From the pen of acclaimed writer M. Shayne Bell, winner of the Writers of the Future Contest, here are futures to make come true . . . and also futures that should never come true -- but will.

“A diverse and thoughtful array of 16 stories written around the theme of endangered species—be they human or animal, mythical or alien.” —Publishers Weekly In this poignant yet uplifting anthology about extinction, science fiction stories draw you into compelling, adventurous, and even humorous tales that will make you think about the future of animals, humanity, and the world around us. You’ll find bugs and buffalo, humans and aliens, creatures that have never existed in our universe and genetically-engineered ones that shouldn’t. In “Seventy-Two Letters” by national bestselling author Ted Chiang—praised by Strange Horizons as “one of the finest representations of the SF subgenre of steampunk”—a discovery reveals that humanity has only a fixed number of generations to survive. A project is embarked upon that could save the species—or open it up to a most inhuman manipulation. A Joe Haldeman poem called “Endangered Species” encapsulates his concerns about war and its effect on the human race. And in “Listening to Brahms” by Suzy McKee Charnas, the last humans alive make first contact with an alien race of lizard-like creatures who appropriate Earth culture at their own peril. In Vanishing Acts, these tales and others “make the reader stop and think about endangered species—including humanity—which is, after all, the point” (Rambles.NET). “[A] splendid new original anthology.” —The Washington Post

The stories in this collection imaginatively take readers far across the universe, into the very core of their beings, to the realm of the Gods, and to the moment just after now. Included are the works of masters of the form and the bright new talents of tomorrow. This book is a valuable resource in addition to serving as the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination and the heart.

Drawing on the mythology of the Green Man and the power of nature, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, and others serve up “a tasty treat for fantasy fans” (Booklist). There are some “genuine gems” in this “enticing collection” of fifteen stories and three poems, all featuring “diverse takes on mythical beings associated with the protection of the natural world,” most involving a teen’s coming-of-age. Delia Sherman “takes readers into New York City’s Central Park, where a teenager wins the favor of the park’s Green Queen.” Michael Cadnum offers a “dynamic retelling of the Daphne story.” Charles de Lint presents an “eerie, heartwarming story in which a teenager resists the lure” of the faerie world. Tanith Lee roots her tale in “the myth of Dionysus, a god of the Wild Wood.” Patricia A. McKillip steeps her story in “the legend of Herne, guardian of the forest. Magic realism flavors Katherine Vaz’s haunting story. Gregory Maguire takes on Jack and the Beanstalk, and Emma Bull looks to an unusual Green Man—a Joshua tree in the desert” (Booklist). These enduring works of eco-fantasy by some of the genre’s most popular authors impart “a real sense of how powerful nature can be in its various guises” (School Library Journal). “A treasure trove for teens and teachers exploring themes of ecology and folklore.” —Kirkus Reviews “The stories are well-written and manage to speak to both the intellect and the emotions.” —SF Site

Widely regarded as the essential book for every science-fiction fan, The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 17 continues to uphold its standard of excellence with more than two dozen stories from the previous year. This year's volume includes not just a host of established masters but also many bright, young talents of science fiction. It embraces every aspect of the genre - soft, hard, cyberpunk, cyber noir, anthropological, military and adventure. Plus the usual thorough summations of the year and a recommended reading list.

Mars has been a seminal setting for countless science fiction adventures-from the worship of Mars as the god of war, to the image of the "angry red planet," the invaders from The War of the Worlds , the mysterious "canals" of Mars, the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels set on Mars, innumerable science fiction movies set on Mars or featuring Martians who come to Earth, and of course, Ray Bradbury's classic The Martian Chronicles .

Games are a unique art form. They do not just tell stories, nor are they simply conceptual art. They are the art form that works in the medium of agency. Game designers tell us who to be in games and what to care about; they designate the player's in-game abilities and motivations. In other words, designers create alternate agencies, and players submerge themselves in those agencies. Games let us explore alternate forms of agency. The fact that we play games demonstrates something remarkable about the nature of our own agency: we are capable of incredible fluidity with our own motivations and rationality. This volume presents a new theory of games which insists on games' unique value in human life. C. Thi Nguyen argues that games are an integral part of how we become mature, free people. Bridging aesthetics and practical reasoning, he gives an account of the special motivational structure involved in playing games. We can pursue goals, not for their own value, but for the sake of the struggle. Playing games involves a motivational inversion from normal life, and the fact that we can engage in this motivational inversion lets us use games to experience forms of agency we might never have developed on our own. Games, then, are a special medium for communication. They are the technology that allows us to write down and transmit forms of agency. Thus, the body of games forms a "library of agency" which we can use to help develop our freedom and autonomy. Nguyen also presents a new theory of the aesthetics of games. Games sculpt our practical activities, allowing us to experience the beauty of our own actions and reasoning. They are unlike traditional artworks in that they are designed to sculpt activities - and to promote their players' aesthetic appreciation of their own activity.