Michael R. Collings examines the life and work of American science fiction author Piers Anthony. Starmont Reader's Guide 20.

No artist creates his works in a vacuum. Beyond the conscious influence of books read, artwork seen, minds probed (through conversation or exchange of letters), writers are in no small part products of everything that surrounds them--people, places, things, events. MILTON'S CENTURY is designed to place one particular genius--John Milton, arguably the finest poet the English nation (perhaps even Western civilization) has produced--in the context of his time. And what a remarkable time it was--a century of revolutions, of discoveries, of literary and artistic efflorescence, of religious turmoil and political turbulence, of plagues and fires and ultimate rebuilding...and of the first adumbrations of the Modern Age. MILTON'S CENTURY becomes vital and alive for twenty-first-century readers through the vast network of connections and interconnections that Professor Collings articulates. Borgo Literary Guides, No. 15.

Professor Collings' absorbing study, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD (1990), the first full-length treatment of Orson Scott Card, did not circulate widely following its initial publication. Now it has been republished-along with several key essays exploring directions in Card's fiction-in trade paperback. Taken as a whole, the augmented study examines Card's unique vision and literary achievements, a consummate storyteller who blends science fiction and fantasy with his deepest religious beliefs and moral convictions. Included in ORSON SCOTT CARD: PENETRATING TO THE GENTLE HEART are not only the earlier book in its entirety but also significant essays on ENDER'S GAME as modern epic; on Card as an established writer of mythopoeic prose; on THE FOLK OF THE FRINGE as defining a mode of community and belief. The expanded volume includes a full index and bibliography. It will be of value to any student of Card's writing, particularly those looking for beginning points in discussing his life and his works.

Originally ephemeral pamphlets sold by traveling peddlers, or 'chap-men', chapbooks have enjoyed a long and illustrious history, surviving in print form from the sixteenth century until today--in fact, much contemporary poetry has first appeared in small-press chapbooks, most frequently folded sheets stapled in the crease. BlueRose compiles ten chapbooks by Michael R. Collings, with publication dates ranging from the early 1980s to 2011. Individually they explore a variety of themes, topics, and forms--the wit and cleverness of limericks; the ethereal grace of haiku; the directness and humor of children's verses. One of the chapbooks contains only short poems, several of them one or two words long; another is a single extended look into the mind and career of one of the greatest sixteenth-century poets through the mediation of his mother's will. One celebrates vitality and energy; another celebrates loving memories of lives well spent. All present readers with carefully chosen words woven into thought-provoking lines. Fans of Michael R. Collings's work will find in this new collection a treasure trove of words and thoughts and feelings to savor and enjoy.

Science fiction goes occult in SPACE ELDRITCH, a volume of seven original novelettes and novellas of Lovecraftian pulp space opera. Featuring work by Brad R. Torgersen (Hugo/ Nebula/Campbell nominee), Howard Tayler (multiple Hugo nominee), and Michael R. Collings (author of over 100 books), plus a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Larry Correia, SPACE ELDRITCH inhabits the intersection between the eternal adventure of the final frontier and the inhuman darkness between the stars.

Here are verses ranging from one-page lyrics, to longer meditations on belief and faith, to self-contained narratives. Drawn from religious backgrounds, particularly Latter-Day Saint faith, the five parts move through space and time from the ancient tales of the Middle East to contemporary visions of our world today. These moving verses will inspire all believers to think about their creed and their faith in new--and very moving--ways.

In the tradition of the old "Ace Doubles" two-in-one books (flip one over to read the second title)--here is the eighth Wildside Double. THREE TALES OF OMNE: A COMPANION TO WORDSMITH, by Michael R. Collings This is Omne, a world enveloped by perpetual clouds, without metals, machines, or technology, whose people harbor the secrets of an unimaginable power for destruction--or redemption. But--before it became Omne, it was Colony, home of a small group of refugees from Earth, struggling to survive on a new planet and understand its rules, unaware of their gradual transformation into something no longer quite human. This is the story of how it all began THE ELDER OF DAYS: TALES OF THE ELDERS, by Robert Reginald They hide among us, these near-immortals, and they go by names like William Shakespeare and John Donne and Napoleon Bonaparte. They're immune to most diseases, heal rapidly from injury, and age so slowly that their life-spans are encompassed by the passage of millennia. These are The Elders. In "Katydid," Jack must penetrate the mystery of a decaying trolley car and the curious 1920s photo album secreted within. A statistical reporting anomaly for "Eldering," a forgotten town tucked away in the Cumberland Mountains, prompts a dying census worker to investigate. Abused wife Jewel-Rose can only find the "chaud" in the "Boneyard" just outside her small Montana town. Time traveler Pat Wardon is determined upon "Saving Jane Austen"--whether she wants to be saved or not Great romantic fantasy stories.

During her long life, NELLIE HUNT COLLINGS (1883-1961) kept copious journals detailing life on a small Idaho farm. Interspersed with those entries were bits of poetry, most relating to the things that were central to her--family and community. She celebrated the small things in verses that spoke from her heart to the hearts of those she loved. At times, she notes, during the harsh winters, she might go weeks without seeing anyone except her family...but she was never alone. She had her words. Her verses make no pretense to sophistication or high art. They are meant to be spoken and understood, not analyzed and assessed. Nevertheless, they attain to a kind of emotional purity that is rare. Now, half a century after her death, they allow her to live again.

More than 100 delightful autobiographical poems of Growing Up West, with indexes of First Lines and Titles. As W. Gregory Stewart says in his Introduction: "This volume will find its own special place upon your shelf. You will take it down again and again, and read it again and again.

This collection of 25 essays of literary criticism includes pieces on British poet John Milton, British fantasy writer C. S. Lewis, American horror writer Stephen King, American SF and fantasy writer Orson Scott Card, British horror writer Clive Barker, and several others. Complete with bibliography and index.

John Milton (1608-1674) is best known today for his two epic poems, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, but he wrote a great many other works, both poetry and nonfiction, all infused with his particular philosophy and theology of the Christian religion. Well-known scholar Michael R. Collings here examines one of Milton's major themes--human liberty and choice--and shows how it permeates all the master's writings. Complete with bibliography, notes, and index.