Thomas Painter was born with the wrong name. Though his father was a brilliant painter, Thomas couldn’t be less of one. His talent is woodcarving. Yet because he lives in a place where one’s name dictates his trade, he is forced to be a painter’s apprentice. Destiny intervenes when a tree branch falls from the sky. For the branch, at least in Thomas’s hands, is a magic wand. Thomas renames himself Carver and sets off downriver in search of someone who can teach him to use the wand. Accompanied by Raven (the bemagicked girl who dropped the wand in the first place) and the bondservant Fireboy, Carver ventures into a world filled with wonders, some glorious, some terrible, and some beyond his imagining. Masterful storytelling and appealing, memorable characters mark this journey into a magical, beautifully realized world readers won’t soon forget.

Twenty-three stories from one of science fiction’s up-and-coming stars, Pushcart and Journey Prize-nominated author Rich Larson. Welcome to the Tomorrow Factory. On your left, post-human hedonists on a distant space station bring diseases back in fashion, two scavengers find a super-powered parasite under the waves of Sunk Seattle, and a terminally-ill chemist orchestrates an asteroid prison break. On your right, an alien optometrist spins illusions for irradiated survivors of the apocalypse, a high-tech grifter meets his match in near-future Thailand, and two teens use a blackmarket personality mod to get into the year’s wickedest, wildest party. This collection of published and original fiction by award-winning writer Rich Larson will bring you from a Bujumbura cyberpunk junkyard to the icy depths of Europa, from the slick streets of future-noir Chicago to a tropical island of sapient robots. You'll explore a mysterious ghost ship in deep space, meet an android learning to dream, and fend off predatory alien fungi on a combat mission gone wrong. Twenty-three futures, ranging from grimy cyberpunk to far-flung space opera, are waiting to blow you away. So step inside the Tomorrow Factory, and mind your head.

War is becoming increasingly 'SF-ized' with remotely controlled attack drones and robot warriors already in development and being tested. Over the past 100 years the technology of war has advanced enormously in destructive power, yet also in sophistication so that we no longer seem to live under the constant threat of all-out global thermonuclear cataclysm. So what will future wars be like? And what will start them: religion, politics, resources, refugees, or advanced weaponry itself? Watson and Whates present a gripping anthology of SF stories which explores the gamut of possible future conflicts, including such themes as nuclear war, psychological and cyberwars, enhanced soldiery, mercenaries, terrorism, intelligent robotic war machines, and war with aliens. All the stories in this collection of remarkable quality and diversity reveals humankind pressed to the limits in every conceivable way. It includes 24 stories with highlights such as: The Pyre of the New Day' - Catherine Asaro. The Rhine's World Incident' - Neal Asher. Caught in the Crossfire' - David Drake. Politics' - Elizabeth Moon. The Traitor' - David Weber. And others from: Dan Abnett, Tony Ballantyne, Fredric Brown, Algis Budrys, Simon R. Green, Joe Haldeman, John Kessel, John Lambshead, Paul McAuley, Andy Remic, Laura Resnick, Mike Resnick & Brad R. Torgersen, Fred Saberhagen, Cordwainer Smith, Allen Steele, William Tenn, Walter Jon Williams, Michael Z. Williamson, Gene Wolfe.

New York Times Bestselling author! What is as much fun for boys and girls as playing Minecraft? Going on a thrilling adventure into the game they love. Trapped one hundred years in Minecraft’s past, Gameknight999 struggles to keep his real identity a secret from the villagers of long ago, all while preparing them for battle. Herobrine’s forces are getting closer every day, advancing across the Overworld and leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Furious at Gameknight’s unexpected meddling, the evil virus takes revenge, creating the terrifying shadow-crafters. He gives these strange NPCs of darkness the power to build super-monsters, servants of Herobrine that are meaner, stronger, and more dangerous than anything Minecraft has ever seen before. As casualties mount, it’s clear that every last bit of the villagers’ strength and bravery will be tested before the dust settles. Even worse, in the heat of battle the User-that-is-not-a-user will come face to face with Herobrine’s most terrible creation, a monster from his nightmares he thought he would never have to face again… Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. In particular, this adventure series is created especially for readers who love the fight of good vs. evil, magical academies like Hogwarts in the Harry Potter saga, and games like Minecraft, Terraria, and Pokemon GO. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

DIV After an explosion causes his lover to miscarry, Fred Carver hunts for the man who planted the bombDIV /divDIVFred Carver’s lover, Beth, is not a woman who wants to be tied down. When she learns that she is pregnant with the detective’s child, she resists his attempts to marry her and initially wants to have an abortion. Finally, love wins out, and they decide to raise the child together. Stopping by the abortion clinic to cancel her appointment, Beth is caught in an explosion that spares her life but takes her unborn child./divDIV /divDIVThe police are content to lock up a local anti-abortion fanatic whose house is full of explosives, but Fred Carver isn’t convinced. When he and Beth start receiving death threats, he takes the matter into his own hands—seeking revenge against the man who took his child and nearly murdered the woman he loves./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of John Lutz including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection./div/div

DIVDIVWhen a client dies in an apparent suicide, Florida detective Frank Carver suspects murder/divDIV /divDIVDonna Winship is an ordinary woman with a typical problem. No longer in love with her husband, she has taken to spending evenings and long afternoons with a new man. Fearful that her husband will learn the truth and be overwhelmed with jealousy, she contacts Fred Carver, an ex-cop turned PI, and asks him to tail her. Minutes after he agrees, Donna drives her car into a speeding tractor trailer. Dead on impact./divDIV /divDIVThe local police are happy to call it a suicide, but Carver is determined to serve his client, even in death. More bloodshed follows, as Donna’s husband kills himself and her lover disappears without a trace. No love triangle is simple, but this one could cost Fred Carver his life./divDIV /divThis ebook features an illustrated biography of John Lutz including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection. /div

*ONE OF 40 BOOKS FOR SUMMER* 'gripping'- iNews 'A panoramic thriller ...chockful of vivid characters' THE SUNDAY TIMES 'An intriguing, timely and unsettling new thriller' SAM BOURNE 'Catapults you from first word to last... pacy, sinister and timely read' ALAN JUDD 'Another page-turner from a writer who can take you into gripping worlds, real and virtual.' MISHAL HUSAIN 'The dark world of private cyber-surveillance crackles off the page - full of jeopardy and suspense.' ALLAN LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. AND THEY KNOW EVERYTHING. The tech company Public Square believes in 'doing well by doing good'. It's built a multi-billion dollar business on this philosophy and by getting to know what people want. They know a lot. But who else can access all that information and what are they planning to do with it? Radio reporter William Carver is an analogue man in a digital world. He isn't the most tech-savvy reporter, he's definitely old school, but he needs to learn fast - the people he cares most about are in harm's way. From the Chilean mines where they dig for raw materials that enable the tech revolution, to the streets of Hong Kong where anti-government protesters are fighting against the Chinese State, to the shiny research laboratories of Silicon Valley where personal data is being mined everyday - A Cursed Place is a gripping thriller set against the global forces that shape our times. 'A true page turner - highly recommended'. TORTOISE