Raphael, a former agent of the shape shifter secret police, is assigned to help the victim of a hideous crime -- a woman who has been attacked by a serial killer, and accidentally turned into a were-jaguar. Worse yet, Catherine turns out to be Raphael's fated mate. But the serial killer is still on her trail, and perhaps even worse, Raphael's pack wants her dead.

Vaughan Roberts and his friends pull off a hoax of such audacity they attract the attention of the Interstellar Patrol. The Patrol needs a few good con men, capable of ingenious improvisation and adept at playing dirty tricks on the bad guys. When the new recruits turn out to be just what they want, the Patrol throws them into what might at first seem to be hopeless situations.

Archaeologist Annja Creed discovers that a dangerous Jesuit, a brilliant artist, and a famed monster hunter are the keys to sightings of strange creatures in the Santa Fe area.

Vampire-werewolf hybrids Riley Jenson and her twin brother Rhoan are employed by an organization created to police the supernatural races. When Rhoan, an assassin, goes missing on a mission, Riley must conquer the lusts that come upon her if she's to find her brother.

8 Company stories.

Only the barbarian Cnaiur and the sorcerer Achamian, continue to hazard doubts about Anasurimbor Kellhus. But where Cnaiur topples ever deeper into madness and wanton violence, Achamian is compelled to yield the secrets of the Gnosis to the man who stole his wife. And so, the final reckoning is at hand. Faceless assassins will strike in the dead of night. Kings and emperors will fall. The sorcerous Schools will be unleashed. And Anasurimbor Kellhus will at last confront his father. If Kellhus could subvert an entire holy war within a year, what has Modnghus accomplished in thirty? What is the meaning of his Thousandfold Thought?

Helen discovers she is now a personality construct trying to trap a psychopath haunting the shadowed areas of virtual space. Meanwhile, Justinian is investigating a peculiar rash of AI suicides on far-off planets - and finds a link to his wife Anya's mysterious coma. In a future where AIs have taken over human life and the Environment Agency runs everything for our own good, the fact that we can live on after physical death as sentient digital beings should have been a good thing. Instead, as Helen and Justinian are about to discover, it just means there are more ways to die.

The Un-Named one's consort Lilith has released from Hell a monstrous plague of creatures that threatens not only the Guardians but even The Covenant. The only solution that presents itself is to find and behead Lilith.

A Celtic noble betrays his people at the behest of his mother's belief in a strange prophecy and sides with the conquering Roman legions. As a result both Brittania and his family thrive for the next four centuries. And then, as Rome begins to fade, there is still the prophecy. For those capable of deciphering its signs and portents, the future of Earth is in their hands.

320 pages of the best horror of last year.

Sequel to the alternate history WEAPONS OF CHOICE. The consequences are now spun out: an alliance between Hitler and Stalin, a Japanese assault on Australia, and an all-out Nazi invasion of England.

In the Duchy of Oc, the most precious of creatures are the winged horses blessed by the goddess Kalla. When one is born, it is immediately taken to the Academy of the Air to be trained and watched over. But when a spirited peasant girl bonds with a winged horse of her own, the Academy gets more than it bargained for.

A great evil is raised in the land of Elynnrie - reaching out from the distant past to shatter the lives of all it touches. It is forcing a haunted former mercenary to take up the sword again, thrusting a young student of magic into the role of uncertain wizard, and pitting blood brothers against one another in mortal combat.

Pyrgus Malvae, crown prince of the Faerie realm, is on the run from a scheming sorcerer, a powerful demon, the malignant leader of the Faeries of the Night, and maybe even a hidden traitor within his father's court. His appearance to Henry Atherton out of an invisible portal in old man Fogarty's backyard, involves Henry in his struggle to prevent all of Faerie from being conquered by the Nightside.

2006 Lambda Award nominee. An apparently young, amnesiac girl has alarmingly un-human needs and abilities that lead her to a startling conclusion: she is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted - and still wants - to destroy her and those she cares for, and how she can save herself. Recommended.

In the dark city of Deepgate, suspended by chains over a seemingly bottomless abyss, there are two angels. One is an untested boy, last of his line. The other is a psychotic murderer. When one of the city's own turns against its people, both angels seek a powerful magic at the bottom of the chasm.

England is largely a bleak wasteland, due to 35 years of perpetual rain. Society has divided into three group: Domers, Drys and Wets. They are united only by their fear of an impending alien invasion.

We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes.

Attacked by a member of the ancient, powerful, and secret vampire organization known as the Board, Candace realizes the only way she can save her life is to give herself to Ash and become a vampire.

A previously unpublished non-sf novel. A young radio electronics salesman in early 1950s Oakland, California has what seems to be an ideal life, but something is missing. He tries to fill his void first with drinking, and sex, and then with religious fanaticism, but nothing seems to be working, and it is driving him crazy. He reacts to the love of his wife and the kindness of his employer with anxiety and fear.

End of the series. The land is beginning to recover from the cataclysmic return of the spell-cast Aoi. But many new alliances are forming even as Sanglant struggles to legitimize his own leadership. The Aoi are carrying out random attacks - while implicating him as their leader. Stronghand has begun a march of conquest into the heart of Sanglant's realm, Adelheid and Antonia have made an unholy alliance. And Sabella and Duke Conrad are moving to seize Sanglant's crown. Cultures, religions, and races are clashing in what will be the ultimate struggle for control of this strange new world.

New stories - including a new story by Flint himself - return us to one of the most popular series in alternate history sf. Also included are articles exploring the technical problems the time-lost Americans face, including the centrality of iron to the industrial revolution, the problems of mechanizing agriculture in the 17th century, and the type of weapons which the Americans can mass-produce.

Begins a new dark fantasy trilogy. The fuel of sorcery in this world is the very fire of the human spirit - and those who hunger for power pay for it with their lives. The greatest threat may not re ancient enemies returned or wars resumed but the darkness that lies within men.

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy of vampire slaying, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.

A succubus is loose, seducing both men and women in order to drain out their emotions and lives, before moving on to its next victim.

In the wake of the war that left the Nightside leaderless, Jeremiah Griffin - one of the last of the immortal human families - plans to fill the power vacuum. But his granddaughter has disappeared, and he wants John Taylor to use his special abilities to find her. Except someone - or something - is blocking Taylor's abilities.

New Orleans PI Anne Lockhart's life has been in a holding pattern ever since her sister Katie disappeared without a trace. Now a clue leads Anne to a jazz club in the French Quarter where she meets its proprietor, John Rodolfo. This gifted musician, like others in the club, is prone to nocturnal disappearances. Anne's undercover investigations turn up some unsuspected secrets.

A mysterious hunter, a man of ancient race and purpose, arrives by sea and endlessly chants the names of the pantheon of demons that are his intended victims, as well as one other: Ysk, the original name of the Brother, now known as Achmed, the Assassin King of Ylorc.

The dhampir Magiere and Leesil the half-elf set out on a quest to uncover the secrets of their own mysterious origins and to find those responsible for setting into motion the events that brought them together.

Desperate to free his mother from a caste of ruthless elven assassins, Leesil joins his beloved Magiere, the sage Wynn, and their canine protector Chap, on a difficult journey through mountains and harsh winter. Chap's Fay kin have gathered this group - without their knowledge - to forge an alliance against the forces of dark magic. But in the meantime Chap must guard them against mysterious enemies.

320 pages: the best fantasy prose of 2006.

320 pages : best stories of 2006.

Howard's fiction and prose that ran in WEIRD TALES from July 1932 to May 1933.

Vampyre PI Joe Pitt hops a train through enemy territory and into the heart of Manhattan's toughest neighourhood. There he enters the headquarters of the one of the oldest figures in the city's Vampyre underworld and learns a secret that shocks even a tough-skinned shamus like him.

Vampires flock to Portland Oregon for a new recreational drug that works on the undead.

From the award-winning author of SILK. A troubled young woman delves into the past to discover the secret of a strange fossil that - according to all the laws of nature - couldn't exist. But it did. And still does. Recommended.

Precocious Emmie Silvey with her striking yellow eyes is a solitary child, raised by her widower father. But now two women have intruded into her life - one who stalks her, the other who haunts her dreams. Your entire life, they tell her, is a lie. And they warn her of an approaching darkness.

Civilization ends with a call on your cell phone. A pulse from a mysterious source transforms all cell phone users into homicidal maniacs. Cyber prank gone haywire? "Normies" who have survived the attack have gathered with the headmaster of Gaiten Academy to see something terrifying and awesome on the moonlit soccer field. The only option is to take them on.

In an alternate world millenia ago, the devas-nature spirits came to earth. Some renegade devas were imprisoned. In the time of Julius Caesar, these devas, now called "The Stone God", are ready to break free. A band of warriors, Rhenna of the Free People, Cian a panther shape shifter, Tahvo a Northern shaman, and Quintus, a Tiberian rebel, must come together to fight for humanity's survival.

The Gypsy boy has asked for Di's help - called on for her magical assistance - and she could not refuse, especially after he was slain practically on her doorstep. But the vampire Di finds cradling the body isn't the killer--he's the Gypsies' protector, Andre LeBrel, who informs Di that there's more than one monster stalking the streets of New York.

Vidal recovers to set in motion a plan to bring about a new dark age. Denoriel, a good Sidhe of elfland, is dangerously unaware of the plan. The evil Unseleighe Sidhe are determined that the eight year old princess, Elizabeth, shall never grow up to take the throne in sixteenth century England.

Young novelist Cath Lane thinks she sees a new novel in the reports of something stalking the moors of Northumberland, slaughtering sheep and other livestock. A huge, feral creature has been sighted - but has so far evaded capture.

Although Anahar has finally been liberated, Tess Birdsong and Archer Blackcloak must now bring about peace among the warring races. But Archer carries a dark secret that may doom them all.

Freelance thief Gem ser'Edreth turns down a commission from the local crime boss and suddenly finds himself embroiled in interplanetary politics and a potential interstellar war, in possession of the mysterious Witness for the Telios, an ancient object of power - and an unwanted cousin. The Witness may hold the key to his salvation - or his undoing.

Sequel to MARA AND DANN. Dann is grown now, traveling with his friend, a snow dog. And we meet Mara's daughter and Griot with the green eyes, an abandoned child-soldier who discovers the meaning of love and the ability to sing stories.

Firekeeper and Blind Seer, while helping the soothsayer-jaguar Truth, learn that some people in Liglimon are flouting the ancient magics taboo. But Truth knows more than she's telling, and doesn't reveal - until too late - that she's been hearing the voice of "the Meddler", a dangerous trickster figure.

Dirk & Steele detective agency's Blue, an electrokinetic, is sent to Las Vegas to locate his half-brother. Blue soon finds himself involved in an organ-smuggling plot - and protecting a young beauty who is more than what she appears to be.

A young witch, a Dark One who works as a counselor at a girls' summer camp, bolsters her power by leeching fear from children's nightmares. But she falls in love with a handsome young Light One, and threatens the balance.

When a visiting scientist gets wind of the shapeshifting ability of the Shongli twins, able to transform from human to seal and back, the twins are soon in danger of kidnapping or worse. And so they must be sent away from their beloved world.

As Petaybee changes to accomodate groups of human refugees from an uninhabitable planet, a race of aliens is discovered living in the ocean depths - aliens who could be friends, but might well be foes.

Clinging to an ominous proposal from his young friend Fynch, an increasingly powerful mage, Wyl must walk his most dangerous path yet - straight into the brutal clutches of King Celimus. Recommended.

Sequel to WINTER ROSE. Sylvia Lynn is called home for her grandfather's funeral. Sylvia's grandmother attempts to get Sylvia involved in protecting Lynn Hall from the otherworldly forces that surround it. Sylvia, however, feels the pull of both worlds. Recommended.

In the long war with the Palatine Empire, the pride of the Terran space fleet is its sister starships, the U.S.S. Merrimack and the U.S.S. Monitor. Now that the Palatine forces have secretly captured the Monitor and its codes, they can remotely seize control of the Merrimack - leaving her almost helpless. But as both sides struggle for supremacy, they are about to be attacked by an alien life-form - the Hive, a biological force with only one imperative: to seek and devour.

C. Thomas Flood discovers that his girlfriend, Jody - the woman of his dreams - is a vampire. And surprise! Now he's one, too. For some couples, the whole biting-and-blood thing would have been a deal breaker. But Tommy and Jody are in love, and they vow to work through their issues. Like how much Jody should teach Tommy about his new superpowers (and how much he needs to learn on his own). Plus there's Tommy's cute new minion, sixteen-year-old goth girl Abby Normal. (Well, "someone" has to run errands during daylight hours!) Making the relationship work, however, is the least of Jody and Tommy's problems. Word has it that the vampire who nibbled on Jody wasn't supposed to be recruiting any new members into the club. Even worse, Tommy's erstwhile turkey-bowling pals are out to get him, at the urging of a blue-dyed Las Vegas call girl named (duh) Blue. And that really sucks.

Erroll is awakened by a crank caller claiming to be his father. It feels like a surreal call from the grave as his father has been dead for several years. Erroll has been touched by the Wave, a presence infecting the planet.

The wounded Orb of the Vigors is bleeding magical energy and cutting a swathe of death and destruction across the kingdom. Tristan could heal the orb - but only after his blood has been cleansed. For that he must go to distant Parthalon to the mysterious Well of Forestallments.

Reeth is trapped on the Diamond Isle, fending off the pirates that plague the surrounding waters as he struggles to understand his true nature and the great power it represents. And the specter of war looms as a conquering warlord prepares for ultimate destruction.

The identical sisters Drucilla, Sabina, and Tamara, are princesses in a realm plagued by incursions, raiding parties, and more serious conflicts with Gurlyon, the land to their North. When they are kidnapped as part of a plot to undermine their father's domain, their captors thrust the princesses into a deep recess in a bizarre underworld called the Dismals. Once there, they must fend off hideous creatures, and a young man who claims to be lord of this dark, forbidding realm.

Summoned to the mystic land of Lladrana by its Marshals, lawyer Alexa Fitzwalter learns that she is believed to be the realm's only hope against impending doom. She must win her independence and make a place for herself in this new world.

Teenager Miranda Popescu is at the fulcrum of a deadly political battle between conjurers in an alternate world where "Roumania" is a leading European power. Hidden on our world, she and her two best friends, Peter and Andromeda must now make their way back to their home realities - and suffer the changes and learn the truths that wait.

For centuries alchemists have struggled to create homunculi, miniature but perfectly obedient Frankenstein monsters. Renegade Irish alchemist Father Jack has succeeded in producing a small legion of grotesque bio-robots.

13 stories of love, death and monsters.

17 new stories of daring adventurers who meddle with time, including contributions by Turtledove, Kevin J. Anderson and Robert E. Vardeman.

A legend of the ancient world decrees that every 4,500 years a terrible solar event will wreak worldwide destruction - but whoever sets the Golden Capstone atop the Great Pyramid at Giza will avert disaster and gain the ultimate prize: a millennium of world dominance. A group of small nations, led by super-soldier Jack West Jr., bands together to prevent any one country from attaining this frightening power.

2031: after a rich, pampered couple sets him up, bounty hunter Jake Strait is drawn into a bloody people's revolution.

Launched by the people of a dying Earth over a century ago, Ship's mission is to find a habitable world for the children - 15 year old Zoheret and her shipmates - whom it has created from its genetic banks. Ship has been preparing them to survive on their own, on an uninhabited planet, but are they ready to leave Ship? Ship devises a test.

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday: visited his wife's grave and joined the army. On Earth, the bulk of defense resources are controlled by the Colonial Defense Force (CDF) who enlist those of retirement age to serve two years on the front in interstellar space. 2006 Hugo nominee.

Something is out there, stalking the ship that slowly buckles in the grip of the frozen Arctic. It snatches seaman after seaman, finally taking Sir John Franklin. Captain Crozier leads the men who remain on foot across the Arctic, seeking escape.

Fantasy and mystery combine in these all-new stories, including entries from Anne Perry, Charlaine Harris, Simon R. Green, and Sharon Shinn.

Sequel to THE GOLEM'S EYE. The young magician Nathaniel, now a member of the British Government, sees Britain's enemies mount attacks close to London. Kitty has completed her research into magic and the past of the djinni Bartimaeus. And then disaster strikes London, and Bartimaeus, Nathaniel, and Kitty must act together against treacherous magicians, conspiracy, and an otherworldly enemy.

Sequel to WARP SPEED. Steve Montana is given a strange hardware device and asked to reverse engineer it. He soon learns that the hardware came from unfriendly aliens who were skirmishing with secret US spaceships. Unfortunately, he only learns this when the aliens abduct him and hold him prisoner - along with a Russian girl - on a spaceship orbiting Saturn.

After a landslide isolates Appleton, a place on the Scottish coast, it reverts to a mythic reality inhabited by legendary beings, secret rooms, and the blossoming of a rare fruit not seen in decades. Most unexpected is a handsome stranger who will draw three women into an Otherworld in which luck and love will return to Appleton - if only one of them will believe. Recommended.

Four new Crimson City stories, from Liz Maverick, Carolyn Jewel, Patti O'Shea, and Jade Lee.

Dr. Cherijo Torin is not herself. With no memory of her past-or even of the man she loved-she sees herself as a different person and has no desire to remember who she once was. But Cherijo must remember if she's to develop a cure for the Hsktskt plague before their race becomes extinct.

A mysterious and powerful source returns extreme pleasure - or maybe death - for the human sacrifices offered by cult members in a small Ohio town.

You know that thing from Greek myth that turns people to stone? Well, one's got loose. Sam Hammett, ghost and paranormal pest controller, is called to get rid of it. She's forced to turn for help to her handsome rival, Nicholas Strakhov, the owner of Monsters 'R Us.

A few survivors of the attack on Earth have fled to distant Safehold. They seal the planet into a static medieval society so that aliens won't detect industrial emissions. But then, after 800 years, an android comes awake. Programmed to set into motion the events that will reawaken technology on Safehold, it is given the persona 'Merlin'.

Decades have since passed since the galaxy's sentient races defeated the bugs - and new generations have grown dangerously complacent. Now a new alien threat has arrived in slower-than-light ships. These new invaders fight with suicidal fury and don't consider the allied sentient races as truly intelligent.

Using the largest disinformation operation in history, Mr. Inconnu has created a hoax targeted at the aliens who rule the galaxy. Devaney, an investigator often hired to do undercover work by a secret federal agency, is afraid that someone in the project he joined was selling secrets to the interstellar mafia. Is it the woman he loved who could expose the hoax?

FBI agent Cynna Weaver teams up with sorcerer Cullen Seabourne to help identify elected officials who have accepted demonic pacts. But the passion simmering between them - and their investigation - spiral out of control when an ancient prophecy is fulfilled.

The story of a lone robin who must save the future of all birdlife. It seems the bloodthirsty magpies and their brutish cousins, the crows, have hunted into extinction countless species of smaller birds - under the leadership of the malevolent Slyekin and his sadistic assassin, Traska.

Late 14th century. Something sinister is at work among the sisters of la Tres Saunte Annunciation. What is overwhelming both the holy and the damned?

Hard sf anthology series presenting the vanguard of the genre.

It's only been two months since Carrie turned into a vampire, but she's already killed her evil sire Cyrus, fallen in love with her nice sire Nathan, and accustomed herself to drinking blood. But now Nathan has become possessed by something not-so-nice and ends up slaughtering an innocent. Carrie must somehow fix this situation before Nathan is terminated.

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.

Kane, Grant, Brigid, and Domi team up with Gilgamesh Bates's retired personal army. Bates has stolen an ancient doomsday device and must be stopped before the entire universe disappears in the blink of an eye.

Whitechapel, London, 1888. For Inspector Jonas Robb, each night brings new terror. But this night is different. It's brought two strangers-David and Sara-who have arrived in London seemingly with no past. What they do have is incredible knowledge about the Whitechapel fiend known as Jack the Ripper. Because David and Sara do have a past. It just happens to be in the future. Sent back in time, they're in pursuit of a 21st-century madman whose purpose is to change history. As the body count rises, Sara and David realize that their quarry and Robb's have become linked in a way that threatens not only Victorian London, but the very fabric of time.

Eve's son Cain has escaped banishment and is now chairman of the Vampire Council. He is amassing a new army, which includes resurrecting the deadly Fallon Nuit, one of Neterus's old foes. Armageddon approaches.

What price will Kolhammer and his soldiers pay for disrupting their own past? Now not only must the Allies win the war against newly powerful enemies they would once have defeated, they must also save their world's future from annihilation.

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favour. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind. But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside of him.

London is in ruins and two warring families of warlords, the Volsons and the Conors, control the city. To cement a truce, Val Volson gives his 14 year old daughter as a bride to Conor. But can either man trust the other?

The story of John Carter, a Civil War veteran who inexplicably finds himself held prisoner on the planet Mars by the Green Men of Thark. Together with Dejah Thoris, the princess of another clan on Mars, the unlikely pair must fight for their freedom and save the entire planet from destruction as the life-sustaining Atmosphere Factory slowly grinds to a halt.

Harry is asked to help the boyfriend of the daughter of an old friend. He was the only one in a room when an old man was attacked but insists he didn't do it. And what looks like a supernatural assault straight out of a horror film turns out to be - well, something quite close to that. Malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose in Chicago.

Captain John "Black Jack" Geary tries a desperate gamble to lead the Alliance Fleet home - through enemy-occupied space - only to lose half the Fleet to an unexpected mutiny.

Unable to avoid being drawn into the terrible conflict, Auraya, now protector of the Siyee, fears she will be unable to meet the conditions of the all-powerful gods she once served. And an offer from a mysterious woman may be impossible for Auraya to refuse, but, if revealed, would brand her an enemy of the gods. Now, the immortal Wilds will not be deterred in their quest for powerful, long-buried secrets. But they have deadly adversaries who also seek the world-shattering truth . . . and it may appear in a form that no one anticipates.

When Brophy is woken from his endless slumber, he scorns Shara and aligns himself with the betwitching Arefaine. Shara, betrayed and abandoned, is seduced into a deadly clash with a sadistic mage whose power derives from pain.

Tabini, deposed as ruler of the atevi home world, attempts to retake control by drawing together various allies and allowing himself to serve as a possible assassination target. Meanwhile the human diplomat Bren Cameron continues to attempt to persuade the atevi that other alien races exist - and pose a danger to them.

In heavily guarded Bujavid 8 year old Cajeri is terribly bored and resorts to playing pranks and causing mischief - two things for which his stressed elders have little patience. But Cajeri is the first atevi youth to live with humans, the first who can understand the race that threatens the hidebound customs of the atevi.

2006 Lambda Award nominee. The Forelands are at war. The magic wielding Qirsi and Eandi masters have mobilized their forces. Tavis and Grinsa risk death as they venture to save the land they love.

In the chaos of a war which is sundering the land, only Grinsa, a humble fortuneteller, stands against the growing dark power of the Weaver's ever-advancing horde. But Grinsa has battled the Weaver once before and lost, barely avoiding a magical killing blow.

Piper Hecht learns that the legendary sorceror Cloven Februaren, referred to as the Ninth Unknown, is still alive, more than 100 years old, and on Piper's side. As the dynastic politics of the Empire become even more convoluted, it's clear that while the old gods may be fading, they're determined to do everything they can to bend the doings of men to their own advantage.

Uhtred returns to the North after Alfred's victory. There he meets Guthred, self-proclaimed King of Northumbria and eventually finds himself in a midnight siege of a city thought impregnable.

GiGi Gellman loses her job on the Providence RI vice squad when a standard bust turns into a bloodbath. She starts her own PI business and takes the case of a missing wife and child. It looks as first as if this was just good sense on the wife's part, but then GiGi discovers a pattern of lies and deceptions, some of which expose hidden ties to her own mystifying existence. And then otherworldly powers try to intercede, threatening the lives of Gigi and her friends and family.

From the true role of the Freemasons to Chronographers who steal pieces of time to an assassin hired by a group that reweaves the threads of history, here are fourteen imaginative tales of time and space and realms beyond our own-all watched over, preserved, or changed by those who work covertly under cover of darkness. Niven, Huff, Friesner, Davis, Wurts, Douglas Smith and others.

Young adult. She knew that growing up would mean changing. But Jennifer wasn't prepared for the blue scales or the claws, since no one had told her that she came from a bloodline of weredragons. Her greatest challenge? Protecting herself from her family's ancient enemies and preparing herself for fierce battles. And that's a lot to expect of a girl just coming into her own.

The insidious Xul have reduced Earth to near-rubble with asteroid fire. But Brigadier General Garroway of the Marine Interstellar Expeditionary Unit is unwilling to concede defeat. The ultimate battle is about to be waged - with breathtaking new attack technology, an ancient code of courage, and the help of an ally race that once inhabited the Earth.

When the planet Celebre suddenly takes on crucial political significance, the four children of its former ruler, taken as hostages by the tyrannical Hrag dynasty, must decide what to do, first about one another, and then about their oppressed homeworld. Recommended.

Sapphire and her brother Conor live in a cottage on the Cornish coast. Then their father, out at sea in his boat, vanishes. Now Conor keeps disappearing down by the sea for hours on end and Sapphy discovers an enchanted undersea world known as Ingo.

Canadian author. The Fantastic Order of Justice, Earth's greatest super-heroes, defeated all their archenemies in the 1980s and have since sunk into mutual contempt and explosive, multiple neuroses. Dr. Brain, a therapist, can help. There's a glimmer of hope until the planet's most hallowed hero dies and accusations begin to fly.

In the alleys of the decrepit Boston neighbourhood known as the Weird, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. The crime scenes show signs of residual magic, but the Guild, which polices the fey, has more "important" crimes to investigate and dumps the case on human law enforcement. Boston police call in Connor Grey, a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator - whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf. As Connor battles red tape and his own shortcomings, he realizes that the murders are not random, but part of an ancient magical ritual. And if Connor can't figure out the killer's M.O., the culmination of the spell might just bring about a worldwide cataclysm.

Yielding to his father's wishes, Oliver Bascombe abandoned his dream of being an actor and joined the family law firm. Now he will marry a lovely young woman bearing the Bascombe stamp of approval. But on the eve of his wedding, a blizzard sweeps in-bringing with it an icy legend who calls into question everything Oliver believes about the world and his place in it.... Pursued by a murderous creature who heeds no boundaries, Jack Frost needs Oliver's help to save both himself and his world-an alternate reality slowly being displaced by our own. To help him, Oliver Bascombe, attorney-at-law, will have to become Oliver Bascombe, adventurer, hero-and hunted.

Stuntwoman Dawn Madison hasn't been on the best of terms with her father since her movie star mother died. Still, he is her dad, and when he vanishes while investigating the bizarre sighting-caught on film-of a supposedly long-dead child star, she comes home to Tinseltown to join the search for him. Working with his odd colleagues, she discovers an erotic and bloody underground society made up of creatures she thought existed only on the screen.

80 years on, and a new generation of seekers appears: Theona, daughter of a magic-rich family, has no known ability of her own; Arryk, rebellious son of the long-lost Aislynn; and from the goblin realm comes the hobgoblin academic Lunid.

Judas Coyne buys a ghost off the Internet. And the black heart-shaped box delivered to his door does, indeed, contain the restless soul of Craddock McDermott. Craddock, as fate would have it, is the stepfather of a suicidal girl that Jude had loved and abandoned. And Craddock has a score to settle.

18 years have passed since the first manned mission to Earth arrived from Venus. Now Kyal Reen joins the Venusian scientific and archaeological teams on Earth that are working to reconstruct the story of the mysterious and enigmatic extinct Terran race that once flourished there, and discover why they suddenly vanished. But there is a deadly answer to the ancient puzzle.

From blithe fairies to sinister fey, some are fair, some are foul, all are fantastic. Patricia A. McKillip, Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder, Tanith Lee, Megan Lindholm, Kim Newman, and Craig Shaw Gardner contribute.

When Timmy tells people that he and his friends found a ghoul eating the dead in a local cemetary, no one believes him. Running short on corpses (it's a small town) the ghoul turns to the living for food. Timmy realizes it's up to him to call an end to this endless munching.

A new series from the author of the DARK HUNTERS series. Dr. Megeara Kafieri promised her dead father she would try to prove that Atlantis was real. She is in Greece doing just that when she is targeted by Arik, a predatory immortal who only feels when he's in the dreams of others. Arik can earn two weeks as a mortal if he gives Megeara's soul to Hades. But Megeara gains the upper hand when she discovers Arik's true nature.

17 of Kuttner's greatest stories, previously published as THE BEST OF HENRY KUTTNER. The story "Mimzy Were the Borogoves" is the inspiration for a major motion picture set to release in March.

A collection of urban fantasy stories in the Bedlam's Bard shared universe. Includes authors Roberta Gellis, Dave Freer, Eric Flint, Diana Paxson, Rosemary Edghill, and Mercedes Lackey - who contributes two new stories.

Great Harry is dead, and England is ruled by a dour Protector for 10 year old Edward VI - a Protector intent on keeping total control over the young king. But in the great lens and the dark pool that hold Visions for the FarSeers of the Bright Court and the Dark, the images change and waver - images that portend twisted plans to eliminate Elizabeth I, the rightful Queen, once and for all.

John Petrie arrives in Maine to claim an estate he just inherited. He isn't put off at all when he learns that the past owner had tried to achieve eternal life through a macabre ritual. However, he will later learn that the ritual isn't complete, and that the past owner isn't completely gone.

Includes THE LONG TWILIGHT, NIGHT OF DELUSIONS, and three short novels.

Cantra 'yos Phelium isn't a quitter, but she has more than a little problem: the Enemy has accelerated its attacks and how do you fight an Enemy whose major form of attack is the de-crystallization of everything around itself? A smuggler with a rogue soldier for a co-pilot, and a tree with an attitude for crew, Cantra's the only one who can get close to the man who holds equations that might, that just might - thwart the Enemy. All she has to do is help a young pilot from a missing world, juggle a slippery promise she never quite made to a pair of wizards, and then forget who she is along with everything, and everyone, she's ever known.

Set at a boys' camp in the 1950s, this is a wicked, suspenseful, and deeply original coming-of-age story about a summer gone terribly awry.

Kyle Gustafson is selected to parlay with aliens who offer Earth the chance to join their vast federation. But Kyle suspects that, for all their talk of peaceful intentions, they are trying to get the Earth to wipe itself out. But why? False notes in the utopian front the aliens present, disappearing surveillance satellites, gifts of listening devices, and an ally who lacks influence combine to create a crisis for Kyle to solve.

2042: Sierra, a young graduate student in Classics is shown a new dialog of Socrates, recently discovered, in which a time traveler tries to argue that Socrates might escape death by travel to the future!

Isabelle discovers that she can paint images with such reality that they bring her dreams to life. But they also brought destruction to those she loved and so she stopped - and left Newford. Now, 20 years later, to fulfill a promise to a dead friend, she must reawaken her talent.

Featuring new tales of far future murder, first contact, love and war from authors such as Peter F. Hamilton, Stephen Baxter, Adam Roberts, Jeffrey Thomas, Eric Brown, Paul Di Filippo, Neal Asher, Jay Lake and Ian Watson.

On the ice planet Nevya, Singers are trained to use music to channel psi energy into heat and light. Mreen, a talented Singer, is unable to speak and so is paired with Emle who can't harness her psi. The two attempt to help young Gwin whose stepfather wants to exploit her gifts.

When Jared, the older half-brother of Martris Drayke, kills the King and seizes the throne, Martris flees with three friends. In a land where spirits walk openly and influence the affairs of the living, he suspects he may be possess the power of a Summoner, the rarest of magic gifts, capable of arbitrating between the living and the dead.

Journalist Sandy Blair investigates the bizarre and brutal murder of a rock promoter who made millions with his '60s rock band, the Nazgul. He soon learns that the pent-up passions of a generation are exploding into a deadly revolution. And when a charismatic new leader brings the Nazgul back to life, they return with a mind-blowing, mind-bending requiem for the age. Recommended.

12 year old Londoner Deeba finds herself in an alternate funhouse version of her city. Here a choking black smog is taking over and her friend Zanna - who is supposed to be the Chosen One and prophesied to save the world - is out of commission. How will she convince people to take action?

Once upon a time a group of student radicals found a leader, and followed him beyond all reason. Years before that, in the same house, a prophet was visited by an angel, and followed it to a horrible end. Now, history is repeating itself.

Blaine Donne is a retired military special operative now devoted to problem-solving for hire. He investigates a series of seemingly unrelated mysteries that arise with the arrival of a woman with unlimited resources who has neither a present nor a past. The more he investigates, the more questions arise, including the role of the two heiresses who are more -- and less -- than they seem.

There is a time for grief and a time for revenge. This is decidedly the latter. Placing her cousin Stella in command of the trading vessel Gary Tobai, Ky embarks aboard the captured pirate ship Fair Kaleen on a twofold mission: to salvage the family business and to punish those responsible for the killings - before they strike again. Ky learns of a conspiracy that can only be combatted by a banding together of the independent systems and merchants. But she is met with suspicion, if not outright hostility. Meanwhile, the conspiracy Ky hunts is hunting her in turn, with agents insinuated into every space station, every planetary government, every arm of the military, and every merchant house - including her own.

The forces of darkness, trapped for generations behind a magical barrier, have at last succeeded in sending through an emissary whose mission is nothing less than death or destruction for all in his path. Tristan must race to harness his own nascent talents or lose everything.

24th century Earth has been ravaged beyond recognition by multiple pandemics. The Philadelphia National Archive attempts to gather together - out of history - a group of individuals that will form a living repository of human knowledge. Bendetta, a young 15th century French peasant, travels across time to bring back others. But good intentions can have dark repercussions.

Calli Torcher, left wracked in pain by an accident, will never ride again. Then she hears chimes and chanting that she thinks are pain-induced hallucinations. Instead she is transported to the world of the magical Llandrana. Her help is needed against an encroaching evil.

In Anavatan it's hard to survive if you're not pledged to a deity. When the chaos of Halvo's Dance sweeps the city, the unaffiliated make themselves scarce. But the street orphans Spar and Brax get caught in the dance. Spar is marked as as the future Champion of the War God and Brax must learn to become a seer. And their enemy Graize is cast from the city and claimed by hungry spirits.

Prince Phoenix has never quite measured up to the expectations of his father King Julian. Sombra, Phoenix's childhood friend, believes in him, but she has her own duties as a student of the College of the Wise. Then Phoenix is abducted in a raid and sold to slavers. Enduring pain and humiliation, Phoenix must find a way to survive, even if that means becoming a danger to the people that he loves. While King Julian searches for his lost son, a growing army of fanatics led by the charismatic Mother Mahalial is conquering land after land, and its final destination is the golden land of Westria. Only Sombra can sense Phoenix's plight - and her attempt to rescue him may decide the fate of the kingdom.

Lil Marchette, the sassy proprietor of a vampire dating service finds herself the prime suspect when one of her undead clients turns up dead (terminally dead). Her efforts to clear herself are hampered by a pack of werewolves that all demand a tall, dark and handsome mate before the next full moon.

Sequel to MARROW. The Ship's Captains have discovered a new problem. They are heading directly for what appears to be a giant opaque nebula: the Ink Well. They dispatch one of their number, Mir, to scout it out. But before she returns the Ship plunges in and makes contact with the polypod, a mystical entity that wants to enter Marrow, an action that would destroy the Ship. Mir, if she can return in time, may have the key to survival.

When Kayla Steel's fiance, Karrel Dante, is found mauled to death, she is stunned to find out that he was part of an underground network of supernatural hit-men, dedicated to exterminating the dangerous supernatural entities that stalked the streets of California. Now Kayla, when not at work at a perfume counter, is on a mission to learn the Dark Arts so she can avenge Karrel's death and bring peace to the supernatural community by continuing his work.

In the near-future world of FORTY SIGNS OF RAIN, crisis comes to American shores. Brave souls recognize the ironic and tragic twist behind the global warming effect: it could actually trigger plummeting temperatures and a catastrophic new Ice Age. Recommended.

Lucian Argeneau, hunter of rogue vampires, finds new life after 2000 years in enlightening the lovely Leigh on the inner workings of being immortal. Still, a job's a job and since there's a renegade bloodsucker out to destroy the human race, passion will have to wait.

Extreme people, extreme mental states and the seduction of addiction - Shirley's edgy stories translate personal experience and bring shadows to vivid life.

Sequel to RITE OF CONQUEST. Red William, eldest son of William the Conqueror, has decided to leave magic out of his rule and has caused the land to wither and die. Now the fate of Britain lies in the hands of Edith, princess of Scotland, and Harry, youngest son of the Conqueror. Both are gifted in magic, but only the blood of a king will cleanse the land from the evil and pestilence that infects it.

A narrow gap has opened in the Glacier - always believed to be an endless and impregnable wall of ice. Perhaps the road to the legendary Golden Shrine is open. Who could resist the urge to go see? For Count Hamnet and his several companions, the glacier has always been the boundary of the world. Now they'll be travelling beyond it into a world that's bigger than anyone knew.

In the 21st century Kingdom of Versailles: teenager Annette Klein is known as Khadija, daughter of a Moorish family. Annette's whole family are secret agents of Crosstime Traffic and are returning home to California for the start of a new school year. They are attacked by bandits while crossing the Pyrenees and Annette/Khadija is separated from her parents and wakes up as a captive in a slave market.

Rejoin Myron Tany and the crew of the space freighter Glicca as they ply their way from planet to planet, star to star, and adventure to adventure. Each of them is there by chance, and each has a secret quest. From one world to the next, they will chase their dreams of revenge and fulfillment.

Captain Maneka Trevor and the Bolo known as Lazarus are the sole survivors of the 39th Battalion. They're put back together to help a desperate, secret colony of humans.

Marja is bought from her father by the pleasure house of Vidaris and schooled in the arts of seduction and carnal delight. When she is set free she must accompany a fallen noblewoman on a perilous journey to save the land that's so precious to them.

Marja was once Lexander's pleasure slave-until the master found himself enslaved by her love. Together, they have vowed to free all slaves by destroying pleasure houses throughout the world. But this undertaking requires Marja to disguise herself as a slave once more and infiltrate one training house after another to sow the seeds of revolution-and risk losing the man she loves in the process.

Felix Gomex survived Operation Desert Freedom, being turned into a vampire, and the onslaught of a ravenous horde of nymphomaniacs. His next challenge is to investigate the murder of a distinguished young surgeon turned porn star. This is not as straightforward as it might seem.

The best of his stories, collected from throughout his long career.

Archaelogist-adventurer Annja Creed is working on a dig in the California wilderness when she discovers evidence of a tragedy linked to Chinese miners during the Gold Rush. Her discovery draws ruthless adversaries who will stop at nothing to claim a fabled lost city. But a Han leader's dark past promises doom for those who dare to reveal its evil power.

Half-werewolf, half-vampire, Riley Jenson must enter the heavily guarded pleasure palace of a criminal who's been messing around with the gene pool for decades.

8 MYTHADVENTURES short stories, including some never published before.

Dr. Mildred Wyeth falls prey to a plague that brings a deep craving for human flesh. Ryan Cawdor and his companions take her to Cajun country, where the mysterious queen of the Cannies is rumoured to possess the only antidote to Mildred's growing problem.

Dark family secrets swirl as the Woprud family ponders an offer from a US corporation for their board and computer game known as Empire.

The half-incubus Sebastian revels in dark delights in a world of shifting lands. And yet the woman he hungers for calls to him in his dreams - even though he could destroy her. And now the Eater of the World has escaped imprisonment, and Sebastian's realm might well be first to fall.

Glorianna Belladonna has been branded a rogue and must stand alone against the Eater. But a call has traveled throughout Ephemera and reached Michael, a man with mysterious powers of his own. It awakens a fierce hunger within him to find the dark-haired sorceress he's dreamt of-a beautiful woman named Belladonna. Together, they may be Ephemera's only hope.

The gigantic colony ship "Goddard" has made orbit around Saturn in the year 2095. Part of Goddard's mission is the study of Saturn's moon, Titan. Ten thousand dissidents and visionaries are seeking a new life possibly on Titan. When the exploration vessel disappears, Eduoard Urbain, the chief science officer is in despair to see his life's work unravel. Manuel Gaeta, a retired astronaut is asked to salvage the lost probe.

Unfortunate events have left six genetically enhanced young people orphaned in a human colony that abhors genetic engineering. They must now learn how to use their distinct skills to make this unwelcome planet home, or find a way off it. They have few tools: an old crazy woman who wanders the edges of town, spouting out cryptic messages; their appreciation and affection for each other; a good dose of curiosity; and that abandoned silver space ship that sits locked and alone in the middle of the vast grass plain.

50 years ago the town of Goudlens Falls was submerged under 200 feet of water. Now a journalist is investigating what lies beneath - only to unleash irrevocable evil.

Canadian author. The alien Dhryn are helplessly following an instinct-driven migratory path through the inhabited spaceways - annihilating all other races along their path. Only Dr. Mackenzie Connor and her team stand a chance of solving the puzzle of the Dhryn and the equally mysterious Ro. Her friend Dr. Emily Mamani is the only human who has survived possession by the Ro and may prove to be the key in learning the truth. Recommended.

From Dickson's copious notes his assistant finishes Dickson's last work. Bleys Ahrens and his organization, the Others, are tracking down an elusive interplanetary opposition. Meanwhile, Bleys' own intricate conspiracies and devisings, and his quest for power, which began with the best of motives, have become something darker and fiercer. He's committed to his plans. They may bring about the advent of "Homo superior." And they may destroy the human race.

Young swordsman Alfeo Zeno, apprentice to the legendary clairvoyant Maestro Nostradamus, must clear his master's name. It seems that a high-ranking friend of the prince died under mysterious circumstances after Nostradamus cast his horoscope, warning of danger-and rumors are swirling that the mystic poisoned the victim to enhance his own reputation. Now, Alfeo must unravel a web of magic and murder if he is to have any future of his own.

Sequel to VELLUM. The angels of the Covenant have ramped up attempts to bring order to the worlds of the Vellum. The demons of the Sovereign seek power for themselves. Neither side is prepared for Mad Jack Carter and his crew, ready to blow them all straight to Hell - and beyond.

The Vlagh prepares a last merciless attack to pit her forces against the assembled might of both the Elder and Younger Gods. But it all may be for nothing if the allies can't respond to the fact that one within their ranks is losing her mind.

It's the middle of the Depression and while Bobby's mother and older sister knit all day Bobby explores the California desert. And that's how Bobby found Mr. Boots. Mr. Boots is a secret. Mr. Boots is sometimes a man. And sometimes he's a horse.

Lea Tillin's a girl with a talent. She can think you into a heart attack if you cross her - or, if she's feeling kind, just a bad case of indigestion. Her cat is her only friend in the world - until she meets Jack Komar, who's secretly building something strange and wonderful in an abandoned section of the local Sears and Roebuck. It's part of a plan, she learns, to rescue the Chosen from this godforsaken planet. But the agents of the Evil Ones - cleverly disguised as ordinary people and sometimes even cats - are trying to stop him.

Sequel to THE SHADOW OF THE LION (written with Mercedes Lackey) and THIS ROUGH MAGIC (written with Lackey and Eric Flint). Signy, the older stepsister to King Vortenbras is accused of the theft of the Armring of Telemark from Odin's Temple. Then she disappears. Corsair-Captain Cair is determined to find her, and though he thinks all talk of magic is nonsense, he finds himself heading into the underworld, battling trolls and other deadly supernatural creatures every step of the way.

Who hasn't dreamed of being an evil overlord? 14 stories from Friesner, Nye, Huff, Bischoff, Dean Wesley Smith, Rusch and Patton.

Benford, Rusch, Michael Z. Williamson, and William Keith are among those with visions of future wars fought with weapons out of nightmares.

A serial killer has begun to stalk the Hollows. Then the vampire master Piscary is set free, and Rachel's demonic nemesis Algaliarept discovers a way to move freely in the Hollows. But then hell really breaks loose when then the bounty hunter encounters the world's tackiest bridesmaid dress.

Duncan's boss doesn't think that he's cut out to be a lawyer. He isn't a pack animal. He lacks the killer instinct. But when his best friend barges his way back into Duncan's life, with a full supporting cast of lawyers, ex-wives, zombies and snow-white unicorns, it's not long before things become distinctly unsettling.

Durand, a good squire, is trying to become a good knight in a harsh and unforgiving world. He falls in with a band of knights working for a vicious son of a duke. They murder the duke's adulterous wife and have to flee. By entering tournaments anonymously as the "Red Knight", Durand demonstrates his prowess and is drafted into the honours of the king. Recommended.

A new Five Hundred Kingdoms tale. Ekaterina is sent by her father, the Sea King, to spy on what's happening on land. But while there she meets the son of the king of Belrus. Before she can fully gauge his character, she is carried off by a whirlwind and deposited in a castle with other kidnapped princesses at the mercy of a possessive jinn.

Sequel to THE CELLAR. Malcasa Point is just the place to find pain, bestiality and death. And that's what the tourists flock there for. Debunkers, however, suspect fraud and go to the Beast House after hours. This, of course, ignites a nightmare of carnage.

Lindsay MacNeil returns to medieval Scotland seeking her newborn son--presumably kidnapped by Nemed, the elfin king. Once again in the guise of Sir Lindsay Pawlowski, she proves her worth among a group of rogue knights--and finds herself torn between reuniting with her family and embracing her warrior's life.

Centuries in the past mankind fought the Enemy from sector to sector across the Spiral Arm until the war ground to a standstill and the Enemy withdrew. Believing that they had won, the citizens of the galaxy rebuilt. The Inner Worlds, which had escaped the worst of the war's ravages, became even more insular, while the Rim worlds adopted a free and easy way with law and order. Now, hundreds of years after their withdrawal, the Enemy is back - and this time they'll be satisfied with nothing less than the extinction of the galaxy.

Armed with the potent and temperamental weapon of a Goddess-in-exile, backed by a twice-born woman legend - or is it history? - named Death's Warrior, Master Thief Gem ser Edreth must lead a reluctant generation ship crew and a far too-eager band of aboriginal warriors against a climate-killing dam constructed and defended by the cream of space-going technology. Gem's clever electronic spiders, and the information contained in an old library may be the key to victory over the planet's oppressors, but Gem faces yet another problem: the ancient power residing within the Trident is waking, and it has an agenda of its own.

When Firekeeper and her friends learned to open the gates between worlds, a plague came back with them. Firekeeper, Blind Seer, and Derian Carter survived the plague: not unchanged, but still themselves. Now Firekeeper is determined to learn the nature of the plague--and if she can, to end it forever.

Bridei is a young nobleman fostered at the home of Broichan, one of the most powerful druids in the land. Broichan sets Bridei tasks for a purpose that Bridei cannot fathom. But then Bridei finds a child, seemingly abandoned by the fairie folk and fights to save the child. Broichan is wary. As Bridei comes to manhood he sees the shy girl Tuala blossom into a beautiful woman. Broichan sees the same process and feels only danger...for Tuala could be a key part in Bridei's future...or could spell his doom.

Lazar's position as Spur of Percheron is in jeopardy after his protector, the Zar, dies. The 15 year old heir is dominated by his mother, the ambitious Herezah. But her plans to rule Percheron through her son are challenged by Ana, a beautiful new odalisque of the harem who captures Lazar's heart.

Omnibus edition of THE SORCERESS AND THE CYGNET and THE CYGNET AND THE FIREBIRD - which delve into the fate of the Ro family and an otherworld rich in myth and mayhem, magic and adventure

Ky must bring together a ragtag group of traders to form a cohesive group to strike back at their foes. But she'll soon learn it will take more than that against an entire fleet of pirates.

Jennet Stearne, after seeing her Aunt Isobel unjustly executed as a sorceress, makes it her life mission to bring down the Parliamentary Witchcraft Act. She won't rest until she has put the last witchfinder out of business, a task that takes her from King William's Britain to the American colonies, an uncharted Caribbean island, and to a courtroom where she will go on trial herself for sorcery.

Young Darroti is accused of the murder of a highborn Mendicant and is exiled from Lemabantunk, the Glorious City. His entire family must share his shame and punishment of exile to an unknown world.

Joanna Archer is a photographer by day, but she prowls a different Las Vegas after sunset, a grim place where Light battles Dark. She seeks answers to what she really is - and revenge for horrors she has been forced to endure. But powerful shadows want Joanna for their own.

Young Koot Parganas breaks open a plaster statue and the small glass vial inside it, releasing the ghost of Thomas Alva Edison. Koot is pursued through the bizarre underside of Los Angeles. Recommended.

The best of the year's stories, as well as essays and commentary on the current state of the genre and predictions of future science fiction and fantasy films, art, and more. This year's award-winning authors include Joe Haldeman (Novel), Kelly Link (Novella, Novelette), and Carol Emshwiller (Short Story).

After the destruction of Northern Virginia, the Chancellor of Germany realized that it was necessary to tap the one group he had sworn never, ever, to recall: the few remaining survivors of the Waffen SS. Has he made a devil's bargain, or is this a chance for the reviled SS at last to fight the good fight? And, perhaps, gain redemption.

In a world where time is running out as quickly as its natural resources, where surveillance is almost total and freedom nearly nonexistent, the forecast for the Chase administration looks darker each passing day. For as the last - and most terrible - of natural disasters looms on the horizon, it will take a miracle to stop the clock - the kind of miracle that only dedicated men and women can bring about.

Soon after their arrival on Home, Zoheret's old nemesis, Ho, left the original settlement to establish his own settlement far away. When Ho's daughter, fifteen-year-old Nuy, spies three strangers headed toward their settlement, the hostility between the two groups of old shipmates begins anew and threatens to engulf the children of both settlements.

Gillengaria's tale, begun in MYSTIC AND RIDER, is continued. The beautiful shapeshifter learns that, in the safest of havens, intrigue and danger can be found.

An assassin's bullet knocks Chris Csejthe out of his body and into the afterlife as he journeys through the realm of the truly dead before a final showdown with an evil spawned in Nazi Germany - an evil kept alive through genetic manipulation and nanotechnology and waiting only for Csejthe's blood to overcome the last hurdle to immortality!

Captain Tash Sebastian is hiding a deadly past and a deadlier paranormal ability. But when a dangerous visitor boards her spacecraft, it seems he knows all her secrets - and is hiding a few of his own.

The townspeople of Pleasant Hills, Tennessee can't resist the lure of the Flaherty Brothers Traveling Carnivale and Freakshow when it comes to town. But behind the curtain, when the slaughter and torture begins, the stars of the attraction are, in fact, the unsuspecting customers.

200,000 words - combining the best science fiction and fantasy of the year in one volume.

RAVEN and THE FLESH, THE BLOOD, AND THE FIRE in one volume - is this an average American city with hardworking families striving to fulfill the American dream-or the kind of town where death is anything but final and one's neighbors may not be as normal as they seem?

Attacked by a vampire, Jon Hyde-White and his sweet, innocent fiancee Cassandra Thorpe have but one hope for their survival: their love and the Rite of the Blood Moon. Actually, that's two hopes, but since neither is sufficient in itself, it is technically a single hope in two parts. It is important to be precise when reporting a serious vampire attack.

Now from history's darkest hour pour the terrifying Illysp, foul spirits who possess the bodies and enslave the souls of men. As the enemy advances, Torin must undertake a dangerous voyage to reveal the secrets of an ancient lost people who once overcame these powerful marauders. But both enemies of old and the unknown have different plans for king and country, and even if Torin can return, it may already be too late. Recommended.

After saving the world from his fiendish father's side of the family, Cal Leandros and his stalwart half-brother Niko have settled down with new digs and a new gig-bodyguard and detective work. And in New York City, where preternatural beings stalk the streets just like normal folk, business is good. Their latest case has them going undercover for the Kin-the werewolf Mafia. A low-level Kin boss thinks a rival is setting him up for a fall, and wants proof. The place to start is the back room of Moonshine-a gambling club for non-humans. Cal thinks it's a simple in-and-out job. But Cal is very, very wrong. Cal and Niko are being set up themselves-and the people behind it have a bite much worse than their bark...

Otto sees a photo of Prince Halim Eddin and realizes he's not only found his twin but his ticket out of the third-rate circus biz. With a sword-swallowing giant he sets off in search of the royal harem and the royal treasury. Many dangers wait.

What if history were given a twist or two, and great commanders on land and sea fought their greatest battles under different circumstances? Turtledove and his colleagues Esther M. Friesner, Judith Tarr, Mike Resnick, Brad Linaweaver, Roland J. Green, and more turn the past upside down and inside out.

After a healthy young woman dies giving birth, guilt-ridden Dr. David Munroe discovers that a bloodthirsty satanic cult is preparing the way for the Anti-Christ.

The street-hardened survivor named Cat - a half-human, half-alien orphan telepath - finds his only chance for redemption is as an undercover agent for an interstellar government that by turns punishes and helps him.

When Buth sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, even though her love may not be enough to save him.

Sequel to HELL'S GATE. Both the magic-using civilization of Arcana and steel-and-steam age Sharona have dead to mourn and wrongs to avenge. Both sides have additional military forces moving towards the front. The fury of their respective populations, xenophobic fear of the unknown, and cries for "justice" (or vengeance), are all driving both sides towards the brink of a war that will stretch across an endless succession of identical Earths, fought between dragons, spells, and crossbows and repeating rifles, machine guns, and artillery.

Derek de Molay, once of the Knights Templar, is summoned back to the mortal realm to protect a woman standing too close to the edge of darkness. Rachel, despite her attraction, finds Derek's story insane.

The epic battle of light and darkness, begun in SHADOWMARCH, continues. Mad Barrick, heir to Southmarch, has crossed the Shadowline. And to the south, junior wife Quinnitan must flee from the royal household of the god-king Autarch or die.

Like all Space Marine Chapters, the Soul Drinkers are bound to serve the Imperium by ancient vows. But when an ancient relic of the Chapter is misappropriated, the Soul Drinkers face a terrible dilemma - betray the Imperium, or lose their honour? Their final choice, and its consequences, form the theme of this classic trilogy of SF stories set in the nightmare world of the 41st millennium.

Sequel to AFTER THE FALL. An embattled Si Cwan faces growing treachery as he attempts to maintain his tenuous hold on power. Though the Federation has declared Sector 221-G off-limits, Admiral Shelby and Captain Mueller decide to try to find some way of getting to the Excalibur, presuming there is any Excalibur to get to. But they never count on the most unexpected of allies - an old friend whose shifting loyalties are about to be put to the ultimate test even as a growing cataclysm looms.

People seem to be strangely affected by the items they're buying at a band fund-raising rummage sale -- things from undemonic homes, donated by undemonic people. Willow's acting weird. So's Xander. And even Buffy's mom bought something. The school has to be quarantined - leaving Buffy and Giles to sort things out before whatever demon this is sells them down the river.

The nefarious agents of the Burning Legion had other plans for both orcs and draeni. The demon-lord Kil'jaeden set in motion a dark chain of events that would succeed not only in eradicating the draenei, but forging the orc clans into an single, unstoppable juggernaut of hatred and destruction.

When a stranger comes to town, the local religious zealots see an opportunity to put the man's forgery skills to nefarious use. But is the stranger all he seems and is revenge the only thing he's interested in forging?

Anton, an Other on the side of Light, is a night-watchman, patrolling the streets and Metro of Moscow. He comes across a young woman Svetlana and a boy, Igor - a young Other - under a curse that threatens the whole city. With his partner Olga, an Other in the form of an Owl, he struggles to remove the curse.

A squad of Catachan Jungle Fighters is sent to the deathworld of Rogar III in response to an ork incursion. But, as well as dealing with the orks, they must battle the planet itself not to the mention the mysterious figures that stalk them across the deadly terrain.

The Time Spiral Cycle returns to Dominaria and centers on Teferi Planewalker, who must accomplish as a mortal what he couldn't manage before, for all his godlike might--Teferi must save the world.

Concludes the trilogy that explores postwar Solamnia.

Witch hunter Mathias Thulmann continues his search for the forbidden tome "Das Buch die Unholden." Trailing the thieves into the wildest reaches of the Empire, Thulmann and his murderous assistant Streng end up in a mysterious, isolated town. Can they find the book and escape before their souls are trapped forever in this web of evil?

Jade Falcon Galaxy Commander Malvina Hazen and her warriors on the planet Skye receive a visit from a Hell's Horses ship, whose commander issues a Trial of Possession for the wartime doctrine he claims Malvina stole from his Clan. Although she bests her opponent in single BattleTech combat, Malvina's actions may herald the beginnings of a civil war that could unmake the Clan-and the galaxy.

Movie tie-in. Motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze makes a deal to save his terminally ill father that would cost him everything, from the woman he loved, the beautiful Roxanne Simpson, to his own immortal soul. It's years later, just as Roxanne reenters his life, that Mephistopheles returns and Johnny must become his bounty hunter, charged with destroying anything that dares to escape from the abyss.

These three classic SF stories follow the adventures of Ragnar the Space Wolf, from his recruitment by the Space Marines on the savage world of Fenris to his aventures amongst the stars. Whether Ragnar and his friends are fighting orks, mutants, or the foul forces of Chaos, adventure is never far behind!

Ragnar and the Wolfblade are sent to investigate reports of Chaos attacks on the planet Hyades. When the Space Wolves come up against a squad of Dark Angels, the situation quickly escalates out of control, as both Chapters call in reinforcements. Unless these two ancient rivals start working together, the forces of Chaos will surely triumph - can the heroic Ragnar save the day?

Three new novels set in the dark counterpart of the STAR TREK universe, one each for STAR TREK, ENTERPRISE, and THE NEXT GENERATION.

After their adventures in "Day of the Daemon," Alaric and Dietz head south to the Border Princes, the wild, lawless land south of the Empire. Narrowly escaping the clutches of a liche lord, their quest leads them to a citadel full of Chaos cultists. Against such impossible odds, how can our heroes and their new ally get in to defeat the daemon this time?

The Federation and the Klingon Empire stand on the brink of war. Captain James T. Kirk and the Enterprise are sent back to System 7348 - for a confrontation with the IKS D'k Tahg under Captain Koloth. Even as the two great ships face each other, trouble is brewing among their crews. While the stakes only seem to be the possession of a single star system, the ramifications may spread throughout the Klingon Empire, as they find themselves at a crossroads between conquest and honour!

Decades ago, a group of like-minded men perpetrated a terrible crime against the children of Mega-City One. Now, one of their victims has returned to even the score. But as the body count rises and Anderson closes on the killer, she is forced to confront not only the killer - but also the dark secrets of her own past.

Vancouver author. Halisstra Melarn returns. And the Queen of the Demonweb Pits not only survived her Silence but evolved into something greater than she was before. Is it possible that the War of the Spider Queen has just begun?

Sequel to VOYAGE OF THE MOURNING DAWN. Ashram's heirs have found clues to where the Legacy is hidden. Some seek it to create a new age, and others wish to destroy it before it destroys the current fragile peace. But before the world can be saved, they must find a way to survive in the frozen lands atop the world.

Before the Clone Wars began, Six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights and 50,000 crew boarded a starship and left to serch for intelligent life outside the known galaxy. They disappeared without a trace. Now the full story is revealed - and the alien warlord Thrawn is first encountered.

After STAR WARS THE NEW HOPE and before THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. As Luke takes instruction from the dead Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han is wrestling with his conscience, a team of stormtroopers is going rogue, deciding to mete out justice their own way.

This omnibus edition of the first three Gaunt's Ghosts novels follows the story of the Tanith First-and-Only regiment (nicknamed the Ghosts) and their charismatic commissar, Ibram Gaunt. As they travel from warzone to warzone in the Chaos-infested Sabbat Worlds system, the Ghosts must not only carry out the most dangerous of missions but also survive the deadly politics of the Imperial Guard.

In the world of Warhammer, no race is as cruel and treacherous as the dark elves, and no member of this race is more infamous than Malus Darkblade. His soul taken forfeit by a daemon, Darkblade must now seek the legendary Warpsword of Khaine or be forever damned.

Jacen Solo grows in confidence with each new victory against the Corellian rebels. But Luke believes someone is manipulating this war - maybe even Lumiya, Dark Lady of the Sith.

For centuries a dedicated band of elves known as Dragonbane have pursued the Great White Wyrm. Now, even as they finally bring the dragon to bay, a fanatical captain - who is dedicated to the beast's destruction and driven by revenge - threatens to bring ruin down upon them all.

Omnibus edition.From the Russian front in 1941, the Siege of Leningrad in 1942, to the bloody climax in Berlin, 1945, we see Lord Constanta dictate his vampire cadre to influence the outcome of the war with unholy terror. Fiends of the Eastern front mixes the gritty realism of war, rich military detail and alternate history.

Tie-in to the toy. And the animated series. And now the blockbuster film. Autobots battle Decepticons.

Three new novels set in the dark, twisted and amoral alternate STAR TREK mirror universe, one each for VOYAGER, NEW FRONTIER and DS9.

Eldritch and forgotten arcana wait within the dungeon's vaults. Twisted accidents of magic prowl its halls. Sinister forces lure the unsuspecting deeper into death or madness. Its victims don't remember how they got there, and certainly don't remember how to get out.

Scavenger Tom Zarek scours the outer settlements for valuable Cylon technologies and artifacts, but usually returns empty-handed. But then he and the crew of the Cruiser "Lightning" find the Omega Station, a scientific station shrouded in secrecy beyond the edge of charted space. This would be the big score - except that it is occupied by Cylons. Battlestar Galactica receives the Lightning's distress call. The crew soon discover that Omega is indeed full of Cylons, but also something much more disturbing.

Spock, McCoy and Kirk came together to destroy the world and then restore it - this is Kirk's part in that meeting and its aftermath.

Isolated and alone, the eldar craftworld Kaelor floats through the dark reaches of space. Exacting vengeance on those who brought low his ancestors, a youthful eldar warrior wreaks destruction across the craftworld. But can the prophecy that drives him be trusted, or are darker forces at work?

THE LAST FULL MEASURE revealed that Commander Charles Trip Tucker, Captain Archer's friend, was not killed in an explosion. His death was staged, and the real story behind his final mission is told here.

Clark Kent is living in a dark world, without power, without memory of any super-existence. Then the Demon and Phantom Stranger show up and point out that there are century-old alterations to the time-stream that need fixing. They travel to the 1870s American Southwest, the world of DC Western Heroes such as Jonah Hex and Bat Lash.

Canadian author. Logan is flooded with memories of service in the Canadian Army during World War II. It's now clear to him that a ruthless Nazi scientist did experiments on him in order to learn the secrets behind his mutant healing properties. This scientist, it turns out, is still at large.

Contains the three volumes covering the Third Robotech War: INVID INVASION, METAMORPHOSIS, and SYMPHONY OF LIGHT. Released to coincide with the DVD of the animated ROBOTECH: THE SHADOW CHRONICLES.

The Dark Knight fights his nemesis, the Scarecrow, to save Gotham City from a true reign of terror.

When ex-assassin Diran stumbles upon a plot to restore an ancient relic that would use its powers to create an army of assassins, he must use his old skills to thwart the scheme.