This is not a hoax. Jim Theis was a real person, who wrote The Eye of Argon in all seriousness as a teenager, and published it in a fanzine, Osfan in 1970. But the story did not pass into the oblivion that awaits most amateur fiction. Instead, a miracle happened, and transcribed and photocopied texts began to circulate in science fiction circles, gaining a wide and incredulous audience among both professionals and fans. It became the ultimate samizdat, an underground classic, and for more than thirty years it has been the subject of midnight readings at conventions, as thousands have come to appreciate the negative genius of this amazing Ed Wood of prose.
In 1970, Jim Theis penned a fantasy novella called The Eye of Argon. It would soon become immortalized in fandom as the "worst fantasy story ever." Mr. Theis claimed that he was so hurt by the constant mockery that he would never write anything ever again. In 2018, Geoff Bottone read The Eye of Argon for, perhaps, the dozenth time and discovered, to his surprise, that there was an actual story lurking beneath the misspellings and malapropisms of the original. With editing pen in hand, he set out on a lonely, and perhaps futile, quest to redeem Mr. Theis' work by using its foundation to tell an interesting and fun story.That story has now been finished, and it is up to you to judge whether Mr. Bottone's efforts were successful, or merely mad folly.For Ecordia!
Old Man's War author John Scalzi's sendup of the heroic fantasy genre, a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Short Story. An over-the-top, humorous short story representing the prologue for a "future" book (written as an April Fool's Joke) published on Tor.com. The title of the series and book was created from an amalgamation of the most commonly used words in fantasy and science fiction novels over the previous decade. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
In a futuristic world, where Earth's cities are still recovering from being ravaged by gang wars, cyber crime is at it's peak and threatens the world's digitized monetary supply.Susan Caldwell, is a newly hired security development manager at GTS, the company that controls the world's monetary supply and data. The sophisticated systems have been hacked and now people on Susan's team are being killed while they try to fix the breach.Susan, who trusts no man, must rely upon the GTS CEO, Christoph Baldric, to keep her safe. Little does she know that he's the Argon alien commander on Earth. She doesn't want a hookup with him, especially since she has plans for her own future and having a baby through the fertility clinic. She's excited about her pending future, that is, if she is still alive.Christoph Baldric's mission is to protect the Earth's humans and nurture them so that eventually his people can merge with the humans. Christoph's planet, Argon, was blown up when their major sun exploded into a black hole. The people of Argon have been studying and nurturing Earth for many millennia as a new, potential home. Now is the time to make Earth their home and begin merging with Earth's humans, making both races stronger. But first, they must save Earth from the Grogan's, the Argon nemesis from their home universe, Baldracon, who want to eliminate all life on Earth and take the planet for their own.
The first child vanishes early one evening, rocking the calm border town of Argon. Twelve-year-old Robbie Larsen watches his friend disappear but buries the haunting truth in a bid for acceptance. As the search stretches from hours into days, suspicion and fear cast some into a frenzy and turn the spotlight square on the newest citizens of Argon: the Larsens. When a second child disappears, Robbie discovers a dark secret that threatens to tear the town-and his family-apart. Argon is a story of a search for community among strangers, the devastating effect of secrets we hide and choices we make, and the subtle inhumanity that lurks inside us all.
"Zade Holder has always been a free-spirited young woman, from a long dynasty of tarot-card readers, fortunetellers, and practitioners of magick. Growing up in a small town and never quite fitting in, Zade is determined to forge her own path. She leaves her home in Tennessee to break free from her overprotective mother Dela, the local resident spellcaster and fortuneteller. Zade travels to Las Vegas and uses supernatural powers to become part of a premiere magic show led by the infamous magician Charles Spellman. Zade fits right in with his troupe of artists and misfits. After all, when everyone is slightly eccentric, appearing 'normal' is much less important. Behind the scenes of this multimillion-dollar production, Zade finds herself caught in a love triangle with Mac, the show's good-looking but rough-around-the-edges technical director and Jackson, the tall, dark, handsome and charming bandleader. Zade's secrets and the struggle to choose between Mac or Jackson creates reckless tension during the grand finale of the show. Using Chaos magick, which is known for being unpredictable, she tests her abilities as a spellcaster farther than she's ever tried and finds herself at death's door. Her fate is left in the hands of a mortal who does not believe in a world of real magick, a fortuneteller who knew one day Zade would put herself in danger and a dagger with mystical powers"--Amazon.com
The Reality Dysfunction is a modern classic of science fiction from Peter F. Hamilton, an extraordinary feat of storytelling on a truly epic scale. "A space opera that is big, boisterous, and has something for everyone." —Science Fiction Weekly Space is not the only void. . . In AD 2600 the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets scattered across the galaxy host a multitude of prosperous and wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary spaceborn creatures. Huge fleets of sentient trader starships thrive on the wealth created by the industrialization of entire star systems. And throughout inhabited space the Confederation Navy keeps the peace. A true golden age is within our grasp. But on a primitive colony planet, a renegade criminal's chance encounter with an utterly alien entity unleashes the most primal of humanity’s fears. An extinct race which inhabited the galaxy aeons ago called it "The Reality Dysfunction." It is the nightmare which has prowled beside us since the beginning of history. The Night’s Dawn Trilogy The Reality Dysfunction The Neutronium Alchemist The Naked Go
This book emphasizes concepts and methods for solving problems that occur through the interaction of the eyes and vision of people with their environment. Student clinicians will learn to assess their patient's visual tasks, visual environments, and visual performance needs in order to provide quality eye care.
“A breathtaking new epic fantasy series. Morgan Rice does it again! This magical saga reminds me of the best of J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin, Rick Riordan, Christopher Paolini and J.R.R. Tolkien. I couldn’t put it down!” --Allegra Skye, Bestselling author of SAVED From #1 Bestselling author Morgan Rice comes the debut of a dazzling new fantasy series. A QUEST OF HEROES (BOOK #1 IN THE SORCERER’S RING) revolves around the epic coming of age story of one special boy, a 14 year old from a small village on the outskirts of the Kingdom of the Ring. The youngest of four, the least favorite of his father, hated by his brothers, Thorgrin senses he is different from the others. He dreams of becoming a great warrior, of joining the King’s men and protecting the Ring from the hordes of creatures on the other side of the Canyon. When he comes of age and is forbidden by his father to try out for the King’s Legion, he refuses to take no for an answer: he journeys out on his own, determined to force his way into King’s Court and be taken seriously. But King’s Court is rife with its own family dramas, power struggles, ambitions, jealousy, violence and betrayal. King MacGil must choose an heir from amongst his children, and the ancient Dynasty Sword, the source of all their power, still sits untouched, waiting for the chosen one to arrive. Thorgrin arrives as an outsider and battles to be accepted, and to join the King’s Legion. Thorgrin comes to learn he has mysterious powers he does not understand, that he has a special gift, and a special destiny. Against all odds he falls in love with the king’s daughter, and as their forbidden relationship blossoms, he discovers he has powerful rivals. As he struggles to make sense of his powers, the king’s sorcerer takes him under his wing and tells him of a mother he never knew, in a land far away, beyond the Canyon, beyond even the land of the Dragons. Before Thorgrin can venture out and become the warrior he yearns to be, he must complete his training. But this may be cut short, as he finds himself propelled into the center of royal plots and counterplots, ones that may threaten his love and bring him down—and the entire kingdom with him. With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, A QUEST OF HEROES is an epic tale of friends and lovers, of rivals and suitors, of knights and dragons, of intrigues and political machinations, of coming of age, of broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, of fate and destiny, of sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders. It is 82,000 words. Book #2 in the series, A MARCH OF KINGS, is now available, too. “Grabbed my attention from the beginning and did not let go....This story is an amazing adventure that is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. There is not a dull moment to be found.” --Paranormal Romance Guild {regarding Turned} “Jam packed with action, romance, adventure, and suspense. Get your hands on this one and fall in love all over again.” --vampirebooksite.com (regarding Turned) “A great plot, and this especially was the kind of book you will have trouble putting down at night. The ending was a cliffhanger that was so spectacular that you will immediately want to buy the next book, just to see what happens.” --The Dallas Examiner {regarding Loved}
