In a world where the slightest edge can mean the difference between success and failure, Leisha Camden is beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent ... and one of an ever-growing number of human beings who have been genetically modified to never require sleep.

Once considered interesting anomalies, now Leisha and the other "Sleepless" are outcasts -- victims of blind hatred, political repression, and shocking mob violence meant to drive them from human society ... and, ultimately, from Earth itself.

But Leisha Camden has chosen to remain behind in a world that envies and fears her "gift" -- a world marked for destruction in a devastating conspiracy of freedom ... and revenge.

Nancy Kress is famous for creating realistic near-future societies based on technological advances and then studying the impact those technological changes have on our society. Here is a collection of three outstanding stories that deal with innovations in medical science and how they affect our lives.

In a deep crevice awaits an alien parasite, dormant till the accidental fall of a small girl awakens it. Annabel does not realize how serious the consequences of her fall really are...and how her little misstep may change the future of humanity itself. *** A remarkable new tale in the highly acclaimed Stellar Guild Series.

Judy Kozinski needs answers. Her husband, a prominent genetic scientist, has been found murdered and no one can find a motive. *** In Las Vegas, a showgirl sends a cryptic message to FBI agent Robert Cavanaugh from a murdered friend. *** How are the two related and what does it have to with the mysterious drug company Verico in New Jersey? Judy Kozinski and Robert Cavanaugh must work together to solve an intricate maze of deceit, murder and mysteries before the life of a whole town is put at risk.

A magazine of speculative fiction. Edited by Mike Resnick. Stories by: Nancy Kress, Nick T. Chan, Janis Ian, Marina J. Lostetter, Tom Gerencer, Robert Silverberg, Ed McKeown, Maureen McHugh, Jeff Calhoun, Edmond Hamilton. Columns by: Barry Malzberg, Gregory Benford & Book Reviews by Paul Cook. **** Please note that earlier issues are still available on GalaxysEdge.com BN.com, Amazon.com & other online stores.

Two stories about artificial intelligence from one of the most respected names in hard science fiction. Multiple Hugo and Nebula winner Nancy Kress gives us a fascinating look into the evolution of artificial intelligence and the impact it has on human society.

Nancy Kress is unrivaled in her treatment of genetic engineering. In 1991 she wrote the ground-breaking classic novella Beggars in Spain (Hugo/Nebula) and since then has only enhanced her outstanding reputation of telling stories set in the near-future and dealing with genetics. *** This collection brings together six of these stories written between 1984 and 2008, including "The Flowers of Aulit Prison" which won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best short story.

Get Your Readers' Attention--And Keep It--From the First World to the Final Page

Translating that initial flash of inspiration into a complete story requires careful crafting. So how do you keep your story from beginning slowly, floundering midway, and trailing off at the end? Nancy Kress shows you effective solutions for potential problems at each stage of your story--essential lessons for strong start-to-finish storytelling.

• Hook readers, agents, and editors in the first three paragraphs.
• Make and keep your story's implicit promise to the reader.
• Build drama and credibility by controlling your prose.
• Consider the price a writer pays for flashbacks.
• Reveal character effectively throughout your story.

"One of the best of the year...a compelling novella about a once-famous actress and her devoted manager who get much more publicity of an unfortunate sort when they inadvertently become embroiled with an act of biological terrorism with potentially world-changing results."-Gardner Dozois, Locus ****