Most Popular Books by Tad Williams

Something is awakening beneath Southmarch Castle. It falls to Princess Brionyand Price Barrick to find a way to save their world and prevent the rise of aterrible new age, in this final volume in the Shadowmarch saga.

The third book in New York Times-bestselling author Tad Williams''s cyberpunk fantasy series • “Tad Williams is the brightest and best of the fantasists.” ―Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods "The Grail Brotherhood has built the most powerful, sophisticated simulation network imaginable. At the same time, they have manipulated and injured the minds of thousands of children." This proclamation from the mysterious Mr. Sellars confirmed what Renie Sulaweyo had feared to be true when she first broke into the Otherland network in a desperate search for the cause of her brother Stephen''s deathlike coma. Now Renie, the Bushman !Xabbu, and their companions find themselves navigating a treacherous and ever-changing course―from a strangely unfinished land, to a seemingly endless labyrinthine House―pursuing a sociopathic killer who has stolen one of their group. To Renie''s despair she is no closer to uncovering the secrets which could help save Stephen''s life, and now it appears that something may be very wrong with the Otherland network itself. As Paul Jonas, Orlando, Renie and the rest strive to reach Priam''s Walls, in the heart of Troy, they know that their quest is running perilously short of time. For the Grail Brotherhood has finally set the date for the Ceremony when they will make their bid for the immortality, and thereby seal the fate of Earth''s children forever. But before Renie and her allies can hope to stop the Brotherhood, they must first solve the mysteries of Otherland itself, and confront its darkest secret―an entity known only as the Other.

Tad Williams'' popular TechoComics series Mirror World introduced a fictional world so original and yet so compelling, so bizarre and yet so reminiscent of our own reality, that no reader who experienced it was ever quite the same again. Mirror World is a story of disaster and survival. Just before the millennium (1999), gigantic mirrors appear in the world''s major cities, bisecting streets, parks, and buildings. They are as beautiful as they are mysterious, until their terrible purpose becomes clear. They are portals, through which predatory insectile aliens swarm, killing or carrying off everything in their path. Humankind''s only chance is to attack the "bugs" at their source--in Mirror World. It is a one-way trip, and one which only flesh can make; everything inorganic--weapons, clothing, even dental fillings--disappear in the crossing. Six volunteers are bioengineered to become human weapons. Some of the biotroops pursue the Bugs through further portals--into the dark heart of the Universe. Others remain on MIrror World, setting up city states such as Shades and Looking Glass, creating a second Earth with new wonders and new evils all its own. An elite grouping of storytellers--also volunteers, hand-picked by Williams himself--has taken this audacious science fiction universe and filled it with colorful characters, unforgettable adventures, and thought-provoking new themes. The magic of their collective vision has limned a world as strange and wondrous as our own, only more so: a world in which illusion and reality are wedded inextricably. Uniting the power of modern science fiction and the magic of full-color art, Tad Williams'' Mirror World is a unique publishing event: a popular comic book transformed into literature, with its creative energy not only preserved but enhanced. As the story unfolds, a different author escorts the reader through each part of this astonishingly beautiful illustrated tale. Tad Williams himself selected the writers and approved the artist chosen to make this unique multimedia foray into the shimmering vastness of his Mirror World. You are invited to go with them...if you dare.

The latest saga in the New York Times bestselling world of Osten Ard concludes in the fourth and final Last King of Osten Ard novel. The Hayholt is besieged by the Norns. Once the home of their immortal brethren, the Sithi, now capital of the kingdom of men, the fabled castle is under attack. And as the world is distracted by this strike against humankind, the Norns’ deathless witch-queen Utuk’ku turns towards the mysterious fateful valley called Tanakirú—the Vale of Mists. Meanwhile, Queen Miriamele hurries to save the Hayholt and capture the treacherous noble Pasevalles, but arrives to discover the traitor has escaped. And inside Tanakirú, Vale of Mists, the bond between Prince Morgan and Nezeru, a renegade Norn, has become something deeper and stranger than either of them could have anticipated. They journey ever deeper to the heart of the valley’s mystery, encountering wonder and horror, and come face to face at last with the ancient secret that has kindled the Norn Queen’s war—a secret that will destroy immortals and humans alike.

NEW REISSUE EDITION AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER 2016 New York Times-bestselling Tad Williams'' landmark epic fantasy saga of Osten Ard begins an exciting new cycle! "One of my favorite fantasy series."--George R.R. Martin "Groundbreaking."-Patrick Rothfuss "One of the great fantasy epics of all time."-Christopher Paolini Tad Williams introduced readers to the incredible fantasy world of Osten Ard in his internationally bestselling series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. The trilogy inspired a generation of modern fantasy writers, including George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Christopher Paolini, and defined Tad Williams as one of the most important fantasy writers of our time. BOOK TWO: STONE OF FAREWELL It is a time of darkness, dread, and ultimate testing for the realm of Osten Ard, for the wild magic and terrifying minions of the undead Sithi ruler, Ineluki the Storm King, are spreading their seemingly undefeatable evil across the kingdom. With the very land blighted by the power of Ineluki''s wrath, the tattered remnants of a once-proud human army flee in search of a last sanctuary and rallying point-the Stone of Farewell, a place shrouded in mystery and ancient sorrow. An even as Prince Josua seeks to rally his scattered forces, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll are desperately struggling to discover the truth behind an almost-forgotten legend, which will take them from the fallen citadels of humans to the secret heartland of the Sithi-where near-immortals must at last decide whether to ally with the race of men in a final war against those of their own blood. After the landmark Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, the epic saga of Osten Ard continues with the brand-new novel, The Heart of What Was Lost. Then don''t miss the upcoming trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard, beginning with The Witchwood Crown! Praise for Osten Ard: "Inspired me to write my own seven-book trilogy ... ''t''s one of my favorite fantasy series."--George R.R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of The Game of Thrones "Groundbreaking ... changed how people thought of the genre, and paved the way for so much modern fantasy. Including mine." -Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times-bestselling author of The Name of the Wind "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is one of the great fantasy epics of all time." -Christopher Paolini, New York Times-bestselling author of Eragon From the Trade Paperback edition.

Young people are having their minds stolen in cyberspace, part of a crooked scheme to create a new virtual reality. A black South African teacher and her brother try to save the children--

From the editor of the award-winning anthology Unfettered comes the newest installment in the science fiction and fantasy series, Unfettered III. Be haunted by the chilling ghost story of Megan Lindholm. Revisit the Magicians world with Lev Grossman. Return to Osten Ard in an epic first look at Tad Williams''s Empire of Grass. Share a heartfelt story of loss and gain with Callie Bates. Cross the sands of the desert planet Dune with Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Travel the Ways in a new Wheel of Time novella with Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson. Enter the amazing potter city of Seven with Naomi Novik. And many more stories, all wondrous alongside beautiful art by Todd Lockwood! More than 700 pages of stellar SF&F from the likes of: Callie Bates Terry Brooks Delilah S. Dawson Jason Denzel David Anthony Durham Lev Grossman John Gwynne Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson Mark Lawrence Megan Lindholm (Robin Hobb) Seanan McGuire Naomi Novik Peter Orullian Cat Rambo Robert V.S. Redick Ken Scholes Scott Sigler Anna Smith Spark Shawn Speakman Anna Stephens Patrick Swenson Ramon Terrell Marc Turner Carrie Vaughn Tad Williams Deborah A. Wolf Lacking health insurance when he was diagnosed with cancer, Shawn Speakman asked friends in the science fiction and fantasy writing community to donate short stories he could use to counter mounting medical debt. The result was Unfettered, an anthology offering tales from some of the best authors working today. Now, in Unfettered III, Speakman continues to pay forward the aid he received, raising money to combat medical debt for SF&F artists and authors. He has gathered together a great mix of new and favorite writers_free to write what they like_the result a powerful new anthology perfect for all readers. Unfettered III is sure to astound with the magic bound within its pages. All the while raising money for a charitable cause. Because protecting our artists and authors is as important as the stories they tell.

Described as "the ultimate virtual reality saga" ("San Francisco Chronicle"), the "Otherland" series concludes with Volume Four. A brilliant blend of science fiction, fantasy, and technothriller, "Sea of Silver Light" is a rich, multilayered epic of future possibilities in which virtual realities offer new pathways to immortality for a dangerous price.

More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA

Tyler and Lucinda have to spend summer vacation with their ancient uncle Gideon, a farmer. They think they''re in for six weeks of cows, sheep, horses, and pigs. But when they arrive in deserted Standard Valley, California, they discover that Ordinary Farm is, well, no ordinary farm. The bellowing in the barn comes not from a cow but from a dragon. The thundering herd in the valley? Unicorns. Uncle Gideon''s sprawling farmhouse never looks the same twice. Plus, there''s a flying monkey, a demon squirrel, and a barnload of unlikely farmhands with strange accents and even stranger powers. At first, the whole place seems like a crazy adventure. But when darker secrets begin to surface and Uncle Gideon and his fabulous creatures are threatened, Lucinda and Tyler have to pull together to take action. Will two ordinary kids be able to save the dragons, the farm—and themselves? Expert storytellers Tad Williams and Deborah Beale take readers on an extraordinary adventure in their first book about Ordinary Farm.

A year ago, the March Kingdoms were at peace, the Eddon family held the throne, and all was right in Southmarch Castle. Now the family has been shattered. King Olin Eddon is a prisoner and his heir is slain. The royal twins Barrick and Briony have done their best to hold the kingdom together, but now Barrick has been captured and Briony has been forced to flee the castle. Old magics are stirring beneath the ancient castle and behind the Shadowline, and the machinations of gods, fairies, and mortals threaten to spread devastation across the entire world.

At the uppermost edge of the northern kingdoms, towers shrouded in mist, lies Southmarch Castle. For hundreds of years it has remained hidden from the affairs of empire. Now its isolation can protect it no more. Southmarch is under siege; from both its neighbours, without, and the more insidious enemies who would destroy it from within. Even further to the north, within the ancient walls of Qul-na-Qar, in a land of silence and gloom, the Twilight People gather to hear Ynnir, the blind king, pronounce the dark fate of human kind. In the south, the Autarch, the god-king who has already conquered an entire continent, now looks to extend his domain once more. It is upon Southmarch that the armies advance, and to its people that darkness will speed.

New York Times Bestseller: From four masters of epic fantasy, original short novels set in the worlds of their popular series, from Discworld to Earthsea. Robert Jordan relates crucial events in the years leading up to The Wheel of Time in “New Spring.” Ursula K. Le Guin adds a sequel to her famous books of Earthsea, portraying a woman who wants to learn magic, in “Dragonfly.” Tad Williams tells a dark and enthralling story of a haunted castle in the age before Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, in “The Burning Man.” Terry Pratchett recounts an amusing incident in Discworld, of a magical contest and the witch Granny Weatherwax, in “The Sea and Little Fishes.” Following the two previous Legends volumes that featured such authors as Stephen King, George R .R. Martin, and Anne McCaffrey, Legends 3 is a treasure trove for fans of the genre that once again showcases the very finest in fantasy writing. Praise for Legends “An enjoyable sampler of the best high fantasy available today.” —San Francisco Chronicle “A stellar compilation . . . all the selections are first-rate.” —Booklist “Superb.” —Dallas Morning News

Thank you, Mr. Vance / Dean Koontz -- Preface / Jack Vance -- The True vintage of Erzuine Thale / Robert Silverberg -- Grolion of Almery / Matthew Hughes -- The Copsy Door / Terry Downling -- Caulk the witch-chaser / Liz Williams -- Inescapable / Mike Resnick -- Abrizonde / Walter Jon Williams -- The Traditions of Karzh / Paula Volsky -- The Final quest of the Wizard Sarnod / Jeff Vandermeer -- The Green bird / Kage Baker -- The Last golden thread / Phyllis Eisenstein -- An Incident at Uskvesk / Elizabeth Moon -- Sylgarmo''s Proclamation / Lucius Shepard -- The Lamentably comical tragedy (or the laughably tragic comedy) of Lixal Laoavee / Tad Williams -- Guyal the Curator / John C. Wright -- The Good magician / Glenn Cook -- The Return of the Fire Witch / Elizabeth Hand -- The Collegeum of Mauge / Byron Tetrick -- Evillo the Cunning / Tanith Lee -- The Guiding nose of Ulf?nt Banderoz / Dan Simmons -- Frogskin cap / Howard Waldrop -- A Night at Tarn House / George R.R. Martin -- An Invocation of incuriosity / Neil Gaiman.

We''re running out of planet and we''re running out of patience. The party''s over and we''re looking for the door. But the exits are unmarked. The engines of the world are hidden from us. Ninety-six per cent of the universe is missing and the rest is stirred into motion by machinery that hides in plain sight. We''ve got to get out of this place - but how? Embracing everything from politics to polymorphism, physics & fantasy, Exit Strategies is your indispensable, (sometimes unreliable) guide to the escape tunnel. With a foreword by CERN physicist Michael Doser, and featuring stories by Jeff Noon, Kathleen Ann Goonan, and the best-selling fantasy writer Tad Williams, Exit Strategies looks for a back door to the universe over 150 pages. How much of the cosmos is real, how much an astronomer''s dream? And if we could escape from reality, what kind of utopia would we build for ourselves? Elsewhere in Exit Strategies, M. John Harrison meets a rising star of TV science, Hannu Rajaniemi considers what will happen when our books start reading us, and Claire Dean meets the artists bent on making J G Ballard''s Crystal World a reality. And in a special tribute, Adam Roberts considers the life, work and sheer sanity of the late, great Iain Banks. Every two months Arc maps the future through stories, features, essays and provocations from some of the world''s most celebrated authors from science fiction and beyond.

The Wood Boy is an adaptation of the short story by fantasy master Raymond E. Feist that first appeared in the Legends anthology (edited by Robert Silverberg) and offers a unique side story to the events depicted in his beloved book, Magician. The Wood Boy is an exciting story that offers readers an excellent introduction to Feist''s Riftwar Saga. The Burning Man was written by world-renowned science fiction and fantasy author Tad Williams (Otherland) and originally appeared as a short story in the anthology Legends as well. A ghostly coming of age tale rendered in a beautiful, ethereal style by popular comic book artist Brett Booth (Thundercats: Dogs of War), The Burning Man is an exciting and thought-provoking story about life and death, love and fear, and innocence and betrayal.

Tausend Jahre vor den Ereignissen, die im Drachenbeinthron geschildert werden: Die (fast) unsterblichen Sithi herrschen über die nördlichen Regionen von Osten Ard. Da tauchen Gerüchte auf, dass einer der ältesten und tödlichsten Drachen von ganz oben im Norden in das Reich eingedrungen ist. Am nächsten Morgen ist einer der beiden Söhne der mächtigsten Familie der Sithi verschwunden ... Unter den Sithi Osten Ards gibt es keine anderen zwei, die so geliebt und bewundert werden wie die beiden Söhne der Herrscherfamilie: Hakatri, ein stets verläßlicher Junge, und sein stolzer und leidenschaftlicher kleiner Bruder Ineluki, der spätere Sturmkönig. Sein Temperament reißt den jüngeren hin, einen gleichermaßen kühnen wie schrecklichen Schwur zu leisten: Er will das tödliche und furchtbare Ungeheuer Hidohebhi zur Strecke bringen und vernichten. Aber damit bringt er nicht nur seinen Bruder und sich selbst in die größte Gefahr, sondern er beschwört auch eine Katastrophe für alle Sithi herauf, womöglich sogar auch für das ganze menschliche Geschlecht.

»Bahnbrechend« Patrick Rothfuss Die Geschichte von Osten Ard reicht tief zurück in eine uralte Vergangenheit. Auch wenn die Menschen hier ihre Königreiche, die miteinander im Streit liegen, errichtet haben, droht doch immer wieder Gefahr von den unberechenbaren Wesen, die alle Zeiten überdauert haben. Eine tödliche Armee der Nornen, angeführt von der alterslosen, rachsüchtigen Königin Utuk ́ku, marschiert in Erkynland ein und hat die Festung Naglimund erobert, ihre Bewohner abgeschlachtet und das uralte Grab Ruyans des Seefahrers geöffnet. Mit Hilfe seiner sagenhaften Rüstung will Utuk ́ku den Geist Hakatris beschwören, des Bruders des bösen Sturmkönigs. Selbst die Sithi, mit den Nornen verwandte Feen, können Utuk ́kus Triumph nicht aufhalten. Utuk ́kus Armeen marschieren zum Hochhorst und dringen gleichzeitig in das verbotene, von einem Ungeheuer bewachte Tal des Tanakirú ein, des Dunkelschmal. Dort wartet ein Geheimnis, das Simons Volk und seinen Sithi-Verbündeten die Rettung bringen könnte – oder aber den Untergang. »Ein meisterhafter Geschichtenerzähler« Brandon Sanderson »Inspirierte mich dazu, selbst eine siebenbändige Trilogie zu schreiben ... Es ist eine meiner liebsten Fantasy-Serien.« George R. R. Martin »Ein fesselndes Epos mit einer Mischung aus Abenteuer, Intrige und Magie« LOCUS

Fortsetzung von ädie Nornenköniginä. Breit angelegter Fantasy-Roman, angesiedelt in einer mythisch-mittelalterlichen Welt im Lande Osten Ard.

Tad Williams'' popular series Mirror World introduced a story of disaster and survival set in motion by the appearance of gigantic mirrors, just before the millennium (1999), in the world''s major cities. They are portals, through which predatory insectile aliens swarm, killing or carrying off everything in their path. Humankind''s only chance is to attack the "bugs" at their source -- in Mirror World. Sixty volunteers are bioengineered to become human weapons to enter Mirror World and beyond. In this book, a group of storytellers has taken this universe and filled it with colorful characters, unforgettable adventures, and thought-provoking new themes.

Otherland, an incredibly complex and detailed virtual reality, has appeared. Surrounded by secrecy, it is home to the wildest dreams and darkest nightmares of its users and its creators. Vast amounts of money have been lavished on it. The best minds of two generations have laboured to build it. And somehow, bit by bit, it is claiming the Earth''s most valuable resource - its children. The story begun in OTHERLAND continues in this, the second volume of an astonishing series which is destined to become a landmark in imaginative fiction.

Une conspiration globale effroyable, fomentée par les hommes les plus puissants de la planète. Son enjeu : Autremonde, la dimension où tous les rêves se réalisent, un paradis virtuel né des efforts des plus brillants cerveaux de deux générations, un espace gouverné par le secret dans lequel des sommes fabuleuses ont été englouties. Un univers hors du temps qui peu à peu vole au monde réel son bien le plus précieux... Autremonde : le début d''un cycle inoubliable où la réalité peut basculer à chaque instant.