This first collection by Sterling brings together a dozen of his evocative, inventive stories. "Spook" tells of a future intelligence agent who is subjected to an operation that removes the psychologically limiting Veil implanted in his head, and then finds freedom untenable because it brings realization of all the suffering he has caused. "The Little Magic Shop" is a whimsical story about a life-extending elixir, with a twist. Five of the stories are from the Shaper/Mechanist series, set in a future in which the two races war for the universe's resources. "Swarm" tells of a Shaper who craftily gathers some genetic material from the alien Swarm race with the intent of creating a slave population, but whose plans backfire spectacularly when his understanding of the Swarm proves less advanced than his technology.

We are all possessors of a mystical inner world where the primal powers of Heaven and Earth summon us to embrace the fullness of our potential. The experiential journey of Crystal Yoga begins with the 33 crystals of the archetypal Crystal Mesa, a functioning temple in miniature, well adapted to pathworking and ritual. The Crystal Mesa can be used to balance energy and heal, to align mind and heart, to clarify intent, deepen discernment, and integrate various auric light bodies and chakras, thereby preparing the human vessel for ascension.

An Almost Browne novel.

Optical computers and photonic integrated circuits in high capacity optical networks are hot topics, attracting the attention of expert researchers and commercial technology companies. Optical packet switching and routing technologies promise to provide a more efficient source of power, and footprint scaling with increased router capacity; integrating more optical processing elements into the same chip to increase on-chip processing capability and system intelligence has become a priority. This book is an in-depth look at modelling techniques and the simulation of a wide range of liquid crystal based modern photonic devices with enhanced high levels of flexible integration and enhanced power processing. It covers the physics of liquid crystal materials; techniques required for modelling liquid crystal based devices; the state-of-the art liquid crystal photonic based applications for telecommunications such as couplers, polarization rotators, polarization splitters and multiplexer-demultiplexers; liquid core photonic crystal fiber (LC-PCF) sensors including biomedical and temperature sensors; and liquid crystal photonic crystal based encryption systems for security applications. Key features Offers a unique source of in-depth learning on the fundamental principles of computational liquid crystal photonics. Explains complex concepts such as photonic crystals, liquid crystals, waveguides and modes, and frequency- and time-domain techniques used in the design of liquid crystal photonic crystal photonic devices in terms that are easy to understand. Demonstrates the useful properties of liquid crystals in a diverse and ever-growing list of technological applications. Requires only a foundational knowledge of mathematics and physics.