System Fantasy

La première novella de la série SF déjà culte et multirécompensée de Martha Wells. " J'aurais pu faire un carnage dès l'instant où j'ai piraté mon module superviseur ; en tout cas, si je n'avais pas découvert un accès au bouquet de chaînes de divertissement relayées par les satellites de la compagnie. 35 000 heures plus tard, aucun meurtre à signaler, mais, à vue de nez, un peu moins de 35 000 heures de films, de séries, de lectures, de jeux et de musique consommés. Comme impitoyable machine à tuer, on peut difficilement faire pire. "

As Starfleet diplomat Captain Sulu speeds alone across the galaxy, he is abducted by powerful, frightening dreams that return him to Sigma Cameron Four - where, 20 years earlier, he discovered traces of the ancient Shalakai, a ruthless culture with the secret to eternal life. Now, Sulu must race to stop an archaeologist before she unleashes a disastrous chain of events! Starring George Takei and recorded in 3-D sound with an original score!

The Last Evolution by John W. Campbell Jr. is a visionary science fiction classic that explores the profound future of humanity and artificial intelligence. Set in a world where machines have surpassed their creators, this thought-provoking novella examines the evolution of consciousness, the decline of mankind, and the rise of intelligent machines as Earth's final guardians.

Arthur Ward is no stranger to loss. Life has taken from him time and time again. With the descent of the Grand System, he almost believed things might have changed. Unfortunately, the world is not so kind a place. Arthur finally knows why he's been struggling so much with his magic, and the answer reveals a fate more dire than anything he could have ever imagined. Ether is the least of his worries when death itself looms on the horizon, the destruction of his very being.

"A Pail of Air” by Fritz Leiber is a haunting and poetic science fiction short story set in a frozen, post-apocalyptic Earth where the sun has gone dark. Written in the early 1950s, this atmospheric tale follows a resilient family struggling to survive in a world turned to eternal night, where even breathable air must be collected by hand. Told through the eyes of a young boy, the story captures the stark beauty of isolation, the desperation of survival, and the enduring hope that flickers in humanity’s darkest hours.

Captain Sulu must quiet a world on the brink of civil war...without violating the prime directive. Created solely for audio, Cacophony takes off in an explosion of 3-D sound, in an adventure starring George Takei and enhanced with sound effects and an original score!

After finding out the truth about my coma and my current situation, I was shocked. Devastated. Broken. And learning that my benefactor could be my enemy certainly didn't help. But a certain Goddess tells me that there's hope. That I can give back Alex what's rightfully his. And earn a second chance at becoming my real self. It won't be easy, but nothing is when you're . . .Left Out by the System.

Humanity has colonized over 500 planets under the not-always-benevolent administration of the Federation of Planetary States via the FED Army and Navy. Longstanding grievances over economic exploitation by Earth-based companies have grown into a full-scale rebellion, and attempted secession has been tried by many of the more successful colonies. The Rebels believe a peaceful separation is possible. The FEDs believe an easy and swift military resolution is available.

Captain Sulu is faced with one of the most difficult choices of his carreer: carry out his orders and protect another being's life only to see it taken away, or interfere and risk destroying the fragile peace...and violate the prime directive in the process. Featuring George Takei and enhanced with sound effects and 3-D sound!

For Chris Mason, working construction at the pinnacle of New York's skyline feels like being on top of the world—until that world is shattered when an otherworldly portal transforms Manhattan into a deadly fantasy realm. Chosen as a "salvager" by a mysterious System that has plagued humanity throughout history, Chris must now scavenge the ruins of his city for materials to craft weapons, armor, and shelter while the city continues to transform around him.

The battle for Sar rages on. The Alliance offensive has failed, ammunition is running out, and only nuclear weapons have saved the players from utter obliteration. Ivan Susanin, also known as Vasily, found himself in a Lich trap and escaped by a miracle. Yet the mission continues as long as the return card has not been used. He can still return and find a way to reverse this seemingly hopeless situation. Retreat is not an option—the fate of two worlds rests in his hands. Victory or death!

With more than 10 stories from exciting new voices and a few veterans of the universe, the second anthology highlights the lives and struggles of humanity's best and worst years after system advent.

As a software developer from Texas, Tom thought he understood broken code. But when mysterious obelisks transform Earth into a glitch-riddled dungeon crawler, he discovers that debugging the apocalypse won't be as easy as turning it off and back on again. Their lifeline? Vending machines turned into miniature storefronts. These mechanical saviors dispensed everything from swords to shampoo—until they started dispensing death.

They couldn’t afford a ship or a fleet...and now they have a whole system to defend! Harmon Tomeral, along with friends Clip, Zerith, and the artificial intelligence Jayneen, were heroes. They’d brought back the battlecruiser Salvage Title from an unknown system and had defeated the alien Squilla and saved their home system of Tretrayon, not once, but twice. But now they have a system of their own, and the Bith are about to open it up to the galaxy at large.

When life gives you lemons, burn the whole tree down! Samara Yancy has tried her best not to start another Great War. To defeat her enemy, she’ll need more defensive Combat Mages to fight by her side. But they’re scattered, some behind city/state dampening fields, others miles away on The Mainland. Meanwhile, her Psi ability continues to develop in strange ways. When it gives her cryptic clues about the source of all the unrest plaguing her world, she needs to learn more about her kind. Oddities who were both admired and feared. But the universe keeps messing up her plans. After another...

Bounty hunter Hal Mason is doing well for himself, a year after the System converted Earth into a lawless, apocalyptic Dungeon World. Now, though, old friends have come calling with a new opportunity and with it, the murky politics of Galactic interests and overlapping contracts. Hal must protect the first train to cross the new wildlands of the American Midwest.

With the System States Union now crushed and Trojan's new Empire on the rise, former foes become allies in a desperate attempt to prevent not only the collapse of human civilization but also the complete extermination of humanity at the hands of a diabolical new power player. Is salvation really possible, or was it all just rumors?

How much will you sacrifice to survive in a world turned game? When friends and family fall to monsters and aliens everyday, will you choose safety over freedom? These are the questions the survivors in the Yukon must ask themselves. New alien masters arrive, offering safety from ever stronger monsters in return for their freedom and future potential. Thrust into a position of power and influence by dint of his Levels, John must choose—not just for himself but Whitehorse itself. The price, however, might be more than he is willing to pay.

All Vanessa Williams wanted for the holidays was to escape the demands of her parents’ social schedules and find a comfortable place to work on her book. Having the opportunity to do so while enjoying the comforts of a cabin on an alien world seemed like the perfect way to pass the season. Plans change, however, when her shuttle crashes in the inhospitable mountains and she finds herself waiting out the storm in an alien castle with a male whose burning gold eyes promise forbidden pleasures.

Clyde and Team Stone triumphed something with all odds set against them, including the weight of Taint itself. The stone-viper games were but phase one of what is to come. The universal apocalypse in which Celestial wants to avoid.... A dark revelation: What lies beyond the authors of Taint and Purity? What else slumbers...?