In science fiction, jet packs let people zoom through the air at high speeds. Discover the science and technology behind what it would take to make a real-life jet pack!

This book contains artwork based on the novels published by King Tiger Books, a small printshop specializing in fantasy and science fiction where world building and imaginative settings come first. King Tiger Books started off as a dream about books where the creative world building part continued right up to the end. I have personally read over 5,000 fantasy and science fiction novels and found many of them conformed to the same pattern - 2 or 3 awesome chapters where the world was presented to the reader, exciting stuff where I could almost see the author's hand putting his chess pieces down in preparation for whatever fantasy or science fiction battles were to come. The rest of the novels were often bland, non-descript and painfully filled with conversations. Sometimes the rest of the books had the characters walking around, like in one famous novel where a little halfling-person walked all the way across a dangerous fantasy world to throw his wedding ring into a volcano. The movie adaptation was good though. King Tiger books did things differently. My brother and I worked out the plots to our books together, focusing on setting, environment and background and making sure that the entire novel was like the first 2 or 3 chapters from other novels that I loved so much. The result is a series of books that contain more world building in 1 chapter than many other books have in their entirety. Our first novel, War Machines of von Saarik, is illustrated here. I used a wonderful program called Vue 16 Esprit to bring the world of Imtrund to life, spending countless hours drawing the crystals, castles and magic swords so important to the book's plot. Penturian, our second novel, gets royal treatment here. A neat blend of science fiction and fantasy, Penturian showcased a fighter pilot named Tychon of Kalos who fought valiantly at 20,000 feet to defend his planet from fire elementals, high tech ships and greedy old gods that wouldn't die. The jets from many of our science fiction novels are here including the single seat ships that the Octopoid Empire used to explore the galaxy in Iliad 2030, an intoxicating mix of science fiction, aviation and world building. Achiliosa rampaged through the skies in that one, gunning her enemies down in battle after battle. The jets from Star Pilot - a science fiction novel about defending civilized space from an intergalactic race of merciless reptiles - are here, boldly entering battle despite overwhelming odds. So grab some coffee, sit back and look through the pictures, exploring the galaxy along with my brave fighter pilots. Or pick up the books from King Tiger Books and read about their adventures, narrow escapes and epic battles.

The history of the world through 1,001 inventions—from prehistoric times to the present day. 1001 Inventions That Changed the World is an enthralling guide to the world’s most important scientific and technological advances. Authoritatively written by a team of historians, scientists, and anthropologists, this book tells the stories behind these innovations, presenting a comprehensive history of the world through invention and discovery. From stone tools and fire at the dawn of humankind to today’s self-driving cars, inventions have moved society forward at a remarkable pace. This informative volume shows just how much some of the inventions that we take for granted have transformed the world.

Wondrous worlds abound in the stories within. Heroes go on great adventures through magical realms, encounter alien races, and use their ingenuity to overcome impossible difficulties. From Robert E. Howard's thrilling stories of Conan the Barbarian to Nathaniel Hawthorne's subtle tale "The Artist of the Beautiful," the power of the imagination is breathtaking. The settings range from the frozen wastes of Antarctica to the red plains of Mars. Themes of space travel, apocalypse, magic, and power permeate these stories, but at their heart, as with all good fiction, are the characters - who remain as human as you or I. During the 19th century many writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ambrose Bierce, tried their hand at fantasy and science fiction, but few fully devoted themselves to the genre. It took two men to change this: H. G. Wells and Robert E. Howard. Wells was a founder of the science fiction genre whose novels The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds established him as one of the greatest writers of the time. Howard was nearly as influential on the fantasy genre, as his character Conan the Barbarian has remained immensely popular for generations. In the early 20th century, fantasy and science fiction truly established themselves in the pulp magazines. Writers like Charles B. Stilson, John York Cabot, and Harry Gore Bishop struggled to make a living even though they wrote prolifically for these magazines. The literary landscape as we know it today was established through the writing of these devoted individuals. This collection features several of the premier writers of speculative fiction. Authors include: W. L. Alden Robert Barr Ambrose Bierce Harry Gore Bishop John York Cabot Nictzin Dyalhis Francis Flagg George Griffith Nathaniel Hawthorne Robert E. Howard Kenneth Morris William Morris Charles B. Stilson H. G. Wells

The science fiction and fantasy fields continue to evolve, setting new marks with each passing year. For the sixth year in a row, master anthologist Jonathan Strahan has collected stories to captivate, entertain, and showcase the very best the genre has to offer. Critically acclaimed, and with a reputation for including award-winning speculative fiction, The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year is the only major “best of” anthology to collect both fantasy and science fiction under one cover. Jonathan Strahan has edited more than thirty anthologies and collections, including The Locus Awards (with Charles N. Brown), The New Space Opera (with Gardner Dozois), and Swords and Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery.