Fantasy Short Stories

From the dawn of history onward, commanding the most powerful ship around has been a dream of admirals, sultans, emperors, kings, generalissimos, and sea captains everywhere. For what the intimidation factor alone doesn't achieve, a massive barrage from super-weapons probably will.

"My jaw dropped at the sight of this topless, diapered woman that stood before me." Steven and Lily are the perfect couple; all that's missing to complete their love is a baby. For months they've been trying, and shopping…until the day Lily learns she can't have what she wants most. Now the duo has a mountain of baby gear and no baby to enjoy it. Lily concludes the best way to put her baby stockpile to good use (and get over her sudden loss) is to regress into a baby herself. Instead of *making* a baby, they'll take turns AGE PLAYING as one, discovering the best sex of their lives in the ...

In a futuristic world where predictive software can map out the lives of every living person and their descendants, Naomi Prynne is on trial. The charge: endangerment by way of a pregnancy. Thirteen jurors will determine whether Naomi is allowed to carry the pregnancy to term, but the jurors are also all plaintiffs, the software having predicted how Naomi Prynne’s child will affect each of them in life-changing ways.

Who would suspect that the same mind that created the most famous literary detective of all time also took on the eternally popular genre of vampires? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a contemporary of Bram Stoker, gave us some fascinating works of vampire fiction. From the bloodsucking plant in "The American's Tale" to the bloodsucking wife in "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire," he reveled in the horror created by creatures who survived on the blood of men and women.

The living dead are more alive than ever! Zombies have become more than an iconic monster for the 21st century: They are now a phenomenon constantly revealing as much about ourselves - and our fascination with death, resurrection, and survival - as our love for the supernatural or post-apocalyptic speculation. Our most imaginative literary minds have been devoured by these incredible creatures and produced exciting, insightful, and unflinching new works of zombie fiction.

Intergalactic civilization emerges from its war-torn ruins for the first time in generations to explore the galaxy, in this stunning new anthology from the bestselling world of Twilight Imperium.

Fairy tales about princess and witches, and magical objects- Amazing stories for kids. The Best English Fairy Tale Stories Ever! This kids book is a collection of 4 Interesting English fairy tale that kids will fall in love with. Each story revolves around some sort of magical objects, and lets kids imagine beyond the real-world- ultimately enhancing their overall intelligence, thinking ability, and creative talents. This book contains some of the best and handpicked- Interesting stories for kids and ends your search for the best kids fantasy books. It is a very useful book for parents who ...

UNCOVER WHAT IS BELOW. What is beneath our feet? Below our skin? What lurks in the darkness in the basement, or deep inside the earth? How far down can you read before you go insane? Step down into the chilling stories in Below. We woefully present you with tales of the twisted and terrifying. Listen to maddening transmissions, step into a basement of secrets, encounter a mother whose hate transcends death, a late-night work call becomes a fight of survival, demons lurk, and spirits seek their final revenge. These are not your Mother's bedtime stories…

A classic tale featuring two of the most-memorable characters in sword and sorcery, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Over a span of 50 years, the late Fritz Leiber wrote dozens of adventures, set in the fictional city of Lankhmar, featuring the seven-foot-tall barbarian and the diminuitive thief. The stories were recognized with both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

Christmas is coming to Beechwood Harbor, but will the manor residents be ready for his magical visit? With mischief and mystery at every turn, Holly and friends have to rally to save Christmas before it's too late! A Very Beechwood Christmas includes four mini mysteries set around a wild and magical Christmas when the real Santa Claus comes to town!

Eve moved to Texas to get away from a family tragedy and found herself in her own when the only job she could find was at a local bar. Her family was gone and she was left to figure it all out on little wages and rowdy patrons. That is, until she met Gwen. Gwen brought her into her world and before she knew it, she was a member of a new family. It was an all-women motorcycle gang that made its living racing. Since Eve had grown up fixing and riding bikes, it was the perfect place for her and she was quickly climbing the ranks as an illegal street racer. Everything changes though when she is...

The only thing Benji lacks more than ambition is luck. And his new job has to be the lowest of the low. But something is stirring in the zero-footprint economy of New St. Louis. And Benji’s about to find himself chin deep in the muck! This story was originally published in the Hugo Award-nominated METAtropolis.

The Last Hieroglyph is the fifth of the five-volume Collected Fantasies series. Editors Scott Connors and Ron Hilger have compared original manuscripts, various typescripts, published editions, and Smith's notes and letters, in order to prepare a definitive set of texts. The Last Hieroglyph includes, in chronological order, all of Clark Ashton Smith's stories from "The Dark Age" to "The Dart of Rasasfa".

Fearful Rock and Other Precarious Locales is the third volume of Night Shade Books' five volume "Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman." This volume is made up of eight novella length stories. It includes Wellman's "Judge Pursivant" and "Sergeant Jaeger" stories, as well as a lost classic from Strange Stories (1939).

Gilby's gaming sponsorship pays for his apartment, allowing him to avoid government housing. It's nothing special, but at least he has a roof over his head. Taylor shows up at his doorstep after getting evicted, and convinces him to let her stay the night. She's charming and pretty, and he doesn't see the harm in helping her out. Chaos ensues, as more beautiful girls show up to crash at his place. They were in treatment together, and withdrew themselves from the program because they couldn't take it anymore. Once they have a place to stay, they're right back to their old lifestyles, ...

Molly Everhart Trueblood and Jane Yellowrock try to discover if a local house is indeed haunted. But the problem that they discover is far worse than a ghostly haunting, and far more difficult to solve.

How do you systematically destroy a child with love? It's not something that any parent aspires to do, yet a surprising number come perilously close to achieving it.

Author Yiyun Li, honored as one of Granta’s 21 Best Young American Novelists under age 35, continues her illustrious career with this insightful collection of short stories. With compelling visions of the scrapes and unpleasant situations in which people find themselves, Li’s works trigger emotional responses of all types - whether through a tale of unrequited love, an unburdening of guilt, or something else entirely.

On her 18th birthday, Jane Yellowrock leaves the children’s home where she was raised, and heads north to her first job. But she makes a detour and discovers where she came from, who she is, and what she is.

Follow Me to My End I carry an exhaustion no sleep can cure. It lives in the marrow, older than pain, heavier than steel. Not even gods could burn it out. I’ve bled, prayed, and killed in its shadow. Now I walk what’s left of the world, chasing the last breath of a vow already broken. The tale is short. But walk with me, and hear it told.