Songs of a Dreamer was Thomas Ligotti's first collection of supernatural horror stories. When originally published in 1985 by Harry Morris's Silver Scarab Press, the book was hardly noticed. In 1989, an expanded version appeared that garnered accolades from several quarters. Writing in the Washington Post, the celebrated science fiction and fantasy author Michael Swanwick extolled: 'Put this volume on the shelf right between H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Where it belongs.'The revisions in the present volume of Songs of a Dead Dreamer have been calculated to make its stories into enhanced incarnations of the originals. This edition is and will remain definitive.For those already familiar with the stories in Songs of a Dead Dreamer, an invitation is extended to return to them in their ultimate state. For those new to the collection, it is submitted to engage them with some of the most extraordinary tales of their kind. In either case, this publication of Songs of a Dead Dreamer offers evidence for why Ligotti has been judged to be among the most important authors in the history of supernatural horror. Views: 40
Product DescriptionA tremendous bargain, this special edition contains three premier mysteries. In "Diplomatic Deceit (#38)", a gang of con artists are running wild in Washington, D.C., and the Hardys are onto their game. In "Flesh and Blood (#39)", an old enemy targets Frank and Joe's father for deadly revenge. The boys don't know who's behind the threat, but they have one suspect--their best friend. And in "Fright Wave (#40)", crime hits the beach in Waikiki--someone's trying to deep-six a champion surfer and sink the Hardys for good. Note new cover design. Views: 40
Desperate to escape her father and brutal home, Delia McQuaid responds to an ad for a mail-order bride and is immediately entranced by Dr. Ty Savitch, whose promise to deliver a wife to his neighbor becomes compromised by his own passions. Views: 40
Single mom Lizabeth Kane isn't exactly carpenter material -- she's never picked up a hammer in her life. But she desperately needs the construction job that builder Matt Hallahan is offering. And even though he knows trouble is ahead, Matt can't refuse Lizbeth's irresistible smile. Matt Hallahan isn't exactly relationship material -- he has always been too busy working on other people's houses to make a home of his own. And even though she knows better, Lizabeth can't stop thinking about the rugged carpenter. Is the relationship Matt and Lizabeth are building solid -- or more like a house of cards? Views: 40
Don't miss this fan-favorite tale from New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods of lovers separated by circumstance, but destined to find their way back to each other. In the heat of a southern night, Catherine Devlin met Dillon Westin, and together they shared the joy of a single weekend. The sexy businessman charmed her, and in his arms she found a happiness she'd never known. But they lived in different cities, had busy lives—so they parted with a soul-shattering kiss...and a promise to meet again in one year. Catherine spent the passing seasons remembering the passion of those days. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Dillon, and although their joyful reunion brought them together, a lifetime of obligations pulled them apart. And she began to wonder if "next time" would ever mean "forever." Originally published in 1990. Views: 40
'Sara! You must come out! You're wanted downstairs right away,' Lucie hissed through the keyhole on the locked bedroom door. 'Stepmama is furious and Father has sent word that he's coming home early from the Exchange. She says he's in a rage over what you've done!' 'I haven't done anything! It's not my fault if those two hotheads decide to fight a duel!' came her sister's indignant voice from the other side of the door. 'Oh, Sara, please!' Lucie pleaded. 'Father will be here any minute. You must do as you're told!' She shook her head and sighed ruefully, 'You're stubborn, Sara.' 'No,' denied Sara. 'I am strong.' Thus begins the bittersweet story of beautiful Sara Leighton, the headstrong heroine of Folly's Bride, the fourth in the Brides of Montclair series. As with her predecessors, happiness does not come painlessly to this newest bride of Montclair. Her unusual beauty and her independent spirit places her on a collision course with romance, frustration, disappointment, and... Views: 40
ContentsThe House in Goblin Wood - John Dickson CarrThe Other Side - Hake TalbotThe Courtyard of the Fly - Vincent CornierCoffee Break - Arthur PorgesBullion! - W Hope HodgesonProof of Guilt - Bill PronziniAn Absence of Air - Jacques FutrelleThe Impossible Theft - John F SuterIt's a Dog's Life - John LutzThe Death of Cyrus Pettigrew - Sax RohmerGhost in the Gallery - Joseph CommingsThe Missing Romney - Edgar WallaceThe House of Screams - Gerald FindlerThe Impossible Murder - Edward D HochA Nineteenth Century Debacle - George LockeA Razor in Fleet Street - John Dickson CarrDinner at Garibaldi's - Leonard PruynThe Hanging Rope - Joel Townsley RogersNow You See Her - Jeffrey WallmanThe Blind Spot - Barry PerowneChapter the Last: Merriman Explains - Alex AtkinsonAn Extravaganza of Miraculous Murders Fantastic Felonies & Incredible Despite a few weak items, MURDER IMPOSSIBLE is a "must-have" anthology for all
who enjoy so-called "impossible crimes" fiction. Jack Adrian and Robert Adey
have written short introductions to each of the 21 works (20 stories and a short
radio play) and frequently recommend other works by the authors--works which
many readers will probably try to track down. The editors seem proudest
about including Joel Townsley Rogers' short novel THE HANGING ROPE (1946) and
"The Other Side" (1990) by Hake Talbot (pen name of Henning Nelms). Rogers'
novelette in several respects is a tour de force locked-room murder story
(though I felt its style became obtrusive in a few places); Talbot died in 1986,
and his piece was previously unpublished in English. One of the best
locked-room murder Puzzles in this book is John Dickson Carr's "The House in
Goblin Wood" (1947), which involves a plot gimmick found in many other
stories--Anthony Wynne's "The Gold of Tso-fu" (1926), Agatha Christie's "The
Dream" (1937), Derleth's "The Adventure of the Frightened Baronet" (1945),
Knox's "The Adventure of the First Class Carriage" (1947), Hoch's "The Return of
the Speckled Band" (1987), Kaminsky's "The Man from Capetown" (2001), and
Davies' "The Adventure of the Whitrow Inheritance" (2008). John Lutz's
"It's a Dog's Life" (1982) and Edward D. Hoch's "Captain Leopold and the
Impossible Murder" (1976) are excellent Puzzle stories, respectively involving a
missing weapon and a man found strangled in his car during a traffic jam. Edgar
Wallace's "The Missing Romney" (1919), later incorporated into his novel FOUR
SQUARE JANE, also provides an excellent challenge to the reader's wits. Leonard
Pruyn's "Dinner at Garibaldi's" (1954) poses the problem of how a man who dined
three times a day at a gourmet restaurant died of malnutrition. Arthur Porges's
"Coffee Break" (1964) is a good arm-chair locked-room Puzzle, which most readers
ought to be able to solve. Vincent Cornier's "The Courtyard of the Fly" (1937)
involves the theft of pearls, and its interesting Puzzle fooled me.
William Hope Hodgson's "Bullion!" (1911) is very skillfully written as
far as mood and human psychology are concerned but struck me as a little weak as
a Puzzle story. "The Death of Cyrus Pettigrew" (1909), a murder-on-a-train
Puzzle by Sax Rohmer (pen name of Arthur Henry Ward) is just so-so. John F.
Suter's "The Impossible Theft" (1964) is a fairly good Puzzle but seems to be
based on an old trick used by Houdini when people would strip-search him for
keys and lock-picks. Gerald Findler's "The House of Screams" (1932)
strikes me as implausible, and Jacques Futrelle's "Absence of Air" (1922; aka
"Vacuum"), one of the four stories Futrelle left behind in London when he
boarded the TITANIC and went to his death, seems seriously flawed (Jack Adrian
wisely edited Futrelle's story and put the solution at the end instead of in the
middle). Bill Pronzini's "Proof of Guilt" (1973) also involves a missing murder
weapon but is less plausible than Lutz's story and has a serious plot hole (no
attempt was made by the police to test the suspect's hands or clothing for
evidence that he had fired any gun). John Dickson Carr's radio play "A
Razor in Fleet Street" (1952) seems very lame in many respects. Joseph Commings'
"Ghost in the Gallery" (1949), a Senator Brooks U. Banner mystery, contains some
coincidences and a solution that will probably annoy some readers. The Puzzle of
Jeffrey M. Wallmann's "Now You See Her" (1971) involves the disappearance of a
woman, and I had several doubts about its solution. Two of the bonus
pleasures of this anthology are a pair of Parodies: Alex Atkinson's "Chapter the
Last: Merriman Explains" (1951), which tweaks the nose of John Dickson Carr, and
George Locke's "A Nineteenth Century Debacle" (1979), which does a clever number
on the Holmes and Watson adventures. "The Blind Spot" (1945) by Barry
Perowne (pen name of Philip Atkey) is my least favorite of the selections: it
seems designed as a kind of prank on the reader, and although I was easily able
to foresee its ending, I consider it a gyp; since it has been frequently
anthologized, clearly others disagree with my low opinion.
An Extravaganza of Miraculous Murders Fantastic Felonies & Incredible Despite a few weak items, MURDER IMPOSSIBLE is a "must-have" anthology for all
who enjoy so-called "impossible crimes" fiction. Jack Adrian and Robert Adey
have written short introductions to each of the 21 works (20 stories and a short
radio play) and frequently recommend other works by the authors--works which
many readers will probably try to track down. The editors seem proudest
about including Joel Townsley Rogers' short novel THE HANGING ROPE (1946) and
"The Other Side" (1990) by Hake Talbot (pen name of Henning Nelms). Rogers'
novelette in several respects is a tour de force locked-room murder story
(though I felt its style became obtrusive in a few places); Talbot died in 1986,
and his piece was previously unpublished in English. One of the best
locked-room murder Puzzles in this book is John Dickson Carr's "The House in
Goblin Wood" (1947), which involves a plot gimmick found in many other
stories--Anthony Wynne's "The Gold of Tso-fu" (1926), Agatha Christie's "The
Dream" (1937), Derleth's "The Adventure of the Frightened Baronet" (1945),
Knox's "The Adventure of the First Class Carriage" (1947), Hoch's "The Return of
the Speckled Band" (1987), Kaminsky's "The Man from Capetown" (2001), and
Davies' "The Adventure of the Whitrow Inheritance" (2008). John Lutz's
"It's a Dog's Life" (1982) and Edward D. Hoch's "Captain Leopold and the
Impossible Murder" (1976) are excellent Puzzle stories, respectively involving a
missing weapon and a man found strangled in his car during a traffic jam. Edgar
Wallace's "The Missing Romney" (1919), later incorporated into his novel FOUR
SQUARE JANE, also provides an excellent challenge to the reader's wits. Leonard
Pruyn's "Dinner at Garibaldi's" (1954) poses the problem of how a man who dined
three times a day at a gourmet restaurant died of malnutrition. Arthur Porges's
"Coffee Break" (1964) is a good arm-chair locked-room Puzzle, which most readers
ought to be able to solve. Vincent Cornier's "The Courtyard of the Fly" (1937)
involves the theft of pearls, and its interesting Puzzle fooled me.
William Hope Hodgson's "Bullion!" (1911) is very skillfully written as
far as mood and human psychology are concerned but struck me as a little weak as
a Puzzle story. "The Death of Cyrus Pettigrew" (1909), a murder-on-a-train
Puzzle by Sax Rohmer (pen name of Arthur Henry Ward) is just so-so. John F.
Suter's "The Impossible Theft" (1964) is a fairly good Puzzle but seems to be
based on an old trick used by Houdini when people would strip-search him for
keys and lock-picks. Gerald Findler's "The House of Screams" (1932)
strikes me as implausible, and Jacques Futrelle's "Absence of Air" (1922; aka
"Vacuum"), one of the four stories Futrelle left behind in London when he
boarded the TITANIC and went to his death, seems seriously flawed (Jack Adrian
wisely edited Futrelle's story and put the solution at the end instead of in the
middle). Bill Pronzini's "Proof of Guilt" (1973) also involves a missing murder
weapon but is less plausible than Lutz's story and has a serious plot hole (no
attempt was made by the police to test the suspect's hands or clothing for
evidence that he had fired any gun). John Dickson Carr's radio play "A
Razor in Fleet Street" (1952) seems very lame in many respects. Joseph Commings'
"Ghost in the Gallery" (1949), a Senator Brooks U. Banner mystery, contains some
coincidences and a solution that will probably annoy some readers. The Puzzle of
Jeffrey M. Wallmann's "Now You See Her" (1971) involves the disappearance of a
woman, and I had several doubts about its solution. Two of the bonus
pleasures of this anthology are a pair of Parodies: Alex Atkinson's "Chapter the
Last: Merriman Explains" (1951), which tweaks the nose of John Dickson Carr, and
George Locke's "A Nineteenth Century Debacle" (1979), which does a clever number
on the Holmes and Watson adventures. "The Blind Spot" (1945) by Barry
Perowne (pen name of Philip Atkey) is my least favorite of the selections: it
seems designed as a kind of prank on the reader, and although I was easily able
to foresee its ending, I consider it a gyp; since it has been frequently
anthologized, clearly others disagree with my low opinion. Views: 40
Rose Macaulay was one of the most popular satirical novelists of her day. In this lively, anecdotal collection, she turns her admittedly opinionated attention to life's random, and largely unrecorded, pleasures. From astronomy to new cars, church-going to the turtles in Hyde Park, she never fails to delight and amuse with her sure philosophical sense, sharp wit, and unerring eye for life's subtle ironies. "How true it is that every pleasure has also its reverse side, in brief, its pain. Therefore, I have added to most of my pleasures the little flavor of bitterness, the flaw in their perfections . . . which tang their sweetness and remind us of their mortality and our own, and that nothing in this world is perfect." Views: 39
DARKMAN
Once, he had a normal life, a beautiful girlfriend, and a brilliant medical career—creating synthetic skin for accident victims . . .
Then, he was a victim himself, brutally attacked by sadistic criminals—his face and body burned beyond recognition . . .
Now, he walks the night, searching for the woman he loves. A man who looks like a monster, he hopes to salvage his scorched flesh . . . and take revenge on those who destroyed his life.
EVERY SOUL HAS A DARK SIDE.
THIS TIME, IT WALKS LIKE A MAN . . . Views: 39
Insanity was just the beginning.His madness is legendary.His evil without limit.
Scarred in both body and mind, The Joker is possibly the most insidious criminal the world has ever known, his dark genius festering beneath an eternal jester’s grin. Yet, for all the pain and suffering Batman’s nemesis has brought the world over the last five decades, virtually nothing has been learned about him. Until now.
In The Further Adventures of The Joker you’re invited to accompany some of today’s most gifted writers on a descent into madness, a journey in search of The Joker’s greatest hopes, dreams . . . and fears. In these stories of crime, mayhem, horror, and twisted humor, you will discover tales you won’t soon forget, tales which will chill your soul and tickle your funny bone. Views: 39
t is 1988, just two years away from "the decade of friendship," and there is still time on the clock for all the greed and need of the 80s to wreak havoc on the lives of this ensemble cast of distressed but endearing New Yorkers. With razor sharp wit and great comic invention, Leap Year charts the uneasy paths people take around the physical and emotional land mines of city life. The score of quirky characters ricochet back and forth between downtown lofts, art galleries, health clubs, restaurants--even a sperm bank--in the attempt to discover fame, fortune, and true love. In this leap year, however, everything seems slightly awry, as unexpected affairs, an accidental kidnapping, catering disasters, murder, and a regrettable amount of bad publicity turns everyone's lives upside down. Peter Cameron's Leap Year is a comic valentine to a frenzied era, serving up the lusts and laments of an entire generation with great wit and affection. With its large and lively cast of gay and straight characters, Leap Year is a comic satire with the same appeal as Armistad Maupin's Tales of the City novels.The many fans of Peter Cameron's brilliant novels The Weekend and Andorra now have the opportunity to read the long out-of-print debut novel of one of America's finest writers.From Publishers WeeklyA funny, fast-paced and ambitious first novel by a New Yorker writer whose stories were previously collected in One Way or Another , this romantic comedy (previously published in weekly installments in 7 Days ) chronicles a year in the life of New Yorkers lost in the twilight of the '80s. Loren and David have been separated for several months; David is torn between love for his family (they have a daughter, Kate) and passion for his male temp, Heath; Loren, now seeing Gregory, can't seem to stop loving David. While Heath struggles with the discomfort he feels at loving an older, shorter, bisexual man, Lillian, Loren and David's lonely mutual friend, consults a sperm bank; and Judith, Loren's mother (taking a sabbatical from her marriage at her husband's request) begins an affair with an Asian named Fang. Villains include scheming Amanda Paine, director of an art gallery, and Solange and Anton Shawangunk, its jaded, perverse and ultra-rich co-owners. What happens to Solange at the opening of the show Amanda gives Heath (who is an artist as well as a temp) is among the events raised above simple comedy or melodrama by Cameron's focus on issues of sexual responsibility and his resonant, jewel-like prose. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalOriginally published in 7 Days magazine, this first novel reveals skill, a dark sense of humor, and, best of all, the promise of better novels to come. Despite some rather frenetic crosscutting and a tendency toward the tour de force , it cleverly satirizes a number of quirky characters caught up in events that include an earthquake, a kidnapping, voodoo at a Day Care Center, and a murder trial. Loren and David, amiably divorced, involved with lovers, and raising their daughter, unify the novel. Other characters have at times slightly contrived connections with them. Despite the emphasis on empty lives caught up in success and sex, the author provides some likable characters, allowing the reader a sense of relief when all turns out well for them. A good choice for current and selective collections.-Elizabeth Guiney Sandvick, North Hennepin Community Coll., MinneapolisCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 39
Keith Doyle, believer in myths, goodhearted nerd, general busybody, and business major at Midwestern University, discovers to his joy—and horror—that a secret village of pointy-eared, magical little elves are occupying a vacant level of the library building. Their leader, The Master, tutors students to pass difficult courses. Marcy, the girl of Keith’s dreams, is already a member of the class. But the library is in danger of being torn down, thanks to a modernization campaign led by Keith himself. The students of the secret class hate him. Marcy is devastated. It looks as though the elves’ home will be destroyed. Keith and the Little Folk need one another. The only thing that can save Keith’s social life is elven magic. And the only thing that can save the elves is the magic of … free enterprise.About the AuthorJody Lynn Nye lists her main career activity as ‘spoiling cats.’ When not engaged upon this worthy occupation, she writes fantasy and science fiction books and short stories. Before breaking away from gainful employment to write full time, Jody worked as a file clerk, book-keeper at a small publishing house, freelance journalist and photographer, accounting assistant and costume maker. For four years, she was on the technical operations staff of a local Chicago television station, ending as Technical Operations Manager. Since 1987 she has published 45 books and more than 110 short stories. Although she is best known as a collaborator with other notable authors such as Anne McCaffrey (the Ship Who series, the Dinosaur Planet series), Robert Asprin (Dragons and the Myth-Adventures), John Ringo (Clan of the Claw) and Piers Anthony, Jody has numerous solo books to her credit, mostly fantasy and science fiction with a humorous bent. Her newest book is Fortunes of the Imperium (Baen Books), the second of the Lord Thomas Kinago books, which she describes as “Jeeves and Wooster in space.” Over the last twenty-five years or so, Jody has taught in numerous writing workshops and speaks at schools and libraries, and teaches the two-day writers' workshop at DragonCon in Atlanta. When not writing, she enjoys baking, calligraphy, travel, photography and, of course, reading. Jody lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with her husband, Bill Fawcett, and Jeremy, their cat. jodylynnnye.com Views: 39
