Действие романа происходит в Москве в период с 1998 по 2004 годы. На протяжении всего романа показана жизнь главного героя — Андрея с 18 до 24 лет. Роман делится на три части. Деление это условное. Однако во второй и третьей частях более подробно рассказано о событиях, связанных с общением главного героя с людьми, с которыми он познакомился по сети. В романе подробно описана как современная культура общения молодых людей по сети, их интересы, связанные с этим, так и различные способы знакомств — ICQ, chat, блоги. В романе показана трансформация личности героя от полного надежд неординарного юноши до уверенного в себе циничного молодого человека. Основная тема духовных исканий героя: есть ли любовь, и если она есть, то почему процент реально счастливых в любви, а тем более в браке людей, так ничтожно мал, а так взаимоотношение героя с потусторонним миром. Повествование романа ведется от лица главного героя. Автор этого романа выражает огромную благодарность музыкантам групп «Hobbit Shire», «Nazgul Band», «Дом Ветров», «Tintal», «Башня Rowan», «Троль Гнет Ель», «Оргия праведников», «Мельница», «Календарь», «Вересковый мед», «Выход» и «Умка и Броневичок». Без вашей музыки эта книга никогда не была бы написана. События, описанные в романе, а так же имена, фамилии и сетевые псевдонимы являются авторским вымыслом. Автор этой книги убедительно просит читателя считать любые совпадения с реальными событиями, именами и сетевыми псевдонимами случайным. И заранее просит прощения у тех, кто эти совпадения примет на свой счет

An erotic paranormal romance… Sexy vampire, Luca Macquarie doesn’t do love; especially not with humans. Yet, ever since he rescued Samantha Irving, he can’t deny the enigmatic attraction he’s developed for the alluring mortal woman. Concerned for her safety, he’s determined to bring Samantha back to her coven. His mission is to go find the novice witch and bring her home, nothing more, nothing less; falling for her is not supposed to be part of the plan. Samantha doesn’t want to be a witch, yet that’s exactly what she is. After failing to elicit her magic, she escapes to the mountains in an attempt to resume a semblance of her previous human life. When an arsonist torches her cabin, Samantha’s worst fears are realized. Aware that her life is on the line, she reluctantly agrees to return to New Orleans with Luca. In the Big Easy, Samantha and Luca embark on a spellbinding journey, searching for a mystical amulet that promises to release her obligation from an ancient, lethal vampire who’s been threatening her life. With cryptic clues and clandestine allies, will Luca and Samantha destroy the dangerous amulet before others acquire it, setting forth a chain of catastrophic consequences? And will Luca give into his erotic desire for the witch who magically captures heart?

Lucca, an actress, is rushed into hospital in a provincial Danish town after a motor accident. She is severely injured and Robert, the doctor treating her, is obliged to tell her she may never see again. Both of them are recovering from love affairs, and they relate their stories to each other

Chi non ricorda il pianeta Mesklin e i suoi straordinari abitanti, costretti a vivere in condizioni di gravità proibitive per gli esseri umani? Gli eroi meskliniti di Hal Clement tornano in questo romanzo, in sé pefettamente autonomo, che è di fatto il secondo capitolo della saga iniziata con Stella Doppia 61 Cygni (Mission of Gravity), tenuto a battesimo in Italia proprio sulle pagine di URANIA. Ancora una volta la pazienza, il coraggio e le straordinarie caratteristiche fisiche dei meskliniti permetteranno loro di avere ragione di un mondo in cui la forza di gravità è così schiacciante da rappresentare da sola il più terribile e immediato dei pericoli. Senza contare le numerose incognite di questa nuova e inedita missione nello spazio, scritta da un maestro della tecnologica…

Cara Kingsdale, una reportera muy experimentada, había conseguido que el hermético Ven Gajdusek le concediera una entrevista. Pero ahora, debido a un imprevisto, no podía ir y le pidió a su hermana que viajara a Checoslovaquia en su lugar. Fabia sabía que no iba ser sencillo engañar a un hombre como Ven. Y menos aun si se enamoraba de el…

A brand-new page-turning Stone Barrington novel from the perennially entertaining New York Times-bestselling author. It seems like just another quiet night at Elaine's. Stone Barrington and his former cop partner, Dino, are enjoying some pasta when in walks former client and all around sad sack Herbie Fisher…with a briefcase containing $14 million in cash. Herbie claims to have won the money on a lucky lotto ticket, but he also says he needs a lawyer-and after a single gunshot breaks the window above his head and sends diners scrambling, Stone and Dino suspect Herbie might need a bodyguard and a private investigator, too

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The gigantic comet had slammed into Earth, forging earthquakes a thousand times too powerful to measure on the Richter scale, tidal waves thousands of feet high. Cities were turned into oceans; oceans turned into steam. It was the beginning of a new Ice Age and the end of civilization. But for the terrified men and women chance had saved, it was also the dawn of a new struggle for survival — a struggle more dangerous and challenging than any they had ever known… Nominated for Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1978

When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn't commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But the one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhнminee is many things—none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec's new mentor, and this time there just might be… DEADLY MISSION "Looks like you'll have to climb," Seregil whispered, squinting up. "Be careful going over; most of these places have the walls topped with spikes or sharp flints." "Hold on!" Alec tried to make out Seregil's expression through the darkness. "Aren't you coming with me?" "It's a one-man job; the fewer the better," Seregil assured him. "Would I send you in alone if I didn't think you could handle it? Best leave your sword, though." "What if someone sees me?" "Honestly, Alec! You can't just go hacking your way out of every difficult situation that arises. It's uncivilized." Alec unbuckled his sword and started up the garden wall. He was halfway to the top when Micum called softly, "We'll meet you back here when you've finished. Oh, and look out for the dogs." "Dogs?" Alec dropped down again. "What dogs? You didn't say anything about dogs!" Seregil tapped himself sharply between the eyes. "Illior's Fingers, what am I thinking of tonight? There's a pair of Zengati hounds, snow-white and big as bears." "That's a fine detail to forget," growled Micum. "Anything else I should know?" "Let's see, the spikes, the dogs, the servants—No, I think we covered it. Luck in the shadows, Alec." "And to you," Alec muttered, starting up the wall again. Praise for Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling "Part high fantasy and part political intrigue, Luck in the Shadows makes a nice change from the usual muck of contemporary sword-and-sorcery. I especially enjoyed Lynn Flewelling's obvious affection for her characters. And at unexpected moments she reveals a well-honed gift for the macabre." – Stephen R. Donaldson, author of This Day All Gods Die "Memorable characters, an enthralling plot, and truly daunting evil. The magic is refreshingly difficult, mysterious, and unpredictable. Lynn Flewelling has eschewed the easy shortcuts of cliched minor characters and cookie-cutter backdrops to present a unique world peopled by characters who are truly of that world. I commend this one to your attention." – Robin Hobb, author of Royal Assassin "A splendid read, filled with magic, mystery, adventure, and taut suspense. Lynn Flewelling, b ravo!Nicely done." – Dennis L. McKiernan, author of The Dragonstone "An engrossing and entertaining debut novel. It opens up a new fantasy world that is ripe for exploration-full of magic, intrigues, and fascinating characters… the kind of book you settle down with when you want a long, satisfying read." – Michael A. Stackpole, author of Star Wars X-Wing: Rogue Squadron

Luciana de Luca has a PhD in sass and gemology—and a problem. Her twin brother’s gambling debts have gotten out of hand, and a mob enforcer is blackmailing her to rob the latest, greatest mega-casino on the Strip. Although Lucy has worked her whole life to get away from her family’s grifter past, to save her brother, she dons three-inch heels and a sluts-r-us dress and struts into Alec’s Gerald’s casino, determined to put her long-forgotten thieving ways to the test again.  Alec Gerald, a shape-shifting dragon, has built the Crown Jewel casino to provide sanctuary for his people amongst the flash and awe of Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the sexy little thief trying to steal his largest diamond exhibit turns out to be his mate, and he must woo her before he loses his dragon form forever. But before he can handcuff her to his bed and explain the details of a mating ceremony, an enemy attacks and threatens to destroy his casino, his people, and his newfound mate

Ki and Vandien should've known the money was too good just to transport a human boy to Villena! It smelled like trouble. And it was. Not to mention a few other problems they never imagined - like a lovesick stowaway, an army of rebels and road bandits and a magical detour with death itself

A non fiction book Enormously visceral, emotionally gripping, and imbued with the belief that justice is possible even after the most horrific of crimes, Alice Sebold's compelling memoir of her rape at the age of eighteen is a story that takes hold of you and won't let go. Sebold fulfills a promise that she made to herself in the very tunnel where she was raped: someday she would write a book about her experience. With Lucky she delivers on that promise with mordant wit and an eye for life's absurdities, as she describes what she was like both as a young girl before the rape and how that rape changed but did not sink the woman she later became. It is Alice's indomitable spirit that we come to know in these pages. The same young woman who sets her sights on becoming an Ethel Merman-style diva one day (despite her braces, bad complexion, and extra weight) encounters what is still thought of today as the crime from which no woman can ever really recover. In an account that is at once heartrending and hilarious, we see Alice's spirit prevail as she struggles to have a normal college experience in the aftermath of this harrowing, life-changing event. No less gripping is the almost unbelievable role that coincidence plays in the unfolding of Sebold's narrative. Her case, placed in the inactive file, is miraculously opened again six months later when she sees her rapist on the street. This begins the long road to what dominates these pages: the struggle for triumph and understanding – in the courtroom and outside in the world. Lucky is, quite simply, a real-life thriller. In its literary style and narrative tension we never lose sight of why this life story is worth reading. At the end we are left standing in the wake of devastating violence, and, like the writer, we have come to know what it means to survive

Фанфа по манге/аниме "Bleach". Не-канон. ООС-персонаж

Jonathan Lethem stretches new literary muscles in this scintillating new collection of stories. Some of these tales — such as "Pending Vegan," which wonderfully captures a parental ache and anguish during a family visit to an aquatic theme park — are, in Lethem's words, "obedient (at least outwardly) to realism." Others, like "The Dreaming Jaw, The Salivating Ear,", which deftly and hilariously captures the solipsism of blog culture, feature "the uncanny and surreal elements that still sometimes erupt in my short stories." The tension between these two approaches, and the way they inform each other, increase the reader's surprise and delight as one realizes how cleverly Lethem is playing with form. Devoted fans of Lethem will recognize familiar themes and tropes — the anxiety of influence pushed to reduction ad absurdum in "The King of Sentences"; a hapless outsider trying to summon up bravado in "The Porn Critic;" characters from the comics stranded on a desert island; the necessity and the impossibility of action against authority in "Procedure in Plain Air." As always, Lethem's work, humor, and poignancy work in harmony; people strive desperately for connection through words and often misdirect deeds; and the sentences are glorious

Long ago, a witch proclaimed an eternal curse that every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to lose his woman and his fortune… Jason Corwin knows he should resist his attraction to Lauren Perkins. But after one night of mind-blowing sex with his supposed and very seductive enemy, he can't bring himself to stay away. All Lauren wants is to sell her late grandmother's old house and leave the past behind forever. But that's not an easy thing to do when gorgeous contractor Jason Corwin whispers sweet, sexy somethings into her ear…about staying. Then a saboteur and the promise of hidden treasure change everything, and one lucky break just might put an end to the Corwin curse…

Long ago, as revenge on a Corwin who stole her son's fiancée, a witch proclaimed an eternal curse that every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to lose his woman and his fortune. Derek thought he could outsmart the long-standing Corwin curse by breaking up with Gabrielle, his first love – and marrying someone else. Now, divorced and broke, all he has left is his teenage daughter and a healthy respect for ancient sorcery. But then Gabrielle returns, determined to defeat the curse and rekindle their passion. But will her stubborn streak and her unwavering love be the lucky charm Derek so desperately needs?

Macmillan Readers Starter Level

Pandora Ann Phillips' life is just normal-crazy Her mom's a psychic, her dad's mom is a snob, her mom's parental units are "too down to earth" and her best friends are newlyweds. Okay, so her best friends being newlyweds isn't really abnormal, but living with them in a cramped two-bedroom apartment definitely is. Sex, sex, sex is totally on their minds. Actually it's not only on their minds, but it's on the kitchen table, couch, on top of the washer...well, you get the picture. Being a celibate (not by choice, mind you) full-time college student, and an almost full-time barista, Pandora can't afford to lose anymore sleep. So, she seeks out a new place to lay her head. Enter three "drool worthy" male models that are looking for a fourth roommate and they want her...and won't take no for an answer. Hilarity ensues as Pandora's life turns completely upside down, and she begins to wonder if it will ever be the same again!

Belle Abbot is pathologically shy and because of this, she’s living a nightmare due to the fact that she’s also a national treasure hounded by the media. James Bennett is known the world over as the perfect catch, handsome, wealthy and the owner of an intimidating castle on a Cornish Cliff, Chy An Als Point. Belle and James meet and in one night, they fall in love. The problem is, Belle’s dating James’s brother. As quickly as they fall together, Belle and James are torn apart. Not long after, circumstances throw them back into each other’s lives and they find they were right that first romantic night, they were meant to be. Even if their families want them together, James’s brother Miles does not. Dogged by a rabid media who are fascinated by their love triangle, as well as Belle’s hidden demons, James and Belle find they have yet another problem to solve. The Point is haunted by the ghosts of two children murdered in the castle. Their murderer will stop at nothing to keep their souls tethered to The Point instead of letting them live eternity with their mother and father. Belle is determined to find her courage and help them and she enlists her loopy mother, loopier grandmother, James’s even loopier ex-girlfriend and the dubious (but talented) team of rock ‘n’ roll witch Cassandra McNabb and Scottish ghost hunter extraordinaire Angus McPherson to help the children find their way back home

Long ago, a witch proclaimed an eternal curse that every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to lose his woman and his fortune. The good news is that Mike, a police officer, awakens after some hard partying in Vegas $100,000 richer and married to Amber, the gorgeous woman he met the night before. The bad news: His last name is Corwin. The really bad news is that Amber's a consummate con who took his money and ran. Seems the family curse has finally hit him. (Hard). But to Amber, Mike isn't business as usual. Something about her new husband softens her steely heart, even as she betrays him. If only she didn't need the money to ensure her father's safety, she might have actually fallen for the intense lawman. Instead, she's on the run. From the bad guys. From her former con partner. And from the man she might have loved. Now Mike, first hell-bent on revenge (divorce), welcomes a second chance to defy the curse. and turn his run of bad fortune into a lucky streak!

The story of rookie pilot Lt. Halley’s first drop ship command. A short story in the Terms of Enlistment universe

"My father's wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us." Brilliantly written, deeply moving, fantastically funny, Lucky Us introduces us to Eva and Iris. Disappointed by their families, Iris, the hopeful star, and Eva, the sidekick, journey across 1940s America in search of fame and fortune. Iris's ambitions take them from small-town Ohio to an unexpected and sensuous Hollywood, across the America of Reinvention in a stolen station wagon, to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island. With their friends in high and low places, Iris and Eva stumble and shine through a landscape of big dreams, scandals, betrayals, and war. Filled with gorgeous writing, memorable characters, and surprising events, Lucky Us is a thrilling and resonant novel about success and failure, good luck and bad, the creation of a family, and the pleasures and inevitable perils of family life. From Brooklyn's beauty parlors to London's West End, a group of unforgettable people love, lie, cheat, and survive in this story of our fragile, absurd, heroic species

She is willing to risk everything – Lucky Lady, from a New York Times bestselling author. When Serena Sheridan's Grandfather vanishes into the vast and infamous swamps of Louisiana for no apparent reason, she feels compelled to abandon her successful career as a psychologist and go and find him. But Serena is deeply afraid of the hostile territory she is confronting and her only guide is the renegade Lucky Doucet, a dangerous Cajun who offers little hope of protection in the steamy Bayou swamps. However, determined to find her Grandfather at whatever cost, she sets off with lucky on a journey into the watery maze that will change both their lives irrevocably

Lucretia’s best friend and upstairs neighbor Sunny — a sweet pitbull of a kid, even as she struggles with a mysterious illness — has gone missing. The only way to get her back is for Lucretia to climb the rickety fire escape of their Queens tenement and crawl through the window of apartment 6D, portal to a vast shadowland of missing kids ruled by a nightmarish family of mutants whose designs on the children are unknown. Her search for Sunny takes Lucretia through a dark fantasyland where she finds lush forests growing from concrete, pigeon-winged rodents, and haunted playgrounds. Her quest ultimately forces her to confront the most frightening specter of all: losing, forever, the thing you love the most. Lucretia and the Kroons is a dazzlingly imaginative adventure story and a moving exploration of the power of friendship and the terror of loss. This all-new novella serves as the perfect companion piece to The Devil in Silver, a thrillingly suspenseful work of literary horror that continues the story of Lucretia

Talk show host Lucy Campbell has made a career of interviewing Druid witches, trolls, and an occasional goblin. But now she wants more. Only she wasn't expecting to get involved with a vampire detective who has a slight incubus problem

Analiza następstw zdrady małżeńskiej w słynnej psychologiczno-obyczajowej powieści autora Pogody dla bogaczy. Lucy i Oliver Crown są wzorowym szczęśliwym małżeństwem, dbającym o dobro trzynastoletniego jedynaka, któremu starają się zapewnić jak najlepsze warunki rekonwalescencji po ciężkiej chorobie. Podczas wakacji Lucy, zdominowana przez władczego męża, nawiązuje przelotny romans z korepetytorem syna. Następstwa tego kroku odczują wszyscy, a rodzina Crownów odtąd istnieć będzie tylko formalnie. Najboleśniej wszakże dotknie to samą Lucy…

Best friends Jess and Lily visit Friendship Forest, where animals can talk and magic exists! On their first adventure in Friendship Forest, can Lily and Jess rescue adorable baby bunny Lucy Longwhiskers from the wicked witch Grizelda?

Lucy Maud Montgomery was born at Clifton (now New London), Prince Edward Island, Canada, on November 30, 1874. She achieved international fame in her lifetime, putting Prince Edward Island and Canada on the world literary map. Best known for her "Anne of Green Gables" books, she was also a prolific writer of short stories and poetry. She published some 500 short stories and poems and twenty novels before her death in 1942

Lud-in-the-Mist (1926) is the third novel by Hope Mirrlees, and the only one still in print as of 2005. It continues the author's exploration of the themes of Life and Art, by a method already described in the preface of her first novel, Madeleine: One of Love's Jansenists (1919): "to turn from time to time upon the action the fantastic limelight of eternity, with a sudden effect of unreality and the hint of a world within a world".Whereas in Madeleine and The Counterplot Mirrlees took from historical figures, religions and literature the elements with which to build her stage, her use of a secondary-world setting in Lud-in-the-Mist links it to a tradition of high fantasy, and thence to its current locus of popularity. In 1970, an American reprint appeared without the author's permission, as part of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. It was subsequently reprinted by Orion Books in 2000 as part of their Fantasy Masterworks series[1]. But Lud-in-the-Mist's unconventional elements, equally responsible for its appeal to the fantasy readership and distinction within the genre, are better-understood if they are taken in the context of her whole oeuvre.In this novel, the law-abiding inhabitants of Lud-in-the-Mist, a city located at the confluence of the rivers Dapple and Dawl, in the fictional state of Dorimare, must contend with the influx of fairy fruit from the bordering Land of Faerie, whose presence they had sought to deny from their rational existence. Their mayor, the respectable Nathaniel Chanticleer, finds himself quite reluctantly at the center of the conflict.Lud-in-the-Mist begins with a quotation by Jane Harrison, whose influence is also found in Madeleine and The Counterplot. It is dedicated to the memory of Mirrlees's father

W poprzednim tomie — „Hominidach” — neandertalski fizyk Ponter Boddit, podczas eksperymentu z komputerem kwantowym przekroczył przypadkiem barierę pomiędzy alternatywną Ziemią, na której jego gatunek jest dominujący, a ludzie wymarli przed tysiącami lat. Po wielu przygodach, przy pomocy ziemskich naukowców, udało mu się wrócić do swojego świata. W drugim tomie Ponter Boddit doprowadza do ponownego otwarcia portalu między światami. Wraca na Ziemię zamieszkałą przez Homo sapiens i znowu spotyka profesor Mary Vaughan. Podczas pierwszej oficjalnej wizyty delegacji ze świata Neandertalczyków dochodzi do incydentu, który stawia pod znakiem zapytania dalsze kontakty między gatunkami. Na szczęście, udaje się pokonać pierwsze trudności i rozpoczyna się wymiana kulturowa między obiema Ziemiami

Niniejsze słowa dotyczą zbioru opowiadań fantastycznych z lat 70. ubiegłego wieku, których lekturę, z całą stanowczością i determinacją — można polecić każdemu miłośnikowi fantastyki i cokolwiek niebanalnych rozważań na temat konstrukcji wielkiego wszechświata. Jak już wspomniałem, książka ta została wydana w czasach dość zamierzchłych, bo w roku 1973 — co może działać deprymująco na czytelników lubujących się w dość poczytnych, aczkolwiek pisanych nieco na siłę powieściach — a tych, jak wiadomo, pełno dziś na półkach księgarni. Niemniej publikacja o dość tajemniczym, intrygującym tytule „Ludzie i gwiazdy” wydaje się pozycją godną uwagi każdego miłośnika fantastyki (bez względu na przedział wiekowy). Cóż w takim razie jest ciekawego w tej dość opasłej i bogatej w treść merytoryczną książce? Co sprawia, że odpowiedź na pytanie dotyczące wartości książki — bez trudu nasunie się czytelnikowi już po lekturze kilku utworów w niej zawartych? Otóż zbiór opowiadań „Ludzie i gwiazdy”, mimo iż wydany w czasach wszechobecnej cenzury i inwigilacji, wziętej niemal z powieści „Nova Express” W.S. Burroughsa, niewiele tylko straciwszy na świeżości przekazu, nadal zaskakuje siłą wyobraźni autorów, wielotorowością, wieloaspektowością nurtu fantastyki i wieloma innymi cechami, których na próżno szukać u niektórych twórców

Porównywana z „Imperium słońca” szokująca wizja naszego świata i ludzi wkraczających w wiek XXI. Mała rewolucja jest tak skromna i grzeczna, że początkowo prawie nikt jej nie zauważa. Ale już wkrótce lekarze, inżynierowie, menedżerowie podpalają swoje domy, przewracają swoje volva i bmw, a w końcu podkładają bomby. Dlaczego stateczni obywatele postanowili zniszczyć swoje dotychczasowe życie? Dlaczego sięgnęli po terror? Odpowiedzi szukamy razem z narratorem, psychologiem Davidem Markhamem, w londyńskiej dzielnicy klasy średniej. Wraz z nim ulegamy stopniowo fascynacji anarchią, uwodzi nas charyzmatyczny pediatra, fanatyczny guru buntu, i z niedowierzaniem przyjmujemy jego wyjaśnienie: przyczyną przemocy może być brak przyczyny. Nie ma silniejszej motywacji od nudy, sugeruje Ballard, terror jako protest przeciwko przyszłości, w której nic się nie będzie działo. „Ludzie millenium” to wizja absurdalna, groteskowa, ale i niepokojąca. Czy wiemy, czego naprawdę chcemy? Potrzebujemy poczucia bezpieczeństwa czy tęsknimy za napięciem, stresem, niepewnością? Przepowiadany przez autora „Imperium słońca” symboliczny scenariusz destrukcji wyrasta z wyobraźni pisarza zafascynowanego nieuchronnością katastrofy, ale jest też precyzyjną i beznamiętną analizą społeczeństwa u progu kryzysu, ludzkości u progu nowego tysiąclecia. Czy nasz bunt dla samego buntu jest rzeczywiście tylko kwestią czasu? Cóż, nie wszystkie przepowiednie się sprawdzają

Martin Beck #10 Ostatni tom serii, z której narodził się szwedzki kryminał. Osiemnastolatka oskarżona o napad na bank. Bogaty producent filmów pornograficznych zamordowany w mieszkaniu kochanki. Martin Beck ma jak zwykle ma głowie kilka spraw. I jak zwykle najbardziej złości go to, że co chwila utyka w labiryncie policyjnej biurokracji. Lecz teraz czeka go naprawdę niewdzięczne zadanie: chronić amerykańskiego senatora podczas dyplomatycznej wizyty w Sztokholmie. A są wszelkie podstawy, żeby podejrzewać, że niepopularny polityk będzie celem zamachu…

Na odległą planetę dociera misja ratunkowa, przybywająca by wyjaśnić losy ekspedycji naukowej, która wylądowała na niej dziesięć miesięcy temu. Nieoczekiwanie załoga przybywającego statku staje się stroną w długotrwałym konflikcie między dwoma zamieszkującymi planetę rozumnymi rasami — jedną rozwijającą się w oceanie, a drugą na lądzie. Wkrótce odkrywają straszliwą prawdę — członkowie ekspedycji naukowej zostali pojmani przez oceaniczną rasę, po czym kopiowani po to, by walczyć przeciw ich lądowym sąsiadom. Członkowie misji ratunkowej odbijają naukowców, ale stają przed problemem — czy uratowani mogą powrócić na Ziemię? Obca rasa zmienia bowiem psychikę kopii tak, by uwypuklić naszą wrodzoną agresywność, skierować ją na swego odwiecznego wroga rozwijającego się na lądzie. Gilly, jeden z członków misji ratunkowej, cybernetyk i zarazem narrator powieści, jest przeciwny temu, by kopie naukowców mogły powrócić, uważa że są skażone przez obcych, potencjalnie groźne dla całej ludzkiej cywilizacji. Jak odróżnić prawdziwych ludzi od tworów obcej bioinżynierii? Gilly'emu udaje się to, ale za realizację swego pomysłu płaci ogromną cenę… Kontakt z obcymi cywilizacjami jest tu przedstawiony niezbyt optymistycznie: ziemska cywilizacja natknęła się już na kilka obcych ras, ale nie może się z nimi nawiązać dialogu; podobnie jest na trzeciej planecie gwiazdy Feriego. Obca cywilizacja jest tu widziana bardziej jak siła przyrody, którą można zbadać i która może przysporzyć cierpień nieuważnym badaczom, ale nie można z nią znaleźć płaszczyzny porozumienia. Ludzie z gwiazdy Feriego mają już swoje lata i trudno by ją nazwać sensacyjną czy też rozrywkową w wymowie. Choć akcja toczy się szybko i nie brak w niej gwałtownych zwrotów, to wydarzenia opisywane są powoli, z punktu widzenia jednego z członków załogi, z jego obszernym komentarzem, wewnętrznymi przeżyciami. Bywają w powieści mniej jasne fragmenty, ale jednak taki sposób prowadzenia narracji wydaje się być bardzo autentyczny. Są w niej statki kosmiczne szybsze niż światło, hibernatory na ich pokładzie pozwalające przeżyć tak szybki loty załodze, miotacze antymaterii, projektory holowizyjne tworzące złudzenie wirtualnej rzeczywistości, umiejętność transplantacji mózgu, kalkulatory o możliwościach przewyższających współczesne nam komputery… Jak na powieść o podboju kosmosu i kontakcie z obcą cywilizacją przystało, wiele jest w niej techniki. Nie jest ona jednak otrzymaną właśnie zabawką w rękach człowieka, lecz jego narzędziem pracy; pomaga, ale i rodzi problemy — przez to wydaje się bardzo zwyczajna i dobrze wkomponowana w świat powieści. Czy warto ją wziąć dziś do ręki? Z pewnością tak, choćby dlatego by przekonać się, że polska fantastyka jest starsza niż nam się może wydawać i już dziesiątki lat temu miała sporo do powiedzenia… a nie wszystko to ustami Lema. Jarosław Zieliński

Gwiazda Pella, strategiczny punkt w konflikcie zbrojnym Kompanii Ziemskiej i międzygwiezdnych kolonii. Ten, kto kontroluje Stacje Pella, decyduje o zasięgu ziemskich sił obronnych bądź o skali ziemskiej ekspansji w celu odzyskania utraconego imperium. Ale Pell jest zdecydowany utrzymać neutralność za wszelką cenę. Ludzie z Gwiazdy Pella to obszerna, wielowątkowa i dramatyczna wizja przyszłości, ukazująca charaktery, postawy i ambicje nie odbiegające od naszych. Przez stronice tej powieści przewija się galeria fascynujących postaci, ludzkich i nieludzkich, których losy zależą od wyniku tytanicznych zmagań w skali kosmicznej. Powieść ta otrzymała nagrodę Hugo w roku 1982

A dazzling story told for the love of story by the greatest of storytellers gives us a novel of wisdom and pleasure for all ages, in which a young boy must battle his way through a dangerous world in order to save his father. On a beautiful starry night in the city of Kahani in the land of Alifbay, a terrible thing happened: twelve-year-old Luka's storyteller father, Rashid, fell suddenly and inexplicably into a sleep so deep that nothing and no one could rouse him. To save him from slipping away entirely, Luka must embark on a journey through The Magic World, encountering a slew of phantasmagorical obstacles along the way, to steal the Fire of Life, a seemingly impossible and exceedingly dangerous task. Rushdie proved that he is one of the best contemporary writers with Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990). While Haroun was written as a gift for his first son, Luka and the Fire of Life, the story of Haroun's younger brother, is a gift for Salman's second son on the occasion of his twelfth birthday. Lyrically crafted and filled with frolicking wordplay, this is Salman Rushdie at his best