Here is another exciting collection of brand new stories from such masters of science fiction and fantasy as Barrington Bayley, John Russell Fearn, Philip E. High and Dan Morgan, and other top writers well known to followers of FANTASY ANNUAL, now in its fifth year of publication!
Award-winning anthologists Jane Yolen and Patrick Nielsen Hayden have combed through a year's worth of books and magazines and websites to find the most outstanding fantasy and science fiction stories of 2004--and collected them into a single volume aimed specifically at teens and young adults. Many of today's most popular authors are represented here, including: * Garth Nix, author of Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen, who presents an unforgettable tale of two swords, two daughters, and two endings.... * S. M. Stirling, author of Island in the Sea of Time, sends a likeable young barbarian across the Channel to Alba, for a confrontation with a wizard from faraway Nantucket that will change his life forever... * David Gerrold, creator of "The Trouble with Tribbles," who takes you to a remote countryside surrounded by a mysterious darkness, whose secret has yet to be revealed...
Undreamed-Of Wonders From The Farthest Reaches Of Imagination In this second volume of the previous year's finest short fantastic fiction, acclaimed editor and anthologist David G. Hartwell showcases new works by stellar literary artists -- acknowledged masters of the genre and exceptionally talented newcomers alike. Astonishing worlds come alive in these pages -- realms of strange creatures and remarkable sorceries, as well as twisted shadow versions of our inhabited earthly plain. A bold and breathtaking compendium of tales -- including a new Earthsea story from the incomparable Ursula K. Le Guin -- Years's Best Fantasy 2 is the state-of-the-art of a unique and winning genre, offering unforgettable excursions into new realities wondrous, bizarre, enchanting...and terrifying.
The late SYDNEY J. BOUNDS' vivid new story PLAGUE PIT tells the horrifying story of what happens when an out-of-control modern technology meshes with an Ancient Evil, and is the first of several all-new stories by this much-loved master of fantasy leading off this special collection of science fiction, fantasy and supernatural stories, including: THIS WORLD IS OURS, a bizarre tale of the future by the late PHILIP E. HIGH, another great writer who is no longer with us; PRISONER OF TIME, an engrossing short novel of the weird consequences of a scientist's revenge by JOHN RUSSELL FEARN; SLEEVE OF CARE, a classic chilling fantasy by E. C. TUBB; plus many other entirely new stories by: BRIAN BALL, ANTONIO BELLOMI, ERIC BROWN, JOHN GLASBY, TONY GLYNN. Another Cosmos Books paperback original collection!
E. C. Tubb's novelette SPAWN OF JUPITER tells a gripping story of greed and courage when men are caught in the mighty forces of an alien planet, and leads off another unique collection of science fiction, fantasy and the supernatural, including: STRANGER IN OUR MIDST An unusual and thought-provoking full-length novel by JOHN RUSSELL FEARN Plus other entirely new stories: DARK PEAK A chilling horror story by BRIAN BALL DREAMBOAT An intriguing fantasy by SYDNEY J. BOUNDS THE GUNMAN A "Western" with a difference by PHILIP E. HIGH Another not-to-be-missed Cosmos Books paperback original collection!
A novella set in post–climate disaster Alberta; a woman infected with a mysterious parasite must choose whether to pursue a rare opportunity far from home or stay and help rebuild her community The world is nothing like it once was: climate disasters have wracked the continent, causing food shortages, ending industry, and leaving little behind. Then came Cad, mysterious mind-altering fungi that invade the bodies of the now scattered citizenry. Reid, a young woman who carries this parasite, has been given a chance to get away — to move to one of the last remnants of pre-disaster society — but she can’t bring herself to abandon her mother and the community that relies on her. When she’s offered a coveted place on a dangerous and profitable mission, she jumps at the opportunity to set her family up for life, but how can Reid ask people to put their trust in her when she can’t even trust her own mind? With keen insight and biting prose, Premee Mohamed delivers a deeply personal tale in this post-apocalyptic hopepunk novella that reflects on the meaning of community and asks what we owe to those who have lifted us up.