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Impossible Creatures: INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
by Katherine Rundell'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing.' – Michael Morpurgo'Rundell's first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children's literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet' – The Guardian'A book stuffed full of fantastical, magical delight, and a world of richly imagined wonder' – Cressida CowellTHE TIMES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK * THE INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK * SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThere's a place where all the wildest stories began … From Katherine Rundell, winner of the Costa Children's Book Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize comes the first novel in a landmark trilogy for 9+ fans of His Dark MaterialsChristopher is stunned when he discovers a passage to the Archipelago: a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures of myth still live and breed and thrive in their thousands. There he meets Mal: a girl from the islands, who is in possession of a flying coat and a baby griffin, and who is being pursued by a killer. Together they embark on an urgent quest to discover why the creatures are suddenly perishing, voyaging across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, in a bid to save both the islands and the world beyond them from a rising evil – before it's too late. 'A marvellous, imaginative fantasy told with great style and sparkle – a book to race through in a day and keep for a lifetime' – Jacqueline Wilson'The world of this new book is so intriguing and so well put together that I couldn't resist it. Readers who already know her books will seize this with delight, and new readers will love it and demand all her others at once' - Philip Pullman'Katherine Rundell is a phenomenon.' – Neil Gaiman'A masterpiece to rival Tolkien and Pullman' – The Daily Telegraph'Fantastically exuberant, wildly imaginative, impossibly brilliant. Rundell's best, which is something to be marvelled at' – Kiran Millwood Hargrave'Between the covers of Impossible Creatures is a world as enchanting, as perilous, as richly imagined as Narnia or Middle Earth' – Frank Cottrell-Boyce'Rundell's book packs a punch with imagination and creativity in its purest form. She has created a story with potential to be adored by fantasy lovers for years to come' – The Independent'With a delightful cast of characters, breathless adventure, and an abundance of myth and magic, Impossible Creatures offers the very best of fantasy' – Aisha Bushby'A fierce, fantastic, wild-hearted adventure that roars and bristles with imagination. I devoured it like a hungry dragon' – Sam Sedgman'A rare and remarkable feat of glittering imagination from a truly masterful storyteller' – Catherine Doyle'The action is gripping. Every sentence sparkles. You can feel the flutter of griffin feathers and the menace of strange poisonous shrews. Magnificent' – The Times'Surely the next classic' – The I'My Book of the Year' – Lauren St. John
The Jester at Scar: The Dumarest Saga Book 5 (DUMAREST SAGA #5)
by E.C. TubbScar: a harsh, inhospitable world with a vicious and shifting population of prospectors, drawn from every corner of the galaxy by rumours of a miraculous golden spore.To this violent planet come two more travellers, ready to try their luck among its lethal jungles: the cruel, mocking Lord of Jest - and Dumarest, driven by destiny on his endless search for Lost Earth . . . (First published 1970)
A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future
by John Jacob AstorNew Edition, Large Print, 15 point font The protracted struggle between science and the classics appears to be drawing to a close, with victory about to perch on the banner of science, as a perusal of almost any university or college catalogue <P> <P> shows. While a limited knowledge of both Greek and Latin is important for the correct use of our own language, the amount till recently required, in my judgment, has been absurdly out of proportion to the intrinsic value of these branches, or perhaps more correctly roots, of study. The classics have been thoroughly and painfully threshed out, and it seems impossible that anything new can be unearthed. We may equal the performances of the past, but there is no opportunity to surpass them or produce anything original. Even the much-vaunted "mental training" argument is beginning to pall; for would not anything equally difficult give as good developing results, while by learning a live matter we kill two birds with one stone? There can be no question that there are many forces and influences in Nature whose existence we as yet little more than suspect. How much more interesting it would be if, instead of reiterating our past achievements, the magazines and literature of the period should devote their consideration to what we do NOT know! It is only through investigation and research that inventions come; we may not find what we are in search of, but may discover something of perhaps greater moment. It is probable that the principal glories of the future will be found in as yet but little trodden paths, and as Prof. Cortlandt justly says at the close of his history, "Next to religion, we have most to hope from science. "
A Journey into the Interior of the Earth
by Jules VerneA Journey to the Center of the Earth (French: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated as A Journey to the Interior of the Earth, is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. <P> <P> The story involves a professor who leads his nephew and hired guide down a volcano in Iceland to the center of the Earth. They encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy. From a scientific point of view, this story has not aged quite as well as other Verne stories, since most of his ideas about what the interior of the Earth contains have since been proven wrong. However, a redeeming point to the story is Verne''s own belief, told within the novel from the viewpoint of a character, that the inside of the Earth does indeed differ from that which the characters encounter. OCo Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This booktable of contents linked to every chapter, act or story. . "
The Jurassic Park Book: New Perspectives on the Classic 1990s Blockbuster
The definitive 1990s blockbuster, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park met with almost universal critical and popular acclaim, broke new ground with its CGI recreation of dinosaurs, and started one of the most profitable of all movie franchises. To mark the film's 30th anniversary, this exciting illustrated collection of new essays interrogates the Jurassic Park phenomenon from a diverse range of critical, historical, and theoretical angles. The primary focus is on Jurassic Park itself but there is also discussion of the franchise and its numerous spin-offs.As well as leading international scholars of film studies and history, contributors include experts in special effects, science on screen, fan studies, and palaeontology. Comprehensive, up to date, and accessible, The Jurassic Park Book appeals not only to students and scholars of Hollywood and contemporary culture, but also to the global audience of fans of the greatest of all dinosaur movies.
Just Being Ted
by Lisa SheehanTed the dragon lives all alone in a big house, deep in the woods. He LOVES making things, spending his days baking cakes, painting pictures and creating costumes. There’s just one problem: he doesn’t have anyone to share his amazing creations with. Ted tries so hard to make friends with the other animals, but there’s something about his fiery breath and fearsome-looking claws that keeps putting them off.One day Ted notices a sign for a summer picnic party in the forest. The only trouble is that it's for BEARS ONLY. Perhaps if he dresses up as a bear for the day they'll let him in and he'll make lots of new friends. What could possibly go wrong?Just Being Ted is a sweet, heart-warming story about the importance of being yourself and being accepted for who you are.
King Conan
by Robert E. HowardThe fourth volume of the adventures of the legendary Conan the Barbarian, one of the most iconic fantasy characters in history, on a rarified list next to Gandalf and Harry Potter. Contains "Jewels of Gwahlur," "Beyond the Black River," "The Black Stranger," "The Phoenix on the Sword," and "The Scarlet Citadel." Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Kronk
by Edmund CooperThe Day Gabriel Chrome, a failed book sculptor contemplating suicide on the Thames Embankment, stumbled on the suicide bid of the naked Camilla Greylaw, was a day of hopeful redemption for a corrupt and violent world.For the lovely form that he chanced to preserve was the sole carrier of a contagious venereal disease. A bug which could inhibit the aggressive instinct, rendering total placidity in all humans.At once Gabriel's life has new meaning and purpose. To save mankind becomes his hardened ambition. But mankind seems far from hope.
The Last Continent
by Edmund CooperThe devastated Earth had only a handful of inhabitants - now even their future was in the balance.The Twenty-Second Century had been and gone - and with it, the worst war in the bloody history of mankind: the War of the Black Rising. The Earth was devastated, the moon blasted out of the sky, it was only on Mars, many millions of miles away, that humanity had survived - in the shape of a few Black colonists.But out of that few had grown a new civilization - a civilization which now, some two thousand years later, had successfully launched its first space exploration - destination, the 'dead' planet Earth.
The Last Man
by Mary Wollstonecraft ShelleyThe Last Man is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Mary Shelley, which was first published in 1826. It is notable in part for its semi-biographical portraits of Romantic figures in Shelley's circle, particularly Shelley's late husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. As plague and war lay waste to humankind at the end of the twenty-first century, only one man has survived. The story of the final days of mankind is told through the eyes of Lionel Verney, a member of the English ruling class who, along with other survivors, wanders through Europe searching for respite from the unceasing epidemic.
The Last Murder at the End of the World: The dazzling new high concept murder mystery from the author of the million copy selling, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
by Stuart TurtonSOLVE THE MURDER TO SAVE WHAT'S LEFT OF THE WORLD 'A mind-bending, genre-blending, boy-that-ending mystery unlike any I've ever read' A. J. FINN 'I loved it' C. J. TUDOR 'An absolute blast' BENJAMIN STEVENSON'Wildly inventive' M. W. CRAVEN 'Believe the hype' ALICE BELL 'Extraordinary' WILL DEAN Outside the island there is nothing: the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And they learn the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island – and everyone on it.But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer – and they don't even know it…Readers love The Last Murder at the End of the World: 'Absolutely loved it''Mind-bending twists''Captivating' 'Thrillingly fast-paced' 'New favourite book' 'Another masterpiece' 'Unique' 'Explosive' 'Absolutely unforgettable' 'Unlike anything I've ever read before' 'Still shocked by the ending' 'Wonderfully imaginative' An Observer Thriller of the Month
The Legacy of The X-Files
The Legacy of The X-Files examines the content and production of the show, its reception, its use of legend and folklore, its contemporary resonance in politics and society of the 21st century, and its impact and legacy on film, television, the Internet and beyond. Having converged with the early widespread use of the Internet, The X-Files became a cultural touchstone of the 1990s, transforming from a cult TV show into a pop cultural phenomenon by the end of the decade. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of The X-Files, this collection examines the content and production of the show, its reception, its use of legend and folklore, its contemporary resonance in politics and society of the 21st century, and its impact and legacy on film, television, the Internet and beyond. The series' themes of government mistrust, conspiracy, folklore, UFOlogy, and faith are dissected and applied to how the show spirituality resonated with post-Cold War Western society.Contributors to this collection discuss the wide-ranging impact of the television show in popular culture, from Mulder and Scully 'shippers' to the show's slogan entering the contemporary lexicon. The Legacy of The X-Files serves as an all-encompassing, multi-disciplinary, contemporary account of The X-Files, reflecting upon critical, historical, political, and social contexts, and featuring an in-depth and comprehensive introduction making it a vital work for researchers and students alike.
Lilith: A Romance
by George MacDonald"Lilith is equal if not superior to the best of Poe," raved poet W. H. Auden about this classic Victorian novel. Known as the father of fantasy literature, George MacDonald was a Scottish minister who later turned to writing poetry and novels, gaining acclaim for his children's books and influencing J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Lilith is considered to be one of the most important visionary novels of the nineteenth century. Written in 1895, Lilith is a fantasy novel for adults that's rich with symbolism and suspense. A recent heir to his parents' English country manor, Mr. Vane has been troubled by visions of an elderly gentleman in his library. Curious, he follows the old man through a passageway and discovers a dusty mirror that leads him on a spiritual journey into another world. As he travels through time in scenes that range from the beautiful to the grotesque, he encounters a series of mysteries that reveal a deeper reality. Is Vane dreaming . . . or going mad? With classic themes of good and evil, identity and free will, suffering and salvation, Lilith is a thought-provoking, sometimes puzzling, allegory that will challenge your intellect and stay with you long after the last page is turned.
The Little Captain
by Paul BiegelA timeless and enchanting children's fantasy classic by the author of The King of the Copper Mountains ‘Paul Biegel has a grain of real gold in his imagination... [A] curiously thrilling narrative’ Naomi Lewis One morning, after a fierce storm, the people of the harbour come down to find a strange ship called the Neversink stuck fast on top of the sand dunes. Inside is only a small boy with a big cap - The Little Captain. He and his ship stay marooned on top of the dunes until one day a giant wave sweeps the Neversink to freedom. And so The Little Captain sets sail once more, this time with three of the town's children, Podgy, Marinka and Thomas, as his crew mates. Together they are determined to find the island of Evertaller, where legend has it children turn into grown-ups overnight and never have to go to school again...This enchanting seafaring adventure is beloved by generations of children in the Netherlands.