Showing results by narrator "Chelsea Stephens" in All Categories

A government special agent known only as the Signalman gets off a train on a stunningly hot morning in Winslow, Arizona. Later that day he meets a woman in a diner to exchange information about an event that happened a week earlier for which neither has an explanation but which haunts the Signalman. In a ranch house near the shore of the Salton Sea, a cult leader gathers up the weak and susceptible - the Children of the Next Level - and offers them something to believe in and a chance for transcendence. The future is coming, and they will help to usher it in.

What explains the insistent pull of Roe v. Wade? Abortion law expert Mary Ziegler argues that the US Supreme Court decision, which decriminalized abortion in 1973 and was overturned in 2022, had a hold on us that was not simply the result of polarized abortion politics. Rather, Roe took on meanings far beyond its original purpose of protecting the privacy of the doctor-patient relationship. It forced us to confront questions about sexual violence, judicial activism and restraint, racial justice, religious liberty, the role of science in politics, and much more.

As a watcher, Sawyer Russo has sworn to protect her fellow humans. But the bots and carbons that overran her city are evolving, and are picking off her comrades one by one. Embarking on a desperate mission to save humanity from extinction, Sawyer discovers that the line between friend and foe is no longer easily drawn when one of her own betrays them. Faced with a choice between fulfilling her vow and avenging those who have fallen, she must ultimately decide who can be saved...and who can’t.

A fresh post-apocalyptic anthology: the end of the world seen through the salvage and ruins, featuring Emily St. John Mandel, Carmen Maria Machado, and more.

Life's pleasures used to be so simple: a fast ride on my motorcycle, a backyard barbeque with my siblings, and taking down criminals to safeguard Montreal's citizens. Sadly, those days ended the moment my fiery side emerged. I'm a fire elemental. Mind blown. The deadly Poreskoro family wants to feed on my fae essence. Rude. And if they succeed, they'll gain the strength to rebuild their army of evil. Terrifying. Demons, drug lords, and deception I can handle, but when a dark storm of danger falls over my family, things have gone too far.

Four years ago, former US Marshal Jackson Dean left his job after falling for a witness—who’s suddenly the target of an assassin. Now it’s up to Jackson and his K-9 partner to protect single mom Everly Lopez and her young daughter when Everly’s identity is blown. But with hired killers looking for a payday, Jackson must use all his resources to stop them from silencing Everly permanently.

Elisabeth R. Anker reckons with the complex legacy of freedom offered by liberal American democracy, outlining how the emphasis of individual liberty has always been entangled with white supremacy, settler colonialism, climate destruction, economic exploitation, and patriarchy. These "ugly freedoms" legitimate the right to exploit and subjugate others. At the same time, Anker locates an unexpected second type of ugly freedom in practices and situations, often dismissed as demeaning, offensive, gross, and ineffectual, but that provide sources of emancipatory potential.

I was five when the dragons first appeared...and the lights went out for good. Now, 18 years after the cataclysmic appearance of the four great dragons over Mount Fuji, humanity shares a shattered Earth with the Fey - fairies, elves, and other supernatural creatures. Trust is short, magic is common, and each day is a struggle for survival in the Awakened World of 2053. I'm Angie Ritter, a former army mage who can't cast spells anymore. I have some issues. I'm working on them.

For almost thirty years, Shirley Jackson Award–winning horror author Gemma Files has consistently served up tale after tale celebrating monstrosity in all its forms: the imperfect, the broken, the beautifully alien, and the sadly familiar. Her characters make their own choices and take their own chances, slipping from darkness into deeper darkness yet never losing their humanity—not even when they’re anything but.

When Bakkali insisted I take a month off to rest and regroup before joining The Guild of the Laurentians, I had my doubts. Being away from police work has been tough, so when an end of summer celebration takes a disastrous turn, I'm eager to unravel the mystery. One thing is for certain—something is in the water. With multiple fatalities, injuries, and missing persons, my siblings and I set out to uncover what happened at Clock Tower Beach.

When a demon king demands the repayment of a favor, Karian Vanador finds herself prisoner to his wishes. But all is not as it appears.... Working behind enemy lines, Kari must turn the unexpected into an advantage. War between the worlds of Citaria and Mehr’Durillia is inevitable, but the question of where it will be fought lies in her hands. If she can strike just the right blow, Kari may keep the battle far from the realms of her people.

The war we feared has come, and leading the invading army is the only remaining dragon, the "Black Death". If it's not stopped, the dragon will slaughter thousands. I'm Angie Ritter, former army mage and the first source mage to be born in centuries. I might be able to stop the dragon. If I can learn to control my new magic. If I can master the ancient entity possessing me. If I can act like a grown-up and stop fantasizing about the sexy were-jaguar I'm traveling with.

This collection of 22 short stories by the author of Daughter of Hounds and Alabaster firmly established Caitlín R. Kiernan as one of the preeminent voices in dark fantasy today. Through a cycle of interconnected narratives, Kiernan unflinchingly explores a surreal world where the fantastic and the mundane are never separated by more than the insubstantial thickness of a shadow.

One second, Gem Hawkins is on her way to being the number one drag racer in the state, and the next, she's burying her father, a badass demon hunter. The agency calls it a fluke. The official report claims some low level demon caught him off guard while out on patrol. But Gem knows that's a lie. When the dirty Nephilim running the investigation refuses to help, Gem takes matters into her own hands.

Vampire Alexis Black is on a mission - to rejoin the human race. Coerced into signing an ironclad contract by an angel-with-attitude, Alexis must hunt down and assassinate at least one vampire, werewolf, or creepy crawly every night for 50 years to become human again. Too bad the contract didn’t mention the badass vampire who now rides shotgun in her brain, insatiable bloodlust, or her new I-hate-everything-with-fangs sidekick. If she can fulfill her end of the bargain, her humanity is restored, if not she will be destroyed.

To Charles Fort, with Love is award-winning fantasist Caitlín R. Kiernan’s third collection of short fiction, a haunting parade of the terrible things which may lie beyond the boundaries of science, the minds which may exist beyond psychology, and the forbidden places which will never be located in any orthodox globe. A deceptively even dozen, this collection includes Kiernan’s celebrated stories “Onion” and “Andromeda Among the Stones”, as well as a number of more obscure pieces.

As we settle into our role as Guild Enforcers and the Quebec Quint, my siblings and I find our rhythm. Our training is paying off, our circle of allies is growing, and the chaos of being thrown into the deep end of the lava pool eases off. Things are better on the boyfriend front too-Hi, my name is Jules, and I'm dating a demon.

With the inevitable return of Coleman looming, Sawyer knows their army is not enough. On a journey to convince an ally to join their war, Sawyer discovers why the stars have placed the fate of the human race in her hands, but can she accept her destiny even if it means working with the man who tried to kill her? Kenzie is her enemy. He’s tried to kill Sawyer more than once, and the control Coleman has over him will not fade. Yet, she can’t stay away from him. Both drawn to each other in a way neither can explain, they must learn to trust one another.

I'm Angie Ritter, former army mage and recovering headcase. Seven days ago, I was struggling to survive without my magic. Now I'm on the run with a family of werewolf super-soldiers. Not going to lie. I'm in trouble - a lot of trouble: A cult of dragon-worshipping fanatics wants to cut my heart out, vampire assassins hunt me, and even my own countrymen want to hang me for treason. Oh, and a dark empire plots to conquer the entire West Coast. It may be led by a pair of dragons, honest-to-god dragons.

No longer the Watcher she once was, Sawyer must come to terms with her new reality. Her new identity. She may have new powers, but if she uses them, can she avoid losing herself in the process? Desperate for answers, Sawyer travels to the United Isles with Max in search of help. Of someone who could be an ally. Someone who could break the connection she has to those who will abuse her power. But the haven they find can’t remain that way. And their new allies aren’t the people Sawyer believed them to be.