“A remarkable guided tour through the field—a kind of nonfiction companion to Among Others. It’s very good. It’s great.” —Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing As any reader of Jo Walton’s Among Others might guess, Walton is both an inveterate reader of SF and fantasy, and a chronic re-reader of books. In 2008, then-new science-fiction mega-site Tor.com asked Walton to blog regularly about her re-reading—about all kinds of older fantasy and SF, ranging from acknowledged classics, to guilty pleasures, to forgotten oddities and gems. These posts have consistently been among the most popular features of Tor.com. Now this volumes presents a selection of the best of them, ranging from short essays to long reassessments of some of the field’s most ambitious series. Among Walton’s many subjects here are the Zones of Thought novels of Vernor Vinge; the question of what genre readers mean by “mainstream”; the underappreciated SF adventures of C. J. Cherryh; the field’s many approaches to time travel; the masterful science fiction of Samuel R. Delany; Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children; the early Hainish novels of Ursula K. Le Guin; and a Robert A. Heinlein novel you have most certainly never read. Over 130 essays in all, What Makes This Book So Great is an immensely readable, engaging collection of provocative, opinionated thoughts about past and present-day fantasy and science fiction, from one of our best writers. “For readers unschooled in the history of SF/F, this book is a treasure trove.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Blast off into the unknown with this collection of ten classical works of science fiction and fantasy. Long before we ventured into outer space or explored the most remote regions of the planet, writers have spun stories of what might lie in those unknown worlds, or what awaits humanity in the future. Classic Tales of Science Fiction & Fantasy is a collection of ten novels and short stories that blazed the trail for the popular genre. Works by acclaimed authors such as Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jack London, and H. P. Lovecraft will transport the reader to distant places and times—and set the imagination ablaze!

Now with a new introduction for the Tor Essentials line, A Fire Upon the Deep is sure to bring a new generation of SF fans to Vinge's award-winning works. A Hugo Award-winning Novel! “Vinge is one of the best visionary writers of SF today.”-David Brin Thousands of years in the future, humanity is no longer alone in a universe where a mind's potential is determined by its location in space, from superintelligent entities in the Transcend, to the limited minds of the Unthinking Depths, where only simple creatures, and technology, can function. Nobody knows what strange force partitioned space into these "regions of thought," but when the warring Straumli realm use an ancient Transcendent artifact as a weapon, they unwittingly unleash an awesome power that destroys thousands of worlds and enslaves all natural and artificial intelligence. Fleeing this galactic threat, Ravna crash lands on a strange world with a ship-hold full of cryogenically frozen children, the only survivors from a destroyed space-lab. They are taken captive by the Tines, an alien race with a harsh medieval culture, and used as pawns in a ruthless power struggle. Tor books by Vernor Vinge Zones of Thought Series A Fire Upon The Deep A Deepness In The Sky The Children of The Sky Realtime/Bobble Series The Peace War Marooned in Realtime Other Novels The Witling Tatja Grimm's World Rainbows End Collections Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge True Names At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

DigiCat presents to you this unique and meticulously edited Sci-Fi collection: H. G. Wells: The Time Machine The War of the Worlds The Invisible Man... Jules Verne: Journey to the Center of the Earth 20.000 Leagues under the Sea... Mary Shelley: Frankenstein The Last Man Edwin A. Abbott: Flatland Jack London: Iron Heel The Scarlet Plague... R. L. Stevenson: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde George MacDonald: Lilith H. Rider Haggard: King Solomon's Mines She William H. Hodgson: The Night Land... Edgar Allan Poe: Some Words with a Mummy Mellonta Tauta... H. P. Lovecraft: The Cats of Ulthar Celephaïs Edward Bellamy: Looking Backward: 2000–1887 Equality... Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court George Orwell: 1984 Animal Farm Aldous Huxley: Brave New World Sinclair Lewis: It Can't Happen Here Yevgeny Zamyatin: We Owen Gregory: Meccania the Super-State Margaret Cavendish: The Blazing World Jonathan Swift: Gulliver's Travels William Morris: News from Nowhere Samuel Butler: Erewhon Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Coming Race James Fenimore Cooper: The Monikins Charlotte Gilman: Herland... Hugh Benson: Lord of the World Fred M. White: The Doom of London Ignatius Donnelly: Caesar's Column Ernest Bramah: The Secret of the League Arthur D. Vinton: Looking Further Backward Robert Cromie: The Crack of Doom Anthony Trollope: The Fixed Period Cleveland Moffett: The Conquest of America Richard Jefferies: After London Milo Hastings: City of Endless Night Francis Stevens: The Heads of Cerberus Percy Greg: Across the Zodiac David Lindsay: A Voyage to Arcturus Stanley G. Weinbaum: Stories from the Solar System Edward Everett Hale: The Brick Moon H. Beam Piper: Terro-Human Future History Paratime Police Abraham Merritt: The Moon Pool... Edgar Wallace: The Green Rust... Otis Adelbert Kline: Venus Trilogy Mars Series Malcolm Jameson: Captain Bullard Series C. S. Lewis: Space Trilogy Garrett P. Serviss: Edison's Conquest of Mars... Arthur Conan Doyle: Professor Challenger Francis Bacon: New Atlantis C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne: The Lost Continent Lewis Grassic Gibbon: Three Go Back

A collection of the best science fiction short stories of the 20th century as selected and evaluated by critically-acclaimed author Orson Scott Card. Featuring stories from the genre's greatest authors: Isaac Asimov • Arthur C. Clarke • Robert A. Heinlein • Ursula K. Le Guin • Ray Bradbury • Frederik Pohl • Harlan Ellison • George Alec Effinger • Brian W. Aldiss • William Gibson & Michael Swanwick • Theodore Sturgeon • Larry Niven • Robert Silverberg • Harry Turtledove • James Blish • George R. R. Martin • James Patrick Kelly • Karen Joy Fowler • Lloyd Biggle, Jr. • Terry Bisson • Poul Anderson • John Kessel • R.A. Lafferty • C.J. Cherryh • Lisa Goldstein • Edmond Hamilton In much of the science fiction of the past, the twenty-first century existed only in the writers’ imaginations. Now that it’s here, it’s time to take a look back at the last one hundred years in science fiction through the works of the most celebrated and acclaimed authors of the century—to see where we’ve been and just how far we’ve come. Along with a critical essay by Orson Scott Card reassessing science fiction in the twentieth century, Masterpieces includes short fiction by writers who have forged a permanent place for science fiction in the popular culture of today...and tomorrow. It offers a glimpse of the greatest works that mixed science with fiction in trying to figure out humanity’s place in the universe. Featuring bold, brave, and breathtaking stories, this definitive collection will stand the test of time in both this century and those to come.

The Greatest Sci-Fi Classics collection presents an unparalleled assembly of pioneering works that have shaped and defined the science fiction genre. Spanning a broad spectrum of themesfrom the social commentary of dystopian futures to the thrilling adventures in unexplored worldsthis anthology boasts an impressive diversity in literary styles. Among these pages lie the foundational texts of science fiction, with narratives that explore the human condition through speculative technological advancements and the exploration of the unknown. Notable for both its historic significance and the depth of its imaginative visions, this collection offers readers a journey through the evolution of the genre. The authors featured in this anthology represent a veritable whos who of science fictions progenitors. Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Mary Shelley are just a few of the visionary writers whose work is included, each contributing to the tapestry of themes and ideas that define science fiction. Their collective body of work encompasses a range of cultural, philosophical, and scientific thought from the 19th and early 20th centuries, reflecting the periods burgeoning interest in technological progress and its potential impacts on society. Through their stories, these authors not only entertained but also provoked thoughtful consideration of future possibilities. The Greatest Sci-Fi Classics offers readers a unique opportunity to explore a rich landscape of science fiction literature within a single volume. It serves as both an educational resource and a treasure trove of entertainment, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the worlds conceived by some of the genres most influential minds. This anthology is recommended for anyone interested in witnessing the genesis of science fiction as a literary form, engaging with the diverse perspectives it encompasses, and appreciating the dialogues it prompts about our future. The collection stands as a testament to the enduring power of science fiction to captivate the imagination and inspire reflection on humanitys path forward.

Fresh from winning the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Max Gladstone weaves elements of American myth—the muscle car, the open road, the white-hatted cowboy—into Last Exit, a deeply emotional tale where his characters must find their own truths if they are to survive. Ten years ago, Zelda led a band of merry adventurers whose knacks let them travel to alternate realities and battle the black rot that threatened to unmake each world. Zelda was the warrior; Ish could locate people anywhere; Ramon always knew what path to take; Sarah could turn catastrophe aside. Keeping them all connected: Sal, Zelda’s lover and the group's heart. Until their final, failed mission, when Sal was lost. When they all fell apart. Ten years on, Ish, Ramon, and Sarah are happy and successful. Zelda is alone, always traveling, destroying rot throughout the US. When it boils through the crack in the Liberty Bell, the rot gives Zelda proof that Sal is alive, trapped somewhere in the alts. Zelda’s getting the band back together—plus Sal’s young cousin June, who has a knack none of them have ever seen before. As relationships rekindle, the friends begin to believe they can find Sal and heal all the worlds. It’s not going to be easy, but they’ve faced worse before. But things have changed, out there in the alts. And in everyone's hearts. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.