The book kicks off with "Ant's Army," a tale set against the Austrian backdrop. Antara, an industrious ant, transforms her colony into a formidable army to protect her homeland. The narrative unfolds a harmonious blend of fantasy and environmental consciousness, showcasing the strength that unity holds in the face of adversity. The journey continues with "Chess of Death," returning to the Austrian environment. The narrative introduces a high-stakes, magical chess game that entangles the lives of its players, weaving a gripping tale of strategy, consequences, and the pursuit of victory in the face of peril. "Barbed Whip" unfolds against the mystical ambiance of the Czech Republic. Valeria, a skilled warrior, wields a magical whip in her pursuit of justice against a malevolent force threatening her homeland. The story is infused with Czech cultural elements, providing a vivid and immersive experience. Moving on to "Crying River," the book explores a haunting tale set in the Czech landscape. A river with mystical properties reflects the emotions of those who traverse its waters, creating a poignant narrative that delves into the interconnectedness of nature and human emotions.

From Lovecraft to Borges to Gaiman, a century of intrepid literary experimentation has created a corpus of dark and strange stories that transcend all known genre boundaries. Together these stories form The Weird, and its practitioners include some of the greatest names in twentieth and twenty-first century literature. Exotic and esoteric, The Weird plunges you into dark domains and brings you face to face with surreal monstrosities. You won't find any elves or wizards here...but you will find the biggest, boldest, and downright most peculiar stories from the last hundred years bound together in the biggest Weird collection ever assembled. The Weird features 110 stories by an all-star cast, from literary legends to international bestsellers to Booker Prize winners: including William Gibson, George R. R. Martin, Stephen King, Angela Carter, Kelly Link, Franz Kafka, China Miéville, Clive Barker, Haruki Murakami, M. R. James, Neil Gaiman, Mervyn Peake, and Michael Chabon. The Weird is the winner of the 2012 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Goblin, a cheerful little homebody, lives in a cosy, rat-infested dungeon, with his only friend, Skeleton. Every day, Goblin and Skeleton play with the treasure in their dungeon. But one day, a gang of "heroic" adventurers bursts in. These marauders trash the place, steal all the treasure, and make off with Skeleton—leaving Goblin all alone! It's up to Goblin to save the day. But first he's going to have to leave the dungeon and find out how the rest of the world feels about goblins.

The old wizard wasn't exactly happy with Valder, who'd led his enemy to his hut. Now hut and magical supplies were destroyed. But he'd promised the young scout a magic sword to get him safely back to his own lines -- and a much-enchanted sword Valder would get! The resulting sword gave perfect protection -- sometimes! It could kill any man -- or even half demon. In fact, once drawn, it had to kill before it could be put down or sheathed. Army wizards told Valder that the sword would keep him alive until he'd drawn it 100 times; then it would kill him! It wouldn't prevent his being wounded, maimed or cut to pieces, but it wouldn't let him die. If his new job as Chief Assassin for the army didn't make him use up the spell, he'd be practically immortal. Not bad, it seemed. There had to be a catch somewhere. There was -- and it was a lulu!

A thrilling and gripping tale of friendship, courage and the power of being yourself.

A woman blessed, or cursed, with a talent for witchcraft returns to Castle Auburn where she spent her childhood in joy-only to find an aura of dread awaiting her.

"I can command storms, summon fire and unmake stone," Balfruss growled. "It's dangerous to meddle with things you don't understand." Balfruss is a battlemage, sworn to fight and die for a country that fears and despises his kind. Vargus is a common soldier -- while mages shoot lightning from the walls of the city, he's down in the front lines getting blood on his blade. Talandra is a princess and spymaster, but the war may force her to risk everything and make the greatest sacrifice of all. Magic and mayhem collide in this explosive epic fantasy from a major new talent.