Young Ishta found it in the forest, buried beneath dead leaves: a rounded, flattened stone as black as onyx. One side held a golden oval that glowed with a unnatural light. Of course, it had to be magic. <P> But what did farmers know of magic? It could be dangerous, or it could be some harmless toy. They had to find out. <P> Since Ishta was too young to bring her discovery to the Baron of Varag’s stronghold, her older brother, Garander, went instead. Once there, Azlia, a beautiful wizard, recognized the stone immediately as Northern sorcery. She had to call Sammel, the local sorcerer, to find out its nature . . . a relic of the last great war. <P> When the Baron takes the stone for himself, that should have ended things. But it was just the beginning for Garander. Because that magical stone wasn’t the only relic left in the woods…
"The Mad Scientist Megapack" assembles 23 tales of Scientists, their Creatures, and Experiments both Diabolical and Dangerous! Included are:<P> MYSHKIN, by David V. Reed<BR> A LIGHT THAT SHAMED THE SUN, by C. J. Henderson<BR> INCOMPLETE DATA, by H.B. Fyfe<BR> THE CORPSE ON THE GRATING, by Hugh B. Cave<BR> COSMIC TELETYPE, by Carl Jacobi<BR> MONSTER KIDNAPS GIRL AT MAD SCIENTIST'S COMMAND!, by Lawrence Watt-Evans<BR> GREAT MINDS, by Edward M. Lerner<BR> THE MAN WHO EVOLVED, by Edmond Hamilton<BR> NO GUTS, NO GLORY, by Edward M. Lerner<BR> THE DEVOTEE OF EVIL, by Clark Ashton Smith<BR> SONG OF DEATH, by Ed Earl Repp<BR> STATUS: COMPLETE, by Leslie J. Furlong<BR> FOOD FOR THOUGHT, by Jack Dolphin<BR> DR. VARSAG'S EXPERIMENT, by Craig Ellis<BR> PUBLIC SAFETY, by Matthew Johnson<BR> THE WORLD IN A BOX, by Carl Jacobi<BR> MACHINE RECORD, by Theodore R. Cogswell<BR> THE BIRTHMARK, by Nathaniel Hawthorne<BR> HERBERT WEST—REANIMATOR, by H.P. Lovecraft<BR> ZAPT'S REPULSIVE PASTE, by J.U. Giesy<BR> THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, by Robert Louis Stevenson<BR> THE MAN WHO STOPPED THE EARTH, by Henry J. Kostkos<BR> SYMPATHY FOR MAD SCIENTISTS, by John Gregory Betancourt <P>If you enjoy this book, search your favorite ebook store for «Wildside Press Megapack» to see the 150+ entries in the Megapack series, covering science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, westerns, classics, adventure stories, and much, much more!
After growing from humble beginnings as a Sword & Sorcery parody to more than 30 volumes of wit, wisdom, and whimsy, the Discworld series has become a phenomenon unlike any other. Now, in The Turtle Moves!, Lawrence Watt-Evans presents a story-by-story history of Discworld’s evolution as well as essays on Pratchett’s place in literary canon, the nature of the Disc itself, and the causes and results of the Discworld phenomenon, all refreshingly free of literary jargon littered with informative footnotes. Part breezy reference guide, part droll commentary, The Turtle Moves! will enlighten and entertain every Pratchett reader, from the casual browser to the most devout of Discworld’s fans.
One night Ed Smith thought he was having a waking nightmare when he saw a monstrous face at his window, but in the morning his neighbors were missing. The people who later turned up were not quite right, and gradually Smith realized they not only weren't his neighbors, but weren't even human … they were the creatures he had seen! In «The Nightmare People,» Lawrence Watt-Evans has created a terrifying new monster in the classic tradition of Frankenstein and Dracula!<P> Born and raised in Massachusetts, Lawrence Watt-Evans has been a full-time writer and editor for more than twenty years. The author of more than thirty novels, over one hundred short stories, and more than one hundred and fifty published articles, Watt-Evans writes primarily in the fields of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comic books. His short fiction has won the Hugo Award as well as twice winning the Asimov's Readers Award. His fiction has been published in England, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Poland, France, Hungary, and Russia. He served as president of the Horror Writers Association from 1994 to 1996 and after leaving that office was the recipient of HWA's first service award ever. He is also a member of Novelists Inc., and the Science Fiction Writers of America. Married with two children, he and his wife Julie live in Maryland.
Despite several years of study, Kilisha, an aspiring young apprentice wizard, has much to learn. After gathering ingredients for a lesson, she returns home to find her master, Ithanalin the Wise, transformed into a statue. A tax collector interrupted Ithanalin while working on a spell, a magic mirror tells her, with the result that the wizard's soul has been distributed among the various household objects. «The dish had run away with the spoon» is literally the case here, as all the furnishings have become animated and escaped out the door. In her efforts to track down the runaway objects and restore her petrified master to his former self, a quest that will eventually take her to the Overlord of Ethshar's fortress, Kilisha first tries to involve the Wizards' Guild but ultimately must rely on the few spells she knows and her master's spell book-as well as her own imagination, initiative and ingenuity. <P>"Excellent pacing and naive charm make this good-natured fantasy especially suitable for teens." – Publishers Weekly <P>"Ebullient fantasy featuring sympathetic characters, fantastic sorceries, and a fairytale plot." – Library Journal <P>"Lawrence Watt-Evans delivers worlds brimming over with magic, mystery, and danger; fast-paced, action-packed, and thoroughly entertaining." –Realms of Fantasy
The Haunts & Horrors Megapack offers everyting from ghosts to vampires, from things that go bump in the night to nameless presences – and much more! Here are 31 tales to chill the blood, including: <P> SURREAL ESTATE, by Nina Kiriki Hoffman <BR> BIRTHMARK, by Seabury Quinn <BR> THE MONKEY’S PAW, by W.W. Jacobs <BR> FUGUES, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro <BR> DEAD BABIES, by Lawrence Watt-Evans <BR> THE MUFFIN MAN, by Mike Brines <BR> THE SILENT MAJORITY, by Stephen Woodworth <BR> THE TOMB, by H.P. Lovecraft <BR> GONE, by Nina Kiriki Hoffman <BR> THE MEAT FOREST, by John Haggerty <BR> ETERNITY AND THE DEVIL, by Larry Hodges <BR> MISS FAVERSHAM’S ROOM, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro <BR> THE DAMNED THING, by Ambrose Bierce <BR> THE SHADOWS OF THE DEAD, by Louis Becke <BR> BONESY, by Larry Hodges <BR> VENGEANCE IN HER BONES, by Malcolm Jamieson <BR> LITTLE PIECES, by Matt Piskun <BR> THE MAN WHO LIVED by Raymond F. O’Kelley <BR> THE FOND NIGHTMARE, by Colin Azariah-Kribbs <BR> THE RESIDENCE AT WHITMINSTER, by M.R. James <BR> LOST PROPERTY, by David Anderson <BR> THE BLISSFUL HOUSE ON BLYSWORTH STREET, by Skadi meic Beorh <BR> THE BONE FLUTE, by M.E. Brines <BR> A FAULT AGAINST THE DEAD, by Nina Kiriki Hoffman <BR> BUCK, GLORY RAE, & THE THREE LITTLE PIGS, by John Gregory Betancourt <BR> THE HAUNTING OF DORIC LODGE, by James C. Stewart <BR> LUGAR DE LA PAZ, by B.N. Clark <BR> THE HOUSE AND THE BRAIN, by Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton <BR> WHITE BEAUTY, by Cynthia Ward <BR> FEAR, by Guy de Maupassant <BR> GENIUS LOCI, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro <P> And don't forget to search this ebook store for «Wildside Megapack» to see more entries in this series, covering classic authors and subjects like mysteries, science fiction, westerns, ghost stories – and much, much more!
Over the years, in a variety of venues, Lawrence Watt-Evans has turned his sharp, analytical, and slightly crazed mind to everything from weaponized poetry to why the Enterprise doesn't have seatbelts, and everyone from Jane Austen to Buffy Summers. Collected for the first time are twenty-three of these essays, discussing icons of comic books, television, novels, movies, and much more!
The great sorcerer Nabal's death offers many opportunities, both for those who knew him and those who did not. For young conmen Ezak and Kel, it means a chance to loot the sorcerer's estate … if they can win the confidence of Nabal's widow, Dorna. But Dorna has plans of her own. She means to leave the tiny village for a better life in the city. And all of Nabal's magical artifacts and talismans will pay for that new life – if she can only get them there intact!
The dark force known as Shadow had been defeated, but its world-spanning web of power had survived. This incredible magical weapon was now held not by a prince or wizard, but by Pellinore Brown, a marketing consultant from Germantown, Maryland. Pel Brown wished no one ill; he merely wanted his family back. But the Galactic Empire that had seen Shadow as a threat saw him as Shadow's heir, a menace to be destroyed as Shadow had been. And when the awesome magical might of Shadow's legacy was turned against the rayguns and spaceships of the Empire, entire planets were caught in the middle. Pel Brown wished no one ill – but hundreds would die to put an end to . . . THE REIGN OF THE BROWN MAGICIAN
A handful of ordinary Americans – housewives, lawyers, interior decorators, and the like – found themselves caught up in a transdimensional conflict, and transported from their homes to realms where magic worked, to desert planets and rebel worlds, to places straight out of science fiction and fantasy. But these were not the harmless, happy-ending lands of film and fable. The sweat and blood was real, and the horrors they faced genuinely dangerous. One world was a world of magic, ruled by a dark force called Shadow. A handful of would-be heroes resisted Shadow's dominion, and sought assistance in their desperate struggle to free their homeland. The other reality was a universe of spaceships and rayguns, dominated by a Galactic Empire that saw Shadow as a threat – and that demanded the exiles from our world aid them in their campaign. Against their will, these few people were flung into battle . . . IN THE EMPIRE OF SHADOW <P> "In Worlds of Shadow, Lawrence Watt-Evans tells an exciting tale with memorable characters and relentless action. A must-read for fans of dark fantasy and horror." – Karen E. Taylor, author of «The Vampire Legacy» Series