Fantasy Adventure Short Stories

Ho ho ho, it's that magical season again! Christmas isn't just about decking the halls anymore—it's when my wildest dreams come true. It all started back in college when a certain jolly fellow paid me a very special visit. Let's just say his sack was full of more than toys. Now, every year, I count down the days. The anticipation makes me tingle all over. I'm on the nice list, but our yearly meetup? Definitely naughty. My husband? He's got a front-row seat to the festivities. Talk about a Christmas miracle. This year, we're primed and ready for the big night. Because when the big guy ...

With the domination of Thorn looming over the land, and James nowhere to be found, the Underground seeks a way to topple the new King. With rumors of a vanishing castle appearing intermittently throughout the world, Elder Alanna takes it upon herself to investigate. What she discovers grants her both terror and hope. This is a short story set between books 11 and 12 of the Sage Saga, detailing unforeseen events that will shake the foundations of the Sage Saga forever.

Man has conquered space but not without costs. To maintain the space lanes, Scanners have to undergo operations in which their brains are severed from their sensory inputs to block the pain of space. Scanner Martel has made this sacrifice. He must monitor his vital functions via implanted dials and instruments in his chest. His only respite from this isolated existence is his ability to occasionally "cranch" and return to some sort of normalcy with his wife, Luci.

In a tiny ship never meant for deep space, Denali is one hell of a trip. But the leading mind in nanite medicine is stranded there. Captain Sass Collier wants him back, to cure failure to thrive syndrome in her own colony. Each of the crew has a motive to embrace the risk. The lucky ones wish for adventure. Adventure is assured. But Denali holds another prize beyond their wildest dreams. Can Sass hold her fractious crew together, get the goods, and meet her launch window home?

Something is amiss in the life of Jimmy Hansen. Since childhood, he has relied on books for a way of escape from the life he isn't equipped to handle. Then comes the day a portal opens and takes him away--not only in his imagination, but in reality, to the world of Story. It is everything he has ever dreamed. Then, just as mysteriously as it opened, his doorway to life that is more than life vanishes. Will he ever find a way back--or will the living death of the "real world" claim Jimmy as its victim forever?

This collection of Catherine Asaro's show fiction contains five stories, including the Nebula Award-winning novella, Spacetime Pool, the Hugo and Nebula nominated novella Aurora in Four Voices, and an essay on Asaro's use of mathematics in her fiction.

In a landlocked galaxy that tunnels through our own, the Entire is a bizarre and seductive mix of long-lied quasi-human and alien beings gathered under a sky of fire, called the "bright". A land of wonders, the Entire is sustained by monumental storm walls and an exotic, never-ending river. Over all, the elegant and cruel Tarig rule supreme. Into this rich milieu is thrust Titus Quinn, former star pilot.

A great foreign evil has arrived by sea near the ancestral lands of the nomadic people of the young warrior Keembu, and he and his fellow clansmen and their shaman must ultimately come face to face with this monstrosity or slowly be forced to fall beneath its terror. Can spears and magic stand against a vampire who can control the very beasts of the jungle? Or will the blood of men cover the land? From the author of The Sword of Bayne Trilogy

Named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, Clifford D. Simak was a preeminent voice during the decades that established science fiction as a genre to be reckoned with. Held in the same esteem as fellow luminaries Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury, his novels continue to enthrall today's audiences. And his short fiction is still as gripping and surprising now as when it first entertained an entire generation of fans.

H. Beam Piper was one of the classic writers of science fiction's Golden Age. Among his most famous creations are the "Little Fuzzy" novels and the "Paratime" alternate history series. This volume collects all six of Piper's short stories and novellas in the Paratime universe, including the classic tales "He Walked around the Horses", "Police Operation", and "Time Crime".

Best known for such blockbuster film adaptations of his work as Blade Runner and Total Recall, Dick (1928…82) is an iconic figure in sf whose every written word remains of interest. This generous sampling of his early writings is an entirely original collection covering a wide variety of themes and settings, ranging from the near to the far future and from the earthly mundane to almost unimaginably exotic worlds.

In these edgy, unexpected tales, a body-hopping mercenary avenges his pet elephant, and an orphan falls in love with a sentient starship. Fighters ally to power a reality-bending engine, and a swamp-dwelling introvert tries to save the world - from her plague-casting former wife.

***For mature readers only*** BLURB Samantha has finally come home after being away at business school. She has her degree and is ready to return to her life in her hometown. She is dating a wonderful man she met in school and her life is perfect…almost. She just has to resolve these irritating old feelings she has for her stepfather’s head of security. Brock has been waiting years to finally claim Samantha as his own. There have been obstacles in his way, one of them being her overprotective stepfather and his boss. Keeping her at a distance was for her safety, maybe that was a mistake...

A Second Chance at Eden, by Peter F. Hamilton, the best-selling master of space opera, is a collection containing a novella and six short stories set in the Confederation Universe of the Night's Dawn trilogy. Sonnie's Edge appears within this collection, featured as part of the Love, Death + Robots series on Netflix.

Evil lurks in the shadows and waits to pull a young dreamer into a nightmare... Keo spends her evenings watching the stars traverse the sky above and dreams about the world being different than it is. She gets her wish as an ancient enemy emerges from the darkness to pull her into a nightmare. Before the evening ends she is thrust into an adventure that may be told as a legend for ages to come. Eyes in the Darkness is a standalone horror fantasy action adventure short story in the world of Isiir set thousands of years in the past from the novels Within the Ice, Out of the Ice, and Eryn's Tale.

"I LOVED THE IMAGINATION OF THIS AUTHOR!" ~ Satisfied Kindle Reader "FIVE STARS!" ~ Multiple Fans "ALICE CROWLEY IS ONE OF OUR GREATEST LIVING WRITERS!" ~ Author G. Taylor This steamy 12,000-word actioner lays it on heavy with thick scenes that are sure to make the juices bubble. Laura is just a small-town girl. One day she has a ganging experience and sees a coyote watching all the action. Later, the rodeo rolls in, and so does a nomad who might as well have ALPHA tattooed on his forehead. Hungry for more adventure, Laura has a lot of first times in this yarn!

Slim and Red decide to train the to small animals Red has captured as a circus act. You can imagine the chagrin of Red's father an important industrialist realizes that the small animals are actually surviving aliens who have traveled to this world to open up an interstellar trade relationship. There are lots of possibilities here, so listen along as Darla Middlebrook transports us to the world of Isaac Asimov.

A celestial entity sets out on an extraordinary quest to breathe life into a barren planet, weaving the foundations of existence itself. But as creation takes shape, unforeseen challenges arise, testing the limits of its power and purpose. "What a great fiction book about the cosmos! From the very first page, the story immerses you in the fascinating life of the cosmic builder, whose ability to create planetary life for the first time is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The vivid descriptions and imaginative storytelling by the author immediately draw you into this cosmic realm, making you ...

There are many stories of the legendary Irish hero Finn MacCool, or Fionn mac Cumhaill. Liam Gerrard brings together some of the most well-known in this treasure-trove of Irish folk tales and short stories. Chief among them is the well-loved "Finn & The Scottish Giant", telling the tale of how the Giant's Causeway came into being. Gerrard has adapted and edited over 40 short stories of Irish and Celtic folklore. So sit back, relax, and enjoy hearing the stories of the legends that have been passed down through generations over thousands of years.

What really lies beneath the waves? Dive into our magical collection of short stories written by award-winning and up-and-coming authors and follow the ocean’s call. Meet murderous kelpies, hear the mermaid’s song, find a kidnapped prince, and explore the beautiful underwater kingdoms. Befriend selkie royalty, break fearsome curses, and swoon as you fall in love. All profits go to Oceana to support their mission to protect the world’s oceans and promote sustainable fishing.