" Disneyland with the Death Penalty " is an article about Singapore written by William Gibson. His first major piece of non-fiction, it was first published as the cover storyfor Wired magazine's September/October 1993 issue (1.4). The article follows Gibson's observations of the architecture, phenomenology and culture of Singapore, and the clean, bland and conformist impression the city-state conveys during his stay. Its title and central metaphor—Singapore as Disneyland with the death penalty—is a reference to the authoritarian artifice the author perceives the city-state to be. Singapore, Gibson details, is lacking any sense of creativity or authenticity, absent of any indication of its history or underground culture. He finds the government to be pervasive, corporatist and technocratic, and the judicial system rigid and draconian. Singaporeans are characterised as consumerists of insipid taste. The article is accentuated by local news reports of criminal trials by which the author illustrates his observations, and bracketed by contrasting descriptions of the South-East Asian airports he arrives and leaves by. Though Gibson's first major piece of non-fiction, the article had an immediate and lasting impact. The Singaporean government banned Wired upon the publication of the issue, and the phrase "Disneyland with the death penalty" became a byword for bland authoritarianism that the city-state could not easily discard. Views: 56
"By the time this present group of stories was written I had passed through the cultural turbulence that engulfed nearly everyone s life in the wild, stormy period we know as 'the Sixties,' which for me had actually lasted from 1968 to 1974 or 1975. I had come through my own angry four-year-long retirement from writing in the middle 1970s, and was working again at a steady pace, though not with the frenetic prolificacy of the pre-retirement years. At the beginning of this period my personal life was still pretty chaotic, a carryover from all that Sixties madness, and plenty of new chaos was going to descend on me while some of these stories were written, but I was tiptoeing toward an escape from the various messes that were complicating my life, and by the time the last five stories of this volume were being written I was heading into the stability of my second marriage." -Robert Silverberg, from his Introduction Views: 56
Sequel to Much Fall of Blood, book 4 in the Heirs of Alexandria series. Civilization at the crossroads. In an alternate Renaissance where magic works, a captain of Italian forces must deal with gods, goddesses and warfare in order to save his daughter at the siege of Constantinople—and prevent a new dark age.In an alternate 15th century where magic still is part of life, the Holy Roman Empire rules Europe. Constantinople is under siege by the Venetians and their allies. Hekate, Goddess of Crossroads, presides over the conflict and carnage as alternate visions of civilization collide. And since Constantinople is the crossroad city of east and west, and it is here that Italian captain Benito Valdosta must deal with the powerful magical manifestation of the Weeping Woman, a disguised Hekate, in order to save his daughter and to destroy the fleets of the Chernobog assembling in the Black Sea before they can cut into the soft underbelly of Europe. With land battle, naval action, cunning assassinations, and heartbreak aplenty—not to mention the ongoing conflict between Lord of the Dead Aidonus and Benito for the love of a woman, civilization is at the crossroads and choices must be made that will bring victory and freedom for centuries to come—or a new Dark Age.About the Heirs of Alexander series:“In this world, broken off from ours in A.D. 349. . . Christian magic battles blackest sorcery. . . making for hours of old-fashioned reading fun . . . Lackey, Flint and Freer [are] mixmasters of nearly every heard-of myth.” Publishers Weekly"[V]ast and absorbing. . .it is almost impossible to put it down while the tension remains high. . .Lackey and associates' areas of expertise, including naval history and classical mythology, are smoothly blended.”—BooklistAbout the AuthorMercedes Lackey is the New York Times best-selling author of the Bardic Voices series and the Serrated Edge series (both Baen), the Heralds of Valdemar series, and many more. Among her popular Baen titles are The Fire Rose, The Lark and the Wren, and The Shadow of the Lion (with Eric Flint and Dave Freer). She lives in Oklahoma.Eric Flint is a modern master of alternate history fiction, with over three million books in print. He’s the author/creator of the New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series. With David Drake he has written six popular novels in the “Belisarius” alternate Roman history series, and with David Weber collaborated on 1633 and 1634: The Baltic War. Flint was for many years a labor union activist. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.Dave Freer is an ichthyologist turned author who lives on Flinders Island (between mainland Australia and Tasmania) with his wife, four dogs and four cats, and two sons. He has coauthored a range of novels with Eric Flint (Rats, Bats and Vats, The Rats, the Bats and the Ugly, Pyramid Scheme, and Pyramid Power), with Mercedes Lackey and Eric Flint (The Shadow of the Lion, This Rough Magic, The Wizard of Karres, Much Fall of Blood and Freer’s solo entry in the series, A Mankind Witch) as well as writing the Dragon’s Ring novels Dragon’s Ring and Dog and Dragon. Views: 56
Nyx had already been to hell. One prayer more or less wouldn't make any difference... On a ravaged, contaminated world, a centuries-old holy war rages, fought by a bloody mix of mercenaries, magicians, and conscripted soldiers. Though the origins of the war are shady and complex, there's one thing everybody agrees on-- There's not a chance in hell of ending it. Nyx is a former government assassin who makes a living cutting off heads for cash. But when a dubious deal between her government and an alien gene pirate goes bad, Nyx's ugly past makes her the top pick for a covert recovery. The head they want her to bring home could end the war--but at what price? The world is about to find out. Views: 56
Ambulance Ship is a 1979 science fiction novel by author James White and is part of the Sector General series. “Contagion” — An ancient sleeper ship is found whose last occupants died only months before. The rescue ship and ambulance crews come down with a mysterious illness. “Quarantine” — The sole survivor from a spacewreck is brought back to the hospital, and stuns everyone by downing half the surgical team. “Recovery” — A ship is found with absolutely no visible markings. A torture corridor inside beats on whatever passes, including a violent non-sentient and a telepathic sentient who communicates with the ambulance staff about the Blind Ones’ need. Views: 56
A Modern Twist on an Ancient Evil Tales of vampires in New Orleans are as old as the city itself. Legendary spirits haunt every dark alley, lurking in the shadows and around every corner. But there are some creatures of the night that you won't hear about on the ghost tours. For centuries, The Eyes of The Sun have used their genetic superiority to rule from the shadows, preying on the weak and manipulating those in positions of power. Their ultimate goal: immortality. But when the balance of power becomes too one sided, humanity adapts. The Eyes of The Sun are no longer the only ones with superior genetics in their favor. The hunted have become hunters and one woman in particular may hold the key to taking the ancient organization down once and for all. There's only one problem. How can she take a life without becoming the very thing she is meant to destroy? This collection contains all three books in the series, The Eyes of The Sun: The Eyes of The Sun Bluebeard's Children Mother of Darkness** Views: 56
A chilling anthology of crime fiction by 19 acclaimed authors of color.From a simple robbery gone horribly wrong to a grisly murder in a secret love dungeon, this stellar collection of crime fiction short stories showcases some of today's finest young fiction voices of color.Edited by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Abby Vandiver, this anthology will keep you on the edge of your seat.Welcome to Midnight Hour...Jennifer Chow: "Midnight Escapade"After years of silence, two women decide to meet up in a unique escape room but get trapped in a deadly game from which there may be no escape.Tracy Clark: "Lucky Thirteen"A gun. A last meal. And only one survivor. Sometimes the stars align—but only for the lucky one—as predator and prey come face-to-face one fateful New Year's Eve.H. C. Chan: "Murderer's Feast"Techpreneur John Manley left a trail of duped investors and damaged women in his wake. What... Views: 56
