Type: Short story collection

Brian Lumley’s The Best of the Rest

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Brian Lumley's The Best of the Rest
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From the Introduction:

This pretty much is what the title says. Many of the stories/novellas here will have only been done in limited print runs, such as in fanzines, magazines, pamphlets, special editions or online magazines.

It’s a mixed genre of stories and these are what Brian considers the best of the rest of the stories in his body of work. We’ve got 111,000+ words in this collection so that means lots of enjoyment in what is likely the last collection coming from Brian.

The Taint and Other Novellas

The Taint and Other Novellas
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Prior to the first American publication of Brian Lumley’s ground-breaking, dead-waking, best-selling Necroscope in 1988 – the first novel in a long-lived, much-loved series – this British author had for 20 years been earning himself something of a reputation writing short stories, novellas, and a series of novels set against H. P. Lovecraft’s cosmic Cthulhu Mythos backdrop

. A soldier in 1967, serving in Berlin with the Royal Military Police, Lumley jump-started his literary career by writing to August Derleth, the then-dean of macabre publishers at his home in Sauk City, Wisconsin, telling of his fascination with the Mythos, and purchasing books by the Old Gentleman of Providence, RI. In addition, he sent a page or two of written work allegedly culled from the various forbidden or black books of the Mythos. Suitably impressed, the master of Arkham House invited Lumley to write something solid in the Mythos as a possible contribution to a new volume he was currently contemplating, to be titled – what else but? – Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos.

And as might well be imagined, that set everything in motion. Forty years have passed since then and a good many words of Mythos fiction written, including critically acclaimed and award-nominated work, stories that have appeared in prestigious magazines such as Fantasy & Science Fiction, and hardcover volumes from publishers all over the world from the USA to China and the United Kingdom to Russia. But while Lumley’s novels are all currently available, many of them in hardcover format, his Mythos short stories and novellas have until now remained uncollected.

Here in this volume are found the novellas; the future companion volume will contain the short stories. And thus the very best of Brian Lumley’s works in this sub-genre, including such recent tales as “The Hymn” and “The Taint”, are collected and presented for the first time in audio format…

Short Tall Tales

Short Tall Tales
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And that is exactly what this book is: a varied collection of short stories from the acknowledged British master of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Brian Lumley, in a single volume of all three domains of the imagination – but more especially the haunts of the sinister and macabre! Inspired by the weird tales of the great Edgar Allan Poe, and as some readers might reasonably insist, the even greater H. P. Lovecraft – himself an admirer of Poe –

here is a host of rather more modern witcheries from times since the sad demise of many such old masters, based on eras long forgotten before all such tale-tellers so much as existed; concepts spawned in an immemorial past that even now continues to provide the source and fundamentals of similar conceits, such as they were, in the shape of folk legends and the frequently monstrous cautions of so-called “fairy tales,” in modes made their own by the antique yarns of the Brother’s Grimm, now sadly long-demised – a fact which in itself says a lot for the longevity of these genres!

Fruiting Bodies and Other Fungi

Fruiting Bodies and Other Fungi
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Thirteen terrifying tales from the master of horror who created the nationally bestselling Necroscope series. The title story, “Fruiting Bodies,” in which a small village slowly disappears, won the British Fantasy Award.

“The Viaduct,” is the story of two young boys who learn the truth about fear and death.

“Born of the Winds” was nominated for the World Fantasy Award.

There is also an introduction by Lumley in which he discusses violence in horror fiction.

Stories included in this collection:
Fruiting Bodies
The Man Who Photographed Beardsley
The Man Who Felt Pain
The Viaduct
Recognition
No Way Home
The Pit-Yakker
The Mirror of Nitocris
Necros
The Thin People
The Cyprus Shell
The Deep-Sea Conch
Born of the Winds

Weird Tales Magazine No. 368: Occult Detective Issue

Weird Tales Magazine No. 368: Occult Detective Issue
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Weird Tales magazine is known for launching a number of sub-genres of fiction—cosmic horror, swords & sorcery, dark fantasy, and others. It has also greatly added to existing genres like science fiction, horror, and—a personal favorite of editor Jonathan Maberry—weird mystery stories. Or, as they became known—occult detective tales. Here are all-original tales about people who peer into the shadows in order to solve a mystery. Sometimes successfully … and sometimes the darkness wins. The stories range from nail-biting horror to very dark comedy, and there’s a generous mix of short stories, flash fiction (shorter works of about 1500 words), and poems. The lineup is killer, as you’ll discover, and the interpretations of what constitutes “occult fiction” is unique to each writer.

“The Eyrie” by Jonathan Maberry
“Dead Jack and the Mystery of Room 216” by James Aquilone
“Beneath the Scarred Pulpit” by Kenneth W. Cain
“Denizen of Deep Holler” by Jennifer Brody
“The Ephemera of Dreams” by Carina Bissett
“Forming Threads” by Jody Lynn Nye
“The Painted Unseen” by Taylor Grant
“Bull Runs” by Kevin J. Anderson
“Shimmer” by Keith Strunk
“Hold my Beer” by Jeff Strand
“La Silla Del Diablo” by Sofía Lapuente & Jarrod Shusterman
“The Three-Headed Problem” by Rachel Aukes
“Inception” by Brian Lumley
“Laurel Canyons” by Lisa Diane Kastner
“The Taxidermist” by Lyndsey Croal
“Within You, In Time” by Brian Keene and Steven L. Shrewsbury
“Your Sins Will Find You Out” by Cavan Scott
“Night’s Disease” by Colleen Anderson

The Mighty Sons of Hercules : Volume 1

The Mighty Sons of Hercules : Volume 1
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Long ago, in ages past…

There were men who travelled the world, seeking adventure, fighting injustice, defending the weak and the helpless, looking to right wrongs wherever they are found:

These were the Mighty Sons of Hercules!

Cirsova Publishing invites you to join eight of the Mighty Sons of Hercules on their daring adventures!

You’ll be amazed by their impressive feats of superhuman strength. You’ll be dazzled by the exotic and dangerous beauties who would seek their downfall. You’ll cheer as they save the innocent from peril and mete out justice to dastardly villains.

Wherever righteousness must have a champion, there you will find the Mighty Sons of Hercules! Whenever there is need and no mortal man can suffice, a Mighty Son of Hercules shall appear!

The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones by Mike Resnick

The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones by Mike Resnick
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Being a Thrilling Chronicle of Romance, Danger, Spectacle, High Adventure, Narrow Escapes, and Uplifting Triumphs Over Sinister Villains and Mystic Mages in the Exotic Continent of the East, as Recounted by the Bold, Daring, Handsome and Modest Christian Gentleman Who Experienced Them.

Mike Resnick’s accomplishments (to date) include 64 novels, 21 collections, 40 anthologies, two screenplays and approximately 250 short stories—resulting in a couple of shelves of major awards (including five Hugos from 35 nominations and awards from various countries including Spain, France, Croatia and Japan).

Of all the characters that Mike has created, Lucifer Jones remains his favorite. We are proud to republish this hilarious series of adventures starring a most unique character.

2 books :

Adventures (The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones, 1922-1926)

Exploits: The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones Volume I — 1926-1931

Encounters: The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones Volume III — 1931-1934

 

The Best of Cordwainer Smith

The Best of Cordwainer Smith
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Cordwainer Smith was one of the original visionaries to think of humanity in terms of thousands of years in the future, spread out across the universe. This brilliant collection, often cited as the first of its kind, explores fundamental questions about ourselves and our treatment of the universe (and other beings) around us and ultimately what it means to be human.

In “Scanners Live in Vain” we meet Martel, a human altered to be part machine—a scanner—to be able withstand the trauma space travel has on the body. Despite the stigma placed on him and his kind, he is able to regrasp his humanity to save another.

In “The Dead Lady of Clown Town” we get to know the underpeople—animals genetically altered to exist in human form, to better serve their human owners—and meet D’Joan, a dog-woman who will make readers question who is more human: the animals who simply want to be recognized as having the same right to life, or the people who created them to be inferior.

In “The Ballad of Lost C’mell” the notion of love being the most important equalizer there is—as first raised in “The Dead Lady of Clown Town”—is put into action when an underperson, C’mell, falls in love with Lord Jestocost. Who is to say her love for him is not as valid as any true-born human? She might be of cat descent, but she is all woman!

And in “A Planet Named Shayol” it is an underperson of bull descent, and beings so mutilated and deformed from their original human condition to be now considered demons of a hellish land, who retain and display the most humanity when Mankind commits the most inhumane action of all.

Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories

Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories
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Frederik Pohl, the bestselling author of The Boy Who Would Live Forever, is famous for his novels, but first and foremost, he is a master of the science fiction short story.

For more than fifty years he has been writing incisive, entertaining SF stories, several hundred in all. Even while writing his bestselling triple-crown (Hugo, Nebula, Campbell Award) novel Gateway and the other Heechee Saga novels, he has always written short fiction.

Now, for the first time, he has gathered together the best of his many stories in Platinum Pohl. Spanning the decades, these tales are in their way a living history of science fiction. Because Frederik Pohl has been on the frontlines of the field since the halcyon days of the late 1930s, and has written short stories in every decade since. And because he has always been a keen observer of the human condition and the world that is shaped by it, his stories reflect the currents of political movements, social trends, major events that have shaken the world . . .

Yet at their core, all his stories are most acutely concerned with people. All sorts of people. Some are people you’ll love, some you’ll hate. But you will need to find out what happens to the people who inhabit these stories. Because Frederik Pohl imbues his characters with a depth and individuality that makes them as real as people you see every day. Of course, he also employs a mind-boggling variety of scientific ideas and science fictional tropes with which his characters must interact. And he does it all with seemingly no effort at all. That’s some trick. Not everyone can do that . . . but that’s why he was named a Grand Master of Science Fiction by his peers in the Science Fiction Writers of America.

Here are his two Hugo Award winning stories, “Fermi and Frost” and “The Meeting” (with C. M. Kornbluth), along with such classic novellas as the powerful “The Gold at the Starbow’s End” and “The Greening of Bed-Stuy,” and stories such as “Servant of the People,” “Shaffery Among the Immortals,” and “Growing Up in Edge City,” all finalists for major awards. And dozens of other wonderful tales, like “The Mayor of Mare Tranq” and the provocative “The Day the Martians Landed” and many others.

Altogether, a grand collection of thought-provoking, entertaining science fiction by one of the all-time greats!

Dogs of War classic stories of men and machines at arms

Dogs of War classic stories of men and machines at arms
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Military authors have entered the mainstream science fiction genre and continue to leave their mark.

David Drake pays homage to his own sub-genre by collecting ten classic stories of men-at-arms by top writers including himself.