This special John Shirley issue of WEIRDBOOK presents a complete, original novel plus a selection of poems, short stories, and more by one of the most acclaimed figures in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction fields. Included are: Novel: Swords of Atlantis, by John Shirley Short Stories: Anvil Rock, by John Shirley Broken on the Wheel of Time, by John Shirley Nodding Angel, by John Shirley Calaphais and the Demon Malchance, by John Shirley That Ambulance Again, by John Shirley Poetry: Secret Tree, by John Shirley A Tourist in Hell, by John Shirley The Egregious Error of Werner Witherbye, by John Shirley You See Me as You See Me, by John Shirley And I’ll Burn Like a Vampire in the Sun, by John Shirley

THE STORY: The home of the Blackwoods near a Vermont village is a lonely, ominous abode, and Constance, the young mistress of the place, can't go out of the house without being insulted and stoned by the villagers. They have also composed a nasty s

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.

In a secret government lab somewhere in Nevada, a young scientist cowers in darkness–waiting, listening, and calculating his chances of surviving the unspeakable carnage that has left him trapped and alone. Or almost alone. Soon after, a covert military operation “cleanses” all traces of a top-secret project gone horrifically wrong. Three years later, it begins again–when the quiet of a warm autumn night in a sleepy California town is shattered by a streak of light across the sky, the thunder of impact, and the unleashing of something insidious. Spreading, multiplying, and transforming everything in its path, this diabolical intelligence will not be denied until the townsfolk–and eventually, all living things–are conquered. Until they are all crawling. . . .

Why are some countries rich and others poor? In 1500, the income differences were small, but they have grown dramatically since Columbus reached America. Since then, the interplay between geography, globalization, technological change, and economic policy has determined the wealth and poverty of nations. The industrial revolution was Britain's path breaking response to the challenge of globalization. Western Europe and North America joined Britain to form a club of rich nations by pursuing four polices-creating a national market by abolishing internal tariffs and investing in transportation, erecting an external tariff to protect their fledgling industries from British competition, banks to stabilize the currency and mobilize domestic savings for investment, and mass education to prepare people for industrial work. Together these countries pioneered new technologies that have made them ever richer. Before the Industrial Revolution, most of the world's manufacturing was done in Asia, but industries from Casablanca to Canton were destroyed by western competition in the nineteenth century, and Asia was transformed into 'underdeveloped countries' specializing in agriculture. The spread of economic development has been slow since modern technology was invented to fit the needs of rich countries and is ill adapted to the economic and geographical conditions of poor countries. A few countries - Japan, Soviet Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, and perhaps China - have, nonetheless, caught up with the West through creative responses to the technological challenge and with Big Push industrialization that has achieved rapid growth through investment coordination. Whether other countries can emulate the success of East Asia is a challenge for the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Originally published: Amazon Publishing, 2016.

Karl Edward Wagner was one of the genre's finest practitioners of horror & dark fantasy. His untimely death in 1994 robbed the field of one of its major talents. As a writer, editor & publisher he was a multiple winner of The World Fantasy & British Fantasy Awards. Just prior to his death, Wagner finished compiling a fourth collection of his fiction, to be titled EXORCISMS & ECSTASIES. With this current volume, his friend & colleague Stephen Jones has combined the author's original selection of stories with all his uncollected work to create an impressive tribute. Along with stories of modern horror & twisted sexuality, here are also the fantastic adventures of the warrior-sorcerer Kane & dark gunslinger Adrian Becker, EXORCISMS & ECSTASIES includes reminiscences by friends & fellow writers including Peter Straub, Ramsey Campbell, Brian Lumley, David Drake, James Wagner, & David J. Schow, an exclusive photo section & an extensive bibliography of all Karl Edward Wagner's books & stories published in the English language. Distribution through Bookmen, Inc., Baker & Taylor, or direct from the publisher: Fedogan & Bremer, 3721 Minnehaha Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406. FAX: 612-721-9491. e-mail: [email protected].