All books

Renowned astronomer Carl Sagan's classic bestseller that "dives into the past, present, and future of science, dealing with the mind-staggering enormity of the cosmos in which we exist" (Associated Press)-with an Introduction by Ann Druyan and a Foreword by Neil deGrasse Tyson "Sagan dazzles the mind with the miracle of our survival, framed by the stately galaxies of space."-Cosmopolitan THE INSPIRATION FOR THE FOX MINISERIES COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS, HOSTED BY NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON AND STARRING SETH MACFARLANE AND SIR PATRICK STEWART In clear-eyed prose, Carl Sagan reveals a jewel-like blue world inhabited by a life form that is just beginning to discover its own identity and to venture into the vast ocean of space. Featuring full-color illustrations, Cosmos retraces the fourteen billion years of cosmic evolution that have transformed matter into consciousness, exploring such topics as the origin of life, the human brain, Egyptian hieroglyphics, spacecraft missions, the death of the Sun, the evolution of galaxies, and the forces and individuals who helped shape modern science.

Carl Sagan, writer & scientist, returns from the frontier to tell us about how the world works. In his delightfully down-to-earth style, he explores & explains a mind-boggling future of intelligent robots, extraterrestrial life & its consquences, & other provocative, fascinating quandries of the future we want to see today.

A survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, he is the world's most artful lover...and most accomplished assassin. His greatest desire is to attain the state of perfection called shibumi. But the most sinister enemy he has ever faced is bent on destroying him. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

The third novel in the legendary and magical series featuring dragons, adventure, romance, and heroism, from Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Anne McCaffrey, "one of my favorite authors of all time" (Brandon Sanderson) "Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels are truly foundational books; it's hard to imagine the modern-day landscape of fantasy and science fiction without them."-Naomi Novik, author of the Temeraire series When Lessa chose a dragon over her birthright, the hold she was to have inherited passed to Lord Jaxom instead. But Jaxom then muddied generations of Pern tradition by impulsively Impressing Ruth, the small and singularly unique white dragon, as a child. From that moment on, the debate has raged. Is Jaxom now a dragonrider, or a lord holder? All anyone agrees on is that he cannot be both. But perhaps it is all academic anyway, for no one expects Ruth to survive. But Ruth not only survives, he thrives. With Jaxom on the cusp of adulthood, the thing the pair most desire is to fight Thread side-by-side with the larger dragons. Jaxom knows what his dragon is capable of, and now that he is-mostly-grown, he is determined to buck tradition. Fortunately, a teenage rebellion may be the key to both Pern's salvation and winning the woman of his dreams. Don't miss the original trilogy from Anne McCaffrey's beloved Dragonriders of Pern series: DRAGONFLIGHT • DRAGONQUEST • THE WHITE DRAGON

Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief.

A young man arrives in the anarchic city of Bellona, in a near future USA. This world has two moons but could otherwise be our own. The man, known only as 'the Kid' begins to write a novel called Dhalgren that begins where it ends. Dhalgren is about the possibilites of fiction and aboout the special demands and pleasures of youth culture.

'Excellent... One is left with utter disbelief that people could return to normality from such a monetary madhouse.' Financial Times In 1923, with its currency effectively worthless (the exchange rate in December of that year was one dollar to 4,200,000,000,000 marks), the Weimar Republic was all but reduced to a barter economy. Expensive cigars, artworks and jewels were routinely exchanged for staples such as bread; a cinema ticket could be bought for a lump of coal, and a bottle of paraffin for a silk shirt. In desperation, the Bavarian Prime Minister submitted a Bill to the Reichsrat proposing that gluttony be made a penal offence - his exact definition of a glutton being 'one who habitually devotes himself to the pleasures of the table to such a degree that he might arouse discontent in view of the distressful condition of the population'. Since its first publication in 1975, When Money Dies has become the classic history of these bizarre and frightening times. Weaving elegant analysis with a wealth of eyewitness accounts by ordinary people struggling to survive, it deals above all with the human side of inflation: why governments resort to it, the dismal, corruptive pestilence it visits on their citizens, the agonies of recovery, and the dark, long-term legacy. And at a time of acute economic strain, it provides an urgent warning against the addictive dangers of printing money - shorthand for deficit financing - as a soft option for governments faced with growing unrest and unemployment.

During an unnamed civil war, aristocrat Abel and his partner Morgan flee their ancient castle, only to be forced back when a ruthless Lieutenant and her soldiers seize it as their base. As society's rules collapse around them, the couple must navigate violence, decadence, and moral decay within their own ancestral home.

"Ursula Le Guin is more than just a writer of adult fantasy and science fiction... she is a philosopher; an explorer in the landscapes of the mind." - Cincinnati Enquirer The recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and the Pushcart Prize, Ursula K. Le Guin is renowned for her spare, elegant prose, rich characterization, and diverse worlds. "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is a short story originally published in the collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters.

A French doctor stumbles upon a grand conspiracy among world leaders centered on the secret of immortality. Set against the backdrop of real historical events and figures from the 1950s-70s, the novel weaves together themes of love, truth, and the moral dilemmas posed by a discovery that could reshape the future of humanity.

This night will be bad and tomorrow will be beyond imagining. It's Midwinter's Eve, the day before Will's eleventh birthday. But there is an atmosphere of fear in the familiar countryside around him. This will be a birthday like no other. Will discovers that he has the power of the Old Ones, and that he must embark on a quest to vanquish the terrifyingly evil magic of the Dark.

A completely updated edition of the guide to modern bond analysis First published in 1972, Inside the Yield Book revolutionized the fixed-income industry and forever altered the way investors looked at bonds. Over forty years later, it remains a standard primer and reference among market professionals. Generations of practitioners, investors, and students have relied on its lucid explanations, and readers needing to delve more deeply have found its explication of key mathematical relationships to be unmatched in clarity and ease of application. This edition updates the widely respected classic with new material from Martin L. Leibowitz. Along the way, it skillfully explains and makes sense of essential mathematical relationships that are basic to an understanding of bonds, annuities, and loans-in fact, any securities or investments that involve compound interest and the determination of present value for future cash flows. The book also includes a new foreword. Contains information that is more instructive, important, and useful than ever for mastering the crucial concepts of time, value, and return Combines the clear fixed-income insights found in the original edition with completely new knowledge to help you navigate today's dynamic market Includes over one hundred pages of new material on the role of bonds within the total portfolio In an era of calculators and computers, some of the important underlying principles covered here are not always grasped thoroughly by market participants. Investors, traders, and analysts who want to sharpen their ability to recall and apply these fundamentals will find Inside the Yield Book the perfect resource.

Here in one compact and modestly priced edition are the celebrated Russian playwright's most popular works. In addition to five full-length plays— The Sea Gull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, and Ivanov —this anthology features five of Anton Chekhov's one-act The Anniversary, An Unwilling Martyr, The Wedding, The Bear, and The Proposal. Chekhov's taste for vaudeville shows and French farces influenced his comic one-acts, which are widely regarded as masterpieces of the genre. His greatest fame rests upon his full-length tragedies, which focus on mood and characterization rather than plot. Chekhov considered his famous tragedies a form of comic satire—with the bleakness of life in czarist Russia at the turn of the twentieth century as their central joke. "All I wanted was to say honestly to 'Have a look at yourselves and see how bad and dreary your lives are!'" explained the playwright. In addition to their enduring emotional and intellectual appeal to audiences, Chekhov's modern realist dramas continue to influence theatrical literature and performance.

Life isn't easy for Margaret. She's moved away from her childhood home, she's starting a new school, finding new friends - and she's convinced she's not normal. For a start she hasn't got a clue whether she wants to be Jewish like her father or Christian like her mother. Everyone else seems really sure of who they are. And, worst of all, she's a 'late developer'. She just knows that all her friends are going to need a bra before she does. It's too embarrassing to talk to her parents about these things. So she talks to God instead - and waits for an answer...

The death of a doctor's daughter may be malpractice-or murder-in this novel by a #1 New York Times-bestselling author: "I loved it" (Stephen King). In the tightly knit world of Boston medicine, the Randall family reigns supreme. When heart surgeon J. D. Randall's teenage daughter dies during a botched abortion, the medical community threatens to explode. Was it malpractice? A violation of the Hippocratic Oath? Or was Karen Randall murdered in cold blood? The natural suspect is Arthur Lee, a brilliant surgeon and known abortionist, who has been carrying out the illegal procedure with the help of pathologist John Berry. After Karen dies, Lee is thrown in jail on a murder charge, and only Berry can prove his friend wasn't the one who wielded the scalpel. Behind this gruesome death, Berry will uncover a secret that would shock even the most hardened pathologist. An Edgar Award-winning novel by the author of such blockbusters as The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park-and creator of the long-running NBC drama ER-A Case of Need is a "superb" medical-thriller mystery (Los Angeles Times). This ebook features an illustrated biography of Michael Crichton including rare images from the author's estate.

No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends-true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect-until the night someone takes things too far.

Imagine a distant world where gods walk as men, but wield vast and hidden powers. Here they have made the stage on which they build a subtle pattern of alliance, love, and deadly enmity. Are they truly immortal? Who are these gods who rule the destiny of a teeming world? Their names include Brahma, Kali, Krishna and also he who was called Buddha, the Lord of Light, but who now prefers to be known simply as Sam. The gradual unfolding of the story -- how the colonization of another planet became a re-enactment of Eastern mythology -- is one of the great imaginative feats of modern science fiction. Winner of the Hugo Award for best novel, 1968.

The devil comes to Moscow wearing a fancy suit. With his disorderly band of accomplices - including a demonic, gun-toting tomcat - he immediately begins to create havoc. Disappearances, destruction and death spread through the city like wildfire and Margarita discovers that her lover has vanished in the chaos. Making a bargain with the devil, she decides to try a little black magic of her own to save the man she loves...

Peopled by larger-than-life heroes and villains, charged with towering questions of good and evil, Atlas Shrugged is Ayn Rand's magnum opus: a philosophical revolution told in the form of an action thriller-nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read. Who is John Galt? When he says that he will stop the motor of the world, is he a destroyer or a liberator? Why does he have to fight his battles not against his enemies but against those who need him most? Why does he fight his hardest battle against the woman he loves? You will know the answer to these questions when you discover the reason behind the baffling events that play havoc with the lives of the amazing men and women in this book. You will discover why a productive genius becomes a worthless playboy...why a great steel industrialist is working for his own destruction...why a composer gives up his career on the night of his triumph...why a beautiful woman who runs a transcontinental railroad falls in love with the man she has sworn to kill. Atlas Shrugged, a modern classic and Rand's most extensive statement of Objectivism-her groundbreaking philosophy-offers the reader the spectacle of human greatness, depicted with all the poetry and power of one of the twentieth century's leading artists.

The last battle is the greatest battle of all. Narnia... where lies breed fear... where loyalty is tested... where all hope seems lost. During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest challenge - not an invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have taken root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the destruction of all they hold dear in this, the magnificent ending to the Chronicles of Narnia.

The first book in Gerald Durrell's Corfu Trilogy: a bewitching account of a rare and magical childhood on the island of Corfu, which was the inspiration for the Masterpiece PBS series The Durrells in Corfu. When the unconventional Durrell family can no longer endure the damp, gray English climate, they do what any sensible family would do: sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu. My Family and Other Animals was intended to embrace the natural history of the island but ended up as a delightful account of Durrell's family's experiences, from the many eccentric hangers-on to the ceaseless procession of puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, bats, and butterflies into their home.

Set in a future where humanity has mastered teleportation, the novel follows Gulliver Foyle, a brutish castaway left for dead in space, who becomes consumed by a singular obsession: revenge against those who abandoned him.

Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is arguably one of the most influential books of the twentieth century and a key text in the philosophy and history of science. Kuhn transformed the philosophy and history of science in the twentieth century in an irrevocable way and still provides an important alternative to formalist approaches in the philosophy of science. In Kuhn's 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions': A Reader's Guide, John Preston offers a clear and thorough account of this key philosophical work. The book offers a detailed review of the key themes and a lucid commentary that will enable readers to rapidly navigate the text. The guide explores the complex and important ideas inherent in the text and provides a cogent survey of the reception and influence of Kuhn's work.

The Horse and his Boy is a stirring and dramatic fantasy story that finds a young boy named Shasta on the run from his homeland with the talking horse, Bree. When the pair discover a deadly plot by the Calormen people to conquer the land of Narnia, the race is on to warn the inhabitants of the impending danger and to rescue them all from certain death.

The Seagull by Anton ChekhovThe Seagull is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. The Seagull is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises the romantic and artistic conflicts between four characters: the famous middlebrow story writer Boris Trigorin, the ingenue Nina, the fading actress Irina Arkadina, and her son the symbolist playwright Konstantin Treplyov.Though the character of Trigorin is considered Chekhov's greatest male role, like Chekhov's other full-length plays, The Seagull relies upon an ensemble cast of diverse, fully developed characters. In contrast to the melodrama of mainstream 19th-century theatre, lurid actions (such as Konstantin's suicide attempts) are not shown onstage. Characters tend to speak in ways that skirt around issues rather than addressing them directly in other words, their lines are full of what is known in dramatic practice as subtext.The opening night of the first production was a famous failure. Vera Komissarzhevskaya, playing Nina, was so intimidated by the hostility of the audience that she lost her voice.Chekhov left the audience and spent the last two acts behind the scenes. When supporters wrote to him that the production later became a success, he assumed that they were merely trying to be kind. When Konstantin Stanislavski, the seminal Russian theatre practitioner of the time, directed it in 1898 for his Moscow Art Theatre, the play was a triumph. Stanislavski's production of The Seagull became "one of the greatest events in the history of Russian theatre and one of the greatest new developments in the history of world drama".Stanislavski is also the director that caused The Seagull to be perceived as a tragedy by becoming overzealous with the concept of subtext, whereas Chekhov intended for it to be a comedy.After purchasing the Melikhovo farm in 1892, Chekhov had built in the middle of a cherry orchard a lodge consisting of three rooms, one containing a bed and another a writing table. In spring, when the cherries were in blossom, it was pleasant to live in this lodge, but in winter it was so buried in the snow that pathways had to be cut to it through drifts as high as a man. Chekhov eventually moved in and in a letter written in October 1895 wrote: I am writing a play which I shall probably not finish before the end of November. I am writing it not without pleasure, though I swear fearfully at the conventions of the stage.

NARNIA . . . where owls are wise, where some of the giants like to snack on humans (and, if carefully cooked, on Marsh-wiggles, too), where a prince is put under an evil spell . . . and where the adventure begins

NARNIA... the world of wicked dragons and magic spells, where the very best is brought out of even the worst people, where anything can happen (and most often does)... and where the adventure begins.The Dawn Treader is the first ship Narnia has seen in centuries. King Caspian has built it for his voyage to find the seven lords, good men whom his evil uncle Miraz banished when he usurped the throne. The journey takes Edmund, Lucy, and their cousin Eustace to the Eastern Islands, beyond the Silver Sea, toward Aslan's country at the End of the World.

The Horse and his Boy is a stirring and dramatic fantasy story that finds a young boy named Shasta on the run from his homeland with the talking horse, Bree. When the pair discover a deadly plot by the Calormen people to conquer the land of Narnia, the race is on to warn the inhabitants of the impending danger and to rescue them all from certain death.

A group of guests gather in a large country house, owned by the dying Lord Warbeck, who wants what is left of his family around him to celebrate what he assumes will be his last Christmas. The guests are a motley bunch, including Sir Julius Warbeck, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the wife of one of his underlings, the fascist son of the present Lord Warbeck, and the Chancellor's bodyguard. Also present is foreign historian Dr Bottwink, and the traditional faithful butler. When the first murder occurs, the house is cut off from the rest of the world by a heavy snowfall, and it is left to Sir Julius's bodyguard to initiate a preliminary investigation before contact can be made with the local police force.

Most of the novel is set in Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures that is ruled by the evil White Witch. In the frame story, four English children are relocated to a large, old country house following a wartime evacuation. The youngest, Lucy, visits Narnia three times via the magic of a wardrobe in a spare room. Lucy's three siblings are with her on her third visit to Narnia. In Narnia, the siblings seem fit to fulfill an old prophecy and find themselves adventuring to save Narnia and their own lives. The lion Aslan gives his life to save one of the children; he later rises from the dead, vanquishes the White Witch, and crowns the children Kings and Queens of Narnia.

'Shirley Jackson's stories are among the most terrifying ever written' Donna Tartt This is the definitive collection of Shirley Jackson's short stories, including 'The Lottery' - one of the most terrifying and iconic stories of the twentieth century, and an influence on writers such as Stephen King. In these stories an excellent host finds himself turned out of home by his own guests; a woman spends her wedding day frantically searching for her husband-to-be; and in Shirley Jackson's best-known story, a small farming village comes together for a terrible annual ritual. The creeping unease of lives squandered and the bloody glee of lives lost is chillingly captured in these tales of wasted potential and casual cruelty by a master of the short story. Shirley Jackson's chilling tales have the power to unsettle and terrify unlike any other. She was born in California in 1916. When her short story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail; it has since become one of the greatest American stories of all time. Her first novel, The Road Through the Wall, was published in the same year and was followed by five more: Hangsaman, The Bird's Nest, The Sundial, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, widely seen as her masterpiece. Shirley Jackson died in her sleep at the age of 48. 'Her stories are stunning, timeless - as relevant and terrifying now as when they were first published... 'The Lottery' is so much an icon in the history of the American short story that one could argue it has moved from the canon of American twentieth-century fiction directly into the American psyche, our collective unconscious' A. M. Homes

John Shade, a poet living in the small college town of New Wye, has just finished a 999-line autobiographical poem. Then he's shot dead outside his home. What follows is the published edition of that poem, assembled by his neighbor and self-appointed literary executor, Charles Kinbote. Kinbote is a lecturer at the same university, a man who has inserted himself into Shade's life with an intensity that bordered on obsession. He writes the preface, supplies the notes, and controls the whole apparatus of the book. The poem itself is moving and personal: Shade meditates on his daughter's suicide, on death, on the possibility of an afterlife, on the texture of ordinary life. It's a quiet, searching piece of work. Kinbote's commentary is something else entirely. His annotations start reasonably enough, then drift, then run completely off the rails. He becomes convinced that Shade's poem is secretly about Zembla, a fictional northern kingdom from which Kinbote claims to have fled as its deposed king. He reads his own exile, his own persecution, his own grand tragedy into lines that have nothing to do with any of it. A royal assassin named Gradus, sent to kill the exiled king, moves through the footnotes like a slow-motion threat, eventually arriving in New Wye on the day Shade dies. Whether Kinbote is a deluded fantasist, a man with a genuinely hidden past, or something more sinister is left deliberately open. The gap between what the poem says and what Kinbote insists it means grows wider with every note. Shade's murder, Kinbote's identity, and the question of who Gradus was actually sent to kill all remain unresolved in ways that feel intentional rather than incomplete. The novel rewards close reading and rereading. Details planted early pay off late, and Kinbote's unreliability becomes its own kind of plot.

This centennial edition of "The Fountainhead," celebrating the controversial and enduring legacy of its author, features an afterword by Rand's literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, offering some of Ayn Rand's personal notes on the development of her masterwork, and a Reader's Guide to her writings and philosophy.

They existed only to serve the state. They were conceived in controlled Palaces of Mating. They died in the Home of the Useless. From cradle to grave, the crowd was one—the great WE. In all that was left of humanity, there was only one man who dared to think, seek, and love. He lived in the dark ages of the future. In a loveless world, he dared to love the woman of his choice. In an age that had lost all trace of science and civilization, he had the courage to seek and find knowledge. But these were not the crimes for which he would be hunted. He was marked for death because he had committed the unpardonable sin: He had stood forth from the mindless human herd. He was a man alone. He had rediscovered the lost and holy word—I.

From the book:GRISHA, a fat, solemn little person of seven, was standing by the kitchen door listening and peeping through the keyhole. In the kitchen something extraordinary, and in his opinion never seen before, was taking place. A big, thick-set, red-haired peasant, with a beard, and a drop of perspiration on his nose, wearing a cabman's full coat, was sitting at the kitchen table on which they chopped the meat and sliced the onions. He was balancing a saucer on the five fingers of his right hand and drinking tea out of it, and crunching sugar so loudly that it sent a shiver down Grisha's back. Aksinya Stepanovna, the old nurse, was sitting on the dirty stool facing him, and she, too, was drinking tea. Her face was grave, though at the same time it beamed with a kind of triumph. Pelageya, the cook, was busy at the stove, and was apparently trying to hide her face.

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a master of the short story. The son of a former serf in southern Russia, he attended Moscow University to study medicine, writing short stories for periodicals in order to support his family. What began as a necessity became a legitimate career in 1886 when he was asked to write in St. Petersburg for the Novoye Vremya (New Times), owned by millionaire magnate Alexey Suvorin. Chekhov began paying more attention to his writing, revising and developing his own principles and conceptions of truth, for a time coming under the influence of Leo Tolstoy. As a result of his widespread popularity, Chekhov amassed a vast collection of short stories displaying an early use of stream-of-consciousness writing, as well as his powerful ideas concerning the individual, the tedium of life, and the beauty nature and humanity. This edition contains many stories, including "Ward No. 6," "The Looking-Glass," "The Beggar," "Darkness," "An Avenger," "A Happy Man," and "A Troublesome Visitor."

Step into the world of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's ""The House with the Mezzanine and Other Stories,"" a collection of deeply emotional and thought-provoking tales that capture the human experience in all its complexity. Known for his sharp insight into human nature, Chekhov presents a tapestry of life through stories filled with quiet moments, unspoken desires, and the subtle drama of everyday existence. In the title story, ""The House with the Mezzanine,"" Chekhov weaves a tale of art, love, and societal conflict, set in a rural landscape where a painter's relationship with two sisters changes the course of their lives. The other stories in this collection, written with Chekhov's characteristic simplicity and depth, reflect his mastery in portraying human frailty and the beauty of fleeting moments. But here's the question that will intrigue you: Can unspoken feelings and missed opportunities reveal more about life than grand, dramatic events? Through delicate prose and richly drawn characters, Chekhov explores the quiet struggles of people caught between their desires and societal expectations. Whether it's the tension between love and duty, or the conflict between personal freedom and social constraints, Chekhov's stories resonate with universal themes that continue to captivate readers. Are you ready to delve into the subtle world of Chekhov, where the smallest actions can carry profound emotional weight? ""The House with the Mezzanine and Other Stories"" is a treasure trove for lovers of classic literature, offering a window into the souls of characters who feel as real and relevant today as they did when Chekhov first penned them. Each story offers a reflection on life, art, and human connection, making this collection a timeless addition to any reader's library. Don't miss your chance to experience the brilliance of Anton Chekhov. Purchase ""The House with the Mezzanine and Other Stories"" today, and discover the subtle power of his storytelling. Seize the opportunity to own this collection of literary gems. Buy ""The House with the Mezzanine and Other Stories"" now, and let Chekhov's poignant tales resonate with you long after you've finished reading.

"The Valley of Fear" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a mesmerizing masterpiece that showcases the brilliance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in solving another mind-boggling case. Readers are in for an exhilarating ride as they follow the duo across the Atlantic to America to unravel the mystery behind a murder with connections to a secret society. This novel is a true page-turner, with every turn revealing more dangerous twists and turns, unexpected alliances, and cunning criminals. With the combination of Holmes' unparalleled wit and Watson's steadfast devotion, the pair makes a formidable team to take on the case and bring the villains to justice. "The Valley of Fear" is packed with adrenaline-fueled scenes, including an awe-inspiring rescue from a burning building, a thrilling chase through the rugged valley, and a nail-biting confrontation with the mastermind behind the crime. With every scene, readers are left breathless and engrossed in the captivating storytelling of the legendary Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

She dreamed of life on new worlds. Now she has awakened a nightmare. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is a masterful, epic science fiction novel from Christopher Paolini, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Eragon and the Inheritance Cycle. *Winner of the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Science Fiction Novel* During a routine survey of an uncolonized planet, Kira Navárez finds an alien relic. At first she's delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move. First contact isn't at all what Kira imagined, bringing new revelations and a transformation that will push her to the very limits of what it means to be human. But when Kira's discovery leads to war among the stars, she is launched into a galaxy-spanning mission, determined to end what she started. While she faces unimaginable peril, the world and its colonies is driven to the brink of annihilation. And Kira becomes humanity's greatest - and final - hope... Explore titles set in the Fractalverse Fractal Noise To Sleep in a Sea of Stars Praise for To Sleep in a Sea of Stars 'A powerful piece of SF, with intelligent writing and big ideas' - Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time 'Action-packed SF adventure that zings along at hyperluminal speed' - Peter F. Hamilton, author of Pandora's Star 'Space opera is back... First Contact has turned into First Combat' - The Washington Post

"Sergey Kapitonlch Akhineyev, the teacher of calligraphy, gave his daughter Natalya in marriage to the teacher of history and geography, Ivan Petrovich Loshadinikh. The wedding feast went on swimmingly. They sang, played, and danced in the parlor. Waiters, hired for the occasion from the club, bustled about hither and thither like madmen, in black frock coats and soiled white neckties. A loud noise of voices smote the air. From the outside people looked in at the windows;--their social standing gave them no right to enter."

Olga seems to be the perfect woman: plump, pretty and friendly, and those around her consider her to be a darling girl. However, as over the years and through several spouses, Olga's true character becomes increasingly evident. "The Darling" reflects author Anton Chekhov's criticism of women, who he viewed as having no intellectual lives, and whose happiness he believed was dependent on that of their husbands. HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short-stories collection to build your digital library.

During the last ten years of his life, Anton Chekhov penned his great plays, spent time treating the sick, and wrote a small number of stories that are considered his masterpieces. The eleven stories collected here-_The Lady with the Little Dog, _ The House with the Mezzanine, My Life, Peasants, A Visit to Friends, Ionych, About Love, In the Ravine, The Bishop, The Bride, and Disturbing the Balance-hail from this fertile period. They reveal a writer who, in response to the techniques of Symbolism and Impressionism, moved beyond nineteenth-century realism to become an innovator of the modern short story, influencing such key twentieth-century literary figures as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner

Kate Chopin was one of the most individual and adventurous of 19th-century American writers whose fiction explored new and often startling territory. Knights now presents a critical edition of Chopin's best-known work, "The Awakening", alongside 32 of the writer's short stories.

Ivanoff (Ivanov)Anton Chekhov Ivanov (Russian: Иванов драма в четырёх действиях (Ivanov: drama in four acts) also translated as "Ivanoff") is a four-act drama by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.Ivanov was first performed in 1887, when Fiodor Korsh, owner of the Korsh Theatre in Moscow, commissioned Chekhov to write a comedy. Chekhov, however, responded with a four-act drama, which he wrote in ten days. The first performance was not a success and the production disgusted Chekhov himself. In a letter to his brother, he wrote that he "did not recognise his first remarks as my own" and that the actors "do not know their parts and talk nonsense". Irritated by this failure, Chekhov made alterations to the play. Consequently, the final version is different from that first performance. After this revision, it was accepted to be performed in St. Petersburg in 1889. Chekhov's revised version was a success and offered a foretaste of the style and themes of his subsequent masterpieces.Nikolai Ivanov - A government official concerned with peasant affairs, Chekhov paints him as the quintessentially melancholy Russian from the upper social strata. Severely afflicted by internal conflicts his loss of appetite for life, love of his wife, and external pressures managing his estate and his debts, collide in a melodramatic climax.Anna (born as Sarah Abramson) - Ivanov's wife of 5 years who (unknowingly) suffers from tuberculosis. She renounced her Jewish heritage and converted to Russian Orthodox in order to marry Ivanov.Paul Lebedev - Chairman of the rural district council. Confidant and good friend to Ivanov.Zinaida - Lebedev's wife. She is a wealthy lender to whom Ivanov owes a large sum of money.Sasha - The Lebedevs' 20-year-old daughter. She is infatuated with Ivanov, an infatuation which ends in her nearly marrying him.Eugene Lvov - A pompous young doctor on the council's panel, and an honest man. Throughout the play, he moralizes and attacks Ivanov's character. He later resolves to reveal what he believes are Ivanov's intentions in marrying Sasha.Count Matthew Shabelsky - Ivanov's maternal uncle, a geriatric buffoon. He indulges in antisemitic jokes but his tenderness to Anna is unmistakable.Martha Babakina - A young widow, estate-owner, and the daughter of a rich businessman. She has a turbulent relationship with the Count.Michael Borkin - A distant relative of Ivanov and manager of his estate.

IT was approaching nightfall. The sexton, Savely Gykin, was lying in his huge bed in the hut adjoining the church. He was not asleep, though it was his habit to go to sleep at the same time as the hens. His coarse red hair peeped from under one end of the greasy patchwork quilt, made up of coloured rags, while his big unwashed feet stuck out from the other. He was listening. His hut adjoined the wall that encircled the church and the solitary window in it looked out upon the open country. And out there a regular battle was going on. It was hard to say who was being wiped off the face of the earth, and for the sake of whose destruction nature was being churned up into such a ferment; but, judging from the unceasing malignant roar, someone was getting it very hot. A victorious force was in full chase over the fields, storming in the forest and on the church roof, battering spitefully with its fists upon the windows, raging and tearing, while something vanquished was howling and wailing.... A plaintive lament sobbed at the window, on the roof, or in the stove. It sounded not like a call for help, but like a cry of misery, a consciousness that it was too late, that there was no salvation. The snowdrifts were covered with a thin coating of ice; tears quivered on them and on the trees; a dark slush of mud and melting snow flowed along the roads and paths. In short, it was thawing, but through the dark night the heavens failed to see it, and flung flakes of fresh snow upon the melting earth at a terrific rate. And the wind staggered like a drunkard. It would not let the snow settle on the ground, and whirled it round in the darkness at random.

"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair is a poignant exploration of the harsh realities faced by immigrants in the early 20th century, particularly in the meatpacking industry of Chicago. The novel begins with the wedding of Jurgis Rudkus and Ona Lukoszaite, Lithuanian immigrants who are filled with hope and dreams for a better life in America. However, their optimism is quickly shattered as they encounter the brutal working conditions and exploitation prevalent in the stockyards. Jurgis, a strong and determined man, initially believes that hard work will lead to success, but he soon discovers the systemic corruption and inhumane practices that trap workers in poverty. The narrative delves into the personal and social struggles of the Rudkus family, highlighting issues such as unsafe labor conditions, economic instability, and the lack of workers' rights. Sinclair's vivid depiction of the meatpacking industry serves as a critique of capitalism and a call for social reform. Through the trials and tribulations of Jurgis and his family, "The Jungle" exposes the dark underbelly of the American Dream and advocates for change to improve the lives of the working class.

The fatal poisoning of a Russian billionaire sends Gabriel Allon on a dangerous journey across Europe and into the orbit of a musical virtuoso who may hold the key to the truth about his friend’s death. The plot Allon uncovers leads to secret channels of money and influence that go to the very heart of Western democracy and threaten the stability of the global order.

The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels. The newly appointed police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. They are joined by Sara Howard, a brave and determined woman who works as a secretary in the police department. Laboring in secret (for alienists, and the emerging discipline of psychology, are viewed by the public with skepticism at best), the unlikely team embarks on what is a revolutionary effort in criminology-- amassing a psychological profile of the man they're looking for based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before--and will kill again before the hunt is over.

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles. As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever.

When a gorgeous, popular gym trainer is found murdered in a wealthy suburban town, criminal profiler and FBI agent Jessie Hunt, 29, is called in to find out who killed her. Yet the twisted secrets that this affair-ridden town holds is unlike anything she has encountered before. Who was this woman sleeping with? How many marriages did she shatter? And why did they want her dead?

February 13, 2082, First Contact. Sixty-two thousand objects of unknown origin plunge into Earth's atmosphere - a perfect grid of falling stars screaming across the radio spectrum as they burn. Not even ashes reach the ground. Three hundred and sixty degrees of global surveillance: something just took a snapshot. And then... nothing. But from deep space, whispers. Something out there talks - but not to us. Two ships, Theseus and the Crown of Thorns, are launched to discover the origin of Earth's visitation, one bound for the outer dark of the Kuiper Belt, the other for the heart of the Solar System. Their crews can barely be called human, what they will face certainly can't.

Unique Elements A Literary Classic by ANTON CHEKHOV. The Chorus Girl and Other Stories by RUSSIAN author ANTON CHEKHOV is a collection of short stories first published in 1920 in the UNITED KINGDOM. The title story of this collection, "The Chorus Girl," tells the sad story of a woman spurned by her lover. Sneak Peak 'Kolpakov did not mind being found by the postman or Pasha's lady friends, but by way of precaution gathered up his clothes and went into the next room, while Pasha ran to open the door. To her great surprise in the doorway stood, not the postman and not a girl friend, but an unknown woman, young and beautiful, who was dressed like a lady, and from all outward signs was one.' Master Storyteller Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), a Russian playwright and short story writer, is regarded by some as one of the greatest. He was a key figure of early modernism in the theatre and also wrote hundreds of short stories, while working in his profession as a medical doctor. "The Chrous Girl," the title story of this collection, was first published n 1886 and later revised before appearing in book form. Title Details

In this prequel story to The Waking Fire, newly graduated Blood-blessed Ethelynne Drystone accompanies the Sandrunners Indepdent Contractor Company on a dangerous mission to the Arradsian Interior, intent on finding the lair of the legendary White Drake.

An explosion rips through New York City's Grand Central Station one morning, destroying the train Karen Friedman's husband, a successful hedge fund manager, is riding in to work. Days later, with many bodies still unidentifiable, Karen resigns herself to the awful truth: her husband of eighteen years is dead. On that same day, a suspicious hit-and-run accident leaves a young man dead in Karen's hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut. Ty Hauck, a detective, becomes emotionally caught up in the case and finds a clue that shockingly connects the two seemingly unrelated events. Months later, two men show up at Karen's home digging into Charles's business dealings. Hundreds of millions of dollars are missing—and the trail points squarely to Charles. With doubt suddenly cast on everything she has ever known, Karen, with Hauck, steps into a widening storm of hedge fund losses, international scams, and murder. And as the investigations converge, these two strangers touched by tragedy are pulled into a deepening relationship and unwittingly open the door to a twisted—and deadly—conspiracy.

Jay Erlich's nephew has been found at the bottom of a cliff at Morrow Bay. It's all just a tragic suicide, until secrets from the past begin to rear up again. Did a notorious killer, jailed for many decades, have his hand in this? Years ago, Jay Erlich's older brother, Charlie, a wayward child of the sixties, set out for California, where he fell under the sway of a charismatic but deeply disturbed cultlike figure. Tragedy ensued and lives were destroyed, but as the decades passed, Charlie married and raised a family and lived a quiet, secluded life under the radar. Yet the demons that nearly destroyed him never completely disappeared. When Jay heads out west to help his grieving brother, he is pulled back into Charlie's past—and begins to suspect that his nephew's suicide may not have been that at all. With eyes wide open, Jay puts his own life at risk to uncover the truth, a quest that goes beyond the edge of madness and a family haunted by a secret past . . . and into the depths of evil.

While driving along a suburban back road, Hilary Blum, who's just lost her job and whose deadbeat husband has left her alone to care for her son with Asperger's, witnesses a freakish accident. A car ahead of her careens down a hill and slams into a tree. Stopping to help, she discovers the driver dead - and a satchel stuffed with a half a million dollars. That money could prevent her family's ruin and keep her special needs son in school. In an instant, this honest, achieving woman who has always done the responsible thing makes a decision that puts her in the center of maelstrom of dark consequences and life-threatening recriminations--a terrifying scheme involving a twenty-year-old murder, an old woman who's life has been washed out to sea, and a powerful figure bent to keep the secret that can destroy him hidden. With everything to lose, everything she loves, Hilary connects to a determined cop from Staten Island, reeling from the disaster of Sandy, to bring down an enemy who will stop at nothing to keep what that money was meant to silence, still buried.

A drive-by shooting rocks the posh suburb of Greenwich, Connecticut, and an innocent bystander is left dead. Detective Ty Hauck plunges into what seems like a vicious case of retribution and follows the trail to a sinister gambling scheme at an upstate casino. Until Annie Fletcher, a young restaurateur in the midst of rebuilding her life, witnesses something she shouldn't have - and immediately runs to him with what she knows. Suddenly, Hauck is pulled into a rising storm far greater than it first appeared - a storm wide enough to encompass corruption inside Greenwich's circle of wealthy and powerful citizens. And punishing enough to consume Hauck's own family, and tear brothers apart forever... if it doesn't kill them first.

Henry Steadman is a successful Florida plastic surgeon on his way to deliver a keynote address at a conference when his world falls apart. Stopped by the police for a minor traffic violation, the situation escalates and he is pulled from his vehicle, handcuffed, and told he is under arrest. Several other police cars arrive and the questioning turns scary, but after it subsides, and Henry is about to move on, the officer is suddenly killed in his car and there is only one suspect: the very person he was about to arrest not ten minutes before. Henry! When a second friend turns up dead, Henry realizes he's being elaborately framed. But in a chilling twist, the stakes grow even darker, and he is unable to go to the police to clear his name.

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

In the Society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion. Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.

The Society chooses everything. The books you read. The music you listen to. The person you love. Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him. And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope. But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems... A rebellion is rising. And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.

Volume 2 of the classic commentary on the influence of democracy on the intellect, feelings, and actions of Americans. With an introduction by Phillips Bradley.

Out of Alex de Tocqueville's travels through the U.S. in the 1830's came an insightful study of a young democracy and its institutions. This 2 volume edition presents Tocqueville's original text. Footnotes, bibliography.

Alexandre Dumas, père (French for "father", akin to Senior in English), born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (1802-1870) was a French writer, best known for his numerous historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world. Many of his novels, including The Count of Monte Cristo (1845), The Three Musketeers (1844), and The Man in the Iron Mask (1848) were serialized, and he also wrote plays and magazine articles and was a prolific correspondent. Though best known now as a novelist, He earned his first fame as a dramatist. His Henri III et sa Cour (1829) was the first of the great Romantic historical dramas produced on the Paris stage, preceding Victor Hugo's more famous Hernani (1830). He was also a wellknown travel writer, writing such books as From Paris to Cadiz (1847), and Travel In Russia (1860). His other works include Twenty Years After (1845), The Two Dianas (1846), Queen Margot (1845), The Black Tulip (1850), The Wolf-Leader (1857), and The Knight of Sainte-Hermine (1869).

When d’Artagnan goes to Paris to become a Musketeer, he embarks on a swashbuckling adventure with the legendary Porthos, Athos, and Aramis. If they wish to trump the nefarious Cardinal Richelieu, it’s got to be “all for one, one for all.”

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo est un roman d'aventure écrit par Alexandre Dumas, publié en 1844. Il raconte l'histoire d'Edmond Dantès, un jeune marin injustement emprisonné qui s'échappe de prison pour se venger de ceux qui l'ont trahi. Il utilise ses nouvelles richesses et son nouveau titre de comte pour mener à bien sa vendetta. Le livre est rempli d'intrigues, de complots, d'évasion, et de revanche, c'est un véritable page-turner qui tient le lecteur en haleine jusqu'à la fin. Il est considéré comme l'un des grands classiques de la littérature française, et est encore apprécié aujourd'hui pour sa narration captivante et ses personnages complexes. Si vous aimez les histoires d'aventure pleines de suspense et de revanche, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo est le livre qu'il vous faut.

In March 1844 the French magazine Le Siècle, printed the first installment of a story by Alexandre Dumas. It was based, Dumas claimed, on some manuscripts he had found a year earlier in the Bibliothèque Nationale while researching a history he planned to write on Louis XIV. The serial chronicled the adventures of D'Artagnan -- a young swordsman intent on joining the king's musketeers. Young D'Artagnan becomes embroiled in court intrigues, international politics, and ill-fated affairs between royal lovers. The book at hand is the second volume of the third serial. Louis XIV is well past the age where he should rule, but the ailing Cardinal Mazarin refuses to relinquish the reins of power. Meanwhile, Charles II, a king without a country, travels Europe seeking aid from his fellow monarchs. Athos still resides at La Fre while his son, Raoul de Bragelonne, has entered into the service in the household of M. le Prince. As for Raoul, he has his eyes on an entirely different object than his father -- his childhood companion, Louise de la Valliere, with whom he is hopelessly in love. Porthos, now a baron, is off on some mysterious mission along with Aramis, who is now the Bishop of Vannes.

Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter in another life, but now she’s washed up. She makes her meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder, but this time she might have stumbled on something real–the story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction. Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing world–until she witnesses the murder of a fellow racer. Framed for the murder and on the hunt to clear her name, Nilah only has one lead: the killer also hunts a woman named Boots. On the wrong side of the law, the two women board a smuggler’s ship that will take them on a quest for fame, for riches, and for justice.

The greatest dangers hide the brightest treasures in this bold, planet-hopping science fiction adventure series. The crew of the legendary Capricious are rich enough to retire in comfort for the rest of their days, but none of it matters if the galaxy is still in danger. Nilah and Boots, the ship's newest crew-members hear the word of a mysterious cult that may have links back to an ancient and all-powerful magic. To find it, hot-headed Nilah will have to go undercover and find the source of their power without revealing her true identity. Meanwhile, Boots is forced to confront the one person she'd hoped never to see her old, turn-coat treasure-hunting partner.

Alicia Berenson lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago. When she shot her husband in the head five times. Since then, she hasn't spoken a single word. It's time to find out why.

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike. Particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated when one of The Maidens, a friend of Mariana's niece Zoe, is found murdered. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld?When another body is found, Mariana's obsession with proving Fosca's guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything - including her own life.

Two sisters ran away from home to join the crew of a spaceship. They took on pirates, faced down monsters and survived massacres . . . and now they're in charge. Captaining a fearsome ship of their own, adventures are theirs for the taking - and there's hoards to loot and treasures to find in the darkest reaches of space. But the rules are also more relaxed out on the fringes, as they're about to discover . . .

The galaxy has seen great empires rise and fall. Planets have shattered and been remade. Amongst the ruins of alien civilizations, building our own from the rubble, humanity still thrives. And there are vast fortunes to be made, if you know where to find them. Captain Rackamore and his crew do. It's their business to find the tiny, enigmatic worlds which have been hidden away, booby-trapped, surrounded by layers of protection—and to crack them open for the ancient relics and barely-remembered technologies inside. But while they ply their risky trade with integrity, not everyone is so scrupulous. Adrana and Fura Ness are the newest members of Rackamore's crew, signed on to save their family from bankruptcy. Only Rackamore has enemies, and there might be more waiting for them in space than adventure and fortune: the fabled and feared Bosa Sennen in particular.

Nine hundred thousand years ago, something wiped out the Amarantin. For the humans now settling the Amarantin homeworld, it's of little more than academic interest, even after the discovery of a long-hidden, almost perfect city and a colossal statue of a winged Amarantin. For brilliant, ruthless scientist Dan Sylveste, it's more than merely intellectual curiosity - and he will stop at nothing to get at the truth. Even if it costs him everything. But the Amarantin were wiped out for a reason, and that danger is closer and greater than even Syveste imagines...

2080: at a remote site on the edge of the Arctic Circle, a group of scientists, engineers and physicians gather to gamble humanity's future on one last-ditch experiment. Their goal: to make a tiny alteration to the past, averting a global catastrophe while at the same time leaving recorded history intact. To make the experiment work, they just need one last recruit: an ageing schoolteacher whose late mother was the foremost expert on the mathematics of paradox. 2028: a young woman goes into surgery for routine brain surgery. In the days following her operation, she begins to hear another voice in her head... an unwanted presence which seems to have a will, and a purpose, all of its own - one that will disrupt her life entirely. The only choice left to her is a simple one. Does she resist... or become a collaborator?

Miguel de Ruyter is a man with a past. Fleeing the 'wolves' - the xenocidal alien machines known as Inhibitors - he has protected his family and community from attack for forty years, sheltering in the caves of an airless, battered world called Michaelmas. The slightest hint of human activity could draw the wolves to their home, to destroy everything ... utterly. Which is how Miguel finds himself on a one-way mission with his own destructive mandate: to eliminate a passing ship, before it can bring unwanted attention down on them. Only something goes wrong. There's a lone survivor. And she knows far more about Miguel than she's letting on . . .

Ten thousand city-state habitats orbit the planet Yellowstone, forming a near-perfect democratic human paradise. But even utopia needs a police force. For the citizens of the Glitter Band that organization is Panoply, and the prefects are its operatives. Prefect Tom Dreyfus has a new emergency on his hands. Across the habitats and their hundred million citizens, people are dying suddenly and randomly, victims of a bizarre and unprecedented malfunction of their neural implants. And these "melters" leave no clues behind as to the cause of their deaths... As panic rises in the populace, a charismatic figure is sowing insurrection, convincing a small but growing number of habitats to break away from the Glitter Band and form their own independent colonies.

Quoins are accepted currency throughout the thousands of worlds of the Congregation. Ancient, and of unknown origin and purpose, people have traded with them, fought for them, and stolen quoin hordes from booby-trapped caches at risk to life and limb throughout the Thirteen Occupations. Only now it's becoming clear they have another purpose . . . as do the bankers who've been collecting them. The Occupations themselves are another puzzle. The rise and fall of civilisation may have been unevenly spaced across history, but there is also a pattern. Could something be sparking the Occupations - or ending them? And if so, what could it be, lurking far beyond the outermost worlds of the Congregation? The Ness sisters are being hunted for crimes they didn't commit by a fleet whose crimes are worse than their own. If they're to survive, and stay one step ahead of their pursuers - if they're to answer the questions which have plagued them - it's going to require every dirty, piratical trick in the book...

Mankind has endured centuries of horrific plague and a particularly brutal interstellar war... but there is still no time for peace and quiet. Stirred from aeons of sleep, the Inhibitors - ancient alien killing machines - have begun the process of ridding the galaxy of its latest emergent intelligence: mankind. As a ragtag bag of refugees fleeing the first wave of the cull head towards an apparently insignificant moon light-years away, they discover an avenging angel, a girl born in ice. She has the power to lead mankind to safety, and the ability to draw down their darkest enemy. And on a planet where vast travelling cathedrals crawl towards the treacherous fissure known as Absolution Gap, an unsettling truth becomes apparent: to beat one enemy, it may be necessary to forge an alliance with something much, much worse...

They thought we were safe. They were wrong. Lee and Mal went looking for monsters on Bodmin Moor four years ago, and only Lee came back. She thought she'd lost Mal forever, now miraculously returned. But what happened that day on the moors? And where has Mal been all this time? Mal's reappearance hasn't gone unnoticed by MI5 either, and their officers have questions. Julian Sabreur is investigating an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power - and they may or may not be human. His only clue is grainy footage, showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor. Dr Khan's research was theoretical. Then she found cracks between our world and parallel Earths. Now these cracks are widening, revealing extraordinary creatures. And as the doors come crashing open, anything could come through...

Ten years ago, the Kinslayer returned from the darkness. His brutal Yorughan armies issued from the pits of the earth, crushing all resistance, leaving burnt earth and corruption behind. Thrones toppled and cities fell. And then he died. Celestaine-one of the heroes that destroyed him-has tasked herself with correcting the worst excesses of the Kinslayer's brief reign, bringing light back to a broken world. With two Yorughan companions, she faces fanatics, war criminals and the Kinslayer's former minions, as the fragile alliances of the War break down into feuding and greed. The Kinslayer may be gone, but he cast a long shadow: one from which she may never truly escape.

The Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author of Children of Time brings us an extraordinary space opera about humanity on the brink of extinction, and how one man's discovery will save or destroy us all. The war is over. Its heroes forgotten. Until one chance discovery . . . Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity's heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater powers. After earth was destroyed, mankind created a fighting elite to save their species, enhanced humans such as Idris. In the silence of space they could communicate, mind-to-mind, with the enemy. Then their alien aggressors, the Architects, simply disappeared—and Idris and his kind became obsolete. Now, fifty years later, Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space. It's clearly the work of the Architects—but are they returning? And if so, why? Hunted by gangsters, cults and governments, Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers. For they now possess something of incalculable value, that many would kill to obtain.

I am going to make a momentous decision. Most likely it is a bad decision. Certainly it may be the last major decision I ever make. Lynesse is the lowly Fourth Daughter of the queen, and always getting in the way. But a demon is terrorizing the land, and now she’s an adult (albeit barely) with responsibilities (she tells herself). Although she still gets in the way, she understands that the only way to save her people is to invoke the pact between her family and the Elder sorcerer who has inhabited the local tower for as long as her people have lived here (though none in living memory has approached it). But Elder Nyr isn’t a sorcerer, and he is forbidden to help, and his knowledge of science tells him the threat cannot possibly be a demon. . . .

My name is Rex. I am a good dog. Rex is also seven foot tall at the shoulder, bulletproof, bristling with heavy calibre weaponry and his voice resonates with subsonics especially designed to instil fear. With Dragon, Honey and Bees, he's part of a Multiform Assault Pack operating in the lawless anarchy of Campeche, south-eastern Mexico. Rex is a genetically engineered Bioform, a deadly weapon in a dirty war. He has the intelligence to carry out his orders and feedback implants to reward him when he does. All he wants to be is a Good Dog. And to do that he must do exactly what Master says and Master says he's got to kill a lot of enemies. But who, exactly, are the enemies? What happens when Master is tried as a war criminal? What rights does the Geneva Convention grant weapons? Do Rex and his fellow Bioforms even have a right to exist? And what happens when Rex slips his leash?

Earth failed. In a desperate bid to escape, the spaceship Enkidu and its captain, Heorest Holt, carried its precious human cargo to a potential new paradise. Generations later, this fragile colony has managed to survive, eking out a hardy existence. Yet life is tough, and much technological knowledge has been lost. Then strangers appear. They possess unparalleled knowledge and thrilling technology – and they've arrived from another world to help humanity’s colonies. But not all is as it seems, and the price of the strangers' help may be the colony itself.

Long ago, Earth's terraforming program sent ships out to build new homes for humanity among the stars and made an unexpected discovery: a planet with life. But the scientists were unaware that the alien ecosystem was more developed than the primitive life forms originally discovered. Now, thousands of years later, the Portiids and their humans have sent an exploration vessel following fragmentary radio signals. They discover a system in crisis, warring factions trying to recover from an apocalyptic catastrophe arising from what the early terraformers awoke all those years before.

A race for survival among the stars... Humanity's last survivors escaped earth's ruins to find a new home. But when they find it, can their desperation overcome its dangers? WHO WILL INHERIT THIS NEW EARTH? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age—a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind's worst nightmare. Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth?

Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga makes a living repairing the chimneys, towers, and spires of Bar-Selehm. Dramatically different communities live and work alongside one another. The white Feldish command the nation’s higher echelons of society; the native Mahweni are divided between city life and the savannah. And then there’s Ang, part of the Lani community who immigrated there generations ago and now mostly live in poverty on Bar-Selehm’s edges. When Ang is supposed to meet her new apprentice, Berrit, she finds him dead. That same night the Beacon, an invaluable historical icon, is stolen. The Beacon’s theft commands the headlines, yet no one seems to care about Berrit’s murder—except for Josiah Willinghouse, an enigmatic young politician. When he offers Ang a job investigating the death, she plunges headlong into new and unexpected dangers. Meanwhile, crowds gather in protests over the city’s mounting troubles. Rumors surrounding the Beacon’s theft grow. More suspicious deaths occur. With no one to help Ang except Josiah’s haughty younger sister, a savvy newspaper girl, and a kindhearted herder, Ang must rely on her intellect and strength to resolve the mysterious link between Berrit and the missing Beacon before the city descends into chaos.

The city of Bar-Selehm is tossed into a whirlwind of scandal when the Prime Minister is found dead on the floors of Parliament: and Anglet Sutonga's friend and employer, Josiah Willinghouse, is the one holding the knife. Determined to prove his innocence, Ang investigates leads throughout the city, only to discover even more chaos wherever she goes. A mysterious but fatal illness is infecting the poor. A fanatical politician seizes power, and rolls out his plans to make Bar-Selehm great again. Amidst these surrounding dangers, Anglet Sutonga must gather her friends from places high and low to form a resistance... and hopefully, protect everything she knows and loves.

Once a steeplejack, Anglet Sutonga is used to scaling the heights of Bar-Selehm. Nowadays she assists politician Josiah Willinghouse behind the scenes of Parliament. When government plans for a secret weapon are stolen, their investigation leads right to the doorsteps of the city’s superexclusive social club, Elitus. Ang has a chance to catch the thief, but only if she can pass for a foreign princess. Her best chance to learn the ways of royalty lies in the aloof Dahria Willinghouse and the intense Madame Nahreem, a woman possessing high standards and unusual pets. Yet Ang has other things on her mind. Refugees from the north are trickling into the city, but an ambitious politician is proposing extreme measures to get rid of them. She soon discovers that one theft could spark a conflagration of conspiracy that threatens the most vulnerable of Bar-Selehm. Unless she can stop it.

Stron “Bladeless” Broxton used to be a knight. Desmrick used to rule the world. Now they are both hunting the same prize. A missing prince… …and the poisonous magic inside him that humanity was never meant to have. To save the prince, Stron must return to the kingdom that cast him out. To stop Desmrick, he must face a power that once shattered the world. And even with his infamous Thirteen at his side, Stron must survive bitter kings, treacherous allies, and his own judgment if he is going to bring everyone back alive. Because if Desmrick wins… Humanity will not survive the reckoning.

Witness the war of the galaxy as a rebel fights for the freedom of his people in the first three novels of the bestselling Red Rising series-and a bonus extended excerpt of the fourth, Iron Gold! From the New York Times bestselling author Pierce Brown, the first three books of the Red Rising series, and a free preview of the fourth book in the series, Iron Gold. Darrow is a Red, born under the heel of the elite Golds. After tragedy reveals to him the truth of civilization and the enslavement of his people, he seeks retribution. And he will stop at nothing to bring down the Golds who took everything from him-even if it means becoming one of them.

Will they find the utopian dream - or a galactic nightmare? From Peter F. Hamilton, The Dreaming Void is the first in an epic space opera trilogy. Set in his expansive Commonwealth universe, it is perfect for fans of Iain M. Banks and Stephen Baxter. AD 3580. The Commonwealth has spread its civilization throughout the galaxy. Its citizens are privileged and protected by a powerful navy. And at the galaxy's centre is the Void, a sealed universe created by aliens billions of years ago. Yet the Void isn't inert. It's expanding - and now it wants to make contact.The Void chooses Inigo as its conduit and he channels dreams of a simpler, better life within its bounds. His visions attract followers - determined to seek this utopia. And they'll cross the Void's forbidden boundaries to reach it. However, this act could trigger push it to grow beyond all control... destroying everything in its path. The Dreaming Void is followed by The Temporal Void in this stunning trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton.

The excerpts confirm this is the third volume of a French fantasy trilogy and mention that protagonist Irmine survived a century in the past, allowing him to anticipate the future-but now, returned to his own era, he must face an uncertain future. However, the details are too fragmentary to construct a reliable, spoiler-conscious synopsis meeting the stated requirements.

The excerpts confirm this is the second volume of a fantasy trilogy and mention that protagonist Irmine Lancefall used magic to travel through time - displaced a century into the past and forced to wait to return to his own era - but provide insufficient detail about the central conflict of this specific volume to write a reliable synopsis.

A chronicle of the breathtaking exploits of "Half-Cocked Jack" Shaftoe-London street urchin turned legendary swashbuckling adventurer-risking life and limb for fortune and love while slowly maddening from the pox-and Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent a contentious continent through the newborn power of finance. The Baroque Cycle, Neal Stephenson's award-winning series, spans the late 17th and early 18th centuries, combining history, adventure, science, invention, piracy, and alchemy into one sweeping tale. It is a gloriously rich, entertaining, and endlessly inventive historical epic populated by the likes of Isaac Newton, William of Orange, Benjamin Franklin, and King Louis XIV, along with some of the most inventive literary characters in modern fiction. This novel, as well as the complete and unabridged presentation of The Baroque Cycle, was produced in cooperation with Neal Stephenson. Each volume includes an exclusive introduction read by the author.

Lore expert Geoff "SmoughTown" Truscott delivers a comprehensive deep dive into the mythology underpinning Elden Ring's vast world. The book examines the legends, gods, and histories that shape Miyazaki's RPG, drawing design inspiration from sacred books of antiquity.

Discover the ins and outs of designing predictive trading models Drawing on the expertise of WorldQuant's global network, this new edition of Finding Alphas: A Quantitative Approach to Building Trading Strategies contains significant changes and updates to the original material, with new and updated data and examples. Nine chapters have been added about alphas - models used to make predictions regarding the prices of financial instruments. The new chapters cover topics including alpha correlation, controlling biases, exchange-traded funds, event-driven investing, index alphas, intraday data in alpha research, intraday trading, machine learning, and the triple axis plan for identifying alphas. - Provides more references to the academic literature - Includes new, high-quality material - Organizes content in a practical and easy-to-follow manner - Adds new alpha examples with formulas and explanations If you're looking for the latest information on building trading strategies from a quantitative approach, this book has you covered.