Maxima Library

Alluding to both the Sherlock Holmes canon and the Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos, this Hugo Award-winning short story will delight fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, and of course, Neil Gaiman. A Study in Emerald draws listeners in through carefully revealed details as a consulting detective and his narrator friend solve the mystery of a murdered German noble. But with its subtle allusions and surprise ending, this mystery hints that the real fun in solving this case lies in imagining all the details that Gaiman doesn't reveal, and challenges listeners to be detectives themselves.

Leibhaftige Götter in weißen Limousinen, ein alter Mann, der sich als Odin, der mythische Allvater, erweist, eine Münze, die Tote wiedererweckt, und eine monumentale Götterschlacht in der Mitte der USA – Neil Gaiman hat einen großen Roman über die Mythen Amerikas geschrieben.

Die Originalausgabe erschien unter dem Titel American Gods bei HarperCollins, New York

Shadow si è fatto tre anni dentro. Sta per uscire ma proprio il giorno prima di tornare in libertà lo informano che sua moglie e il suo migliore amico sono morti in un misterioso incidente. Sull’aereo che lo riporta a casa, Shadow fa conoscenza con un enigmatico Mister Wednesday che gli offre di lavorare per lui. Shadow finisce per accettare: un lavoro gli risolve il problema di cosa fare della sua vita, anche se gli arriva da un vecchio bevitore di Jack Daniel’s dall’aria poco raccomandabile. Il contratto con il losco Mr Wednesday viene annaffiato da una bevuta di idromele, ma Shadow ci metterà ancora qualche tempo per capire chi siano in realtà il suo boss, i suoi compagni in affari, i suoi concorrenti, e ancora più tempo per capire in che gioco sia finito. Il vecchio baro corpulento, l’improbabile seduttore di ragazzine, il gran mangiatore e bevitore, l’uomo dall’eloquio torrenziale e dalla risata tonitruante è Odino, Votan, Grimnir, il Padre di ogni cosa, la somma divinità del pantheon nordico, arrivato in America secoli e secoli fa con una nave di vichinghi. Come lo slavo Chernobog, ridotto a vivere della pensione maturata negli anni di lavoro al macello di Chicago, come l’africano Anansi, come la celtica Easter e la mediterranea Bilqis che batte i marciapiedi di Hollywood, come tutte le divinità maggiori o minori, anche Odino tira a campare e conduce l’esistenza grama di un dio privo di adoratori, dimenticato, in un mondo che ne venera altri, più belli e nuovi. E’ per muovere battaglia contro i nuovi dèi americani, quelli dei mass-media, di Internet e delle carte di credito che Wednesday ha arruolato Shadow ed è per reclutare i compagni di lotta fra i colleghi del vecchio mondo che i due si metteranno ’on the road’ attraversando in lungo e in largo l’America più profonda, quella delle cittadine spopolate, dei motel persi nel nulla, delle riserve indiane degradate: un’America arciamericana ma al tempo stesso lontanissimada quella dei Nuovi Dèi. Alla fine di questo lungo vagabondaggio che ha tutte le caratteristiche di un viaggio iniziatico, ci sarà la battaglia di proporzioni epiche in cui si sfogherà un conflitto vecchio quanto l’uomo, una battaglia che ha per oggetto la conquista dell’anima stessa dell’America…

The Hugo Award Winner–2002 The Nebula Award Winner–2002 A master of inventive fiction, Neil Gaiman delves into the murky depths where reality and imagination meet. Now in American Gods, he works his literary magic to extraordinary results. Shadow dreamed of nothing but leaving prison and starting a new life. But the day before his release, his wife and best friend are killed in an accident. On the plane home to the funeral, he meets Mr. Wednesday—a beguiling stranger who seems to know everything about him. A trickster and rogue, Mr. Wednesday offers Shadow a job as his bodyguard. With nowhere left to go, Shadow accepts, and soon learns that his role in Mr. Wednesday’s schemes will be far more dangerous and dark than he could have ever imagined. For beneath the placid surface of everyday life a war is being fought—and the prize is the very soul of America.

Mike Ainsell három évet töltött börtönben, ám a sorscsapások ezzel nem értek véget számára. Szabadulása előtt néhány nappal a felesége és a legjobb barátja meghal autóbalesetben, így azután első útja a temetésre vezet. Útközben találkozik egy furcsa idegennel, aki Szerda néven mutatkozik be, és munkát kínál Mike-nak. A büntetett előéletű férfinak nincs más választása: elfogadja az ajánlatot, nem sejtve, hogy ezzel különös, természetfölötti események sodrába kerül. Fokozatosan derül fény Szerda sötét tervére, és egyre nyilvánvalóbbá válik, hogy a mindennapi élet felszíne alatt különös háború dúl, amelynek tétje nem más, mint Amerika lelke…

Po trzech latach spędzonych w więzieniu Cień ma wyjść na wolność. Ale w miarę jak do końca odsiadki pozostają tygodnie, godziny, minuty, sekundy, czuje narastający niepokój. Na dwa dni przed zakończeniem wyroku, jego żona, Laura, ginie w wypadku samochodowym w tajemniczych okolicznościach — wszystko wskazuje na zdradę małżeńską. Oszołomiony Cień powraca do domu, gdzie spotyka tajemniczego Pana Środę, twierdzącego, iż jest uchodźcą wojennym, byłym bogiem i królem Ameryki. Razem wyruszają oni w niesamowitą podróż przez Stany, rozwiązując zagadkę morderstw, które co zimę są dokonywane w małym Amerykańskim miasteczku. Jednak podąża za nimi ktoś, z kim Cień musi zawrzeć pokój…W swojej niepokojącej, wciągającej i bardzo osobliwej powieści Neil Gaiman, wyrusza w podróż w poszukiwaniu duszy Ameryki.

Książka otrzymała nagrodę Hugo 2002 w kategorii Najlepsza Powieść Roku.

Eines Abends fällt der Vater des Londoner Workaholics Charlie auf einer Karaokebühne tot um. Erst bei der Beerdigung seines Vaters erfährt Fat Charlie, dass sein Vater der afrikanische Spinnengott Anansi war. Wenig später taucht sein bislang unbekannter Bruder Spider auf. Zu allem Überfluss hat dieser Eigenschaften des tiergöttischen Vaters geerbt. Als Spider Charlie schließlich besucht, verliert der Workaholic sowohl seinen Job als auch seine Verlobte.

»Sie werden von dieser brillanten Mischung aus Realem und Fantastischem bestens unterhalten.«

»Einige Bücher wollen wir lesen, einige müssen wir lesen, und manche verschlingen wir. Ich habe von Neil Gaiman verschlungen …«

Copyright © 2005 by Neil Gaiman

Copyright © 2007 dieser Ausgabe by Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, München.

When Fat Charlie’s dad named something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie “Fat Charlie.” Even now, twenty years later, Charlie Nancy can’t shake that name, one of the many embarrassing “gifts” his father bestowed—before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie’s life.

Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie’s doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is to day, a brother who’s going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun… just like Dear Old Dad. And all of a sudden, life starts getting very interesting for Fat Charlie.

Because, you see, Charlie’s dad wasn’t just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion; he is able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, baffle the devil, and cheat Death himself.

Exciting, scary, and deeply funny,

Anansi Boys

is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth, a wild adventure, and a fierce and unstoppable farce, as Neil Gaiman shows us where gods come from, and how to survive your family.

Who will come to the aid of beleaguered King Hrothgar, whose warriors have become the prey of the vengeful outcast monster Grendel?

A grand and glorious story that has endured for centuries, the ageless classic adventure takes on a breathtaking new life in a remarkable new version for a modern era. Brilliantly reimagined by acclaimed, award-winning author Caitlín R. Kiernan, based on the screenplay by #1

New York Times

bestseller Neil Gaiman and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Roger Avary, it is the tale of a noble liege and a terrible creature who has cursed his kingdom with death, blood, and destruction—and of the great hero, Beowulf, who is called to a land of monsters to triumph where so many have failed…or to die as so many of the brave before him.

About the Author

Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan (born May 26, 1964 in Skerries, Dublin, Ireland) is the author of many science fiction and dark fantasy works, including six novels, many comic books, more than one hundred published short stories, novellas, and vignettes, and numerous scientific papers.

When the government wields its power against its own people, every citizen becomes an enemy of the state. Will you fight the system, or be ground to dust beneath the boot of tyranny?

In his smash-hit anthologies

Wastelands

and

The Living Dead

, acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams showed you what happens when society is utterly wiped away. Now he brings you a glimpse into an equally terrifying future — what happens when civilization invades and dictates every aspect of your life?

From

1984

to

The Handmaid’s Tale

, from

Children of Men

to

Bioshock

, the dystopian imagination has been a vital and gripping cautionary force.

Brave New Worlds

collects 33 of the best tales of totalitarian menace by some of today’s most visionary writers.

From Huxley's Brave New World, to Orwell's 1984, to Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, dystopian books have always been an integral part of both science fiction and literature, and have influenced the broader culture discussion in unique and permanent ways. Brave New Worlds brings together the best dystopian fiction of the last 30 years, demonstrating the diversity that flourishes in this compelling subgenre. This landmark tome contains stories by Ursula K. Le Guin, Cory Doctorow, M. Rickert, Paolo Bacigalupi, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, and many others.

An anthology of stories edited by John Joseph Adams.

From

Dracula

to

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

; from

Castlevania

to

Tru Blood

, the romance between popular culture and vampires hearkens back to humanity’s darkest, deepest fears, flowing through our very blood, fears of death, and life, and insatiable hunger. And yet, there is an attraction, undeniable, to the vampire archetype, whether the pale European count, impeccably dressed and coldly masculine, yet strangely ambiguous, ready to sink his sharp teeth deep into his victims’ necks, draining or converting them, or the vamp, the count’s feminine counterpart, villain and victim in one, using her wiles and icy sexuality to corrupt man and woman alike… Edited by John Joseph Adams (

Wastelands

,

The Living Dead

),

By Blood We Live

gathers together the best vampire literature of the last three decades from many of today’s most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror.

In casa di Coraline ci sono tredici porte che permettono di entrare e uscire da stanze e corridoi. Ma ce n’è anche un’altra, la quattordicesima, che dà su un muro di mattoni. Cosa ci sarà oltre quella porta? Un giorno Coraline scopre che al di là della porta si apre un corridoio scuro, e alla fine del corridoio c’è una casa identica alla sua, con una donna identica a sua madre. O quasi.

In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.

Only it's different...

At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.

Sex. Gewalt. Schneewittchen. Cthulhu. Neil Gaiman ist einer jener ganz seltenen Autoren, denen kein Thema und keine stilistische Kapriole fremd ist. In einer gerechten Welt würden Lexika unter dem Stichwort "Vielseitigkeit" auf ihn verweisen. Als Szenarist der Comicserie wurde er in den 80er-Jahren zum Kultautor. Seine Romane und gehören zur Grundausstattung jeder fantastischen Bibliothek. Und mit liegen nun auch seine gesammelten Erzählungen, Balladen, Parabeln und Fabeln in deutscher Sprache vor.

Neil Gaiman erzählt von einem Mann, der dem Liebhaber seiner Verlobten einen Berufskiller auf den Hals hetzen möchte, und schließlich den Untergang der Welt heraufbeschwört. Ein Bühnenzauberer lässt eine nette alte Dame verschwinden -- für immer. Ein kleiner Junge entdeckt während eines Picknicks ein Einhorn und wünscht sich doch nichts sehnlicher, als dass seine Eltern zu streiten aufhören. Alltägliches und Fantastisches verbinden sich in diesen Geschichten zu einer Einheit, die das Gefühl entstehen lässt, das eine könnte ohne das andere nicht existieren.

ist ein gleichermaßen liebevolles und leidenschaftliches Buch. Ob Sie sich eher für epische Fantasy oder für knallharte Horror-Stories begeistern -- diesen Lesegenuss sollten Sie sich auf keinen Fall entgehen lassen.

Der Engländer Neil Gaiman, 1960 geboren, arbeitete zunächst in London als Journalist und wurde durch seine Comic-Serie "Der Sandmann" bekannt. Neben den Romanen "Niemalsland" und "Der Sternwanderer" schrieb er zusammen mit Terry Pratchett "Ein gutes Omen" und verfasste über seinen Kollegen und Freund Douglas Adams die Biographie "Keine Panik!". Er lebt seit einigen Jahren mit seiner Familie in den USA, in Minneapolis.

Die Originalausgabe  

erschien 1998 bei Avon Books

Hot off the critical success of Anansi Boys, Gaiman offers this largely disappointing medley that feels like a collection of idea seeds that have yet to mature. Among the ground covered: an old woman eats her cat alive, slowly; two teenage boys fumble through a house party attended by preternaturally attractive aliens; a raven convinces a writer attempting realism to give way to fantastical inclinations. A few poems, heartfelt or playfully musical, pockmark the collection. At his best, Gaiman has a deft touch for surprise and inventiveness, and there are inspired moments, including one story that brings the months of the year to life and imagines them having a board meeting. (September is an "elegant creature of mock solicitude," while April is sensitive but cruel; they don't get along), but most of these stories rely too heavily on the stock-in-trade of horror, sci-fi and fantasy. Gaiman only once or twice gives himself the space necessary to lock the reader's attention.

Pratchett (of Discworld fame) and Gaiman (of Sandman fame) may seem an unlikely combination, but the topic (Armageddon) of this fast-paced novel is old hat to both. Pratchett's wackiness collaborates with Gaiman's morbid humor; the result is a humanist delight to be savored and reread again and again. You see, there was a bit of a mixup when the Antichrist was born, due in part to the machinations of Crowley, who did not so much fall as saunter downwards, and in part to the mysterious ways as manifested in the form of a part-time rare book dealer, an angel named Aziraphale. Like top agents everywhere, they've long had more in common with each other than the sides they represent, or the conflict they are nominally engaged in. The only person who knows how it will all end is Agnes Nutter, a witch whose prophecies all come true, if one can only manage to decipher them. The minor characters along the way (Famine makes an appearance as diet crazes, no-calorie food and anorexia epidemics) are as much fun as the story as a whole, which adds up to one of those rare books which is enormous fun to read the first time, and the second time, and the third time

Pewnej nocy młody Tristran Thorn obiecuje swej narzeczonej gwiazdkę z nieba. Jednak, by ją zdobyć musi udać się do magicznej krainy elfów wróżek i gobinów, z której nikt jeszcze nie powrócił. Jest to pozycja dla czytelników kochających niesamowite przygody i zdrowy, czarny humor.

Joey Harker nie jest bohaterem. W istocie potrafi się zgubić nawet we własnym domu. Lecz pewnego dnia Joey naprawdę się gubi. Ze swego świata przechodzi do innego wymiaru. Wędrówka między światami ściąga na niego uwagę dwóch straszliwych potęg. Armie magii i nauki zrobią wszystko, byle zdobyć jego moc, umożliwiającą podróże między wymiarami. Odkrywszy, jak wielkie zło czynią obie potęgi, Joey dołącza do armii, złożonej z różnych wersji samego siebie, pochodzących z alternatywnych Ziemi i bez wyjątku dysponujących podobną mocą. Razem gotowi są walczyć w obronie wszystkich światów.

Książka opowiada historię Nikta Owensa (dla przyjaciół Nik), który od małego dorasta na cmentarzu. Po tym jak jego rodzice i siostra zostali zamordowani przed tajemniczego mężczyznę o imieniu Jack, Nik zostaje adoptowany przez państwa Owens. Nie byłoby w tym nic dziwnego gdyby nie fakt, że nie żyją oni od ponad 200 lat. Nikt zostaje obdarzony swobodą cmentarza, pozwalająca mu na mieszkanie i dorastanie wśród zamieszkałych tu duchów i zjaw. Poznaje nie tylko ich historie i zwyczaje, ale i umiejętności znane tylko im, takie jak Znikanie, Strach czy Wędrówka w snach. Będący pod czujnym okiem swych nowych rodziców i tajemniczego opiekuna Silasa młody chłopiec dorasta z wiedzą, że kiedyś będzie musiał stawić czoła tajemniczemu prześladowcy.

W 2009 roku powieść została uhonorowana nagrodą Hugo.

Nowy zbiór opowiadań przeznaczony jest nie tylko dla dorosłych ale również dla młodszych czytelników.

Neil Gaiman tak mówi o swojej nowej książce: W zebranych tu opowiadaniach spotkacie twardego detektywa ze świata dziecięcych bajek i grupę ludzi, którzy lubią jadać najróżniejsze rzeczy, znajdziecie też wiersz o tym, jak się zachować, gdy traficie do magicznego świata, i historię o chłopcu, który spotyka pod mostem trolla i dobija z nim targu. Jest tu też opowieść, która stanie się częścią mojej następnej książki dla dzieci, “Księgi cmentarnej” o chłopcu, który mieszka na cmentarzu, wychowywany przez umarłych, a także opowiadanie, które napisałem w młodości, zatytułowane “Jak sprzedać Most Pontyjski”, historia fantasy zainspirowana przez autentycznego człowieka, “Hrabiego” Victora Lustiga, który naprawdę sprzedał wieżę Eiffla, mniej więcej w taki właśnie sposób (po czym w kilka lat później zmarł w więzieniu Alcatraz). Jest tu kilka nieco strasznych historii, kilka innych raczej zabawnych, a także parę nie należących do żadnej z tych kategorii. Mam jednak nadzieję, że i tak się wam spodobają.

Gdy byłem chłopcem, Ray Bradbury wybrał ze swoich wcześniejszych zbiorów opowiadania, które, jak uznał, przypadną do gustu młodszym czytelnikom i wydał je w książkach “R jak rakieta” i “K jak kosmos”. Skoro zdecydowałem się na to samo, spytałem Raya, czy miałby coś przeciw temu, gdybym zatytułował ten zbiór “M jak magia”. (Nie miał.)

M naprawdę jest jak magia, podobnie jak wszystkie litery, jeśli złoży się je razem jak należy. Można z nich tworzyć magię i sny. A także, mam nadzieję, kilka niespodzianek.

Michael Cunningham, Francine Prose, Aimee Bender, Kelly Link, Jim Shepard, and more than thirty other extraordinary writers celebrate fairy tales in this thrilling new volume. Inspire by everything from Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" and "The Little Match Girl" to Charles Perrault's "Bluebeard" and "Cinderella" to the Brothers Grimm's "Hansel and Gretel" and "Rumpelstiltskin" to fairy tales by Goethe and Calvino and from China, Japan, Vietnam, Russia, Norway, and Mexico, here are stories that soar into boundless realms, filled with mischief and mystery and magic, and renewed by the lifeblood of invention. Although rooted in hundreds of years of tradition, they chart the imaginative frontiers of the twenty-first century as powerfully as they evoke our earliest encounters with literature.

Sotto le vie di Londra c’è un mondo che la maggior parte delle persone non riesce neppure a immaginare. Una città di mostri e di santi, di assassini e di angeli, cavalieri in armatura e pallide ragazze in velluto nero: questa è la Londra di chi è precipitato tra le fenditure. Richard Mayhew è un giovane uomo d’affari che sta per scoprire l’altra città: un singolo atto di generosità lo catapulta fuori dalla sua tranquilla e prevedibile esistenza e lo fa entrare in un mondo che è al tempo stesso stranamente familiare e incredibilmente bizzarro. C’è una ragazza di nome Porta e delle persone che vogliono ucciderla. C’è un angelo che si chiama Islington che vive in un salone illuminato dalle candele, e Old Bailey, che abita sui tetti. Ci sono ratti intelligenti e il signor Parla-coi-Ratti, e un Conte che tiene il proprio seguito sulla carrozza di un treno della metropolitana. Un ponte nella notte sta a guardia della perigliosa via verso Knightsbridge, dove vivono le persone delle fogne, la Bestia nel labirinto, e si scoprono pericoli e piaceri che superano la più fervida immaginazione. E Richard, che vorrebbe solo tornarsene a casa, troverà ad attenderlo uno strano destino. Laggiù, sotto le strade della sua città, in quel luogo chiamato Nessun.

Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart — and an ordinary life that is changed forever on a day he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed — a dark subculture flourish in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city — a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known… Richard Mayhew is a young businessman with a good heart and a dull job. When he stops one day to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk, his life is forever altered, for he finds himself propelled into an alternate reality that exists in a subterranean labyrinth of sewer canals and abandoned subway stations below the city. He has fallen through the cracks of reality and has landed somewhere different, somewhere that is Neverwhere.

Völlig arglos liest der junge Banker Richard Mayhew ein junges, verletztes Mädchen in den Straßen Londons auf, und von da an gerät sein Leben vollkommen aus den Fugen. Das Mädchen namens Door ist nämlich in Wahrheit eine vierhundert Jahre alte Gräfin. Sie vermag Türen durch bloße Berührung zu öffnen und wird von zwei teuflischen Meuchelmördern verfolgt. Unter den Straßen Londons, in verlassenen U-Bahnhöfen, Geisterzügen, endlosen Katakomben und Kanälen entdeckt er eine unbekannte Welt voll verlorener und vergessener Seelen, die mit dem uns allen bekannten London nur einige U-Bahn-Stationen gemeinsam hat. Als Richard in sein altes Leben zurückkehren will, muß er feststellen, daß ihn keiner mehr kennt: seine Kreditkarten sind ungültig, Bekannte sehen an ihm vorbei und in seine Wohnung ziehen bereits neue Mieter ein. Er kehrt zurück ins ›Niemalsland‹ und macht sich gemeinsam mit dem Mädchen Door auf die Suche nach den Mördern der Familie des Mädchens und nach einem geheimnisvollen Schlüssel, der Rettung verspricht ...

In seinem modernen Großstadtmärchen schickt Gaiman die Leser auf eine Odyssee durch eine parallele Gegenwelt zum Londoner U-Bahn-Netz. Der wüste, amüsante Roman ist eine tolle Mischung aus Märchen, Horror, Fantasy und Wirklichkeit.

Neil Gaiman,1960 geboren, machte sich als Comicautor und als Journalistbei der Londoner Trendzeitschrift »Face« einen Namen. Seine Arbeiten, darunter »Die schwarze Orchidee« und der »Sandman«, besitzen Kultcharakter. Für seine Geschichten wurde Gaiman mit zahlreichen Preisen ausgezeichnet.

Die Originalausgabe  

erschien bei BBC Books, London

Copyright © 1996, 1997 by Neil Gaiman

Odd’s luck has been bad so far. He lost his father on a Viking expedition, his foot was crushed beneath a tree, and the winter seems to be going on forever. But when Odd flees to the woods and releases a trapped bear, his luck begins to change. The eagle, bear and fox he encounters reveal they’re actually Nordic gods, trapped in animal form by the evil Frost Giants who have conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Can a twelve-year-old boy reclaim Thor’s hammer, outwit the Frost Giants and release the gods?

Prepare to be seduced by powerful magic — the sorcery of lust, need, and sensuality. Multiple award-winners Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have gathered together twenty-two tales of unearthly temptations wickedly concocted by some of today's most potent literary conjurers — including Neil Gaiman, Jan Yolen, Michael Swanwick, and Joyce Carol Oates. Here are stories of incubi and succubi, of forbidden fruits harvested in erotic gardens, of pleasures that persist beyond death. So heed the sirens' song. Lie back, relax, and submit to the darkest delights you have ever experienced.

In this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love. From zombie-infested woods in a postapocalyptic America to faery-haunted rural fields in eighteenth-century England, from the kingdoms of high fantasy to the alien world of a galaxy-spanning empire, these are stories of lovers who must struggle against the forces of magic and fate.

Award-winning, bestselling author Neil Gaiman demonstrates why he’s one of the hottest stars in literature today with “The Thing About Cassandra,” a subtle but chilling story of a man who meets an old girlfriend he had never expected to see.

International blockbuster bestselling author Diana Gabaldon sends a World War II RAF pilot through a stone circle to the time of her Outlander series in “A Leaf on the Winds of All Hallows.” Torn from all he knows, Jerry MacKenzie determinedly survives hardship and danger, intent on his goal of returning home to his wife and baby—no matter the cost.

New York Times

bestselling author Jim Butcher presents “Love Hurts,” in which Harry Dresden takes on one of his deadliest adversaries and in the process is forced to confront the secret desires of his own heart.

Just the smallest sampling promises unearthly delights, but look also for stories by

New York Times

bestselling romance authors Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney, and by such legends of the fantasy genre as Peter S. Beagle and Tanith Lee, as well as many other popular and beloved writers, including Marjorie M. Liu, Jacqueline Carey, Carrie Vaughn, and Robin Hobb. This exquisite anthology, crafted by the peerless editing team of George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, is sure to leave you under its spell.

Discover the many realms of the heart with this extraordinary cast of acclaimed authors:

PETER S. BEAGLE

JO BEVERLEY

JIM BUTCHER

JACQUELINE CAREY

DIANA GABALDON

NEIL GAIMAN

YASMINE GALENORN

M.L.N. HANOVER

ROBIN HOBB

CECELIA HOLLAND

TANITH LEE

MARJORIE M. LIU

MARY JO PUTNEY

LINNEA SINCLAIR

MELINDA SNODGRASS

LISA TUTTLE

CARRIE VAUGHN

Today, in order to honor the magnificent career of Jack Vance, one unparalleled in achievement and impact, GEORGE R.R. MARTIN and GARDNER DOZOIS, with the full cooperation of Jack Vance, his family, and his agents, suggest a Jack Vance tribute anthology called

Songs of the Dying Earth

, to encourage the best of today's fantasy writers to return to the unique and evocative milieu of The Dying Earth, from which they and so many others have drawn so much inspiration, to create their own brand-new adventures in the world of Jack Vance s greatest novel.

Half a century ago, Jack Vance created the world of the Dying Earth, and fantasy has never been the same. Now, for the first time ever, Jack has agreed to open this bizarre and darkly beautiful world to other fantasists, to play in as their very own. To say that other fantasy writers are excited by this prospect is a gross understatement; one has told us that he'd crawl through broken glass for the chance to write for the anthology, another that he'd gladly give up his right arm for the privilege that's the kind of regard in which Jack Vance and The Dying Earth are held by generations of his peers.

In the sleepy English countryside, at the dawn of the Victorian Era, life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall, so named for an imposing stone barrier that divides the village from an adjacent meadow. Armed sentries guard the sole gap in this wall, in order to keep the curious from wandering through. Here in Wall, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to beautiful Victoria Forester. But Victoria is cold and distant—as distant, in fact, as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky on a crisp October evening. For the coveted prize of Victoria’s hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the ancient wall, and propels him into a world that is strange beyond imagining. But Tristran is not the only one seeking the heavenly jewel. There are those for whom it promises youth and beauty, the key to a kingdom, and the rejuvenation of dark, dormant magics. And a lad compelled by love will have to keep his wits about him to succeed and survive in this secret place where fallen stars come in many guises—and where quests have a way of branching off in unexpected directions, even turning back upon themselves in space and in time.

Im England der Königin Victoria liegt das Dörfchen Wall, hinter dem eine geheimnisvolle hohe Mauer verläuft, die Grenze zum Feenreich. Nur alle neun Jahre einmal, wenn Markttag ist, öffnet sich die streng bewachte Pforte. Dann mischen sich seltsame Fabelwesen unter die Dorfbewohner, und man kann die wunderlichsten Dinge kaufen. An so einem Tag wurde der träumerische Tristran gezeugt. Er wächst auf und verliebt sich in die schöne, aber kühle und abweisende Victoria. Sie will Tristran nur erhören, wenn er ihr einen Stern bringt, der vom Himmel gefallen ist. Ohne Zögern macht sich Tristran auf den abenteuerlichen Weg durchs Feenreich. Aber er ist nicht der einzige Sternsucher – und die zahlreichen Konkurrenten haben magische Kräfte!

Die Originalausgabe erschien unter dem Titel bei Spike Books, New York.

Copyright © 1999 by Neil Gaiman

An anthology of stories

The Devil is known by many names: Serpent, Tempter, Beast, Adversary, Wanderer, Dragon, Rebel. His traps and machinations are the stuff of legends. His faces are legion. No matter what face the devil wears, Sympathy for the Devil has them all. Edited by Tim Pratt, Sympathy for the Devil collects the best Satanic short stories by Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Stephen King, Kage Baker, Charles Stross, Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Kelly Link, China Mieville, Michael Chabon, and many others, revealing His Grand Infernal Majesty, in all his forms. Thirty-five stories, from classics to the cutting edge, exploring the many sides of Satan, Lucifer, the Lord of the Flies, the Father of Lies, the Prince of the Powers of the Air and Darkness, the First of the Fallen… and a Man of Wealth and Taste. Sit down and spend a little time with the Devil.

From legendary editor Ellen Datlow, collects the best of the last thirty years of science fiction and fantasy stories about cats from an all-star list of contributors.

The first bite is only the beginning.

Twenty of today's favorite writers explore the intersections between the living, dead, and undead. Their vampire tales range from romantic to chilling to gleeful — and touch on nearly every emotion in between.

Neil Gaiman's vampire-poet in "Bloody Sunrise" is brooding, remorseful, and lonely. Melissa Marr's vampires make a high-stakes game of possession and seduction in "Transition." And in "Why Light?" Tanith Lee's lovelorn vampires yearn most of all for the one thing they cannot have — daylight. Drawn from folk traditions around the world, popular culture, and original interpretations, the vampires in this collection are enticingly diverse.

But reader beware: The one thing they have in common is their desire for blood.

A poet and a bear journey toward the ruins of a city in search of answers; a diminutive man seeks satisfaction within a secluded mountain cave; an elderly widow enjoys the company of a collection of robotic cowboys; the Boy Who Never Grew Up becomes an agent of Her Majesty's Secret Service; a werewolf girl joins the cast of a musical revue; a group of hardened mercenaries takes on a foolish job; a young man learns the ways of the world in the arms of a Sylvanian maiden; a teenage girl attempts to escape her domineering mother’s influence aboard a cargo spaceship; an impossible flying machine departs on its maiden voyage… The depth and breadth of science fiction and fantasy fiction continues to change with every passing year. The twenty-nine stories chosen for this book by award-winning anthologist Jonathan Strahan carefully map this evolution, giving readers a captivating and always-entertaining look at the very best the genre has to offer

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 twelve months are brought together in one collection by multiple award winning editor Jonathan Strahan. This highly popular series now reaches volume nine and will include stories from both the biggest names in the field and the most exciting new talents. Previous volumes have included stories from Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Cory Doctorow, Stephen Baxter, Elizabeth Bear, Joe Abercrombie, Paolo Bacigalupi, Holly Black, Garth Nix, Jeffrey Ford, Margo Lanagan, Bruce Sterling, Adam Robets, Ellen Klages, and many many more.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

An anthology of stories

Sherlock Holmes is back!

Sherlock Holmes, the world’s first-and most famous-consulting detective, came to the world’s attention more than 120 years ago through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels and stories. But Conan Doyle didn’t reveal all of the Great Detective’s adventures…

Here are some of the best Holmes pastiches of the last 30 years, twenty-eight tales of mystery and the imagination detailing Holmes’s further exploits, as told by many of today’s greatest storytellers, including Stephen King, Anne Perry, Anthony Burgess, Neil Gaiman, Naomi Novik, Stephen Baxter, Tanith Lee, Michael Moorcock, and many more.

These are the improbable adventures of Sherlock Holmes, where nothing is impossible, and nothing can be ruled out. In these cases, Holmes investigates ghosts, curses, aliens, dinosaurs, shapeshifters, and evil gods. But is it the supernatural, or is there a perfectly rational explanation?

You won’t be sure, and neither will Holmes and Watson as they match wits with pirates, assassins, con artists, and criminal masterminds of all stripes, including some familiar foes, such as their old nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

In these pages you’ll also find our heroes crossing paths with H. G. Wells, Lewis Carroll, and even Arthur Conan Doyle himself, and you’ll be astounded to learn the truth behind cases previously alluded to by Watson but never before documented until now. These are tales that take us from the familiar quarters at 221B Baker Street to alternate realities, from the gaslit streets of London to the far future and beyond.

Whether it’s mystery, fantasy, horror, or science fiction, no puzzle is too challenging for the Great Detective. The game is afoot!

“When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth!”

From White Zombie to Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil to World War Z, zombies have invaded popular culture, becoming the monsters that best express the fears and anxieties of the modern west. Gathering together the best zombie literature of the last three decades from many of today’s most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror, including Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Robert Silverberg, George R. R. Martin, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Joe R. Lansdale, The Living Dead covers the broad spectrum of zombie fiction.

A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell – weaving together a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty with a thread of dark magic, which will hold readers spellbound from start to finish.
On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards thesleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents.
Lavishly produced, packed with glorious Chris Riddell illustrations enhanced with metallic ink, this is a spectacular and magical gift.

Power. We all want it, they've got it — witches, warlocks, sorcerers, necromancers, those who peer beneath the veil of mundane reality and put their hands on the levers that move the universe. They see the future in a sheet of glass, summon fantastic beasts, and transform lead into gold… or you into a frog. From Gandalf to Harry Potter to the Last Airbender, wizardry has never been more exciting and popular. Enter a world where anything is possible, where imagination becomes reality. Experience the thrill of power, the way of the wizard. Now acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams (The Living Dead) brings you thirty-two of the most spellbinding tales ever written, by some of today's most magical talents, including Neil Gaiman, Simon R. Green, and George R. R. Martin.

This fourth volume of the year's best science fiction and fantasy features thirty stories by some of the genre's greatest authors, including Jonathan Carroll, Neil Gaiman, Kij Johnson, Kelly Link, Paul McAuley, RJ Parker, Robert Reed, Rachel Swirsky, Catherynne M. Valente, and many others.

is your guide to magical realms and worlds beyond tomorrow.

Literary alchemy from ‘a writer of rare perception and endless imagination’ (William Gibson), TRIGGER WARNING is a cornucopia of storytelling: horror and ghost stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry. It will open your eyes to the inexhaustible supply of darkness around you, the magic and the monsters, the myths and the miracles, and to finding truths in the most extraordinary of places.