Short Game

Stephen Crane's fascinating story "The Blue Hotel" is seen by many as a study of fear. Crane used the stereotypical 1890's American West as his setting, and the story uses a card game to show how fear feeds upon itself. There are both inner fears and fears existing in reality, and the ways that they interact with each other make for a fascinating tale.

Can a space pirate be a good guy? Captain Gore: The outerworld shipping lanes are slim picking lately for pirate Captain Gore. He takes an Operator assignment that puts his broken-down ship, The Black Pearl, and hid degenerate crew in the path of the Mechanurge drones and quite possibly a hideous death on their Harvester ship. Operator Throd: Despite being betrayed by Gore, Throd-an infamous Operator who is half cybernetics-sets up a scenario using the pirates to help him get his assignment completed with the goal of leveling up. But this assignment could mean a gruesome death for the lot ...

Happy listeners - happy kids! Are you looking for a children's audiobook that is highly entertaining, great for beginners, and is jam-packed with stories, jokes, and more? Follow the adventures of Willy the Whale! Each story contains an important moral and lesson. These stories are great for quick bedtime stories and cute tales to be listened to aloud with friends and family!

I didn’t know it then, but the woman I’ve been playing video games with is my true love. This is my story on our sexy passionate first date. Gamer Chick is a short story interracial WWBM romance. It is 1,200 words long and is for mature readers only.

Richard just wanted a girlfriend - not the apocalypse. Richard Peak's senior year is looking painfully ordinary - fighting for position on the soccer team, his parents' constant arguing, a glaring lack of a girlfriend. He can't wait to graduate and join a soccer team overseas, preferably as far from home as possible. Then the president is assassinated and his life changes forever. As an alarming chain of nationwide terrorist attacks trigger a civil war, Richard finds himself on a dangerous journey for survival.

War is a serious business - or is it? Christopher Anvil turns his sardonic sense of humor loose on the subject. Hard-SF legend and Analog regular Christopher Anvil brings together mind-bending ideas and grim-but-true black humor in the face of war's utter destruction in this mega-compilation.

And through the sleepiness, Inka sensed a man in her presence. He was standing there but she couldn’t see him. He was hunting for her, but he couldn’t see her either. Inka Keto - Sexy, curvy and full of vigor, she's a bear shifter from a very close family of shifters. As open, kind, and as whimsical as she is, she's also tight like a steel trap. Her family has been trying to save shifter slaves from the powerful, yet evil regime, on Herta for some time.

Games are everywhere: Drivers maneuvering in heavy traffic are playing a driving game. Bargain hunters bidding on eBay are playing an auctioning game. The supermarket's price for corn flakes is decided by playing an economic game. This Very Short Introduction offers a succinct tour of the fascinating world of game theory, a groundbreaking field that analyzes how to play games in a rational way.

En esta colección de relatos, podrás conocer a fondo a los cuatro hermanos Hawthorne. Estas historias de amor y pérdida, poder, acertijos y secretos a vida o muerte que demuestran que cuando un Hawthorne quiere a alguien, no hay vuelta atrás.

Mark has a wife and two kids, a sense of purpose, financial security, and a fragile contentment. However wistful his visions of the future, Mark knows who he is. But a summer trip with his abrasive brother-in-law and unhappy sister-in-law leave Mark questioning everything he thinks he knows about his family—and himself.

Join the last vestiges of Humanity and their alien allies (the reptilian Thrynn, the insectoid Velox, and the plant-based Elowan) as they attempt to carve out their own territory in a sector of space filled with wondrous opportunity and deadly threats. Brave explorers seek out new worlds to colonize while merchants cruise from starport to starport, their holds laden with exotic goods. Not all in this futuristic setting have noble intent. For every prospector and trader attempting to make a difference, a dozen pirates, smugglers, and mobsters engage in all manner of criminal enterprise.

This short story is from the anthology Mitigated Futures. Twelve science fiction stories about the oncoming future, each of them representing a possible glimpse of what could be just around the corner... or much further down the corridor. These stories previously appeared in places like Clarkesworld Magazine, The Year's Best SF, Subterranean Magazine, and in various anthologies. They deal with the future of war, our climate, and technology's effect on our lives.

You only get once chance to kill Mack Austin. A mysterious letter pulls Austin back to Yellow Run, a place he’s avoided for years because of a past better left buried. He’s not the only one who’s changed, but some changes are not for the better. Austin must tread lightly as who he is now—a man of conscience—is no longer welcome. But first he must decide who’s friend and who’s foe, for the woman he came back for shares her suspicions that her husband—his old partner—lives a secret life. But the debt Austin owes him plagues his conscience and he must find a way to reconcile ...

In order for their team to win the gold, these two sworn enemies are going to have to learn to play nice. Anna If there’s one thing I hate, it’s those super perfect wealthy athletes who have everything handed to them on a silver platter. Nadia – or Little Miss Sunshine as I like to call her – comes from gymnastics royalty, but I’m not impressed by the blonde princess. I’ve worked hard to make it to the International Games despite my blue collar upbringing. I’m not going to let my sworn enemy and new roommate ruin my concentration, even if I find myself inconveniently attracted...

More Multiple Choice Adventures is the second collection of Interactive Short Stories. This special edition contains five scenarios that all allow you, the reader, to make choices to determine the outcome of the stories. The stories were adapted from role-playing and architecture projects written by the author years ago, but presented in a new format. Simply read until you come to a list of options. Choose which path you want, then turn to the selection section label. Finally enjoy the adventure, and remember you can always go back and try again!

It's the final day of the Underguard tournament and Erick has a problem. A problem wrapped up in a blue, costume parka named Heidi. She's bossy. She's bitchy. And she's constantly on Erick's nerves and mind. If he doesn't do something soon, his team is going to lose to her. It's a gambit, but a surprise bet with Heidi might turn the tides. And, looking at Heidi's plump rear in those tight yoga pants, might just give Erick the needed motivation to finally tame his tumultuous rival.

Thrones doesn't have to be over with season eight! Here are six short stories about the characters you love: How Bronn met Tyrion; Jamie becomes the greatest swordsman; The back story of Varys; Can Arya kill the Hound?; Samwell Tarly's story; and Dragons aren't just for show. A perfect addition to your GOT collection, including Hodor's Autobiography, Thoughts in My Head by Ned Stark, and Things Jon Snow Knows!

More tales from Davon Montgomery.

In this companion story to Numbers Game, Chan Norwell comes from the perfect citizen family. His mother is chief of the city monitor force, his brother an all-star, and his sister a prodigy - which leaves little wiggle room for a nobody like Chan. He is determined to have his time in the spotlight at last. But he doesn't expect things to go so horribly wrong. Alone, dishonored, and humiliated, Chan can only see one way out.

At first glance, 'The Most Dangerous Game’ by Richard Connell, ‘Paul’s Case’ by Willa Cather, and ‘The Beast in the Jungle’ by Henry James have very little in common. In ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ Sanger Rainsford, an accomplished big game hunter, is marooned on a remote island that is inhabited by another big game hunter, General Zaroff, who has found a very twisted way to add thrills to his hunting parties.