A collection of some of the best original fantasy and science fiction stories published on Tor.com in 2014. Contents: As Good As New by Charlie Jane Anders The End of the End of Everything by Dale Bailey Mrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch by Kelly Barnhill Sleep Walking Now and Then by Richard Bowes Daughter of Necessity by Marie Brennan Brisk Money by Adam Christopher A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Proposed Trade-Offs for the Overhaul of the Barricade by John Chu The Color of Paradox by A.M. Dellamonica The Litany of Earth by Ruthanna Emrys A Kiss With Teeth by Max Gladstone A Short History of the Twentieth Century, or, When You Wish Upon a Star by Kathleen Ann Goonan Cold Wind by Nicola Griffith The Tallest Doll in New York City by Maria Dahvana Headley Where the Trains Turn by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen Combustion Hour by Yoon Ha Lee Reborn by Ken Liu Midway Relics and Dying Breeds by Seanan McGuire Anyway Angie by Daniel José Older The Mothers of Voorhisville by Mary Rickert Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden’s Syndrome by John Scalzi Among the Thorns by Veronica Schanoes The Insects of Love by Genevieve Valentine Sleeper by Jo Walton The Devil in America by Kai Ashante Wilson In the Sight of Akresa by Ray Wood A Cup of Salt Tears by Isabel Yap At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” The words of composer Gustav Mahler animate this collection of sixteen tales from award-winning author Marie Brennan, inspired by mythological and folkloric traditions around the world. Here you will find flames of revenge, immortality, and grace, as a valkyrie seeks peace, a queen weaves and unweaves her own fate, and a goddess vanishes from mortal memory — but never from the page. TABLE OF CONTENTS * This Is How * Serpent, Wolf, and Half-Dead Thing * The Waking of Angantyr * Silence, Before the Horn * Daughter of Necessity * Your Body, My Prison, My Forge * For the Fairest * The Wives of Paris * The Me of Perfect Sight * The Gospel of Nachash * Salt Feels No Pain * At the Heart of Each Pearl Lies a Grain of Sand * Centuries of Kings * The Old Woman and the Tea * Ghost and Fox * Speak to the Moon * Story notes

A collection of some of the best original science fiction and fantasy short fiction published on Tor.com in 2021. Includes stories by: 'Pemi Aguda G. V. Anderson Elizabeth Bear Kate Elliott Aliza Greenblatt Glen Hirshberg Elsie Kathleen Jennings Cheri Kamei Jasmin Kirkbride Matthew Kressel Usman T. Malik Sam J. Miller Annalee Newitz noc Sarah Pinsker Daniel Polansky Peng Shepherd Cooper Shrivastava Lavie Tidhar Catherynne M. Valente Carrie Vaughn E. Lily Yu At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A collection of the best American science fiction and fantasy stories published during 2014.

“A remarkable guided tour through the field—a kind of nonfiction companion to Among Others. It’s very good. It’s great.” —Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing As any reader of Jo Walton’s Among Others might guess, Walton is both an inveterate reader of SF and fantasy, and a chronic re-reader of books. In 2008, then-new science-fiction mega-site Tor.com asked Walton to blog regularly about her re-reading—about all kinds of older fantasy and SF, ranging from acknowledged classics, to guilty pleasures, to forgotten oddities and gems. These posts have consistently been among the most popular features of Tor.com. Now this volumes presents a selection of the best of them, ranging from short essays to long reassessments of some of the field’s most ambitious series. Among Walton’s many subjects here are the Zones of Thought novels of Vernor Vinge; the question of what genre readers mean by “mainstream”; the underappreciated SF adventures of C. J. Cherryh; the field’s many approaches to time travel; the masterful science fiction of Samuel R. Delany; Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children; the early Hainish novels of Ursula K. Le Guin; and a Robert A. Heinlein novel you have most certainly never read. Over 130 essays in all, What Makes This Book So Great is an immensely readable, engaging collection of provocative, opinionated thoughts about past and present-day fantasy and science fiction, from one of our best writers. “For readers unschooled in the history of SF/F, this book is a treasure trove.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

In the new millennium, what secrets lay beyond the far reaches of the universe? What mysteries belie the truths we once held to be self evident? The world of science fiction has long been a porthole into the realities of tomorrow, blurring the line between life and art. Now, in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-First Annual Collection the very best SF authors explore ideas of a new world in the year's best short stories. This venerable collection brings together award winning authors and masters of the field such as Robert Reed, Alastair Reynolds, Damien Broderick, Elizabeth Bear, Paul McAuley and John Barnes. And with an extensive recommended reading guide and a summation of the year in science fiction, this annual compilation has become the definitive must-read anthology for all science fiction fans and readers interested in breaking into the genre.

What is behind Outlander fever--the hit television drama's popularity? Is it author Diana Gabaldon's teasing posts on social media? Is it the real history reimagined? The highly emotional melodrama? Or is it the take-charge heroine and the sweet hero in a kilt? One of the show's biggest draws is its multigenre appeal. Gabaldon--whose Outlander novels form the basis of the series--has called it science fiction, fantasy, romance, historical fiction and military fiction, depending on her audience. This collection of new essays explores the series as a romance, a ghost story, an epic journey, a cozy mystery, a comedy of manners, a gothic thriller and a feminist answer to Game of Thrones, and considers the source of its broad appeal.

"The thirty-six stories in this collection imaginatively take us far across the universe, into the very core of our beings, to the realm of the gods, and the moment just after now"--Page 4 of cover.

The definitive guide and a must-have collection of the best short science fiction and speculative fiction of 2019, showcasing brilliant talent and examining the cultural moment we live in, compiled by award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan. With short works from some of the most lauded science fiction authors, as well as rising stars, this collection displays the top talent and the cutting-edge cultural moments that affect our lives, dreams, and stories. The list of authors is truly star-studded, including New York Times bestseller Ted Chiang (author of the short story that inspired the movie Arrival), N. K. Jemisin, Charlie Jane Anders, and many more incredible talents. An assemblage of future classics, this anthology is a must-read for anyone who enjoys the vast and exciting world of science fiction.

This two-volume set offers comprehensive coverage of horror literature that spans its deep history, dominant themes, significant works, and major authors, such as Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Anne Rice, as well as lesser-known horror writers. Many of today's horror story fans—who appreciate horror through movies, television, video games, graphic novels, and other forms—probably don't realize that horror literature is not only one of the most popular types of literature but one of the oldest. People have always been mesmerized by stories that speak to their deepest fears. Horror Literature through History shows 21st-century horror fans the literary sources of their favorite entertainment and the rich intrinsic value of horror literature in its own right. Through profiles of major authors, critical analyses of important works, and overview essays focused on horror during particular periods as well as on related issues such as religion, apocalypticism, social criticism, and gender, readers will discover the fascinating early roots and evolution of horror writings as well as the reciprocal influence of horror literature and horror cinema. This unique two-volume reference set provides wide coverage that is current and compelling to modern readers—who are of course also eager consumers of entertainment. In the first section, overview essays on horror during different historical periods situate works of horror literature within the social, cultural, historical, and intellectual currents of their respective eras, creating a seamless narrative of the genre's evolution from ancient times to the present. The second section demonstrates how otherwise unrelated works of horror have influenced each other, how horror subgenres have evolved, and how a broad range of topics within horror—such as ghosts, vampires, religion, and gender roles—have been handled across time. The set also provides alphabetically arranged reference entries on authors, works, and specialized topics that enable readers to zero in on information and concepts presented in the other sections.