sci fi h-r

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Summary: Adventure awaits the intrepid reader willing to enter Winding Paths, an anthology of game stories and poetry, puzzles and prizes. You can’t get to UR any other way, and UR is where 25 original works by award-winning writers and new voices dwell. You can read this book in order, but perhaps you are a wanderer. If so, you’re in luck! Choose paths to wind your way throughout, all the while searching for items, earning rewards, and solving puzzles. And at the end? You can keep playing. The cover is The Royal Game of UR’s game board. The rules, along with a set of game pieces for each story or poem, are provided inside the book. Fictional combat. Author against author. Whom do you favor? Or maybe you will wish to stay in UR forever. Let the games begin…

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Summary: The fourteen tales in Adventures in Bodily Autonomy flow across alternate universes and through space and time to consider the issues of reproductive justice through a fresh perspectives. There is an adventure here for everyone. An astronaut on her way to Mars discovers she’s pregnant—can she keep her baby? Bee-like entities try to force a human to be their queen. In1930s Philly, a vampire offers a novel form of birth control. From a ghost, lessons learned too late. Women who cannot find a comfortable fit in their mythic realities. Future worlds where reproductive choices are different, but individual choice and external battles for that choice are just as real. Join the authors in supporting NARAL Pro-Choice America. One hundred percent of the royalties are being donated to NARAL Pro-Choice America. “So satisfying to read a volume of new speculative fiction stories centered on women’s experience, women’s lives, women’s choices! You’ll find a pleasurable variety here: hard sf, fantasy, ghosts, vampires, horror, sweet lyricism and steel-edged noir — stories from well-known names, and stories from writers you've never encountered before. I guarantee that at least one story in this volume will make you punch the air in triumph, and another will work its way into your dreams, and not let go.” —Elizabeth Lynn, World Fantasy Award Winner “I’m absolutely blown away. Featuring so many authors who I love, this is a stunning anthology with many different approaches to the subject of bodily autonomy. Readers are going to be captivated by its range and variety. “This anthology will be a breath of fresh air ins the ongoing fight for the right of women to control and make decisions about their own bodies.” —Chinelo Onwualu, author of “What The Dead Man Said” “Adventures in Bodily Autonomy is a fresh and bold collection. In our current political climate, these stories and imaginings are desperately needed.” —Myriam Gurba, author of Mean

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Summary: Shiver during the long nights with these dark tales Featuring stories by Brett Thomas Abrahamsen, Mike Adamson, Christopher Bond, John M. Campbell, Arasibo Campeche, Brandon Case, Elizabeth Cobbe, Ryan Cole, Sarina Dorie, Monica Joyce Evans, P.G. Galalis, Kara L. Hartz, Brian Hugenbruch, Andrew Rucker Jones, Andrew Kozma, Steven P. Mathes, Jen Mierisch, Iseult Murphy, Ira Nayman, Tarver Nova, Frank J. Oreto, Anthony Regolino, and Lauren Reynolds

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Summary: Look to the skies! Brave adventurers face new relationships and adversity in all sizes, from steampunk dirigibles to harpies, giant bees to garden gnomes, and winged dinosaurs to sky pirates. Isolated mountain peaks, clifftop cities, and battles in the sky abound in this sapphic anthology focused on overcoming challenges awaiting in the clouds. If you like diverse stories with lesbian and sapphic-centric heroines enjoying the thrill of adventure high in the air, buy Lofty Mountains today! With stories by: Seanan McGuire, Rosiee Thor, Rebecca Kim Wells, Maya Gittelman, Carmen Loup, Sara Codair, William C. Tracy, N.L. Bates, L.R. Gould, Robin C.M. Duncan, and J.S. Fields

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Summary: A genre-bending science fiction tale that takes place on several planets and through two lifetimes, rife with psychic magic as well as insights from psychology and physics. Yearning to reunite in the afterlife, a couple’s search runs afoul of both the materialistic Technists on Earth and the intransigent laws of Commensuration on their adoptive planet Xarbo, where rewards and retributions fly fast. Their quest for destiny leads to far-flung planets — one occupied by the disembodied brains of human astronauts, another by soulless clones — as the reincarnated pair find themselves on separate planets and following divergent paths. Hints of Star Trek and of Ram Das combine oddly with eroticism and mysticism in this epic tale of personal evolution.

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Summary: In the depths of space, amidst a relentless interstellar war, Nena Videt's name echoes as both a legend and a pariah. Convicted of a crime she vehemently denies, she rots in prison, a star-faring turned into a forgotten prisoner. But when the Union of Galactic Commerce faces imminent destruction, the lines between hero and villain blur and desperate times call for desperate measures. Drawn from her darkened cell, Nena is thrust into a world where freedom awaits-but at a cost. As she joins a crew on the edge of mutiny, Nena must navigate more than perilous space battles. A mysterious race of warrior women seeks to claim her as their own, offering both allegiance and enmity. In the heart of the conflict, Nena finds herself in an uneasy alliance with Admiral Kirpich, a relentless leader hell-bent on securing victory, no matter the consequences. This book is a riveting sci-fi saga of redemption. Nena Videt's journey will take readers on a voyage through uncharted territory, where the lines between loyalty and betrayal, heroism and atrocity, blur into infinite.

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Summary: Taking shelter from a sudden rainstorm, Ardyn of the Athla’naa finds a strange object, inscribed with the ancient writing of his people. Except, it’s all wrong. The artifact is made of a metal he’s never seen before, not even among the metal-forging Medellans. What’s even stranger? Whenever he touches the object, the inscription glows. In a quest to seek the truth behind this discovery, Ardyn meets Jevan, a Medellan trader. They risk both their lives and the tenuous truce between their people by venturing deep into forbidden woods, known as the Aria'una. What Jevan and Ardyn discover could change their world forever. Before they can decide what to do, hunters bring them before the Athla’naa Triumvirate, who are intent on making an example of them for daring to trespass in the Aria'una. Will they face the consequences of their defiance or risk everything to flee and expose the truth?

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Summary: These interconnected sci-fi dystopian stories will transport you to a world teetering on the precipice of collapse. Join heroes who dare to challenge the shackles of oppression, embarking on dangerous journeys to seek freedom. As the shadow of destruction looms, some choose to fight, while others opt for escape. Yet, in the depths of tormented souls, hope emerges as a fragile yet resilient guiding light. Amidst the tapestry of deceit and cunning, clandestine agendas unfurl, weaving intricate webs of intrigue. The galaxy is engulfed in a war that threatens the fabric of existence. However, amidst the chaos, unexpected friendships and relationships are forged, transcending boundaries and divisions. Will righteousness prevail in the face of adversity? Can the seeds of change take root in the soil of uncertainty? Be enthralled by this omnibus edition, a gateway to the captivating Sehnsucht Series by Keyla Damaer.

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Summary: From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic. WINNER of the Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewers Choice Award and FINALIST in The North Texas Romance Writers' Carolyn contest. Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen. Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour. An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But personal secrets and the music business make relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire. You Can Do Magic is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18

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Summary: A guard and a thief. What could go wrong? Aik has fallen hopelessly in love with his best friend. But Raven's a thief, which makes things … complicated. Oh, and Raven has just been kidnapped by a dragon. Now Aik is off on a quest of his own, to hunt down the foul beast and make them give back his … friend? Lover? Soulmate? The whole not-knowing thing just makes everything harder. Meanwhile, the world of Tharassas is falling apart, besieged by earthquakes, floods, and strange creatures no one has ever seen before. Aik's ex, Silya has gone back to Gullton to try to save her people as the Hencha Queen, and Aik's stuck in a caravan with her mother and a damnable magical gauntlet that won't let him be. He has to find Raven, before it’s too late. Things were messy before … but now they're much, much worse.

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Summary: The near future is progressively free from discrimination based on race, class, and sexual orientation. But in a world populated by the gifted, fifteen-year-old Alejandro Aragon (Alé) is part of the only remaining minority—he’s a Deficient. Powerless. The one that accelerated genetics left behind. Alé knows that he’ll need a miracle to graduate and pursue his dream of a legal career in the capital. His only ally is his best friend Yalamba, an outspoken and exceptionally gifted artist renowned for her unique ability to draw things into existence. But when she’s kidnapped in a hate crime against her ability, it appears that Alé has every motive and no believable alibi. To prove his innocence and track down the real culprit, Alé teams up with the other outcasts in school, who each have their own reasons for getting involved. But the deeper they dig, the more they fear Yalamba’s kidnapping is linked to a string of unsolved murders against the exceptionally gifted. With time running out, Alé must discover who he really is if he and his new friends plan to track down the culprit, clear his name, and rescue Yalamba—all before she herself is drawn out of existence.

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Summary: "Today I swam through MOMA. Leon says it was a waste, encasing the art, then flooding the museum—frivolous and elitist. I say it was a gesture of optimism, a triumph of technology and political will." Want to thrill to the possibilities of a hopeful future? We asked a bunch of sci-fi writers to spin tales of a better future, imagining ways in which the world might become a better place. From a swim through an underwater museum to a joyous dance at a futuristic concert, from the eco-friendly aftermath of an alien invasion and retreat to the refurbishing of an old climate-ravaged home in New Vancouver, these fourteen short sci-fi stories will to restore your faith in the future. A world transformed is a world we can all hope for. Book three in the Writers Save the World short story anthologies. If you enjoy this book, check out Fix the World and Save the World.

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Summary: What if you base your life on a lie? In the planet Tatrax in the Dainne system, Cooper Hadley has made It to the top in his underground world—he’s the Security Chief of the Tunnel Corps as well as a Patrician, the most privileged class in the Kingdom. But when politics force him to marry, he needs a bride. The perfect candidate is Wye Botero—his one-time best friend. But Wye's a Drone, a member of the lowest class, and she has hated privileged Cooper for ten long years, ever since he threatened to have her recycled. Permanently. Wye is hiding a terrible secret about where her loyalties really lie. If she ends up in a fake marriage with the SecChief, what will happen when he finds out who she really works for? As the physical attraction between them grows, the two slowly learn to trust—but will it be too late? After all, the supernova is coming.

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Summary: After a job gone wrong, Special Agent Olgo is trapped within the bowels of Mars with no means of escape. The device that imprisons the trauma within them is about to fail, and the past terrors kept hidden by it must be contained for Olgo’s sanity and everyone's safety. From the darkness comes a tiny voice, and a tinier hope: "Hello?" *** The first book in the ‘Cold Rush' Verse follows Agent Olgo as their corporate masters give them what could be their big break: a mission to Mars. But trying to change the working conditions in the planet's underground cities proves more challenging than the agent could have imagined. When a wearable device Olgo uses to block emotions begins to fail, an unlikely friendship changes everything as Olgo struggles to prevent spilling more blood on the Red Planet.

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Summary: In 2084, Planet Earth was utterly destroyed by a rogue comet and around 25,000 surviving humans were transported to Capitol Base on Mars. These humans included Ewan and Jill Sinclair. Their son Jack Crossan Sinclair is the first Martian child born on Mars and graduates as a geologist. He leads a project to conduct geological surveys to find extractable mineral resources close to Olympus Mons. However, a powerful and secret pseudo-religious organisation back at Capitol Base makes it their mission to stop Jack, at all costs.

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Summary: When Peace-in-the-Sky awakens as a captive with a young girl by her side, she only understands one thing: she must escape the tribe who captured her. A brutal head injury makes the past a swirling fog, so she is reliant on the girl—her precocious daughter Anissa—to guide them. She must return Anissa to the Tribes-under-the-Dome to keep her safe from warring and vicious tribes inhabiting the wasted landscape. Every group they shelter with along the way sees something different when they look at Peace-in-the-Sky—a god, a savior, a valuable commodity, a volatile danger. She doesn't know herself, but soon realizes she can protect Anissa with the scorching power of the pillars-of-flame. Only her tender love for Anissa and her mission to return the girl home to the Tribes-under-the-Dome matter. As her body grows weaker, not even the inexorable unraveling mystery of who, or what, Peace-in-the-Sky really is can deflect her from the task. Find out what happens in Peace In The Sky by Caye Marsh!

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Summary: Fourteen visionary and thought-provoking science fiction gems take you on a faster-than-light journey to future worlds of dreams and nightmares. Whether you’re intrigued by the ethical ramifications of future technology or fascinated by the mysteries of the cosmos, Future Dreams and Nightmares will enthrall you with its boundless creativity and intellectual depth. Crafted with precision and care, this extraordinary collection of stories will draw you into richly imagined worlds populated by unforgettable characters and strange new events. With gripping plots and thought-provoking themes, Future Dreams and Nightmares is a must-read for all science fiction fans. Delve into what it means to be human and experience the thrill of exploring distant planets and confronting moral dilemmas as you read this captivating collection of alternate realities. Future Dreams and Nightmares is a testament to the power of science fiction to not just entertain but to push boundaries, expand the mind, and see the world from a new perspective. Embrace the unknown and embark on fourteen unforgettable journeys transcending time and space. Pick up your copy today, and prepare to be teleported into a universe of future dreams and nightmares! If you are a fan of the mind-bending tales reminiscent of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, then these short stories are for you: Memories: Who among us doesn’t have terrible memories we would like to permanently forget? But perhaps some memories just aren’t meant to be erased. Mind Trap: An oligarch’s deathbed confession leads to one last crime. A Mind Full of Memories: A successful operation unexpectedly violates a neurosurgeon’s Hippocratic oath. Everlife: A woman’s multiple resurrections point to a serial killer. Original Equipment: A man’s latest upgrade completes his physical transformation. A Jump Too Far: A man must deal with the unintended consequences of jumping between timelines to fight terrorists. We Service All: A lonely spacer’s visit to an alien brothel turns out to be exactly what he needs. Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind: During first contact, an alien species’ strange reproductive biology results in unexpected pregnancies. History is Written: Government-approved history lessons hide a forbidden truth. Ariana: A man uses a time machine to undo his greatest regret. To Serve and Protect: Time travel is used to undo humanity’s extinction. Questioning God: A system tester goes behind his management’s back to ask an artificial intelligence (AI) god a question. The Warning: Scientists ask a master AI how to stop and undo the climate crisis. The Great Dust Storm of 2047: An exceptionally powerful storm threatens the survival of climate refugees living underground in a former salt mine.

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Summary: The commander writes strategy in ink, the captain in orders, the trooper in blood. – Teachings of the Jeskan Guard The nation of Jeska stands at a crossroads. As the newly-appointed king, Corren must contend with civilian distrust, an imminent invasion, and his fractured family. His wife and son are missing—trapped behind enemy lines. He’s brought evidence the rising insurrection is funded by the shamans, but instead of disbanding that guild, the Council of Elders believes the enemy’s lies that Corren’s corrupt. In days, an army of invaders—including hundreds of child conscripts brainwashed by the shamans and their allies—will march into Jeska. To save his country, Corren will need all his strategic genius, the determination of his guardsmen … and dangerous new technology wrested from a device that doesn’t belong in this world.

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Summary: A damaged ship, a dying shipmate–can she save both? Under attack! The flight back to Hyvilma should have been the easy part for the crew of the Majera–until a deadly ambush by pirates sends them reeling through hyperspace. Now getting to the planet in time is the only way Captain Kitra Yilmaz can save her dying friend. But landing at Hyvilma may be impossible: war has broken out on the Frontier. With illustrations by Hugo Finalist Lorelei Esther.

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Summary: Pass the long days with these short tales Featuring stories by Raluca Balasa, Gustavo Bondoni, Sasha Brown, Mario Caric, Jordan Chase-Young, Chris Cornetto, Marc A. Criley, Megan M. Davies-Ostrom, Malina Douglas, Jen Downes, R.E. Dukalsky, Allan Dyen-Shapiro, Lu Evans, LL Garland, Kai Holmwood, Steve Loiaconi, George Nikolopoulos, Antony Paschos, Christopher Rowe, Lauren Stoker, Adam Strassberg, Edgar Strid, DJ Tyrer, and John Walters