At the brink of civil strife, Maeve, a remarkable energy healer in the serene landscapes of Ireland, struggles with haunting visions of three mysterious individuals. As chaos breaks upon their troubled homelands, Nick, James, and Carrie, driven by a desperate need to escape the inexplicable turmoil, unexpectedly come together on a destined journey to Ireland, where an unnatural connection weaves its magic among them. Drawn by unseen forces and mysterious visions, their paths combine upon Maeve, a mysterious figure harboring the key to their intertwined destinies. United, they unravel harrowing revelations about their shared pasts, unfamiliar with the insidious destruction lurking within the shadows. Now, standing at the edge of an unraveling world, they must confront a daunting truth: the weight of restoring reality to its rightful course rests solely upon their shoulders. In this gripping tale of resilience and sacrifice, follow Maeve, Nick, James, and Carrie as they navigate a deadly odyssey of uncertainty, danger, and self-discovery. As their connected destinies come together, they must confront their deepest fears and pass a tough test of their determination. Will they set things right and live to see a better future, or will a powerful enemy destroy their fate, leaving the world in endless misery and damage?

Be seduced, amazed, and shocked by one of the world’s greatest and strangest nations. Past, present, and future Brazil, with all its color, passion, and shifting realities, come together in a novel that is part SF, part history, part mystery, and entirely enthralling. Three characters, three time periods, three stories that bind together. Sao Paulo 2031: Edson is a self-made talent impresario one step up from the slums. A chance encounter draws him into the dangerous world of illegal quantum computing, but where can you run in a total surveillance society where every move, face, and centavo is constantly tracked? Rio 2006: Marcelina is an ambitious Rio TV producer looking for that big reality TV hit to make her name. When her hot idea sets her on the track of a disgraced World Cup soccer goalkeeper, she becomes enmeshed in an ancient conspiracy that threatens not just her life, but her very soul. The Amazon 1732: Father Luis is a Jesuit missionary sent into the maelstrom of 18th-century Brazil to locate and punish a rogue priest who has strayed beyond the articles of his faith and set up a vast empire in the hinterland. In the company of a French geographer and spy, what he finds in the backwaters of the Amazon tries both his faith and the nature of reality itself to the breaking point. Three characters, three stories, three Brazils, linked across time, space, and reality in a hugely ambitious story that will challenge the way you think about everything. Praise for Brasyl “McDonald’s outstanding SF novel channels the vitality of South America’s largest country into an edgy, post-cyberpunk free-for-all... Chaotic, heartbreaking and joyous [a] must-read...” —Publishers Weekly “BRASYL is classic McDonald: a deep thinking, high-paced adventure story, exploring the quantum universe, combining sassy, believable characters with a captivating delight in language and storytelling. McDonald inhabits the Brazil – or rather, the Brazils – of this world and sweeps you along as no other writer in the field could manage.” —The Guardian “A beautiful story, one that cries out to be read again and again. McDonald’s light is still shining brightly, and considering the consistent quality of his titles, we say long may it burn.” —SciFi Now “Ian McDonald’s BRASYL, with its three storylines, is as close to perfect as any novel in recent memory. It works because of great characterization, but also because McDonald envisions Brazil as a dynamic, living place that is part postmodern trash pile, part trashy reality-TV-driven ethical abyss... and yet also somehow spiritual... McDonald’s novel is always in motion. This movement extends through time and alternate realities in ways both wonderful and wise, as the three storylines interlock for a satisfying and often stunning conclusion. McDonald has found new myths for old places; in doing so, he has cemented his reputation as an amazing storyteller.” —Washington Post

'What is real?' has been one of the key questions of philosophy since its beginning in antiquity. It is a question that, due to such films as The Matrix, has also made its way into popular culture. But it is not just a question philosophers ask. It is also asked by scientists when they investigate whether the fundamental constituents of matter are actually 'out there' or just a mere abstraction from a successful theory. Cognitive scientists ask it when trying to find out which set of the bewildering array of data processed by our brain could constitute the basis for such supposedly fundamental entities like the free agent or the self. This Very Short Introduction discusses what reality is by looking at a variety of arguments, theories and thought-experiments from philosophy, physics, and cognitive science. 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 written in 1938 but never published due to its controversial nature, an insightful guide reveals the seven principles of good that will allow anyone to triumph over the obstacles that must be faced in reaching personal goals.

In "Create Your Reality: The Secret To Quantum Shifting" by Trey Colley, unlock the power of your mind to shape your world. Dive into quantum physics, the Law of Attraction, and harness your thoughts and intentions to manifest your dreams. With practical exercises and real-life success stories, this book is your guide to personal transformation, relationships, health, career, and spirituality. Take control of your destiny, overcome challenges, and create a life filled with abundance and purpose. Start your journey to a reality beyond your wildest dreams today.

The scale of Eve Online meets the game-like Ender’s Game, mixed with the universe and reality of the Expanse, spiced with the multi-role OLD Battlefield (and fully destructible environments). Sphere World heralded a greater change than the balance of power between the guilds and free player clans. As Luke struggles with his new reality, his changing future. Brad and Stuart must struggle with the new authority and power they wield. They’re not just dealing with corporations and hostile takeovers, the Factions of humanity each want a piece of Sphere World and they’ll do whatever they have to, to do so. Sally, cares nothing for their problems, only caring about her sole mission. Destroy the Adraxi where they are found. The first scout has been spotted, and she knows that means one thing. Their fleets are coming. Build the warships, load the dropships and power up the tanks. The net is going to war.

This book identifies and analyzes the ways in which RuPaul’s Drag Race has reshaped the visibility of drag culture in the US and internationally, as well as how the program has changed understandings of reality TV. This edited volume illustrates how drag has become a significant aspect of LGBTQ experience and identity globally through RuPaul’s Drag Race, and how the show has reformed a media landscape in which competition and reality itself are understood as given. Taking on lenses addressing race, ethnicity, geographical origin, cultural identity, physicality and body image, and participation in drag culture across the globe, this volume offers critical, non-traditional, and first-hand perspectives on drag culture.

When the Rixon Corporation released New Reality, a fully immersive, five-dimensional entertainment experience, everyone logged on---everyone except Jake and Tom. Living in the ruins of the old world, the pair face the wrath of Rixon and starvation as they embark on a fight for survival and freedom. A post-apocalyptic/dystopian science fiction thriller and #1 Bestseller in British Horror. What the reviewers say: I started this book late last night and lost quite a bit of sleep because it was just too good to put down. RUN and buy this NOW!! Bloody brilliant. I would highly recommend New Reality: Truth, it kept me hooked until the last page.

Scholars of religion have begun to explore horror and the monstrous, not only within the confines of the biblical text or the traditions of religion, but also as they proliferate into popular culture. This exploration emerges from what has long been present in horror: an engagement with the same questions that animate religious thought – questions about the nature of the divine, humanity's place in the universe, the distribution of justice, and what it means to live a good life, among many others. Such exploration often involves a theological conversation. Theology and Horror: Explorations of the Dark Religious Imagination pursues questions regarding non-physical realities, spaces where both divinity and horror dwell. Through an exploration of theology and horror, the contributors explore how questions of spirituality, divinity, and religious structures are raised, complicated, and even sometimes answered (at least partially) by works of horror.