After setting out from their underground shelter, Hatch and his company struggle to survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland, as they search for knowledge of human civilization and life beyond the Dead Land.This is the first chapter of the post-apocalyptic anthology, Dead Land, currently being developed for an unprecedented multi-media book. If you're an illustrator, animator, a website or game developer, or otherwise interested in being a part of this project, please contact Richard at [email protected]:Richard CunninghamDavid SechrestKalju LeeCurran AltshulClancy Smith Views: 374
This essay examines the roles of luck and hard work in determining lifetime earnings, and summarizes research showing that at least half of what we earn is explained by the "birth accidents" of gender, genes and parents. The implication for tax policy is that a sharply progressive income tax--a "Fortune Tax"--passes the tests for both fairness and efficiency. (18,000 words, 18 charts)Three different short stories, all with a wizard theme.Wilfred the Wizard and the Big Exam The day of Wilfred’s wizard exam has arrived but he is so nervous he pours milk on his toast, puts butter in his tea and then tea in his jam! But what about Wanda and her Witchy Warehouse? Will she spoil the day?The Olde Shoe Shoppe A shoe shop that never seems to sell any shoes? There must be a reason...when people try on the shoes, they find they don't fit. No matter what size they try. No matter how many sizes too big they try; the shoes are always the wrong size! But this is only half the reason... Peta and her Missing ParentsPeta's parents went on holiday but didn't come back! Did their plane really crash land on a very tiny desert island, somewhere in the middle of nowhere? Is it all her uncle’s fault? And what about her friend Marcie? Views: 374
An invitation to Cupid's Café will change your life.Agatha Kakos is one brownie bite away from losing her dinner when an invitation to Cupid's Café shows up on her doorstep. Fighting bulimia and her mother's constant verbal abuse has never been easy. An offer to meet a secret admirer is more a morale booster, if anything.Following a break-in and the destruction of his paintings, starving artist Murphy O'Shea finds himself at wits end. Not only does he need to prepare ten more paintings, but in the midst of another manic/depressive episode, the challenge seems impossible. He's got two months or he'll have to cancel his first show. The Cupid's Café invite offers him a chance to find his muse. He doesn't expect it to be the woman he's mirrored every previous painting on, nor does he plan on being able to offer Aggie the help she needs.Aggie finds saving grace by renting an apartment from Murph in exchange for posing for paintings. She's... Views: 374
Hëna has been lost. Junior and wounded Seraphin have been kidnapped. Daniel and Nemo are stuck in a cell. Sam is unconscious. Damien is in despair. Serena and Freddie have been shot. Alfie is MIA. And evil finally has a name, Drakeon, and a plan, to become lord over all creation. Things could not look more desperate for Daniel and his friends. Will they be able to overcome all of these obstacles, save their worlds, and defeat Drakeon for good, or will it all fall at the hands of this ancient evil? All the questions are answered as the journey for Daniel comes to an end in this third and final volume of The Endërland Chronicles: Book of Joshua. Views: 373
Starfire lives in a wold where dragons and dragonriders are everywhere. She ran away from home when she was little, due to bad living situations and she lost her dragon when she was nine. She was then cursed for eternity. And then a boy shows up, and he appears to be her dragonrider. She doesn't even know if that's possible, because of the fact that she used to be human.Starfire lives in a wold where dragons and dragonriders are everywhere. She ran away from home when she was little, due to bad living situations and she lost her dragon when she was nine. She was then cursed for eternity. And then a boy shows up, and he appears to be her dragonrider. She doesn't even know if that's possible, because of the fact that she used to be human. Ride along over the clouds with Starfire as she tries to reverse the curse, running through labyrinths to get to the cure.. . . Views: 373
A captivating short story taken from the collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written and illustrated by two great Irish talents in children's fiction today On the day of the Winter Solstice, all the birds of Ireland assemble before the wise old Barn Owl to choose their ruler by a trial of flight. When Iolar the Golden Eagle, the largest and most powerful bird there, is challenged to the title by the tiny and mysterious Dreolin the Wren, his feathers aren't ruffled: he thinks he deserves to win. But perhaps his confidence is misplaced, for having courage, heart and the respect of your peers are just as important as strength and endurance... An uplifting tale of the triumph of ingenuity over strength, whose memorable characters are brought to life by evocative artwork. Look out for the other eleven stories - also available as e-shorts! Views: 373
This fantasy novella tells the story of a young wizard who participates in a magical competition that goes fundamentally wrong, pitting him and his fellow competitors against a deadly maze in a desperate struggle for survival. The novella is a prequel to the full-length novel Of Spells and Demons.This fantasy novella (19,000 words) tells the story of a young wizard who participates in a magical contest that goes fundamentally wrong, pitting him and his fellow competitors against a deadly maze in a desperate struggle for survival. Student mage Keric Olwyhn is reluctant to enter the annual Labyrinth competition, but is ultimately convinced to represent his order of magic in front of the teachers and students of the University of Sacreth. What he and his other competitors do not know is that there is another interested party this year, one that would like to see all four of the student mages suffer gruesome public deaths. The novella is a prequel to the full-length novel Of Spells and Demons. Views: 373
Bryson's having issues living up to his legendary dead father, but promise looms near as he's inducted into the Jestivan—an elite group of ten students that his dad once belonged to. They must set aside their differences, infiltrate foreign realms and track down kings, as a dangerous relic is stolen, an ancient war boils over, and a friend is taken from their ranks... A magical epic fantasy.When birthed into the world as the son of the great Mendac LeAnce, miraculous feats are expected from you. Mendac was the Fifth of Five, making him the final hero in the Of Five—a five-part series of fairy tales that stretches over 1,500 years.Bryson, unfortunately, was given the impossible task of following in his dead father's footsteps. And after sixteen years of mediocrity, the only time people notice him is to ridicule his existence. The world has given up on Mendac's son.But there are two people on Bryson's side: a stone-faced, lifelong best friend who's never expressed an emotion in her life, and a secret-riddled man who has taken care of Bryson since his father's death. They're his rocks. He has learned to appreciate and lean on their friendship, regardless of their more mysterious sides … even if those mysteries put Bryson's life in jeopardy.Things are looking up for the young LeAnce as the new school year at Phesaw begins. He receives a letter informing him of his induction into the recreation of the Jestivan, an elite group of students that had only existed once in the school's history—a group his father was once a member of thirty years prior. Its formation presents the opportunity of new friends for Bryson. But when ten highly talented students come together, there is bound to be conflict.Warring personalities and competitive attitudes are minor hurdles, however, considering the fact that warring kingdoms are more pressing. A 1,500-year war boils over as a traitor turns his back on his realm, threats of a dangerous king rising from the ashes begin to surface, one of the Jestivan goes missing, and someone close to Bryson is hiding something with more regard for the thing being protected than Bryson's life.The Jestivan must develop camaraderie, and do it fast. Otherwise, they're going to have to force it. And that can end in devastation. Views: 373
An extraordinary artist with few rivals in his chosen arena, Dan Simmons possesses a restless talent that continually presses boundaries while tantalizing the mind and touching the soul. Now he offers us a superb quintet of novellas -- five dazzling masterworks of speculative fiction, including "Orphans of the Helix," his award-winning return to the Hyperion Universe -- that demonstrates the unique mastery, breathtaking invention, and flawless craftsmanship of one of contemporary fiction's true greats.
Human colonists seeking something other than godhood encounter their long-lost "cousins"...and an ancient scourge.
A devastated man in suicide's embrace is caught up in a bizarre cat-and-mouse game with a young woman possessing a world-ending power.
The distant descendants of a once-oppressed people learn a chilling lesson about the persistence of the past.
A terrifying ascent up the frigid, snow-swept slopes of K2 shatters preconceptions and reveals the true natures of four climbers, one of whom is not human.
At the intersection of a grand past and a threadbare present, an aging American in Russia confronts his own mortality as he glimpses a wondrous future. Views: 373
