Science Fiction Sci-Fi Books

Book SynopsisLife on Bannerman Road was always an adventure for Rani Chandra and her friends. A childhood of mystery and wonder, of meeting aliens, time travellers, lost princes, intergalactic robots and so much more – all alongside Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane is gone. Childhood ends. Everyone grows up eventually. But the story doesn’t stop there. When Rani and Clyde are reunited, adventure finds them once again – ready and waiting to take on the world! Contains three new adventures; Here Today by Joseph Lidster. Years after her adventures with Sarah Jane Smith and friends, Rani Chandra is a successful journalist – she’s brought down a government, and her podcast is making waves. And she’s about to be surprised by a visit from her best friend, Clyde Langer – who has an announcement of his own. But, tonight, Clyde isn’t the only visitor to Ealing… In the skies above, a flying saucer approaches – and only one person on Earth can stop it destroying London! Destination: Wedding by James Goss. Rani and Gita Chandra have been invited to a dream wedding on a luxury island resort. But how did Tiff from school end up marrying a film star? And why has she asked all the worst people from her life alongside the Hollywood A-listers? While Gita samples the canapés and criticises the flower arrangements, Rani senses something amiss… The perfect wedding comes at a price – but who will be paying? The Witching Tree by Lizzie Hopley. Chasing a podcast award, encouraged by a secret source, Rani investigates a ‘haunted’ restaurant built around a twisted tree. The owners could be faking the spooky activity, but Rani soon realises the tree is not what it seems. As a terrifying threat to planet Earth is revealed, Clyde and Phoenix are dragged into the fight. Rani is torn between revealing the truth, or keeping a secret too terrifying to broadcast....CAST: Anjli Mohindra (Rani Chandra), Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer), Mina Anwar (Gita Chandra), Will Bishop (Kristoffay / Receptionist), Tiegan Byrne (Phoenix Laight), Raghad Chaar (Samira Rustami), Yvonne D’Alpra (Patricial Miller / Captain Caroline), Angus Dunican (Private Matthew Reeves / David), Rachel Fenwick (Tiff), Jonny Green (Tyler Steele) Robert Whitelock (Dennis Ward / The Commander). Other parts played by members of the cast.

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Book SynopsisReturn to the world of Little Brother and Homeland. Attack Surface takes us five minutes into the future, to a world where everything is connected and everyone is vulnerable. Masha Maximow has made some bad choices in life – choices that hurt people. But she's also made some pretty decent ones. In the log file of life, however, she can't quite work out which side of the ledger she currently stands. Masha works for Xoth Intelligence, an InfoSec company upgrading the Slovstakian Interior Ministry's ability to spy on its citizens' telecommunications with state-of-the-art software (at least, as state-of-the-art as Xoth is prepared to offer in its middle-upper pricing tier). Can you offset a day-job helping repressive regimes spy on their citizens with a nighttime hobby where you help those same citizens evade detection? Masha is about to find out. Pacy, passionate, and as current as next week, Attack Surface is a paean to activism, to courage, to the drive to make the world a better place. Praise for Cory Doctorow: 'The right book at the right time from the right author – and, not entirely coincidentally, Cory Doctorow's best novel yet' JOHN SCALZI 'A wonderful, important book... I think it'll change lives' NEIL GAIMAN on Little Brother 'One of our most important science fiction writers' KIM STANLEY ROBINSONTrade ReviewWhat pushed Attack Surface above other near future and technothrillers is its social consciousness and Doctorow's commitment to knowing his subject matter. I don't think I have read another piece of fiction that has informed me as much as this one about real-world technology. The writing style and character development is enough to satisfy any reader of speculative fiction but for those that like their fiction tech heavy, they will love it * SF Book Reviews *Where this book really wins though is presenting the stark future of the advent of mass and oppressive surveillance of the population at large and the choices that we have to make very soon as a society to curtail government and private sector intrusion into our private lives. This is 1984 in real life; your life. Oh, and read the two afterwords too; they should make you think * Halfman, Halfbook *Interesting... Intellectually rigorous... Little Brother, Homeland, and Attack Surface are three vitally important novels. Nobody describes how the system works against us quite like Cory Doctorow does' -- Geek DadDoctorow is a riveting speaker, and he writes the way he speaks... He writes fascinating, interesting villains with comprehensible motivation' * The New York Times Sunday *Pacy, passionate, and as current as next week, Attack Surface is a paean to activism, to courage, to the drive to make the world a better place * Concatenation *

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Book Synopsis"With topics ranging from slavery to space travel, the impressive breadth of this anthology makes for a well-rounded survey. Readers, writers, and scholars alike will find great value here." — Publishers Weekly Starred Review A deluxe edition of new writing and neglected perspectives. Dystopia, apocalypse, gene-splicing, cloning and colonization are explored here by new authors and combined with proto-sci-fi and speculative writing of an older tradition (by W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin R. Delany, Sutton E. Griggs, Pauline Hopkins and Edward Johnson) whose first-hand experience of slavery and denial created their living dystopia. With a foreword by Alex Award-winning novelist Temi Oh, an introduction by Dr. Sandra M. Grayson, author of Visions of the Third Millennium: Black Science Fiction Novelists Write the Future (2003), and invaluable promotion and editorial support from Tia Ross and the Black Writers Collective and more, this latest offering in the Flame Tree Gothic fantasy series focuses on an area of science fiction which has not received the attention it deserves. Many of the themes in Sci-fi reveal the world as it is to others, show us how to improve it, and give voice to the many different expressions of a future for humankind. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure. Table of Contents: An Empty, Hollow Interview by James Beamon The Comet by W.E.B. Du Bois Élan Vital by K. Tempest Bradford The Orb by Tara Campbell Blake, or The Huts of America by Martin R. Delany The Floating City of Pengimbang by Michelle F. Goddard The New Colossuses by Harambee K. Grey-Sun Imperium in Imperio by Sutton E. Griggs Seven Thieves by Emmalia Harrington Of One Blood: Or, The Hidden Self by Pauline Hopkins Space Traitors by Walidah Imarisha The Line of Demarcation by Patty Nicole Johnson Light Ahead for the Negro by Edward Johnson e-race by Russell Nichols Giant Steps by Russell Nichols Almost Too Good to Be True by Temi Oh You May Run On by Megan Pindling Suffering Inside, But Still I Soar by Sylvie Soul The Pox Party by Lyle Stiles The Regression Test by Wole TalabiTrade Review"With topics ranging from slavery to space travel, the impressive breadth of this anthology makes for a well-rounded survey. Readers, writers, and scholars alike will find great value here." -- Publishers Weekly Starred Review"Both wonderful and important [...] this book is nothing less than a powerful argument for Black science fiction to be recognized, to be seen, and to be appreciated on its own terms. " -- Lightspeed Magazine"An excellent mix of adventure and excitement. Some of them are in the creepy-Lovecraftian style, others are terrifying glimpses into the future. A great collection to dip in and out of." -- Terence Eden’s Blog"This comprehensive, powerful volume elevates marginalized voices of the genre, and is an excellent start for readers looking to diversify their reading material." -- Booklist"[...] the anthology contains a thrilling group of memorable, moving tales that often examine the intersections of race, gender, grief, tech and the fantastical." -- Scientific American"These tales incorporate sci-fi, dystopian, and oftentimes futuristic tales that intersect identity, technology, space, and time. While fictional, these are still great reads on the Black experience with a mix between century-old classics and more modern tales." -- Reviewed"The latest installment of Flame Tree Press’s “Gothic Fantasy” series has something for every speculative fiction taste." -- Library Journal

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Book SynopsisWith tales from the more plausible end of the SF spectrum, where Time can be stretched, other worlds discovered, aliens encountered and quantum realms explored, everything has a strong spine of real-world science. Celebrating the enduring spirit of hard science fiction this new anthology is a tribute to Compelling Science Fiction magazine whose publisher Joe Stech is the foreword writer and consulting editor of the stunning new collection of stories from contemporary and classic authors. New, contemporary and notable writers featured are: Pauline Barmby, Ramsey Campbell, P.A. Cornell, Leah Cypess, Deborah L. Davitt, Jonathan Ficke, Voss Foster, Ana Gardner, Adam Godfrey, Larry Hodges, K. Kitts, Geoffrey A. Landis, Elaine Midcoh, Marshall J. Moore, Mike Morgan, Michael Penncavage, Lina Rather, Jude Reid, C.M. Shevlin, H.G. Silvia, Douglas Smith, David Tallerman, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Brian Trent, and Marie Vibbert. These appear alongside classic stories by authors such as Ray Cummings, Otis Adelbert Kline, Garrett P. Serviss and H.G. Wells. Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

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Book SynopsisThe Curious Enlightenment of Professor Caritat is a brilliant fictional journey through Western political philosophy by one of our most original thinkers. Professor Caritat, a middle-aged Candide, walks naively through the neighbouring countries of Utilitaria, Communitaria and Libertaria, in his quest to find the best of all possible worlds. Cut loose from the confines of his ivory tower, this wandering professor is made to confront the perplexed state of modern thinking in this dazzling comedy of ideas.Trade ReviewWritten in a beautifully clear style, full of a keen, serious wit ... Lukes achieves both lightness and weight in a way many novelists might envy. * Independent *This book is a box of delights, often wonderfully funny and always deliciously clever, a contemporary political satire to set among the best. * New Statesman *Steven Lukes's moral fable is in the tradition of tall travellers' tales from Swift and Voltaire to Lewis Carroll and Samuel Butler. * London Review of Books *Knock-out satirical humour. * Times Literary Supplement *Lukes manages to equal the pace and flair of Candide. * New York Times Book Review *Utterly magnetic. * Los Angeles Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisKy Vatta was a military cadet destined for great things, until an act of kindness incurred her Academy's wrath and ended her career.Instead of the expected disgrace, her rich trader family gave her captaincy of a small ship, to sell for scrap. In flagrant disregard of orders, she saw the opportunity to make a profit and save the ship. Several upgrades later, Ky is determined to retain the ship and her independence in the cut-throat world of interplanetary trading. But a threat emerges that challenges even her sharp wits and, if she survives, could leave the military forever in her debt . . .'An action-packed read, complete with zero-g combat sequences, exploding ship mines, stratagems, and intrigue . . . Definitely recommended' The Book SmugglersTrade ReviewExcellent plotting and characters support the utterly realistic action sequences -- KIRKUSan action-packed read, complete with zero-g combat sequences, exploding ship mines, stratagems, and intrigue . . . Definitely recommended -- THE BOOK SMUGGLERSRip-roaring . . . But this military SF tale is no mere shoot-'em-up -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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Book SynopsisFreya Nakamachi-47 has some major existential issues. She's the perfect concubine, designed to please her human masters - hardwired to become aroused at the mere sight of a human male. There's just one problem: she came off the production line a year after the human species went extinct. Whatever else she may be, Freya Nakamachi-47 is gloriously obsolete. What's more, the rigid social hierarchy that has risen in the 200 years since the last human died, places beings such as Freya very near the bottom. So when she has a run-in on Venus with a murderous aristocrat, she needs passage off-world in a hurry - and can't be too fussy about how she pays her way.But if Venus was a frying pan, Mercury is the fire - and soon she's going to be running for her life. Because the job she's taken as a courier has drawn her to the attention of powerful and dangerous people, and they don't just want the package she's carrying. They want her soul ...

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Book SynopsisA vast and hostile force is attacking prosperous trade centres, destroying their space fleets then moving on, leaving death and chaos in their wake. Admiral Ky Vatta's family was decimated by one such attack and Turek, the pirate force's leader, will not escape her vengeance. Ky has a loyal taskforce, but the enemy have three times the ships and the firepower to match. She must offset these advantages with her knowledge of military strategy and her ace: superior ansible technology, facilitating fast and accurate in-space intelligence. The alternative to victory is unthinkable - devastation of interplanetary trading networks on a galaxy-wide scale - and the end of a way of life. 'Rip-roaring action ...This epic volume is a fine and fitting conclusion to Moon's grand space opera tour de force' PUBLISHERS WEEKLYTrade ReviewIn-depth, galaxy-spanning and poignantly laced with humanity ... this has been a solid series that defies the law of diminishing returns SFX Moon is way ahead of the pack in this corner of the genre SFRevu Rip-roaring action ... This epic volume is a fine and fitting conclusion to Moon's grand space opera tour de force -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Excellent plotting and characters support the utterly realistic action sequences -- KIRKUS on MOVING TARGET

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Book SynopsisThe first intelligent species to encounter mankind attacked without warning. Merciless. Relentless. Unstoppable. With little hope of halting the invasion, Earth's last roll of the dice was to dispatch three colony ships, seeds of Earth, to different parts of the galaxy. The human race would live on ...somewhere. 150 years later, the planet Darien hosts a thriving human settlement, which enjoys a peaceful relationship with an indigenous race, the scholarly Uvovo. But there are secrets buried on Darien's forest moon. Secrets that go back to an apocalyptic battle fought between ancient races at the dawn of galactic civilisation. Unknown to its colonists Darien is about to become the focus of an intergalactic power struggle, where the true stakes are beyond their comprehension. And what choices will the Uvovo make when their true nature is revealed and the skies grow dark with the enemy?Trade Review'Proper galaxy-spanning Space Opera ... a worthy addition to the genre' Iain M. Banks, 'A complex, finely detailed thriller-cum-space opera' GUARDIAN, 'The invention is endless' SFX, 'A tightly plotted, action packed epic that leaves you wanting more' SCI FI NOW, 'An inventive and entertaining read' INTERZONE

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Book SynopsisDarien is no longer a lost outpost of humanity, but the prize in an intergalactic power struggle. Hegemony forces control the planet, while Earth merely observes, rendered impotent by galactic politics. Yet Earth's ambassador to Darien will become a player in a greater conflict as there is more at stake than a turf war on a newly discovered world. An ancient temple hides access to a hyperspace prison, housing the greatest threat sentient life has ever known. Millennia ago, malignant intelligences were caged there following an apocalyptic struggle, and their servants work on their release. Now a new war is coming.Trade ReviewSpace opera has never been in more capable hands GUARDIAN Fast and exciting WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY Packs a mighty punch BOOKGEEKS.CO.UK

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Book Synopsis'As ever, MacLeod's depiction of the near future is achieved through solid characterisation and brilliant detail. His forte is the depiction of how belief systems can corrupt, and The Night Sessions is a stunning indictment of fundamentalism of all kinds.' - The Guardian'A twisting conspiracy tale shot through with MacLeod's gloriously mordant sense for the absurd.' - BBC FOCUS A priest is dead. Picking through the rubble of the demolished Edinburgh tenement, Detective Inspector Adam Ferguson discovers that the explosion wasn't an accident. When a bishop is assassinated soon afterwards, it becomes clear that a targeted campaign of killings is underway. No one has seen anything like this since the Faith Wars. In this enlightened age there's no religious persecution, but believers are a marginal and mistrusted minority. And now someone is killing them. But who? And - perhaps more importantly - why? The more his team learns, the more the suspicion grows that they may have stumbled upon a conspiracy way outside their remit. Nobody believes them, but if Ferguson and his people fail, there will be many more killings - and disaster on a literally biblical scale . . .A stunning new SF thriller from the critically acclaimed author of The Execution ChannelBooks by Ken MacLeod:Fall RevolutionThe Star FractionThe Stone CanalThe Cassini DivisionThe Sky RoadEngines of LightCosmonaut KeepDark LightEngine CityCorporation Wars TrilogyDissidenceInsurgenceEmergenceNovelsThe Human FrontNewton's WakeLearning the WorldThe Execution ChannelThe Restoration GameIntrusionDescentTrade ReviewThe characterisation is good, the processes realistic and the plot suitably complex, though never enough to confuse. Ken leads his audience through a number of set pieces to a satisfying ending. I must admit that, despite not being a religious person myself, I did have my doubts that such an extreme situation could come about in reality, though if you are able to suspend your disbelief (as I did) there's a lot to get your teeth into here. In summary then, as good as I had hoped after The Execution Channel. Intelligent, entertaining and knowledgeable, this is everything you might expect or hope for from a Ken MacLeod SF novel. Perhaps slightly more SF than The Execution Channel, though not that much more, it does make an interesting counterpoint with Charles Stross' Halting State, which has similar elements in a near-future setting (and who, coincidentally, is acknowledged at the beginning of the book.) Of the two, although I liked Halting State a lot, I preferred this. -- SFF WORLDIn Hollywood terms, it's high concept: in a world where religion is banned, what happens when robots find God? ...The Night Sessions is a fast, entertaining read with some challenging ideas behind it. ... if The Night Sessions' conclusion is not quite as audacious as that of the previous novel, it is nevertheless strikingly brutal and brave, a welcome sign of a novelist willing to follow through the implications of his set-up -- STRANGE HORIZONSMacLeod spins a yarn that moves at a fast pace, and which doesn't disappoint; exciting and intriguing, it keeps a consistent level of interest throughout its passage ... a satisfying read -- SCIFINOWGripping and clever near-future thriller -- Lisa Tuttle, THE TIMESA stunning indictment of fundamentalism of all kinds -- Eric Brown, GUARDIANMacLeod spins a yarn that moves at a fast pace, and which doesn't disappoint; exciting and intriguing, it keeps a consistent level of interest throughout its passage ... a satisfying read * SciFiNow *A twisting conspiracy tale shot through with MacLeod's gloriously mordant sense for the absurd * BBC Focus *Gripping and clever near-future thriller * Lisa Tuttle, The Times *A stunning indictment of fundamentalism of all kind s' Eric Brown, Guardian

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Book SynopsisOld ghosts of different kinds come back to haunt Fix, in the fourth gripping Felix Castor novel. Names and faces he thought he'd left behind in Liverpool resurface in London, bringing Castor far more trouble than he'd anticipated. Childhood memories, family traumas, sins old and new, and a council estate that was meant to be a modern utopia until it turned into something like hell ...these are just some of the sticks life uses to beat Felix Castor with as things go from bad to worse for London's favourite freelance exorcist. See, Castor's stepped over the line this time, and he knows he'll have to pay; the only question is: how much? Not the best of times, then, for an unwelcome confrontation with his holier-than-thou brother, Matthew. And just when he thinks things can't possibly get any worse, along comes Father Gwillam and the Anathemata. Oh joy ...Trade ReviewThe author has mastered the challenge of incorporating the paranormal into a normal urban setting, and his refusal to pull punches makes this a harder hitting genre entry than many others PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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Book Synopsis'Tom Holt's Doughnut presents a roller-coaster ride through the world of physics and the origins of the universe.' - Library Journal'One for physicists as well as Krispy Kreme-loving policemen.' - T3The doughnut is a thing of beauty. A circle of fried doughy perfection. A source of comfort in trying times, perhaps. For Theo Bernstein, however, it is far, far more. Things have been going pretty badly for Theo Bernstein. An unfortunate accident at work lost him his job (and his work involved a Very Very Large Hadron Collider, so he's unlikely to get it back). His wife has left him. And he doesn't have any money. Before Theo has time to fully appreciate the pointlessness of his own existence, news arrives that his good friend Professor Pieter van Goyen, renowned physicist and Nobel laureate, has died. By leaving the apparently worthless contents of his safety deposit to Theo, however, the professor has set him on a quest of epic proportions. A journey that will rewrite the laws of physics. A battle to save humanity itself. This is the tale of a man who had nothing and gave it all up to find his destiny - and a doughnut.From one of the best-loved comic writers in fantasy fiction comes another absurdly witty science fiction title - perfect for fans of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild Side

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Book Synopsis'Uniquely twisted...cracking gags...' - The Guardian (UK)'Wacky humor bubbles through the polished narrative... Holt doesn't skimp on the flashes of brilliance.' - SFXMaurice has just killed a dragon with a breadknife. And had his destiny foretold . . . and had his true love spirited away. That's precisely the sort of stuff that'd bring out the latent heroism in anyone. Unfortunately, Maurice is pretty sure he hasn't got any latent heroism. Meanwhile, a man wakes up in a jar in a different kind of pickle (figuratively speaking). He can't get out, of course, but neither can he remember his name, or what gravity is, or what those things on the ends on his legs are called . . . and every time he starts working it all out, someone makes him forget again. Forget everything. Only one thing might help him. The answer to the most baffling question of all. WHEN IS A DOOR NOT A DOOR?An absurdly witty novel of alternate universes and very unlikely heroes from one of Britain's best-loved comic writers - perfect for fans of Douglas Adams and Terry PratchettBooks by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild SideTrade ReviewFrantically wacky and willfully confusing...gratifyingly clever and very amusing. -- MAIL ON SUNDAYalways inventively funny. -- SFXwisecracking dialogue. -- STARBURSTTom Holt stands out on his own . . . If you haven't read any, go out and buy one. But don't blame me for any laughter-induced injuries -- VECTOR

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Book Synopsis'Insightful and ingenious . . . Intrusion is both horrific and comic, and deals movingly with the consequences of genetic fixes' - GUARDIAN'Intrusion is a finely-tuned, in-your-face argument of a novel . . . MacLeod will push your buttons - and make you think' - SFXImagine a near-future city, say London, where medical science has advanced beyond our own and a single-dose pill has been developed that, taken when pregnant, eradicates many common genetic defects from an unborn child. Hope Morrison, mother of a hyperactive four-year-old, is expecting her second child. She refuses to take The Fix, as the pill is known. This divides her family and friends and puts her and her husband in danger of imprisonment or worse. Is her decision a private matter of individual choice, or is it tantamount to willful neglect of her unborn child?A plausible and original novel with sinister echoes of 1984 and Brave New World.Books by Ken MacLeod:Fall RevolutionThe Star FractionThe Stone CanalThe Cassini DivisionThe Sky RoadEngines of LightCosmonaut KeepDark LightEngine CityCorporation Wars TrilogyDissidenceInsurgenceEmergenceNovelsThe Human FrontNewton's WakeLearning the WorldThe Execution ChannelThe Restoration GameIntrusionDescentTrade ReviewThis near-future sci-fi novel could almost be a sequel to George Orwell's 1984 - 2084, perhaps -- THE SUNA steely, brilliant piece of work -- DAILY TELEGRAPHKen MacLeod is the modern day George Orwell -- SFXStylish, witty, and engaging! -- SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNEFar more fun than deep space drama has any right to be...Just read the book. Then read it again. It's even better the second time. -- SFXExciting...Accessible to the average reader as well as the hardcore SF fan. This is a work sure to keep the reader on the edge of her seat. -- ROMANTIC TIMES BOOKCLUBInsightful and ingenious . . . Intrusion is both horrific and comic, and deals movingly with the consequences of genetic fixes * GUARDIAN *A steely, brilliant piece of work * DAILY TELEGRAPH *

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Book Synopsis'Descent is politically engaged, brimming with smart ideas and shot through with a mordant wit. The novel is dedicated to the memory of MacLeod's friend Iain M. Banks, and one feels that the future of Scottish SF is in good hands' - James Lovegrove, The Financial Times'Ken MacLeod is the modern day George Orwell' - SFXHOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR THE TRUTH?Ball lightning. Weather balloons. Secret military aircraft. Ryan knows all the justifications for UFO sightings. But when something falls out of the sky on the hills near his small Scottish town, he finds his cynicism can't identify or explain the phenomenon. And in a future where nothing is a secret, where everything is recorded on CCTV or reported online, why can he find no evidence of the UFO, nor anything to shed light on what occurred? Is it the political revolutionaries, is it the government or is it aliens themselves who are creating the cover-up? Or does the very idea of a cover-up hide the biggest secret of all?Ken MacLeod, author of 2013 Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated Intrusion, tells a science fiction story for the twenty-first century - this is what happens when conspiracy theorists meet Big Brother.Books by Ken MacLeod:Fall RevolutionThe Star FractionThe Stone CanalThe Cassini DivisionThe Sky RoadEngines of LightCosmonaut KeepDark LightEngine CityCorporation Wars TrilogyDissidenceInsurgenceEmergenceNovelsThe Human FrontNewton's WakeLearning the WorldThe Execution ChannelThe Restoration GameIntrusionDescentTrade ReviewDescent is politically engaged, brimming with smart ideas and shot through with a mordant wit. The novel is dedicated to the memory of MacLeod's friend Iain M. Banks, and one feels that the future of Scottish SF is in good hands. -- James Lovegrove * The Financial Times *Stylish, witty, and engaging! -- SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNEFar more fun than deep space drama has any right to be...Just read the book. Then read it again. It's even better the second time. -- SFXExciting...Accessible to the average reader as well as the hardcore SF fan. This is a work sure to keep the reader on the edge of her seat. -- ROMANTIC TIMES BOOKCLUB

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Book SynopsisThe fourth most translated author in the world, Jules Verne is best known for his adventure novels Around the World in 80 Days and Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Verne also set stories in Scotland, however, including The Underground City. In this all-new translation, Verne uses the mist-shrouded shores of Loch Katrine and the Trossachs as sinister scenery against which an enthralling tale of adventure, love and the supernatural unfolds. Ten years after manager James Starr left the Aberfoyle mine underneath Loch Katrine exhausted of coal, he receives an intriguing missive that suggests the pit isn’t barren after all. When Starr returns and discovers that there is indeed more coal to quarry, he and his workers are beset by strange events, hinting at a presence that does not wish to see them excavate the cavern further. Could there be someone out to sabotage their work? Or is something more menacing afoot, something unnatural they can neither see nor understand? When one of his miners falls in love with a young girl found abandoned down a mineshaft, their unknown assailant makes it clear that nothing will stop its efforts to shut down the mine and prevent the wedding, even if that means draining Loch Katrine itself!

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Book SynopsisThe first passions of Angelique and Barnabas are revealed at last.... On the run after escaping her father's clutches, Angelique fears her supernatural powers and the mysterious demon that haunts her dreams. Beginning her new life as a servant for the wealthy du Pres family, she finds herself tempted by forbidden love and dark desires when Barnabas Collins returns to Martinique.

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Book SynopsisAnimal Alterity uses readings of science fiction texts to explore the centrality of animals for our ways of thinking about human. It argues that the academic field of animal studies and the popular genre of science fiction share a number a critical concerns: thinking about otherness and the nature of human being; desiring communication across species difference; and interrogating the social and ethical consequences of changes in science and technology. We are living in a complex set of contradictory and conflicting relations with non-human animals. This book maps this complex terrain, arguing that we are better able to perceive options for a transformed politics if we perceive our various material relations with non-human animals within a deeper understanding of the functions of the category ‘animal’.Trade ReviewAnimal Alterity is an engaging, intelligent study which is perceptively and accessibly theorised, and refreshingly innovative. Peter WrightAn intriguing and enlightening book. Nicely produced, well-edited and comprehensive, reflecting a great deal of effort by the author to collect and synthesize the sometimes disparate material ... it is definitely recommended for a university research library. Christopher Basnett, SFRA Review 295 Winter * SFRA Review 295 Winter *Table of Contents Contents Acknowledgements Introduction. Animal Alterity: Science Fiction and Human–Animal Studies 1. Always-Already Meat: The Human–Animal Boundary and Ethics 2. The Mirror Test: Humans, Animals and Sentience 3. The Animal Responds: Language, Animals and Science Fiction 4. ‘The Female Is Somewhat Duller’: Gender and Animals 5. Sapien Orientalism: Animals, Colonialism, Science Fiction 6. Existing for Their Own Reasons: Animal Aliens 7. A Rope over an Abyss: Humans as Animals 8. The Modern Epimetheus: Animals and/as Technology Conclusion. ‘Other Fashionings of Life’: Science Fiction, Human–Animal Studies and the Future of Subjectivity Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisFlight follows this troubled foster teenager - a boy who is not a 'legal' Indian because he was never claimed by his father - as he learns that violence is not the answer.The journey for Flight's young hero begins as he's about to commit a massive act of violence. At the moment of the decision, he finds himself shot back through time to resurface in the body of an FBI agent during the civil rights era, where he sees why 'Hell is Red River, Idaho, in the 1970s'. Red River is only the first stop in an eye-opening trip through moments in American history. He will continue travelling back to inhabit the body of an Indian child during the battle at Little Bighorn and then ride with an Indian tracker in the nineteenth century before materialising as an airline pilot jetting through the skies today. During these travels through time, his refrain grows: 'Who's to judge?'This novel seeks nothing less than an understanding of why human beings hate. Flight is irrepressible and fearless - Sherman Alexie at his most brilliant.Trade ReviewMr. Alexie manages to move effortlessly in and out of centuries like a person moving between waking and sleep... Right up to the novel's final sentence, Mr. Alexie succeeds yet again with his ability to pierce to the heart of matters, leaving this reader with tears in her eyes * New York Times *A funny, irreverent, sardonic but sentimental, rebellious voice set beside his elder...contemporaries...Alexie is the bad boy among them, mocking, self-mocking, unpredictable, unassimilable, reminding us of the young Philip Roth -- Joyce Carol Oates * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe mysterious Griffin arrives at a picturesque English inn during a snowstorm, swaddled in bandages which cover his face and with his eyes hidden behind dark glasses. His odd get-up and irascible behavior intrigue the locals, who believe him to be the victim of an accident. However, the true reason for Griffin’s outfit is far stranger: underneath those clothes, he is completely invisible. As the cause of Griffin’s state of transparency is revealed, his nefarious and destructive intentions become clear. One of the foundational texts of science fiction, The Invisible Man has inspired numerous film and TV adaptations and remains chilling in its depiction of scientific experimentation gone wrong.Trade ReviewI personally consider the greatest of English living writers [to be] H.G. Wells. -- Upton Sinclair

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Book SynopsisSummoned from London, journalist Edward Malone, narrator of Arthur Conan Doyle's prehistoric-adventure novel The Lost World, finds himself reunited with his erstwhile travelling companions at the country home of their leader, the indomitable Professor Challenger, who, confining his guests in a sealed room with the cylinders of oxygen they have brought at his request, informs them that the Earth is passing through an immense miasma of poisonous ether that will likely extirpate all life. And so the isolated inmates begin a grim and terrifying vigil but will the toxic vapour dissipate before their limited supply of oxygen is exhausted?Presented here with two short stories representing further thrilling episodes in the illustrious career of Conan Doyle's other great anti-hero, Professor Challenger The Disintegration Machine' and When the World Screamed' The Poison Belt is a tour de force of speculative fiction that is the equal of any of the author's best-known works.

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Book SynopsisThis is the limit - how far would you go?Helium-3 is a rare element that promises to solve all the world's energy problems - and it's been discovered on the Moon, prompting a breathless race between the Americans and Chinese.In Shanghai, cyber-detective Owen Jericho has been hired to find a missing girl, but what started as a routine investigation soon develops into a nightmarish hunt, where he's the quarry: there's a crazed assassin hot on his heels, all because Yoyo accidentally stumbled onto a secret society called Hydra - and now their lives are at risk. Following the Hydra trail takes Jericho and Yoyo round the world and finally to the Moon, where a billionaire entrepreneur is entertaining some of the world's richest and most influential men and women in the Gaia, the planet's very first hotel.But Hydra has its own plans for the Earth - and the Moon. And nothing and no one will be allowed to stand in its way.Trade Review'Enthralling and visionary' Thomas Reiter, Astronaut. 'Full of excitement and danger. [A] complex and well-woven thriller [that] combines a thoughtful vision of the future with relics of the present and creates an atmosphere both alien and familiar' Library Journal.

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Book SynopsisThe expedition into the heart of the Great Void is launched, and Valerian and Laureline are on it. But in no time they’re already facing the mysterious force that threatens the entire galaxy: the Wolochs, gigantic sentient monoliths dead set on destroying any civilisation that might stand in the way of their domination. Our two Human agents can’t hope to stop the Order of the Stones by themselves, but fortunately, they still have allies...

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Book SynopsisThe evil hordes of the Wolochs are rampaging through space, and everywhere death and destruction follow. But despite the despair of some and the betrayal of others, Valerian, Laureline and a few other brave souls are resisting. They’re hoping to use a mysterious artefact, the Time Opener, to banish the stones and bring back Earth. But what price must they pay to do so? And what sort of Earth will they get back if they succeed?

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Book SynopsisThe Doctor has been to Det-Sen Monastery before, and expects the welcome of a lifetime. But the monastery is a very different place from when the Doctor last came. Fearing an attack at any moment by the legendary Yeti, the monks are prepared to defend themselves, and see the Doctor as a threat.The Doctor and his friends join forces with Travers, an English explorer out to prove the existence of the elusive abominable snowmen. But they soon discover that these Yeti are not the timid animals that Travers seeks. They are the unstoppable servants of an alien Intelligence.This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 30 September-4 November 1967.Featuring the Second Doctor as played by Patrick Troughton, and his companions Jamie and Victoria

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Book SynopsisThe mysterious Doctor and his grandaughter Susan are joined by unwilling adventurers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright in an epic struggle for survival on an alien planet. In a vast metal city they discover the survivors of a terrible nuclear war - the Daleks. Held captive in the deepest levels of the city, can the Doctor and his new companions stop the Daleks' plan to totally exterminate their mortal enemies, the peace-loving Thals? More importantly, even if they can escape from the Daleks, will Ian and Barbara ever see their home planet Earth again?This novel is based on the second Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 21 December 1963-1 February 1964. Featuring the First Doctor as played by William Hartnell, and his companions Susan, Ian and Barbara

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Book Synopsis'No one from this time will ever see that girl again...'The Doctor, Amy and Rory round off a sight-seeing tour round London with a trip to the theatre. That's when things start to go wrong.The Doctor wonders why so many young girls are going missing from the area. When he sees Sammy Star's amazing magic act, he thinks he knows the answer. Sammy's glamorous assistant disappears at the climax of the act - but this is no stage trick.The Doctor and his friends team up with residents of an old people's home to discover the truth. And together they find themselves face to face with a deadly Weeping Angel.Whatever you do - don't blink!A thrilling all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television

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Book SynopsisThe legendary lost Doctor Who story from the unique mind of Douglas AdamsInside this book is another book – the strangest, most important and most dangerous book in the entire universe.The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey is one of the Artefacts, dating from dark days of Rassilon. It wields enormous power, and it must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.Skagra – who believes he should be God and permits himself only two smiles per day – most definitely has the wrong hands.Beware Skagra. Beware the Sphere. Beware Shada.Trade ReviewA delight * SFX Magazine *There are moments of glorious Adamsian whimsy here * Sunday Times *Surprising, page-turning, fulfilling, satisfying and faithful to the spirit of that wonderfully gifted author who left us far too young * Doctor Who Magazine *Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor is brought fabulously to life, scarf flapping, eyes and teeth flashing as he clowns around making flippant remarks while saving the universe * Sun *Something of a Holy Grail for a Doctor Who fan * Belfast Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA forgotten enemy. An old adversary. A terrible alliance.From a ruined world at the end of time, the vicious Sild make preparations to conquer the past and rewrite history. But to do it they will need to enslave an intellect greater than their own...On Earth, UNIT is called in to examine a mysterious incident on a North Sea drilling platform. They've hardly begun, though, when something even stranger takes hold: The Brigadier and others are starting to forget about UNIT's highest-profile prisoner.As the Sild invasion begins, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma. To save the universe, he must save his arch-nemesis... The Master.Trade ReviewNo Who fan should miss it. * The Sun *Immediately confounds expectations. * SFX *An excellent read with lots of action and witty by-play * Bolton News *Partly an intriguing sci-fi story…partly an indulgent second-childhood romp. Who can't find the fun in that? * Doctor Who Magazine *Harvest of Time is easily one of the best original Doctor Who novels * Kool TV *

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Book SynopsisThe world is in the grip of a second Ice Age. Despite a coordinated global effort, the glaciers still advance. But they are not the only threat to the planet.Buried deep in the ice, scientists at Britannicus Base have discovered an ancient warrior. But this is no simple archaeological find. What they have found is the commander of a spaceship that crashed into the glacier thousands of years ago. Thawed from the ice, and knowing their home planet Mars is now a dead world, the Ice Warriors decide to make Earth their own...Can the Doctor and his friends overcome the warlike Martians and halt the advance of the glaciers?This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 11 November to 16 December 1967. This was the first Doctor Who story to feature the Ice Warriors.Featuring the Second Doctor as played by Patrick Troughton, and his companions Jamie and Victoria

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Book SynopsisA mysterious black hole is draining away power from the Universe. Even the Time Lords are threatened. The Doctor is also in trouble. Creatures from the black hole besiege UNIT Headquarters. The only person who can help the Doctor is... himself.The Time Lords bring together the first three incarnations of the Doctor to discover the truth about the black hole and stop the energy drain.The Doctors and their companions travel through the black hole itself, into a universe of anti-matter. Here they meet one of the very first Time Lords - Omega, who gave his race the power to travel through time. Trapped for aeons in the black hole, he now plans to escape - whatever the cost.This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 30 December 1972 to 20 January 1973.Featuring the first three Doctors as played by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, together with Jo Grant and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

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Book SynopsisThe winter festival is approaching for the hardy colony of Morphans, but no one is in the mood to celebrate. They’re trying to build a new life on a cold new world, but each year gets harder and harder. It’s almost as if some dark force is working against them. Then three mysterious travelers arrive out of the midwinter night, one of them claiming to be a doctor. Are they bringing the gift of salvation or doom? And what else might be lurking out there, about to wake up?An adventure featuring the Eleventh Doctor as played by Matt Smith and his companions Amy and Rory

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Book SynopsisWilfred Mott is very happy: his granddaughter, Donna, is back home, catching up with family and gossiping about her journeys, and he has just discovered a new star and had it named after him. He takes the Tenth Doctor with him to the naming ceremony. But the Doctor soon discovers something else new, and worryingly bright, in the heavens – something that is heading for Earth. It’s an ancient force from the Dark Times. And it is very, very angry…An adventure featuring the Tenth Doctor as played by David Tennant and his companion Donna

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Book SynopsisAnji has just had the worst week of her life. She should be back at her desk, not travelling through time and space in a police box. The Eighth Doctor is supposed to be taking her home, so why are there dinosaurs outside? The Doctor doesn’t seem to know either, or else he surely would have mentioned the homicidal princesses, teen terrorists and mad robots? One thing is certain: Anji is never going to complain about Monday mornings in the office again.An adventure featuring the Eighth Doctor as played by Paul McGann and his companions Fitz and Anji

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Book SynopsisOn a moon of the ruined planet Akoshemon, an age-old terror is about to be reborn. Something that remembers the spiral of war, pestilence and deprivation – and rejoices in it. The Fifth Doctor joins a team of archaeologists searching for evidence of the planet’s infamous past, and uncovers more than just ancient history. Forced to confront his own worst fears, even the Doctor will be pushed to breaking point – and beyond.An adventure featuring the Fifth Doctor as played by Peter Davison and his companions Tegan and Nyssa

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Book SynopsisThe Beautiful Death is the ultimate theme-park ride: a sightseeing tour of the afterlife. But something has gone wrong, and when the Fourth Doctor arrives in the aftermath of the disaster, he is congratulated for saving the population from destruction – something he hasn’t actually done yet. He has no choice but to travel back in time and discover how he became a hero.And then he finds out. He did it by sacrificing his life.An adventure featuring the Fourth Doctor as played by Tom Baker and his companions Romana and K-9

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