All now available in PAPERBACK @ $16.95 each.

Kushiel’s JusticeBk. 5 of Kushiel’s Legacy - Jacqueline Carey((I love her books. I really really do. Lyrical, evocative, and just some of the best written characters ever. Depth and complexity in them, and a story that draws them further out, and the reader even further in.This is the 2nd book about Imriel, and the 5th in the entire series. I highly recommend starting right at the beginning: Kushiel’s Dart.))Imriel de la Courcel’s blood parents are history’s most reviled traitors, while his adoptive parents, Phedre and Joscelin, are Terre d’Ange’s

greatest champions. Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in beauty, art, and desire. After a year abroad to study at university, Imriel returns from his adventures a little older and somewhat wiser. But perhaps not wise enough. What was once a mere spark of interest between himself and his cousin Sidonie now ignites into a white-hot blaze. But from commoner to peer, the whole realm would recoil from any alliance between Sidonie, heir to the throne, and Imriel, who bears the stigma of his mother’s misdeeds and betrayals. Praying that their passion will peak and fade, Imriel and Sidonie embark on an intense, secret affair. Blessed Elua founded Terre d’Ange and bestowed one simple precept to guide his people, love as thou wilt. When duty calls, Imriel honors his role as a member of the royal family by leaving to marry a lovely, if merely sweet, Alban princess. By choosing duty over love, Imriel and Sidonie may have unwittingly trespassed against Elua’s law. But when dark powers in Alba, who fear an invasion by Terre d’Ange, seek to use the lovers’ passion to bind Imriel, the gods themselves take notice. Before the end, Kushiel’s justice will be felt in heaven and on earth. HARDCOVER - $43.95

Kushiel’s Justice

Shop 11, 250 Elizabeth St; The Strand Arcade; Melbourne, VIC 3000

Tel: (03) 9663 4774; email: ai@ofscienceandswords.com.auwebsite: www.ofscienceandswords.com.au

June 2007

OPENING HOURS:Mon - Wed: 10am - 6pm; Thurs: 10am - 6:30pm; Fri: 10am - 7:30pm; Sat: 10am - 5pm

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Dead Easy - Wm. Mark SimmonsWhat do you get when you mix a squid-headed Ancient One, a mystical force-five hurricane, Rasputin’s privates, the city of New Orleans, and an undead Captain Nemo? Christopher Csjthe is back, and is going to find out, whether he wants to or not, in “Dead Easy: “ An underwater Mardi Gras of epic proportions complete with an army of drowned vampire zombies and a Lovecraftian take on Gidget and the Creature From The Black Lagoon... HARDCOVER - $43.95

The ForsakenBk. 6 of the Vampire Huntress Legend - L.A. BanksThe Chairman of the Vampire Council is dead. Lilith, the consort of the Unnamed One, and the Unnamed One himself are out for revenge against Vampire Huntress Damali Richards and her lover, Carlos Rivera. A ruthless and carefully planned strategy has been developed - one that is powerful enough to destroy them both while the fate of the world hangs in the balance... Now there is only one entity who can best Damali, send Carlos packing, and put

the Guardian team at mortal risk. This powerful being was once banished into a forsaken land and possesses everything that would bring a Neteru to his or her knees. Now it’ s not only Damali’ s soul that she risks losing - but her heart... PAPERBACK - $16.95

Smoke & AshesBk. 3 of the New Henry Fitzroy series - Tanya HuffFledgling wizard Tony is now an assistant director on “Darkest Night,” the syndicated TV series about a vampire detective. But it’s hard to concentrate on the latest episode when a Demonic Convergence is allowing lesser demons entry to our world, and the sexy stuntwoman, Leah, is also an immortal Demongate whose death would open the way to unimaginable peril. Can Tony halt the Convergence, keep Leah alive, and still have a career? Or will his artistic ambitions-not to mention the rest of the world-go up in smoke? PAPERBACK - $16.95

The HarlequinBk. 15 of the Anita Blake series - Laurell K. HamiltonAnita Blake is about to face the challenge of her life. Into her world-a world already overflowing with power-have come creatures so feared that powerful, centuries-old vampires refuse to mention their names. It is forbidden to speak of The Harlequin unless you’ve been contacted. And to be contacted by The Harlequin is to be under sentence of death. Long-time rivals for Anita’s affections, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, and Richard, alpha-werewolf, will need to become allies. Shapeshifters

Nathaniel and Micah will have to step up their support. And then there’s Edward. In this situation, Anita knows that she needs to call the one man who has always been there for her... HARDCOVER - $43.95

Looking for books to read? Ask us! We read these books ourselves, and have our own

opinions on what’s good and what’s not!Also... This newsletter has a mailing list. Let us know if you want

to get on to it!

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The Man with the Golden TorcBk. 1 of the Secret Histories - Simon R.GreenYou know what? It’s all true. Everything that ever scared you, from conspiracy theories to monsters under the bed to ghosties & ghoulies & long-leggity beasties. The only reason they haven’t taken over the world yet is because my family has always been there to stand in their way. We guard the door, keeping you safe from the big bad wolf, and you never even know our names. Of course, there’s a price to be paid. By us, and by you. The username’s Bond. Shaman Bond. Licensed to kick supernatural

arse. And Bond - real name Eddie Drood - comes from one of the oldest families in England, a family that has been protecting Humanity from the forces of darkness for more centuries than anyone can even remember. And Eddie Drood loved his job - until the day it all blew up in his face. HARDCOVER - $43.95

SwordspointA Novel of the Riverside - Ellen KushnerOn the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless--until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero

The Privilege of the SwordA Novel of the Riverside - Ellen Kushner Welcome to Riverside, where the aristocratic and the ambitious battle for power in the city’s ballroom, brothels and boudoirs. Into this alluring world walks Katherine, a well-bred country girl versed in the rules of conventional society. Her mistake is thinking that they apply. For Katherine’s host and uncle, Alec Campion, aka the Mad Duke Tremontaine, is in charge here--and to him, rules are made to

be broken. When Alec decides it would be more amusing for his niece to learn swordplay than to follow the usual path to marriage, her world changes forever. Blade in hand, it’s up to Katherine to navigate a maze of secrets and scoundrels and to gain the self-discovery that comes to those who master: the privilege of the sword. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Looking for books to read? Ask us! We read these books ourselves, and have our own

opinions on what’s good and what’s not!Also... This newsletter has a mailing list. Let us know if you want

to get on to it!

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Stray - Rachel VincentI look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.I’d been warned about Strays - werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back... for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I’m no meek kitty. I’ll take on whatever - and whoever - I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays - ‘cause I got claws, and I’m not afraid to use them... PAPERBACK - $16.95

Legacy of WolvesA novel of the Inquisitives - Marsheila RockwellA series of grisly murders has shaken the small city of Aruldusk. Both the Church and the Crown send in agents to investigate. But when the body count continues to rise, these rival factions will have to learn to work together to track down the killers - even if it means hunting through the highest reaches of power. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Bridge of the Separator - Harry TurtledoveRhavas was a good, holy, and pious man - and the cousin of the Avtokrator. He would probably have become ecumenical patriarch of the Empire in the capital, Videssos the city... if his world had not suddenly and tragically fallen apart when the Empire of Videssos erupted into civil war and the Khamorth barbarians swarm over the borders. As the home he loved was brutally sacked, Rhavas had to flee for his life, then make his way through lands swarming with fierce nomads and with soldiers loyal both to his cousin and

to the rebel. He may never see Videssos the city again, let alone preside in its High Temple. He has always followed Phos, the god of light and goodness, Videssos’ god, and despised evil rival Skotos. Those who fall off the Bridge of the Separator during judgment in the afterlife tumble down to Skotes’ ice forevermore. But when evil seems to have swallowed the whole world, what is a cleric who reverences logic as well as goodness supposed to believe? It’s a harder question than Rhavas wishes it were... particularly when he discovers that his wishes - or curses - now can kill. Has evil Skotos chosen Rhavas as his agent? And can Rhavas resist the temptation to strike anyone down who gets in his way? PAPERBACK - $16.95

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Laws of the Blood - Susan SizemoreThey are the Enforcers. An elite group of vampires who must serve and protect their secret community - and uphold the Law...

The Hunt - Bk. 1In Los Angeles, the Enforcer Selim has been called upon to approve a hunt. Much time has passed since the vampires of the city have last tasted fresh blood, and they are clamoring for the kill. It’s Selim’s job

to keep them under control - and there are those who resent his authority.He must not waver or show weakness when he gives the Law - his life and the life of his mortal Love Siri depend on his strength. But a whispered rumor is distracting him, a rumor of betrayal, of a violation of the most sacred of the Laws: Never reveal the truth about your own kind...

Partners - Bk. 2Seattle’s vampire Enforcer must uphold the second Law of the Blood: Death to any vampire who interferes in the affairs of children of the lower gods...Both books are now available in PAPERBACK @ $16.95 each.

Burning BridgesBk. 4 of The Retrievers novels - Laura Anne GilmanWren Valere used to be almost invisible. But now she’s not only being seen, she’s getting “involved.”Recent attacks against nonhuman Fatae have escalated into hate crimes against magic users in general - humans included. With the Mage Council distracted by internal power struggles, Wren is guilted into stepping up as spokesperson for the fragilely united Fatae and lonejack communities... .And, because the cosmos deems her without enough complications, her partner-lover Sergei is drowning in his own problems. But not only

can’t she help him - she’s the “cause.”With lives on the line - including her own - Wren’s going to have to break the lonejack credo, ditch her long-cherished invisibility and take a stand.

But burning bridges can be deadly... TRADE-PAPERBACK - $31.95

If you haven’t read this fantastic series before, start at the beginning with Staying Dead. Now available in PAPERBACK - $16.95.

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Knight Life - Peter DavidKing Arthur, the once and future King, has been called forth by the wizard Merlin to lead a land in turmoil - the United States of America. But with no throne to sit upon, Arthur must run for elective office - starting with the Mayorship of New York City...

One Knight OnlyKing Arthur - in his modern incarnation as Arthur Penn - has been elected President of the United States. But with political power comes powerful enemies. An assassination attempt against Arthur puts his beloved wife Gwen

in a coma - and her only hope lies in the lost Holy Grail...

Fall of KnightNow, Arthur has become head of his very own church as Arthur Penn reveals his true identity, and the existence of the Holy Grail, to the world.

Now all available in PAPERBACK @ 16.95 each.

Skunk: A Love Story - Justin CourterEmploying a wild mix of tall tale, rich metaphor, and contemporary science fiction, this darkly hilarious novel explores a young man’s attraction and ultimate addiction to skunk musk and the social difficulties he encounters as a result. He longs to find an isolated utopia where he can indulge his addiction in peace but is continually thwarted, even by a young woman with a unique understanding of his fetish because of her own fetid fetish for fish. Exaggerating the traits that attract and repel lovers, this extremely unlikely love story is comical but insightful into the mysteries of fetishes and sexual chemistry. TRADE-PAPERBACK - $31.95

Magic Lost, Trouble GainedLisa ShaerinA new fantasy series launches with this title. Raine Benares is a Sorceress Seeker of average ability until she comes into possession of an amulet that amplifies her powers - and her enemies. PAPERBACK - $16.95

The Bone KeySarah MonetteThe dead and the monstrous will not leave Kyle Murchison Booth alone, for an unwilling foray into necromancy has made him sensitive to - and attractive to -

the creatures who roam the darkness of his once - safe world. Ghosts, ghouls, incubi: all have one thing in common. They know Booth for one of their own... TRADE-PAPERBACK - $31.95

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Key to Conflict - Talia GryphonMeet Gillian Key - a paramortal psychologist who can treat the mental distress of nonhumans. And she’s a Marine Special Forces operative who can get physical with them when the situation calls for it. Gillian’s two worlds collide when she travels to the Carpathian Mountains in Romania to counsel a dangerously attractive local master vampire - and becomes embroiled in a brewing turf war with the legendary Dracula. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Shadow of the FlameBk.3 of The Taladas Chronicles - Chris PiersonAs war and devastation spread across the continent of Taladas, a small band of heroes has just suffered a devastating loss in a fight to determine the world’s fate. Barreth Forlo, their leader, has been possessed by the spirit of Maladar the Faceless, a sorcerer-king who seeks to return to power, by whatever means necessary. Now Shedara and Hult, Forlo’s companions, must push on without him, bound for the safety of the distant Rainward Isles. Pitted against their friend, they must

find a way to stop Maladar from raising his ancient empire from the ashes of history - and the answer may well lie in Forlo’s own son, who carries a secret even he doesn’t understand. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Scream of StoneBk. 3 of The Watercourse Trilogy - Philip AthansWhen the true mission of the Thayan Enclave is revealed, the richest man in Innarlith decides he wants to be the most powerful too, a once promising young man is transformed into a twisted undead assassin, and a quiet genius finally makes his stand, the explosive fury of decades of boiling rage explodes from the heart of a city at war with itself. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Honoured EnemyA Legend of the Riftwar - Raymond E. Feist & William R. ForstchenIn the frozen northlands of the embattled realm of Midkemia, fate can form strange alliances.It is nine long, bloody years into the ongoing Riftwar that is tearing Midkemia asunder. Having survived a disastrous encounter with their sworn enemy, the Tsurani, Dennis Hartraft’s cold, hungry, and exhausted Marauders arrive at a frontier garrison - at the same time as a Tsurani

patrol. But a more devastating threat resides within the stronghold: “moredhel,” a migrating horde of dark elves so deadly and vicious that the only hope for survival is if bitter enemies band together and fight as one.Now two hostile groups must make their way to freedom, facing a common foe, braving the merciless elements, and haunted by the voice of conscience demanding, ”what is more important, a man’s life... or his honor?” (Reprint) PAPERBACK - $16.95

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The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott LynchAn orphan’ s life is harsh - and often short - in the island city of Camorr, built on the ruins of a mysterious alien race. But born with a quick wit and a gift for thieving, Locke Lamora has dodged both death and slavery, only to fall into the hands of an eyeless priest known as Chains - a man who is neither blind nor a priest. A con artist of extraordinary talent, Chains passes his skills on to his carefully selected “ family” of orphans - a group known as the Gentlemen Bastards. Under his tutelage, Locke grows to lead the Bastards, delightedly pulling off one outrageous confidence game after another. Soon he is infamous as the Thorn of Camorr, and no

wealthy noble is safe from his sting. Passing themselves off as petty thieves, the brilliant Locke and his tightly knit band of light-fingered brothers have fooled even the criminal underworld’ s most feared ruler, Capa Barsavi. But there is someone in the shadows more powerful - and more ambitious - than Locke has yet imagined. Known as the Gray King, he is slowly killing Capa Barsavi’ s most trusted men - and using Locke as a pawn in his plot to take control of Camorr’ s underworld. With a bloody coup under way threatening to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning inhis mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the Gray King at his own brutal game - or die trying... PAPERBACK - $16.95

Places to Be, People to Kill.Martin Harry GreenbergAssassins - are they born or made? Do they choose this role out of necessity, because they are forced to, or because they enjoy killing? And what do they do in their spare time? These are just a few of the questions answered in this all-original collection of twelve tales by fantasy’s finest - focusing on killers of all kinds. From Vree, Tanya Huff’s well-known assassin from her Quarters novels, to a woman whose father’s vengeful spirit forced her down dark magic’s bloody path, to an assassin seeking to escape his Master’s death spell, here are spellbinding stories of murder and mayhem, and the shadowy figures who sell death for a living. PAPERBACK - $16.95

The Enemy Within - Richard L. ByersThe practice of magic is strictly controlled in the Empire, and rogue mages are ruthlessly hunted down by the witch hunters. An Imperial wizard is blackmailed into infiltrating a vile Chaos cult - if doesn’t, he will be denounced as a heretic. Can he complete his assignment without being corrupted, and can he trust his tormentor to honour his part of the bargain? PAPERBACK - $16.95

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Bitterwood - James MaxeyBitterwood has spent the past twenty years hunting down dragons, one at a time. But he is getting old and the hate that he has carried in his heart since a group of dragon-soldiers killed his family is beginning to fade. When he kills the royal prince dragon, the king decides the only retribution is genocide of the human race. Bitterwood is forced to enter the Free City, the grand trap designed to eradicate mankind, with thousands of others. Can he lead from within, or can a select few dragons unite to stop the king’s madness from becoming reality. Full of rich characters and drama, this is an amazingly astute vision of our own culture by way of a

feudal kingdom where dragons rule, and humans are used as workers or pets. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Firebird - R. Garcia Y. RobertsonIn the fantastic land of Markovy east of Europe, in the Iron Wood filled with werewolves and other unpleasant creatures, in the house of the dreaded Bone Witch, lives a young orphan girl named Aria. Her life is changed forever when a foreign knight, Sir Roye de Roye, enters the forest pursued by enemies, carrying with him the most precious artifact of the kingdom, the egg of the Firebird. Aria saves him and falls in love with him, and it becomes her mission in life to restore the egg to the firebird’s nest. And so she and her knight set out on a wonderful quest, filled with spectacle, romance, and hair’s-breadth escapes, to save the land and find a life together. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Orphans of Chaos; Fugitives of Chaos; Titans of ChaosJohn C. WrightFive orphans are raised in a strict British boarding school. All seems well, until they begin to discover that they may not be human beings. The students at the school do not age, while the world around them does. The orphans have been kidnapped from their true parents, robbed of their powers, and raised in ignorance

by super-beings: pagan gods, fairy-queens, Cyclopes, sea-monsters, witches, or things even stranger. Amelia is apparently a fourth-dimensional being; Victor is a synthetic man who can control the molecular arrangement of matter around him; Vanity can find secret passageways through solid walls; Colin is psychic; Quentin is a warlock. Each power comes from a different paradigm or view of the inexplicable universe, and they should not be able to co-exist under the same laws of nature. They must learn to control their strange abilities in order to escape their captors. Something very important must be at stake in their imprisonment. Orphans & Fugitives are now available in PAPERBACK - $16.95. Titans is only available in HARDCOVER - $43.95

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The Dance of TimeBk. 6 of the Belisarius series - Eric Flint & David DrakeThe Malwa and their evil have been driven back to their Indian heartland, but there they coil to strike again. Ruled by a monster from the future which is part computer and part demon, they prepare a fresh attack whose success will leave them rulers of the world - and the monster that guides the Malwa will rule the whole future! Belisarius, the greatest general of his age, has arrayed the forces of Mankind against the Malwa evil. On his breast is the jewel sent

to his support from a future of hope and freedom, willing to guide him but never to direct his actions. Behind him are allies from across Europe, Asia and Africa- - mutually distrustful but aware that neither they nor Mankind have any hope if the Malwa prevail. Belisarius faces armies and assassins, ruthless brutality and inhuman cruelty. There is no hope for Mankind if he fails - so he must “not” fail! PAPERBACK - $16.95

Masks of the Outcasts - Andre NortonThe planet Korar was a glittering jewel of a world, home to the galaxy’s wealthiest people, but the jewel had a flaw: the huge slum called the Dipple, where the misfits, the penniless, the hopeless eked out a wretched existence - a fate which two young men hoped to escape.Troy Horan leaped at the chance to work in a shop in an upscale neighborhood, offering exotic creatures from other worlds to the wealthy. He thought his luck had changed-until his employer was murdered, and Troy had to hide in the mysterious ruins left by a vanished alien race; ruins which explorers had entered, and vanished...Nik Kolherne had a face so hideously scarred that he wore a mask to cover it. Then he was recruited by a mysterious figure who offered Nik a new face-if, in return Nik would make a young heir think he was someone else. Now he was the only hope of the young heir’s survival - if they could survive on a planet veiled in eternal night and swarming with deadly predators... PAPERBACK - $16.95

The Heart of ValorBk. 3 of The Confederation Series((Here’s a military Sci-Fi series that is riveting adventure! Especially if you enjoy Elizabeth Moon, you should give these a try. Start with Valor’s Choice.))Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr’s goal is to keep both her superior officers and her troops alive as they face missions throughout the galaxy. But she’s been sidelined with endless briefings and debriefings for a while, so she jumps at the chance to go to Crucible - the Marine Corps training planet - as temporary aide to Major Svensson. The major was reduced to little more than a brain and spinal cord in his last combat, and now he and his doctor

are eager to field test his new body. It’s supposed to be an easy assignment - after all, Crucible was set up to simulate battle situations so recruits could be trained safely. But Torin’s barely on-planet when someone starts blasting the training scenarios to smithereens... HARDCOVER - $43.95

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Aliens: Cauldron - Diane CareyOn the spaceship Umiak, an elite troupe of cadets is forced into servitude by an unscrupulous captain taking the ship to a smuggler’s rendezvous. During the transaction aboard the eerily silent Virginia, the cadets unwittingly transport an unexpected cargo: a hive of hibernating aliens. As the aliens begin to awake, a terrifying battle erupts between the cadets, the smugglers, the captain, and the emergent monsters. The cadets soon realize that in space, no one can hear them scream. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Spin ControlBk. 2 of the Spin Series - Chris MoriartyCall Arkady a clone with a conscience. Or call him a traitor. A member of the space-faring Syndicates, Arkady has defected to Israel with a hot commodity: a genetic weapon powerful enough to wipe out humanity. But Israel’ s not buying it. They’ re selling it - and Arkady - to the highest bidder. As the auction heats up, the Artificial Life Emancipation Front sends in Major Catherine Li. Drummed out of the Peacekeepers for executing Syndicate prisoners, Li has now

literally hooked up with an AI who has lived many lifetimes and shunted through many bodies. But while they have their own conflicting loyalties to contend with, together they’ re just one player in a mysterious high-stakes game... PAPERBACK - $16.95((This is hard sci-fi. With new concepts and implementations, Chris Moriarty has written a really gritty series that will leave readers wanting more! Start with Spin State if you haven’t already!))

Hunters of Dune - Brian Herbert & Kevin J. AndersonFleeing from the monstrous Honoured Matres - dark counterparts of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood - Duncan Idaho, a woman named Sheeana who can talk to sandworms, the military genius Bashar Miles Teg and a group of desperate refugees explore the boundaries of the universe.Aboard their sophisticated no-ship, they have used long-stored cells to resurrect heroes and villians from the past including Paul Muad’dib and his love Chani, Lady Jessica, Thufir Hawat, even the traitor Doctor Yeuh, all in preparation for a final confrotation with a ysterious

outside Enemy so great it can destroy even the terrible Honoured Matres.And, deep in the hold of the giant ship, the refugees carry the last surviving sandworms from dfevastated Arrakis, as they search the universe for a new Dune. PAPERBACK - $16.95

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The Execution Channel - Ken MacleodIt’s after 9/11. After the bombing. After the Iraq war. After 7/7. After the Iran war. After the nukes. After the flu. After the Straits. After Rosyth. In a world just down the road from our own, on-line bloggers vie with old-line political operatives and new-style police to determine just where reality lies.James Travis is a British patriot and a French spy. On the day the Big One hits, Travis and his daughter must strive to make sense of the nuclear bombing of Scotland and the political repercussions of a series

of terrorist attacks. With the information war in full swing, the only truth they have is what they’re able to see with their own eyes. They know that everything else is - or may be - a lie. HARDCOVER - $43.95

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Drew KarpyshynOnce the Sith order teemed with followers. But their rivalries divided them in endless battles for supremacy. Until one dark lord at last united the Sith in the quest to enslave the galaxy - and exterminate the Jedi. Yet it would fall to another, far more powerful than the entire Brotherhood of Darkness, to ultimately realize the full potential of the Sith, and wield the awesome power of the dark side as never before.Since childhood, Dessel has known only the abuse of his hateful father and the dangerous, soul-crushing labor of a cortosis miner. Deep in the tunnels of the desolate planet Apatros, endlessly excavating the rare mineral valued throughout the galaxy, Dessel dreams of the day he can escape - a day he fears may never come. But when a high-stakes card

game ends in deadly violence, Dessel suddenly finds himself a wanted man. On the run from vengeful Republic forces, Dessel vanishes into the ranks of the Sith army, and ships out to join the bloody war against the Republic and its Jedi champions. There, Dessel’ s brutality, cunning, and exceptional command of the Force swiftly win him renown as a warrior. But in the eyes of his watchful masters, he is destined for a far greater role in the ultimate Sith plan for the galaxy - if he can prove himself truly worthy. As an acolyte in the Sith academy, studying the secrets and skills of the dark side at the feet of its greatest masters, Dessel embraces his new Sith identity: Bane. However the true test is yet to come. In order to gain acceptance into the Brotherhood of Darkness one must fully surrender to the dark side through a trial by fire that Bane, for all his unquenchable fury and lust for power, may not be strong enough to endure... especially since deception, treachery, and murder run rampant among the Sith disciples, and utter ruthlessness alone is the key to survival. Only by defying the most sacred traditions, rejecting all he has been taught, and drawing upon the long-forgotten wisdom of the very first Sith can Bane hope to triumph - and forge from the ashes of that which he must destroy a new era of absolute dark power. PAPERBACK - $16.95

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The Disunited States of AmericaA Novel of Crosstime Traffic - Harry Turtledove((More than just Time Travel... This is “How to Exploit Time Travel and Not Get In Trouble 101. Cool and varied looks at the other universal possibilties, these Crosstime Traffic novels are a must for people who like the Parallel Universe theories and stories!))Time travel doesn’t work. You can’t go backward or forward; you’re stuck at “now.” What you can do is travel sideways, to the same “now” in another timeline where history turned out differently. So far, only our home timeline has figured out how to do that. We use it to conduct

discreet trading operations in less advanced timelines, selling goods just a little bit better than the locals can make. It’s profitable, but families who work as Time Traders have to be careful to fit in, lest the locals become suspicious. Justin’s family are Time Traders. The summer before he’s due to start college, he goes with them to a different Virginia, in a timeline where the American states never became a single country, and American history has consisted of a series of small wars. Despite his unease, he accompanies Randolph Brooks, another Time Trader, on a visit to the tiny upland town of Elizabeth, Virginia. He’ll only be away from his parents for a few days. Beckie Royer thanks her stars that she’s from California, the most prosperous and advanced country in North America. But just now she’s in Virginia with her grandmother, who wants to revisit the tiny mountain town where she grew up. The only interesting thing there is a boy named Justin--and he’ll be gone soon. Then war between Virginia and Ohio breaks out anew. Ohio sets a tailored virus loose on Virginia. Virginia swiftly imposes a quarantine, trapping Beckie and Justin and Randolph Brooks in Elizabeth. Even Crosstime Traffic can’t help. All the three of them can do is watch as plague and violence take over the town. It’s nothing new in history, not in this timeline or any other. It’s part of the human condition.And just now, this part of the human condition sucks. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Brothers of the SnakeDan AbnettIn the grim darkness of the far future, the Space Marines stand supreme as the defenders of humanity. Brothers of the Snake follows the exploits of the Iron Snakes Space Marines, as they battle the enemies of man in all their foul variety. HARDCOVER - $39.95

Phytosphere - Scott MacKayAfter settlement negotiations between humanity and the alien Tarsalans go horribly wrong, the Earth is engulfed in a mysterious green sphere - blocking all sunlight from reaching the surface. Only two scientists - one isolated on the Moon’s lunar colony, the other trapped on a dying Earth - possess the minds and the means to destroy the sphere before it renders the world completely barren... PAPERBACK - $16.95

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A Rending of FalconsBk. 26 of The Mechwarrior Dark Age - Victor MilanJade Falcon Galaxy Commander Malvina Hazen and her warriors are encamped on the planet Skye in their Occupation Zone, overseeing the consolidation of power on the worlds they’ve wrested from The Republic. When a ship appears at Skye’s jump point and its commander declares a Trial of Possession for the wartime doctrine he claims Malvina stole

from Clan Hell’s Horses. Malvina sees her vision unfolding: she agrees to single BattleMech combat. Malvina emerges from the fray victorious--and inspired to ride her growing reputation into Clan Jade Falcon’s halls of power. But her bold actions may herald the beginning of a civil war that could unmake not simply her own Clan, but the entire Clan way of life. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Revelation Space - Alastair Reynolds((This was voted the Best First Novel of the Year by Locus magazine. Being able to proclaim high technology that is a subtle part of a new culture and universe, whilst at the same time plotting a grand tale of space opera, it is easy to see why Alastair Reynolds has become one of the new ‘must-read’ science fiction authors.))Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Amarantin civilization was annihilated just as it was on the verge of space flight. Scientist Dan Sylveste is determined to solve the Amarantin riddle before ancient history repeats itself and he forges a deadly alliance with the cyborg crew of a spaceship. But as Sylveste closes in on a secret, a killer closes in on him. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Pushing Ice - Alastair ReynoldsSome centuries from now, the exploration and exploitation of the Solar System is in full swing. On the cold edge of the system, Bella Lind, captain of the huge commercial spacecraft Rockhopper IV, helps fuel this new gold rush by attaching mass-driver motors to organic-rich water-ice comets to move them back to the inner worlds. Her crew are tough, blue-collar miners, engineers and demolition experts.Around Saturn, something inexplicable happens: one of the moons leaves its orbit and accelerates out of the Solar System. The icy mantle peels away to reveal that it was never a moon in the first place, just a parked spacecraft, millions of years old, that has now decided to move on.

Rockhopper IV, trapped in the pull, is hurled across time and space into the deep, distant future, arriving in a vast, alien-constructed chamber. And the crew are not alone, for each chamber contains an alien culture dragged into this cosmic menagerie at the end of time. PAPERBACK - $16.95

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The Chanur Saga & Chanur’s EndgameC.J. Cherryh((In these 2 omnibuses are the complete Chanur Saga by C.J. Cherryh. This is a multiple-nominated award series, and is famed for it’s alien view-point, and the alien Humans that are encountered. This is a completely different type of story of “First Contact”.))No one at Meetpoint Station had ever seen a creature like the Outsider. Naked-hided, blunt-toothed and blunt-fingered, Tully was

the sole surviving member of his company - a communicative, spacefaring species hitherto unknown. He had been a prisoner of his discoverers/captors, the sadistic, treacherous kif, until he escaped to the hani ship: The Pride of Chanur.Little did Tully know when he threw himself on the mercy of the crew of The Pride that he put the entire hani species in jeopardy and imperiled the peace of the Compact itself. This seemingly defenseless fugitive held information which could prove the ruin or glory of any species at Meetpoint Station, and whomever Tully allied with would stand to gain power and riches beyond imagining. For with Tully came the key to opening trade with a previously unknown sector of space - a sector of space controlled by a race called “humans”. And what began as a simple rescue attempt would soon blossom into a dangerous game of interstellar politics where today’s ally could become tomorrow’s executioner, and where methane breathers become volatile wild cards playing for stakes no oxy breather could even begin to understand... PAPERBACKS @ $16.95 each.

Ragamuffin - Tobias S. BuckellThe Benevolent Satrapy rule an empire of forty-eight worlds, linked by thousands of wormholes strung throughout the galaxy. Human beings, while technically “free”, mostly skulk around the fringes of the Satrapy, struggling to get by. The secretive alien Satraps tightly restrict the technological development of the species under their control. Entire worlds have been placed under interdiction, cut off from the rest of the universe. Descended from the islanders of lost Earth, the Ragamuffins are pirates and smugglers, plying the lonely spaceways around a dead wormhole. For years, the Satraps have tolerated the

Raga, but no longer. Now they have embarked on a campaign of extermination, determined to wipe out the unruly humans once and for all. But one runaway woman may complicate their plans. Combat enabled, Nashara is more machine than flesh, and she carries inside her a doomsday weapon that could reduce the entire galaxy to chaos. A hunted fugitive, she just wants to get home before she’ s forced to destroy civilization and herself. HARDCOVER - $43.95

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No Humans InvolvedKelley Armstrong((She writes some fantastic stuff. There are a lot of other contemporary paranormal stuff out there, but she’s been around right from the beginning, and has done a really good job of distinguishing her books from others in the genre. A superfi cially similiar Earth, with well-crafted characters inhabiting it, all wrapped up in some of the most amazing battles between good and evil on all scales. Well worth reading. If you’re looking for a starting place, give Bitten or Dime Store Magic a try!))It’ s the most anticipated reality television event of the season: three spiritualists gathered together in one house to raise the ghost of Marilyn Monroe. For celebrity medium Jaime Vegas, it is to be her swan song - one last publicity blast for a celebrity on the wrong side of forty. But unlike her colleagues, who are more show than substance, Jaime is the real thing. Reluctant to upstage her fellow spiritualists, Jaime tries to suppress her talents, as she has done her entire life. But there is something lurking in the maze of gardens behind the house: a spirit without a voice. And it won’ t let go until somehow Jaime hears its terrible story. For the fi rst time in her life, Jaime Vegas understands what humans mean when they say they are haunted. Distraught, Jaime looks to fellow supernatural Jeremy Danvers for help. As the touches and whispers from the garden grow more frantic, Jaime and Jeremy embark on an investigation into a Los Angeles underworld of black magic and ritual sacrifi ce. When events culminate in a psychic showdown, Jaime must use the darkest power she has to defeat a shocking enemy - one whose malicious force comes from the last realm she expected... HARDCOVER - $43.95

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