"Cordwainer Smith" is the pen name that Paul Linebarger used to write some of the most remarkable pages of science fiction of all time.The creator of these curious stories, which took place in a remote future but overflowed with allusions to the present day, was a complex, contradictory and decidedly undefinable character.He was born in the United States, where he would also die, but he lived in four continents. A polyglot and cosmopolite, his training left a deep footprint on Chinese culture. From a young age he frequented the political world of the Far East. Sun Yat-sen, the first Chinese president, was his godfather and he represented Chiang Kai-shek in Washington while still in adolescence. He discussed strategy with Mao Zedong and became an advisor to Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, for whom he also wrote speeches.During World War II, he helped organize one of the United States' first intelligence services. Within this framework, he wrote a manual on psychological warfare because he believed persuading the enemy was more virtuous than destroying it.He toyed with characters like Rambo and James Bond long before others ever did, but never fully adopted them. Before assuming the identity of "Cordwainer Smith," he suffered a deep crisis that gave him a glimpse into madness, but he emerged unscathed just as he was beginning to drag his therapist into it as well.He remained connected to the world of espionage by questioning and raising suspicions of stories of where it might be possible to find the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King, and likewise with regard to the civil rights movement, and even Marilyn Monroe.In these cases, the author's personality is equally as, if not more, fascinating than his work, which allows this book to not be bogged down in literary analysis and compels immersion into the complexities of human conscience. Views: 17
Willow Yancy lost her career as a ballet dancer, and nearly her life, after being in the right place at the wrong time. Located by her shooter, she's transferred and placed into the protection of people who have secrets of their own. As bait to lure the enemy, she'll accept all the help she can get, especially if it comes from the one man who makes her body sizzle with desire.
Ben Alexander is a charming ski instructor and go-to guy for the shifter wolf pack in Colorado. Its this engaging attitude that lands him baby-sitting duty. Only this baby turns out to be a gorgeous redhead that captivates his senses. With the pending full moon, Ben must tell Willow the truth about himself and many of those she's come to call friends. A daunting task because if she runs, she'll destroy him. Yet how can she resist being seduced by a shifter? Views: 17
The latest from New York Times bestselling author, Douglas E. Richards, Out of This World is a wildly entertaining science fiction/fantasy adventure for kids and adults alike. Ages 9 to adult To save their parents they will have to travel to unknown worlds. Too bad the natives on each world all seem to want them dead . . . Zachary and Jenna Lane are a brother and sister pair who would much rather tease and trick each other than work together. But when their parents vanish before their eyes through a mysterious shimmering portal, the two kids join forces and adventure through a series of fantastic worlds in an effort to rescue them. But each world is more treacherous than the last, and staying alive for even a day will prove to be the ultimate test of their wits, courage, and determination. And when they finally puzzle out what is happening to them and why, the impossible happens: things get even worse. Because far more is at stake than just their lives. And the odds against them could not be any greater . . . Out of This World is a fast-paced adventure sure to delight young and old alike, packed with breakneck action, brilliant escapes, thrilling cliffhangers, and plenty of heart. Note: Richards is also the author of the YA science fiction series, The Prometheus Project, and the adult thriller, WIRED, which was the bestselling Kindle book of 2011 in two major categories: science fiction and technothrillers]About the AuthorDouglas E. Richards is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the science-fiction/technothriller, WIRED, its sequel, AMPED, THE CURE, MIND'S EYE, QUANTUM LENS, BRAINWEB, and six critically acclaimed adventures for children. Richards was a biotechnology executive for many years before leaving to write full time. He earned a BS in microbiology from the Ohio State University, a master's degree in molecular biology (aka "genetic engineering") from the University of Wisconsin--Madison, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. In 2010, in recognition of his work, Richards was selected to be a "special guest" at San Diego Comic-Con International, along with such icons as Stan Lee, Ray Bradbury, and Rick Riordan. He has written numerous feature articles for the award-winning magazine, National Geographic KIDS -- some having appeared in a dozen languages in as many as sixteen countries -- as well as essays for the BBC, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Earth & Sky, Today's Parent, and many others. Richards currently lives in San Diego, California with his wife, Kelly, his children, Ryan and Regan (for whom the main characters in his PROMETHEUS PROJECT series are named), and his dogs Dash and Myla. You can friend Richards on Facebook at Douglas E. Richards Author, visit his website at douglaserichards.com, and write to him at [email protected] Views: 17
Let's imagine you are a brilliant young scientist, just ready to graduate from Cal-Tech and you invent and build a machine that will fundamentally change the course of human history.You know your anti-gravity device will revolutionize industry; and the ripple effect will touch every person on the planet. So how do you get your device to market without inciting economic chaos?This is exactly the dilemma faced by Bill Burton, our brilliant, yet down-to-earth young scientist. How does he navigate the web of good and evil entities who will stop at nothing to own his device and the science behind it?With the help of an enigmatic beautiful scientist, Dr. Stella Morton and her Private Investigator brother, Rolf, new author Tim Blagge, weaves a spellbinding story rife with betrayals and mysteries that involve both criminal organizations and the highest levels of the world's governments. Strong characters, humor, pulse pounding excitement and an ending like no other will satisfy even the most discerning fan of contemporary conspiracy novels. Views: 17
At the conclusion of The Last Confederate, almost twenty-four thousand Union and Confederate soldiers had fallen on the field of battle at Sharpsburg, making it the bloodiest day of American history. Among the casualties for the South was Captain Vance Wickham, husband of Belle Wickham. She was a daughter of Sky and Rebekah Winslow, and now the tragedy of war makes its dreaded call upon the Winslow family. In The Dixie Widow, Belle Wickham's sorrow turns to anger and bitterness, then finally to blind hatred for the North. She declares in steely voice, "I live for only one purpose: to see the Union destroyed," and vows to remain a widow until the Yankees are whipped. Belle is persuaded to travel to her Winslow relatives in the Washington, D.C. area and spy for the Confederacy—at the risk of her own life. Taken into the home of her grandfather, Captain Whitfield Winslow, she is in a strategic position to secure secret information to pass to the South. But an even... Views: 17
