This is the first book (of 40, counting two big-little books) in the original Tom Swift series. Although in later volumes Tom invents some fantastic stuff (for the period, 1910 - 1938), but in this one, he starts amall, buying a motorcycle (relatively new stuff in 1910) from the eccentric Mr. Wakefield Damon, who accidently tried to climb a tree with it. Tom improves the machine and uses it to attempt to bring a model and papers of his father\'s latest invention to Albany where the family\'s corporate lawyer was. Tom is waylaid but a gang intent on stealing the invention, and does some detective work tracking the men down after they succeed in their theft. He starts after them alone, but meets Mr. Damon and his friends, and they succeed in regaining the model and papers - the crooks manage to get away, to come back in "Tome Swift and his Motor Boat", the 2nd book of the series. We briefly meet Mary Nestor, whose horse runs away with her, but she figures more prominently in later volumes. With a more significant role, we also meet Eradicate "Rad" Sampson, and African-American man-of-all-work. Unfortunately he is given the stereotypical speech patterns given to black characters in the period this is written, but his characterization is usually quite positive (he often provided some comic relief, as he\'s reluctant to go on some of Tom\'s inventions later on). Rad, in this first book, is shown as industrious and repeatedly acquires better tools throughout the book (although Tom either fixes or improves the tools), and it is Rad that gives Tom the clue that tracks down the thieves. Ned Newton, Tom\'s friend, and Andy Foger, Tom\'s enemy, are also introduced, but their parts are small; like Mary, they become more significant later. American boys\' fiction under pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate who produced Tom Swift series, Nancy Drew mysteries, the Hardy Boys, Dave Fearless and many others.A number of scientists, inventors, and science fiction writers have also credited Tom Swift with inspiring them, including Ray Kurzweil, Robert A. Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov. The Tom Swift, Jr. adventures were Steve Wozniak\'s favorite reading as a boy and inspired him to become a scientist. According to Wozniak, reading the Tom Swift books made him feel "that engineers can save the world from all sorts of conflict and evil." Views: 964
In the year 1689, a cabal of Barbary galley slaves -- including one Jack Shaftoe, aka King of the Vagabonds, aka Half-Cocked Jack -- devises a daring plan to win freedom and fortune. A great adventure ensues -- a perilous race for an enormous prize of silver ... nay, gold ... nay, legendary gold.
In Europe, the exquisite and resourceful Eliza, Countess de la Zeur, is stripped of her immense personal fortune by France's most dashing privateer. Penniless and at risk from those who desire either her or her head (or both), she is caught up in a web of international intrigue, even as she desperately seeks the return of her most precious possession.
Meanwhile, Newton and Leibniz continue to propound their grand theories as their infamous rivalry intensifies, stubborn alchemy does battle with the natural sciences, dastardly plots are set in motion ... and Daniel Waterhouse seeks passage to the Massachusetts colony in hopes of escaping the madness into which his world has descended.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more. Views: 964
Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches...
Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course. Views: 964
This is a short story:Brett Finlay killed himself.Things get weird when he regains consciousness right before his funeral.When an epidemic turns most New Yorkers into vampires, a handful of remaining humans find themselves struggling to survive in a quarantined Manhattan. As their numbers dwindle, Ailis Laurent undergoes a transformation of her own: she becomes a hardened vampire killer.City of Whispers is the first book in the City of Whispers series. The sequel to City of Whispers is titled The Old City and is now available. Thank you for your support! Views: 963
Gilberic Parzival Moth is a strange and lonely boy who has grown up without a father, raised by a single mother who moves from town to town in fear of something she will not name. His only friends are animals, with whom he has always been able to speak. And although he has begun to learn about his true heritage, he also discovers that the modern world is not always friendly towards monster-killing knights errant, particularly when the police find them covered in blood.
But the long arm of the Twilight world reaches even into the jail cells of Asheville, North Carolina. Gilberic soon finds himself bound to the service of an ancient writ and a higher law, and traveling to eldritch places filled with enchanted creatures, immortal lords and ladies, and dangerous temptations. FEAST OF THE ELFS is the second book of THE GREEN KNIGHT'S SQUIRE, the first volume of MOTH & COBWEB, an astonishing new series about magical worlds of Day, Night, and Twilight by John C. Wright.
John C. Wright is one of the living grandmasters of science fiction and the author of THE GOLDEN AGE, AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND, and IRON CHAMBER OF MEMORY, to name just three of his exceptional books. He has been nominated for the Nebula Award, for the Hugo Award, and his novel SOMEWHITHER won the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel at Dragoncon. Views: 963
A look at what might happen if the roles were reversed and cats were in charge of judging humans.This micro book features two poems about freedom. "The first, Twenty Is Not Enough" is told from a mother's point of view about a son that tends to shackle her to disrespect and stress as he looks to forward his agenda in opposition to hers. The second, "Free Indeed" is about some of the racial tensions in today's world told from a woman's perspective. Both poems look deeply into circumstances that bound one to their current conditions as a cry for aid and liberty can be heard from within the text. Views: 963
Reuse, Reduce, Recycle shouldn’t include people. Normally, freezing to death in deep space is pretty permanent. But Engineer Josie Stein was just defrosted a thousand years in the future, aboard the U.F.S. Greenstar, a recycled spaceship on a mission to stop the self-destructive aliens of the galaxy from wiping themselves out.Reuse, Reduce, Recycle shouldn’t include people.Normally, freezing to death in deep space is pretty permanent. But Engineer Josie Stein was just defrosted a thousand years in the future, aboard the U.F.S. Greenstar, a recycled spaceship on a mission to stop the self-destructive aliens of the galaxy from wiping themselves out.If that wasn’t enough, she’s immediately elected captain. The last captain’s success rate was one hundred and sixty-seven alien species extinct to zero saved, so she can’t really do any worse. But how can she deal with aliens when she can no longer understand her own species?Inspired by Star Trek and Buck Rogers, Greenstar is a funny, action-packed take on the future, filled with strange aliens and neurotic characters. Views: 963
To rescue their android friends, the Chee, the Animorphs must use a giant squid morph to get to the Chee ship deep in a trench beneath the ocean. And they must reach the ship before Visser Three does. Views: 961
Earth: expensive, elite graveyard to the galaxy. Ravaged 10,000 years earlier by war, Earth was reclaimed by its space-dwelling offspring as a planet of landscaping and tombstones. None of them fully human, Fletcher, Cynthia, and Elmer journey through this dead world, discovering human traits and undertaking a quest to rebuild a human world on Earth. Views: 961
Both Nick and the Accelerati have learned that the strange objects Nikola Tesla left in Nick’s attic are pieces of a Far Range Energy Emitter, capable of transmitting “free energy” to the globe. Some components of the contraption are still missing, but the objects themselves seem to be leading Nick to their current owners. Each piece is with the person who needs it the most.
But there are plenty of obstacles: Nick finds his judgment impaired by Caitlin’s intoxicating closeness, not to mention her ex-boyfriend Theo’s jealous sabotage; Mitch has to choose between pleasing Petula or helping Nick; and Vince, who gets his hands on some light-absorbing drapes, is so taken by the darkness, he can’t let them go.
The Accelerati, meanwhile, are still around every corner, and they manage to beat Nick to a few more objects. They use the few pieces of Tesla’s technology they've recovered to create a storm and convince local officials that the Tesla F.R.E.E. is hazardous.The objects are confiscated by the Accelerati as the town brings in a wrecking ball to demolish Nick’s house.
The Accelerati transport the objects back to their lab, hidden under the Edison Museum in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Nick knows that is where he’ll find his destiny. Views: 961
Karen was the love of Jack’s life… until she dumped him to take a job as a research assistant at a government science lab in Chicago. Years later, Jack is depressed and alone. But when Karen appears in his dreams and whispers a mysterious number, Jack is pursued by government agents with bizarre super powers and placed on a terrorist watchlist.Karen was the love of Jack’s life… until she dumped him to take a job as a research assistant at a shady government contracted science lab in another town. He tried to put her behind him, but spiraled into a deep, years long depression. Until Karen appeared in his dreams and whispered a mysterious number. Now Jack finds himself placed on a terrorist watch list. His bank accounts are frozen and he’s pursued by relentless government agents with bizarre super powers. Broke, injured and with his life in ruins, Jack must decide how far he’s willing to go for the one that got away. Views: 960
Meet your unforgettable protagonist: God, who, as it turns out, is a 19-year-old boy living in the present-day and sharing an apartment with his long-suffering fifty-something personal assistant. Unfortunately for the planet, God is lazy and, frankly, hopeless. He created all of the world's species in six days because he couldn't summon the energy to work for longer. He gets Africa and America mixed up. And his beleagured assistant has his work cut out for him when God creates a near-apolcalyptic flood, having fallen asleep without turning the bath off. There is No Dog is a darkly funny novel from one of our most delightfully unpredictable writers. Views: 960
A classic science fiction tale by Anthony Gilmore. Views: 959
Even before A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin had already established himself as a giant in the field of fantasy literature. The first of two stunning collections, Dreamsongs: Volume I is a rare treat for readers, offering fascinating insight into his journey from young writer to award-winning master.
Gathered here in Dreamsongs: Volume I are the very best of George R. R. Martin’s early works, including his Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker award–winning stories, cool fan pieces, and the original novella The Ice Dragon, from which Martin’s New York Times bestselling children’s book of the same title originated. A dazzling array of subjects and styles that features extensive author commentary, Dreamsongs, Volume I is the perfect collection for both Martin devotees and a new generation of fans.
“Fans, genre historians and aspiring writers alike will find this shelf-bending retrospective as impressive as it is intriguing.”—*Publishers Weekly
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“Dreamsongs is the ideal way to discover . . . a master of science fiction, fantasy and horror. . . . Martin is a writer like no other.”—The Guardian (U.K.)
PRAISE FOR GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
“Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best. In fact . . . this is as good a time as any to proclaim him the American Tolkien.”—Time
“Long live George Martin . . . a literary dervish, enthralled by complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the wild vision of the very best tale tellers.”—The New York Times
“I always expect the best from George R. R. Martin, and he always delivers.”—Robert Jordan Views: 958
