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The Spectre General

500 years after the Galactic Empire's collapse, the 427th Light Maintenance Battalion of the Imperial Space Marines stubbornly hold onto their mission, training to repair starships that never come. Their equipment gradually wears out and to all outward appearance, they seem to be primitive savages, living by hunting and farming. When a coup removes Colonel Marcus Harris, commander of the maintenance battalion, in favor of his executive officer, the colonel and a loyal second lieutenant, Kurt Dixon, are jailed. When Dixon escapes, he hides in a battle suit to avoid detection. He accidentally activates it and is propelled into outer space. There, he is rescued by a scout of the new Galactic Protectorate…a ramshackle, barely-functioning organization whose leaders are fighting amongst themselves. The Galactic Protectorate, despite its name, has lost most of the technical expertise to do even routine maintenance on their own equipment. Both sides have something the other needs. But can they possibly work together? And if they do, will it be war – or the start of a new Galactic Empire? Theodore Cogswell's classic science fiction novella is available in ebook form for the first time in more than a decade!

The Space Opera MEGAPACK ®

Jay Lake

The Space Opera Megapack collects 20 classic and modern stories, ranging from galaxy-spanning epics by E.E. «Doc» Smith and John W. Campbell, Jr. to modern interpretations by Jay Lake, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Tim Sullivan, and more! Included are: BREATH'S DUTY, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller SPAWN OF JUPITER, by E. C. Tubb KILLER ADVICE, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch THE WORLD WITH A THOUSAND MOONS by Edmond Hamilton THE SKYLARK OF SPACE, by E.E. “Doc” Smith DEADLINE IN SPACE, by John Russell Fearn PLANETESIMAL DAWN, by Tim Sullivan THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY, THE LIGHTNESS OF THE FUTURE, by Jay Lake BIG PILL, by Raymond Z. Gallun WHERE ARE YOU, MR. BIGGS?, by Nelson S. Bond THE SKY TRAP, by Frank Belknap Long CHANGE OF COMMAND, by Jean Lorrah TULAN, by C.C. MacApp THE BLACK STAR PASSES, by John W. Campbell, Jr. THE GALAXY PRIMES, by E.E. “Doc” Smith TARRANO THE CONQUEROR, by Ray Cummings THE SARGASSO OF SPACE, by Edmond Hamilton SALVAGE IN SPACE, by Jack Williamson THE ULTIMATE WEAPON, by John W. Campbell, Jr. INVADERS FROM THE OUTER SUNS, by Frank Belknap Long, Jr. And if you enjoy this volume, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for «Wildside Press Megapack» to see all the other entries in this great series, covering science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, westerns, classics – and much, much more!

The A. Merritt MEGAPACK ®

Abraham Merritt

The A. Merritt Megapack collects all of Abraham Merritt's classic fantasy novels and short stories, omitting only posthumous collaborations and poetry. Included are: THROUGH THE DRAGON GLASS (1917) THE PEOPLE OF THE PIT (1918) THE MOON POOL (1919) THE METAL MONSTER (1920) THE SHIP OF ISHTAR (1924) THE POOL OF THE STONE GOD (1925) THE WOMEN OF THE WOOD (1926) SEVEN FOOTPRINTS TO SATAN (1927) THE FACE IN THE ABYSS (1931) DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE (1932) BURN, WITCH, BURN! (1933) CREEP, SHADOW! (1934) THE DRONE (1934) THE LAST POET AND THE ROBOTS (1936) THREE LINES OF OLD FRENCH (1919) THE WHITE ROAD (1949) WHEN OLD GODS WAKE (1948) THE WOMEN OF THE WOOD (1926) THE FOX WOMAN (1949) And if you enjoy this volume, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for «Wildside Press Megapack» to see all the other entries in this great series, covering science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, westerns, classics – and much, much more!

The Wailing Asteroid

Murray Leinster

The first sounds came at midnight in a plaintive scream from an unknown voice in the vastness of space. Within hours, the entire world heard the eerie throbbing. And in billions of earthbound minds the horror grew. Hours later, to the ears of a helpless world, the second message came…Earth's days were numbered! Murray Leinster's horrifying epic of science fiction is still a thrilling read, 50 years after its original publication!

The Scientists Revolt

Edgar Rice Burroughs

"The Scientists Revolt" qualifies as a publishing curiosity. A collaboration between author Edgar Rice Burroughs (famous for Tarzan and the Martian novels, among others) and Ray Palmer (editor of numerous pulp magazines), it is a slam-bang pulp action story set in the 23rd Century, where the struggle of the intelligentsia against the proletariat has played out to rather silly results. Complete with 1920s-style archetypes (including hardboiled Irish cops), sci-fi trappings like matter transmitters, and the obligatory romance between classes, it's a truly unique product of the pulps.

The Great Jones Coop Ten Gigasoul Party (and Other Lost Celebrations)

Paul Di Filippo

This volume contains twelve stories which, for one reason or another, have lain uncollected after their initial publication, an era spanning the years 1986 to 1999. Additionally, four never-sold stories of roughly the same vintage—pulled from Di Filippo's files, with the oldest dating from 1984—see print here for the first time. THE MAN WHOM THINGS HATED FLASHERS BELOW THE WRACK THE GREAT JONES COOP TEN GIGASOUL PARTY CAMPION’S TREE WINTER IN AMERICA ROYAUME DU RÊVE TRIPLETS THE JONES CONTINUUM WATERLOO SUNSET MODERN CONVENIENCES I KANT CUZ I’M TOO JUNG HEAVEN SENT ME AN ANGEL, C.O.D. A NIGHT IN THE THIRTEENTH AVENUE MISSION STRANGE BREW FAX

The Chronotope and Other Speculative Fictions

Michael Hemmingson

Time travel and brothels; unusual visitors from different eras, dimensions, and realities; human zoos maintained by curious aliens who like to watch; private eyes who are zombies; leafy-green literary collaborators; moral steampunk issues; a dreamer at the edge of the solar system; an astronaut who's gone insane; and the conspiracies of chrono-assassins–just a few of the fantastic themes in these 16 stories from Michael Hemmingson's first collection of speculative fiction: page-turners, every one of them!

Poison from a Dead Sun

Michael Hemmingson

Since childhood, Noel has had a psychic connection to the nuclear fish monster, Goldgotha, whom he can summon by thought to defeat nefarious aliens and their allied creatures. Then The Consortium invades earth with the intent of enslaving mankind. Nolan calls upon his irradiated giant goldfish once again to save the day–but is he actually being deceived about the truth? Entertaining SF that stretches the imagination with new twists to classic themes of wonder and giant monsters!

The Bloody Herring

Phyllis Ann Karr

A Fantasy Historical Romance of the First Decade of Papa's Pride, by Clea Ortiz Newcome—but actually a Gilbert & Sullivan Fantasy in Space Opera Framework, by Phyllis Ann Karr! Some have told me that the events of Ship Years 8 and 9 were far too terrible to use as underpinning for a light fantasy romance, and one that in any case can appeal chiefly to the hundred or so avid Savoyards in the ship's population. My response is that light treatment has been among humanity's most effective defense mechanisms for dealing with disaster, probably since our race became recognizably human back in Old Earth's paleolithic; and that Savoy enthusiasm is as precious in Papa's Pride as any other artifact of our Old Earth heritage. In any case, these things lie more than half a century in our own past, and if half a century does not make them fair game for historical fantasy, what does? Is the past not the past, whether ten or ten thousand years ago, whether back on Old Earth or out here in our great colony starship of twenty-four pylons revolving around a vast central core? While retaining the names of such entities as the Antique Terra Theater, which had not yet split into the Order-sponsored Old Earth Company and the committee-sponsored Players to the Stars, with their respective screenplay arms Universal Aspirations and Pride Productions, I have fictionalized the names and other aspects of individuals actually involved in Chuck Wang's crime – the worst ever perpetrated and, we hope, ever to be perpetrated in Papa's Pride. I have added some completely fictional people to the cast, omitted many historical figures entirely, and somewhat condensed, even rearranged, certain of the events. There were never any deliberate murders connected with Wang's outrage, at least as far as we know. Shipnet will make it very easy for interested readers to collate my tale with as much as we have of the truth.

Imaginings of a Dark Mind

James C. Glass

A new collection of 17 science fiction and horror stories by a well-known SF novelist, including four published for the first time. New York Times bestselling author Steve Perry notes in his introduction: «He tends to grab you with the first line and not let go until the last line, and it's an interesting ride all the way through. …Glass has a winner here.»