“Ellen Datlow is the queen of anthology editors in America.”—Peter Straub With original stories by Jeffrey Ford, Pat Cadigan, Elizabeth Bear, Margo Lanagan, and others From Del Rey Books and award-winning editor Ellen Datlow, two of the most respected names in science fiction and fantasy, comes a collection of fifteen all-new short stories, plus a science fiction novella, that could count as a virtual “best of the year” anthology. Here you will find slyly twisted alternate histories, fractured fairy tales, topical science fiction, and edgy urban fantasy. In “Daltharee,” World Fantasy Award–winning author Jeffrey Ford spins a chilling tale of a city in a bottle—and the demented genius who put it there. In “Sonny Liston Takes the Fall,” John W. Campbell Award–winning author Elizabeth Bear pens a poignant and eerie requiem for the heavyweight forever associated with his controversial loss to Cassius Clay. From hot new writer Margo Lanagan comes “The Goosle,” a dark, astonishing take on Hansel and Gretel. In the novella “Prisoners of the Action,” Paul McAuley and Kim Newman take a trip down a rabbit hole that leads to a Guantanamo-like prison whose inmates are not just illegal but extraterrestrial. Many of the writers you’ll recognize. Others you may not. But one thing is certain: These stars of today and tomorrow demonstrate that the field of speculative fiction is not only alive and well—it’s better than ever. PLUS TWELVE MORE STORIES “The Elephant Ironclads” by Jason Stoddard “Ardent Clouds” by Lucy Sussex “Gather” by Christopher Rowe “North American Lake Monsters” by Nathan Ballingrud “All Washed Up While Looking for a Better World” by Carol Emshwiller “Special Economics” by Maureen F. McHugh “Aka St. Mark’s Place” by Richard Bowes “Shira” by Lavie Tidhar “The Passion of Azazel” by Barry N. Malzberg “The Lagerstätte” by Laird Barron “Gladiolus Exposed” by Anna Tambour “Jimmy” by Pat Cadigan

This book, first published in 1980, is a guide to the major forces in the subculture of science fiction. It analyses the history of the field and the related developments, for instance the Bomb, that have shaped the literature. It examines the complex of activity and background tradition, the body of accepted beliefs and conventions, and the ethics and values of the world of science fiction.

Discover the best in science fiction, fantasy, and horror with the 2020 Del Rey ebook sampler! 2020 is a year of new chapters. Max Brooks, who helped us survive a zombie pandemic, now searches for a more elusive threat: Bigfoot. Kevin Hearne, the author of The Iron Druid Chronicles, takes us back to that beloved world with a new spin-off series—and dreams up a different epic fantasy series with an entirely new mythology. Peter F. Hamilton masterfully builds a blazing space opera series. Silvia Moreno-Garcia, who dazzled us with her vision of 1920s Mexico and the Mayan underworld, reimagines the classic gothic suspense novel with the story of an isolated mansion in the 1950s Mexican countryside. These eleven recent and upcoming works are full of action. A young space pilot tries to save his best friend—the heir to a galactic empire—from a ruthless rebellion. A girl whose interdimensional doppelgängers have died in 372 worlds discovers a secret that puts her life in jeopardy. A man whose daughter has newfound, terrifying powers must risk his life to save hers. The last human in the galaxy hides her identity while trying to discover the truth about humanity. A woman traveling through time finds a mysterious child with unimaginable power. A spell allows women to control their own fertility in an epic feminist fantasy. This captivating ebook sampler contains excerpts from: DEVOLUTION by Max Brooks THE WOMEN’S WAR by Jenna Glass SALVATION by Peter F. Hamilton INK & SIGIL by Kevin Hearne A PLAGUE OF GIANTS by Kevin Hearne THE VANISHED BIRDS by Simon Jimenez THE SPACE BETWEEN WORDS by Micaiah Johnson THE LAST HUMAN by Zack Jordan MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia THE NOBODY PEOPLE by Bob Proehl BONDS OF BRASS by Emily Skrutskie

The ship was to be seven miles long, a third of a mile in diameter and have a wing-spread of three and a half miles. It would take two and a half centuries to construct. Its announced purpose: to carry humanity away from its ruined world, from the world that had become a perpetual purgatory. To build this vast ship would require the undivided activity of an entire nation and would mean carrying out a ruthless program of war and conquest, of annihilation and reconstruction, and of education and rediscovery. But was this starship really what it was claimed to be? Or was there a greater secret behind its incredible cost - a secret so strange that no man dared reveal it?

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens the very fabric of the multiverse in this stunning debut, a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging. WINNER OF THE COMPTON CROOK AWARD • FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • “Gorgeous writing, mind-bending world-building, razor-sharp social commentary, and a main character who demands your attention—and your allegiance.”—Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—NPR, Library Journal, Book Riot Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total. On this dystopian Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now what once made her marginalized has finally become an unexpected source of power. She has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security. But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world but the entire multiverse. “Clever characters, surprise twists, plenty of action, and a plot that highlights social and racial inequities in astute prose.”—Library Journal (starred review)