Virtual Worlds

Today’s headlines bombard us with stories of impending doom: wars and rumors of wars, alien incursions, robot invasions, and warnings that we must merge with technology or face imminent extinction. Seeing through the Singularity is a work of political eschatology that explores today’s events in light of the competing systems of ideas that surround yet blind us. We examine these systems from ancient sorcery, through the dialectics of collective mind control, into the New Age movement and transhumanism. Our journey concludes with the current externalizing of spiritual forces that are ...

Step into the abyss with this gripping series that unravels the chilling tales of serial killers worldwide. From the damp and foggy streets of Victorian London to the bustling metropolises of modern-day America, no corner of the globe is left unexplored. Each book in the series delves into a different region, offering a comprehensive look at the infamous serial killers who have left a trail of terror in their wake. The International Serial Killers Encyclopedia series sheds light on the murderous minds of many killers, including their motivations, methods, and madness, through detailed ...

"A challenge that tested Tom to his limit but in return gave him more than he could ever have imagined." - Bear Grylls “Every Inch of the Way is a great page turning adventure which is as close as you can get, without actually saddling up and pedalling yourself into the unknown. It takes real magic to turn a great adventure, into a great book. For one thing, most people can't relate to the mind-set of the long distance cyclist and I found myself laughing along to Tom's thoughts and observations, wondering if they were in - jokes, shared by those who had seen the world at the speed of a ...

Tropical Gangsters was named one of the “Books of the Century” by the New York Times. This sequel again takes you beyond the slogans and ideologies of international development to the complexities, absurdities, and possibilities of some of the poorest places on the planet. If Tropical Gangsters was like a non-fiction novel, Tropical Gangsters II is a set of non-fiction short stories. Stories about corrupt states and cynical cultures, but also about idealism and practical choices that matter. Stories that abound in surprising dialogue, remarkable characters, and beautiful descriptions of...

The book challenges the perception of Islam as peaceful, questioning the divine nature of Allah and Mohammad's status as a messenger. It exposes perceived errors and contradictions in the Quran and critiques Sharia law, particularly its treatment of women.

A gothic folklore book set in Ireland, Canada, and Italy during the 19th to early 20th century. Dive deep into the eerie world of *The Irish Banshee*, a spine-chilling collection that captures the essence of ancient Irish legends and supernatural encounters. This gripping gothic folklore narrative spans from the hauntingly beautiful countryside of Ireland to the atmospheric locales of Canadian wilderness and Italian coastal regions. Transporting readers to the 19th and early 20th centuries, it brings to life the spectral harbingers that stalk these lands. Discover the Mysteries: Linked only...

This is different. It isn’t a simple, routine power outage. It feels wrong. Cars won't start. New batteries are dead. Faucets are dry. And Madison's neighbors are vanishing. It doesn't take long for her to realize that there is a new threat to everyone. It is a darkness that feeds on fear, anger and hate. And it is taking over. Madison will do anything to survive and she will join others who are as determined as she is to fight the onslaught of evil. The only way to stay alive is to stay in the light. But it is shrinking by the day, and Madison and her friends may not be strong enough to ...

Here YOU will Uncover the Secret Chilling Connections Between 1984, Brave New World, and Clockwork Orange! Imagine ... the dystopian classics are not separate novels; they are connected chapters in a terrifying future history of the world. A world where freedom is slavery, happiness is manufactured, and ultraviolence is normal. Welcome to the world of Brave New Orange: Your Clockwork World Since 1984, a groundbreaking book that exposes the dark connections between these iconic novels and our own world. A Must-Read for Fans of Dystopian Fiction, Literary Scholars, and Anyone Concerned About ...

According to historical sources, visual symbols are utilized to highlight individual ideas, concepts, groups or persons. In some cases, understanding what a symbol stands for is quite easy. But that’s not always the case. In fact, there are symbols that are complex and their interpretation may prove very challenging. And yet, their importance can be determined by realizing how they have contributed to understanding historical images. People from all over the world utilize symbols for expressing abstract notions or thoughts. They also use them to point out to specific ideologies, or ...

“When it came right down to it, our dream trip felt like falling off a cliff.” After early retirement, in 2017 Pam and her husband Dave packed four suitcases and one beer cooler full of insulin and boarded a one-way flight to Italy for a year-long dream trip. The dream was to live like locals, find out-of-the-way restaurants, and watch the seasons change. But behind every dream, there is the reality. What happens when two people retire from their full-time jobs and realize they have developed separate lives? Is it possible to reconnect, despite the stress of traveling, while living ...

"We must be prepared to give the same kind of priority to securing the future of our planet as a sustainable home for present and future generations as we have always been willing to accord to military security...only time will tell whether we are on to a pathway to a more secure and sustainable future for the human community, or as a tragic lost, perhaps last, opportunity." -Secretary-General of the UN Earth Summit ONE WORLD: The Health and Survival of the Human Species in the 21st Century is a compelling collection of original essays written by some of the premier scholars and scientists ...

Can a man be too handsome? In the summer of 1959 “outlandishly handsome” San Francisco resident Ray Corber makes his living moving pianos—all by himself. Put off by women's “ulterior motives,” this 25-year-old Adonis is inclined to avoid emotional entanglements. Then he's recruited to star in a new play: “The Handsomest Man in the World.” Suddenly Ray finds himself the center of attention by the press, his clamoring fans, and even more enraptured females. Can Ray cope with his new celebrity and the complications of an actor's life? Take a wild ride with this “blue-eyed ...

It’s December 8, 1941…The day after Pearl Harbor…The Nazis have the A-bomb…We don’t. Washington D.C. and Manhattan disappear beneath nuclear mushroom clouds. Stripped of its congress, judicial and executive branches, the United States is a fractured, frantic shell of its former self; each state, a world unto its own. Germany’s threat of further attacks on major American cities like Chicago, Miami and Pittsburgh compels Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, sole survivor of the executive branch and now president, to bend to Hitler’s demand of neutrality. Powerless and impotent, ...

Never step in a fairy ring. Those sweet little mushroom rings that seem so harmless are actually patches of Fairy bleeding over into our world. Under Council Law, these rings are pieces of Fairy, and anything that happens within them are outside of Extinguisher jurisdiction. So, when humans start disappearing and a connection is made to fairy-rings, the Human Council's hands are tied. The Extinguishers can't protect humans who willingly enter Fairy... but Ambassador Seren Firethorn can. Seren is called in to investigate, and what begins as a case of missing persons progresses into something...

Welcome to the shadowy realm of organized crime, where power, money, and violence reign supreme. In Shadow Syndicates: The Dark World of Organized Crime, delve into the histories of the most notorious crime syndicates across the globe, from the Italian Mafia and Russian Mafia to the Yakuza, Mexican Drug Cartels, and many more. This comprehensive book offers an in-depth exploration of how these organizations have shaped the course of history through bloodshed and corruption. Learn about the Italian Mafia's deep-rooted influence in politics and business, the rise of the Russian Mafia in the ...

In a world created by a wicked god, hundreds of people live in destruction and war. There is a war between races and slavery and no other god puts his hands in this world to help him. The protagonist reincarnated as an elf in this destroyed world, and elf is the most enslaved race, what will become of him now? After a disaster fell on our protagonist, another disaster come to end his peace, one more thing to affect him mentally? Or maybe just physical pain?

Will secrets from their youth make two friends enemies? Growing up in 1930s Germany, two boys, one Catholic and one Jewish, become close friends as they try for a place on the German ski team for the 1936 Winter Olympics. But as Hitler's repression increases, their lives are forever changed. When war comes, will they help each other during their darkest hours, or will hatred prevail? From the idyllic surroundings of the Bavarian Alps to the vastness of Russia and the beauty of Lake Maggiore in Italy, a tale of families torn apart by war and its aftermath, but also a novel about the ...

Step into a universe where the impossible becomes reality, and every story leads you to uncharted realms. From forgotten worlds awakening after centuries of silence to mythical creatures guarding legendary treasures, "Worlds Unseen" is a collection of short stories that explores the boundaries of imagination. Each tale unveils a different facet of the extraordinary—whether through time-manipulating invaders, magical libraries with worlds within pages, or the complex emotions of sentient machines and hidden realms. Journey across dimensions, through mystical landscapes and futuristic ...

An illegal political power play and the brunt of its subsequent repercussions befall division-leading superstar Vincent Scott, whose unrest amidst corruption in his department and role in the plot to expose the truth about their criminal corporate dictator serves as his downfall. We find Vincent two years later in the midst of a new crisis: uncertainty after a lengthy penance, loss of countless relationships and questioning everything he has ever known while once again trying to play savior to his team and fight through unthinkable circumstances. In the spirit of "Birth of a Salesman", the ...

Otto Schneider isn’t the kind of guy who bothers to seek permission. The demons have withdrawn from the mortal realm, the attacks have ceased, but while humanity dares to hope they may have gone for good, the irascible German wizard knows better. In the face of overwhelming odds, he’s going to do the dumbest thing possible … attack. In the wake of the destruction in Croatia, Otto is taking the fight to the demons and he’s not going alone. It’s a stupid strategy, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work. But there’s a player missing from the board. Where is Anastasia? Now residing...