This thrilling collection of twenty-one all-original stories, by an all-star list of contributors, will delight and astonish in equal measure with their cunning twists and dazzling reversals. George R. R. Martin himself offers a brand-new A Game of Thrones tale, chronicling one of the biggest rogues in the entire history of Ice and Fire. Also featuring stories from Gillian Flynn, Joe Abercrombie, Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch and more!

Included in this volume are historic interviews with Alfred Bester, Robert Silverberg, Brian Aldiss, James Gunn, Gardner Dozois, Norman Spinrad, Gordon R. Dickson, Ben Bova, Ted White, Jack Williamson, L. Sprague de Camp, Frank Belknap Long, Gahan Wilson, and Jerry Pournelle.

An epic collection of fantasy tales in the grand tradition, including a never-before-published A Song of Ice and Fire story by George R.R. Martin and an introduction by Gardner Dozois. Fantasy fiction has produced some of the most unforgettable heroes ever conjured onto the page: Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone, Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Classic characters like these made sword and sorcery a cornerstone of fantasy fiction, and an inspiration for a new generation of writers, spinning their own tales of magical adventure. Now, in The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor and bestselling author Gardner Dozois presents an anthology of sixteen original epic stories by a stellar cast of modern masters, including George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Garth Nix, Ken Liu, Daniel Abraham, Scott Lynch, Cecelia Holland, Ellen Kushner, and more on journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid adventure, featuring a stunning assortment of fearless swordsmen and warrior women who face down danger and death at every turn with courage, cunning, and cold steel.

An anthology celebrating the witches and sorcerers of epic fantasy - featuring stories by George R. R. Martin, Scott Lynch, Megan Lindholm, and many more! Hot on the heels of Gardner Dozois's (Rogues, Old Venus) acclaimed anthology The Book of Swords comes this companion volume devoted to magic. How could it be otherwise? For every Frodo, there is a Gandalf...and a Saruman. For every Dorothy, a Glinda...and a Wicked Witch of the West. What would Harry Potter be without Albus Dumbledore...and Severus Snape? Figures of wisdom and power, possessing arcane, often forbidden knowledge, wizards and sorcerers are shaped - or misshaped - by the potent magic they seek to wield. Yet though their abilities may be godlike, these men and women remain human...some might say all too human. Such is their curse. And their glory. In these pages, seventeen of today's top fantasy writers - including award-winners K. J. Parker (The Two of Swords), Megan Lindholm (The Windsingers), John Crowley (The Deep), Tim Powers (Last Call), Liz Williams (Snake Agent), Elizabeth Bear (Eternal Sky Trilogy), George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire), Kate Elliott (The Court of Fives Trilogy), Scott Lynch (The Republic of Thieves), and more - cast wondrous spells that thrillingly evoke the mysterious, awesome, and at times downright terrifying worlds where magic reigns supreme: worlds as far away as forever...and as near as next door.

The Silurian Tales Volume 1 The 400-Million-Year Itch, Volume 1 of The Silurian Tales, represents the first volume of a master work by one of the SF genre's greatest short story writers. The stories in Steven Utley's Silurian Tales have appeared in Asimov's, Analog, SciFiction, F&SF, and Cosmos, and have been beguiling readers with glimpses of prehistoric life since the mid-1990s. These tales have been described by Brian Stableford in Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia as " t]he most elaborate reconstruction of a past era in recent speculative fiction." The series employs a variety of literary techniques in recounting the adventures and misadventures of a scientific expedition in the Paleozoic Era and also address some implications of the "many-worlds" hypothesis in quantum physics; several of the stories have been reprinted in Gardner Dozois' Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies and the Year's Best SF edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer.

For decades, the Year's Best Science Fiction has been the most widely read short science fiction anthology of its kind. Now, after thirty-five annual collections. comes the ultimate in science fiction anthologies. In The Very Best of the Best, legendary editor Gardner Dozois selects the finest short stories for this landmark collection.

A powerful tale of betrayal, trickery and sheer human grit from a dream-team of authors In a fight outside a bar Ramon Espejo kills a man. Next day, all hell breaks loose. The dead man was a big shot, a diplomat on a mission to the out-world of Sao Paulo. Ramon goes on the run, heading north toward unexplored territory, land so far only glimpsed from orbit during the first colony surveys. Ramon has gone from being nothing in the hills of Mexico to being nothing on Sao Paulo. He makes a bare living prospecting for minerals. Maybe God meant him to be poor, or he wouldn't have made him so mean. He can't even remember why he killed the European, only the drinking, and the rage that followed. Better to be alone in the wild landscape ... off the map, beyond law and civilization. Each trip out he's sure will be the big one that'll make him rich. This one, too. Instead he finds something else, something terrifying. Or rather, it finds him, and uses him: as humans are used by species more intelligent than themselves. But Ramon Espejo is about to prove what a man is capable of. Ramon is about to demonstrate what it is to be human; to be angry, intelligent and alive. And he is about to discover his function in the broad flow of the universe. And why it was he killed the diplomat in the first place...

Commissioned by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, these tales of dangerous women by the most stellar names in fiction are available for the first time in three-volume paperback. George R.R. Martin is the bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the inspiration for HBO's hit series Game of Thrones. This first volume features an original 35,000 word novella by George R.R. Martin. 'The Princess and the Queen' reveals the origins of the civil war in Westeros (before the events in A Game of Thrones), which is known as the Dance of the Dragons, pitting Targaryen against Targaryen and dragon against dragon. Other authors in this volume of warriors, bad girls and dragonriders include worldwide bestselling authors Brandon Sanderson, Lawrence Block and Nancy Kress. DANGEROUS WOMEN 1 Gardner Dozois's introduction George R. R. Martin, 'The Princess and the Queen' Carrie Vaughn, 'Raisa Stepanova' Nancy Kress,'"Second Arabesque, Very Slowly' Lawrence Block, 'I Know How to Pick 'Em' Megan Abbott, 'My Heart Is Either Broken' Joe R. Lansdale, 'Wrestling Jesus' Brandon Sanderson, 'Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell'

An epic collection of fantasy tales in the grand tradition, including a never-before-published A Song of Ice and Fire story by George R.R. Martin and an introduction by Gardner Dozois. Fantasy fiction has produced some of the most unforgettable heroes ever conjured onto the page: Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone, Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Classic characters like these made sword and sorcery a cornerstone of fantasy fiction, and an inspiration for a new generation of writers, spinning their own tales of magical adventure. Now, in The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor and bestselling author Gardner Dozois presents an anthology of sixteen original epic stories by a stellar cast of modern masters, including George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Garth Nix, Ken Liu, Daniel Abraham, Scott Lynch, Cecelia Holland, Ellen Kushner, and more on journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid adventure, featuring a stunning assortment of fearless swordsmen and warrior women who face down danger and death at every turn with courage, cunning, and cold steel.

An anthology celebrating the witches and sorcerers of epic fantasy - featuring stories by George R. R. Martin, Scott Lynch, Megan Lindholm, and many more! Hot on the heels of Gardner Dozois's (Rogues, Old Venus) acclaimed anthology The Book of Swords comes this companion volume devoted to magic. How could it be otherwise? For every Frodo, there is a Gandalf...and a Saruman. For every Dorothy, a Glinda...and a Wicked Witch of the West. What would Harry Potter be without Albus Dumbledore...and Severus Snape? Figures of wisdom and power, possessing arcane, often forbidden knowledge, wizards and sorcerers are shaped - or misshaped - by the potent magic they seek to wield. Yet though their abilities may be godlike, these men and women remain human...some might say all too human. Such is their curse. And their glory. In these pages, seventeen of today's top fantasy writers - including award-winners K. J. Parker (The Two of Swords), Megan Lindholm (The Windsingers), John Crowley (The Deep), Tim Powers (Last Call), Liz Williams (Snake Agent), Elizabeth Bear (Eternal Sky Trilogy), George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire), Kate Elliott (The Court of Fives Trilogy), Scott Lynch (The Republic of Thieves), and more - cast wondrous spells that thrillingly evoke the mysterious, awesome, and at times downright terrifying worlds where magic reigns supreme: worlds as far away as forever...and as near as next door.

Commissioned by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, these tales of dangerous women by the most stellar names in fiction are available for the first time in three-volume paperback. George R.R. Martin is the bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the inspiration for HBO's hit series GAME OF THRONES. This second volume features an original short story by Megan Lindholm (who also writes as Robin Hobb). In the bittersweet 'Neighbors' Sarah, a rather strange widow, lives isolated and alone, surrounded by young families. But is the old lady afflicted by dementia - or by something far more odd? Other contributors to this volume of stories of formidable women include worldwide bestselling authors Diana Gabaldon, with an Outlander story, Sharon Kay Penman and Lev Grossman. DANGEROUS WOMEN 2 Gardner Dozois's introduction Megan Lindholm, 'Neighbors' Lev Grossman, 'The Girl in the Mirror' Sharon Kay Penman, 'A Queen in Exile' S. M. Stirling, 'Pronouncing Doom' Caroline Spector, 'Lies My Mother Told Me' Sam Sykes, 'Name the Beast' Diana Gabaldon, 'Virgins'

A thrilling collection of twenty-one original stories by an all-star list of contributors--including a new "A Game of Thrones" story by George R. R. Martin
If you're a fan of fiction that is more than just black and white, this latest story collection from #1 "New York Times" bestselling author George R. R. Martin and award-winning editor Gardner Dozois is filled with subtle shades of gray. Twenty-one all-original stories, by an all-star list of contributors, will delight and astonish you in equal measure with their cunning twists and dazzling reversals. And George R. R. Martin himself offers a brand-new "A Game of Thrones" tale chronicling one of the biggest rogues in the entire history of Ice and Fire.
Follow along with the likes of Gillian Flynn, Joe Abercrombie, Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch, Cherie Priest, Garth Nix, and Connie Willis, as well as other masters of literary sleight-of-hand, in this rogues gallery of stories that will plunder your heart--and yet leave you all the richer for it.
Featuring all-new stories by
Joe Abercrombie - Daniel Abraham - David W. Ball - Paul Cornell - Bradley Denton - Phyllis Eisenstein - Gillian Flynn - Neil Gaiman - Matthew Hughes - Joe R. Lansdale - Scott Lynch - Garth Nix - Cherie Priest - Patrick Rothfuss - Steven Saylor - Michael Swanwick - Lisa Tuttle - Carrie Vaughn - Walter Jon Williams - Connie Willis
And an Introduction by George R. R. Martin

City Under the Stars completes a journey undertaken by Gardner Dozois and Michael Swanwick 25 years ago, when they published the novella The City of God. Over two decades later, the two realized there was more to the story, and began the work of expanding it. Now, after Gardner Dozois' tragic passing, the story can be told in full. God was in his Heaven--which was fifteen miles away, due east. Far in Earth's future, in a post-utopian hell-hole, Hanson works ten solid back-breaking hours a day, shoveling endless mountains of coal, within sight of the iridescent wall that separates what's left of humanity from their gods. One day, after a tragedy of his own making, Hanson leaves the city, not knowing what he will do, or how he will survive in the wilderness without work. He finds himself drawn to the wall, to the elusive promise of God. And when the impossible happens, he steps through, into the city beyond. The impossible was only the beginning.

Commissioned by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, these tales of dangerous women by the most stellar names in fiction are available for the first time in three-volume paperback. George R.R. Martin is the bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the inspiration for HBO's hit series GAME OF THRONES. This third volume features an original short story by Joe Abercrombie. 'Some Desperado' centres on Shy South, the protagonist of Abercrombie's novel RED COUNTRY. Having robbed a bank, Shy is carrying 2,000 silver pieces, and she's on the run when her horse catches an arrow. Marooned in a dusty ghost town, she faces up to a trio of murderous, flea-bitten criminals... This volume of stories about hard-living bad girls, killers and superheroes also includes contributions from worldwide bestselling authors Jim Butcher, Melinda Snodgrass and Pat Cadigan. DANGEROUS WOMEN 3 Gardner Dozois's introduction Joe Abercrombie, 'Some Desperado' Diana Rowland, 'City Lazarus' Sherlynn Kenyon, 'Hell Hath No Fury' Melinda Snodgrass, 'The Hands That Are Not There' Pat Cadigan, 'Caretakers' Cecelia Holland, 'Nora's Song' Jim Butcher, 'Bombshells'

From pulp adventures such as Edgar Rice Burroughs's Carson of Venus to classic short stories such as Ray Bradbury's "The Long Rain", the planet Venus has loomed large in the imaginations of science fiction writers. Here, that steamy, swampy jungle world with strange creatures; lurking amidst the dripping vegetation is explored in sixteen all-new stories collected by bestselling author George R. R. Martin and editor Gardner Dozois.

The Silurian Vatles Volume 1 The 400-Million-Year Itch, Volume 1 of The Silurian Tales, represents the first volume of a master work by one of the SF genre's greatest short story writers. The stories in Steven Utley's Silurian Tales have appeared in Asimov's, Analog, SciFiction, F&SF, and Cosmos, and have been beguiling readers with glimpses of prehistoric life since the mid-1990s. These tales have been described by Brian Stableford in Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia as " t]he most elaborate reconstruction of a past era in recent speculative fiction." Publishers Weekly Review (17 September 2012) For the first time, 18 of Utley s intriguing Silurian Tales (and an additional original offering) have been collected and placed into chronological order, starting with the introductory All of Creation, in which a link to the mid-Paleozoic Siluro-Devonian era grants present-day people a unique opportunity to study the Earth of 400 million years ago. These stories range in tone and style as they explore a wide variety of topics. Utley eschews action in favor of character-driven tales and weighty discussions, tackling the many-worlds hypothesis in The Gift Horse, time travel in The Age of Mud and Slime, and theology in Half a Loaf. The real focus is on Utley s thought-provoking exploration of the concept from every angle, since the sprawling cast and lack of obvious connecting narrative leave each story standing alone. The result is subtle but powerful, and will leave readers wanting to do their own research into prehistoric eras. (Nov.) http: //www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-921857-17-1 The series employs a variety of literary techniques in recounting the adventures and misadventures of a scientific expedition in the Paleozoic Era and also address some implications of the "many-worlds" hypothesis in quantum physics; several of the stories have been reprinted in Gardner Dozois' Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies and the Year's Best SF edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer.

Even before "A Game of Thrones, " George R. R. Martin had already established himself as a giant in the field of fantasy literature. The first of two stunning collections, "Dreamsongs: Volume I "is a rare treat for readers, offering fascinating insight into his journey from young writer to award-winning master.
Gathered here in "Dreamsongs: ""Volume I "are the very best of George R. R. Martin's early works, including his Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker award-winning stories, cool fan pieces, and the original novella "The Ice Dragon, " from which Martin's "New York Times "bestselling children's book of the same title originated. A dazzling array of subjects and styles that features extensive author commentary, "Dreamsongs, Volume I "is the perfect collection for both Martin devotees and a new generation of fans.
"Fans, genre historians and aspiring writers alike will find this shelf-bending retrospective as impressive as it is intriguing."--"Publishers Weekly"
""Dreamsongs "is the ideal way to discover . . . a master of science fiction, fantasy and horror. . . . Martin is a writer like no other."--"The Guardian "(U.K.)
PRAISE FOR GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
"Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best. In fact . . . this is as good a time as any to proclaim him the American Tolkien."--"Time"
"Long live George Martin . . . a literary dervish, enthralled by complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the wild vision of the very best tale tellers."--"The New York Times"
" "
"I always expect the best from George R. R. Martin, and he always delivers."--Robert Jordan

In the new millennium, what secrets lay beyond the far reaches of the universe? What mysteries belie the truths we once held to be self-evident? The world of science fiction has long been a porthole into the realities of tomorrow, blurring the line between life and art. Now, in The Year's Best Science Fiction - Thirty-Fourth Annual Collection, the very best SF authors explore ideas of a new world. This venerable collection brings together award winning authors and masters of the field. With an extensive recommended reading guide and a summation of the year in science fiction, this annual compilation has become the definitive must read anthology for all science fiction fans and readers interested in breaking into the genre.

George R. R. Martin, from his Introduction to "Warriors:
""People have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories. Since Homer first sang the wrath of Achilles and the ancient Sumerians set down their tales of Gilgamesh, warriors, soldiers, and fighters have fascinated us; they are a part of every culture, every literary tradition, every genre. "All Quiet on the Western Front," " From Here to Eternity," and "The Red Badge of Courage" have become part of our literary canon, taught in classrooms all around the country and the world.
"Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and bestselling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing---a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they're best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in these pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat."
Every story in this volume appears here for the first time. Included are: a long novella from the world of his Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, a new tale of "Lord John" by Diana Gabaldon, and an epic of humanity at bay by David Weber. Also present are original tales by David Ball, Peter S. Beagle, Lawrence Block, Gardner Dozois, Joe Haldeman, Robin Hobb, Cecelia Holland, Joe R. Lansdale, David Morrell, Naomi Novik, James Rollins, Steven Saylor, Robert Silverberg, S. M. Stirling, Carrie Vaughn, Howard Waldrop, and Tad Williams. Many of these writers are bestsellers. All of them are storytellers of the highest quality. Together they make a volume of unforgettable reading.