Blake had waited a long time for his big chance. Finally the selection board called him in. This was it. He got his promotion, his captain's ticket and his first assignment. Vorgal was a tough planet but Blake was ready for it. He was the first spaceman to land on Vorgal without crashing. He was the first human being to see a Vorgalian and live. He was the first to learn the planet's deadly secret an come back alive. But...when he went into landing orbit around Earth they fired on him. No one would believe that the impossible had happened. They thought Blake's body was being used by an alien, and unless he could convince them fast he would die. Without his secret knowledge of Vorgal, Earth would die too...

Long before it took the home video game console market by storm, Sega was already an arcade powerhouse. Parlaying its dominance in coin-operated machines into the home video game boom of the 1980s, the Japan-based company soon expanded with branches in Europe and the U.S., and continues to lead the gaming industry in design and quality. Drawing on interviews with former developers and hundreds of documents, this history follows the rise of Sega, from its electromechanical machines of the mid-1960s to the acquisition of Gremlin Industries to its 2003 merger with Sammy Corporation. Sixty-two of Sega's most popular and groundbreaking games are explored.

The "Great Dreamer" sci-fi classic series includes four works: "Fall of Civilization," "The Space War," "The Lover’s Farewell," and "The Whale Rider." Since Liu Cixin's "The Three-Body Problem" won the Hugo Award and the domestic sci-fi film "The Wandering Earth" gained popularity, Chinese sci-fi literature, once quiet, has entered a vibrant and flourishing era. Many works have been included in language textbooks and frequently appear in middle and high school language exams. Chen Qiufan, Zhang Ran, Bao Shu, and AQue, four visionary young sci-fi writers, are recognized as leaders of China's sci-fi golden generation. Their works differ from the historical context and knowledge systems of Wang Jinkang and Liu Cixin, offering more innovative and imaginative insights that cater to the tastes of new-generation readers. Among these, "The Space War" is a quintessential collection of hard sci-fi classics in the Zhang Ran style. It includes seven works: "When the Sun Falls," "Homecoming," "The Cramped City," "Goodbye Doraemon," "Emotional Fallacies," "Welcome to Samna," and "Three Stories of Humans and Dogs." The collection features a diverse range of styles, from warm to cold, with strong visual and immersive elements. The stories depict future space military battles, illustrating a scene where, one day, when you gaze at the sky, the burning fire is neither the apocalypse nor a dream, but a new battlefield of human desire.

It was a proud moment in the earth's history, when twenty-four dedicated volunteers set off, on that bright summer morning in 1993, to conquer the vastnesses of inter-stellar space. They did not hope to accomplish their Herculean task in the meagre span of human life. It was their descendants who would walk out onto the as yet undiscovered, planets of the alien stars... or so they dreamed. There were dire perils ahead of them. Damage to their engines, radio-activity the invisible killer, space madness and the failure of the life giving hydroponic tanks which supplied their oxygen. Yet the worst enemy of all was the enemy within themselves. The human failure of men and women, locked in the close confines of the Star Ship. Then there was the Alien Ship... Friend or foe?... Saviour or destroyer?

After being sent to the planet from which no one had returned and was guarded by barrier rays, Mac is able to return. But the rays had affected him and made him wish that death had been swift as the unknown menace began to spread.

They were trying out a new drive when a cosmic accident took them incalculable light years off course. A miracle of courage and astrogation meant than there were some survivors from the inevitable crash. The ship itself did not escape unscathed. What had been their vehicle became their prison. The buckled lock could not be opened from the inside and they had no other means of getting free. The air was slowly running out. The planet they had hit was raw and primitive by their own standards, but it did hold intelligent life. One of the natives found the ship. Dare the trapped space travellers hope for a miracle? If they go out what kind of strange life forms would they be involved with? Could they hope to find the kind of raw materials which would get their crippled ship into space again? If not, could they face life sentences on this strange, unknown, primitive world . . . ? Faced by a thousand fantastic difficulties the astronauts battled untiringly for their right to survive.

The fourth edition of Game Development Essentials: An Introduction takes readers on a fascinating journey through the game development process and the industry itself. This thoroughly updated, highly anticipated new edition includes 12 chapters divided into three parts: The chapters in Part I explore game development history, platforms, genres, and player stats. Part II delves into content creation and concepts behind story and character development, gameplay, level design, interface design, and audio. Finally, Part III focuses on team roles, production, management, and marketing. All the current industry trends and technologies are covered-including: next-generation platforms PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S; usability and accessibility; virtual, mixed, and augmented reality; and development tools and techniques. Game Development Essentials: An Introduction is the starting point for anyone who's interested in learning everything there is to know about the thriving, fast-moving game industry. • High-impact game screenshots, photos, diagrams, and illustrations. • Revealing case studies, profiles, quotes, and tips contributed by industry experts. • Insightful objectives, exercises, notes, and sidebars that help readers hone their critical thinking skills.