Stableford returns with Asgard’s Conquerors, book two in his Asgard trilogy about a planet—and a man—like no other. After penetrating deep into the hollow planet of Asgard, Michael Rousseau wanted only to collect his payment for selling the location of the dropshaft and get as far away from the icy planet as possible. But instead he is captured by the Star Force, and is back under the command of Susarma Lear. Rousseau learns that Shychain city, the alien base established on Asgard’s surface, has been invaded. As one of the few people with experience inside Asgard, Michael “volunteers” for a mission back into the heart of this new enemy to find a way to defeat them. But, when he’s captured by the enemy, he is taken deeper into Asgard than any human has ever been. The question is whether he will survive to unlock even more of Asgard’s secrets. This is a complete rewriting of 1989 novel Invaders from the Centre

Acclaimed science fiction author Brian Stableford (Year Zero, Designer genes) returns with the final book in his trilogy about a planet that contains thousands of worlds inside it—and the one man who will do anything to penetrate its secrets. The conflict between the Isthomi and Scarid races and the surface dwellers of Asgard had come to a halt, but not an end. Forces are at work on all sides to attempt to gain the upper hand in the struggle to control Asgard, for control of Asgard’s heart could mean total power over the planet itself, and all who live in it. At the middle of the struggle is Michael Rousseau, who must penetrate the very core of the planet itself—both in reality and in another dimension altogether—to save Asgard and all who dwell in it, before it’s too late. This is a major revision of 1990 novel The Center Cannot Hold

From acclaimed science fiction author Brian Stableford (Year Zero, Designer Genes: Tales from the Biotech Revolution) comes the first book in a staggering new trilogy featuring the most incredible backdrop of all—an entire planet. Asgard is a planet-sized artifact presently orbiting a star on the edge of the galaxy. It seems to consist of a series of concentric spheres, each of which was once host to several complex civilizations. Since its discovery by the Tetrax, scavengers from dozens of other species have accumulated in a hastily improvised city, busily scouring the outer layers for artifacts that might offer clues to the advanced technologies involved in the construction of Asgard. One of the few humans involved in this hectic search is Mike Rousseau. Michael must fend off predatory aliens, militant humans, and the rest of the races that are vying to be first into the hollow core of Asgard. But everything changes when he discovers that Asgard is still inhabited by another alien race—and who knows how they will react to the realization that there is an entire outside world above their heads? This is a major revision of 1982 novel Journey to the Center. It was revised for the first time in 1989 for UK edition as Journey to the Centre

This sixth anthology in the adult fairy-tale series by acclaimed editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling presents another diverse collection of stories and poems loosely based on folklore traditions around the world. Readers familiar with previous books in the series will recognize the names of many regular contributors, including Tanith Lee, Jane Yolen, Esther Friesner, and Joyce Carol Oates, as well as works from Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, and others. Tanith Lee's "Rapunzel" opens the collection with a charmingly simple reconstruction of that classic fairy tale. Esther Friesner's "Big Hair" takes the same theme into the present with less cheerful results. Greg Costikyan considers the fate of an ensorcelled sleeping beauty dug up by archaeologists centuries later in "And Still She Sleeps," while Jane Yolen's "Snow in Summer" turns the tables on Snow White's evil stepmother with a deep-dish apple pie and a fry pan. Scott Bradfield's "Goldilocks Tells All" is especially memorable for its Jerry Springer-like portrayal of the ultimate dysfunctional family. Leah Cutter considers the loneliness of living under a curse in her Texas two-step story "The Red Boots." Severna Park's feminist "The Golem" revives a Jewish folktale, while Bryn Kanar's haunting "Dreaming Among Men" draws on Native American legend. Howard Waldrop's "Our Mortal Span" is perhaps the most unique story here, a surprising blend of black comedy, killer-robot story, and fairy tale. While on the whole this collection isn't as strong as previous volumes, it still delivers a fine array of thoughtful writing on some of the best-known-and yet unknown-stories we love.  — Charlene Brusso

The work of H. P. Lovecraft continues to inspire many of the leading contemporary authors of horror and the supernatural. In this anthology, S. T. Joshi, the world’s leading expert on Lovecraft and the author of the lively treatise The Rise and Fall of the Cthulhu Mythos, tries his hand at assembling a modern-day Lovecraftian anthology, casting his net on both sides of the Atlantic and producing a volume that radically expands our notions of what constitutes “Lovecraftian” fiction. Caitlín R. Kiernan, Brian Stableford, and Nicholas Royle produce innovative deconstructions of Lovecraft’s “Pickman’s Model” and “The Hound.” Michael Shea transfers the Cthulhu Mythos to San Francisco, Laird Barron and Philip Haldeman set their Lovecraftian horrors in the Pacific Northwest, and Donald R. Burleson and William Browning Spencer enliven the parched Southwest with cosmic monsters. Ramsey Campbell, Jonathan Thomas, Jason Van Hollander, and others make Lovecraft himself a character in tales of cosmic menace, while David J. Schow and Michael Cisco ring new changes on the Lovecraftian concept of the forbidden book. These and other stories by Michael Marshall Smith, Norman Partridge, W. H. Pugmire, Joseph S. Pulver, Sr., Darrell Schweitzer, Donald R. and Mollie L. Burleson, Sam Gafford, and Adam Niswander all reveal how vital and vibrant the Lovecraftian idiom remains… and how terrifying

An anthology of stories edited by John Joseph Adams. From Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer; from Castlevania to Tru Blood, the romance between popular culture and vampires hearkens back to humanity’s darkest, deepest fears, flowing through our very blood, fears of death, and life, and insatiable hunger. And yet, there is an attraction, undeniable, to the vampire archetype, whether the pale European count, impeccably dressed and coldly masculine, yet strangely ambiguous, ready to sink his sharp teeth deep into his victims’ necks, draining or converting them, or the vamp, the count’s feminine counterpart, villain and victim in one, using her wiles and icy sexuality to corrupt man and woman alike… Edited by John Joseph Adams (Wastelands, The Living Dead), By Blood We Live gathers together the best vampire literature of the last three decades from many of today’s most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror

All original stories about the return of Cthulhu and the Old Ones to Earth. Some of the darkest hints in all of H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos relate to what will happen after the Old Ones return and take over the earth. What happens when Cthulhu is unleashed upon the world? What happens when the other Old Ones, long since banished from our universe, break through and descend from the stars? What would the reign of Cthulhu be like on a totally transformed planet where mankind is no longer the master? Find out in these exciting, brand-new stories

Once again, multi-award-winning editors Stephen Jones and David Sutton take you on a terrifying journey into the dark heart of modern horror fiction. Firmly established as the world's premier horror anthology series, this latest volume is twice the size, presenting almost a quarter of a million words of new fiction by some of the hottest names and most talented newcomers in the field. Contributors to Dark Terrors 5 include Peter Straub, Poppy Z. Brite, Ramsey Campbell, Mick Garris — Stephen King's director of choice — Gwyneth Jones, Michael Marshall Smith, Kim Newman, Gahan Wilson, Christopher Fowler and many, many more

A volume of visions of future wars, fought with weapons out of nightmare, by today’s top writers of military science fiction, as well as some writers who are not usually associated with military SF, such as best-selling writer Gregory Benford, and award-winning author Kristine Katherine Rusch. Also present are Michael Z. Williamson, author of the strong selling novels “Freehold” and “The Weapon”, award-winning author of “Bolo Strike”, William H. Keith, and more. Through the centuries, weapons have changed radically, but the soldier has remained much the same. But in the future, soldiers, too, may undergo radical changes. As editor Joe Haldeman puts it, “Weapons are an extension of the soldier, and also an extension of the culture or species that produced the soldier. And they are sometimes more dangerous to the soldier than the enemy…”

Specialista di mondi esotici e contaminati, Brian M. Stableford ci porta in un tempo in cui l’umanità sarà tornata alla superstizione e alla barbarie. Ma in quel mondo d’ombre circolano strane voci sulla prodigiosa scienza degli antichi. Bisogna ritrovare il Viaggiatore del tempo! Una pericolosa avventura aspetta Matthew e John, due pellegrini disposti a tutto pur di trovare quel mitico superstite… Il salvatore

“Inheritance” becomes a whole new ballgame when lives are very long—but it doesn’t stop being a problem!

Our April 1995 novella from Brian Stableford, “Mortimer Gray’s History of Death,” was a finalist for the 1996 Nebula award. Mr. Stableford’s most recent American publication, The Hunger and Ecstasy of Vampires, was released by Mark Ziesing Books last year. He is currently finishing Chimera’s Cradle, the final novel in a trilogy that includes Serpent’s Blood (Legend 1995), and Salamander’s Fire (May 1996). The author was also a leading contributor to The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Orbit 1993) and the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Fantasy

This second volume of the Alien Sex anthology series brings together authors Neil Gaiman, Robert Silverberg, Samuel R. Delany, Joyce Carol Oates, Elizabeth Hand, and many others to explore the mysteries of sex, alien and human alike. From an alien spy who falls in love with one of the earthlings he’s monitoring, to a woman whose souvenir dream-catcher calls to her bedroom more than she bargained for, to a genetically engineered sex object aboard a space station, these thought-provoking tales of alien sex open up new worlds for fantastical exploration

Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is among the most famous literary figures of all time. For more than a hundred years, his adventures have stood as imperishable monuments to the ability of human reason to penetrate every mystery, solve every puzzle, and punish every crime. For nearly as long, the macabre tales of H. P. Lovecraft have haunted readers with their nightmarish glimpses into realms of cosmic chaos and undying evil. But what would happen if Conan Doyle’s peerless detective and his allies were to find themselves faced with mysteries whose solutions lay not only beyond the grasp of logic, but of sanity itself. In this collection of all-new, all-original tales, twenty of today’s most cutting edge writers provide their answers to that burning question

A dangerously seductive collection of tales that—like the sirens themselves—are impossible to resist Sensuality mingles with fantasy in this sultry anthology starring fairies, sphinxes, werewolves, and other beings by masterful storytellers including Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Ellen Kushner, and more. Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers features a vampire who falls in love with her human prey, an updated Red Riding Hood fantasy, an unsuspecting young man who innocently joins in seductive faerie revelry, and a cat goddess made human. Alluring and charismatic, this collection from master editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling will stimulate more than just your imagination. This ebook features illustrated biographies of Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, including rare photos from the editors’ personal collections