River of Blue Fire : Otherland, Volume 2 Written by Tad Williams Narrated by George Newbern
Otherland. In many ways it is humankind's most stunning achievement: a private, multidimensional universe built over two generations by the greatest minds of the 21st century. But this most exclusive of places is also one of the world's best kept secrets, created and controlled by an organization made up of the world's most powerful and ruthless individuals, a private cartel known - to those who know of their existence at all - as The Grail Brotherhood. Though their purpose in creating Otherland is still a mystery, it may not remain so for long. For they have exacted a terrible price from humanity in the process, and even their highly organized global conspiracy cannot hide the nature of their crimes forever. And now a small band of adventurers has penetrated the veil of secrecy that prevents the uninitiated from entering Otherland.
But having broken into the amazing worlds within worlds that make up this universe, they are trapped, unable to escape back to their own flesh-and-blood bodies in the real world. And as dangers and circumstances split their party into small, widely scattered groups, their only hope of reuniting lies in returning again and again to the River that flows - in one form or another - through all the worlds. But the odds seem to be completely against them as they - and the one outsider with whom they might join forces - become hopelessly lost in realms where an Ice Age tribe's fears can only be quenched in blood - where insects are as large and deadly as dinosaurs - where they are caught in the war between a man made of straw and one made of tin - where cartoon ads take on a life of their own - where humans strive to survive in the aftermath of an alien invasion - and where one among their party is actually The Grail Brotherhood's most terrifying weapon - a sociopathic killer who has never failed and whose current mission is to make certain that not even one member of this little invasion force lives long enough to reveal the truth about Otherland to the people of Earth.
Returned to Earth, Ellen Ripley learns that a colony has been established on LV-426, the planet where the crew of the Nostromo found the original Alien.
But contact with the colonists has been lost, so she must accompany a unit of colonial marines to discover their fate. And to destroy any Aliens found on the planet known as Acheron.
Apprentice magician Skeeve, his scaly mentor Aahz and beautiful ex-assassin Tanda are back—and this time they're treasure hunting in a dimension that combines the Wild West with the vampire-cursed hills of Transylvania—where gold is common as dirt, and danger lurks behind every sagebrush.
Once upon a past. . . .
Millie had been a ghost for 800 years. But now, restored by the magic of Xanth, she was again a maddeningly desirable woman. She could have had any man she wanted . . . except the one she did want, Jonathan the zombie. To grant Millie her desire, and to prove his right to rule Xanth in the future, young Magician Dor embarked on a quest for the elixir which would restore Jonathan to full life.
But the potion could be found only in the past . . . so, through a magic tapestry, to the past he went, taking over the body of a barbarian warrior. The first person he encountered there was Jumper, a giant spider—a nightmare monster, but a staunch friend and much-needed ally in peril-haunted, ancient Xanth.
Then Dor met Millie—800 years younger, but just as lovely. And he realized that, in his new body, he was no longer twelve years old . .
“The future sure won’t have been what it used to be” when Piers Anthony reveals a world within the world of Xanth—and its infinite possibilities (Kirkus Reviews).
The miraculous and mirth-filled land of Xanth holds many marvels. But now an extraordinary new aspect of this remarkable realm unfolds as young Forrest Faun’s quest takes him to a tiny planet hidden in the heart of Xanth. There, with a delightful “day mare” as his constant companion, Forrest will find more marvels then he ever dreamed of.
Packed with magic, mystery, and merrymaking, Faun & Games is the freshest and most exciting Xanth adventure in a month of Pundays!
“With plenty of the spry characters and cheerful wordplay for which Anthony’s works are known, this new Xanth tale should, like its predecessors, manage to wiggle its way onto the bestseller lists.” —Publishers Weekly
Warlock Holmes and Dr John Watson find themselves inconvenienced by a variety of eldritch beings, and the fact that one of them has goat legs. Christmas brings a goose that doesn't let being cooked slow him down, then they meet an electricity demon, discover why being a redhead is even tricker than one might imagine, and Holmes attempts an Irish accent. And naturally Moriarty is hanging around in some form or other.
Harlan Ellison is arguably the finest short story writer in science fiction today, and this collection includes some of his best (certainly his most popular) work. His writings are mature, intense, and deeply affecting. The first two stories are probably the ones he's most famous for --"I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" (a horrifying story about people trapped inside a computer) and "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" (a parable of society's dependence on the clock). Ellison, an Audie winner for narration, skillfully reads all of the stories himself, providing the boundless energy that makes this collection a complete success.
It's the story "They" don't want you to listen to. Though, to be fair, "They" are probably right about this one. To quote the Bible, "Learning the truth can be like loosening a necktie, only to realize it was the only thing keeping your head attached". No, don't put the book back on the shelf - it is now your duty to purchase it to prevent others from listening to it. Yes, it works with audiobooks, too, I don't have time to explain how.
While investigating a fairly straightforward case of a shape-shifting interdimensional child predator, Dave, John, and Amy realized there might actually be something weird going on. Together, they navigate a diabolically convoluted maze of illusions, lies, and their own incompetence in an attempt to uncover a terrible truth they - like you - would be better off not knowing.
Your first impulse will be to think that a story this gruesome - and, to be frank, stupid - cannot possibly be true. That is precisely the reaction "They" are hoping for.
From the secret annals of Realms history come 11 never-before-published tales of valor, featuring the greatest heroes of that magical world - Drizzt Do'Urden, Arilyn Moonblade, Adon, Elminster of Shadowdale, Jander Sunstar, and many others - told by your favorite authors, including:Ed Greenwood, R.A. Salvatore, Douglas Niles, Troy Denning, Christie Golden, and others
This anthology presents thirteen of your favorite Ed Greenwood stories taken from over fifteen years of Forgotten Realms novels. In addition, this anthology contains three brand new stories by Ed Greenwood!
Adventure across the myriad faces of Faerûn with warriors like Mirt the Moneylender and Alusair the Steel Regent, and with wizards like Elminster the Sage of Shadowdale and his three charges, Dove, Storm, and Laeral, as they roam the Realms, protecting the innocent from villainy, the ignorant from deception, and the insane from themselves.
Contents "Not the Most Successful of Feasts", "Dark Talons Forbear Thee", "The Whispering Crown", "So High a Price", "One Comes, Unheralded, to Zirta", "A Dance in Storm's Garden", "A Slow Day in Skullport", "Bloodbound", "How Wisdom Came to the Maimed Wizard", "The Eye of the Dragon", "Nothing but Trouble", "The Grinning Ghost of Taverton Hall", "The Place Where Guards Snore at their Posts", "Living Forever", "The Long Road Home"