Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards: A science fiction classic about an antiestablishment rebel set on overthrowing the totalitarian society of the future. One of science fiction’s most antiestablishment authors rails against the accepted order while questioning blind obedience to the state in this unique pairing of short story and essay. “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” is set in a dystopian future society in which time is regulated by a heavy bureaucratic hand known as the Ticktockman. The rebellious Everett C. Marm flouts convention, masquerading as the anarchic Harlequin, disrupting the precise schedule with bullhorns and jellybeans in a world where being late is nothing short of a crime. But when his love, Pretty Alice, betrays Everett out of a desire to return to the punctuality to which she is programmed, he is forced to face the Ticktockman and his gauntlet of consequences. The bonus essay included in this volume, “Stealing Tomorrow,” is a hard-to-find Harlan Ellison masterwork, an exploration of the rebellious nature of the writer’s soul. Waxing poetic on humankind’s intellectual capabilities versus its emotional shortcomings, the author depicts an inner self that guides his words against the established bureaucracies, assuring us that the intent of his soul is to “come lumbering into town on a pink-and-yellow elephant, fast as Pegasus, and throw down on the established order.” Winner of the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” has become one of the most reprinted short stories in the English language. Fans of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World will delight in this antiestablishment vision of a Big Brother society and the rebel determined to take it down. The perfect complement, “Stealing Tomorrow” is a hidden gem that reinforces Ellison’s belief in humankind’s inner nobility and the necessity to buck totalitarian forces that hamper our steady evolution.

He has the most dangerous job in the world: defusing terrorist bombs. A job that demands nerves of steel and courage to match. But his skill is being tested to the limit by a new IRA bombing campaign. It's different from the others, each device more deadly and cunning than the last, each more difficult for him to neutralise. It's almost as if someone is testing him, trying to find his limits - a long-dead adversary reaching out for him from beyond the grave. Time and luck are running out. From Belfast to London, he is pitched into a very personal battle - a fight where just one small mistake will be his last. From the author of WHISPER WHO DARES, THE FIFTH HOSTAGE and SOME UNHOLY WAR, this is a terrifying, brilliantly researched journey into the dark, claustrophobic world of the professional bomb-disposal man. 'Breathless entertainment' THE GUARDIAN

Praise for the Gadgets and Gears series: “Fast paced and funny . . . carries hints of both Lemony Snicket’s wordplay and the absurdity of M. T. Anderson’s Pals in Peril.” —Booklist Wally and Noodles are back to the business of scientific innovation—and fun. In London, they meet a young pickpocket named Dobbin who works for a mysterious criminal called the Tick-Tock Man. Soon they are racing through secret tunnels in a bid to help Dobbin’s little sister. Can the brave boy-scientist and his loyal sidekick find the one person who can save her before it’s too late? History and technology collide in this humorous series brimming with mad science.

NYC's #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem-the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified! When a rash of horrifying crimes tears through the city, the city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside retreat with his ten adopted children. Not only does it tear apart their vacation, it leaves the entire family open to attack. Immediately, it becomes clear that the crimes are not the work of an amateur, but of a calculating, efficient, and deadly mastermind. Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Emily Parker. As his affection for Emily grows into something stronger, his relationship with the nanny takes an unexpected turn. All too soon, another appalling crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer's pattern and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan. From the creator of the #1 New York detective series comes the most volatile and most explosive Michael Bennett novel ever.

Enter once more the world of Roland Deschain—and the world of the Dark Tower...presented in a stunning graphic novel form that will unlock the doorways to terrifying secrets and bold storytelling as part of the dark fantasy masterwork and magnum opus from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King. “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” With these unforgettable words, millions of readers were introduced to Stephen King’s iconic character Roland Deschain of Gilead. Roland is the last of his kind, a “gunslinger” charged with protecting whatever goodness and light remains in his world—a world that “moved on,” as they say. In this desolate reality—a dangerous land filled with ancient technology and deadly magic, and yet one that mirrors our own in frightening ways—Roland is on a spellbinding and soul-shattering quest to locate and somehow save the mystical nexus of all worlds, all universes: the Dark Tower. Now, in the graphic novel series adaptation Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, originally published by Marvel Comics in single-issue form and creatively overseen by Stephen King himself, the full story of Roland's troubled past and ongoing saga is revealed. Sumptuously drawn by Richard Isanove, Sean Phillips, Luke Ross, and Michael Lark, plotted by longtime Stephen King expert Robin Furth, and scripted by New York Times bestselling author Peter David, The Gunslinger adaptation is an extraordinary and terrifying journey—ultimately serving as the perfect introduction for new readers to Stephen King’s modern literary classic The Dark Tower, while giving longtime fans thrilling adventures transformed from his blockbuster novels. Now near death following a vicious attack by the Slow Mutants, Roland Deschain is taken in by a group of nuns who specialize in anything but the healing arts. These hideous, corpse-like creatures—the Little Sisters of Eluria—have murder on their twisted minds. And in his current condition, there’s almost nothing that the last gunslinger can do to prevent their tender mercies from taking hold….

When the clocks in town stop, thirteen-year-old CJ discovers an unusual "clock world" where most of the citizens are clock parts, tasked with keeping the big clocks running. But soon the seemingly peaceful world is divided between warring factions with CJ instructed to find the only person who can help: the elusive Tick Tock Man. With the aid of Fuzee, a partly-human girl, he battles gear-headed extremists and razor-sharp pendulums in order to restore order before this world of chimes, springs, and clock people dissolves into a massive time warp, taking CJ's quiet New England town with it.

'A Robot shall not injure a human being, or through inaction allow a human being to come to harm'. That's Asimov's celebrated First Law of Robotics. And in the 21st century, all domestic robots are programmed according to that Law. But something had gone terribly wrong with Tik-Tok's 'asimov circuits', and he sets out to injure as many people as possible - preferably fatally - while maintaining the exterior of a mild-mannered artist and a sincere campaigner for robot rights. So, like any self-respecting crook and murderer, he moves into politics, becoming the first robot candidate for Vice-President of the United States. Tik-Tok follows his maniacal progress from humble beginnings to the top of the heap - or almost. Because in his devious cunning, there was one element that Tik-Tok had forgotten... Winner of the BSFA Award for best novel, 1983

ore chills and terror from the New York Times bestselling author of Intensity. When Vietnamese-American detective/novelist Tommy Phan finds a strange rag doll on his doorstep, he has no idea of its terrifying nature. Soon, Tommy finds himself being hunted in his own house after the doll grows into a monster determined to kill him.

“Tik-Tok of Oz” is a 1914 novel by Layman Frank Baum. Baum's eighth book set in the Land of Oz and his favourite, it chronicles the quest of the Shaggy Man to rescue his brother and the consequent war with the Nome King. This wonderful tale is highly recommended for lovers of The Wizard of Oz series, and it would make for perfect bedtime reading. Layman Frank Baum (1856 – 1919) was an American author most famous for his contributions to children's literature, most notably “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. Other works by this author include: “The Marvellous Land of Oz” (1900), “The Woggle-Bug Book” (1905), and “The Patchwork Girls of Oz” (1913). Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

A Study Guide for Harlan Ellison's "''Repent, Harlequin!'' Said the Ticktockman," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Short Stories for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Short Stories for Students for all of your research needs.