forward-thinking approach to the intersection of art and technology that has the power to change our world.Seconds
Par David Ely. 1963
The cult classic sci-fi thriller. What would you give up for a second chance?Antiochus Wilson is completely and utterly bored with…
his life, until he receives the call that changes everything. When the voice on the other end of the line promises him excitement, wealth, and happiness, he is more than a little intrigued.Arriving at a hastily scrawled address, Wilson discovers a mysterious and exclusive organization that offers its clients whole new lives . . . for a price. The organization arranges for a client's demise or disappearance and outfits each with a new body in which to begin again. But there's no turning back, and no room for second-guessing. When Wilson begins to question his new circumstances and pushes some very well-established boundaries a bit too far for the organization's comfort, his second chance may just be his last.Love the One You're With: A B-Boy Blues Novel
Par James Hardy. 2002
Do men and monogamy mix? It's not a question Mitchell "Little Bit" Crawford gave much thought to until his beaufriend…
of almost two years, Raheim "Pooquie" Rivers, an All-American jeans model, heads to Hollywood to make his first feature film. As Mitchell soon discovers, the temptation to cheat is very real . . . and it seems to be everywhere. An ex even pops up hoping to pick up where they left -- and got -- off. While intrigued, Mitchell chalks all the attention up to "the married man" syndrome: one is much more desirable when he's attached to someone else.But as he continues to run into bisexual musician Montgomery "Montee" Simms, the look-but-don't-touch rule is put to the test. As he and Montee get closer, Mitchell's idealistic beliefs about commitment are challenged. Will he love the one he's with because he can't be with the one he loves?From the acclaimed author of VALIS, the world of an Episcopal bishop is shaken up by death and the discovery of…
ancient scrolls in Israel. The final book in Philip K. Dick&’s VALIS trilogy, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer brings the author&’s search for the identity and nature of God to a close. The novel follows Bishop Timothy Archer as he travels to Israel, ostensibly to examine ancient scrolls bearing the words of Christ. But, more importantly, this leads him to examine the decisions he made during his life and how they may have contributed to the suicide of his mistress and son. This introspective book is one of Dick&’s most philosophical and literary, delving into the mysteries of religion and of faith itself. As one of Dick&’s final works, it also provides unique insight into the mind of a genius, whose work was still in the process of maturing at the time of his death.&“An eerie and splendid book.&”—Washington Post