Most Popular Books by John Brunner

In a world drowning in data, a fugitive tries to outrun the forces that want to reprogram him, in this smart, edgy novel by a Hugo Award–winning author. Constantly shifting his identity among a population choking on information, innovation, and novelty, Nickie Haflinger is a most dangerous outlaw, yet he doesn’t even appear to exist. As global society falls apart in all directions, with corporate power run amok and personal freedom surrendered to computers and bureaucrats, Haflinger is caught and about to be re-programmed. Now he has to try to escape once again, defy the government—and turn the tide of organizational destruction, in this visionary science fiction novel by the author of The Sheep Look Up and Stand on Zanzibar. “Brunner writes about the future as if he and the reader were already living in it.” —The New York Times Book Review “When John Brunner first told me of his intention to write the book, I was fascinated—but I wondered whether he, or anyone, could bring it off. Bring it off he has, with cool brilliance. A hero with transient personalities, animals with souls, think tanks and survival communities fuse to form a future so plausibly alive it as twitched at me ever since.” —Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

Thirteen stories of the past, present, and future from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar. In Out of My Mind, John Brunner, in mid-career, selects a double-handful and more of what he considers his best work to date, thirteen stories that represent—under the three categories in which he classifies them: Past, Present, Future—his most challenging and entertaining stories, from present-day fear of nuclear annihilation to a loving, yet also terrifying infinite loop in time that includes a sideways step outside the universe as we know it. Put yourself in the hands of a master and take your imagination for a series of thrill-rides. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

The brilliant 1969 Hugo Award-winning novel from John Brunner, Stand on Zanzibar, now included with a foreword by Bruce Sterling Norman Niblock House is a rising executive at General Technics, one of a few all-powerful corporations. His work is leading General Technics to the forefront of global domination, both in the marketplace and politically---it''s about to take over a country in Africa. Donald Hogan is his roommate, a seemingly sheepish bookworm. But Hogan is a spy, and he''s about to discover a breakthrough in genetic engineering that will change the world...and kill him. These two men''s lives weave through one of science fiction''s most praised novels. Written in a way that echoes John Dos Passos'' U.S.A. Trilogy, Stand on Zanzibar is a cross-section of a world overpopulated by the billions. Where society is squeezed into hive-living madness by god-like mega computers, mass-marketed psychedelic drugs, and mundane uses of genetic engineering. Though written in 1968, it speaks of now, and is frighteningly prescient and intensely powerful. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The third Thieves'' World® anthology—with stories by fantasy''s favorite authors—curated by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Myth series. Times are hard, and the citizens of Sanctuary are not their greedy, immoral, grifting selves. But desperate times call for desperate measures, which means the bad guys are about to up their game. No one is safe from Sanctuary''s evil charms—not the fish in the waters, not the prince''s own Hell Hound guards, not even Satan himself. " Shadows also includes another story by Offutt that reinforces my opinion that he is incapable of writing a bad story for this series. A number of the tales are Tempus stories, with several of our other recurring characters also making appearances. By virtue of Tempus'' unique relationship with the god Vashanka, these stories also bring us back toward the storyline of the competing deities, and help us to look forward to new developments in the fourth book. All in all, Shadows is the strongest book amongst the first three publications." —Fantasy-Faction

He was ''The Visitor'' . . . in a society revolutionised and troubled by a transportation device that let you walk through a door and be anywhere in the world - instantly. He was ''The Visitor'' . . . at a time when unauthorised travel had caused the violent deaths of countless millions and the survivors were quaking in fear. He was ''The Visitor'' . . . in a world where the invasion of privacy was the ultimate crime and where his obsession with visiting places where he had no right to be led him on a perilous adventure towards his own destruction.

Belly up to Thieves'' World® ''s favorite bar for tales told by such fantasy stars as Philip José Farmer, David Drake, Janet Morris, and others. In the second shared-world anthology of the Thieves'' World® series, we see "the gods themselves taking a hand in the fight for the hearts, minds and souls of the citizens of Sanctuary" (Fantasy-Faction). Via contributions from Philip José Farmer, David Drake, Lynn Abbey, A.E. van Vogt, Janet Morris, Andrew J. Offutt, and Robert Lynn Asprin, you''ll revisit the nefarious characters of Sanctuary, including One-Thumb, the proprietor of the Vulgar Unicorn; Regli, a nobleman; Illyra, the seer; Hanes, the thief; the crime lord, Jubal; and introducing Tempus Thales, the immortal mercenary. "It''s the best kind of sequel, the kind which was not meticulously planned from the start, unlike the deliberate megafranchises being created today, which may be plotted out for a decade in advance of the launch. . . . An important book in the series . . . Many elements which will be exploited to huge degree and cast a huge shadow over later pages are introduced here for the first time. . . . In some ways, it provides an anticipatory, even direct, model for the grimdark of the nineties which would follow." —World of Antra

Matthew Flamen, the last of the networks¿ sppolpigeons, is desperate for a big story. And there¿s no shortage of possibilities: the Gottschalk cartel is fomenting trouble among the knees in order to sell their latest armaments to the blanks; which ties in nicely with the fact that something big is brewing with the X Patriots. And then there¿s the story that just falls into his lap: the one that suggests that the respected director of the New York State Mental Hospital is a charlatan...

When racial hatred turns to murderous menace . . . First a rocket ship loses its engines on take-off and is destroyed. On board - an important extra-terrestrial visitor. Next someone slams into the sealed vehicle used for transporting aliens around in the lethal atmosphere of Earth. Then the vital controlled environment for the Tau Cetian delegation is sabotaged. Oxygen leaks in, and the aliens are half burnt alive. Even if it means brutal murder, The Stars Are For Man League is determined to shatter the harmony between Earth and civilizations on other planets - and to keep mankind supreme among the alien life forms. Only one man can stop them - a man who unknowingly nurses a viper in his bosom . . . First published in 1965.

If the past is tampered with, the present might be totally transformed. So the whole fabric of reality depends on the watchful efforts of the Society of Time. Don Miguel Navarro is a junior officer in this force dedicated to defending the Spanish Empire and the mother church from the results of meddling in history by time-travellers. But he begins to wonder just how dedicated the Society really is when he has to deal with a case of corruption involving fellow officers . . . After he has to rescue the entire court from death at the hands of Amazon warriors brought through time, his greatest trial becomes unavoidable. Facing a threat to the most vulnerable event in his world''s history, can the young Don prevent catastrophe? Or will the glorious triumph of the Spanish Armada never have occurred? (First published 1969)

First there was the end. After weeks of running from pursuers, Gene and Stacy finally found refuge on an isolated island. But around them the island changed - and so did they. Each time they awoke from sleep, they lived a different life in a different time. And the farther back they went, the more they lost their anchor to their own world. When at last they were found, the people they had become no longer recognised their pursuers. And that was the beginning.

Nebula Award Finalist: A “brilliantly crafted, engrossing” dystopian novel of environmental disaster by the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar (The Guardian). In a near future, the air pollution is so bad that everyone wears gas masks. The infant mortality rate is soaring, and birth defects, new diseases, and physical ailments of all kinds abound. The water is undrinkable—unless you’re poor and have no choice. Large corporations fighting over profits from gas masks, drinking water, and clean food tower over an ineffectual, corrupt government. Environmentalist Austin Train is on the run. The “trainites,” a group of violent environmental activists, want him to lead their movement; the government wants him dead; and the media demands amusement. But Train just wants to survive. More than a novel of science fiction, The Sheep Look Up is a skillful and frightening political and social commentary that takes its place next to other remarkable works of dystopian literature, such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and George Orwell’s 1984.

This “story of a severely handicapped man in a Dystopic world . . . very much reminds you of the Cyberpunk novels that would appear 20 years later” (Wanderings). In A Whole Man, a baby boy is born in a hospital surrounded by the chaos of battle and civil unrest. The birth is unremarkable and little noted, but the child, Gerald Howson, turns out to be very special. He is afflicted by infirmities and bodily flaws, but his mind becomes a miraculous device, capable of telepathic marvels that can, and do, change the world. But the power fantasies that sometimes tempt him are deadly to those near him and can ultimately threaten the whole of the world. And a man in a physical envelope that inspires pity and fright turns out to be the embodiment of a superman. This ebook was originally published in the United Kingdom under the title Telepathist. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, it is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

In the face of an alien threat, Russia and a xenophobic US must work together to save humanity in “one of the better science fiction novels of the year” (Library Journal). In a near future where a paranoid America has sealed itself off from the rest of the world by a vast and complicated defense system, a young Russian scientist infiltrates all defenses to tell an almost unbelievable and truly terrifying story. At the outer reaches of the solar system, near Pluto, has been detected a superior form of intelligent life, far smarter than man and in possession of technology that makes it immune to attack from human weaponry and strong enough to easily destroy planet Earth. Can humans set aside their differences and mutual fears to work together and defeat a common enemy? For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, it is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

Sixth in the magical, action-packed shared-world series: "Thieves'' World® has grown into a real presence in the fantasy genre" (Fantasy-Faction). Under the rule of a humanoid race, the city of Sanctuary finds itself divided. Rebels and assassins stalk the shadows, bringing chaos to the streets—which is nothing new to the lawless locals. But even they will have to put aside their differences to unite against their common enemy. An accomplishment easier said than done in a city where everyone is out for themselves . . . Stories by Chris and Janet Morris, Robin W. Bailey, Diana L. Paxson, Diane Duane, C. J. Cherryh, Andrew J. Offutt, Lynn Abbey, and Robert Lynn Asprin add to the legend and lore of this "surprisingly rich and deep world" (Book Riot). "In the sixth book of the collection, the friction between the residents of Sanctuary and the invading Beysib heats up and makes for some exciting reading . . . Offutt''s character Shadowspawn gets some good coverage, and a few fresh new characters also get some play . . ." —Fantasy-Faction "''The Hand That Feeds You'' [by Diane Duane] is one of the best stories in the entire collection to date." —brianbookreviews.blogspot.com

An alien hidden in the ocean’s depths is awakened—and wreaks havoc on mankind—in this science fiction classic from the Hugo Award–winning author. In The Atlantic Abomination, an exploratory expedition to the bottom of the ocean discovers the remnants of a long-lost civilization, and then, the enormous body of an alien being preserved for unknown millennia. An attempt to raise the body unleashes a horror beyond imagining as the creature revives from a long sleep and begins to exert control over men’s minds throughout the world. This is a classic SF horror story in the mode of John W. Campbell’s The Thing, the source material for SF thriller movies in the 1950s and again, via John Carpenter, in the 1980s. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, this is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

A young man must deal with the consequences of a demonic possession—from the science fiction author whose “best writing is turbo-charged with ideas” (BBC). In The Ladder in the Sky, a starving youth, trapped in poverty and with no hope of escape, is taken prisoner and offered up in an actual “deal with the devil,”—servitude for a year and a day in return for helping a resistance group free their imprisoned planetary leader. When he returns to consciousness, he is told that the devil has taken up residence inside him. At first, he thinks nothing is changed and he can take advantage of the situation but some upsetting surprises are in store for him. With an SF setting and a fantasy premise, this is one of Brunner’s best hybrids of action, magic, technology and suspense. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

A thought-provoking novel of a sentient spaceship’s voyages, from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar. "One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves." —SF Site Among six hundred thousand stars visited by man, sixty thousand have planets hospitable to life, six thousand have developed life and six hundred have been settled, or seeded, with humanity. A vast vessel, known simply as Ship, travels an endless route, checking in with all the settled planets, observing, offering help where it can as some flourish, some falter but all change and evolve. Unexpectedly, Ship has developed feelings and intelligence and it struggles with human-like emotions as it sees the many ways that man can evolve or devolve when left to his own devices with the one eternal constant--change.

An alien race struggles to survive on an uninhabitable planet in this “impeccably detailed and beautifully thought out” novel from a Hugo Award winner (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). On a planet besieged with cosmic dust, where meteors of all sizes frequently hit, wiping out entire civilizations, a strange alien species struggles against extinction over the course of millennia. As their star grows hotter, melting ice caps and causing more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, higher levels of radiation lead to higher rates of mutation. Plants that had been edible become poisonous or die off altogether. Watching their dire situation only get worse, the planet’s scientists finally acknowledge that to survive long-term, the inhabitants will have to abandon their fraught home world and become a space-faring species. In a story that spans millennia, Hugo Award–winning author and British science fiction master John Brunner introduces us to an alien race that takes control of their own evolution and builds the technological society that will be their way into space. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

A postapocalyptic thriller with “the fun aspect of an American International 50’s SF movie” from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar (Vintage45). In To Conquer Chaos, John Brunner gives us a heaping helping of classic planetary science fiction adventure. The barrenland is a mystery and an enigma, a dangerous and terrifying place that none who enter ever return from. More than three hundred miles around, it has existed far longer than collective memory can guess, and all too often, strange beasts emerge from it and kill at random. Conrad lives on the edge of the barrenland and is haunted by visions of its past as a haven, populated by magical people who could travel between worlds. He meets Jervis Yenderman, a soldier who has knowledge of the visions and who believes that within the barrenland is an island of human survivors—and that one man has escaped it within recent memory. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, it is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

CODE NAME POSTER The first practical matter transmitter was a success, or so everyone thought. In spite of paranoid security restrictions, Justin Williams and Cinnamon Wright, co-inventors of the device, counted on it to revolutionise civilisation and gain them an honoured place in history. But the first long-distance field test with a human being - a diplomatic courier carrying a vital message - somehow misfired when the courier killed himself on arrival at his destination. To prove his faith in his invention - and to escape charges of sabotage - Justin had himself "posted" thousands of miles. He came through unchanged. It was the world that was somehow different...

War looms over Sanctuary in the fifth Thieves'' World® anthology compiled by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Phule''s Company series. The invasion by the Beysibs, an amphibious humanoid race, brings unusual prosperity to the city of Sanctuary. But underneath the glittering façade lies a ticking time bomb, for the nefarious residents of Sanctuary don''t take kindly to an invasion—well-meaning or otherwise . . . Join Janet Morris, C. J. Cherryh, Robert Lynn Asprin, Lynn Abbey, David Drake, and Diana L. Paxson as their stories unravel the fates of Sanctuary''s favorite liars, thieves, assassins, and warriors. "Abbey . . . understands Sanctuary and its characters. She also knows how to write a short story with a strong main character, a riveting plot that contains twists and turns, and a satisfying resolution. Best story in the book . . . Lalo is the most interesting of all of the characters in Thieves'' World and his stories are always interesting. Paxson . . . spins an interesting and well written yarn that closes the book nicely." —brianbookreviews.blogspot.com

''One citizen of your planet shall go to the capital of the Federation of Worlds. He shall live there for thirty days. If your representative can survive and demonstrate his ability to exist in a civilized society with creatures whose outward appearance and manner of thinking differ from his own, you will pass the test. You will be permitted to send your starships to other planets of the galaxy. ''If he fails the test, if prejudice, fear, intolerance or stupidity trip him up, then you world will be sealed of from the stars for ever!'' This was the ultimatum from space. The task before the world then was - who shall go? What man or woman could be found to take this frightening test for the whole of humanity and be certain not to fail? (First published 1961)

Are there aliens among us? Are the chariots of the gods returning? If so - are they for us or against us? John Brunner, award-winning author and science fiction writer extraordinary, takes the questions now on everyone''s mind, and gives one possible answer in this startling novel. Here is an edge-of-the-seat story of the man who discovers that the vanguard of the aliens are indeed amongst us - and that the human species has but a few hours left before our time runs out. It''s a science fiction thriller you won''t be able to put down.

Ed Carter, a New York reporter on his way to his home town in Omaha for a short vacation, saw the missile in the last moments in its journey back to earth. A sweller on the brink, like all of us, he had no doubt about what it was; Oh God, he thought, this is it. The blast of the impact flung him some distance, and when he regained consciousness, his first reaction was one of surprised to find himself still alive, and not, it seemed, even badly hurt. Presumably the missile had been directed at the big Air Force base nearby, and should have destroyed everything and everyone within a radius of miles. Could it have failed to explode? Carter sees the remains of part of the missile in an adjacent field and hobbles over to it. A minute or two later several Air Force officers arrive. They examine the remains, and find the burned-up body of a pilot. In other worlds, the missile was not Russia''s first shot in the Third World War, but a failure to launch a man into space. But Carter knows that the Distant Early Warning line will have reported the missile; that the senior Air Force officers, in accordance with plan, will have taken to the air - in the country''s interest, their lives must, of course, be preserved if possible; that by now the retaliatory American bombers will have passed the point of no recall; and that the Third World War has begun. Not so, Colonel Ben Goldwater tells him: "I called the bombers back." Goldwater, the man who had been left in command, has saved the world - for at least a little longer. So he becomes a world hero? Not a bit of it. On the contrary: a nightmare looms ahead both for him and for Ed Carter, and the reader watches it all with growing fury...

“A world on the brink of war . . . Credible characters, suspenseful plotting and Brunner’s broad vision make this humane novel a winner” (Kirkus Reviews). The world is awash in civic decay, military coups and revolutionary governments, bands of believers (''Godheads'') roaming the streets and turning plastic crosses into assault weapons. One scientist has discovered a new kind of viral drug, VC, which has the power to drastically alter the human mind. It could save civilization but at what cost? And who has the right to make a decision about whether or not to use it? Brunner at his thought-provoking, action-packed best. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

“Speculation is compounded with suspense” in these thirteen short works of sci-fi from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar—“Genuine startlers” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Collected when Brunner was at the peak of his writing form, this even dozen of his short stories, with a bonus poem thrown into the mix, offers provocative ideas and thrilling action mixed with conceptions of the inevitable future, the inventable future, the alternate future, the future to be avoided, and the future that is sometimes right now. A heady brew. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, this is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

MUST THE UNIVERSE DIE WITH THEM? The Starfolk, arrogant masters of vast stretches of the cosmos beyond the Earth''s sphere of influence, were determined to complete the extermination of the mind-reading mutants of Regnier''s planet. But to the mutants themselves, the terror of the Starfolk was nothing compared to the greater dread that gripped their spirits - the obsession that the universe itself was doomed. This obsession ripped into their minds, overwhelmed them, and plunged them into horrifying hysteria. The message of room reached the ears of the Starfolk themselves, forcing the to a fateful decision. They would allow an Earthman, archeologist Philip Gascon, to visit Regnier in an attempt to unravel its secrets. What he found would either contain the key to the ultimate destiny of the universe - or the date of the doomsday.

Three visionary sci-fi novels from the Hugo Award–winning author whose dystopian prescience made him “one of the most important” (SF Site). British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being made available to new generations of readers. The very definition of timeless, Brunner’s skillful and often frightening political and social commentary takes its place alongside the most iconic works of Arthur C. Clarke, Aldous Huxley, Margaret Atwood, and George Orwell. The Sheep Look Up: In a near future of poison air and soaring health hazards, environmentalist Austin Train is on the run—from the insurrectionists who want him to lead and the government that wants him dead, in this Nebula Award Finalist. “An arresting diary of what’s in store for us.” —The Washington Post The Crucible of Time: On a planet hurtling precariously through space, an alien civilization struggles for generations against ice ages and catastrophic meteors while scientists slowly develop the technology that will ultimately save them. “Impeccably detailed, and beautifully thought out, even to the fascinating alien personalities, speech patterns, and thoughts: Brunner in top form.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review The Jagged Orbit: In this Nebula Award Finalist, a journalist tries to expose the corrupt director of a mental hospital in a dystopian future where drug abuse, organized crime, and the inhumane treatment of anyone deemed “insane” have all but destroyed social order. “One of his most trenchant dystopias, yet it is as irresistible as it is biting.” —SFReviews.net

Hugo Award Finalist: “Story plotting holding much in common with chess . . . An exciting political thriller in the vein of Graham Greene” (Speculiction). In The Squares of the City, Brunner takes the moves of a classic championship chess game and uses them as the structure to build a novel about a revolution in a South American country obsessed with chess and dominated by a dictator who sees people as pawns in his game of power and survival. Intriguing premise, dramatic story, future setting, great entertainment. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

GALACTIC STORM tells the tale of a young genius who uses a supercomputer to discover an alarming trend of global warming that will see half the world''s ice-caps melted within fifty years. This leads to an expedition to the South Pole to investigate the problem, and from there to the discovery of a sinister plot of extraterrestrial origin...

A whirlwind of fantasy action and adventure descends on Thieves'' World®—as related by C. J. Cherryh, Diana L. Paxson, Andrew J. Offutt, and others. Welcome back to Sanctuary, "the city where anything could happen, where characters created by some of the best fantasy writers of the generation crossed paths and shared adventures" ( Black Gate). The Thieves'' World® series continues with a story line created by Robert Lynn Asprin, C. J. Cherryh, Diana L. Paxson, Lynn Abbey, Janet Morris, and Andrew J. Offutt. In Storm Season, immortal warrior Tempus Thales and his nemesis, the crime lord Jubal, go head to head in fast-paced exploits that bring the simmering tension between them to a boil. "Much of Storm Season pertains to the conflict between Asprin''s gladiator/crime lord Jubal and Morris'' Tempus, and the other stories work to move this plotline along, while telling their own tales. Offutt, as usual, steals the show with a Shadowspawn story . . ." —Fantasy-Faction

Three fascinating sci-fi novels from the limitless imagination of the Hugo Award–winning author of the dystopian classic, Stand on Zanzibar. British novelist John Brunner remains “one of the most important science fiction authors . . . [who] held a mirror up to reflect our foibles” (SF Site). Brunner’s skillful and often frightening political and social commentary takes its place alongside the most iconic works of Arthur C. Clarke, Aldous Huxley, Margaret Atwood, and George Orwell. The Wrong End of Time: In a near future, where a paranoid America has sealed itself off from the rest of the world by a vast and complicated defense system, a young Russian scientist infiltrates all defenses to convey terrifying news. At the outer reaches of the solar system, near Pluto, a superior form of intelligent life possesses technology that makes it immune to attack and strong enough to easily destroy planet Earth . . . The Ladder in the Sky: A starving youth, trapped in poverty with no hope of escape, is taken prisoner and offered up in an actual “deal with the devil”—servitude for a year and a day in return for helping a resistance group free their imprisoned planetary leader. When he returns to consciousness, he is told that the devil has taken up residence inside him. At first, he thinks nothing has changed and he can take advantage of the situation, but some upsetting surprises are in store for him . . . The Productions of Time: Murray Douglas has beaten his alcoholism, but he needs an acting job and can’t be selective. He ends up with an improv group at an isolated country estate, where every move is being recorded by unfamiliar technology, and each player’s weakness is constantly prodded and encouraged. Just what is this show? And who is it for?

When mankind colonized the stars, they travelled out from Earth in two directions - to Centaurus and its Southern Hemisphere neighbours and to Ursa Major and the constellations around Polaris. And strange to say the humans who settled on those various worlds began to develop into two differing antagonistic types. For Ray Mallin, born under the surface of Mars in the sparse colony of Earth''s inhospitable old neighbour, neither the anarchic ''bears'' nor the autocratic ''Centaurs'' commanded his loyalty. So when secret agents of both galactic groupings suddenly focus their unwelcome attention on his most recent star-piloting mission, he knew only that something of vast significance was up - and that he unknowingly was the key to it.

A cold war among the stars was growing hotter by the minute. As Pag and Cathrodyne struggled for domination, a hot war threatened which would rend and annihilate whole planetary systems. The two master races would have consumed one another long ago, but for one single factor: Waystation. It was a stupendous synthetic world, famed throughout this galaxy. For Waystation was controlled by a neutral people, and until the greater powers could seize this strategic wonder planet and ferret out its secrets, they were doomed to fretful inactivity. But as a Cathrodyne vessel drew near to Waystation, the all-important balance of power stood in sudden peril. The ship in itself was routine. But on board was a stranger, a man of undiscovered race, who spoke too little, and, it appeared, knew too much...

A down-on-his-luck actor finds himself directed toward self-sabotage in this science fiction thriller from the award-winning author of Stand on Zanzibar. In The Productions of Time, Murray Douglas has beaten his alcohol addiction, needs a new acting job and can''t be choosy. Then he ends up in an isolated country estate with every move being recorded by what appear to be alien instruments, every deviant desire and weakness constantly prodded and encouraged and self-destruction the order of the day, every day. What is the goal of the production? Who (or what) will ever see the show? Will he (or anyone) survive the ordeal? The show must go on . . . “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

Telepathic children hold the fate of humanity in their hands in this “compulsively readable novel” from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar (The Washington Post). In Children of the Thunder, Brunner creates another near-contemporary vision of a world gone awry and proposes a peculiarly disturbing and frightening solution. Starting separately, a small number of very smart and uniquely talented children, none more than fourteen years old, create lucrative designer drugs, kill a Marine commando in unarmed combat, run a sex-ring of chilling depravity. None of them are even punished for their crimes. Combine powers of mental control and irresistible suggestion with creative and completely amoral intelligence and you have the recipe for a super-race of world-savers—or for the subjugation of all humanity to a new form of collective evil. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

One journey. Six stories. Mind-blowing fantasy from the Hugo Award winner, “one of the most important science fiction authors” (SF Site). In The Compleat Traveller in Black, six linked tales, comprising one of Brunner’s rare ventures into fantasy, relate the legend of a man with many names, who travels the world with a staff made of light and performs his eternal duty by bringing order to a world filled with chaos. What he dispenses is always asked for but not always welcomed by the recipients. And the world becomes, step by slow step, a better place for those who remain. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, this is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

The mercenary Stepsons leave Sanctuary behind in this tenth volume of the shared-world fantasy anthology series. As Tempus and his mercenary army, the Stepsons, depart from war-torn Sanctuary, there are some who view it as a return to normal. Yet what is normal in this city of thieves and adventurers? Laborers arrive to help in the rebuilding efforts, but some of these able-bodied men are disappearing. An assassin seeks revenge for his brother, and others aim to instill peace in the community while vicious rivalries emerge from Sanctuary’s rubble. And a struggle for power seems to be brewing . . . If this is your kind of “normal,” then enter an action-packed world of sword and sorcery in this shared-world anthology featuring stories by some of fantasy’s best authors: Robert Lynn Asprin, Mark C. Perry, Janet Morris, David Drake, John Brunner, Lynn Abbey, and Andrew Offutt.