Product Description
The galaxy's top criminals have not only been getting away from police, they've disappeared from sight entirely.Suspecting something far more sinister than a mere crime wave, the top agents of the Imperial Special Investigation Service delve into the matter--only to discover this is the tip of a galaxy-spanning conspiracy that threatens to undermine the stability of the Empire itself. ... Read more

Product Description
Ardeva Korrell, captain of a small interstellar tradingship, has fought prejudice, both because she's a woman and becauseshe's an Eoan, a native of a world with an unpopular religion. Nowshe's fighting the god-like rulers of a backward planet to save notonly her crew, but the entire native population as well. Their missionis straightforward: to storm the gates of Heaven itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Girl Power!
Dev is a female spaceship captain stuck on a jerkwater planet where the natives live in mortal terror of their omniscient and omnipotent gods. One of her crew decides to curse out the gods in a drunken fit, and he gets vaporized by one of their 'angels'. Dev, always logical and sensible, has no belief in gods and assumes that some powerful entities are masquerading as gods in order to exploit the superstitious and backward locals. She discovers that these 'gods' are holed up in a nearby mountain complex and decides to pay them a visit.

A very entertaining and thought-provoking book with a definite feminist slant. Simple enough to be enjoyed by older kids, but sophisticated enough to be enjoyed by adults, as well. There is also enough action and suspense to keep the pages turning, and the climax where Dev finally meets the 'gods' is very satisfying. I've read this book multiple times at different ages and enjoyed it immensely each time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent anti-war science fiction Near Classic
I first read this book when it was published back in the early 1980's and it is easily found in 2nd hand shops all over the country.
Along with Joe Haldeman's THE FOREVER WAR, this is the best depiction of disenfranchised victims of the corporate-imperial combine ever depicted in the science fiction genre. This book is really much more layered and complex than the lurid cover illustration of the old paperback edition from the first printing in 1980 would seem to suggest. ... Read more

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Birk Aaland is a fugitive from Earth's tyranny, strandedon a dead world for 11 years with no one but robots for company. Then,suddenly, his peaceful life is shattered when an interstellar warlands right on his doorstep -- and he is forced to take sides! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

yuck
Rarely have I read a science fiction novel with characters so flat, ideas so clichéd, or scenes so disgusting.Given all of that the book doesn't even approach the level of interesting.

We start with Birk.Birk is alone on a planet of dead cities and machines.All alone, so lonely, and as the author is quick to point out horny.The fact that Birk is very horny is a major plot element and will be brought up over and over again just in case the reader has forgotten.

Suddenly the plot crash lands nearby.There are a few very injured survivors and Birk tells the robots to try extra hard to save the two women.

Eventually all die except one women.Unfortunately she doesn't realize her role and we are treated to page after page of Birk ranting about how horny he is and how evil that she conspires against him just getting laid happily ever after.

That's ok though, since she's a woman she decides to proceed via trickery.She'll pretend to accept the situation and seduce Birk with an ultimate ulterior motive.Ohh deep plotting here.After being treated to a few pages of desperately unhot boinking even the author gets bored and has some aliens invade.

The woman accidentally lets slip that she still wants to fight to defend the human race from being crushed by the aliens and for this betrayal Birk beats the crap out of her.Luckily just before he was about to actually kill her a robot distracts him and he goes to hide form the aliens.

While in hiding the girl, a trained lieutenant in the earth military and a specialist in recon decides to fight the aliens.Unfortunately she's female so decides that standing in the middle of a road and shooting the aliens with a rifle is the best strategy.
This gets her into trouble quick.Luckily she can call on Birk's favorite robot for help.
Unfortunately she's still female and gets the favorite robots killed and is swiftly captured.

Meanwhile Birk is finding it kina lonely in his hiding place.So how does a man cope with this level of betrayal?Why by torturing some squirrels of course.Seriously we are treated to a nice sadistic description of Birk torturing squirrels to death.

When Birk hears his favorite robot is dead he suddenly sees his life in perspective and in less than a page realizes what he has to doLuckily Burk is male and is so equipped to think of the brilliant strategy of having the robots attack the aliens.The aliens are of course mind numbingly stupid and rush out of the spaceship to be slaughtered.

Maybe being female I like the female character in the book am lacking the intellect to appreciate the author's vision.More likely this is simply a rotten book.

fairly unknown, but a classic...
I've bought this book many years ago (translated Dutch version) and I still consider it to be one of the cornerstones of my book-collection.

It is a title which is hard to find (especially in Dutch ;-) but definatelyworth your while...

An excellent read
I have an old copy of this book that dates back about 10 years. I've only seen one copy. Mine. Its a great read, I highly recommend it to any who should come across it. ... Read more

Product Description
Published in 1982, before the widespread use of personal computers, the Internet, and electronic publishing, THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER concentrated on writing and selling to the print media--books and magazines. Updated excerpts are now being reprinted electronically on various topics--still focused on those primary areas, but still applicable to the current-day writer.

Theodore Sturgeon called the book "the second best reference book a writer can have, after the dictionary."

Harlan Ellison said, "It may not make you a better writer, but it will keep you from being a poorer one."

Isaac Asimov said, "Thank goodness! I am constantly being asked an infinity of questions about the writing business and can never answer coherently. Now I will stamp cards with a stamp that says: READ THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER. IT WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING, CLEARLY AND INTERESTINGLY. Why on Earth didn't he write the book forty years ago when it would have done me some good?"

This excerpt discusses how an author should narrow the field of potential markets, and the criteria to use when making his submission list for each work. ... Read more

Product Description
Book 5 of Agents of ISIS.

A hidden conspiracy is plotting to use the tsaritsa's wedding as the occasion to overthrow the true ruler and start a bloody revolt to take over the throne for themselves.

Meanwhile, in the depths of interstellar space, a flotilla of space pirates is gathering. Is it mere coincidence, or a coordinated attack to topple the Empire and seize control of all human-occupied space?

The Imperial Special Investigation Service must unravel the plots and thwart these plans before it's too late. ... Read more

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Hundreds of thousands of people have visited the pleasure moon Vesa and simply vanished without a trace. Is this part of some vast galactic conspiracy?To find out, the Imperial Special Investigation Service dispatches its two best agents to look into the matter--and the shocking truth they reveal leads to a chain of discoveries that eventually threatens the stability of humanity's entire interstellar Empire. ... Read more

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Book 9 of Agents of ISIS.

For centuries, now, humanity has expanded into space without encountering an alien civilization.

Suddenly, the peaceful outlying planet Omicron is attacked by an ominous outside threat--andthe Imperial Special Investigation Service finds itself joining forces with the conspiracy it's been battling for years to save mankind from external danger. ... Read more

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Laser Books August 1975 release. Original science fiction novels, three novels were issued per month beginning August 1975 until the line folded in February 1977. ... Read more

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Five supernatural tales from a master storyteller.

Visit the Shop, where the mysterious proprietor will take you on journeys into the second sphere--a land of nightmares, the mystical realm where legendary creatures battle for the souls of humans, and where every victory has its price. But do you dare NOT pay? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wellcrafted action adventure
This novel first came out in 1978 and reflects the times it was written in. Alain Cheney is a telepathic spy for the Terran Intelligence Agency and comes down with "telepause" at the age of 38. Telepause heightens his telepathy more than ever, more than Cheney wishes for.The TIA's solution for this problem is termination of its telepausal agents, which puts Cheney on the run....I enjoyed this novel since it is a wellcrafted action adventure where psychic powers add an extra dimension to the chase. ... Read more

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Polly!by Stephen Goldin--Meeting Polly is an adventure where you'll discover: why snowmen can't dance; a previously unseen Marx Brothers movie; the Three Laws of Thermodynamics; the secret of the universe. Oh, and also the recipe for the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. ... Read more