New Releases by Alan Dean Foster

A far future conspiracy comes to light in this science fiction mystery by New York Times–bestselling author Alan Dean Foster. The Colligatarch is an artificial intelligence that has guided humanity for more than a century, influencing everything from Earth-bound business and politics to interstellar relations with alien species. With world leaders following the AI’s advice, Earth has become a near utopia. In Phoenix, Arizona, design engineer Eric Abbott is an exemplary citizen with an enviable career. He has no reason to stray from the path of the societal system that has rewarded his work ethic and allegiance—until the day he sees a woman whose beauty and aura have no peer. Her name is Lisa Tambor. To find her, Eric will sacrifice the life he’s built. Suddenly, he’s traveling incognito, defying authority, and trespassing on secret, private properties. And he’s demonstrating superhuman abilities of strength and endurance he didn’t know he had. Eric’s quest to find Lisa has caught the attention of very powerful factions involved in interplanetary intrigue. And they see Eric as a threat to be eliminated with extreme prejudice . . .

New York Times–bestselling author Alan Dean Foster’s Jed the Dead is a comedic science fiction buddy road trip of interstellar proportions. En route from Texas to the West Coast, Ross Ed Hager has an encounter of the most unusual kind when he comes across the corpse of an alien. Naming the three-eyed, six-limbed dead extraterrestrial Jed, Ross takes his new companion on the road so he doesn’t have to see the sites alone. Along the way, the odd couple—accompanied by a woman who hitches a ride in Ross’s convertible,—are pursued by government operatives, bounty hunters, Hollywood agents, UFO fanatics, and intergalactic cops. And when Ross starts exhibiting strange, uncanny abilities, it may be a sign that Jed may not be as dead as he appears to be . . . “Foster twists a black comedy about an alien corpse into a hilarious, weird, and out-of-this-world road trip, full of memorable characters, witty dialogue, and plenty of surprises.” —Publishers Weekly

Humanity makes first—and possibly last—contact with an alien species in this sci-fi adventure from the New York Times–bestselling author of the Humanx Commonwealth series. Earth’s most elite team of scientists has made an astonishing discovery. Far from our solar system is the life-sustaining planet Xica, home of an advanced intelligent species who have created a human-like civilization. Invited to visit, the scientists explore a world of miraculous wonders that defies the very laws of nature as they know it. But Xica’s secrets may threaten not only their lives but the lives of everyone on Earth . . .

Cat • A • Lyst is a purrfectly hilarious science fiction adventure from the New York Times–bestselling author of the Humanx Commonwealth series. There’s more to movie star Jason Carter than his smoldering good looks, but Hollywood’s honchos aren’t interested in casting him as a dramatic lead. With little to do on camera beyond running around a battlefield in a Civil War film, Jason decides it’s time to take a vacation. He finds the perfect destination in the Peruvian Andes, where he believes there is treasure to be found. Instead, Jason stumbles upon a hidden civilization of Incas from an alternate dimension planning to conquer Earth. Now, he’s on the run with a band of companions including an Amazon warrior, an archeologist, a tabloid journalist, and a cat who just may hold the key to saving the world.

An investigator must solve a seemingly impossible theft in this comedic sci-fi mystery by New York Times–bestselling author Alan Dean Foster . The room—surrounded by cameras, motion sensors, and alarms, and guarded by rotating security crews twenty-four seven—was supposed to be impenetrable. No one should have been able to approach the vault unseen. So how did the irreplaceable pharmaceuticals stored there get stolen? How did someone breach the vault three times and escape unnoticed and without leaving a trace? It’s a mystery that falls to insurance adjuster Roderick Manz to solve. Assisted by a humanoid robot, an AI, and an off-world partner named Vyra with secrets of her own, Manz is on the hunt for the most clever thieves he has ever encountered.

The New York Times–bestselling author creates “a fascinating amalgam of sf/detective fiction and Native American lore” (Library Journal). A wealthy industrialist and folk art collector is murdered in his home and left beneath where a painting had been hanging. But theft is not the motive. The artwork—a Navajo sandpainting—has been completed pulverized. And no blood was found at the scene. Assigned to the case is bulldog detective Vernon Moody—sent to Arizona to investigate. It’s an unfamiliar environment for the born-and-bred southerner: dry air, altitude, and a booming economy spurred by high-tech manufacturing on the reservations. Still ancient superstitions linger, suggesting a motive for the crime. There is magic in traditional sandpaintings—a power that, when paired with technology, could unleash forces beyond human control . . . Praise for Alan Dean Foster “A master storyteller.” —SF Site “One of the most consistently and fertile writers of science fiction and fantasy.” —The Times (London)

The New York Times–bestselling author’s epic fantasy finale to the series “featuring a fast-paced mix of wry humor, high fantasy, and amazing new places and creatures” (Publishers Weekly). Hymneth the Possessed has been warned. He is coming—and he’s not alone. A master of necromantic arts, a questioner of all that is unanswered, a seeker of justice. Hymneth feels no threat in the warning, for no one in all the kingdoms in all the realms is as powerful as he is. His only weakness is the beautiful woman trapped in his tower: the Visioness of Laconda. Since her captivity, she has continued to ignore and despise him. He possesses no more of her presence than he does of her passion. But herdsman Etjole Ehomba is on his way, hardened by his adventures, ready to complete his quest to find the Visioness and return her to her people. At his side are his loyal companions—a swordsman, a gigantic black cat, and an ape-like creature. Together they have crossed the Semordria Ocean, languished in its doldrums, fenced its winds, helped by sargassum men, crabs, and krakens. Their journey is coming to end. And the showdown between humble herder and malevolent wizard will unleash forces that the world has never seen . . . Praise for the Journeys of the Catechist Trilogy “The effect of this book is that of tales within tales, like those of Sinbad and his many voyages; a thousand dissimilar elements somehow fit together seamlessly. This is Foster at his best, thoughtful and fun.” —Booklist

A hero’s quest begins in this first book of “perhaps [the] most highly regarded fantasy trilogy” from the New York Times–bestselling author (Black Gate). They washed up on the beach, dead men clad in strange, intricate garments. The Naumkib tribe will eat well tonight. Simple herdsman Etjole Ehomba is wandering among the corpses, when he hears a faint cry . . . One of the men is still alive—and he implores Etjole for help. His countess-to-be, the Visioness Themaryl of Laconda, has been abducted, carried off by Hymneth the Possessed. The dying man charges Etjole with the duty to find her and restore her to the people of Laconda. Etjole—herder, fisherman, father, warrior, tracker—is a man of conviction. He cannot ignore a brave and noble man’s plea. So he sets off on a journey to find a woman many men were willing to die for and to face his destiny in the Unstable Lands, where people are swallowed up by unreality—by things that should not even exist . . . “Odd and engaging . . . A wondrous journey.” —Locus “Inventive and filled with flavorsome incident.” —Kirkus Reviews “An epic series which is sure to please many readers.” —SF Site

From the New York Times–bestselling author of Carnivores of Light and Darkness comes the second fantasy adventure in the Journeys of the Catechist saga. With his two companions—Simna ibn Sind the swordsman and the massive black cat Ahlitah—at his side, Etjole Ehomba continues his honor-driven quest to find the Visioness of Laconda. Imprisoned in the fortress of an evil necromancer, she is both her captor’s obsession and his torment. Seeking to cross the blighted Semordria Ocean, Etjole and his sidekicks find no one willing to risk its legendary monsters—until they meet a collector of rare animals. He points them to the northern realm of Hamacassar, and then drugs them in order to steal Ahlitah. Escaping the man’s conjured assassins, the trio head to the Thinking Kingdoms, across snow-covered mountains to Laconda, with danger and dark magic nipping at their heels . . . “Foster’s latest series combines elements of epic fantasy with folkloric motifs in an engaging picaresque tale of a simple man’s honor-bound journey into adventure.” —Library Journal “The story’s swift pace and Foster’s boundless imagination deliver something very different from the usual fantasy quest saga. In these magical lands, Foster shows that character and common sense can be as important, and as powerful, as any magic.” —Publishers Weekly “There’s no doubt that Alan Dean Foster is a master storyteller. I finished Into the Thinking Kingdoms in a single sitting.” —Black Gate “Splendidly packed with illustrious incidents, not to mention a protagonist who grows steadily more intriguing and enigmatic.” —Kirkus Reviews

A group of motley castaways on an ice planet help a race of cat-like aliens, in this science fiction adventure by the #1 New York Times bestseller. After crash-landing on the icy planet Tran-ky-ky, salesman Ethan Frome Fortune wants to get back to his life and back to his business. So he and his burly sidekick, Skua September, head to the trading post of Brass Monkey to book passage home. However, when they learn that profiteers and bureaucrats are victimizing their native friends, the Tran, Ethan and Skua decide to stick around. This means helping the Tran gain admission to the Humanx Commonwealth. To do so, they must board their icerigger once more and search for a fabled city, uncover the history of the Tran, and battle some of their fiercest enemies yet . . .

A crew of castaways races to uncover what''s heating up an icy planet, in this science fiction adventure by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author. Seemingly marooned on the freezing cold planet of Tran-ky-ky, Ethan Frome Fortune doesn''t know if he''ll enjoy the warmth of his old home ever again. That is, until a group of scientists at the Brass Monkey outpost detect something unusual in the atmosphere. Aboard the massive icerigger Slanderscree once again, Ethan and his companions are headed south to investigate a mysterious warm spot on the ice planet. However, no one is prepared for what they find--open water. And this global environmental disaster is not a natural phenomenon . . . Ethan helped bring civilization to the Tran, but civilization seems to be pushing back. Now, he and his crew must determine the causes of this chaos before their friends are out of a planet . . .

If they''re coming for us, who''s coming for them? The galaxy is vast, and not everything is what it seems. The invasion we always feared is here. Which begs the question: what do the invaders fear? If not us, then what...or who And what happens to the would-be peacemakers when they find themselves in the middle of something else? Something dangerous, something highly advanced, and ... something familiar? If humanity is wise, we will prepare for everything we can imagine. But we cannot prepare for what we cannot imagine. It might be benign, it might be malign, or it might be a sign. You just have to know where to look.

A first-contact novel written from an alien perspective by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Trek Into Darkness. Ryo is one of the Thranx, a race of social arthropods. From his larval years to now, his life has been normal, though his love of learning and insatiable curiosity set him apart. He has settled into his work as an agriculture specialist and is premated to a lovely female. Yet Ryo still feels something is missing from his life, and when he heroically defends his colony from the Thranx’s reptilian nemesis, Ryo gets a taste of excitement that’s hard to forget. Then his premate shares a garbled message from her starship-captain cousin—one that hints at the discovery of a completely new, completely alien space-going intelligence. Even when the captain backtracks and denounces the experience as a deep-space nightmare, Ryo can’t let it go. He becomes obsessed, leaving his colony and family behind to chase rumors of a murderous alien race, horrible beyond imagining. And when he finally makes it to an isolated military outpost rumored to harbor the captured aliens, he comes face-to-face with . . . humanity. Praise for Alan Dean Foster “One of the most consistently inventive and fertile writers of science-fiction and fantasy.” —The Times (London) “Alan Dean Foster is a master of creating alien worlds.” —SFRevu.com “Foster knows how to spin a yarn.” —Starlog “Alan Dean Foster is the modern day Renaissance writer, as his abilities seem to have no genre boundaries.” —Bookbrowser

An original novel based on the thrilling Star Trek movies directed by J.J. Abrams! Taking place in an alternate timeline created when the Starship Kelvin was destroyed by a Romulan invader from the future, this bold new novel follows Captain James T. Kirk and an inexperienced crew commandeering a repaired U.S.S. Enterprise out of spacedock for a simple shakedown cruise. When a distress call comes in, the Enterprise must aid a large colony ship of alien refugees known as the Perenorean, who are under siege by an unknown enemy. But Kirk and his crew will find that the situation with the peaceful Perenorean is far more complicated than they bargained for, and the answers as to why they were attacked in the first place unfold in the most insidious of ways…

The last known human searches the galaxy for companionship in a brilliant standalone novel from the legendary author of the Pip & Flinx series. “A provocative read.”—The Washington Post Once Homo sapiens reigned supreme, spreading from star system to star system in an empire that encountered no alien life and thus knew no enemy . . . save itself. As had happened many times before, the basest, most primal human instincts rose up, only this time armed with the advanced scientific knowledge to create a genetically engineered smart virus that quickly wiped out humanity to the last man. That man is Ruslan, the sole known surviving human being in the universe. Rescued from the charnel house of his home planet by the Myssari—an intelligent alien race—Ruslan spends his days as something of a cross between a research subject and a zoo attraction. Though the Myssari are determined to resurrect the human race, using Ruslan’s genetic material, all he wants for himself and his species is oblivion. But then the Myssari make Ruslan an extraordinary offer: In exchange for his cooperation, they will do everything in their considerable power to find the lost home world of his species—an all-but-mythical place called Earth—and, perhaps, another living human. Thus begins an epic journey of adventure, danger, heartbreak, and hope, as Ruslan sets out in search of a place that may no longer exist—drawn by the slimmest yet most enduring hope. Praise for Relic “Relic is a thrilling and thoughtful epic. With Alan Dean Foster’s trademark invention in both the psychology and physiology of his aliens, he also enriches the narrative with their complex cultures. The plot spans galaxies!”—Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Greg Bear “The stunning plot of Foster’s stand-alone novel will intrigue readers for not only the ‘last man in the universe’ trope but also the well-developed alien species. A true first contact novel on many different levels.”—Library Journal “Foster’s sympathetic novel successfully surveys human frailty, the tendency not to learn from history, and an enduring capacity for adaptation and emotional attachment.”—Publishers Weekly “Foster’s high-concept novel is a gripping tale of serenity amid sorrow.”—World Magazine

Eighteen twisted tales of the wildest West that’s ever been imagined, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pip & Flinx series Strange things lurk up in the mountains and out in the plains and deserts of the West, but few are as unique as the giant mountain man named Amos Malone, who some call “Mad Amos”—though not to his face. Atop his unnatural steed, Worthless, Mad Amos is prepared to step into any fray and set things right, albeit in his own unusual way. Now all of his uncanny exploits—including the brand-new story “Stuck”—are collected together for the first time. For this special edition, Alan Dean Foster has also penned original introductions to the series and to each individual adventure. Featuring eight never-before-collected stories, including . . . GHOST WIND: Nature has a way of making even the strongest folks meek. And with a ghost wind coming over the valley, even Mad Amos Malone is feeling the chill. HOLY JINGLE: Of all the dangers of the Wild West, love might be the most perilous. Because when it goes awry, there’s no telling what might be at stake. A MOUNTAIN MAN AND A CAT WALK INTO A BAR: Mad Amos isn’t quickly moved to action. Still, when it comes to a dog fight, he’s not afraid to bare his teeth. STUCK: The untouched grove of Sequoias is one of the most beautiful, soul-rejuvenating, downright sacred places Amos has ever visited. Until he hears a cry for help. . . . Praise for Mad Amos Malone “The consistent rhythms of [Alan Dean] Foster’s language, his shaggy-dog puns, and the distinctive clarity of Malone’s rough yet occasionally educated voice draw readers quickly into each story’s mood while maintaining strong connections between the pieces.”—Publishers Weekly

Unlikely duo Pip and Flinx return to right another wrong in this all-new sci-fi adventure from one of the genre’s living legends. Fans of fun, fast-paced, imaginative science fiction adventure, rejoice! #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster returns to his much-loved Commonwealth series with a new novel starring the indefatigable Flinx and his venomous minidrag, Pip. Facing danger and doing good is their business . . . provided the price is right. The unexpected return of an old friend draws Flinx and Pip to the backward planet of Largess, whose seal-like denizens’ primitive technology and fractious clan politics have kept a wary Commonwealth from a profitable trade relationship. But now a rogue human employing forbidden advanced weaponry threatens to ignite a war among the Larians. And Flinx is just the man to stop it before it starts. But once on Largess, Flinx discovers that his empathic abilities—usually his greatest asset—are rendered useless by the natives’ unique language, which is sung rather than spoken. Worse, the abduction of a powerful chieftain’s daughter has raised tensions to the boiling point. Now Flinx must depend on his own mettle—and of course Pip, the devoted minidrag with the deadly edge—to right wrongs, mend fences, and battle a cold-blooded adversary armed with enough firepower to blow them all away . . . and destroy the chance for peace in Largess forever. Advance praise for Strange Music “Adventure-loving readers new to the series, as well as old fans, will enjoy [Alan Dean] Foster’s return to Commonwealth space.”—Publishers Weekly

SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, HUMOR * Cranky Goblin Cooks * Unscrupulous Chemists * Lecherous Space Pirates * Disagreeable Alien Symbiotes * Soul-Searching Snot Elementals The Unidentified Funny Objects series serves an annual dose of funny. zany, and unusual science fiction and fantasy stories. All-new fiction from the genre''s top voices! Our sixth volume features a Mad Amos story by Alan Dean Foster, a Harry the Book tale by Mike Resnick, and an Alexander Outland short by Gini Koch. Jim Hines reimagines a Game of Thrones with goblins in it, Ken Liu begs a sentient AI to spare him, and Esther Friesner takes us on a tour of Chelm, complete with dragons and gratuitous footnotes. There are also tales of an interdimensional secret agent, a warrior-writer on a quest from an evil god, a necromancer intent on rehabilitating the image of his profession, and many more. TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword by Alex Shvartsman “A Game of Goblins” by Jim C. Hines “The Breakdown of Parasite/Host Relationship” by Paul R. Hardy “From This She Makes a Living?” by Esther Friesner “Twenty-Nine Responses to Inquiries About My Craigslist Post: Alien Spaceship for Sale $200, You Haul” by Tina Connolly “Tyler the Snot Elemental Scours the Newspaper, Searching for Change” by Zach Shephard “Agent of Chaos” by Jack Campbell “Display of Affection” by P. J. Sambeaux “The Great Manhattan Eat-Off” by Mike Resnick “An Evil Opportunity Employer” by Lawrence Watt-Evans “Common Scents” by Jody Lynn Nye “A Mountain Man and a Cat Walk into a Bar” by Alan Dean Foster “Lost and Found” by Laura Resnick “A Crawlspace Full of Prizes” by Bill Ferris “Return to Sender” by Melissa Mead “The Friendly Necromancer” by Rod M. Santos “An Open Letter to the Sentient AI Who Has Announced Its Intention to Take Over the Earth” by Ken Liu “Approved Expense” by David Vierling “Alexander Outland: Space Jockey” by Gini Koch “Dear Joyce” by Langley Hyde “Impress Me, Then We’ll Talk About the Money” by Tatiana Ivanova (translated from Russian by Alex Shvartsman)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The official novelization of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the blockbuster film directed by J. J. Abrams • Includes two tie-in short stories: “The Perfect Weapon” by Delilah S. Dawson and “Bait” by Alan Dean Foster More than thirty years ago, Star Wars burst onto the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon. Now the next adventures in this blockbuster saga are poised to captivate old and new fans alike—beginning with the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And alongside the cinematic debut comes the thrilling novel adaptation by New York Times bestselling science fiction master Alan Dean Foster. Set years after Return of the Jedi, this stunning new action-packed adventure rockets us back into the world of Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Luke Skywalker, while introducing a host of exciting new characters. Darth Vader may have been redeemed and the Emperor vanquished, but peace can be fleeting, and evil does not easily relent. Yet the simple belief in good can still empower ordinary individuals to rise and meet the greatest challenges. So return to that galaxy far, far away, and prepare yourself for what happens when the Force awakens. . . . Praise for Star Wars: The Force Awakens “Like all the best novelizations, Alan Dean Foster’s adaptation of Star Wars: The Force Awakens enriches the movie experience. The novel goes beyond simply giving us insight into the characters’ thoughts, with plenty of additional scenes painting a broader picture of the galaxy.”—New York Daily News “Fast-moving, atmospheric and raises goose-bumps at just the right moments. [Foster] not only evokes entire onscreen worlds . . . he also gives us glimpses of an even more vast, unseen universe.”—The Washington Post “Was my experience of the film enriched by the book? Yes. No question. Is the novelization worth reading? Yes. . . . Foster has written a book that captures the spirit of the film, while presenting additional information that helps answer some of the questions that linger.”—Coffee with Kenobi

The official novelization of Star Wars- The Force Awakens,the highly anticipated blockbuster film directed by J. J. Abrams, hitting cinemas in December 2015.

The official novelization of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the highly anticipated blockbuster film directed by J. J. Abrams, hitting cinemas in December 2015.

Luke Skywalker lived and worked on his uncle''s farm on the remote planet of Tatooine, but he yearned to travel beyond the farthest reaches of the universe to distant, alien worlds. Then Luke intercepted a cryptic message from a beautiful, captive princess . . . and found himself catapulted into the adventure of a lifetime. Luke Skywalker, proud Princess Leia, and headstrong Han Solo . . . merciless Darth Vader, wise Obi-Wan Kenobi, loyal droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, and the inscrutable Yoda . . . Chewbacca the Wookiee, shifty Lando Calrissian, and the vile Jabba the Hutt . . . all the vivid characters from the "Star Wars" universe spring to life in these thrilling pages. The" Star Wars Trilogy" is a must-read for anyone who wants to relive the excitement, the magic, and the sheer entertainment of this legendary saga-now and forever.

Rabbitlike aliens from outer space colonize Earth during humankind’s Second World War in a delightfully funny and thought-provoking science fiction adventure The Quozl just need somewhere to call home. A gentle race of extraterrestrial rabbits, they have a propensity for reproduction that has left their home planet, Quozlene, dangerously overpopulated, and in their search for greener and less-crowded pastures, they have discovered the perfect place to start over: the third planet away from a healthy, warming sun. What they don’t realize is that this world they call Shiraz is already inhabited by a species of violent sentient creatures known as humans. But there’s no going back now. In the midst of the brutal and helpfully distracting global conflict the Shirazians call World War II, the colony ship lands undetected, and the space rabbits immediately go into hiding. But a secret like the Quozl can be concealed for only so long, especially when their numbers start to increase and certain rebellious members of the long-eared society decide the time is ripe to claim their place in a world they believe is rightfully theirs. One of the most admired and prolific authors in the science fiction arena, Alan Dean Foster will delight readers who hunger for something different with this funny, thoughtful, and wildly inventive novel of first contact and coexistence. Once you meet the Quozl, you will never forget them.

“THE FALLEN SHALL RISE AGAIN. . . .” This cryptic warning is ignored by the national security adviser who feels the ruthless Decepticon threat is no more. The allies are victorious, the enemy has been defeated, and the world is safe. Small attacks around the world have been contained, and the remaining pieces of the coveted Allspark are locked in an electromagnetic vault on one of the most secure Naval bases in the world. But nothing is at it seems, and there is a shift in the shadows. Things can change in an instant–and fragile peace will become all-out war.

There are some places in the universe you don''t go alone 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. This groundbreaking sequel by science fiction legend Alan Dean Foster, with the wonderful characters and rapid-fire action that make Aliens one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.

A notorious criminal pursues peace—and power—with alien enemies in this sci-fi novel from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Damned Trilogy. No one knows the true motives of Kees vaan Loo-Macklin. He’s a mastermind criminal who gave up his place at the head of the dark underworld to become a legitimate member of Evenwaith’s cities. But soon he was reaching out to powerful enemies—-the slimy aliens called the Nuel. Loo-Macklin negotiates an illusory peace agreement and gains precious alien secrets in the process. Is he after peace, power or pure evil? With enemy starships beginning to amass, we won’t have to wait long to find out.

Demonic spirit-beings are stealing into our world in this fantasy adventure from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Damned Trilogy. Earth is being invaded by the shetani—-spirit creatures so small and stealthy that only one man knows about the increasing peril. The potential savior is an African elder named Olkeloki who is capable of fighting evil both in this world and the spirit one. But to be successful he must recruit the help of two others: government agent Joshua Oak and a feisty young woman named Merry Sharrow. Only the three of them can keep the shetani from destroying reality as we know it.

Aliens in the mirror are closer than they appear. The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Relic takes readers on an out-of-this-world road trip. The Sonderberg family does not know it yet, but this is not going to be any ordinary road trip. After they pick up an unassuming hitchhiker, a quiet drive down Interstate 40 becomes a trip into an alternate reality. It turns out the family has just given a ride to an alien who has the fate of the universe resting on her shoulders. Now the Sonderberg family must fight evil alongside their new alien friend, in a desperate attempt to save the world they love.

Was geht auf Tran-ky-ky vor? Ethan Frome Fortune, ein interstellarer Handelsvertreter, und seine Begleiter haben den Absturz auf dem lebensfeindlichen Eisplaneten Tran-ky-ky überlebt und Brass Monkey, den einzigen Commonwealth-Stützpunkt auf dem Planeten, erreicht. Jetzt wollen sie eigentlich so schnell wie möglich weg von hier – doch etwas stimmt auf Brass Monkey nicht, und das Verhalten der Eigeborenen ist ungewohnt feindselig. Fortune und sein Begleiter Skua September haben den Verdacht, dass jemand falsches Spiel mit den Einheimischen treibt. Kurzerhand lassen sie ihren Eisklipper, die Slanderscree, wenden, und kehren in die Eiswüste zurück, um das Rätsel zu lösen.

Ein Wesen aus purem Schwarz Auf dem Planeten Repler befindet sich ein von den AAnn geleiteter Vorposten des Commonwealth, gleitet von AAnn-Offizier Parquit RAM. Mühsam haben sie der Wasserwelt einen Stützpunkt abgerungen, als sie ein amorphes Wesen entdecken, das aus purem, konzentriertem Schwarz besteht und sich der Vom nennt. Über 500.000 Jahre hat es darauf gewartet, wieder aktiv zu werden, jetzt ist es soweit. Und in welchem Zusammenhang steht die Killerdroge von Repler, gegen die es kein Gegenmittel gibt?