A classic science fiction tale of artifical worlds by one of the great American writers of the 20th century
Glen Runciter is dead.
Or is he?
Someone died in the explosion orchestrated by his business rivals, but even as his funeral is scheduled, his mourning employees are receiving bewildering messages from their boss. And the world around them is warping and regressing in ways which suggest that their own time is running out.
If it hasn't already.
Readers minds have been blown by Ubik:
'Sheer craziness, a book defying any straightforward synopsis . . . a unique time travel adventure that could only be concocted from the fertile psychedelic imagination of the incomparable PKD' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This pre-cyberpunk gigglefest was an absolute joy to behold . . . I would bill it as a Truman Show-Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-Barbarella-type of sci-fi' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'If you have not read PKD before I highly recommend Ubik as the gateway into his wonderfully weird fiction. I kind of envy you' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'UBIK is much stranger and more darkly humorous than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep . . . although there are many humorous elements, overall the story is dark, philosophical, and just plain disorienting. I found the book impossible to put down' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A darkly humorous blurring of lines between reality and illusion and a concomitant degree of paranoia' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'About eighty decades ahead of its time, only Ubik can help to process the overwhelmingness of the contemporary age. Chock full of post-death theology, psionics, proto-cyberpunk, and retro-retro-retro future nostalgia' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'We spend a great deal of it unsure of what is real and what isn't and some of the ideas Dick manages to throw in as the story progresses had me grinning and shaking my head at the crazy logic of it all' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Brilliant, driven Victor Frankenstein has at last realised his greatest ambition. The scientist has succeeded in creating intelligent life. But when his creature first stirs, Frankenstein realises he has made a monster. And, abandoned by its maker and shunned by everyone who sees it, the Doctor's creation sets out to destroy him and all that he holds dear.
Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN remains one of the greatest horror stories ever written, a book that chillingly captures the unforeseen terror of playing God. And the heart-stopping fear of being pursued by a powerful, relentless killer.
'The mouth was redder than ever, for on the lips were gouts of fresh blood, which trickled from the corners of the mouth and ran over the chin and neck - It seemed as if the whole awful creature were simply gorged with blood; he lay like a filthy leech, exhausted with his repletion.'
When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house he is disturbed by the horrifying discoveries he makes in his client's castle. But worse, Harker's actions introduce Dracula to London. Soon afterwards, the Count embarks on a reign of seduction and terror. And all, it seems, who encounter the charismatic Eastern European aristocrat - a succession of madmen, physicians and beautiful women - are never seen in daylight again...
Bram Stoker's DRACULA has inspired countless movies, books, and plays since it's first publication in 1897. Few, if any, have been fully faithful to Stoker's original, best-selling novel of mystery and horror, love and death, sin and redemption. But in DRACULA, Stoker created a new word for terror, a new myth to feed our nightmares, and a character who will outlive us all.
The book that reinvented Space Opera. The Canterbury Tales in space - from the Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Terror, which is now a chilling TV show.
It is the 29th century and the universe of the Human Hegemony is under threat. Invasion by the warlike Ousters looms, and the mysterious schemes of the secessionist AI TechnoCore bring chaos ever closer.
On the eve of disaster, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set fourth on a final voyage to the legendary Time Tombs on Hyperion, home to the Shrike, a lethal creature, part god and part killing machine, whose powers transcend the limits of time and space. The pilgrims have resolved to die before discovering anything less than the secrets of the universe itself.
Readers are hooked on Hyperion:
'His narrative is beautifully written . . . I couldn't stop reading. The payoff is totally worth it, as each story unfolds another facet of this incredible universe Simmons has created' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'One of the best epic, old mythology, and literature inspired, mindblowing, amazingly ingeniously written space operas' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'The scope of imagination, wordplay, and critical analysis of humankind is astounding . . . this is a story-driven narrative, and the stories that we're given are well worth the entry into a brave, new, unfamiliar world' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Hyperion has that indescribable, almost lovecraftian terror, dread and brooding present throughout' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'The superb use of the pilgrim's story telling device, that not only pushes the main story on, but seamlessly provides the depth and vibrancy to lay out this reality to the reader in such a simple, yet compelling way' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Imagine a universe where the Earth has been destroyed and humanity is spread out across hundreds of planets. Combine the artful poetry of John Keats with a science fiction retelling of the Canterbury Tales . . . what you have is Hyperion. A masterpiece of literature' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A science fiction classic . . . If you count yourself an sf fan you need to read this. If you just want to read a damn good book this is also for you' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
A Victorian scientist develops a time machine and travels to the year 802,171 AD. There he finds the meek, child-like Eloi who live in fear of the underground-dwelling Morlocks. When his time machine goes missing, the Traveller faces a fight to enter the Morlocks' domain and return to his own time.
THE TIME MACHINE remains one of the cornerstones of science-fiction literature and has proved hugely influential.
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
Winston Smith is a good worker. He supports the Party. He is good at his job rewriting history to Government specification. Big Brother watches him, but there is nothing to see.
Winston's struggle against the totalitarian world he inhabits is a closely guarded secret. It exists only in his mind until he begins a secret love affair with Julia, a fellow worker. Is this enough to push him to revolution? Or is it the beginning of his downfall?
A masterwork of dystopian fiction, Nineteen Eighty-Four is harrowingly prescient, and its impact has stretched around the globe.
With a new introduction by political editor and writer Ian Dunt, this brand new edition of a science fiction classic is a must-have for any collector.
'He put the glass to his lips, and drank at one gulp. A cry followed; he reeled, staggered, clutched at the table and held on, staring with injected eyes, gasping with open mouth; and as I looked there came, I thought, a change - he seemed to swell - his face became suddenly black and the features seemed to melt and alter...'
Troubled by the strange behaviour of his friend, Dr Jekyll, a young London lawyer decides to investigate. But the truth, as he discovers that Jekyll and the brutal Edward Hyde are one and the same is more terrible than he could possibly have anticipated...
This classic of Gothic horror follows Laura, a woman haunted by a girlhood dream of a beautiful visitor to her bedroom. Now, a decade later, Laura finds Carmilla, who appears to be her own age, on the side of the road after a carriage accident. The two recognize each other from the same childhood dream and become fast friends. Soon after, Laura begins to experience mysterious feelings and is once again haunted by nightmares. She finds Carmilla strangely irresistible and longs to be with her.
But as the two friends grow closer, Laura's health begins to fail. It becomes apparent that her enchanting companion is harboring a sinister secret. To free herself from Carmilla's grasp, Laura and her family must fight for their lives.
Growing up on the edge of the Missouri wilderness in the 1830s, Nadya knew she was not like other girls. But when she became a woman and the Change came, she discovered just how different she was. For Nadya was a shapechanger, a werewolf like her mother and father before her...
Seven years after the day of the bombs, Point Reyes was luckier than most places. Its people were reasonably normal - except for the girl with her twin brother growing inside her, and talking to her. Their barter economy was working. Their resident genius could fix almost anything that broke down. But they didn't know they were harbouring the one man who almost everyone left alive wanted killed...
Taking the events and characters of the Iliad as his jumping- off point, Dan Simmons has created an epic of time travel and savage warfare. Travellers from 40,000 years in the future return to Homer's Greece and rewrite history forever, their technology impacting on the population in a godlike fashion.
This is broad scope space opera rich in classical and literary allusion, from one of the key figures in 1990s world SF. Ilium marks a return to the genre for one of its greats.
What The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy, Dune is to science fiction. Presenting Children of Dune, the third book in one of the most influential series of all time, which has inspired countless other stories for more than half a century, this is an awe-inspiring world, and a story of truly epic scope.
The sand-blasted world of Arrakis has become green, watered and fertile. Old Paul Atreides, who led the desert Fremen to political and religious domination of the galaxy, is gone.
But for the children of Dune, the very blossoming of their land contains the seeds of its own destruction. The altered climate is destroying the giant sandworms, and this in turn is disastrous for the planet's economy.
Leto and Ghanima, Paul Atreides's twin children and his heirs, can see possible solutions - but fanatics begin to challenge the rule of the all-powerful Atreides empire, and more than economic disaster threatens ...
Read the series which inspired the Academy Award-winning and jaw-dropping cinematic events Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two. A science fiction spectacular like no other, this is a deeply climate conscious novel, and a compelling family saga for the ages.
Dune reading order:
Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse Dune
Spin ended with the alien Hypotheticals setting a vast Arch over the Indian Ocean. Those who sailed under it found themselves on Equatoria, another planet entirely.
In Axis, a secretive Equatorian community of Fourths - humans who've had their lives extended by illegal Martian technology - raised a boy, Isaac Dvali, to communicate with the Hypotheticals. Interstellar clouds of tiny fragmented Hypothetical nanomachines rained down on Equatoria, an some began to grow. Isaac and Turk Findley, a tough bush pilot an former drifter, were absorbed by a vast concatenation of those growths.
Now, Turk Findley has awakened ten thousand years later, to be collected by the people of Vox - an Equatorian group that's obsessed with the Hypotheticals. The Vox have been waiting for Turn and Isaac for a very long time. Meanwhile, the story of Turk and Isaac among the people of Vox is being scrawled in notebooks by a disturbed man in a hospital on twenty-first-century Earth, in the years following the Spin . . .
The World Next Door.
Engineered by the mysterious Hypotheticals to support human life, it's connected to Earth by way of the Arch that towers hundreds of miles over the Indian ocean. Humans are colonizing this new world - and, predictably, exploiting its resources, chiefly large deposits of oil in the western deserts of the continent of Equatoria.
Lise Adams is a young woman attempting to uncover the mystery of her father's disappearance ten years ago. Turk Findley is an ex-sailor and sometime drifter. They come together when an infall of cometary dust seeds the planet with tiny Hypothetical machines.
Now Lise, Turk, a Martian woman, and a boy who has been engineered to communicate with the Hypotheticals, are drawn to a place in the desert where this seemingly hospitable world has become suddenly very alien indeed - and the nature of time is being once again twisted by entities unknown.
What The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy, Dune is to science fiction. Presenting Chapter House Dune, the sixth book in one of the most influential series of all time, which has inspired countless other stories for more than half a century, this is an awe-inspiring world, and a story of truly epic scope.
The long-established galactic order is passing. The Honoured Matres, ruthless and all-conquering, have destroyed the planet Dune. In opposition, hard-pressed but still fighting back, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood co-ordinate their resistance from their as-yet undiscovered home world, Chapter House.
Now as a new Scattering is planned, they still have one carefully nurtured asset: the sandworms, offspring of the only giant worm salvaged from Dune.
Chapter House is to about to turn into a barren wasteland: Chapter House will be the new Dune.
Read the series which inspired the Academy Award-winning and jaw-dropping cinematic events Dune: Part One (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). A science fiction spectacular like no other, this is a deeply climate conscious novel, and a compelling family saga for the ages.
Dune reading order:
Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse Dune
What The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy, Dune is to science fiction. Presenting God Emperor of Dune, the fourth book in one of the most influential series of all time, which has inspired countless other stories for more than half a century, this is an awe-inspiring world, and a story of truly epic scope.
More than three thousand years have passed since the first events recorded in DUNE. Only one link survives with those tumultuous times: the grotesque figure of Leto Atreides, son of the prophet Paul Muad'Dib, and now the virtually immortal God Emperor of Dune.
He alone understands the future, and he knows with a terrible certainty that the evolution of his race is at an end unless he can breed new qualities into his species.
But to achieve his final victory, Leto Atreides must also bring about his own downfall ...
Read the series which inspired the Academy Award-winning and jaw-dropping cinematic events Dune: Part One (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). A science fiction spectacular like no other, this is a deeply climate conscious novel, and a compelling family saga for the ages.
Dune reading order:
Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse Dune
The classic novel about a daring experiment in human intelligence
'A masterpiece of poignant brilliance . . . heartbreaking, and utterly, completely brilliant' Guardian
'A timeless tearjerker' Independent
Charlie Gordon, IQ 68, is a floor sweeper and the gentle butt of everyone's jokes - until an experiment in the enhancement of human intelligence turns him into a genius.
But then Algernon, the mouse whose triumphal experimental transformation preceded his, fades and dies, and Charlie has to face the possibility that his salvation was only temporary.
Readers can't stop reading Flowers For Algernon:
'I am finding it hard to put into words the vast range of emotions I experienced while reading this tale of hope, perseverance, truth and humanity . . . I'm a huge fan of science fiction that doesn't seem too far away; something that I could imagine being just around the corner - and that's how I felt about Flowers for Algernon' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'You're watching Charlie, the main character, go through an experimental procedure that increases his IQ. The whole book, written in diary entries, let us see how it affects his life and how he struggles through it. I rarely cry while reading a book but I couldn't help myself here. It's a classic for a reason. Read it. You won't be able to put it down' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Heartbreaking and beautiful. Required reading, as far as I am concerned' Wil Wheaton
'This book is extraordinary, one of my favorites. It is a fast read but is is very powerful and heartbreaking. I read it in the plane and I felt a little embarrassed when I started to weep at the end of the book' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'One of those stories I wish I would have read years earlier. It's simply marvellous. It's about the nature of intelligence and how intelligence can be divisive. It's a very emotional book' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A rich and complex story of friendship and love' GUARDIAN
'Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new'
Two people, until recently strangers, find themselves on a long, tortuous and dangerous journey across the ice. One is an outcast, forced to leave his beloved homeland; the other is fleeing from a different kind of persecution. What they have in common is curiosity, about others and themselves, and an almost unshakeable belief that the world can be a better place.
As they journey for over 800 miles, across the harshest, most inhospitable landscape, they discover the true meaning of friendship, and of love.
Readers love The Left Hand of Darkness:
'This book overwhelmed me with how good it was, and how different it ended up from what I expected . . . a deep story of humanity, love, betrayal, alienation, and acceptance' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'The world is so rich in detail that it becomes an adventure to explore it, and the nuanced character dynamics keep the pages turning . . . a fabulous exploration of fluid gender and sexuality' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This novel is just the right balance of nuance, world-building and philosophical musings that culminate into a staggeringly empathetic work . . . a great work of feminism' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A masterful and visionary story, one of the most beautiful SF novels I have read' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A landmark in the field of science fiction literature . . . This is a story about loneliness and need for closeness as well' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Ursula K. Le Guin asks, what if gender were not fixed, but serially changeable? . . . The Left Hand of Darkness is a book about journeys, both literal and metaphorical. It is that rare and precious thing: an original and mind-opening book' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy, Dune is to science fiction. Presenting Heretics of Dune, the fifth book in one of the most influential series of all time, which has inspired countless other stories for more than half a century, this is an awe-inspiring world, and a story of truly epic scope.
From Dune to Rakis to Dune, the wheel turns full circle. From burning desert to green and fertile land and on again to burning desert ... the cycle is complete.
The people of the Scattering are returning. Amongst them, mysterious and threatening, are the women who call themselves the Honoured Matres, adepts of an ecstatic cult.
And on Rakis, become Dune, an ancient prophecy is fulfilled with the coming of the she-sheer, Sheeana ...
Read the series which inspired the Academy Award-winning and jaw-dropping cinematic events Dune: Part One (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). A science fiction spectacular like no other, this is a deeply climate conscious novel, and a compelling family saga for the ages.
Dune reading order:
Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse Dune
1588: Queen Elizabeth is felled by an assassin's bullet. Within the week, the Spanish Armada had set sail, and its victory changed the course of history.
1968: England is still dominated by the Church of Rome. There are no telephones, no television, no nuclear power. As Catholicism and the Inquisition tighten their grip, rebellion is growing.
The book that defined the cyberpunk movement, inspiring everything from The Matrix to Cyberpunk 2077.
The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel.
William Gibson revolutionised science fiction in his 1984 debut Neuromancer. The writer who gave us the matrix and coined the term 'cyberspace' produced a first novel that won the Hugo, Nebula and Philip K. Dick Awards, and lit the fuse on the Cyberpunk movement.
More than three decades later, Gibson's text is as stylish as ever, his noir narrative still glitters like chrome in the shadows and his depictions of the rise and abuse of corporate power look more prescient every day. Part thriller, part warning, Neuromancer is a timeless classic of modern SF and one of the 20th century's most potent and compelling visions of the future. His later work, The Peripheral, has been adapted into a series by Amazon Prime, starring Chloë Grace Moretz.
Readers are hooked on Neuromancer:
'Wow. This is a wild ride. If you liked Philip K. Dick's writing . . . if you liked Bladerunner, if you liked The Matrix . . . you will love Neuromancer' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Like nothing I have read before . . . Gibson's writing is poetry, not jargon . . . [it's] slick and jagged like a serrated knife . . . Yeah I am a big, big fan . . . a unique, important and truly amazing reading experience' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Basically a futuristic crime caper. The main character is Case, a burnt-out hacker, a cyberthief . . . Challenging? Yes. But it's electrifying once you get it . . . Neuromancer is in me like a teabag, flavouring my life, and I can't imagine what it would be like if I hadn't pressed on' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'For me it was a sci fi thriller, two of my favourite genres rolled into one. I was grabbed immediately by the characters of Cole and Molly - especially Molly with her attitude, her mirror eyes and the blades under her fingernails . . . This is a very visual book and it was easy to start choosing who would play the roles in a movie' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
In the far future, after human civilization has spread through the galaxy, communications begin to arrive in an apparently alien language. They appear to threaten invasion, but in order to counter the threat, the messages must first be understood.
Joint winner of the Nebula Award for best novel, 1966
Robert Charles Wilson, says The New York Times, "writes superior science fiction thrillers." His Darwinia won Canada's Aurora Award; his most recent novel, The Chronoliths, won the prestigious John W. Campbell Memorial Award. Now he tells a gripping tale of alien contact and human love in a mysterious but hopeful universe.
At Blind Lake, a large federal research installation in northern Minnesota, scientists are using a technology they barely understand to watch everyday life in a city of lobster like aliens upon a distant planet. They can't contact the aliens in any way or understand their language. All they can do is watch.
Then, without warning, a military cordon is imposed on the Blind Lake site. All communication with the outside world is cut off. Food and other vital supplies are delivered by remote control. No one knows why.
The scientists, nevertheless, go on with their research. Among them are Nerissa Iverson and the man she recently divorced, Raymond Scutter. They continue to work together despite the difficult conditions and the bitterness between them. Ray believes their efforts are doomed; that culture is arbitrary, and the aliens will forever be an enigma.
Nerissa believes there is a commonality of sentient thought, and that our failure to understand is our own ignorance, not a fact of nature. The behavior of the alien she has been tracking seems to be developing an elusive narrative logic--and she comes to feel that the alien is somehow, impossibly, aware of the project's observers.
But her time is running out. Ray is turning hostile, stalking her. The military cordon is tightening. Understanding had better come soon....
Blind Lake is a 2004 Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel.
In the aftermath of an atomic war, a new international movement of pacifism has arisen. Multitudes of young men have chosen to curb their aggressive instincts through voluntary amputation - disarmament in its most literal sense.
Those who have undergone this procedure are highly esteemed in the new society. But they have a problem - their prosthetics require a rare metal to function, and international tensions are rising over which countries get the right to mine it . . .
