Science fiction and fantasy stories from a USA Today bestselling author. Carl Sagan famously said that we are made of star stuff. The atoms in our bodies were forged in the hearts of stars. We are a way for the universe to know itself. Science fiction is the literature of ideas. Of exploration. Of imagination. Through science fiction, we get a little closer to knowing the universe. This anthology contains tales of imagination. One novella. Five science fiction stories. One fantasy story. All seven tales ask a question. What if . . . We are made of star stuff. Let's gaze at where we came from . . . and imagine.

For every child who has ever looked up at the stars and asked, "What are they?" comes the story of a curious boy who never stopped wondering: Carl Sagan. When Carl Sagan was a young boy he went to the 1939 World's Fair and his life was changed forever. From that day on he never stopped marveling at the universe and seeking to understand it better. Star Stuff follows Carl from his days star gazing from the bedroom window of his Brooklyn apartment, through his love of speculative science fiction novels, to his work as an internationally renowned scientist who worked on the Voyager missions exploring the farthest reaches of space. This book introduces the beloved man who brought the mystery of the cosmos into homes across America to a new generation of dreamers and star gazers.

Science fiction and fantasy stories from a USA Today bestselling author. Carl Sagan famously said that we are made of star stuff. The atoms in our bodies were forged in the hearts of stars. We are a way for the universe to know itself. Science fiction is the literature of ideas. Of exploration. Of imagination. Through science fiction, we get a little closer to knowing the universe. This anthology contains tales of imagination. One novella. Five science fiction stories. One fantasy story. All seven tales ask a question. What if . . . We are made of star stuff. Let's gaze at where we came from . . . and imagine.

Shirley Jackson Award finalist World Fantasy Award finalist Dark, irreverent, and truly innovative, the speculative stories in Homesick meditate on the theme of home and our estrangement from it, and what happens when the familiar suddenly shifts into the uncanny. In stories that foreground queer relationships and transgender or nonbinary characters, Cipri delivers the origin story for a superhero team comprised of murdered girls; a housecleaner discovering an impossible ocean in her least-favorite clients' house; a man haunted by keys that appear suddenly in his throat; and a team of scientists and activists discovering the remains of a long-extinct species of intelligent weasels. In the spirit of Laura van den Berg, Emily Geminder, Chaya Bhuvaneswar, and other winners of the Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize, Nino Cipri's debut collection announces the arrival of a brilliant and wonderfully unpredictable writer with a gift for turning the short story on its ear.

Over 20 short sci-fi and fantasy stories to warm the soul. From outlandish adventures of humans in space to simple tales of Earthbound love. Includes three Reedsy Writing Contest winners and several other shortlisted works. So, welcome to the cheerier side of the human mind. Where the planets spin and the stars twinkle. Where the spirit soars and dreams blend with reality. Pop on the kettle. Make yourself a pot of tea or a mug of coffee. Snuggle up. Get cosy. And let your imagination free. And always keep an eye on the skies above. Sometimes, wonderful things light up the darkness.

While students and general readers typically cannot relate to esoteric definitions of science fiction, they readily understand the genre as a literature that characteristically deals with subjects such as new inventions, space, robot and aliens. This book looks at science fiction in precisely this manner, with twenty-one chapters that each deal with a subject that is repeatedly addressed in science fiction of recent centuries. Based on a packet of original essays that the author assembled for his classes, the book could serve as a supplemental textbook in science fiction classes, but also contains material of interest to science fiction scholars and others devoted to the genre. In some cases, chapters offer thorough surveys of numerous works involving certain subjects, such as imagined vehicles, journeys beneath the Earth and undersea adventures, discovering intriguing patterns in the ways that various writers developed their ideas. When comprehensive coverage of ubiquitous topics such as robots, aliens and the planet Mars is impossible, chapters focus on major themes referencing selected texts. A conclusion discusses other science fiction subjects that were omitted for various reasons, and a bibliography lists additional resources for the study of science fiction in general and the topics of each chapter.

“The book is like Star Wars plus drug dealers plus rock stars all joined into one book. If you like to read about that stuff then you will love this book…This is a cool book so check it out!” - From a young reader's book report Shortlisted for a Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award An Our Choice selection of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre After a lifetime of sleeping in alleys and flophouses, Kit’s musical talent is discovered, and he is remade into Andy Nebula. Well-fed, content with a warm bed and contract, Andy begins to wonder why every previous “Sensation Single” star was a flash-in-the-pan. Little does he know that the answer lies with the off-world Hydras and their taste for music and flash, a drug forbidden to humans…and that he is their next fix. Praise for Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star (Book 1): “The action in Andy Nebula moves along at a cracking pace and the characters are well-drawn…Andy Nebula is fast and furious enough to keep even reluctant readers turning the pages, and young teen fans of fantasy and science fiction will not be disappointed.” – John Wilson, Quill & Quire “… gritty and clever…Willett tells a fast-moving tale that has plenty of colour. He wastes few words and presents some good characterizations…All in all, a worthy addition to a young reader’s shelf of SF books.” – A. L. Sirois, SF Site “It’s the combination of the familiar with the speculative that lifts Andy Nebulaabove the crowd…From page one we know we are in another time and place thanks to Willett’s deft and never-faltering use of a convincing invented slang…Get one copy for yourself, and another for a young person.” – Donna Farley, NCF Guide to Canadian Science Fiction and Fandom “Willett writes in a humorous and flamboyant style not unlike an old-style detective novel…The novel is fast and exciting with lots of action. It also involves broader themes like differentiating between the authentic and the contrived, values and measuring success, drug addiction and tolerance between species…The writing is trim and humourous but far from vacuous. This book is fun to read. Kids will like it, too.” – Jocolyn Caton, The Regina Sun