Jon Carghen meets one of his sisters-in-arms, Evelyn, who has bad news for the pacifist Crimson Knight. He is being hunted by his own kind. The decision he must make is dastardly at best, but what choice does he really have?Jon Carghen, part of an Order who dispenses justice against the immoral and supernatural, learns he is in danger by order of his leaders. Should he refuse to give up his Divine Right, he will be pursued, hunted down by his own brothers and sisters. What will Jon's decision be, and can he live with it once it's made?This short story is a sequel to the novella Paints the Invisible Eye, and a lead in to the upcoming Knightfall fantasy series. Views: 732
From Isaac Asimov, the writer whose name is synonymous with robots and the science of robotics, here are five decades of robot visions--thirty-four landmark stories and essays, including three rare tales--gathered together in one volume. Meet all of Asimov's most famous creations: Robbie, the very first robot that his imagination brought to life; Susan Calvin, the original robot psychologist; Stephen Byerley, the humanoid robot; and the famous human-robot detective team of Lije Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw, who have appeared in such bestselling novesl as The Robots of Dawn and Robots and Empire. Let the master himself guide you through the key moments in the fictional history of robot-human relations--from the most primitive computers and movile machines to the first robot to become a man. (Description from back cover) Views: 728
1421. In England's remote Welsh Borderlands, a future queen of Scotland would learn the true meaning of sacrifice and the feared name of Owain Glyndwr, the Welsh warrior-prince, would be whispered abroad one last time; all for the saving of the children of Clun.Now that Carmen has almost recovered from her injuries caused by a car accident, Carmen and Ulrike can begin and enjoy their relationship in earnest. On the occasion of Carmen’s mother’s birthday, Ulrike is about to meet Carmen’s family for the first time, including Carmen’s brother José, whose reckless driving, in Ulrike’s opinion, landed Carmen in hospital. Both women are rather apprehensive about this meeting, however, the afternoon with the family yields some unexpected results for both of them.Taxi - Trials is the second book in the Taxi series. Views: 723
Two factions of children in separate schools find themselves at odds. One is humiliated but rises to take vengeance on the other. It was war. And the children loved it.Emily Moore never thought passion for antique jewelry would reveal a secret past, heritage to a hidden world, and the responsibility of securing a powerful amulet.With the glass people hot on her heels, Emily protects the amulet containing their stolen magic. If that isn’t enough, she must decide if she can trust David, her once abusive boyfriend and the only one to help secure the amulet.Along with Gabe and the Blackbirds, Emily searches for the fabled Pandora’s Lock—the only way to contain the glass people. Seeking the Alfheim’s and a renegade pirate’s wisdom, the Blackbirds discover Pandora’s Lock is something constructed—a portal, but something must lure them to their prison—bait—Emily’s amulet and a guiding light—David who was poisoned by his father and on the verge of transforming into a glass person.With Eutopia’s Wall nearly complete, Atlantis on the threshold of destruction, Emily holds everything on a slender chain—including bringing her mother back from the grasp of the glass people. In the end, Emily is faced with one final choice…live in the Eutopia—the world she came from, or Atlantis—the world she come to love. Views: 721
Two classic novels are collected in this volume that includes a new introduction written by the author. In The City and the Stars, the only man born among immortals wants to find out what lies beyond the city. And in The Sands of Mars, a science-fiction writer visits a research colony on Mars and discovers the perils of survival on another world. Views: 718
Leyla has been looking forward to this momentous day for 15 long years. Will it live up to expectations? Or will it end with terror and tears?This is a short story of 1,880 words. It is part two in the 'Origins' series of stories which connect with one another in unexpected ways.A short science-fiction horror story. What is the purpose of The Pods, spherical metallic machines that slowly fall from the Northern skies one night. And what happens when two young brothers take one home, and begin to examine and dismantle it? What is the terrible secret of The Pods.Updated 11/12; Easier to read on your e-device. Views: 716
The first novel of a new space-opera sequence set in an all-new universe by the Hugo Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Redshirts and Old Man's War.
Our universe is ruled by physics and faster than light travel is not possible -- until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transport us to other worlds, around other stars.
Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It’s a hedge against interstellar war -- and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.
The Flow is eternal -- but it is not static. Just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well, cutting off worlds from the rest of humanity. When it’s discovered that The Flow is moving, possibly cutting off all human worlds from faster than light travel forever, three individuals -- a scientist, a starship captain and the Empress of the Interdependency -- are in a race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse. Views: 714
When Oliver Sacks was twelve years old, a perceptive schoolmaster wrote in his report: “Sacks will go far, if he does not go too far.” It is now abundantly clear that Sacks has never stopped going. From its opening pages on his youthful obsession with motorcycles and speed, On the Move is infused with his restless energy. As he recounts his experiences as a young neurologist in the early 1960s, first in California, where he struggled with drug addiction, and then in New York, where he discovered a long-forgotten illness in the back wards of a chronic hospital, we see how his engagement with patients comes to define his life.
With unbridled honesty and humor, Sacks shows us that the same energy that drives his physical passions—weight lifting and swimming—also drives his cerebral passions. He writes about his love affairs, both romantic and intellectual; his guilt over leaving his family to come to America; his bond with his schizophrenic brother; and the writers and scientists—Thom Gunn, A. R. Luria, W. H. Auden, Gerald M. Edelman, Francis Crick—who influenced him.
On the Move is the story of a brilliantly unconventional physician and writer—and of the man who has illuminated the many ways that the brain makes us human. Views: 713
Shosha is a hauntingly lyrical love story set in Jewish Warsaw on the eve of its annihilation. Aaron Greidinger, an aspiring Yiddish writer and the son of a distinguished Hasidic rabbi, struggles to be true to his art when faced with the chance at riches and a passport to America. But as he and the rest of the Writers' Club wait in horror for Nazi Germany to invade Poland, Aaron rediscovers Shosha, his childhood love-still living on Krochmalna Street, still mysteriously childlike herself-who has been waiting for him all these years. Views: 713
In this military space opera, fighter pilot Henry Gallant must defeat threatening aliens hiding in the asteroid belt. In an era of genetic engineering, he is the only Natural left in the fleet. Only bright and attractive junior officer Kelsey Mitchel has shown any sympathy for him. Now her life as well as a good many others, depends of Henry Gallant.As the last star fighter in Squadron 111, Midshipman Henry Gallant is on his way from Jupiter to the nearest space base in orbit around Mars. With the United Earth fleet on the verge of annihilation from alien ships, he can expect no help. In order to reach Mars, Gallant must make his way through the asteroid belt and threatening aliens. With so much uncertainty about the alien capabilities and intentions, analyzing the captured computer equipment in Gallant’s possession could prove crucial.The fate of Earth could rest on the abilities of Midshipman Henry Gallant. Unfortunately, it is his abilities that have been much in doubt during his tour of duty. In an era of genetic engineering, he is the only Natural (non-genetically enhanced) officer left in the fleet. His classmates and superior officers have all expressed their concern that he will not be up to the demands of the space service. Only bright and attractive junior officer Kelsey Mitchel has shown any sympathy for Gallant. Now her life as well as a good many others, depends of Henry Gallant.As the last star fighter, Midshipman Henry Gallant must travel through the asteroid belt and threatening aliens. In an era of genetic engineering, he is the only Natural left in the fleet. Only bright and attractive junior officer Kelsey Mitchel has shown any sympathy for Gallant. Now her life as well as a good many others, depends of Henry Gallant. Views: 711
The Brain is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Alexander Blade is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Alexander Blade then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. Views: 704
From the acclaimed author of the international best seller Einstein’s Dreams, here is a stunning, lyrical memoir of Memphis from the 1930s through the 1960s that includes the early days of the movies and a powerful grandfather whose ghost remains an ever-present force in the lives of his descendants.
Alan Lightman’s grandfather M.A. Lightman was the family’s undisputed patriarch: it was his movie theater empire that catapulted the Lightmans to prominence in the South, his fearless success that both galvanized and paralyzed his children and grandchildren. In this moving, impressionistic memoir, the author chronicles his return to Memphis in an attempt to understand the origins he so eagerly left behind forty years earlier. As aging uncles and aunts begin telling family stories, Lightman rediscovers his southern roots and slowly recognizes the errors in his perceptions of both his grandfather and his father, who was himself crushed by M.A. The result is an unforgettable family saga that extends from 1880 to the present, set against a throbbing century of Memphis—the rhythm and blues, the barbecue and pecan pie, the segregated society—and including personal encounters with Elvis, Martin Luther King Jr., and E. H. “Boss” Crump. At the heart of it all is a family haunted by the memory of its domineering patriarch and the author’s struggle to understand his conflicted loyalties.
(With black-and-white illustrations throughout.)
From the Hardcover edition. Views: 700
Astrophysicist and NPR commentator Adam Frank reveals what the latest research on alien civilizations may tell us about our own.Light of the Stars is science at the grandest of scales, and it tells a radically new story about what we are: one world in a universe awash in planets. Building on his widely discussed scientific papers and New York Times op-eds, astrophysicist Adam Frank shows that not only is it likely that alien civilizations have existed many times before, but also that many of them have driven their own worlds into dangerous eras of change. He explains how dust storms on Mars, the greenhouse effect on Venus, Gaia Theory, the threat of nuclear winter, and efforts to prove or disprove the plurality of worlds from Aristotle to Copernicus to Carl Sagan have contributed to our understanding of our place in the universe and the growing challenge of climate change. And he raises what may be the largest question of all: If there has been life on other worlds, what... Views: 694
Deborah Blum, writing with the high style and skill for suspense that is characteristic of the very best mystery fiction, shares the untold story of how poison rocked Jazz Age New York City. In The Poisoner's Handbook Blum draws from highly original research to track the fascinating, perilous days when a pair of forensic scientists began their trailblazing chemical detective work, fighting to end an era when untraceable poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime.
Drama unfolds case by case as the heroes of The Poisoner's Handbook—chief medical examiner Charles Norris and toxicologist Alexander Gettler—investigate a family mysteriously stricken bald, Barnum and Bailey's Famous Blue Man, factory workers with crumbling bones, a diner serving poisoned pies, and many others. Each case presents a deadly new puzzle and Norris and Gettler work with a creativity that rivals that of the most imaginative murderer, creating revolutionary experiments to tease out even the wiliest compounds from human tissue. Yet in the tricky game of toxins, even science can't always be trusted, as proven when one of Gettler's experiments erroneously sets free a suburban housewife later nicknamed "America's Lucretia Borgia" to continue her nefarious work.
From the vantage of Norris and Gettler's laboratory in the infamous Bellevue Hospital it becomes clear that killers aren't the only toxic threat to New Yorkers. Modern life has created a kind of poison playground, and danger lurks around every corner. Automobiles choke the city streets with carbon monoxide; potent compounds, such as morphine, can be found on store shelves in products ranging from pesticides to cosmetics. Prohibition incites a chemist's war between bootleggers and government chemists while in Gotham's crowded speakeasies each round of cocktails becomes a game of Russian roulette. Norris and Gettler triumph over seemingly unbeatable odds to become the pioneers of forensic chemistry and the gatekeepers of justice during a remarkably deadly time. A beguiling concoction that is equal parts true crime, twentieth-century history, and science thriller, The Poisoner's Handbook is a page-turning account of a forgotten New York. Views: 693
