Once, Heroes walked this land. Larger-than-life warriors from another world, the Heroes kept people safe. After they vanished, however, monsters ran rampant, steadily overtaking cities and making the roads impassable. Now, the village of Toriath is slowly dying. Castor would do anything to save his family and neighbours, but as the smallest and youngest townsperson, he simply isn't strong enough to do much other than run errands. When he hears a rumour that could mean the town's salvation, his chance has finally come to save Toriath and to prove his worth. However, it means venturing, alone, into the monster-infested wilds. Castor may be the town's last hope--but only if he can survive the forest.
Now with a new introduction for the Tor Essentials line, A Fire Upon the Deep is sure to bring a new generation of SF fans to Vinge's award-winning works. A Hugo Award-winning Novel! “Vinge is one of the best visionary writers of SF today.”-David Brin Thousands of years in the future, humanity is no longer alone in a universe where a mind's potential is determined by its location in space, from superintelligent entities in the Transcend, to the limited minds of the Unthinking Depths, where only simple creatures, and technology, can function. Nobody knows what strange force partitioned space into these "regions of thought," but when the warring Straumli realm use an ancient Transcendent artifact as a weapon, they unwittingly unleash an awesome power that destroys thousands of worlds and enslaves all natural and artificial intelligence. Fleeing this galactic threat, Ravna crash lands on a strange world with a ship-hold full of cryogenically frozen children, the only survivors from a destroyed space-lab. They are taken captive by the Tines, an alien race with a harsh medieval culture, and used as pawns in a ruthless power struggle. Tor books by Vernor Vinge Zones of Thought Series A Fire Upon The Deep A Deepness In The Sky The Children of The Sky Realtime/Bobble Series The Peace War Marooned in Realtime Other Novels The Witling Tatja Grimm's World Rainbows End Collections Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge True Names At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
On the magnificent and mysterious, beautiful and terrible world of Kregen, a planet orbiting Antares four-hundred light-years from Earth, much may be achieved and much lost. Far more than merely a strong sword arm is required for victory. Far more than a cunning and devious brain is needed to secure success. The island Empire of Vallia, sundered by internal dissension and invasion, is gradually reestablishing itself after the Times of Troubles, but the grouping of continents and islands called Paz are threatened by the Shanks, fish-headed reivers from over the curve of the world. Dray Prescot’s task is to unite all of Paz in alliance against the aggressors, but not all the people of Paz are willing to forget their old enmities. But in the passionate, shrewd, charismatic figure of Delia of Delphond, and his family and blade comrades, Prescot possesses riches past the mundane dreams of empire. Werewolves of Kregen: Having at last returned to his home empire, to his wife and his friends, Dray Prescot will learn that the vengeance of his defeated enemies has unleashed nine occult curses against Vallia. The first curse, the plague of murderous werewolves, takes Dray by surprise. Could his valor and courage stand up against an unprecedented onslaught of warring witchcraft? Witches of Kregen: When his new army was ready to march against the witch hordes, it rained frogs! That's the sort of thing Dray Prescot is up against in the war of the Nine Unspeakable Curses! He was struggling to gather together his shattered empire when the witchcraft hit. But he has wizards on his side, too, and very soon it becomes a battle of sheer courage, quick wits, and fast flying. Storm over Vallia: Drak, Crown Prince of Vallia, Dray Prescot's son, was sore beset on three sides. For one, he was leading an army of liberation against the usurper Alloran who had seized part of Vallia. For two, he was the target of a marriage plot by an allied queen, whose forces he needed desperately. For the third, he was in love with Silda, daughter of his father's loyal friend, Seg the Bowman. And Silda was now in Alloran's camp... Omens of Kregen: Dray Prescot must conquer the bloodthirsty forces of the would be king of North Vallia, while at the same time protecting the realm from the evil witch Csitra. Journeying to the witch's dark Maze of Coup Blag, Dray and his comrades must meet the challenge of this realm of traps and treasures, where death waits around every turn, and a wizardly battle of destruction is the price of winning free... Warlord of Antares: His empire endangered by the diabolical schemes of Csitra, Dray Prescot has been summoned by the powerful Star Lords who warn of a dread menace approaching from the South. Dray must take on all challengers to become the Warlord of Kregen, uniting his people against the dual threat of Csitra's deadly magic and a seemingly unstoppable invasion by the Shanks... This edition contains a glossary to the Witch War cycle.
His empire endangered by the diabolical schemes of the evil witch Csitra, Dray Prescot is summoned by the powerful Star Lords who warn of a dread menace approaching from the South. Dray must take on all challengers to become the Warlord of Kregen, uniting his people against the dual threat of Csitra's deadly magic and a seemingly unstoppable invasion by the Shanks, piratical warriors from the Southlands. This edition contains a glossary to the Witch War cycle. Warlord of Antares is the thirty-seventh book in the epic fifty-two book saga of Dray Prescot of Earth and of Kregen by Kenneth Bulmer, writing as Alan Burt Akers. The series continues with Scorpio Reborn.
Tor Essentials presents new editions of science fiction and fantasy titles of proven merit and lasting value, each volume introduced by an appropriate literary figure. After thousands of years of searching, humans stand on the verge of first contact with an alien race. Two human groups: the Qeng Ho, a culture of free, innovative traders, and the Emergents, a ruthless society based on the technological enslavement of minds. The group that opens trade with the aliens will reap unimaginable riches. But first, both groups must wait at the aliens' very doorstep, for their strange star to relight and for the alien planet to reawaken, as it does every two hundred and fifteen years... Amidst terrible treachery, the Qeng Ho must fight for their freedom and for the lives of the unsuspecting innocents on the planet below, while the aliens themselves play a role unsuspected by Qeng Ho and Emergents alike. More than just a great science fiction adventure, A Deepness In the Sky is a universal drama of courage, self-discovery, and the redemptive power of love. This new Tor Essentials edition of Vernor Vinge's A Deepness In the Sky includes an introduction by the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award-winning Jo Walton, author of Among Others. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
One of the outstanding problems of the biologist, whether he be beginning student or specialists, is that of understanding technical terms. The best way to understand and remember technical terms is to understand first their component parts, or roots. This dictionary has been designed primarily to meet the needs of the beginning student, the medical student, and the taxonomist, but it should be of value to all biologists.
Arthur (Art) Mumby and his irritating sister Myrtle live with their father in the huge and rambling house, Larklight, travelling through space on a remote orbit far beyond the Moon. One ordinary sort of morning they receive a correspondence informing them that a gentleman is on his way to visit, a Mr Webster. Visitors to Larklight are rare if not unique, and a frenzy of preparation ensues. But it is entirely the wrong sort of preparation, as they discover when their guest arrives, and a Dreadful and Terrifying (and Marvellous) adventure begins. It takes them to the furthest reaches of Known Space, where they must battle the evil First Ones in a desperate attempt to save each other - and the Universe. Recounted through the eyes of Art himself, Larklight is sumptuously designed and illustrated throughout.
The Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novel from the New York Times–bestselling author of The King’s Daughter. On an Earth scarred by nuclear war, Snake harnesses the power of venom to cure illnesses and vaccinate against disease. The healer can even ease patients into death with the power of her dreamsnake. But she is not respected and trusted by all, and when she tries to help a sick nomad child, the frightened clan kills her dreamsnake. Ashamed of being misjudged and grieving the loss of her dreamsnake, Snake has one choice to maintain her livelihood: she must travel to the city, which jealously guards its knowledge. And before she faces the prejudices and arrogance of the people there, Snake must make her way across a barren desert, surviving storms and radiation poisoning, helping those she can—all while a madman stalks her every move . . . “[Dreamsnake] is filled with scenes as suspenseful as anyone could wish . . . but most of all it addresses the humanity in all of us.” —The Seattle Times “A haunting, rich, and tender novel that explores the human side of science fiction in a manner that’s all too uncommon.” —Robert Silverberg “A splendid tale, combining the sensitivity and attention to mood of the new generation of SF writers with a gripping and well-worked-out adventure . . . The novel is rich in character, background and incident—unusually absorbing and moving.” —Publishers Weekly “Instead of kicking butt, the lead character is dedicated to saving lives. . . . Snake’s blighted world is expertly drawn, and her encounters with dysfunctional societies can be bracing and challenging reading.” —The Guardian “This is an exciting future-dream with real characters, a believable mythos and, what’s more important, an excellent, readable story.” —Frank Herbert, author of the Dune series
