Modern Science Fiction

Rumour’s got a lot to say for itself, and the message is clear: the regulator’s ready. You know. The magickal regulator. The bright and shiny thing with which we, Team Improbable, propose to restore magick to a fading Britain. Somebody’s got to test it, and that somebody is us. Which means wading into the depths of a long-dead realm that nobody’s entered in centuries. And I may have had some practice at that, but this time it’s different. This time, somebody’s still home. And they really aren’t happy about trespassers. Looks like disaster’s on the agenda. Again.

As an agent of the Society for Magickal Heritage, I, Cordelia Vesper, have an important job: rescue endangered creatures, artefacts, books and spells wherever they are to be found. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to keep British magick alive. So we rescued a valuable book from a long-lost library, only it proved to be unusually... chatty. And it's got a foul mouth, too. What manner of weird magick is this? Somebody else thinks it's pretty interesting, too. Ancestria Magicka, they call themselves. Brand new. Big trouble.

Stranded far from home, and unable to return, I am in bigger trouble than ever. I know I say that a lot, but this time it's really true. Not that there aren’t advantages to my particular predicament. If one must put up with a dangerous degree of magickal potency, one is duty-bound to… put it to use, no? Certainly nothing insane, irresponsible and potentially life-threatening. As if. But we'll need every possible advantage in the Hyndorin Mountains. For there, hidden behind layers of secrets, could be the answers we are looking for.

Dispatched overseas — far, far overseas — we're in hot water. Again. Following in the footsteps of a long-lost king, we're on the road to the mysterious Vales of Wonder. The upside? It's a hot-bed of magickal marvels, the likes of which we've literally never seen before. The downside? Danger. Because who ever said adventure would be easy? Fortunately, we have help. One reviled but aggravatingly handy beast specialist: check. One world-famous, awe-inspiring, purple-clad troll scholar: check. One perambulatory, half-mad house with a crush on Jay: check.

This was the book that launched a genre. Modern fantasy collections trace their lineage back to Lord Dunsany, and this was his first work that today's listeners would recognise in tone and settings.

Victor Frankenstein is a driven man. His single-minded scientific drive has controlled his life from childhood. It has driven him to do the unthinkable, to carry out fiendish, craven tasks, to do that which only God has done before. His goal of creating life - a living, thinking being, a man - has come to pass. Little did he expect that his zeal would forge a monster, an intelligent being set upon Victor's complete destruction.

Introducing Science Fiction Short Stories Vol. 04 by The Shadowplay Collective, a thrilling collection of short stories that will take you on a journey through the unknown depths of space and time. With each story, you'll be transported to a new world, where nothing is as it seems and anything is possible. This is a must-read for all science fiction fans who crave adventure and excitement. Set in a variety of futuristic landscapes, Science Fiction Short Stories Vol. 04 by The Shadowplay Collective explores the limits of human imagination and what it means to be truly alive. From the depths ...

Robert Musil: Über die Dummheit Ein Vortrag, gelesen von Moritz Brendel. Robert Musil hält seinen legendären Vortrag Über die Dummheit erstmals gehalten auf Einladung des österreichischen Werkbunds am 11. März 1937 in Wien – auf den Tag genau ein Jahr vor dem Anschluss Österreichs an Nazi-Deutschland. In seiner Rede formuliert er das Paradox der Dummheit, "dass jeder, der über Dummheit sprechen oder solch einem Gespräch mit Nutzen beiwohnen will, von sich voraussetzen muss, dass er nicht dumm sei und also zur Schau trägt, dass er sich für klug halte, obwohl es allgemein für ein Zeichen von Dummheit gilt, das zu tun!"

Cindi Ella Lass didn't have a career in Paris, Texas in mind when she graduated with a degree in fashion, but her grandmother's offer of a place to live (free rent!) entices her to the small town. When she arrives, she notices the most beautiful pair of crystal shoes in the shop next door...and she can't get them out of her head.

"Frankenstein o El moderno Prometeo, o simplemente Frankenstein, es una obra literaria de la escritora inglesa Mary Shelley. Publicado el 1 de enero de 1818 y enmarcado en la tradición de la novela gótica, el texto aborda temas como la moral científica, la creación y destrucción de vida, y el atrevimiento de la humanidad en su relación con Dios. De ahí el subtítulo de la obra: el protagonista intenta rivalizar en poder con Dios, como una suerte de Prometeo moderno que arrebata el fuego sagrado de la vida a la divinidad.

Après avoir échoué dans sa collaboration à l'Encyclopédie, Voltaire conçoit l'idée de condenser dans un seul ouvrage l'essentiel de ses pensées philosophiques.

After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into the spotlight. Tourists, protesters and reporters alike flock to its spell shops and historic ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city's high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.

The audiobook begins after the leader of a criminal gang learns from the media about the success of a team of Neanderthals who are helping the cops find and capture criminals. He decides to create a criminal gang of six Neanderthals by obtaining Neanderthals who have been raised to be part of a workforce by the same robot company that provided the cops with their team. The gang leader and his associate will then train these new recruits to commit crimes, such as robberies and hits for revenge.

A deafening explosion. A shining metal disc crashed into a cornfield. A mysterious little girl with a cryptic mission. Longing to be like the heroes in his storybooks, Robbie Flynn embarks on a quest he hopes will lead him to his missing father. But nothing is as it seems. As the moments of this mythic journey divide and intertwine, Robbie is faced with an extraordinary realization: not all paths always lead ahead.

Man sieht sich gedrungen wünschen zu wollen und sagen zu können, dass nach der akustischen Auseinandersetzung mit Nietzsches Unzeitgemäßen Betrachtungen jeder ein Stück klüger wird als er war – doch leider belehren uns Vergangenheit und Gegenwart eines besseren und lassen diesen unausgesprochenen frommen Wunsch wie eine Seifenblase im Orkan im Entstehungs-Ansatz zerplatzen. Je konkreter und klarer Gedanken formuliert werden, desto schwieriger sind sie zu verstehen.

Man sieht sich gedrungen wünschen zu wollen und sagen zu können, dass nach der akustischen Auseinandersetzung mit Nietzsches Unzeitgemäßen Betrachtungen jeder ein Stück klüger wird als er war – doch leider belehren uns Vergangenheit und Gegenwart eines besseren und lassen diesen unausgesprochenen frommen Wunsch wie eine Seifenblase im Orkan im Entstehungs-Ansatz zerplatzen. Je konkreter und klarer Gedanken formuliert werden, desto schwieriger sind sie zu verstehen.

In the first Quarterly Essay for 2011, David Malouf returns to one of the most fundamental questions and gives it a modern twist: what is it to live a good life? With grace and profundity, Malouf discusses new and old ways to talk about the self, morality and happiness. In an age of environmental peril, and in the wake of the global financial crisis, such questions have returned with new force - we live in unpredictable times and Homo economicus has been found wanting.

Most of Thulu and La Fi's clients are dead. Which is perfect since their detective agency caters to the supernatural. But a simple job finding a lost locket leads to a big case tracking relics for an ancient daemon. The daemon needs the relics to keep a dangerous portal closed. His enemy, Gabriel, wants the relics to open the portal and give his people access to a new feeding ground - Earth. Caught on live TV, other portals begin to open and the creatures of magic return to Earth. The people of Earth are not alone, but will soon wish they were.

In this modern version of the fairy tale classic, although her dreams are filled with sensual imagery, and she's often awakened with a throbbing sense of release, Rose has never had a sexual climax - at least, not while conscious. When she's forced to confess her faked orgasms to her fiancé on the eve of their wedding, she finds herself alone, abandoned and suicidal - until her aunt gives her a business card with the name of a special clinic.

The Gods of Pegana was the book that marked the transition from imaginary creatures in the real world to the gods of imaginary world. Lord Dunsany was the most influential writer in the genre that came to be known as fantasy, of which his stories set trends for that continue to this day.