John Norman takes you on a journey to World s End, a set of once unknown islands far west of the continental mainland. Lying across vast, turbulent Thassa, these mysterious islands were reached for the first time during the historic voyage of the ship of Tersites. Now this remote locale has been chosen by two warring, technologically advanced species the bestial, imperialistic, predatory Kurii, and the retiring, secretive Priest Kings, the gods of Gor. On this all too real gaming board, a roll of the dice will determine the fortunes and fate of Gor and perhaps that of Earth. Few realize the momentous nature of the conflict, seeing in it no more than a local war for territory and power. Those who grasp the dimensions of the game realize that the stakes are nothing less than the world itself. Rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire.John Norman, born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1931, is the creator of the Gorean Saga, the longest running series of adventure novels in science fiction history. Starting inDecember 1966 withTarnsman of Gor, the series was put on hold after its twenty-fifth installment, Magicians of Gor, in 1988, when DAW refused to publish its successor, Witness of Gor. After several unsuccessful attempts to find a trade publishing outlet, the series was brought back into print in 2001. Norman has also produced a separate, three installment science fiction series, the Telnarian Histories, plus two other fiction works (Ghost DanceandTime Slave), a nonfiction paperback (Imaginative Sex), and a collection of thirty short stories, entitledNorman Invasions.The Totems of Abydoswas published in spring 2012.All of Norman s work is available both in print and as ebooks. The Internet has proven to be a fertile ground for the imagination of Norman s ever-growing fan base, and at Gor Chronicles(www.gorchronicles.com), a website specially created for his tremendous fan following, onemay read everything there is to knowabout this unique fictional culture.Norman is married and has three children."

A bewitching epic fantasy about a revenge killing, a mysterious scroll box that has survived centuries of fires, and the book that changed everything "Intricately plotted and gorgeously written, The Absolute Book is a cinematic tale that is by turns dark and dreamlike, yet ultimately hopeful." --Deborah Harkness, New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches "An instant classic . . . It is everything fantasy should be." --The Guardian Taryn Cornick believes that the past--her sister's violent death, and her own ill-conceived revenge--is behind her, and she can get on with her life. She has written a successful book about the things that threaten libraries: insects, damp, light, fire, carelessness and uncaring . . . but not all of the attention it brings her is good. A policeman, Jacob Berger, questions her about a cold case. Then there are questions about a fire in the library at her grandparents' house and an ancient scroll box known as the Firestarter, as well as threatening phone calls and a mysterious illness. Finally a shadowy young man named Shift appears, forcing Taryn and Jacob toward a reckoning felt in more than one world. The Absolute Book is epic, action-packed fantasy in which hidden treasures are recovered, wicked things resurface, birds can talk, and dead sisters are a living force. It is a book of journeys and returns, from contemporary England to Auckland, New Zealand; from a magical fairyland to Purgatory. Above all, it is a declaration of love for stories and the ways in which they shape our worlds and create gods out of mortals.