"What an amazing theme park," Dad exclaimed. "Let's go home." And so, ironically, begins the greatest family adventure of a lifetime! Ten-year-old Ben has arrived at that dreadful moment in life where one wonders whether having a childlike imagination is, well... just too childish. In fact, it wasn't long ago that he loved going to theme parks. Honestly, he really... did. But now: 1) Ben's favorite park has magically imprisoned him, 2) the attractions within it have become, shall we say, "alive," 3) their characters have put him on trial for a ridiculous yet perplexing shortcoming, 4) an alien vacuum cleaner intends to bulldoze Earth into a planetary theme park, and 5) if Ben, his sister, and his irritating cousin don't escape by the time the menacing clock tower strikes thirteen, they are doomed to become pieces of the park themselves. (Watch Out For) Thirteen O'Clock is a joyride of adventure, wordplay, and comedy meant for all ages but targeting the middle-grade reader. Set inside the many "lands" of the world-famous Spooky Times theme park, this rollicking odyssey features characters like the bumbling secret Agent Whoops, the decidedly unhelpful Annoying Seagull, the barbaric Flying Vikings (who love bashing in heads only a little less than singing a catchy chart-topper), the Wishy-Washy Witches (all of whom are sort of evil but not really...it just depends), the superhero Wormest (whose superpowers last only as long as nobody informs him he has them), and Prosto: the Automated-Vacuum-Cleaner-But-Aspiring-Intergalactic-Conqueror! Between the action and humor is a heartwarming story about what family means, whether growing up to "be cool" demands leaving your childlike imagination behind, and why you should never let seven proboscis monkeys represent you in a trial before the alligator queen. (Don't scoff. Ben found it quite made sense at the time.)

As a mysterious old clock strikes thirteen, monsters and ghouls appear looking for a snack and a little mischief at the expense of the small girl who lives down the hall.

Thirteen O'Clock: Stories of Several Worlds is a collection of Benét's finest and most famous short stories, including “The Devil and Daniel Webster” (1936), “By the Waters of Babylon” (1937), and “The King of the Cats” (1929). The complete contents consists of: By the Waters of Babylon The Blood of the Martyrs The King of the Cats A Story by Angela Poe The Treasure of Vasco Gomez The Curfew Tolls The Sobbin' Women The Devil and Daniel Webster Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent Glamour Everybody was Very Nice A Death in the Country Blossom and Frui Introduction by Karl Wurf

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Thirteen O'Clock" by Cyril M. Kornbluth. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

The legendary science fiction writer’s controversial, groundbreaking novel—one gay man’s raw and wild ride through the 1960s and ’70s. From an adolescent being bullied to the muddy wetlands of Vietnam to an Arizona desert commune, a man known only as Chase traces his quest for identity, meaning, and love in prose both beautiful and brutal. Thirteen fourteen fifteen o’clockis a coming-of-age and then coming-to-terms novel of a life lived looking for answers from gurus and whores, dopers and soldiers, men and women. Returning from Vietnam missing a leg and saddled with fear, rage, and grief, Chase takes to his Harley never able to outrun the trauma that resurfaces every time he is threatened because of his sexuality. Yet, though scarred and battered—inside and out—he constantly seeks those fleeting moments of connection with another soul, an awareness of a universe where he is not alone in his hurt and hunger. A searingly powerful story of survival, thirteen fourteen fifteen o’clock is what happens when life stares you down, daring you to blink first, and you meet its gaze—with eyes wide open. Praise for The Man Who Folded Himself “Most impressive.” —The Times Literary Supplement “Wildly imaginative and mindbending.” —Publishers Weekly