Seven lucid and entertaining essays on masters of science fiction and fantasy literature, including Bob Shaw, M.P. Shiel, Douglas Adams, Stephen R. Donaldson, and more.

Set after the Third Great War, North and South America are united into one country: Imperial America. A slave state run by a small noble elite who flaunt their wealth by using, and abusing, the one commodity that only the rich can have: human labour. But working underground, persecuted by the police, is an organization dedicated to the overthrow of government and the existing way of life and the establishment of freedom. The Society of Thieves was the only organization that flouted authority in America Imperial: they robbed the rich to buy freedom for the slaves. They were well equipped and trained for their job and had friends and informers in high places ready to reveal where the wealth of the nobles was hidden. And Alar was the best Thief of them all - for he had senses not found in ordinary men, senses that accurately warned him when danger was near. But Alar had amnesia and did not know his true identity though sometimes he sensed that there was a purpose in his actions that was not entirely his own volition. When Keiris, wife of the Imperial Chancellor saw him, she sensed that he was something special and helped him to elude pursuit even though it put her own life in danger. And in trips to the Moon and even the Sun itself, Alar begins to see what part he is destined to play in the struggle for men's freedom.

Entablatures eponymous novelist undertakes an exploration of the conceptual implications held by the word palimpsest, using the gift of self-consciousness to place his origin within a presence he identifies as the inner thinker, the latter derivative from Rne Descartess famous dictum: Cogito ergo sum [I think, therefore I am]. Palimpsest postulates a practice whereby ancient manuscripts were reused by superimposing later writing over earlier work, which was not completely erased. Therefore, traces of the earlier writing become visible, intermixing with later text, an image the eponymous novelist utilises to startling effect in Entablature. Crises unsettle the novelist. The year is 2017, the centenary of the infamous 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, a traumatic memory colouring his meditations and social interactions, coupled with uncertainty surrounding the future of his romantic relationship with a corporate lawyer. Law is a pivotal point of contention, and the conflicting controversies between human, spiritual, and the laws of physics are interblended, creating subtext on the palimpsest of existence for the dramatis personae. Determinism and free will are cross-hatched in the weave of existence when the novelist has a chance encounter with his deceased sisters exbest friend, a social diarist. The novelist undertakes the creation of a new book, an epistolary novella, Hygeia, the text of which is included in full within Entablature. But is it the visible trace of an earlier embodiment visible through the text of his current existence? Enhancing the originality of this existential format are quoted samples from one of the novelists earlier books, Russian BrideRose Slavy, the latter name created by the iconic artist Marcel Duchamp.

Set sixteen years after the events of The Exiled Earthborn, this explosive conclusion of the Earthborn trilogy tells the story of two brothers, the sons of Lucas and Asha, tasked with surviving the Xalan war to ensure the continued existence of the human race. Noah, an orphan from Earth’s last days who, as a child, was smuggled to safety across the stars, is now nearly a man and a leader to the young enclave of Earthborn who reside on Sora. When the tranquility of their settlement is shattered by a shocking assassination attempt, Noah turns to his combative younger brother Erik, Lucas and Asha’s only child by blood, for aid. Their journey takes them to the remnants of a dead planet, an outlaw-infested space station, and back to Sora, whose inhabitants are bracing for a final showdown with the bloodthirsty Xalans. They find themselves facing a new evil: the omnipotent Archon, who is somehow controlling the whole of the Xalan horde, and his bloodthirsty lieutenant, the Black Corsair, who has an unmatched taste for brutality. The Archon, so-called God of the Shadows, has unearthed knowledge that could wipe both Sorans and humans alike from the face of existence. The descendants of the Earthborn must uncover the true nature of the Archon and the Xalans before he burns everything they know and love to ashes. Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

Growth in photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing worldwide continues to increase. In parallel, appropriate standards and certification schemes are being developed. During this period, clear guidance is crucial for integrating this technology into working practices of professionals in the building sector. This bestselling guide has become the essential tool for any installer, engineer and architect, offering guidance, and detailing every subject necessary for successful project implementation, from the technical design to the legal and market issues of PV installation. Beginning with resource assessment and an outline of the core components, this guide comprehensively covers system design, economic analysis, installation, operation and maintenance of PV systems. The book includes a free CD-ROM which contains essential software and additional material. The second edition has been fully updated to reflect the state-of-the-art in technology and concepts and includes: a new chapters on marketing and the history of PV; new information on the photovoltaic market; new material on lightning protection; a new section on building integrated systems; and new graphics, data, photos and software.