Fanny Hill, shrouded in controversy for most of its more than 250-year life, and banned from publication in the United States until 1966, was once considered immoral and without literary merit, even earning its author a jail sentence for obscenity.The tale of a naïve young prostitute in...  more

Fanny Hill, shrouded in controversy for most of its more than 250-year life, and banned from publication in the United States until 1966, was once considered immoral and without literary merit, even earning its author a jail sentence for obscenity.The tale of a naïve young prostitute in bawdy eighteenth-century London who slowly rises to respectability, the novel–and its popularity–endured many bannings and critics, and today Fanny Hill is considered an important piece of political parody and sexual philosophy on par with French libertine novels.This uncensored version is set from the 1749 edition and includes commentary by Charles Rembar, the lawyer who defended the novel in the 1966 U.S. Supreme Court case, and newly commissioned notes.

A dark comic masterpiece?the first solo adult novel in more than a decade from the Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times?bestselling author. Seth Weinstein knew Tina was way out of his league in pretty much any way you could imagine, which is why it continued to astonish him that he was on...  more

A dark comic masterpiece?the first solo adult novel in more than a decade from the Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times?bestselling author. Seth Weinstein knew Tina was way out of his league in pretty much any way you could imagine, which is why it continued to astonish him that he was on the plane now for their destination wedding in Florida. The Groom Posse had already sprung an airport prank on him, and he?d survived it, and if that was the worst of it, everything should be okay. Smooth sailing from now on. Seth has absolutely no idea what he?s about to get into. In the next several hours, he and his friends will become embroiled with rioters, Russian gangsters, angry strippers, a pimp as big as the Death Star, a very desperate Haitian refugee on the run with her two children from some very bad men, and an eleven-foot albino Burmese python named Blossom. And there?re still two days to go before the wedding. As it turns out, it?s not smooth sailing, it?s more like a trip on the Titanic. And the water below him is getting deeper every minute. By the end, amid gunfire, high-speed chases, and mayhem of the most unimaginable sort, violent men will fall, heroes will rise, and many lives will change. Seth?s, not least of all.

Dr. Victor Frankenstein wanted to create perfection. Mixing science and alchemy, he wanted to stitch the rotting remains of the stolen dead into a living giant of superhuman strength and beauty. He almost succeeded. The thing breathed, it moved, it opened its eyes...and at the sight, the...  more

Dr. Victor Frankenstein wanted to create perfection. Mixing science and alchemy, he wanted to stitch the rotting remains of the stolen dead into a living giant of superhuman strength and beauty. He almost succeeded. The thing breathed, it moved, it opened its eyes...and at the sight, the young doctor fled into the night, shrieking with horror. When Frankenstein returned to his lab, the creature was gone. But it was still alive. Seeking friends, the fiend found enemies; seeking hope, it found hate. Loathed by humanity, shunned by its own maker, the monster vowed to get revenge for having been born. Unstoppable, unholy, it would travel to the ends of the eart to destroy its creator -- By destroying everyone Frankenstein loved...

In 1931 Carbon Hill, a small Alabama coal-mining town, nine-year-old Tess Moore watches a woman shove the cover off the family well and toss in a baby without a word. For the Moore family, focused on helping anyone in need during the Great Depression, the apparent murder forces them to face the...  more

In 1931 Carbon Hill, a small Alabama coal-mining town, nine-year-old Tess Moore watches a woman shove the cover off the family well and toss in a baby without a word. For the Moore family, focused on helping anyone in need during the Great Depression, the apparent murder forces them to face the darker side of their community and question the motivations of family and friends. Backbreaking work keeps most of the townspeople busy from dawn to dusk, and racial tensions abound. For parents, it's a time when a better life for the children means sacrificing health, time, and every penny that can be saved. For a miner, returning home after work is a possibility, not a certainty. However, next to daily thoughts of death, exhausting work, and race are the lingering pleasures of sweet tea, feather beds, and lightning bugs yet to be caught. Introduction by Fannie Flagg.

Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist, and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy? from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of...  more

Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist, and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy? from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of Mars. Now he?s confined inside the Dilemma Prison, where every day he has to get up and kill himself before his other self can kill him. Rescued by the mysterious Mieli and her flirtatious spacecraft, Jean is taken to the Oubliette, the Moving City of Mars, where time is currency, memories are treasures, and a moon-turnedsingularity lights the night. What Mieli offers is the chance to win back his freedom and the powers of his old self?in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed. As Jean undertakes a series of capers on behalf of Mieli and her mysterious masters, elsewhere in the Oubliette investigator Isidore Beautrelet is called in to investigate the murder of a chocolatier, and finds himself on the trail of an arch-criminal, a man named le Flambeur?. The Quantum Thief is a crazy joyride through the solar system several centuries hence, a world of marching cities, ubiquitous public-key encryption, people communicating by sharing memories, and a race of hyper-advanced humans who originated as MMORPG guild members. But for all its wonders, it is also a story powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge, and jealousy. It is a stunning debut.

The new novel from the winner of the Commonwealth Writer?s Prize, The Hired Man is a taut, powerful novel of a small town and its dark wartime secrets, unwittingly brought into the light by a family of outsiders. Aminatta Forna has established herself as one of our most perceptive and...  more

The new novel from the winner of the Commonwealth Writer?s Prize, The Hired Man is a taut, powerful novel of a small town and its dark wartime secrets, unwittingly brought into the light by a family of outsiders. Aminatta Forna has established herself as one of our most perceptive and uncompromising chroniclers of war and the way it reverberates, sometimes imperceptibly, in the daily lives of those touched by it. With The Hired Man, she has delivered a tale of a Croatian village after the War of Independence, and a family of newcomers who expose its secrets. Duro is off on a morning?s hunt when he sees something one rarely does in Gost: a strange car. Later that day, he overhears its occupants, a British woman, Laura, and her two children, who have taken up residence in a house Duro knows well. He offers his assistance getting their water working again, and soon he is at the house every day, helping get it ready as their summer cottage, and serving as Laura?s trusted confidant. But the other residents of Gost are not as pleased to have the interlopers, and as Duro and Laura?s daughter Grace uncover and begin to restore a mosaic in the front that has been plastered over, Duro must be increasingly creative to shield the family from the town?s hostility, and his own past with the house?s former occupants. As the inhabitants of Gost go about their days, working, striving to better themselves and their town, and arguing, the town?s volatile truths whisper ever louder. A masterpiece of storytelling haunted by lost love and a restrained menace, this novel recalls Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee and Anil?s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje. The Hired Man confirms Aminatta Forna as one of our most important writers.

In the epigraph to this volume, Penelope Fitzgerald tells us: “If a story begins with finding, it must end with searching,? and so we discover each story here to follow the arc of a search, just as each also contains a rescue. What is immediately apparent is that it will be impossible to guess...  more

In the epigraph to this volume, Penelope Fitzgerald tells us: “If a story begins with finding, it must end with searching,? and so we discover each story here to follow the arc of a search, just as each also contains a rescue. What is immediately apparent is that it will be impossible to guess the form this rescue will take or even who it is who?ll require it. Instead, the astonishingly talented Valerie Trueblood has imbued each story with its own depth and mystery, so rescue comes as a surprise to the reader, who is in intimate sympathy for the soul in extremity. And these are diverse characters whose fates, in lesser hands, might be thought of as hopeless: the fired cop turned security guard, the stolid, 19-year-old nurses? aide who will not be going to art school, the cynical radio producer who is dying of breast cancer and on a plane on her way to Lourdes. In these thirteen stories linked by a common transcendent human genius, the writing is confident and clear and original, and often drop-dead stunning, as if the stories are being told by the most casually eloquent among us.

As an epilogist, Ben Mendelssohn appreciates an unexpected ending. But when that denouement is the untimely demise of his beloved wife, Ben is incapable of coping. Marian was more than his life partner; she was the fiber that held together all that he is. And Ben is willing to do anything, even...  more

As an epilogist, Ben Mendelssohn appreciates an unexpected ending. But when that denouement is the untimely demise of his beloved wife, Ben is incapable of coping. Marian was more than his life partner; she was the fiber that held together all that he is. And Ben is willing to do anything, even enter the unknown beyond, if it means a chance to be with her again. One bullet to the brain later, Ben is in the Other World, where he discovers a vast and curiously secular existence utterly unlike anything he could have imagined: a realm of sprawling cities where the deceased of every age live an eternal second life, and where forests of family trees are tended by mysterious humans who never lived in the previous world. But Ben cannot find Marian. Desperate for a reunion, he enlists an unconventional afterlife investigator to track her down, little knowing that his search is entangled in events that continue to unfold in the world of the living. It is a search that confronts Ben with one heart-rending shock after another; with the best and worst of human nature; with the resilience and fragility of love; and with truths that will haunt him through eternity.  

An exquisite debut novel that brilliantly captures the lives and romances of young expatriates in newly democratic Prague It?s October 1990. Jacob Putnam is young and full of ideas. He?s arrived a year too late to witness Czechoslovakia?s revolution, but he still hopes to find its spirit,...  more

An exquisite debut novel that brilliantly captures the lives and romances of young expatriates in newly democratic Prague It?s October 1990. Jacob Putnam is young and full of ideas. He?s arrived a year too late to witness Czechoslovakia?s revolution, but he still hopes to find its spirit, somehow. He discovers a country at a crossroads between communism and capitalism, and a picturesque city overflowing with a vibrant, searching sense of possibility. As the men and women Jacob meets begin to fall in love with one another, no one turns out to be quite the same as the idea Jacob has of them?including Jacob himself.            Necessary Errors is the long-awaited first novel from literary critic and journalist Caleb Crain. Shimmering and expansive, Crain?s prose richly captures the turbulent feelings and discoveries of youth as it stretches toward adulthood?the chance encounters that grow into lasting, unforgettable experiences and the surprises of our first ventures into a foreign world?and the treasure of living in Prague during an era of historic change.

An imaginative story of a woman caught in an alternate world?where she will need to learn the skills of magic to survive Nora Fischer?s dissertation is stalled and her boyfriend is about to marry another woman.  During a miserable weekend at a friend?s wedding, Nora wanders off and walks...  more

An imaginative story of a woman caught in an alternate world?where she will need to learn the skills of magic to survive Nora Fischer?s dissertation is stalled and her boyfriend is about to marry another woman.  During a miserable weekend at a friend?s wedding, Nora wanders off and walks through a portal into a different world where she?s transformed from a drab grad student into a stunning beauty.  Before long, she has a set of glamorous new friends and her romance with gorgeous, masterful Raclin is heating up. It?s almost too good to be true. Then the elegant veneer shatters. Nora?s new fantasy world turns darker, a fairy tale gone incredibly wrong. Making it here will take skills Nora never learned in graduate school. Her only real ally?and a reluctant one at that?is the magician Aruendiel, a grim, reclusive figure with a biting tongue and a shrouded past. And it will take her becoming Aruendiel?s student?and learning magic herself?to survive. When a passage home finally opens, Nora must weigh her ?real life? against the dangerous power of love and magic. Lovers of Lev Grossman's The Magicians series (The Magicians and The Magician King) and Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night).

Haffner is charming, morally suspect, vain, obsessed by the libertine emperors. He is British and Jewish and a widower. But Haffner?s attachments to his nation, his race, his marriage, have always been matters of conjecture. They have always been subjects of debate.There are many stories of...  more

Haffner is charming, morally suspect, vain, obsessed by the libertine emperors. He is British and Jewish and a widower. But Haffner?s attachments to his nation, his race, his marriage, have always been matters of conjecture. They have always been subjects of debate.There are many stories of Haffner?but this, the most secret, is the greatest of them all. The Escape opens in a spa town snug in the unfashionable eastern Alps, where Haffner has come to claim his wife?s inheritance: a villa expropriated in darker times. After weeks of ignoring his task in order to conduct two affairs?one with a capricious young yoga instructor, the other with a hungrily passionate married woman?he discovers gradually that he wants this villa, very much. Squabbling with bureaucrats and their shadows means a fight, and Haffner wants anything he has to fight for.How can you ever escape your past, your family, your history? That is the problem of Haffner?s story in The Escape. That has always been the problem of Haffner?and his lifetime of metamorphoses and disappearances. How might Haffner ever become unattached?Through the improvised digressions of his comic couplings and uncouplings emerge the stories of Haffner?s century: the chaos of World War II , the heyday of jazz, the postwar diaspora, the uncertain triumph of capitalism, and the inescapability of memory.The Escape is a swift, sad farce of sexual mayhem by a brilliant young novelist The New York Times has called ?a prodigy and, as such, unstoppable.?

In Jennifer duBois?s mesmerizing and exquisitely rendered debut novel, a long-lost letter links two disparate characters, each searching for meaning against seemingly insurmountable odds. In St. Petersburg, Russia, world chess champion Aleksandr Bezetov begins a quixotic quest. With his...  more

In Jennifer duBois?s mesmerizing and exquisitely rendered debut novel, a long-lost letter links two disparate characters, each searching for meaning against seemingly insurmountable odds. In St. Petersburg, Russia, world chess champion Aleksandr Bezetov begins a quixotic quest. With his renowned Cold War?era tournaments behind him, Aleksandr has turned to politics, launching a dissident presidential campaign against Vladimir Putin. He knows he will not win?and that he is risking his life in the process?but a deeper conviction propels him forward. And in the same way that he cannot abandon his aims, he cannot erase the memory of a mysterious woman he loved in his youth. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, thirty-year-old English lecturer Irina Ellison is on an improbable quest of her own. Certain she has inherited Huntington?s disease?the same cruel illness that ended her father?s life?she struggles with a sense of purpose. When Irina finds an old, photocopied letter her father had written to the young Aleksandr Bezetov, she makes a fateful decision. Her father had asked the Soviet chess prodigy a profound question?How does one proceed against a lost cause??but never received an adequate reply. Leaving everything behind, Irina travels to Russia to find Bezetov and get an answer for her father, and for herself. Spanning two continents and the dramatic sweep of history, A Partial History of Lost Causes reveals the stubbornness and splendor of the human will even in the most trying times. With uncommon perception and wit, Jennifer duBois explores the power of memory, the depths of human courage, and the endurance of love.

First published in 1967, Death Kit--Susan Sontag's second novel--is a classic of modern fiction. Blending realism and dream, it offers a passionate exploration of the recesses of the American conscience.

1845: New York City forms its first police force. The great potato famine hits Ireland. These two events will change New York City forever… Timothy Wilde tends bar, saving every dollar in hopes of winning the girl of his dreams. But when his dreams are destroyed by a fire that...  more

1845: New York City forms its first police force. The great potato famine hits Ireland. These two events will change New York City forever… Timothy Wilde tends bar, saving every dollar in hopes of winning the girl of his dreams. But when his dreams are destroyed by a fire that devastates downtown Manhattan, he is left with little choice but to accept a job in the newly minted New York City Police Department. Returning exhausted from his rounds one night, Tim collides with a girl no more than ten years old… covered in blood. She claims that dozens of bodies are buried in the forest north of Twenty-Third Street. Timothy isn’t sure whether to believe her, but as the image of a brutal killer is slowly revealed and anti-Irish rage infects the city, the reluctant copper star is engaged in a battle that may cost him everything…

I’m sitting on my couch, watching the local news. There’s Chloe’s parents, the mayor, the hangers on, all grouped round the pond for the ceremony. It’s ten years since Chloe and Carl drowned. You can tell from their faces that something has gone wrong. But I’m the...  more

I’m sitting on my couch, watching the local news. There’s Chloe’s parents, the mayor, the hangers on, all grouped round the pond for the ceremony. It’s ten years since Chloe and Carl drowned. You can tell from their faces that something has gone wrong. But I’m the one who knows straightaway that the mayor has found a body. And I know who it is. Jenn Ashworth’s gripping and unforgettable Cold Light is the story of a friendship unsettling in its intensity and of one terrible summer when lies, secrets, jealousy, and perversion result in tragedy more twisted and evil than one unsuspecting community can handle. A dark tale with a surreal edge, it follows two fourteen-year-old girls, best friends, as they confront the dangers of a predatory adult world, where truth is cruelly sacrificed in the name of innocence.

An exposé of pseudoscientific myths about our evolutionary past and how we should live today.We evolved to eat berries rather than bagels, to live in mud huts rather than condos, to sprint barefoot rather than play football?or did we? Are our bodies and brains truly at odds with modern life?...  more

An exposé of pseudoscientific myths about our evolutionary past and how we should live today.We evolved to eat berries rather than bagels, to live in mud huts rather than condos, to sprint barefoot rather than play football?or did we? Are our bodies and brains truly at odds with modern life? Although it may seem as though we have barely had time to shed our hunter-gatherer legacy, biologist Marlene Zuk reveals that the story is not so simple. Popular theories about how our ancestors lived?and why we should emulate them?are often based on speculation, not scientific evidence. Armed with a razor-sharp wit and brilliant, eye-opening research, Zuk takes us to the cutting edge of biology to show that evolution can work much faster than was previously realized, meaning that we are not biologically the same as our caveman ancestors. Contrary to what the glossy magazines would have us believe, we do not enjoy potato chips because they crunch just like the insects our forebears snacked on. And women don?t go into shoe-shopping frenzies because their prehistoric foremothers gathered resources for their clans. As Zuk compellingly argues, such beliefs incorrectly assume that we?re stuck?finished evolving?and have been for tens of thousands of years. She draws on fascinating evidence that examines everything from adults? ability to drink milk to the texture of our ear wax to show that we?ve actually never stopped evolving. Our nostalgic visions of an ideal evolutionary past in which we ate, lived, and reproduced as we were ?meant to? fail to recognize that we were never perfectly suited to our environment. Evolution is about change, and every organism is full of trade-offs. From debunking the caveman diet to unraveling gender stereotypes, Zuk delivers an engrossing analysis of widespread paleofantasies and the scientific evidence that undermines them, all the while broadening our understanding of our origins and what they can really tell us about our present and our future. 15 illustrations

“Highly instructive . . . a warm, intelligent yeoman?s guide to the progress of life.?—Kirkus Reviews“Magisterial . . . part historical account, part scientific detective story. Switek?s elegant prose and thoughtful scholarship will change the way you see life on our planet. This...  more

“Highly instructive . . . a warm, intelligent yeoman?s guide to the progress of life.?—Kirkus Reviews“Magisterial . . . part historical account, part scientific detective story. Switek?s elegant prose and thoughtful scholarship will change the way you see life on our planet. This book marks the debut of an important new voice.?—Neil Shubin“Elegantly and engagingly crafted, Brian Switek?s narrative interweaves stories and characters not often encountered in books on paleontology—at once a unique, informative and entertaining read.?—Niles Eldredge“If you want to read one book to get up to speed on evolution, read Written in Stone. Brian Switek?s clear and compelling book is full of fascinating stories about how scientists have read the fossil record to trace the evolution of life on Earth.?—Ann Gibbons“[Switek's] accounts of dinosaurs, birds, whales, and our own primate ancestors are not just fascinating for their rich historical detail, but also for their up-to-date reporting on paleontology?s latest discoveries.?—Carl Zimmer"After reading this book, you will have a totally new context in which to interpret the evolutionary history of amphibians, mammals, whales, elephants, horses, and especially humans.?—Donald R. Prothero"Laelaps by Brian Switek: Brilliant writing about paleontology and evolution."—Times Online, Eureka's Top 30 Science BlogsSpectacular fossil finds make today's headlines; new technology unlocks secrets of skeletons unearthed a hundred years ago. Still, evolution is often poorly represented by the media and misunderstood by the public. A potent antidote to pseudoscience, Written in Stone is an engrossing history of evolutionary discovery for anyone who has marveled at the variety and richness of life.

A stunningly original novel of literary obsession and imagination that is sure to be one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year. From a precociously talented young writer already widely admired in the literary world, The Mayor?s Tongue is a bold, vertiginous debut novel that unfolds...  more

A stunningly original novel of literary obsession and imagination that is sure to be one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year. From a precociously talented young writer already widely admired in the literary world, The Mayor?s Tongue is a bold, vertiginous debut novel that unfolds in two complementary narratives, one following a young man and the other an old man. The young man is Eugene Brentani, aflame with a passion for literature and language, and a devotee of the reclusive author and adventurer Constance Eakins, now living in Italy. The old man is Mr. Schmitz, whose wife is dying, and, confused and terrified, he longs to confide in his dear friend Rutherford. But Rutherford has disappeared, and his letters, postmarked from Italy, become more and more ominous as the weeks pass. In separate but resonating story lines, both men?s adventures take them from New York City to the mountainous borderlands of northern Italy, where the line between reality and imagination begins to blur and stories take on a life of their own. Here, we are immersed in Rich?s vivid, enchanting world full of captivating characters? the despairing Enzo, who wanders looking for a nameless love; the tiny, doll-like guide, Lang; and the grotesque Eakins. Over this strange, spectral landscape looms the Mayor, a mythic and monstrous figure considered a ?beautiful creator? by his townspeople, whose pull ultimately becomes irresistible. From a young writer of exceptional promise, this refreshingly original novel is a meditation on the frustrations of love, the madness of mayors, the failings of language, and the transformative powers of storytelling.

August 1914. While World War I rears its head across Europe, Sir Ernest Shackleton begins a daring expedition to be the first man to cross the Antarctic on foot. With him on his ship Endurance are twenty-eight crew members, sixty-nine sled dogs, a gramophone, a bicycle--and Merce Blackboro, a...  more

August 1914. While World War I rears its head across Europe, Sir Ernest Shackleton begins a daring expedition to be the first man to cross the Antarctic on foot. With him on his ship Endurance are twenty-eight crew members, sixty-nine sled dogs, a gramophone, a bicycle--and Merce Blackboro, a seventeen-year-old stowaway hidden amidst oilskins and sea boots. Their journey into the ice is by way of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. But the Antarctic summer is short, and their passage remains resolutely closed to them. In the Weddell Sea the Endurance is trapped for months in pack ice and finds itself delivered up to an uncertain fate. Richly imagined and gripping right up the very last page, Ice-Cold Heaven traces Shackleton's legendary and heroic adventure through the ice and explores the relationships between these men who were lost to the world for 635 days.

James Tiptree, Jr. was the pseudonym of Alice B. Sheldon (1915-1987), in whose honor the Tiptree Awards are given annually. She wrote some of the best short SF ever, winning two Hugos and three Nebulas. This book brings together stories previously uncollected-including an early one published...  more

James Tiptree, Jr. was the pseudonym of Alice B. Sheldon (1915-1987), in whose honor the Tiptree Awards are given annually. She wrote some of the best short SF ever, winning two Hugos and three Nebulas. This book brings together stories previously uncollected-including an early one published under her own name in The New Yorker-and many of her colorful non-fiction pieces, mainly autobiographical, published under the Tiptree name (1970-1987). What shines through in this book is the magnetic and charming personality of the author, one of the most influential SF personalities of her era.

From medieval bestiaries to Borges?s Book of Imaginary Beings, we?ve long been enchanted by extraordinary animals, be they terrifying three-headed dogs or asps impervious to a snake charmer?s song. But bestiaries are more than just zany zoology?they are artful attempts to convey broader beliefs...  more

From medieval bestiaries to Borges?s Book of Imaginary Beings, we?ve long been enchanted by extraordinary animals, be they terrifying three-headed dogs or asps impervious to a snake charmer?s song. But bestiaries are more than just zany zoology?they are artful attempts to convey broader beliefs about human beings and the natural order. Today, we no longer fear sea monsters or banshees. But from the infamous honey badger to the giant squid, animals continue to captivate us with the things they can do and the things they cannot, what we know about them and what we don?t. With The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, Caspar Henderson offers readers a fascinating, beautifully produced modern-day menagerie. But whereas medieval bestiaries were often based on folklore and myth, the creatures that abound in Henderson?s book?from the axolotl to the zebrafish?are, with one exception, very much with us, albeit sometimes in depleted numbers. The Book of Barely Imagined Beings transports readers to a world of real creatures that seem as if they should be made up?that are somehow more astonishing than anything we might have imagined. The yeti crab, for example, uses its furry claws to farm the bacteria on which it feeds. The waterbear, meanwhile, is among nature?s ?extreme survivors,? able to withstand a week unprotected in outer space. These and other strange and surprising species invite readers to reflect on what we value?or fail to value?and what we might change. A powerful combination of wit, cutting-edge natural history, and philosophical meditation, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings is an infectious and inspiring celebration of the sheer ingenuity and variety of life in a time of crisis and change.

The first in a six-volume series, Volume 1: Threshold contains all of Zelazny's short works from his early years through the mid 1960s -- a period of experimentation and growth that flowered into gems such as "A Rose for Ecclesiastes," "The Graveyard Heart," "The...  more

The first in a six-volume series, Volume 1: Threshold contains all of Zelazny's short works from his early years through the mid 1960s -- a period of experimentation and growth that flowered into gems such as "A Rose for Ecclesiastes," "The Graveyard Heart," "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth," and "He Who Shapes." The stories in this series are enriched by editors' notes and Zelazny's own words, taken from his many essays, describing why he wrote the stories and what he thought about them in retrospect. Contents:     Notes (Threshold) • (2009) • essay by Christopher S. Kovacs;      The Collected Stories Of Roger Zelazny (frontispiece portrait) • (2009) • interior artwork by Jack Gaughan;      A Word from the Editors (The Collected Stories Of Roger Zelazny) • (2009) • essay by David G. Grubbs and Christopher S. Kovacs and Ann Crimmins;      Out Of Nowhere (Threshold) • (2009) • essay by Robert Silverberg;      Before Amber (Threshold) • (2009) • essay by Carl B. Yoke;      • A Rose for Ecclesiastes • (1963) • novelette by Roger Zelazny;              A Word from Zelazny (A Rose for Ecclesiastes) • (2009) • essay by Christopher S. Kovacs and Roger Zelazny;      • Braxa • (1963) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Ecclesiastes' Epilogue • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;              A Word from Zelazny (Bok) • (2009) • essay by Christopher S. Kovacs and Roger Zelazny;      • Bok • (1968) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • And The Darkness Is Harsh • (1954) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;      A Word from Zelazny (And The Darkness Is Harsh) • (2009) • essay by Christopher S. Kovacs and Roger Zelazny;      • Mr. Fuller's Revolt • (1954) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;              A Word from Zelazny (Mr. Fuller's Revolt) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;              A Word from Zelazny (Diet) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs     • Diet • (1959) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Youth Eternal • (1955) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;      • Slush, Slush, Slush • (1955) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • The Outward Sign • (1958) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;      • The Agnostic's Prayer • (1969) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Passion Play • (1962) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;              A Word from Zelazny (Passion Play) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • On May 13, 1937 • (1964) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Cactus King • (1981) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • The Graveyard Heart • (1964) • novella by Roger Zelazny;              A Word from Zelazny (The Graveyard Heart) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;       • Flight • (1964) • poem by Roger Zelazny;       • Future, Be Not Impatient • (1964) • poem by Roger Zelazny;       • In the Dogged House • (1964) • poem by Roger Zelazny;       • Our Wintered Way Through Evening, and Burning Bushes Along It • (1964) • poem by Roger Zelazny;       • Horseman! • (1962) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Horseman!) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;       • The Teachers Rode a Wheel of Fire • (1962) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (The Teachers Rode a Wheel of Fire) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;       • Sense and Sensibility • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;       • Moonless in Byzantium • (1962) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Moonless in Byzantium) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;       • On the Road to Splenoba • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (On the Road to Splenoba) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;       • Final Dining • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;       • The Borgia Hand • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;       • Nine Starships Waiting • (1963) • novelette by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Nine Starships Waiting) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • Circe Has Her Problems • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Circe Has Her Problems) • (2009) • essay by Christopher S. Kovacs and Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (The Cat Licks Her Coat) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;       • The Cat Licks Her Coat • (1967) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • The Malatesta Collection • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (The Malatesta Collection) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;       • From a Seat in the Chill Park • (1981) • poem by Roger Zelazny;       • Rodin's 'The Kiss' • (1981) • poem by Roger Zelazny;       • To His Morbid Mistress • (1981) • poem by Roger Zelazny;       • The Stainless Steel Leech • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny [as by Harrison Denmark];                A Word from Zelazny (The Stainless Steel Leech) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • Old Ohio Folkrag • (1964) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth • (1965) • novelette by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • A Thing of Terrible Beauty • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny [as by Harrison Denmark];                A Word from Zelazny (A Thing of Terrible Beauty) • (2009) • essay by Christopher S. Kovacs and Roger Zelazny;      • How A Poem Means • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Monologue for Two • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny [as by Harrison Denmark];      • Concert • (1964) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Iceage • (1981) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Threshold of the Prophet • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;      • Hart Crane . . . • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Southern Cross • (1966) • poem by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Southern Cross) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • I Used to Think in Lines That Were Irregular to the Right • (1978) • poem by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (I Used to Think in Lines That Were Irregular to the Right) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • A Museum Piece • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (A Museum Piece) • (2009) • essay by Christopher S. Kovacs and Roger Zelazny;      • Hybris, Or The Danger of Hilltops • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Mine is the Kingdom • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny [as by Harrison Denmark];      • St. Secaire's • (1968) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • In Pheleney's Garage • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • King Solomon's Ring • (1963) • novelette by Roger Zelazny;      • The Black Boy's Reply to William Butler Yeats • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • The Misfit • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;      • Rite of Spring • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • The Great Slow Kings • (1963) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (The Great Slow Kings) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • Collector's Fever • (1964) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                 A Word from Zelazny (Collector's Fever) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • The Night Has 999 Eyes • (1964) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (The Night Has 999 Eyes) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • Decade Plus One of Roses • (1959) • poem by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Decade Plus One of Roses) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • He Who Shapes • (1965) • novella by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (He Who Shapes) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • See You Later, Maybe • (2009) • poem by Roger Zelazny;      • Sundry Notes on Dybology and Suchlike • (1964) • essay by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Sundry Notes on Dybology and Suchlike) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;                ". . . And Call Me Roger": The Literary Life of Roger Zelazny, Part 1 • [And Call Me Roger • 1] • (2009) • essay by Christopher S. Kovacs;      • Conditional Benefit • (1953) • shortfiction by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Conditional Benefit) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • Hand of the Master • (2009) • shortfiction by Roger Zelazny;                A Word from Zelazny (Hand of the Master) • (2009) • essay by Roger Zelazny and Christopher S. Kovacs;      • The Great Selchie of San Francisco Bay • (2009) • shortfiction by Roger Zelazny;      • Studies in Saviory • (2009) • shortfiction by Roger Zelazny;                Acknowledgments (The Collected Stories Of Roger Zelazny) • (2009) • essay by David G. Grubbs and Christopher S. Kovacs and Ann Crimmins;  Michael Whelan (Illustrator), Alice N. S. Lewis (Illustrator) (NESFA's Choice)

1813, Regency England. Lucius White is the oldest living vampire in the world -- a powerful, shape-changing upyr. But for the last several hundred years, his life on Earth has paled to mere existence. He needs little and feels less... Then a chance roadside encounter gives him the opportunity...  more

1813, Regency England. Lucius White is the oldest living vampire in the world -- a powerful, shape-changing upyr. But for the last several hundred years, his life on Earth has paled to mere existence. He needs little and feels less... Then a chance roadside encounter gives him the opportunity to assume a mortal identity, and Lucius experiences the throb of human hungers with an intensity he can't remember having felt before. Taking on the guise of a prosperous -- if eccentric -- local squire, he becomes a tempting prize for local matchmaking mamas. His attempts to evade them lead him to a most unsuitable object of desire: poor but spirited Theodora Becket. Far too attracted to conform to the expectations of polite society he uses his vampire thrall to bring them both indescribable ecstasy. Soon, despite a thousand years of ennui, Lucius is ablaze, an impossibly powerful upyr in love. The question then becomes, can any woman trust a man whose passion can't withstand the light of day?

To stop a vampire killer, she'll have to slay her own demons first. A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi--population 6,000, nearly one-half vampires--to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an Enforcer for the Federal...  more

To stop a vampire killer, she'll have to slay her own demons first. A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi--population 6,000, nearly one-half vampires--to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an Enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson's bigoted sheriff, who'd be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up--beheaded, crucified, and defanged --killed in the same gruesome manner that Alex's father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal. Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex's one-time mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation.Like it or not, though, as the body count grows, and the public panic level rises, Varik may be her only hope to stop a relentless killer who's got his own score to settle, and his own bloody past to put right.

Graphic novelist Willow Tate has a paranormal talent for "drawing" beings from the realm of Faerie into our world. So why did she foolishly make the hero of her next book a fire wizard? Now she has to contend with a rash of "fire" flies, a gorgeous firefighter, and an...  more

Graphic novelist Willow Tate has a paranormal talent for "drawing" beings from the realm of Faerie into our world. So why did she foolishly make the hero of her next book a fire wizard? Now she has to contend with a rash of "fire" flies, a gorgeous firefighter, and an arsonist who seems determined to set East Hampton ablaze...

Boston's diverse South End is known for its architecture and great restaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpses begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. The killer - dubbed the South End Reaper - uses a curved blade for his grisly work. And even though...  more

Boston's diverse South End is known for its architecture and great restaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpses begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. The killer - dubbed the South End Reaper - uses a curved blade for his grisly work. And even though there's no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining the already-tense relations between Boston's human and inhuman residents. As the bodies pile up, Vicky investigates - only to find that the creature behind the carnage is after much more than blood.

A quarter of all travelers hit the road without a companion each year, whether for business or pleasure. In this personal book, solo travel expert, Lea Lane, reveals the joys of the experience as well as its challenges, and dispels the stigma of traveling solo, covering such topics as:•...  more

A quarter of all travelers hit the road without a companion each year, whether for business or pleasure. In this personal book, solo travel expert, Lea Lane, reveals the joys of the experience as well as its challenges, and dispels the stigma of traveling solo, covering such topics as:• Dining alone• Solo-friendly lodgings• Group and special-interest travel—including ditching the group• Socializing with locals and finding romance along the way• Traveling with pets• Smart ways to save and spendWith warmth and wit, the seasoned, and award-winning journalist, Lane helps readers conquer their fears, make intelligent choices, and appreciate solo travel not just as a different way to go, but the ultimate way to go.

A boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes—only to discover that claiming the winnings might unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins—turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A new arrival in Heaven, overwhelmed with...  more

A boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes—only to discover that claiming the winnings might unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins—turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A new arrival in Heaven, overwhelmed with options, procrastinates over a long-ago promise to visit his grandmother. We meet Sophia, the first artificially intelligent being capable of love, who falls for a man who might not be ready for it himself; a vengeance-minded hare, obsessed with scoring a rematch against the tortoise who ruined his life; and post-college friends who try to figure out how to host an intervention in the era of Facebook.  Along the way, we learn why wearing a red T-shirt every day is the key to finding love, how February got its name, and why the stock market is sometimes just . . . down. Finding inspiration in questions from the nature of perfection to the icing on carrot cake, One More Thing has at its heart the most human of phenomena: love, fear, hope, ambition, and the inner stirring for the one elusive element just that might make a person complete. Across a dazzling range of subjects, themes, tones, and narrative voices, the many pieces in this collection are like nothing else, but they have one thing in common: they share the playful humor, deep heart, sharp eye, inquisitive mind, and altogether electrifying spirit of a writer with a fierce devotion to the entertainment of the reader. The rematch -- Dark matter -- No one goes to heaven to see Dan Fogelberg -- Romance, chapter one -- Julie and the warlord -- The Something by John Grisham -- The girl who gave great advice -- All you have to do -- 'Rithmetic -- The ambulance driver -- Walking on eggshells (or: when I loved Tony Robbins) -- The impatient billionaire and the mirror for Earth -- Missed connection: grocery spill at 21st and 6th 2:30 pm on Wednesday -- I never want to walk on the moon -- Sophia -- The Comedy Central roast of Nelson Mandela -- They kept driving faster and outran the rain -- The man who invented the calendar -- The ghost of Mark Twain -- The beautiful girl in the bookstore -- MONSTER: the roller coaster -- Kellogg's (or: the last wholesome fantasy of the middle-school boy) -- The man who posted pictures of everything he ate -- Closure -- Kindness among cakes -- Quantum nonlocality and the death of Elvis Presley -- If I had a nickel -- A good problem to have -- Johnny Depp, fate, and the double-decker Hollywood tour bus -- Being young was her thing -- Angel Echeverria, comediante superpopular -- The market was down -- The vague restaurant critic -- One of these days, we have to do something about Willie -- Wikipedia Brown and the case of the missing bicycle -- Regret is just perfectionism plus time -- Chris Hansen at the Justin Bieber concert -- Great writers steal -- Confucius at home -- War -- If you love something -- Just an idea -- Heyyyyy, rabbits -- The best thing in the world awards -- Bingo -- Marie's stupid boyfriend -- Pick a lane -- "Everyone was singing the same song": the Duke of Earl recalls his trip to America in June of 1962 -- The pleasure of being right -- Strange news -- Never fall in love -- The world's biggest rip-off -- The walk to school on the day after Labor Day -- Kate Moss -- Welcome to Camp Fantastic for gifted teens -- There is a fine line between why and why not -- The man who told us about inflatable women -- A new Hitler -- Constructive criticism -- The bravest thing I ever did -- Rome -- The literalist's love poem -- J.C. Audetat, translator of Don Quixote.

Celebrated scholar Carla Kaplan?s cultural biography, Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance, focuses on white women, collectively called ?Miss Anne,? who became Harlem Renaissance insiders.   The 1920s in New York City was a time of freedom, experimentation, and...  more

Celebrated scholar Carla Kaplan?s cultural biography, Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance, focuses on white women, collectively called ?Miss Anne,? who became Harlem Renaissance insiders.   The 1920s in New York City was a time of freedom, experimentation, and passion?with Harlem at the epicenter. White men could go uptown to see jazz and modern dance, but women who embraced black culture too enthusiastically could be ostracized.   Miss Anne in Harlem focuses on six of the unconventional, free-thinking women, some from Manhattan high society, many Jewish, who crossed race lines and defied social conventions to become a part of the culture and heartbeat of Harlem.   Ethnic and gender studies professor Carla Kaplan brings the interracial history of the Harlem Renaissance to life with vivid prose, extensive research, and period photographs.

“I move throughout the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities.” —From the PrefaceTales of a Female Nomad is the story of Rita Golden Gelman, an ordinary woman who is living an extraordinary...  more

“I move throughout the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities.” —From the PrefaceTales of a Female Nomad is the story of Rita Golden Gelman, an ordinary woman who is living an extraordinary existence. At the age of forty-eight, on the verge of a divorce, Rita left an elegant life in L.A. to follow her dream of connecting with people in cultures all over the world. In 1986 she sold her possessions and became a nomad, living in a Zapotec village in Mexico, sleeping with sea lions on the Galapagos Islands, and residing everywhere from thatched huts to regal palaces. She has observed orangutans in the rain forest of Borneo, visited trance healers and dens of black magic, and cooked with women on fires all over the world. Rita’s example encourages us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the hidden spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults.

Sixteen year old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand, one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble...  more

Sixteen year old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand, one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble is, the enigmatic and conflicted Luke turns out to be a gallowglass, a soulless faerie assassin, and Deirdre is meant to be his next mark. Deirdre has to decide if Luke's feelings towards her are real, or only a way to lure her deeper into the world of Faerie.

A masterpiece of simplicity and beauty, Kinshu is an epistolary novel by one of Japan's most popular literary authors.Life, death, karma?these interwoven themes form the heart of Teru Miyamoto's lyrical novel in letters, Kinshu: Autumn Brocade, the first work to be published in the U.S. by this...  more

A masterpiece of simplicity and beauty, Kinshu is an epistolary novel by one of Japan's most popular literary authors.Life, death, karma?these interwoven themes form the heart of Teru Miyamoto's lyrical novel in letters, Kinshu: Autumn Brocade, the first work to be published in the U.S. by this internationally acclaimed author.The word kinshu has many connotations?brocade, poetic writing, the brilliance of autumn leaves?and here resonates as a vibrant metaphor for the complex, intimate relationship between Aki and Yasuaki, a divorced and long-estranged couple. Ten years after their divorce, they meet by chance at a mountain resort. In a flood of emotions and memories, Aki initiates a new correspondence, and letter by letter through the seasons, the secrets of their past unfold as they reflect on their present struggles. From a lover's suicide to a father's controlling demands, the story moves seamlessly through their deeply introspective exchanges. What begins as a series of accusations and apologies, questions and excuses, turns into a source of mutual support and healing.

Step right up to a world of illusion.   Carniepunk is the first anthology to channel the energy and attitude of urban fantasy into the bizarre world of creaking machinery, twisted myths, and vivid new magic.  A star-studded urban fantasy anthology collection of stories that explore the...  more

Step right up to a world of illusion.   Carniepunk is the first anthology to channel the energy and attitude of urban fantasy into the bizarre world of creaking machinery, twisted myths, and vivid new magic.  A star-studded urban fantasy anthology collection of stories that explore the creepy, mysterious, and, yes, sometimes magical world of traveling carnivals.  From vampires and creepy clowns to mermaids, Druids, and wisecracking Irish wolfhounds, you'll find out that carnivals aren't the healthiest types of places to hang out at.  The traveling carnival is a leftover of a bygone era, a curiosity lurking on the outskirts of town.  It is a place of contradictions, as the bright lights mask the peeling paint; a carnie in greasy overalls slinks away from the direction of the Barker's seductive call.  It is a place of illusion...is that woman's beard real? How can she live locked in that watery box?  And while many are tricked by sleight of hand, there are hints of something truly magical going on.  One must remain alert and learn quickly the unwritten rules of this dark show.  To beat the carnival, one had better have either a whole lot of luck or a whole lot of guns or maybe some magic of one's own. Contents: Painted Love / short story by Rob Thurman: an eerie, unpredictable twist reveals the fate of a psychopath stalking two young carnies. The Three Lives of Lydia [Blud] / short story by Delilah S. Dawson:The question isn't whether Charlie Dregs has met Lydia, a Sang riff on Lydia the Tattooed Lady, but rather whether the woman has even met herself.  Enter the mysterious steampunk world of Sang, and prepare to be amazed. The Demon Barker of Wheat Street [The Iron Druid Chronicles • 4.6] / novelette by Kevin Hearne: Iron Druid and his wisecracking Irish wolfhound discover that the impossibly wholesome sounding Kansas Wheat Festival is actually not a healthy place to hang out. The Sweeter the Juice / short story by Mark Henry: When the zombie apocalypse overtakes New York City, a trip to Coney Island is the most frightening thing of all.  A gruesome tale of transformation, Ferris wheels, and transsexuals. The Werewife / short story by Jaye Wells: One week after she is bitten by the dog-faced boy at a traveling carnival, a mild-mannered housewife gets a sudden, unrelenting craving for raw meat.  She doesn’t remember eating the cat or running naked through the park under the full moon, but her husband’s getting strange calls from concerned neighbors.  When he takes her back to the carnival a year later, looking for a cure, it’ll either get better…or a whole lot worse. The Cold Girl / short story by Rachel Caine: vampires aren’t child’s play, as a naïve teen discovers when her heart leads her far, far astray. A Duet with Darkness [Abby Sinclair] / short story by Allison Pang: Having just quit Julliard, disillusioned fiddler Melanie St. James finds herself as part of a group of traveling musicians en route to an OtherFolk carnival.  Eager to break the chains of a lifetime of conformity, Melanie throws caution to the wind and enters a reckless bargain, plying her musical skills for the chance to win a violin that can open Doors to the CrossRoads. Recession of the Divine / short story by Hillary Jacques: a mesmerizing tale of investigation and gods.  Olivia Locke, formerly the Greek titan Mnemosyne, has built a nice little life for herself.  She's bound her ancient powers, has a steady job performing inspections for an insurance company, and even goes to the dentist.  But when Olivia is sent to a traveling carnival, she discovers that the claims she's reviewing aren't accidents at all but rather symptoms of a depraved bargain struck to keep the operation afloat.  And, at the heart of the carnival is a force intent on capturing her very soul.  If there's one thing that will make a retired goddess fight back, it's the threat of imprisonment.  Been there.  Got the metaphorical T-shirt.  Not going back. Parlor Tricks [Elemental Assassin • 8.25] (2013) / novella by Jennifer Estep: pits Gin Blanco, the Elemental Assassin, against the Wheel of Death and some dangerously creepy clowns. Freak House [Strays] / short story by Kelly Meding: Sheltered and raised by her gypsy mother, Shiloh Harrison has never explored the djinn heritage of her absentee father, until she learns he’s been captured by a man whose underground paranormal freak show is the latest rage among the rich and elite. The Inside Man [Jane True] / short fiction by Nicole Peeler: The ladies of Triptych, Capitola, Shar, and Moo, are hardly impressed when a scared halfling approaches them with tales of his tiny Illinois hamlet having gone “ultra boring” after a visit from a traveling circus.  But when more stories begin circulating of towns gone “walking dead” they decide to investigate.  What they discover is a ringmaster bent on entertaining you…for the price of your soul. A Chance in Hell [Hell on Earth] / short story by Jackie Kessler: The former succubus Jezebel has to prepare herself to battle the King of Hell…tomorrow.  Tonight, she’s taking a break.  With her friend Ceci Baker (a.k.a the one-time stripper Candy), she visits a traveling carnival on the outskirts of a small town in upstate New York, only to discover that the barker is a demon of Greed, and getting marked means way more than playing a rigged game.  That’s okay; Jezebel’s been known to gamble before, and there’s nothing like blood, sweat, and leers to bring out the demon in her. Hell's Menagerie [Charlie Madigan] / novella by Kelly Gay: : Imagine Charlie coming home to learn Rex had alowed Emma to traipse into hell, hell, to recover a bunch of kidnapped hellhound pups. Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea / short story by Seanan McGuire: a poignant, ethereal tale of a mysterious carnival that returns to a dangerous town after twenty years. About the Authors (Carniepunk) • essay .

The ultimate guide to all the snark you?ll ever need!What do Dorothy Parker, Groucho Marx, H. L. Mencken, Oscar Wilde, Robert Benchley, George Bernard Shaw, Jules Feiffer, Bill Hicks, Bill Maher, Phyllis Diller, Édith Piaf, W. C. Fields, Mark Twain, Voltaire, Charles Bukowski, and countless...  more

The ultimate guide to all the snark you?ll ever need!What do Dorothy Parker, Groucho Marx, H. L. Mencken, Oscar Wilde, Robert Benchley, George Bernard Shaw, Jules Feiffer, Bill Hicks, Bill Maher, Phyllis Diller, Édith Piaf, W. C. Fields, Mark Twain, Voltaire, Charles Bukowski, and countless others have in common?  Not a thing, other than each was a brilliantly snarky wit and all are included in this compendium of the original snark handbooks.Hear wit, sarcasm, and offhanded comments from:The Snark Handbook: A Reference Guide to Verbal SparringThe Snark Handbook: Insult EditionThe Snark Handbook: Sex EditionSnark! The Herald Angels SingThe Snark Handbook: Politics and Government EditionThe Snark Handbook: Clichés EditionThe Snark Handbook: Parenting EditionIsn?t that enough!?!?A minor literary success (beloved by both minors and miners), the snark handbooks have cemented their position in the literary world, high atop toilet seats everywhere. Now in one great big edition, this lofty tome promises to fulfill the need to chuckle, guffaw, titter, groan, and belly laugh as readers dip in and out of the great minds in literature, comedy, movies, music, and more. Proceed with caution. 150 black and white illustrations

Amy Gallup is an aging novelist and writing instructor living in Escondido, California, with her dog, Alphonse. Since recent unsettling events, she has made some progress. While she still has writer's block, she doesn't suffer from it. She's still a hermit, but she has allowed some...  more

Amy Gallup is an aging novelist and writing instructor living in Escondido, California, with her dog, Alphonse. Since recent unsettling events, she has made some progress. While she still has writer's block, she doesn't suffer from it. She's still a hermit, but she has allowed some of her class members into her life. She is no longer numb, angry, and sardonic: she is merely numb and bemused, which is as close to happy as she plans to get. Amy is calm. So, when on New Year's morning she shuffles out to her backyard garden to plant a Norfolk pine, she is wholly unprepared for what happens next. Amy falls down. A simple accident, as a result of which something happens, and then something else, and then a number of different things, all as unpredictable as an eight-ball break. At first the changes are small, but as these small events carom off one another, Amy's life changes in ways that range from ridiculous to frightening to profound. This most reluctant of adventurers is dragged and propelled by train, plane, and automobile through an outlandish series of antic media events on her way to becoming--to her horror--a kind of celebrity. And along the way, as the numbness begins to wear off, she comes up against something she has avoided all her life: her future, that "sleeping monster, not to be poked."

Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist. The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with...  more

Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist. The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns. Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.

A novel written by a veteran of the war in Iraq, The Yellow Birds is the harrowing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive. "The war tried to kill us in the spring." So begins this powerful account of friendship and loss. In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year old Private Bartle and...  more

A novel written by a veteran of the war in Iraq, The Yellow Birds is the harrowing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive. "The war tried to kill us in the spring." So begins this powerful account of friendship and loss. In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year old Private Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Murphy cling to life as their platoon launches a bloody battle for the city. Bound together since basic training when Bartle makes a promise to bring Murphy safely home, the two have been dropped into a war neither is prepared for. In the endless days that follow, the two young soldiers do everything to protect each other from the forces that press in on every side: the insurgents, physical fatigue, and the mental stress that comes from constant danger. As reality begins to blur into a hazy nightmare, Murphy becomes increasingly unmoored from the world around him and Bartle takes actions he could never have imagined. With profound emotional insight, especially into the effects of a hidden war on mothers and families at home, The Yellow Birds is a groundbreaking novel that is destined to become a classic.

The incredible true story of the discovery of America before Columbus was even born. Gavin Menzies's extraordinary findings rewrite history. On March 8, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen sailed from its base in China. The ships, huge junks nearly five hundred feet long and built...  more

The incredible true story of the discovery of America before Columbus was even born. Gavin Menzies's extraordinary findings rewrite history. On March 8, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen sailed from its base in China. The ships, huge junks nearly five hundred feet long and built from the finest teak, were under the command of Emperor Zhu Di's loyal eunuch admirals. Their mission was "to proceed all the way to the end of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas" and unite the whole world in Confucian harmony. Their journey would last more than two years and circle the globe. When they returned in October 1423, the emperor had fallen, leaving China in political and economic chaos. The great ships, now considered frivolous, were left to rot at their moorings and the records of their journeys were destroyed. Lost in China's long, self-imposed isolation that followed was the knowledge that Chinese ships had reached America seventy years before Columbus and circumnavigated the globe a century before Magellan. Also concealed were how the Chinese colonized America before the Europeans and transplanted to America, Australia, New Zealand and South America the principal economic crops that have fed and clothed the world. Now, in a landmark historical journey, Gavin Menzies, who spent fifteen years tracing the astonishing voyages of the Chinese fleet, shares the remarkable account of his discoveries and the incontrovertible evidence to support them. His compelling narrative pulls together ancient maps, precise navigational knowledge, astronomy and the surviving accounts of Chinese explorers and the later European navigators to prove that the Chinese had also discovered Antarctica, reached Australia three hundred and fifty years before Cook and solved the problem of longitude three hundred years ahead of the Europeans. 1421 describes the artifacts and inscribed stones left behind by the emperor's fleet, the evidence of wrecked junks along its route -- discovered in locations ranging from the middle of the Mississippi River to tributaries of the Amazon -- and the ornate votive offerings left by the Chinese sailors wherever they landed, in honor of Shao Lin, goddess of the sea. 1421: The Year China Discovered America is the story of a remarkable journey of discovery that rewrites our understanding of history. Our knowledge of world exploration as it has been commonly accepted for centuries must now be reconceived due to this classic work of historical detection.

In 1897, at the height of the heroic age of Arctic exploration, the visionary Swedish explorer S. A. Andrée made a revolutionary attempt to discover the North Pole by flying over it in a hydrogen balloon. Thirty-three years later, his expedition diaries and papers would be discovered on the...  more

In 1897, at the height of the heroic age of Arctic exploration, the visionary Swedish explorer S. A. Andrée made a revolutionary attempt to discover the North Pole by flying over it in a hydrogen balloon. Thirty-three years later, his expedition diaries and papers would be discovered on the ice.   Alec Wilkinson uses the explorer?s papers and contemporary sources to tell the full story of this ambitious voyage, while also showing how the late 19th century?s spirit of exploration and scientific discovery drove over 1,000 explorers to the unforgiving Arctic landscape. Suspenseful and haunting, Wilkinson captures Andrée?s remarkable adventure and illuminates the detail, beauty, and devastating conditions of traveling and dwelling on the ice.

In this extraordinary adventure memoir and tie-in to the PBS documentary, Tim Jarvis, one of the world's leading explorers, describes his modern-day journey to retrace, for the first time ever?and in period clothing and gear?the legendary 1914 expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton.In early 1914,...  more

In this extraordinary adventure memoir and tie-in to the PBS documentary, Tim Jarvis, one of the world's leading explorers, describes his modern-day journey to retrace, for the first time ever?and in period clothing and gear?the legendary 1914 expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton.In early 1914, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team sailed for Antarctica, attempting to be the first to reach the South Pole. Instead of glory, Shackleton and his crew found themselves in an epic struggle for survival: a three-year odyssey on the ice and oceans of the Antarctic that endures as one of the world?s most famous tales of adventure, endurance, and leadership ever recorded.In the winter of 2013, celebrated explorer Tim Jarvis, a veteran of multiple polar expeditions, set out to recreate Sir Ernest Shackleton?s treacherous voyage over sea and mountain, outfitted solely with authentic equipment?clothing, boots, food, and tools?from Shackleton?s time, a feat that has never been successfully accomplished.Shackleton's Epic is the remarkable record of Jarvis and his team?s epic journey. Beautifully designed and illustrated with dozens of photographs from the original voyage and its modern reenactment, it is a visual feast for readers and historians alike, and an essential new chapter in the story that has inspired adventurers across every continent for a century.

In the age of adventure, when dirigibles coasted through the air and vast swaths of the Earth remained untouched and unseen by man, one pack of relentless explorers competed in the race of a lifetime: to be the first aviator to fly over the North Pole. What inspired their dangerous fascination?...  more

In the age of adventure, when dirigibles coasted through the air and vast swaths of the Earth remained untouched and unseen by man, one pack of relentless explorers competed in the race of a lifetime: to be the first aviator to fly over the North Pole. What inspired their dangerous fascination? For some, it was the romantic theory about a “lost world,? a hidden continent in the Arctic Ocean. Others were seduced by new aviation technology, which they strove to push to its ultimate limit. The story of their quest is breathtaking and inspiring; the heroes are still a matter of debate. It was the 1920s. The main players in this high stakes game were Richard Byrd, a dashing Navy officer and early aviation pioneer; and Roald Amundsen, a Viking in the sky, bitter rival of Byrd?s and a hardened veteran of polar expeditions. Each man was determined to be the first aviator to fly over the North Pole, despite brutal weather conditions, financial disasters, world wars, and their own personal demons. Byrd and Amundsen?s epic struggle for air primacy ended in a Homeric episode, in which one man had to fly to the rescue of his downed nemesis, and left behind an enduring mystery: who was the first man to fly over the North Pole? Frozen Flight: The Race to Be the First Aviators Over the North Pole is a fast-paced, larger-than-life adventure story from Sheldon Bart, the only historian with unprecedented access to Richard Byrd?s personal archives. With powerful, never-before-seen evidence of the race to pioneer one of Earth?s last true frontiers, Frozen Flight is a story of a day when men were heroes and the wild was untamed.

Whisky, Kilts, and the Loch Ness Monster is a memoir of a twenty-first-century literary pilgrimage to retrace the famous eighteenth-century Scottish journey of James Boswell and Samuel Johnson, two of the most celebrated writers of their day. An accomplished journalist and aficionado of fine...  more

Whisky, Kilts, and the Loch Ness Monster is a memoir of a twenty-first-century literary pilgrimage to retrace the famous eighteenth-century Scottish journey of James Boswell and Samuel Johnson, two of the most celebrated writers of their day. An accomplished journalist and aficionado of fine literature, William W. Starr enlivens this crisply written travelogue with a playful wit, an enthusiasm for all things Scottish, the boon and burden of American sensibility, and an ardent appreciation for Boswell and Johnson--who make frequent cameos throughout these ramblings.In 1773 the sixty-three-year-old Johnson was England's preeminent man of letters, and Boswell, some thirty years Johnson's junior, was on the cusp of achieving his own literary celebrity. For more than one hundred days, the distinguished duo toured what was then largely unknown Scottish terrain, later publishing their impressions of the trip in a pair of classic journals. In 2007 Starr embarked on a three-thousand-mile trek through the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands, following the path--though in reverse--of Boswell and Johnson. Starr tracked their route as closely as the threat of storms, distractions of pubs, and limitations of time would allow. Like his literary forebears, he recorded a wealth of keen observations on his encounters with places and people, lochs and lore, castles and clans, fables and foibles. The tour begins and ends in Edinburgh and includes along the way visits to Glasgow, Inverness, Loch Ness, Culloden, Auchinleck, the Isles of Iona and Skye, and many more destinations. In addition Starr expands his course to include two of the farthest reaches of Scotland where eighteenth-century travelers dared not tread: the Outer Hebrides and the Orkney Islands, remarkable regions shaped by distinctive weather, history, and isolation.Blending biography, intellectual and cultural history, and comic asides into his travelogue, Starr has crafts an inviting vantage point from which to view aspects of Scotland's storied past and complex present through an illuminating literary lens.

'We are a trading community, a commercial people. Murder is doubtless a very shocking offence, nevertheless as what is done is not to be undone, let us make our money out of it.' Punch Murder in the 19th century was rare. But murder as sensation and entertainment became ubiquitous --...  more

'We are a trading community, a commercial people. Murder is doubtless a very shocking offence, nevertheless as what is done is not to be undone, let us make our money out of it.' Punch Murder in the 19th century was rare. But murder as sensation and entertainment became ubiquitous -- transformed into novels, into broadsides and ballads, into theatre and melodrama and opera -- even into puppet shows and performing dog-acts. In this meticulously researched and compelling book, Judith Flanders -- author of 'The Victorian House' -- retells the gruesome stories of many different types of murder -- both famous and obscure. From the crimes (and myths) of Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper, to the tragedies of the murdered Marr family in London's East End, Burke and Hare and their bodysnatching business in Edinburgh, and Greenacre who transported his dismembered fiancee around town by omnibus. With an irresistible cast of swindlers, forgers, and poisoners, the mad, the bad and the dangerous to know, 'The Invention of Murder' is both a gripping tale of crime and punishment, and history at its most readable.

His two companions dead, food and supplies vanished in a crevasse, Douglas Mawson was still one hundred miles from camp.On January 17, 1913, alone and near starvation, Douglas Mawson, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, was hauling a sledge to get back to base camp. The dogs were...  more

His two companions dead, food and supplies vanished in a crevasse, Douglas Mawson was still one hundred miles from camp.On January 17, 1913, alone and near starvation, Douglas Mawson, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, was hauling a sledge to get back to base camp. The dogs were gone. Now Mawson himself plunged through a snow bridge, dangling over an abyss by the sledge harness. A line of poetry gave him the will to haul himself back to the surface. Mawson was sometimes reduced to crawling, and one night he discovered that the soles of his feet had completely detached from the flesh beneath. On February 8, when he staggered back to base, his features unrecognizably skeletal, the first teammate to reach him blurted out, ?Which one are you?? This thrilling and almost unbelievable account establishes Mawson in his rightful place as one of the greatest polar explorers and expedition leaders. It is illustrated by a trove of Frank Hurley?s famous Antarctic photographs, many never before published in the United States. 24 pages of illustrations

Laura Kasischke, the critically acclaimed and nationally bestselling poet and author of The Raising, returns Mind of Winter, a dark and chilling thriller that combines domestic drama with elements of psychological suspense and horror?an addictive tale of denial and guilt that is part Joyce Carol...  more

Laura Kasischke, the critically acclaimed and nationally bestselling poet and author of The Raising, returns Mind of Winter, a dark and chilling thriller that combines domestic drama with elements of psychological suspense and horror?an addictive tale of denial and guilt that is part Joyce Carol Oates and part Chris Bohjalian.On a snowy Christmas morning, Holly Judge awakens with the fragments of a nightmare floating on the edge of her consciousness. Something followed them from Russia. Thirteen years ago, she and her husband Eric adopted baby Tatty, their pretty, black-haired Rapunzel, from the Pokrovka Orphanage #2. Now, at fifteen, Tatiana is more beautiful than ever?and disturbingly erratic.As a blizzard rages outside, Holly and Tatiana are alone. With each passing hour, Tatiana?s mood darkens, and her behavior becomes increasingly frightening . . . until Holly finds she no longer recognizes her daughter.

 Hellion Guard Margit "Maggie" O'Malley, backed by a team of assorted supernatural creatures, must protect a troublesome teen girl from the forces that want to sacrifice her to a dark Mayan god. Half-human fire demon Declan owns Damnation Alley, a club catering to nonhumans...  more

 Hellion Guard Margit "Maggie" O'Malley, backed by a team of assorted supernatural creatures, must protect a troublesome teen girl from the forces that want to sacrifice her to a dark Mayan god. Half-human fire demon Declan owns Damnation Alley, a club catering to nonhumans and containing a portal to the demon world. The two are drawn together by dreams and visions, allowing them to express their mutual interest even as they distrust each other in the real world.

The National Book Award?winning author of The Echo Maker delivers his most emotionally charged novel to date, inspired by the myth of Orpheus."Richard Powers has been astounding us almost every other year since 1985,? wrote John Leonard (Harper?s). In Orfeo, Powers tells the story of a man...  more

The National Book Award?winning author of The Echo Maker delivers his most emotionally charged novel to date, inspired by the myth of Orpheus."Richard Powers has been astounding us almost every other year since 1985,? wrote John Leonard (Harper?s). In Orfeo, Powers tells the story of a man journeying into his past as he desperately flees the present. Composer Peter Els opens the door one evening to find the police on his doorstep. His home microbiology lab?the latest experiment in his lifelong attempt to find music in surprising patterns?has aroused the suspicions of Homeland Security. Panicked by the raid, Els turns fugitive. As an Internet-fueled hysteria erupts, Els?the ?Bioterrorist Bach??pays a final visit to the people he loves, those who shaped his musical journey. Through the help of his ex-wife, his daughter, and his longtime collaborator, Els hatches a plan to turn this disastrous collision with the security state into a work of art that will reawaken its audience to the sounds all around them.

The first in a charming, evocative, and sharply plotted Victorian crime series starring a detective duo to rival Holmes and Watson.  After her father dies, March Middleton has to move to London to live with her guardian, Sidney Grice, the country's most famous private detective. ...  more

The first in a charming, evocative, and sharply plotted Victorian crime series starring a detective duo to rival Holmes and Watson.  After her father dies, March Middleton has to move to London to live with her guardian, Sidney Grice, the country's most famous private detective.  It is 1882 and London is at its murkiest yet most vibrant, wealthiest yet most poverty-stricken.  No sooner does March arrive than a case presents itself: a young woman has been brutally murdered, and her husband is the only suspect.  The victim's mother is convinced of her son-in-law's innocence, and March is so touched by her pleas she offers to cover Sidney's fee herself.  The investigations lead the pair to the darkest alleys of the East End: every twist leads Sidney Grice to think his client is guilty; but March is convinced that he is innocent.  Around them London reeks with the stench of poverty and gossip, the case threatens to boil over into civil unrest and Sidney Grice finds his reputation is not the only thing in mortal danger.

Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends flee to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they encounter a dangerous madman named Caul, who also happens to be Miss Peregrine’s brother. Complete with dozens of newly...  more

Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends flee to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they encounter a dangerous madman named Caul, who also happens to be Miss Peregrine’s brother. Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly creepy) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight fantasy readers of all ages.

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he's still in good health, and one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn't interested (and he'd like a bit more...  more

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he's still in good health, and one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn't interested (and he'd like a bit more control over his alcohol consumption). So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant (not to mention a death by elephant). It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. Starting out in munitions as a boy, he somehow finds himself involved in many of the key explosions of the twentieth century and travels the world, sharing meals and more with everyone from Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to Mao, Franco, and de Gaulle. Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has charmed readers across the world.

Despite our seemingly endless fascination with sex and parenting, the origins of our reproductive lives remain a mystery. Why are a quarter of a billion sperm cells needed to fertilize one egg? Are women really fertile for only a few days each month? How long should women breast-feed? In How We...  more

Despite our seemingly endless fascination with sex and parenting, the origins of our reproductive lives remain a mystery. Why are a quarter of a billion sperm cells needed to fertilize one egg? Are women really fertile for only a few days each month? How long should women breast-feed? In How We Do It, primatologist Robert Martin draws on forty years of research to locate the origins of everything from sex cells to baby care—and to reveal what?s really “natural? when it comes to making and raising babies. He acknowledges that although it?s not realistic to reproduce like our ancestors did, there are surprising consequences to behavior we take for granted, such as bottle feeding, cesarean sections, and in vitro fertilization. How We Do It shows that once we understand our evolutionary past, we can consider what worked, what didn?t, and what it all means for the future of our species.

On February 1, 1978, the first group of space shuttle astronauts, twenty-nine men and six women, were introduced to the world. Among them would be history makers, including the first American woman and the first African American in space. This assembly of astronauts would carry NASA through the...  more

On February 1, 1978, the first group of space shuttle astronauts, twenty-nine men and six women, were introduced to the world. Among them would be history makers, including the first American woman and the first African American in space. This assembly of astronauts would carry NASA through the most tumultuous years of the space shuttle program. Four would die on Challenger.USAF Colonel Mike Mullane was a member of this astronaut class, and Riding Rockets is his story -- told with a candor never before seen in an astronaut's memoir. Mullane strips the heroic veneer from the astronaut corps and paints them as they are -- human. His tales of arrested development among military flyboys working with feminist pioneers and post-doc scientists are sometimes bawdy, often hilarious, and always entertaining.Mullane vividly portrays every aspect of the astronaut experience -- from telling a female technician which urine-collection condom size is a fit; to walking along a Florida beach in a last, tearful goodbye with a spouse; to a wild, intoxicating, terrifying ride into space; to hearing "Taps" played over a friend's grave. Mullane is brutally honest in his criticism of a NASA leadership whose bungling would precipitate the Challenger disaster.Riding Rockets is a story of life in all its fateful uncertainty, of the impact of a family tragedy on a nine-year-old boy, of the revelatory effect of a machine called Sputnik, and of the life-steering powers of lust, love, and marriage. It is a story of the human experience that will resonate long after the call of "Wheel stop."

New York Times bestselling author and Bible expert Bart Ehrman reveals how Jesus’s divinity became dogma in the first few centuries of the early church. The claim at the heart of the Christian faith is that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, God. But this is not what the original disciples...  more

New York Times bestselling author and Bible expert Bart Ehrman reveals how Jesus’s divinity became dogma in the first few centuries of the early church. The claim at the heart of the Christian faith is that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, God. But this is not what the original disciples believed during Jesus’s lifetime -- and it is not what Jesus claimed about himself. How Jesus Became God tells the story of an idea that shaped Christianity, and of the evolution of a belief that looked very different in the fourth century than it did in the first. A master explainer of Christian history, texts, and traditions, Ehrman reveals how an apocalyptic prophet from the backwaters of rural Galilee crucified for crimes against the state came to be thought of as equal with the one God Almighty, Creator of all things. But how did he move from being a Jewish prophet to being God? In a book that took eight years to research and write, Ehrman sketches Jesus’s transformation from a human prophet to the Son of God exalted to divine status at his resurrection. Only when some of Jesus’s followers had visions of him after his death -- alive again -- did anyone come to think that he, the prophet from Galilee, had become God. And what they meant by that was not at all what people mean today. Written for secular historians of religion and believers alike, How Jesus Became God will engage anyone interested in the historical developments that led to the affirmation at the heart of Christianity: Jesus was, and is, God.

A fiendishly clever dystopian novel for the digital age, The Word Exchange is a fresh, stylized, and decidedly original debut about the dangers of technology and the power of the printed word. In the not-so-distant future, the forecasted "death of print" has become a reality. Bookstores,...  more

A fiendishly clever dystopian novel for the digital age, The Word Exchange is a fresh, stylized, and decidedly original debut about the dangers of technology and the power of the printed word. In the not-so-distant future, the forecasted "death of print" has become a reality. Bookstores, libraries, newspapers, and magazines are a thing of the past, as we spend our time glued to handheld devices called Memes that not only keep us in constant communication but have become so intuitive as to hail us cabs before we leave our offices, order takeout at the first growl of a hungry stomach, and even create and sell language itself in a marketplace called the Word Exchange. Anana Johnson works with her father, Doug, at the North American Dictionary of the English Language (NADEL), where Doug is hard at work on the final edition that will ever be printed. Doug is a staunchly anti-Meme, anti-tech intellectual who fondly remembers the days when people used e-mail (everything now is text or videoconference) to communicate?or even actually spoke to one another, for that matter. One evening, Doug disappears from the NADEL offices, leaving a single written clue: ALICE. It's a code word he and Anana devised to signal if one of them ever fell into harm's way. And thus begins Anana's journey down the proverbial rabbit hole . . . Joined by Bart, her bookish NADEL colleague (who is secretly in love with her), Anana's search for Doug will take her into dark basement incinerator rooms, underground passages of the Mercantile Library, secret meetings of the anonymous "Diachronic Society," the boardrooms of the evil online retailing site Synchronic, and ultimately to the hallowed halls of the Oxford English Dictionary?the spiritual home of the written word. As Ana pieces together what is going on, and Bart gets sicker and sicker with the strange "word flu" that has spread worldwide, causing people to speak in gibberish, Alena Graedon crafts a fresh, cautionary tale that is at once a technological thriller and a thoughtful meditation on the price of technology and the unforeseen, though very real, dangers of the digital age.

One of the century's greatest philosophers, without whom there would be no Sartre, no Foucault, no Frankfurt School, Martin Heidegger was also a man of great failures and flaws, a Faustus who made a pact with the devil of his time, Adolf Hitler. The story of Heidegger's life and philosophy, a...  more

One of the century's greatest philosophers, without whom there would be no Sartre, no Foucault, no Frankfurt School, Martin Heidegger was also a man of great failures and flaws, a Faustus who made a pact with the devil of his time, Adolf Hitler. The story of Heidegger's life and philosophy, a quintessentially German story in which good and evil, brilliance and blindness are inextricably entwined and the passions and disasters of a whole century come into play, is told in this brilliant biography.

By the 1920s, women were on the verge of something big. Jazz, racy fashions, new attitudes about art and sex -- all of this pointed to a sleek, modern world, one that could shake off the grimness of the Great War and stride into the future in one deft, stylized gesture. The women who defined...  more

By the 1920s, women were on the verge of something big. Jazz, racy fashions, new attitudes about art and sex -- all of this pointed to a sleek, modern world, one that could shake off the grimness of the Great War and stride into the future in one deft, stylized gesture. The women who defined this age -- Josephine Baker, Tallulah Bankhead, Diana Cooper, Nancy Cunard, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Tamara de Lempicka -- would presage the sexual revolution by nearly half a century and would shape the role of women for generations to come. In Flappers, the acclaimed biographer Judith Mackrell renders these women with all the color that marked their lives and their era. Both sensuous and sympathetic, her admiring biography lays bare the private lives of her heroines, filling in the bold contours. These women came from vastly different backgrounds, but all ended up passing through Paris, the mecca of the avant-garde. Beneath the flamboyance and excess of the 1920s lay age-old prejudices about gender, race, and sexuality. These flappers weren't just dancing and carousing; they were fighting for recognition and dignity in a male-dominated world. They were more than mere lovers or muses to the modernist masters -- in their pursuit of fame and intense experience, we see a generation of women taking bold steps toward something burgeoning, undefined, maybe dangerous: a New Woman.

Seven years before Richard Preston wrote about horrifying viruses in The Hot Zone, he turned his attention to the cosmos. In First Light, he demonstrates his gift for creating an exciting and absorbing narrative around a complex scientific subject--in this case the efforts by astronomers at the...  more

Seven years before Richard Preston wrote about horrifying viruses in The Hot Zone, he turned his attention to the cosmos. In First Light, he demonstrates his gift for creating an exciting and absorbing narrative around a complex scientific subject--in this case the efforts by astronomers at the Palomar Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains of California to peer to the farthest edges of space through the Hale Telescope, attempting to solve the riddle of the creation of the universe.Richard Preston's name became a household word with The Hot Zone, which sold nearly 800,000 copies in hardcover, was on The New York Times's bestseller list for 42 weeks, and was the subject of countless magazine and newspaper articles. Preston has become a sought-after commentator on popular science subjects.For this hardcover reprint of what has been called "the best popular account of astronomy in action," (Kirkus Reviews) he has revised the text and written a new introduction.

The first biography of the influential musician and forebear of the indie-rock scene Alex Chilton?s story is rags to riches in reverse, beginning with teenage rock stardom and heading downward. Following stints leading 60s sensation the Box Tops (“The Letter?) and pioneering 70s popsters...  more

The first biography of the influential musician and forebear of the indie-rock scene Alex Chilton?s story is rags to riches in reverse, beginning with teenage rock stardom and heading downward. Following stints leading 60s sensation the Box Tops (“The Letter?) and pioneering 70s popsters Big Star (“the ultimate American pop band?—Time), Chilton became a dishwasher. Yet he rose again in the 80s as a solo artist, producer, and trendsetter, coinventing the indie-rock genre. By the 90s, acolytes from R.E.M. to Jeff Buckley embodied Chilton?s legacy, ushering him back to the spotlight before his untimely death in 2010. In the career-spanning and revelatory A Man Called Destruction, longtime Chilton acquaintance Holly George-Warren has interviewed more than 100 bandmates, friends, and family members to flesh out a man who presided over—and influenced—four decades of American musical history, rendered here with new perspective through the adventures of a true iconoclast.

The riveting history of tuberculosis, the world?s most lethal disease, the two men whose lives it tragically intertwined, and the birth of medical science.   In 1875, tuberculosis was the deadliest disease in the world, accountable for a third of all deaths. A diagnosis of TB—often called...  more

The riveting history of tuberculosis, the world?s most lethal disease, the two men whose lives it tragically intertwined, and the birth of medical science.   In 1875, tuberculosis was the deadliest disease in the world, accountable for a third of all deaths. A diagnosis of TB—often called consumption—was a death sentence. Then, in triumph of medical science, a German doctor named Robert Koch deployed an unprecedented scientific rigor to discover the bacteria that caused TB. Koch soon embarked on a remedy—a remedy that would be his undoing.   When Koch announced his cure for consumption, Arthur Conan Doyle, then a small-town doctor in England and sometime writer, went to Berlin to cover the event. Touring the ward of reportedly cured patients, he was horrified. Koch?s “remedy? was either sloppy science or outright fraud.   But to a world desperate for relief, Koch?s remedy wasn?t so easily dismissed. As Europe?s consumptives descended upon Berlin, Koch urgently tried to prove his case. Conan Doyle, meanwhile, returned to England determined to abandon medicine in favor of writing. In particular, he turned to a character inspired by the very scientific methods that Koch had formulated: Sherlock Holmes.   Capturing the moment when mystery and magic began to yield to science, The Remedy chronicles the stunning story of how the germ theory of disease became a true fact, how two men of ambition were emboldened to reach for something more, and how scientific discoveries evolve into social truths.

Adverbs is a novel about love -- a bunch of different people, in and out of different kinds of love. At the start of the novel, Andrea is in love with David -- or maybe it's Joe -- who instead falls in love with Peter in a taxi. At the end of the novel, it's Joe who's in the taxi,...  more

Adverbs is a novel about love -- a bunch of different people, in and out of different kinds of love. At the start of the novel, Andrea is in love with David -- or maybe it's Joe -- who instead falls in love with Peter in a taxi. At the end of the novel, it's Joe who's in the taxi, falling in love with Andrea, although it might not be Andrea, or in any case it might not be the same Andrea, as Andrea is a very common name. So is Allison, who is married to Adrian in the middle of the novel, although in the middle of the ocean she considers a fling with Keith and also with Steve, whom she meets in an automobile, unless it's not the same Allison who meets the Snow Queen in a casino, or the same Steve who meets Eddie in the middle of the forest. . . .

Meet the Baileys: Burck, a prosperous lawyer once voted the American Legion’s “Citizen of the Year” in his tiny hometown of Vinita, Oklahoma; his wife Marlies, who longs to recapture her festive life in Greenwich Village as a pretty young German immigrant, fresh off the boat;...  more

Meet the Baileys: Burck, a prosperous lawyer once voted the American Legion’s “Citizen of the Year” in his tiny hometown of Vinita, Oklahoma; his wife Marlies, who longs to recapture her festive life in Greenwich Village as a pretty young German immigrant, fresh off the boat; their addled son Scott, who repeatedly crashes the family Porsche; and Blake, the younger son, trying to find a way through the storm. “You’re gonna be just like me,” a drunken Scott taunts him. "You’re gonna be worse." Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Blake Bailey has been hailed as "addictively readable" (New York Times) and praised for his ability to capture lives "compellingly and in harrowing detail" (Time). The Splendid Things We Planned is his darkly funny account of growing up in the shadow of an erratic and increasingly dangerous brother, an exhilarating and sometimes harrowing story that culminates in one unforgettable Christmas.

SHE'S A WITCH, A VAMPIRE -- AND EVIL'S WORST NIGHTMARE... She is a warrior of extraordinary power -- the ultimate creature of the night.  Her story is one that spans the ages, from historical England to modern-day America and beyond.  Welcome to eternity -- welcome to the...  more

SHE'S A WITCH, A VAMPIRE -- AND EVIL'S WORST NIGHTMARE... She is a warrior of extraordinary power -- the ultimate creature of the night.  Her story is one that spans the ages, from historical England to modern-day America and beyond.  Welcome to eternity -- welcome to the night. Dulcinea Craven descends from a long line of witches, and she has just inherited wild, untrained magical powers that she has no idea how to control.  Now a ruthless vampire and an age-old demon are determined to enslave Cin and steal her power for their own.  Her only hope is The Righteous, a band of warrior vampires who slay the rogue undead.  Among them is Michael, a fierce swordsman who inflames Cin's most primal hungers.  Showing her a sensual pleasure beyond anything in the mortal realm, she must choose between the human existence she has always known, and immortality as a vampire -- a new life filled with forbidden urges, dark yearning, and unearthly passions...WAGES OF SIN

Biologists and laypeople alike have repeatedly claimed victory over life. A thousand years ago we thought we knew almost everything; a hundred years ago, too. But even today, Rob Dunn argues, discoveries we can't yet imagine still await. In a series of vivid portraits of single-minded...  more

Biologists and laypeople alike have repeatedly claimed victory over life. A thousand years ago we thought we knew almost everything; a hundred years ago, too. But even today, Rob Dunn argues, discoveries we can't yet imagine still await. In a series of vivid portraits of single-minded scientists, Dunn traces the history of human discovery, from the establishment of classification in the eighteenth century to today's attempts to find life in space. The narrative telescopes from a scientist's attempt to find one single thing (a rare ant-emulating beetle species) to another scientist's attempt to find everything in a small patch of jungle in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. With poetry and humor, Dunn reminds readers how tough and exhilarating it is to study the natural world, and why it matters.

In one of the intensely imaginative stories in Rivka's Galchen's American Innovations, a young woman's furniture walks out on her. In another, the narrator feels compelled to promise to deliver a takeout order that has incorrectly been phoned in to her. In a third, the petty...  more

In one of the intensely imaginative stories in Rivka's Galchen's American Innovations, a young woman's furniture walks out on her. In another, the narrator feels compelled to promise to deliver a takeout order that has incorrectly been phoned in to her. In a third, the petty details of a property transaction illuminate the complicated pains and loves of a family.  The tales in this groundbreaking collection are secretly in conversation with canonical stories, reimagined from the perspective of female characters. Just as Wallace Stevens's "Anecdote of the Jar" responds to John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn," Galchen's "The Lost Order" covertly recapitulates James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," while "The Region of Unlikeness" is a smoky and playful mirror to Jorge Luis Borges's "The Aleph." The title story, "American Innovations," revisits Nikolai Gogol's "The Nose."  By turns realistic, fantastical, witty, and lyrical, these marvelously uneasy stories are deeply emotional and written in exuberant, pitch-perfect prose. Whether exploring the tensions in a mother-daughter relationship or the finer points of time travel, Galchen is a writer like none other today.

If you share most of the same genetic material, what makes you so different from your siblings? How much are the things you choose to do everyday--what you eat, how you vote, who you love--determined by your genes, and how much is your own free will? Using fascinating case studies of identical...  more

If you share most of the same genetic material, what makes you so different from your siblings? How much are the things you choose to do everyday--what you eat, how you vote, who you love--determined by your genes, and how much is your own free will? Using fascinating case studies of identical twins, leading geneticist Tim Spector explains how even real-life "clones" with the same upbringing turn out in reality to be very different. Drawing on his own cutting-edge research in genetics, Spector show us that nothing is completely hard-wired or pre-ordained. Challenging, enlightening and entertaining, Identically Different explores topics as varied as why the Dutch have become the tallest nation in the world, why autism is more heritable than breast cancer, and what could cause a healthy man to have a heart attack within weeks of his overweight, heavy smoking identical twin. Spector's probing and thoughtful study helps us to understand what makes each of us so unique.

TALE OF SORCERY AND PASSION IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LONDON?WHERE WITCHES HAUNT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS DARK LADY, THE PLAYWRIGHT'S MUSE AND ONE TRUE LOVE The daughter of a Venetian musician, Aemilia Bassano came of age in Queen Elizabeth?s Royal Court. The queen?s favorite, she develops a...  more

TALE OF SORCERY AND PASSION IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LONDON?WHERE WITCHES HAUNT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS DARK LADY, THE PLAYWRIGHT'S MUSE AND ONE TRUE LOVE The daughter of a Venetian musician, Aemilia Bassano came of age in Queen Elizabeth?s Royal Court. The queen?s favorite, she develops a passion for learning, maturing into a young woman known not only for her beauty but also her sharp mind and quick tongue. When Aemilia becomes the mistress of Lord Hunsdon, she fears her mind will languish?until she crosses paths with an impetuous playwright named William Shakespeare and begins an impassioned affair, united by a love of poetry but doomed by fate. A decade later, the queen is dead, and Aemilia Bassano is now Aemilia Lanyer, fallen from favor and married to a fool. Like the rest of London, she fears the plague. And when her son Henry takes ill, Aemilia will do anything to save him, even if it means seeking help from her estranged lover, Will?or worse, making a pact with the Devil himself. In rich, vivid detail, Sally O?Reilly breathes life into England?s first female poet, a mysterious woman nearly forgotten by history. Dark Ameilia?full of passion, devilish schemes, and dark magic?is a tale worthy of the Bard.

The ordinary atoms that make up the known universe--from our bodies and the air we breathe to the planets and stars--constitute only 5 percent of all matter and energy in the cosmos. The rest is known as dark matter and dark energy, because their precise identities are unknown. The Cosmic...  more

The ordinary atoms that make up the known universe--from our bodies and the air we breathe to the planets and stars--constitute only 5 percent of all matter and energy in the cosmos. The rest is known as dark matter and dark energy, because their precise identities are unknown. The Cosmic Cocktail is the inside story of the epic quest to solve one of the most compelling enigmas of modern science--what is the universe made of?--told by one of today's foremost pioneers in the study of dark matter.Blending cutting-edge science with her own behind-the-scenes insights as a leading researcher in the field, acclaimed theoretical physicist Katherine Freese recounts the hunt for dark matter, from the discoveries of visionary scientists like Fritz Zwicky--the Swiss astronomer who coined the term "dark matter" in 1933--to the deluge of data today from underground laboratories, satellites in space, and the Large Hadron Collider. Theorists contend that dark matter consists of fundamental particles known as WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. Billions of them pass through our bodies every second without us even realizing it, yet their gravitational pull is capable of whirling stars and gas at breakneck speeds around the centers of galaxies, and bending light from distant bright objects. Freese describes the larger-than-life characters and clashing personalities behind the race to identify these elusive particles.Many cosmologists believe we are on the verge of solving the mystery. The Cosmic Cocktail provides the foundation needed to fully fathom this epochal moment in humankind's quest to understand the universe.

Fledgling vampire Sarah Dearly knew what she was getting into when she married master vampire Thierry de Bennicoeur. As an agent of the Ring, Thierry is sent all over the world to solve vampire crimes and keep them secret from humans. And now Sarah’s on the job with him -- for better or...  more

Fledgling vampire Sarah Dearly knew what she was getting into when she married master vampire Thierry de Bennicoeur. As an agent of the Ring, Thierry is sent all over the world to solve vampire crimes and keep them secret from humans. And now Sarah’s on the job with him -- for better or worse. Right after their wedding in Las Vegas, Sarah and Thierry get their next assignment: Three vampires have gone missing in Salem, Massachusetts, and they need to find out why. Their contact in Salem turns out to be a local lothario with a penchant for witches, but before he can help them, he suddenly goes up in smoke -- leaving behind nothing but a stain on the ground and a seemingly impossible mystery.   Did a witchy ex-mistress cast a deadly spell, or is there something even more sinister happening to the vampires of Salem? Getting to the truth may require raising the undead, with a little help from the owners of a vampire-friendly bed and breakfast. But uncovering Salem’s darkest secrets may drag some of Thierry’s own past into the light. 

The unsolved murder of a farm family still haunts the white small town of Pluto, North Dakota, generations after the vengeance exacted and the distortions of fact transformed the lives of Ojibwe living on the nearby reservation. Part Ojibwe, part white, Evelina Harp is an ambitious young girl...  more

The unsolved murder of a farm family still haunts the white small town of Pluto, North Dakota, generations after the vengeance exacted and the distortions of fact transformed the lives of Ojibwe living on the nearby reservation. Part Ojibwe, part white, Evelina Harp is an ambitious young girl prone to falling hopelessly in love. Mooshum, Evelina's grandfather, is a repository of family and tribal history with an all-too-intimate knowledge of the violent past. And Judge Antone Bazil Coutts, who bears witness, understands the weight of historical injustice better than anyone. Through the distinct and winning voices of three unforgettable narrators, the collective stories of two interwoven communities ultimately come together to reveal a final wrenching truth.

At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren’t taught history, geography, or mathematics—they are taught to persuade. Students learn to use language to manipulate minds, wielding words as weapons. The very best graduate as “poets,” and...  more

At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren’t taught history, geography, or mathematics—they are taught to persuade. Students learn to use language to manipulate minds, wielding words as weapons. The very best graduate as “poets,” and enter a nameless organization of unknown purpose.   Whip-smart runaway Emily Ruff is making a living from three-card Monte on the streets of San Francisco when she attracts the attention of the organization’s recruiters. Drawn in to their strage world, which is populated by people named Brontë and Eliot, she learns their key rule: That every person can be classified by personality type, his mind segmented and ultimately unlocked by the skilful application of words. For this reason, she must never allow another person to truly know her, lest she herself be coerced. Adapting quickly, Emily becomes the school’s most talented prodigy, until she makes a catastrophic mistake: She falls in love.   Meanwhile, a seemingly innocent man named Wil Parke is brutally ambushed by two men in an airport bathroom. They claim he is the key to a secret war he knows nothing about, that he is an “outlier,” immune to segmentation. Attempting to stay one step ahead of the organization and its mind-bending poets, Wil and his captors seek salvation in the toxically decimated town of Broken Hill, Australia, which, if ancient stories are true, sits above an ancient glyph of frightening power.

Memoir in cartoons by the longtime cartoon editor of The New YorkerPeople tell Bob Mankoff that as the cartoon editor of The New Yorker he has the best job in the world. Never one to beat around the bush, he explains to us, in the opening of this singular, delightfully eccentric book, that...  more

Memoir in cartoons by the longtime cartoon editor of The New YorkerPeople tell Bob Mankoff that as the cartoon editor of The New Yorker he has the best job in the world. Never one to beat around the bush, he explains to us, in the opening of this singular, delightfully eccentric book, that because he is also a cartoonist at the magazine he actually has two of the best jobs in the world. With the help of myriad images and his funniest, most beloved cartoons, he traces his love of the craft all the way back to his childhood, when he started doing funny drawings at the age of eight. After meeting his mother, we follow his unlikely stints as a high-school basketball star, draft dodger, and sociology grad student. Though Mankoff abandoned the study of psychology in the seventies to become a cartoonist, he recently realized that the field he abandoned could help him better understand the field he was in, and here he takes up the psychology of cartooning, analyzing why some cartoons make us laugh and others don't. He allows us into the hallowed halls of The New Yorker to show us the soup-to-nuts process of cartoon creation, giving us a detailed look not only at his own work, but that of the other talented cartoonists who keep us laughing week after week. For desert, he reveals the secrets to winning the magazine's caption contest. Throughout How About Never--Is Never Good for You?, we see his commitment to the motto ?Anything worth saying is worth saying funny.?

Rose Marshall died in 1952 in Buckley Township, Michigan, run off the road by a man named Bobby Cross—a man who had sold his soul to live forever, and intended to use her death to pay the price of his immortality. Trouble was, he didn’t ask Rose what she thought of the...  more

Rose Marshall died in 1952 in Buckley Township, Michigan, run off the road by a man named Bobby Cross—a man who had sold his soul to live forever, and intended to use her death to pay the price of his immortality. Trouble was, he didn’t ask Rose what she thought of the idea. It’s been more than sixty years since that night, and she’s still sixteen, and she’s still running. They have names for her all over the country: the Girl in the Diner. The Phantom Prom Date. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. Mostly she just goes by “Rose,” a hitchhiking ghost girl with her thumb out and her eyes fixed on the horizon, trying to outrace a man who never sleeps, never stops, and never gives up on the idea of claiming what’s his. She’s the angel of the overpass, she’s the darling of the truck stops, and she’s going to figure out a way to win her freedom. After all, it’s not like it can kill her. You can’t kill what’s already dead.

Learning to survive in the  harsh interior of Southern Africa, a former slave seeks shelter in the hollow of a baobab tree. For the first time since she was a young girl her time is her own, her body is her own, her thoughts are her own. In solitude, she is finally able to reflect on her own...  more

Learning to survive in the  harsh interior of Southern Africa, a former slave seeks shelter in the hollow of a baobab tree. For the first time since she was a young girl her time is her own, her body is her own, her thoughts are her own. In solitude, she is finally able to reflect on her own existence and its meaning,  bringing her a semblance of inner peace. Scenes from her former life shuttle through her mind: how owner after owner assaulted her, and how each of her babies were taken away as soon as they were weaned, their futures left to her imagination. We are the sole witnesses to her history: her capture as a child, her tortured days in a harbor city on the eastern coast as a servant, her journey with her last owner and protector, her flight, and the kaleidoscopic world of her baobab tree. Wilma Stockenström's profound work of narrative fiction, translated by Nobel Prize winner J.M. Coetzee, is a rare, haunting exploration of enslavement and freedom.  

This edition of Doctor Faustus features annotated versions, with modernized spelling and punctuation, of the 1604 "A-text" and the 1592 text of Marlowe's source, the English Faust Book - a translation of the best-selling Historia von Johann Fausten published in Frankfurt in 1587,...  more

This edition of Doctor Faustus features annotated versions, with modernized spelling and punctuation, of the 1604 "A-text" and the 1592 text of Marlowe's source, the English Faust Book - a translation of the best-selling Historia von Johann Fausten published in Frankfurt in 1587, which recounts the strange story of Doctor John Faustus and his pact with the spirit Mephistopheles. David Wootton's Introduction charts Marlowe's brief, meteoric career; the delicate social and political climate in which Doctor Faustus was staged and the vexed question of the religious sensibilities to which it may have catered; the interpretive significance of variations between the "A" and "B" texts; and the shrewd and subversive uses to which Marlowe put the English Faust Book in crafting, according to Wootton, "a drama in which orthodox Christian teaching triumphed, but in which Faustus has all the best lines." A guide to reading "Doctor Faustus" with a critical and appreciative mind. Includes background on the author's life and times, sample tests, term paper suggestions, and a reading list.

In The Kingdom of Rarities, scientist Eric Dinerstein poses an intriguing question: What if the way we categorized the living world was reshuffled for a moment, from a system designed to inform us about evolutionary relationships among species to one with two camps based on abundance: the...  more

In The Kingdom of Rarities, scientist Eric Dinerstein poses an intriguing question: What if the way we categorized the living world was reshuffled for a moment, from a system designed to inform us about evolutionary relationships among species to one with two camps based on abundance: the Kingdom of Common species and the Kingdom of Rarities? What new observations and connections would emerge? The Kingdom of Rarities explores that idea, building a narrative around the concept of rarity and its implications both for our understanding of how the natural world works, and for what it can teach us about protecting biodiversity during a time of large-scale environmental change. Dinerstein highlights cutting-edge science from remote outposts around the world, focusing on some of the key questions that scientists are asking themselves right now:   what are the rarest species? why are rare species most likely to be found in certain types of environments? which species have always been rare, and which have only recently been made rare? which species or places are most in need of saving?   As well as a scientific journey, The Kingdom of Rarities is also an adventure story?to meet the rare species that are central to this tale, the reader travels with the author to exotic locations including remote New Guinea, Hawaii, the heart of the Amazon, and the foothills of the Himalayas. Throughout, Dinerstein explores rarity as a central principle within conservation biology. Looking through this lens not only advances our understanding of the natural world but also inspires the creation of new tools and technologies that can help us both add to our knowledge base and design more effective conservation strategies. He focuses on real-time threats to biodiversity, from climate change to habitat fragmentation, and draws on his long and distinguished scientific career to illuminate the concept of rarity for readers across the spectrum of scientific knowledge.

Sir Edward Feathers has progressed from struggling young barrister to wealthy expatriate lawyer to distinguished retired judge, living out his last days in comfortable seclusion in Dorset. The engrossing and moving account of his life, from birth in colonial Malaya, to Wales, where he is sent as...  more

Sir Edward Feathers has progressed from struggling young barrister to wealthy expatriate lawyer to distinguished retired judge, living out his last days in comfortable seclusion in Dorset. The engrossing and moving account of his life, from birth in colonial Malaya, to Wales, where he is sent as a "Raj orphan," to Oxford, his career and marriage, parallels much of the 20th century's torrid and twisted history.

In this searing and timely novel, the devastating effects of a country's economic and moral collapse provide the backdrop for a story about individual fortitude and conscience. In an unnamed African republic, militiamen seize an innocent captive while he is scavenging for food in a...  more

In this searing and timely novel, the devastating effects of a country's economic and moral collapse provide the backdrop for a story about individual fortitude and conscience. In an unnamed African republic, militiamen seize an innocent captive while he is scavenging for food in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. He is subsequently traded and ransomed and ends up in the hands of another group, whose members include a pregnant woman whom he is forced to carry in a wheelbarrow on a nightmarish and seemingly endless overland journey. This powerful story alternates with the tale of a white schoolteacher who, embittered by the horrific state of his country, is preparing to leave. Before he can do so he must confront his own demons and personal failings. Both men are in danger and both are apparently helpless to control their fates. When these two plotlines brilliantly and surprisingly unite the result is electrifying.

Nineteen days, 256 miles, and one renowned poet walking the backbone of England.The wandering poet has always been a feature of our cultural imagination. Odysseus journeys home, his famous flair for storytelling seducing friend and foe. The Romantic poets tramped all over the Lake District...  more

Nineteen days, 256 miles, and one renowned poet walking the backbone of England.The wandering poet has always been a feature of our cultural imagination. Odysseus journeys home, his famous flair for storytelling seducing friend and foe. The Romantic poets tramped all over the Lake District searching for inspiration. Now Simon Armitage, with equal parts enthusiasm and trepidation, as well as a wry humor all his own, has taken on Britain?s version of our Appalachian Trail: the Pennine Way. Walking ?the backbone of England? by day (accompanied by friends, family, strangers, dogs, the unpredictable English weather, and a backpack full of Mars Bars), each evening he gives a poetry reading in a different village in exchange for a bed. Armitage reflects on the inextricable link between freedom and fear as well as the poet?s place in our bustling world. In Armitage?s own words, ?to embark on the walk is to surrender to its lore and submit to its logic, and to take up a challenge against the self.? 29 photographs

London’s craftiest and boldest detectives, Arthur Bryant and John May, are back in this deviously twisting mystery of black magic, madness, and secrets hidden in plain sight. When a young woman is found dead in the pews of St. Bride’s Church -- alone and showing no apparent signs...  more

London’s craftiest and boldest detectives, Arthur Bryant and John May, are back in this deviously twisting mystery of black magic, madness, and secrets hidden in plain sight. When a young woman is found dead in the pews of St. Bride’s Church -- alone and showing no apparent signs of trauma -- Arthur Bryant assumes this  case will go to the Peculiar Crimes Unit, an eccentric team tasked with solving London’s most puzzling murders. Yet the city police take over the investigation, and the PCU is given an even more baffling and bewitching assignment. Called into headquarters by Oskar Kasavian, the head of Home Office security, Bryant and May are shocked to hear that their longtime adversary now desperately needs their help. Oskar’s wife, Sabira, has been acting strangely for weeks -- succumbing to violent mood swings, claiming an evil presence is bringing her harm -- and Oskar wants the PCU to find out why. And if there’s any duo that can deduce the method behind her madness, it’s the indomitable Bryant and May. When a second bizarre death reveals a surprising link between the two women’s cases, Bryant and May set off on a trail of clues from the notorious Bedlam hospital to historic Bletchley Park. And as they are drawn into a world of encrypted codes and symbols, concealed rooms and high-society clubs, they must work quickly to catch a killer who lurks even closer than they think.

Fantasy comes in all shades, from gentle tales of elves and fairies, to the blackest of horrors. Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy tends toward the darker edges, where the fantastic mixes with the horrific. With all original tales by a number of SubPress favorites, and writers new to our...  more

Fantasy comes in all shades, from gentle tales of elves and fairies, to the blackest of horrors. Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy tends toward the darker edges, where the fantastic mixes with the horrific. With all original tales by a number of SubPress favorites, and writers new to our stable, we've aimed to illuminate these shadowed corners, to bring into the light the creatures that venture forth from the sea, those that alter our reality to suit their sinister needs, and others who head into territory so bleak it's best left undescribed. The gulf / Poppy Z. Brite Alastair Baffle's emporium of wonders / Mike Resnick It washed up / Joe R. Lansdale The hour of Babel / Tim Powers Monstrous embrace / Rachel Swirsky The lunatic Miss Teak / Darren Speegle The steam dancer (1896) / Caitlín R. Kiernan Penguins of the apocalypse / William Browning Spencer Caverns of mystery / Kage Baker Face / Mike Carey The road to Levinshir / Patrick Rothfuss

A compelling history of the European explorations that ignited curiosity about nature and science, ultimately leading to the theory of evolution.When Columbus first returned to Europe from the Caribbean, he presented King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella with exotic parrots, tropical flowers, and...  more

A compelling history of the European explorations that ignited curiosity about nature and science, ultimately leading to the theory of evolution.When Columbus first returned to Europe from the Caribbean, he presented King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella with exotic parrots, tropical flowers, and bits of gold. The search for riches spurred Columbus and other voyagers to ply the oceans with similar ambitions. These seafarers continued to return with specimens of mysterious plants and animals encountered in the New World. Curiosity began to percolate through Europe. The Church, long fearful of challenges to its authority, could no longer suppress the mantra ?Dare to know!? Recounting the triumphs and mishaps of these explorers, including Magellan?s murder during the first circumnavigation of the globe, eminent historian Joyce Appleby tells of the often fraught meetings of Europeans with native populations. Her book follows the naturalists, both famous and obscure, whose investigations of the world?s fauna and flora fueled the rise of science and technology that propelled western Europe toward modernity. 20 illustrations

An Englishman's continuing search through space and time for a decent cup of tea . . . Arthur Dent's accidental association with that wholly remarkable book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, has not been entirely without incident. Arthur has traveled the length, breadth,...  more

An Englishman's continuing search through space and time for a decent cup of tea . . . Arthur Dent's accidental association with that wholly remarkable book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, has not been entirely without incident. Arthur has traveled the length, breadth, and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled forward and backward through time. He has been blown up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released, and colorfully insulted more than is strictly necessary. And of course Arthur Dent has comprehensively failed to grasp the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Arthur has finally made it home to Earth, but that does not mean he has escaped his fate. Arthur's chances of getting his hands on a decent cuppa have evaporated rapidly, along with all the world's oceans. For no sooner has he touched down on the planet Earth than he finds out that it is about to be blown up . . . again. And Another Thing . . . is the rather unexpected, but very welcome, sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It features a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favorite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer, and at least one very large slab of cheese. fyi: Douglas Adams died  May 11th 2001.

Psychopath. No sooner is the word out than images of murderers, rapists, suicide bombers and gangsters flash across our minds. But unlike their box-office counterparts, not all psychopaths are violent, or even criminal. Far from it. In fact, they have a lot of good things going for them....  more

Psychopath. No sooner is the word out than images of murderers, rapists, suicide bombers and gangsters flash across our minds. But unlike their box-office counterparts, not all psychopaths are violent, or even criminal. Far from it. In fact, they have a lot of good things going for them. Psychopaths are fearless, confident, charismatic, ruthless and focused - qualities tailor-made for success in twenty-first century society. In this groundbreaking adventure into the world of psychopaths, renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a 'scale of madness' along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience, he shows that there is a fine line separating a brilliant surgeon and a serial killer, illustrating the spectrum of psychopathy with some insightful and startling case studies. "The Wisdom of Psychopaths" is an intellectual rollercoaster ride that combines original scientific research with bold on-the-ground reporting from secret monasteries, Special Forces training camps and rarefied psychopath wings of maximum-security hospitals. Provocative, engaging and surprising at every turn, "The Wisdom of Psychopaths" reveals a shocking truth: beneath the hype and the popular characterisation, psychopaths have something to teach us.

Today it is the most valuable book in the world. Recently one sold for over five million dollars. It is the book that rescued the name of William Shakespeare and half of his plays from oblivion. The Millionaire and the Bard tells the miraculous and romantic story of the making of the First...  more

Today it is the most valuable book in the world. Recently one sold for over five million dollars. It is the book that rescued the name of William Shakespeare and half of his plays from oblivion. The Millionaire and the Bard tells the miraculous and romantic story of the making of the First Folio, and of the American industrialist whose thrilling pursuit of the book became a lifelong obsession. When Shakespeare died in 1616 half of his plays died with him. No one?not even their author?believed that his writings would last, that he was a genius, or that future generations would celebrate him as the greatest author in the history of the English language. By the time of his death his plays were rarely performed, eighteen of them had never been published, and the rest existed only in bastardized forms that did not stay true to his original language. Seven years later, in 1623, Shakespeare?s business partners, companions, and fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell, gathered copies of the plays and manuscripts, edited and published thirty-six of them. This massive book, the First Folio, was intended as a memorial to their deceased friend. They could not have known that it would become one of the most important books ever published in the English language, nor that it would become a fetish object for collectors. The Millionaire and the Bard is a literary detective story, the tale of two mysterious men?a brilliant author and his obsessive collector?separated by space and time. It is a tale of two cities?Elizabethan and Jacobean London and Gilded Age New York. It is a chronicle of two worlds?of art and commerce?that unfolded an ocean and three centuries apart. And it is the thrilling tale of the luminous book that saved the name of William Shakespeare ?to the last syllable of recorded time.?

Every fossil tells a story. Best-selling paleontology author Donald R. Prothero describes twenty-five famous, beautifully preserved fossils in a gripping, scientific history of life on Earth. Recounting the adventures behind the discovery of these objects and fully interpreting their...  more

Every fossil tells a story. Best-selling paleontology author Donald R. Prothero describes twenty-five famous, beautifully preserved fossils in a gripping, scientific history of life on Earth. Recounting the adventures behind the discovery of these objects and fully interpreting their significance within the larger fossil record, Prothero creates a riveting and enlightening overview for anyone interested in the history of life on our planet. The twenty-five fossils lovingly portrayed in this book catch animals in their evolutionary splendor as they transition from one kind of organism to another. We witness extinct plants and animals of microscopic and immense size and thrilling diversity. We learn about fantastic land and sea creatures that have no match in nature today. Along the way, we encounter such fascinating fossils as the earliest trilobite, Olenellus; the giant shark Carcharocles; the "Frogamander" and the "Turtle on the Half Shell"; the "fishibian" Tiktalik; the first bird, Archaeopteryx; the walking whale Ambulocetus; enormous marine reptiles and the biggest dinosaurs known; the gigantic hornless rhinoceros Paraceratherium, the largest land mammal that ever lived; and the Australopithecus nicknamed "Lucy," the oldest human skeleton. We learn about the scientists and adventurers who pioneered paleontology and the larger intellectual and social contexts in which their discoveries were made. Finally, we are told where to see these splendid fossils in the world's great museums. Ideal for all who love prehistoric landscapes and delight in the history of science, Prothero's new book will be a treasured addition to any bookshelf, stoking curiosity in the evolution and life on Earth.

Beards?they?re all the rage these days. Take a look around: from hip urbanites to rustic outdoorsmen, well-groomed metrosexuals to post-season hockey players, facial hair is everywhere. The New York Times traces this hairy trend to Big Apple hipsters circa 2005 and reports that today some New...  more

Beards?they?re all the rage these days. Take a look around: from hip urbanites to rustic outdoorsmen, well-groomed metrosexuals to post-season hockey players, facial hair is everywhere. The New York Times traces this hairy trend to Big Apple hipsters circa 2005 and reports that today some New Yorkers pay thousands of dollars for facial hair transplants to disguise patchy, juvenile beards. And in 2014, blogger Nicki Daniels excoriated bearded hipsters for turning a symbol of manliness and power into a flimsy fashion statement. The beard, she said, has turned into the padded bra of masculinity. Of Beards and Men makes the case that today?s bearded renaissance is part of a centuries-long cycle in which facial hairstyles have varied in response to changing ideals of masculinity. Christopher Oldstone-Moore explains that the clean-shaven face has been the default style throughout Western history?see Alexander the Great?s beardless face, for example, as the Greek heroic ideal. But the primacy of razors has been challenged over the years by four great bearded movements, beginning with Hadrian in the second century and stretching to today?s bristled resurgence. The clean-shaven face today, Oldstone-Moore says, has come to signify a virtuous and sociable man, whereas the beard marks someone as self-reliant and unconventional. History, then, has established specific meanings for facial hair, which both inspire and constrain a man?s choices in how he presents himself to the world. This fascinating and erudite history of facial hair cracks the masculine hair code, shedding light on the choices men make as they shape the hair on their faces. Oldstone-Moore adeptly lays to rest common misperceptions about beards and vividly illustrates the connection between grooming, identity, culture, and masculinity. To a surprising degree, we find, the history of men is written on their faces.

A critically important and startling look at the harmful effects of overusing antibiotics, from the field's leading expert Tracing one scientist?s journey toward understanding the crucial importance of the microbiome, this revolutionary book will take readers to the forefront of trail-blazing...  more

A critically important and startling look at the harmful effects of overusing antibiotics, from the field's leading expert Tracing one scientist?s journey toward understanding the crucial importance of the microbiome, this revolutionary book will take readers to the forefront of trail-blazing research while revealing the damage that overuse of antibiotics is doing to our health: contributing to the rise of obesity, asthma, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. In Missing Microbes, Dr. Martin Blaser invites us into the wilds of the human microbiome where for hundreds of thousands of years bacterial and human cells have existed in a peaceful symbiosis that is responsible for the health and equilibrium of our body. Now, this invisible eden is being irrevocably damaged by some of our most revered medical advances?antibiotics?threatening the extinction of our irreplaceable microbes with terrible health consequences. Taking us into both the lab and deep into the fields where these troubling effects can be witnessed firsthand, Blaser not only provides cutting edge evidence for the adverse effects of antibiotics, he tells us what we can do to avoid even more catastrophic health problems in the future.