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Brighten to Incandescence: 17 Stories
by Michael BishopSeventeen of writer Michael Bishop's favorite stories were handpicked from his previously uncollected works to create this compelling collection, providing an excellent overview of a career that includes award-winning science fiction, horror, fantasy, satire, space opera, and mystery. In "A Tapestry of Little Murders, " a murderer attempts to escape along a literal road to self-destruction. A medical missionary, tortured by government thugs, reveals her dying wish in "With a Little Help from Her Friends." In "The Procedure, " an operation to remove a tumorous growth will hopefully excise from the patient's mind and body all tendencies toward faith and superstition. From futuristic mystery and Vietnam-era dark fantasy to theological speculation on Christ's death, a variety of lyrical voices speak through these haunting stories. An essay by the author divulges the genesis of each story.
Brittle Innings (Gateway Essentials)
by Michael BishopFor seventeen-year-old Danny Boles, a 5' 5" shortstop out of Tenkiller, Oklahoma, the summer of 1943 would be a season to remember. The country's at war, and professional baseball needs able-bodied men. Danny's headed for Highbridge, Georgia - home of the Goober Pride peanut butter factory and the Highbridge Hellbenders, a Class C farm club in the Chattahoochee Valley League. He's a scrappy player with one minor quirk: a violent encounter on the train to Georgia has rendered him mute, his vocal cords tied up in knots. Danny's idiosyncrasy, however, is nothing compared to that of his new Hellbender roommate, an erudite seven-foot giant by the name of Jumbo Hank Clerval. With his yellow eyes, strangely scarred face, and sausage-sized fingers, Hanks seems to have been put together in a meat-packing plant. But he plays a mean first base and can hit the ball a mile. With the Hellbenders in a pennant race as hot as the relentless Georgia sun, the eloquent Clerval forms a special kinship with the speechless kid from Oklahoma. Danny soon realizes that Hank is not an ordinary man but something more complex . . . more mysterious than he'd imagined.
Catacomb Years
by Michael BishopThe second book in the Urban Nucleus series, containing the following:Prelude: The Domes (1978)If a Flower Could Eclipse (1970)Interlude: The Testimony of Leland Turner (1979)Old Folks at Home (1978)Interlude: The City Takes Care of Its Own (1979)The Windows in Dante's Hell (1973)Interlude: Volplaning Heroes (1979)The Samurai and the Willows (1976)Interlude: First Councilor Lesser (1979)Allegiances (1975)Interlude: The Cradle Begins to Rock (1979)At the Dixie-Apple with the Shoofly-Pie Kid (1977)Interlude: The Fall of Saganella Lesser (1979)Death Rehearsals (1979)
Close Encounters With the Deity
by Michael BishopThrough the means of what he calls "speculative fiction", Michael Bishop examines the various links between man and the supernatural by exploring the relationships and conflicts between mortals and deities of other worlds, in other times and within other cultures. His scope isn't limited to alien environments, however. Bishop's talent for transforming the commonplace into the fantastic often reaches into our own backyards, and the results are astounding:- A father's love for his son and the influence of the evangelist's strange teachings prompt a desperate and violent act.- In a surreal world of unceasing movies where the inhabitants serve constantly as an audience, one man seeks to confront he ultimate power which controls their lives.- A young boy's talent for ventriloquism results in an irresistible summons from an all-powerful source.- A Midwestern farmer's compelling visions draw him to the oceanic god of an unusual cult.- Mysterious airborne hieroglyphics become a young scientist's obsession. With these and other stories, Michael Bishop weaves a colourful tapestry of character, theme and circumstance which attests to his position as on of the best in the field.
Count Geiger's Blues
by Michael BishopXavier Thaxton is the arts editor of a great metropolitan newspaper, and is a man whose aesthetic values are of only the highest calibre. But after an accidental dip in a radioactive swimming hole, Xavier finds his life changing as he is forced, step by step, despite all he can do, to assume the mantle and manner of a comic book superhero, and to be a living icon of the pop culture he has spent his life detesting.
A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire
by Michael BishopIt seemed like a good idea; even a noble experiment. But the outcome was sheer hell. When the Balduin brothers escaped from the tedium of the human hive of Atlanta, Georgia, they had a mission. They were to voyage to the planet Trope, contact a tribe there known as the Ouemartsee, and transport it to Glaparca for a useful purpose.But suddenly the Balduin brothers discovered that they were in the slave trade, and that the Ouemartsee had made one of them a God . . .
A Little Knowledge (Urban Nucleus #1)
by Michael BishopIn the domed city of Atlanta, after the breakup of the United States, a young writer named Julian Cawthorn is in trouble. Because he insulted the daughter of a public official, Cawthorn is out of work, and virtually unemployable. He begs a temporary job on the city newspaper and finds himself assigned to cover the first public appearance of the aliens Cygnusians, travelers from outer space who have been living in seclusion in Atlanta while visiting Earth.A Christian revivalist dictatorship rules Atlanta; church services are as much social as they are religious events. When one of the aliens chooses to appear at a church service, Julian watches as the first alien from space stands up and is "saved". The alien's voluntary salvation is taken as a sign that the state religion is indeed the one true religion, and minority groups, previously tolerated, are attacked by gangs, leaving Atlanta in turmoil. The service is a turning point in Julian's life. He is hired by Fiona Bitler, hostess to and protector of the aliens; at her invitation he goes to work in the secret alien enclave. In this environment Julian comes to know the fascinating aliens. He is mystified by the aliens' interest in his personal life and cannot understand how they have acquired so many oddly human characteristics in their brief period on Earth.
No Enemy But Time (S.F. MASTERWORKS)
by Michael BishopJoshua Kampa is torn between two worlds-the Early Pleistocene Africa of his dreams and the twentieth-century reality of his waking life. These worlds are transposed when a government experiment sends him over a million years back in time. Here, John builds a new life as part of a tribe of protohumans. But the reality of early Africa is much more challenging than his fantasies. With the landscape, the species, and John himself evolving, he reaches a temporal crossroads where he must decide whether the past or the future will be his present.
One Winter in Eden
by Michael BishopOne Winter in Eden contains the following tales:"One Winter in Eden""Seasons of Belief""Cold War Orphans""The Yukio Mishima Cultural Association of Kudzu Valley, Georgia""Out of the Mouths of Olympus""Patriots""Collaborating""Within the Walls of Tyre""The Monkey's Bride""Vernalfest Morning""Saving Face""The Quickening"
Philip K Dick is Dead, Alas (Gateway Essentials)
by Michael BishopIt is 1982. The United States has a permanent Moonbase. Richard M. Nixon is in the fourth term of the "imperial Presidency." And an eccentric novelist named Philip K. Dick has just died in California.Or has he? Psychiatrist Lia Pickford, M.D., is nonplussed when Dick walks into her office in small-town Georgia, with a cab idling outside, to ask for help. And Cal Pickford, a longtime Dick fan stunned by the news of his hero's death, is electrified when his wife tells him of the visit.So begins a sequence of events involving Cal in the repressive politics of the Nixon regime, the affairs of an aging movie queen, a hip but frightened Vietnamese immigrant and an old black man who works as a groom - all leading up to a fateful confrontation between Dick, Cal, and Nixon himself on the moon.
Stolen Faces
by Michael BishopMuphormosy, a disease not unlike leprosy, has ravaged the first settlers on the planet Tezcatl. Generations later, their similarly emaciated descendants live in a compound where they are isolated from the planet's normal inhabitants. The new kommissar of the compound, Lucian Yeardance, cares for his charges and alleviates their suffering with the narcotic heartsease. despite the open revulsion the normal inhabitants show for the maimed men and women, Luican determines to find out what the dread disease really is. Still, he is unprepared for the appalling discovery he makes: except for the open lesions and missing limbs and digits, not one of the muphormers shows a sign of any disease.
Transfigurations (S.F. MASTERWORKS)
by Michael BishopIn a clearing of the great forest of the planet Bosk Veld, a strange, ape-like species of alien, the Asadi, act out their almost-incomprehensible rituals, rainbow eyes flashing, spinning like pinwheels. Egon Chaney, in his anthropological study, "Death and Designation Among the Asadi" has shown how their life-style has apparently degenerated from a level of complex technological sophistication and devolved to a primal simplicity. Long after his disappearance in the forest, his daughter, Elegy Cather, comes to Bosk Veld to carry on his studies of the Asadi where he left off. With her is an intelligent ape, Kretzoi, physically adapted to resemble the aliens. Together with Thomas Benedict, Chaney's old partner, Elegy begins to unravel the enigma of the Asadi. As Kretzoi insinuates himself into their rituals, so we are drawn into what is perhaps the most convincing portrayal of the alien yet.
Who Made Stevie Crye?
by Michael BishopFor Mary Stevenson Crye, a beautiful young housewife, life had been wonderful. Loving husband, two delightful children, meaningful existence in a small Southern community. Then it all fell apart: with the sudden, unexpected death of her husband, Stevie must struggle to earn a living as a free-lance writer. When her typewriter - the sole economic support for her surviving family - breaks down, Stevie begins to receive demonic messages through the machine, the prelude to a living nightmare of satanic emissaries, ghouls from beyond the grave, and the revelation of an unrequited curse over the Crye household. For Mary Stevenson Crye, the nightmare is about to begin . . .
Under Heaven's Bridge
by Michael Bishop Ian WatsonA multinational expedition has landed on the planet Onogoro, a cold and dour world circling one star of a binary pair. Their objective is to investigate a strange alien race, known to the human visitors as the Kybers. These aliens, dwelling in a great network of ruined palaces, are partly biological creatures and partly machines, with the ability to switch themselves off at will. Expedition scientists discover that the Kyber's sun is soon to blaze up in a nova, yet the Kybers are not alarmed.
The Holes Around Mars Six Stories by Jerome Bixby (Classics To Go)
by Jerome Bixby(Excerpt): "Spaceship crews should be selected on the basis of their non-irritating qualities as individuals. No chronic complainers, no hypochondriacs, no bugs on cleanliness—particularly no one-man parties. I speak from bitter experience. Because on the first expedition to Mars, Hugh Allenby damned near drove us nuts with his puns. We finally got so we just ignored them." This collection of science fiction stories by Jerome Bixby includes The Holes Around Mars, Where There's Hope, Zen, The Draw, The Slizzers and The God-Plllnk.
Black Heart: The Curse Workers Book 3 (The Curse Workers #3)
by Holly BlackThe conclusion to the gripping Curse Workers series from bestselling author Holly BlackCassel Sharpe knows he's been used as an assassin, but he's trying to put all that behind him. He's trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He's trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he's trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he's been raised to believe the government is the enemy.But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what's right and what's wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what's a con and what's truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet - this time on love.
Book of Night: The Number One Sunday Times Bestseller
by Holly Black'Dark, strange, thick with mystery and twists Book of Night is everything delicious and frightening I've come to expect from Holly Black.' Leigh Bardugo, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ninth House'If Neil Gaiman channelled Stephen King, the result might be this book . . . scintillating prose, whiplash twists, and a voice of character that demands to be heard from again.' James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Starless Crown_______________________________________________________________________#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies.Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn't pick, a book she couldn't steal, or a bad decision she wouldn't make. She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie.Now, she's trying to distance herself from past mistakes, but going straight isn't easy. Bartending at a dive, she's still entirely too close to the corrupt underbelly of the Berkshires. Not to mention that her sister Posey is desperate for magic, and that her shadowless and possibly soulless boyfriend has been keeping secrets from her. When a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie descends back into a maelstrom of murder and lies. Determined to survive, she's up against a cast of doppelgängers, mercurial billionaires, gloamists, and the people she loves best in the world - all trying to steal a secret that will allow them control of the shadow world and more.'Holly Black is a master of fantasy with the Midas touch -- there is no story she cannot turn to gold.' V.E. Schwab, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue'Superb, entangling magic and mystery around the gritty horrors of human nature, neglectful parenting and the scourge of severe income inequalities . . . Will have you frantically turning pages and finishing in less time than you thought possible. Everything you could want from a modern fantasy.' SFX'A gripping ride from start to finish. Book of Night invites you to reckon with the shadows of your past.' Olivie Blake, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six'A delicious, dark, adrenaline rush of a book. I'm already dying to see Charlie Hall's next con.' Alix E. Harrow, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Once and Future Witches'Heart, soul, and a bit of kink -- Book of Night is smart, decadent fun.' Kelly Link, Pulitzer Prize Finalist'A dark romp full of danger and shadows with a razor-sharp heroine and vivid magic.' Zoraida Córdova, bestselling author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina'A deliciously clever page-turner.' Paolo Bacigalupi, New York Times Bestselling author of The Water Knife'Book of Night delivers hot sex, a breathless plot, perfect characters, and some of the most gorgeous writing I've read in years, sharp as a razor blade, clear as a one-way glass.' Ellen Kushner, award-winning author of Swordspoint'Black is a master at world-building.' The New York Times
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown: Booktrack Edition
by Holly BlackColdtown is dangerous. A prison for the damned and those who party with them. The stunning new YA novel from the bestselling author of THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, Holly Black. TRUE BLOOD for teens!Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. It's an eternal party, shown on TV 24 hours a day - gorgeous, glamorous, deadly! Because, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave...A wholly original story of rage and revenge, love and loathing from bestselling author, Holly Black. Fans of TRUE BLOOD will love this dark and sexy tale.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown (The Coldest Girl in Coldtown)
by Holly BlackThe Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black. Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.
The Cruel Prince (PDF)
by Holly BlackFirst in the bestselling Folk of the Air trilogy. The sequels - The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing - are the winners of/won the Goodreads YA Best Fantasy in 2019 and 2020. Nominated for the CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019. Winner of the silver INKY for best international YA book. "A dark jewel of a book . . . intoxicating" - Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe. One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal. As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong. But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan . . . Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends seamlessly with enthralling storytelling to create a fully realised and seductive world, brimful of magic and romance.
The Darkest Part of the Forest
by Holly BlackNEW YORK TIMES bestselling author and co-creator of the Spiderwick Chronicles, Holly Black spins a dark, dangerous and utterly beautiful faerie tale, guaranteed to steal your heart. Faeries. Knights. Princes. True love. Think you know how the story goes? Think again...Near the little town of Fairfold, in the darkest part of the forest, lies a glass casket. Inside the casket lies a sleeping faerie prince that none can rouse. He's the most fascinating thing Hazel and her brother Ben have ever seen. They dream of waking him - but what happens when dreams come true? In the darkest part of the forest, you must be careful what you wish for...
Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor (Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary Short Stories #11)
by Holly BlackAs the newly-regenerated Twelfth Doctor arrives on our TV screens, Puffin are publishing the twelfth instalment in its sensational series of Doctor Who eShorts! With 11 previous stories by some of the most exciting names in children's fiction, this Twelfth Doctor ebook is written by bestselling US author Holly Black.
Red Glove (The\curse Workers Ser. #2)
by Holly BlackCassel has discovered the dark secret of his past, a secret that has transformed his life for ever and given him unimaginable power. Now intent on uncovering the person responsible for his brother's murder, he is about to find out just how dangerous power can be...A dark and twisting contemporary fantasy with magic, murder and a dash of romance from the bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman.
White Cat (The\curse Workers Ser. #Bk. 1)
by Holly BlackCassel is cursed. Cursed by the memory of the fourteen year old girl he murdered. Life at school is a constant trial. Life at home even worse. No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker.Cassel's family are one of the big five crime families in America. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. And while people still need their touch, their curses, their magical killings, their transformations, times have been hard. His granddad has been driven to drink, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic.But there is a secret at the centre of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrifying and that's the truth.The White Cat is a stunning novel of a world changed by magic. In this world only 1% of the population can work magic but they have the power of nightmares.
Magisterium: The Bronze Key (The Magisterium #3)
by Holly Black Cassandra ClareMagic can save youMagic can kill youIt should be a time of celebration. The Enemy of Death is dead; a severed head proof of his downfall. The magical world has no reason to believe otherwise, and Callum, Tamara and Aaron are celebrated as heroes.But at a party held in their honour, things go horribly, brutally wrong. A fellow student is callously murdered, and it seems Call’s worst fears are confirmed: there is a spy in the Magisterium.No one is safe.Now, using the powerful magic they’ve been taught, the trio must risk their lives to track down the killer. But magic is dangerous – in the wrong hands it could bring terrible destruction. And reveal the deadliest secret of all . . .