New translations of the best stories by the one of the twentieth century's greatest and most influential writersNo one has captured the modern experience, its wild dreams, strange joys, its neuroses and boredom, better than Franz Kafka. His vision, with its absurdity and twisted humour, has lost none of its force or relevance today. This essential collection, newly selected and translated by Alexander Starritt, casts fresh light on Kafka's genius.Alongside brutal depictions of violence and justice are jokes and deceptively slight, mysterious fables. These unforgettable pieces reflect the brilliance at the core of Franz Kafka, arguably most fully expressed within his short stories. Together they showcase a writer of unmatched imaginative depth, capable of expressing the most profound reality with a wry smile.Franz Kafka was born to Jewish parents in Prague and wrote in German. He published only a few story collections and... Views: 46
National Book Award-winner Ha Jin's arresting debut novel , In the Pond, is a darkly funny portrait of an amateur calligrapher who wields his delicate artist's brush as a weapon against the powerful party bureaucrats who rule his provincial Chinese town.Shao Bin is a downtrodden worker at the Harvest Fertilizer Plant by day and an aspiring artist by night. Passed over on the list to receive a decent apartment for his young family, while those in favor with the party's leaders are selected ahead of him, Shao Bin chafes at his powerlessness. When he attempts to expose his corrupt superiors by circulating satirical cartoons, he provokes an escalating series of merciless counterattacks that send ripples beyond his small community. Artfully crafted and suffused with earthy wit, In the Pond is a moving tale about humble lives caught up in larger social forces. Views: 46
"Munro's work endures-its wholeness of vision, its complexity of feeling, its tolerance of mind."—Lorrie MooreThe characters who populate an Alice Munro story live and breathe; in the finely drawn detail of their lives we find a reflection of ourselves. Passions hopelessly conceived, affections betrayed, marriages made and broken: the joys, loves, and awakenings of women echo throughout these twelve unforgettable stories, laying bare the unexceptional and yet inescapable pain of human contact. From the opening story exploring family relations to the poignant story that closes the collection, this is "vintage Munro." Views: 46
The time of reckoning is close at hand. Events in the New York Times bestselling Star Wars The New Jedi Order series take a decisive turn, as the heroes of the New Republic prepare for their most volatile clash yet with the enemy--from without and within.In the war against the ruthless Yuuzhan Vong, the fall of Coruscant leaves the New Republic divided by internal strife, and on the verge of bowing to conquest. But those who steadfastly refuse to consider surrender--Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, and their children and comrades-in-arms--are determined to seize victory against overwhelming odds. And now, finally, there are signs that the tide may be turning in the New Republic's favor.After capturing crucial Yuuzhan Vong intelligence, Jedi fighter-pilot Jaina Solo prepares to lead a daring surprise strike against an enemy flagship. Meanwhile, Jaina's brother Jacen--liberated from the hands of the enemy and newly schooled in an... Views: 46
All Ava wants to do is forget about the vampires, but they won’t leave her alone. Between her failing business, angry landlord, disloyal friends, and vampire stalkers, life is starting to feel pretty stressful. When Ava finally deals with her biggest problem, she is caught up in the chain of events it triggers and taken along a path she can’t escape from. Views: 46
Catherine Asaro, a physicist who combines believable hard science with first-rate storytelling, exploded onto the science fiction scene with her stellar debut novel, Primary Inversion. Now she brings us the third tale of the Skolian Empire, which AudioFile calls “a classic tale of power and conflict, with a twist.”
When Kelric, a scion of the imperial family of Skolia, crash-lands his fighter on the off-limits planet of Coba, he figures it will be only a short time before he makes his way home. But he fails to account for the powerful matriarchy of Coba, the mistresses of the great estates who do not want the Empire to know about their recent cultural advances. First they take him prisoner. Then, one by one, the most powerful women on the planet fall in love with him! Views: 46
Loren Hawn is a traditional Western peace officer walking the streets of 21st Century New Mexico, and seemingly unaware that times have changed. And when a dying man named Randal falls out of a bullet-riddled car and dies in Loren's arm, Loren finds he isn't the only man living in the wrong time—- because he remembers pulling Randal's dead body out of a wrecked car twenty years before.He knows the car belongs to a scientist who works at the high-security laboratory built on the outskirts of town, and he knows that if he doesn't work fast, all evidence of a crime will disappear into national security vaults. In order to bring justice back to his community, Loren will have to risk everything, his life, his job, his faith, and his family.The Chicago Sun-Times said, "This is a novel that works marvelously on a variety of levels—- as an adventure story, a trek through personal entanglements, a study in detailed police techniques and an elightening lesson in... Views: 46
An immortal warlord. A magical curse. And the woman who sets him free...Ian Fletcher has grown weary of his unnaturally long life. After being tricked by the Queen of the Faeries into drinking an immortal potion, there is no way to end his suffering. Except for one. A magical curse that can lay him to rest inside a sealed tomb forever.He just never expected he’d remain awake through the centuries...Kenna Douglas is an independent, modern day woman, who doesn’t need a man for anything, but deep down she yearns to find her knight in shining armor. As she tries to solve the mystery behind her uncle’s sudden death in Scotland, and unlock the secrets of the ancient tomb he discovered, she is haunted by dreams of a strange man from another time. A warlord who wants her to release him from his dark prison. But how can she open the warlord’s tomb without releasing the curse? Kenna has to decide what she wants more – to find out what really lies within the tomb, or leave it sealed forever and not know. Either way, her life will never be the same again. Views: 46
A collection of ribald rhymes featuring characters from fairy tales,fables and nursery rhymes -- as you've never seen them before! From the tortoise and the hare and Hansel and Gretel to Ali Baba and Aladdin, these traditional stories will never seem the same again once you have had a taste of Roald Dahl's hilarious verse and Quentin Blake's suitably lively illustrations. Views: 45
Oar is the last of her kind -- a resident of the so-called "planet of no return," once the Admiralty's dumping ground for undesirables and those who had become expendable. Oar's transparent body is indestructible. Yet the mind it houses grows weary and will soon surrender to the catatonic torpor that has already claimed the others of her genetically altered human race. But Oar cannot sleep, not yet. There are powerful forces seeking her destruction for reasons unknown. There are old allies who need her assistance and a true history that must be revealed. There is much Oar must accomplish before the "apathetic hibernation" overcomes her, though time is decidedly her enemy. Together with her friend, Admiral Festina Ramos, she must find her final destiny ... and in a vast and volatile universe, destiny is never a sure thing. Views: 45
Holden Avery was love-struck the moment he saw Laurel Montgomery and cursed himself for a fool every waking minute since letting her walk out of his life. When she turns up in Willow Creek he's handed the second chance he didn't think he'd ever get but thoughts of pursuing Laurel are cut short when a stranger shows up in town. A man who claims to be Laurel's husband. Views: 45
