Completed series: Kindle edition: 11-chapters set; paperback: 1-volume set. When Sawoo gets bullied in high school, his only friend Kido promises to teach him how to become the greatest villain. But Kido goes overseas after teaching Sawoo only two of the three rules. Faithfully following the two rules, Sawoo writes Kido many letters in the hope that he will get to learn the last remaining rule but Kido never replies. One day after four years, Kido shows up in front of Sawoo, thinking those were love letters.

The Best Western Novels of William MacLeod Raine is a collection of gripping and vivid stories set in the wild and rugged landscapes of the American West. Raine's literary style is characterized by his ability to paint detailed scenes of frontier life with rich descriptions and compelling narratives. Through his tales of cowboys, outlaws, and frontier heroes, Raine captures the essence of the Western genre, transporting readers to a time of adventure and danger. The Best Western Novels of William MacLeod Raine is a must-read for those who enjoy immersive storytelling and classic Western themes. Each novel in this collection showcases Raine's talent for creating memorable characters and engaging plotlines that keep readers eagerly turning the pages. William MacLeod Raine was a prolific author who drew inspiration from his own experiences living in the West, which lends authenticity and depth to his storytelling. His passion for the history and folklore of the American frontier shines through in each of his novels, making them both entertaining and educational. Whether you are a fan of Western literature or simply enjoy a well-crafted story, The Best Western Novels of William MacLeod Raine is a timeless collection that is sure to captivate and entertain.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of Barack Obama’s most trusted aides comes a revelatory behind-the-scenes account of his presidency—and how idealism can confront harsh reality and still survive. “The closest view of Obama we’re likely to get until he publishes his own memoir.”—George Packer, The New Yorker NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN For nearly ten years, Ben Rhodes saw almost everything that happened at the center of the Obama administration—first as a speechwriter, then as deputy national security advisor, and finally as a multipurpose aide and close collaborator. He started every morning in the Oval Office with the President’s Daily Briefing, traveled the world with Obama, and was at the center of some of the most consequential and controversial moments of the presidency. Now he tells the full story of his partnership—and, ultimately, friendship—with a man who also happened to be a historic president of the United States. Rhodes was not your typical presidential confidant, and this is not your typical White House memoir. Rendered in vivid, novelistic detail by someone who was a writer before he was a staffer, this is a rare look inside the most poignant, tense, and consequential moments of the Obama presidency—waiting out the bin Laden raid in the Situation Room, responding to the Arab Spring, reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran, leading secret negotiations with the Cuban government to normalize relations, and confronting the resurgence of nationalism and nativism that culminated in the election of Donald Trump. In The World as It Is, Rhodes shows what it was like to be there—from the early days of the Obama campaign to the final hours of the presidency. It is a story populated by such characters as Susan Rice, Samantha Power, Hillary Clinton, Bob Gates, and—above all—Barack Obama, who comes to life on the page in moments of great urgency and disarming intimacy. This is the most vivid portrayal yet of Obama’s worldview and presidency, a chronicle of a political education by a writer of enormous talent, and an essential record of the forces that shaped the last decade. Praise for The World as It Is “A book that reflects the president [Rhodes] served—intelligent, amiable, compelling and principled . . . a classic coming-of-age story, about the journey from idealism to realism, told with candor and immediacy . . . His achievement is rare for a political memoir: He has written a humane and honorable book.”—Joe Klein, The New York Times Book Review

Contributions by Jerold J. Abrams, José Alaniz, John Carey, Maurice Charney, Peter Coogan, Joe Cruz, Phillip Lamarr Cunningham, Stefan Danter, Adam Davidson-Harden, Randy Duncan, Richard Hall, Richard Heldenfels, Alberto Hermida, Víctor Hernández-Santaolalla, A. G. Holdier, Tiffany Hong, Stephen Graham Jones, Siegfried Kracauer, Naja Later, Ryan Litsey, Tara Lomax, Tony Magistrale, Matthew McEniry, Cait Mongrain, Grant Morrison, Robert Moses Peaslee, David D. Perlmutter, W. D. Phillips, Jared Poon, Duncan Prettyman, Vladimir Propp, Noriko T. Reider, Robin S. Rosenberg, Hannah Ryan, Lennart Soberon, J. Richard Stevens, Lars Stoltzfus-Brown, John N. Thompson, Dan Vena, and Robert G. Weiner The Supervillain Reader, featuring both reprinted and original essays, reveals why we are so fascinated with the villain. The obsession with the villain is not a new phenomenon, and, in fact, one finds villains who are “super” going as far back as ancient religious and mythological texts. This innovative collection brings together essays, book excerpts, and original content from a wide variety of scholars and writers, weaving a rich tapestry of thought regarding villains in all their manifestations, including film, literature, television, games, and, of course, comics and sequential art. While The Supervillain Reader focuses on the latter, it moves beyond comics to show how the vital concept of the supervillain is part of our larger consciousness. Editors Robert Moses Peaslee and Robert G. Weiner collect pieces that explore how the villain is a complex part of narratives regardless of the original source. The Joker, Lex Luthor, Harley Quinn, Darth Vader, and Magneto must be compelling, stimulating, and proactive, whereas the superhero (or protagonist) is most often reactive. Indeed, whether in comics, films, novels, religious tomes, or video games, the eternal struggle between villain and hero keeps us coming back to these stories over and over again.

What happens after an epic tale ends? This collection of eleven short stories picks up days after Scum Villain's finale and follows the cast's relationships and adventures through their pasts and futures. The first trial? A glimpse into another world, where Luo Binghe was never saved by his beloved teacher--unless he can claim this world's Shen Qingqiu for himself. Other tales recount the riotous history of Shang Qinghua and Mobei-Jun, the bittersweet romance of Luo Binghe's parents, and the untold tragedy of the original scum villain himself. FINAL VOLUME

King of Bad Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he's recruited by Super Villain Academy - where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he's bad enough for SVA. He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he's kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst - the girl he's crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the supers is good, right? Or is it...bad? Polar Opposites The supers are balanced. Academies have altered their curriculum to teach both sides of the super power spectrum. All's well in the super world. Right? When Mystic kidnaps Oceanus, Jeff learns it isn't all right. Turning to the newly balanced supers for assistance, he panics to find they've done nothing to rescue Oceanus. When no ransom request follows, he worries Mystic's plan never included returning his girlfriend. Frustrated, he's forced to work with the only super willing to help. Oceanus' ex-villain, ex-boyfriend, Set. Mystic isn't the only one hiding something. Nothing about Jeff is balanced. Temper flares result in scorched clothing or flying furniture, and his charm has become an indiscriminating people-magnet. Jeff is convinced, or maybe just hopeful, that his lack of control is directly related to Oceanus being gone. But will he and Set find her before Jeff loses control completely and will they find her alive? Super Bad The world is in chaos. Violence and thievery reign. And with the supers still balanced, it's only getting worse. Without good versus evil, the supers care less and less. In order to restore purpose, the world needs its super heroes and its super villains, but the one who balanced them in the first place is missing. Sandra's concern over finding her brother Jeff, isn't her only problem. Her pathetic excuse for super powers has left her needing a new ankle. And though she's still very much committed to her boyfriend, Source, she's growing unreasonably attracted to Set, the boy who double-crossed Jeff by stealing his girlfriend. When Sandra is taken and held as bait by some kids who want to unbalance the super world, it becomes the inciting event that changes things for supers everywhere and forces them to answer the question, "Hero or villain?"

The essays in this volume constitute an exceptionally broad and inclusive account of Chinese literature and performing arts since 1949. Extending beyond fiction to poetry and drama, and covering song, opera, and film as well, these essays reveal a more lively and varied cultural life than that disclosed by studies confined to fiction and literary politics. Rather than stopping at the assumption that art reflects Party or government policy, the essays uncover the traditional roots of popular literature and performing art by employing literary and artistic methods of analysis. While often lacking in appeal to Western audiences, these popular arts nonetheless have their own artistic validity and convey complex meanings to broadly based Chinese audiences. The materials and analyses presented here have social as well as cultural relevance. Variety and change rather than monolithic uniformity have characterized post-1949 cultural bureaucracies, writers, performers, and audiences. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1984.