New Releases by Esther Friesner

Is anything more terrifying than a dragon? Bat-winged nightmares swooping down from the sky to breathe fire and ice on the wretched humans below; kidnapping princesses, hoarding treasure, swallowing cows. Or not. In DRAGONESQUE, the latest fantastic anthology from Zombies Need Brains, you finally get to experience all that awfulness from the dragon’s point of view. And what if it isn’t necessarily that awful? What if the princess wants to be kidnapped, or the dragon is tired of being made fun of week after week at the Renaissance Faire? Or maybe a dragonet just really, really wants to be a unicorn? Perhaps they’re happiest collecting art, or enjoy being tattooed? Or maybe some dragons like putting out fires more than starting them...unless they absolutely have to? DRAGONESQUE features sixteen original stories from such fiery authors as Esther M. Friesner, Madeline Dau, Niall Spain, Russell Hugh McConnell, Grace Eliza, Mike Jack Stoumbos, Paul D. Smith, Jean Marie Ward, Gerald Brandt, Gini Koch & Bebe Bayliss, Larry Ivkovich, Barbara Campbell, Journey Sloane, Em McDermott, Auston Habershaw, and David B. Coe. See the world as the dragons see it, from the delightfully delicious to the tastefully transactional. Welcome to DRAGONESQUE.

A missing intergalactic artifact valuable enough to inspire murder. A cartoon gag gone bad that leads to a gruesome death. Greek deities unraveling a divine mystery in New York City. A human detective navigating the temptations of Faerie in pursuit of a magical killer. Call them sleuths, call them gumshoes, call them shamuses or dicks or beagles—these private investigators prowl the back alleys of imagination, explaining the unexplainable, seeking answers and justice for two hundred dollars a day plus expenses. In Noir, speculative fiction authors Hal Bodner, Jessie Kwak, Esther M. Friesner, Travis Wade Beaty, John Zakour, Alex Bledsoe, Erik Grove, Andrija Popovic, Julie E. Czerneda, Aprilynne Pike, D.B. Jackson, Justin Jordan, Steven Harper, R.S. Belcher, and Eve Golden-Woods spin tales of intrigue and danger, introducing you to worlds where information is currency and life is cheap. So put on your fedora, raise your trench coat collar against the evening chill, and come explore the shadows. But remember, in this seedy business, you can trust no one...sometimes not even yourself.

What could possibly happen when two cultures meet for the first time? In WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, anything. WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE presents fourteen original stories where two different societies intersect and deal with the aftermath of that meeting. Will the conflicting cultures merge and adapt and find peace? Or will they clash, unable to either accept their differences or acknowledge their commonalities? Who will survive when the last of the Fae battles a world-killing AI? What happens when a being who is part of a vast collective-consciousness is forced to face their own individuality? Can a werewolf ever break free of the unholy pact its fae creator has made with humanity? Will Earth really manage to commit the biggest and most egregious faux pas in history when it’s on the cusp of joining the Galactic Union? And why is it that two very different kinds of elves are angrily facing off at a simple dinner party? Whether your taste runs to humor, horror, science fiction, or fantasy, the stories collected in this latest anthology from Zombies Need Brains and written by some of today’s hottest SF&F authors will delight, thrill, and terrify you. Join Christopher Leapock, Howard Andrew Jones, Gary Kloster, Louis Evans, Peter S. Drang, Esther Friesner, S.C. Butler, Nancy Holzner, Auston Habershaw, Violette Malan, Stephen Leigh, Alan Smale, Steven Harper, and Jordan Chase-Young as they delve into what may happen...WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE.

Join us for a feast! Step into a roadside diner run by witches. Attend a banquet with aliens who are as crass as they are brutal. Eat oysters on the half shell with a pair of conjurers, or scratch out a meal with warring pilots marooned on a desolate planet. Pity the ghost who must cook her way to freedom, and mourn with the warrior who seeks a final delicacy for his lost love. Search the far reaches of space for sustenance or descend into a hellscape of culinary horrors. In this volume, food is the star! Fantasy and science fiction authors Paige L. Christie, Diana A. Hart, A.L. Tompkins, Esther Friesner, Derrick Boden, Andy Duncan, Chaz Brenchley, Howard Andrew Jones, Mike Jack Stoumbos, R.S. Belcher, Mia Moss, Gini Koch, D.B. Jackson, Jason Palmatier, and Gabriela Santiago have prepared a GALACTIC STEW that will entice and tantalize, nourish the imagination, and sate the most ravenous of literary appetites. But beware! These dishes are not what they seem...

PORTALS: What mysteries...or horrors...await you on the other side? The lure of an open doorway is hard to resist. What lies beyond? Where will it take you—and how will you be transformed? Will it lead to paradise...or a living hell? You’ll never know, unless you have the courage to take that first step. In this anthology you will find sixteen stories of portals to exotic destinations, whether it’s a doorway in the desert that appears out of thin air, a fairy ring of mushrooms in the backyard, a crack in the road, or a train headed straight to Hell. Science fiction and fantasy authors Nancy Holzner, Esther Friesner, Ian Tregillis, Jacey Bedford, John Linwood Grant, Kate Hall, Gini Koch, Violette Malan, Juliet Kemp, James Enge, Steven Harper, F. Brett Cox, Jaime Lee Moyer, Jason Palmatier, Andrija Popovic, and Patrick Hurley invite you to step through a host of doorways to other realities with infinite possibilities, some horrible, some comic, and some just plain weird. So take my hand—not too tight!—and let’s journey into another world. The door is open. The portal awaits.

SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, HUMOR The Unidentified Funny Objects series delivers an annual dose of funny, zany, and unusual science fiction and fantasy stories. All-new fiction from the genre''s top voices! * A long time ago in a galaxy close enough not to violate any copyrights, the clone army fighting for the side of the evil empire is made up of a bunch of bros named Chad. * Can a couple of wise guys from New Jersey broker a sit down between two groups of warring aliens? * Witness an epic battle of mad science vs. dark magic. * US presidents elected in 1860 and 1960 were both assassinated. What''s going to happen to whoever''s elected in 2060? * Beware the dragon polite enough to return your drone after it breached the barriers between worlds and bonked him on the snout.

Stop right there! If you like your fantasy filled with fellowships and noble quests, this anthology is not for you. And if you love lengthy tales of politics and power, then it won’t be to your taste either. But if you like a little intimacy with your evil, and your vengeance short and sweet, with perhaps a pinch of silliness in the witchcraft, then these fourteen delicious sweetmeats of sword and sorcery will prove right up your alley. And it will be a dank, twisting, fetid alley, too. In this book you will find no high elves (only low), no politics (unless assassination is involved), and certainly no nobility. Join Lawrence Harding, Howard Andrew Jones, Esther Friesner, Jenna Rhodes, Gini Koch, Violette Malan, Leah Webber, David Farland, R.K. Nickel, Ashley McConnell, D.B. Jackson, James Enge, Jason Palmatier, and Amelia Sirina as they explore the perilous streets and clashing blades found in GUILDS & GLAIVES.

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)

Of Shapeshifters and Skinwalkers.... As long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer. one girl in all the world, to find them where they gather and to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. The seedy carnival looks like just the thing to give Buffy and her best buds, Xander and Willow, a break from staking bloodsuckers. Some greasy food, a few cheap thrills -- what more could a Slayer ask for? But then Buffy senses something evil behind this carnival. Xander and Willow aren''t so sure. They don''t buy Buffy''s notion that the carneys are somehow connected to the corpes turning up around Sunnydale. It doesn''t help that her two best friends are each interested in someone at the carnival. Which puts the burden of proof on Buffy. Can she find out what''s going on in time to save her friends? Or has the Slayer become the prey?

Everyone has their eyes set on the black depths of space...but what about the deep abysses of the ocean? What dark monsters swim unseen beneath the waves? What ancient wonders lie hidden, waiting to be discovered? What sirens call, either here on Earth or in the icy waters of a far off planet...or even at the bottom of a wine glass? So much remains to be explored below the surface, where light fades and the pressure kills. Here are seventeen stories from today’s leading science fiction and fantasy authors that take us into those depths, whether we want to or not. Join Seanan McGuire, Michael Robertson, Esther Friesner, F. Brett Cox, Wendy Nikel, Marsheila Rockwell & Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Jody Lynn Nye, Bill Kte’pi, Jenna Rhodes, Susan Jett, James Van Pelt, J.D. Koch, Misty Massey, A. Merc Rustad, David Farland, Sara M. Harvey, and Nicky Drayden as they explore unfathomable trenches, underwater volcanoes, and abyssal plains. Take the plunge...into the Deep End!

18 Short Stories of Humorous Horror Read this book to: * Meet communist werewolves, mad scientists and Jewish vampires. * Reject novel pitches from famous zombie novelists. * Provide psychotherapy for Cthulhu. * Domesticate angry gods. * Install Linux on a dead badger. Includes the following stories: "No Children, No Pets" by Esther Friesner "43 Responses to ''In Memory of Dr. Alexandra Nako''" by Barbara A. Barnett "Kvetchula''s Daughter" by Darrell Schweitzer "The Great VuDu Linux Teen Zombie Massacree" by Lucy A. Snyder "Good Neighbors" by Amanda C. Davis "Happily and Righteously" by Larry Hodges "Stalking the Zombie" by Mike Resnick "Restless in R''yleh" by Oliver Buckram "P.R. Problems" by Eric James Stone "Hot Fudge and Whipped Cream" by Tarl Kudrick "Death: A List" by Tanya Bryan "Soccer Mom Smackdown" by Julia S. Mandala "The God Whisperer" by Daniel J. Davis "Meat and Greet" by Jamie Todd Rubin "Something Virtual This Way Comes" by Laura Resnick "The Story of Emily and Control" by Scott Alexander "Howl!" by Jody Lynn Nye "Final Corrections" by M. Bennardo

SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, HUMOR * Aztec Astronauts * Punster Prophets * Apocalyptic Apps * Cantankerous Cryptids * and the Duck Knight Fifth annual volume of the Unidentified Funny Objects anthology series features eighteen lighthearted science fiction and fantasy tales from the masters of the genre. Read about planetary adoptions, secret agent princesses, alien cooking reality shows, rigged elections, magical insurance agents, and much more.

The fourth volume of the annual Unidentified Funny Objects series features the theme of dark humor. What happens when you ask some of the genre''s masters to interpret this theme? The enclosed twenty-three darkly humorous tales range from black comedy to biting satire to morbid irony and everything in between. Inside this book you''ll find Faustian bargains gone awry, time-traveling ghosts, flawed supervillains, talking hamsters, and much more. Featuring stories by: George R. R. Martin Neil Gaiman Andrew Kaye Caroline M. Yoachim Esther Friesner Brent C. Smith Laura Pearlman Tim Pratt Piers Anthony Ian Creasey Oliver Buckram Anaea Lay Karen Haber Eric Kaplan Jody Lynn Nye Tina Gower Zach Shephard Mike Resnick James Aquilone Michael J. Martinez Tina Connolly Gini Koch Jonathan Ems

UFO2 is the second annual collection of humorous science fiction and fantasy short stories. Inside you''ll find: - A golem on an interstellar cruise ship - Dragon-taunting for fun and profit - Time travel gone really wrong - Cubicle farm wizardry - Alien behemoths in Central Park

As Himiko traverses ancient Japan in order to free enslaved members of her clan, she encounters members of many other tribes and emerges as the leader who will unify them.

"Himiko is brave and bold. I love her!" --Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author Himiko shouldn''t have a care in the world. As the only daughter of the most powerful man in the Matsu clan, she has her every need catered to. But Himiko isn''t like other girls. She would much rather follow her brothers'' path and become a hunter--something clan tradition and her strict father will never allow. And Himiko has a secret: she can commune with the spirit world. The clan''s shaman has seen visions of Himiko''s future as clan leader and decides to train her in secret. Suddenly Himiko''s path doesn’t look pampered—it looks dangerous. Readers who love strong girl-centric adventures are eating up Esther Friesner''s Princesses of Myth books, finding the mash-up of historical fiction and fantasy adventure irresistible!

It''s 1910, and thirteen-year-old Raisa has just traveled alone from a small Polish shtetl all the way to New York City. It''s overwhelming, awe-inspiring, and even dangerous, especially when she discovers that her sister has disappeared and she must now fend for herself. She finds work in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory sewing bodices on the popular shirtwaists. Raisa makes friends and even-dare she admit it?- falls in love. But then 1911 dawns, and one March day a spark ignites in the factory. One of the city''s most harrowing tragedies unfolds, and Raisa''s life is forever changed. . . . One hundred years after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, this moving young adult novel gives life to the tragedy and hope of this transformative event in American history.

Ancient Egypt springs to life in this enthralling sequel to Sphinx’s Princess. As she did in Nobody’s Princess and Nobody’s Prize, author Esther Friesner offers readers a fresh look at an iconic figure, blending historical fiction and mythology in a heady concoction. Hunted . . . Overnight, every aspect of Nefertiti’s life has changed. She is no longer living at the royal palace as the intended bride of the crown prince. Instead, she is being chased by the prince and his soldiers for a crime she did not commit. Hidden . . . Traveling with two of her dearest friends, including the crown prince’s brother, who helped her escape, Nefertiti takes shelter in the wild hills along the Nile’s west bank. She must rely on her own resourcefulness and skills (all those secret archery lessons prove very useful) as the fugitives fight to survive. Haunted . . . But the need for justice gnaws at Nefertiti. She is determined to plead her case to the Pharaoh and set things right. As she begins to question long-held sacred beliefs—a questioning that could alter the fabric of Egyptian society—her extraordinary journey from commoner to royalty brings adventure, intrigue, and romance.

She was far more than just a pretty face. . . . Although Nefertiti is the dutiful daughter of a commoner, her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And her striking beauty garners attention that she''d just as soon avoid, especially when it''s her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who has set her sights on Nefertiti. The queen wants to use her niece as a pawn in her quest for power, so Nefertiti must leave her beloved family and enter a life filled with courtly intrigue and danger. But her spirit and mind will not rest as she continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society. With control of a kingdom at stake and threats at every turn, Nefertiti is forced to make choices and stand up for her beliefs in ways she never imagined. As she did in Nobody''s Princess and Nobody''s Prize, author Esther Friesner offers readers a fresh look at an iconic figure, blending historical fiction and mythology in a heady concoction.

Raisel leaves her shetl for America and goes to work in the Triangle Shirt Factory.

Move over, urban fantasy¾here comes suburban fantasy. What self-respecting witch, vampire, or werewolf would be caught dead¾or undead¾anywhere but the Big City, you may ask Look, let''s give the uncanny crew a little credit for intelligence: If they had the smarts to see the advantage in packing up and moving into the cities, why wouldn''t they have the smarts to move out of said cities if it looked like they could get a better quality-of-life/death elsewhere (Tough enough going about your otherworldly business and evading the occasional mob wielding halogen torches and designer pitchforks, but have you ever seen city real estate prices ) So let''s welcome our first group of supernatural suburbanites, the witches. Their powers are awesome, their methods of coping with the lumps, bumps, and idiosyncrasies of Suburbia are ingenious, and they always bring the loveliest gingerbread to the PTA bake sale. But whatever you do, don''t try telling them that life in a non-city setting is bland, banal and boring, or you might get turned into . . . ribbit! Stories of suburban sorcery by Harry Turtledove, Sarah A. Hoyt, Jan and S.M. Stirling, K. D. Wentworth, and more¾including Esther Friesner herself. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

In this rousing sequel to Nobody’s Princess, young Helen of Sparta is not about to be left behind when her older brothers head off to join the quest for the Golden Fleece. Accompanied by her friend Milo, and disguised as a boy herself, Helen sets out to join the crew of heroes aboard the massive ship known as The Argo. Helen quickly faces all sorts of danger. There are battles to be fought, as well as an encounter with a terrifying murderous princess. With her beauty blossoming, Helen’s journey takes her beyond the mythology of the Golden Fleece to Athens, where her very future as Queen of Sparta is threatened.

Helen of Sparta wants to be more than a princess and a pretty face—she wants to be a hero. The traditions of ancient Sparta would have Helen know her place: a beautiful princess, a loyal daughter, a perfect bride. But Helen wants adventure, and she''s not looking back. Not one to count on the gods to take care of her, she sets out to see the world and seek her own fate with steely determination. Her rebellious will makes Helen dangerous enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also gains her true friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi. If she is strong enough, if she is cunning enough, if she is brave enough, Helen will find her destiny . . . but what does destiny have in store for her? In Nobody''s Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The back of the book includes further facts about Helen of Troy and Ancient Greece. Hand to readers who love Tamora Pierce and Leigh Bardugo, particularly if they just finished Wonder Woman: Warbringer and want to know more about Helen of Troy. "A must-read for fans of fantasy and mythology."—VOYA "Along the way, Friesner skillfully exposes larger issues of women''s rights, human bondage, and individual destiny. It''s a rollicking good story."—Booklist

Ilana finds a summer job which involve working for the ancient Greek Fates.

THOSE RAMBUNCTIOUS CHICKS IN CHAINMAIL ARE BACK¾AND BOTH THEIR WIT AND THEIR SWORDS ARE AS SHARP AS EVER! One good turn deserves another and those unpredictable amazons are in action again, swords sharpened, chainmail polished, and makeup in place, ready to fight the good fight on the field of battle. And if you think they''re just male wish-fulfillment fantasies, you''d better say it under your breath and out of their earshot, because these barbarian babes were born to battle. All new adventures of fearless women warriors by Eric Flint, author of 1632; Nebula-winning author Harry Turtledove; Jody Lynn Nye, co-author of the national best seller The Ship Who Won; Campbell Award-winner Wen Spencer, and many more, including the inimitable Esther Friesner herself, as fantasy adventure takes a turn for the lighter side. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

DOW JONES MEETS DARKEST SORCERY! E.Godz, Inc.''s stock-in-trade was magic. When Edwina Godz inherited the family corporation, she immediately put to work all the sorcery she knew, taking shamans on board as subsidiaries, and raking in the benefits of the material world, including big profits and a high-selling stock. Unfortunately, Edwina''s two children hated each other''s guts, and if she stepped aside and let them take over the company, it was certain to go down the tubes. So she decided to let them fight it out for dominance using all the tricks of both corporate in-fighting and wizardly warfare that she had taught them. It''s no holds (or spells) barred¾and may the most evil and ruthless sorcerer win! At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Like a strand of mutating DNA, a deadly conspiracy winds its way through the Alpha Quadrant, even as it stretches across several years of Starfleet history. This special omnibus volume contains the entire bestselling saga-by some of Star Trek''s most popular authors: Book One: Infection John Gregory Betancourt Deanna Troi''s life is endangered by a mysterious plague that threatens to spread throughout the Federation and beyond! Book Two: Vectors Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch On the Cardassian space station known as Terok Nor, Dr. Katherine Pulaski struggles to heal the planet Bajor! Book Three: Red Sector Diane Carey An elderly Dr. McCoy reunites with Ambassador Spock to save the Romulan royal family-and a new generation! Book Four: Quarantine John Vornholt Lieutenant Tom Riker joins forces with the outlaw Maquis to rescue a world in peril! Book Five: Double or Nothing Peter David Along with Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the Starship Excalibur, Jean-Luc Picard tracks the deadly contagion to its source! Book Six: The First Virtue Michael Jan Friedman & Christie Golden Years before commanding the U.S.S. Enterprise™, a young Picard must prevent a war -- and witness the secret origin of a diabolical threat that would someday menace all he cares for!

THE MEN IN BLACK ARE BACK— TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM CERTAIN DOOM. When an unauthorized spacecraft lands smack-dab in the middle of New York’s Central Park, and is found abandoned with enough antimatter weapons to turn the island of Manhattan into a new Atlantis, it’s a job for Men in Black—the top-secret organization that monitors the activities of all extraterrestrials living on Earth. There’s a new ET in town, as beautiful as she is deadly. Immediately, Agent J is assigned to the case, but in order to succeed in his mission, he must locate his old partner, Agent K, whose memory was wiped clean when he “retired.” For it’s K, now a postal worker in Massachusetts, who holds the key: In his mind rests a powerful secret—one that could save the earth, or destroy everything, if it falls into the wrong tentacles. . . . From the Paperback edition.

A message left behind by the Kai Opaka gives Commander Benjamin Sisko a fateful mission: find a young Bajoran girl destined to be a great healer who could bring together the warring factions of Bajor. While Lt. Dax tries to find the healer, Dr. Bashir goes planetside to treat a rare disease that is killing the children in Bajor''s resettlement camps. Surrounded by thousands of dying children, Bashir goes A.W.O.L. from Deep Space Nine TM, vowing not to return until the plague has been stopped. But by the time Dax finds the girl from the Kai''s prophecy the child has fallen victim to the plague. Now, with the fate of the entire planet at stake, Commander Sisko must find Dr. Bashir in time to save the child who may be Bajor''s last chance for peace.

When Lelys, ambassador of the plague-ridden colony planet of Orakisa, approaches the Federation seeking help for her dying world, the U.S.S. Enterprise speeds to the rescue. Captain Picard and his crew escort the Orakisan delegation to its long-lost sister-world, Ne''elat, where the ambassador and the Away Team are initially welcomed, but then endangered. As the Enterprise officers make their way through a web of planet-wide intrigue, time is running out the people of Orakisa and the inhabitants of their sister-worlds as well.