Journeys. Our stories are filled with journeys. Sometimes, though, we neglect the possibility that in our travels we will cross an important boundary, and we may never be the same again. Crossing the River is an anthology of poems, myths, and tales that take the reader on many different kinds of journeys: travels in the company of deities, visits to other worlds, explorations within oneself, voyages with the dead (or back from death), and other excursions that lead to transformation. These are paths that challenge us and even change us along the way, for returning may not be as simple as retracing our steps. Where will your journey take you? And who will you be when you return?

Fantasy literature is a sprawling tapestry of possibility. From cities built in the skies to an entire world locked inside a dusty old wardrobe, the opportunities are as boundless as the imagination. But what of Pagan-themed fantasy? Tamora Pierce, Holly Black, and J.K. Rowling draw inspiration from Pagan myths and monsters when constructing their worlds. Urban fantasy writers often reinvent myths or legends to suit their stories. Still the quest remains for fantasy stories and poems written for and by followers of the Pagan Gods. This anthology is a collection of tales brought together from writers the world over for exactly that purpose. In its pages, you will meet werewolf devotees of the Moon Goddess, intern for Cernunnos, discover how Loki and Sigyn fell in love, decipher the language of the trees, and spend Sir Francis Drake's final hours in the company of a cunning lwa, among many other adventures. In the true spirit of fantasy, these writers have followed their imaginations and dared to wonder, "What if?" And now, they extend that invitation to you. Will you answer the call and dare to venture beyond the pillars?

Queen of the Starry Heavens. Queen of the Gods. Bearer of the Lotus Staff. Bearer of the Pomegranate. Goddess of Marriage. Goddess of Women. Mistress of the Spring Rains. Mistress of the Golden Apples. Lady of the Cuckoo and the Peacock. Maligned in scholarship and modern popular culture as the shrewish wife of Zeus, Hera was much loved in ancient Greece. Worship of the Queen of the Milky Way spread from Argos to the sacred isle of Samos, from the mountains of Asia Minor to the shores of Carthage, from the hills of Rome to the banks of the Thames. The Protector of Women and the Guardian of Marriage, She was also called White-Armed and Cow-Eyed as the Goddess of Cattle. The mother of Ares, Eileithyia, Hebe, Hephaestus, and the monstrous Typhaon, Hera championed such heroes as Jason and the Argonauts while driving others - most notably Herakles - to madness and greatness. The Roman Iuno (or Juno), often considered to be the same Goddess as Hera, has even less in common with the petty, jealous stereotype. One of the Capitoline Triad, Iuno was honored by the Romans as a great Goddess of civilization, of war, of government and law, of marriage and health and childbirth. Today, devotees of Hera and Iuno are reviving their worship. In the pages of this anthology, we share our love of the Mother of Gods and Men. In poems and hymns, essays and rituals, artwork and music, we explore the nature of this most complex and glorious Goddess, she who is Queen of Olympos.

Peel back the layers that comprise the Queen of Heaven. She is Mother Mary weeping at the cross, and Hathor dancing in the sky. She is Freyja with her wild eyes, and Frigg with her open arms. She is Yemaya, keeper of the sea; compassionate Kuan Yin; and she is winged Isis. Her starry body stretches across the sky in the guise of Nut, and she is Saraswati's gentle song. She is Juno, and Hera, and Tanit, and a thousand forgotten names, and she is Inanna, descending to the underworld to be reborn. The voices in this anthology are as diverse as the different goddesses who have claimed the title Queen of Heaven, but each sparkles like the stars in Our Lady's mantle.

Artemis. Freyja. Hestia. Kuan Yin. Mary. The Morrigan. Neith. These Goddesses and countless others have forged their own paths and, in so doing, inspired women around the world. In these pages, we honor those Goddesses who are complete unto themselves, and teach us to be the same.

Alternate history. Apocalyptic. Biopunk. Cyberpunk. Dystopia. Ecological. Far future. Feminist. Gaslight. Lost world. Marxist. Military. Parallel world. Planetary romance. Space opera. Space western. Steampunk. Superhero. Time travel. Utopia. As a genre, science fiction is difficult to define. So, perhaps the best definition is also the broadest: science fiction as a genre deals with imaginary, but plausible and logically constructed, worlds in which the implications and consequences of cultural, environmental, and scientific change and innovation are explored. With its limitless potential for world-building -- and real world influence -- science fiction is also a genre rich in possibility for Pagan authors and readers alike, but one which has been sadly neglected. With The Shining Cities, we add one more to that short list of works. In these pages you will find tales that run the gamut from humorous to ecological to anthropological to time travel to space fantasy to space opera to steampunk. It is our hope that The Shining Cities will be only the most recent addition to an ever-growing catalogue of Pagan science fiction. Enjoy