Space Fantasy Adult

The distant future. Earth’s Alliance forces have emerged victorious from a brutal nine-year war with the mysterious Kastazi - a vicious, highly advanced alien race. In the dawn of a new peace, the Alliance Devastation Class starship California embarks on a mission of science and learning with a skeleton crew of seasoned officers, civilian students, and inexperienced military cadets in tow. For JD Marshall and Viv Nixon, gifted cadets and best friends, the mission holds special meaning: It offers an opportunity to prove themselves.

Dane finds himself caught up in the midst of this ultimate quest to unlock the secrets of universal continuation. Enter a rich world and encounter what you least expect on this epic adventure.

This ninth volume of Favorite Science Fiction Stories is a little unusual, in that it includes a few stories that are not really that short, bordering on novellas. Titles include: "The Concrete Mixer" by Ray Bradbury, "Farewell to the Master" by Harry Bates, "Bedside Manner" by William Morrison, "The Inferiors" by Mari Wolf, "The Aggravation of Elmer" by Robert Arthur, "Conquest over Time" by Michael Shara, "The Virgin of Valkarion" by Poul Anderson, "No Charge for Alterations" by H. L. Gold.

A looming supernova. A long-lost starship. A hero turned evil. Olive Joshi never meant to fall through a portal into her own abandoned novel, much less kill her protagonist and resurrect her as a villain. Now she’s on the run in a universe quickly spiraling out of her control. After narrowly escaping Coseema with her life, Olive and her friends head for a distant planet in search of the legendary starship the Wave-Rider, which may be the only hope for the doomed people of Lyria.

A mysterious planet. A deadly expedition. And a powerful technology that could shape the future of the galaxy... When the Empire serves Key with an ultimatum, he’s forced into a dangerous expedition to explore an uncharted planet. But his superiors are hiding no shortage of secrets... and even if Key manages to escape the dangers on the surface of this unforgiving world, he’ll be faced with a shocking discovery with consequences that could ripple through the whole galaxy. Books included: The Redress Job: Losing this trial will cost him everything. But winning could mean sacrificing his ...

Treinta años en el futuro. La Tierra es cada vez menos habitable, por lo que un grupo de colonos (entre ellos Will, sus dos hermanas adolescentes y sus padres) emprende un viaje intergaláctico, en busca de un nuevo hogar. Durante la travesía, la nave es atacada y la familia Robinson se queda varada en un planeta alienígena, en el cual deberá lidiar con un entorno hostil y muchas dificultades técnicas, para poder reemprender la marcha y alcanzar al resto de la colonia.

With a diverse selection of stories chosen by series editor John Joseph Adams and guest editor Rebecca Roanhorse, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 explores the ever-expanding and changing world of contemporary science fiction and fantasy.

Branded as a pirate, collared like a dog, chained to a wall at night, and isolated as a prisoner on a journey to another planet, could the situation get any worse for thirteen-year-old Megan Willis? Much worse. Megan’s parents have been sentenced to death, and now she is speeding away through a space-fabric wormhole, unable to try to save them. Also, her ship’s captain frequently interrogates her about a mysterious gem called a dragon’s eye, and he delivers punishing shocks through her collar when she refuses to reveal its location.

Ruby was murdered on Earth eighteen years ago and reincarnated on Zadok as a Pastel Zeek named Harlow. To be born at the bottom of her race’s caste colour system to a middle-class family of Magentas has made Harlow a source of conflict amongst the ruling Purples, and a source of derision from all three colours. When Harlow is attacked by a fuegor on Zadok, the effects of its slow reacting venom triggers an unforeseen phenomenon, and due to the strong connection she’d had with her twin sister, Jade, from her previous life, her human spirit is unexpectedly drawn back to Earth.

When Elza became a space princess, she thought she'd be spending her time at the palace, wearing gorgeous couture and soaking up everything there is to know—but instead, she's on the run, with everyone hunting for her and her friends. Rachael followed her best friend Tina on the adventure of a lifetime—but now Tina's gone, and Rachael's the only one keeping her friends together, as they go on a desperate quest to save everyone from an ancient curse.

My secret could get me killed down here in the Borderlands. The Earthlight Space Academy is my only hope. It hovers halfway between Earth and the multitude of space stations crowding the sky. Up in space, and in all the space academies, there are no politics, no poverty, and no wars. Unfortunately, it’s too late for the nations on Earth. Down here, the only way to survive is to leave. Nothing is more important than getting into the Earthlight Space Academy. I can’t let anything or anyone ruin my one chance to get out of Hells Canyon.

Step into the mesmerizing expanse of the Carina Nebula, where the boundaries of science and the mysteries of the cosmos collide. Nebula’s Whisper, is a spellbinding sci-fi that follows Chief Science Officer Sarah Chen and her team as they navigate a seemingly routine mission aboard a remote research station—until they uncover a discovery that will change humanity forever. When the nebula's haunting radiation anomalies reveal mathematical patterns too intricate to be natural, Sarah embarks on a quest for answers. But with every revelation, she finds herself unraveling secrets Earth ...

On the eve of Keith Jefferson’s retirement, Aliens invade the Earth with one demand, that they be worshipped. Keith worshipped no one. And having lost his pension and other financial instruments when the banks and other financial institutions exploiting the invasion kept everyone’s assets because they could, Keith vowed revenge and became a one-man resistance movement in a world that complacently accepted the alien leaders as, just some other people they didn’t vote for who now were in charge.

In an empire ruled by the honored dead, seraphs are the ultimate weapons. Fueled by the pilot's very soul, these colossal humanoid war machines are unstoppable in battle. Only a few possess the gift to control such craft, and those men and women are prized above all others. Seth Elexen and a small group of elite pilots have tracked the renegade Veketon to the far side of the galaxy. With only one ship and a single squadron of seraphs, they alone must face the tyrant within the heart of his growing power. But Veketon is no easy mark.

The Xortaags are back with a vengeance. Not being the forgive-and-forget types, they’ve conquered the Akakie homeworld, and now they set their sight upon Earth. Having reverse-engineered the advanced technology they scavenged on Kanoor, they now hold the key to rule the universe forever. It now befalls to Jim and his friends to save not only humanity, but every sentient species in the galaxy.

Rael Armstrong is an apprentice to a hunter of the Order. Hunters have one mission in life: to vanquish evil beings from other planes of reality. Normally, it’s very exciting work, but Rael’s current mission feels a little on the dull side. She’s been tasked with watching a suspect, and that’s it—just watching. It is a dull task until an unlikely visitor shows up to talk with her suspect. It couldn’t hurt to do a little less watching and a lot more following of this visitor to see what he’s up to, right? Well, it wouldn’t hurt unless this visitor was something really ...

Following Jim’s audacious plan, Kurt and a team of Marines traveled to the future to destroy Voltex. However, in doing so, they inadvertently started a chain reaction that ended with the extermination of all life in the universe. Now our heroes must get together one last time to save the universe, before it is too late.

A world under siege... Loyalties divided... And deception... Kara Howard's arrival on Zaratan is shadowed by Joffray violence. With the planet under siege, her loyalties to her new home will be tested. If the terrorists were not enough of a challenge to her allegiance to her guardian - her discovery of a new faction further complicates the situation. The Pure Bloods have claimed Kara as one of their own. They are determined to end the practice of bringing children from other worlds to Zaratan. If Kara's life wasn't complicated enough, her feelings for Matt Sparks is tested with her growing ...

Secrets always find their way out. Thirteen-year-old Maia thinks she has seen it all. She has survived a soul-extraction attempt, been threatened with death, and faced off with saboteurs trying to bring down her nation. She lets nothing get to her anymore—not even the memories of her dead mother's terrifying communique. All Maia wants is for the Alliance Initiative to resume. She longs to visit the under-ocean civilization of the Jjord, ride the underwater transport lines, and to learn about the Jjordic energy farms that could save her ruined planet. Most of all, she wants to goof off ...

The best of the year's science fiction and fantasy stories as selected by the multiple award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan. Distant worlds, time travel, epic adventure, unseen wonders, and much more! The best, most original and brightest science fiction and fantasy stories from around the globe from the past 12 months are brought together in one collection by multiple award winning editor Jonathan Strahan.