Author: jmstine

Discover the enthralling story that inspired the beloved series!

Disney's Doctor Syn, alias The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, the classic TV miniseries, was based on this romantic adventure novel of a masked hero with a secret identity. On the surface, the little English coastal village of Dymchurch is a respectable, law-abiding community in 1800, and there are only two things of real interest to call attention to it. One is the dank, foggy stretch of shore known as Romney Marsh—haunted, so the villagers whisper, by flaming demon riders like giant Scarecrows! The other is Doctor Syn, their genial, kindly, well-loved vicar, incongruously known to break into ungodly refrains from the favorite song of the redoubtable Captain Clegg, the notorious pirate at whose hanging he officiated. But when government revenue officers, hunting contraband and smugglers, arrive at Dymchurch, one by one the explosive secrets beneath the town's placid surface—and those of its most prominent citizens, even its vicar—are threatened. And when they are, the Scarecrow rides again!

With Introduction by Futures-Past/Pageturner publisher, avid Doctor Syn fan and pop lit historian Jean Marie Stine.

Only This Uncrowned King Could Stop the Ultimate Weapon!

"Poetic, moody, polished, genuinely sensitive!" says sf writer and critic James Gunn about the work of the grandmaster of space opera, Edmond Hamilton, who penned this haunting, lost classic of a man who found the stars too big a fit.

When Neil Banning tries to visit his hometown, he discovers he needs a spaceship to get there.

"It can't be true! It must be some kind of hoax!" These are the words that go spinning through Neil Banning's mind when the Greenville authorities tell him that the house he had grown up in, the aunt and uncle who had raised him, never existed.

Soon Banning finds himself in jail, charged with disturbing the peace—and possibly declared insane. But when a stranger from outer space visits his cell at midnight and hails him as the Valkar of Katuun, Banning decides that maybe the authorities are right and he is crazy—because his only alternative is to believe the impossible: that he really is the Valkar of Katuun, exiled emperor of a star empire, and the personality of Neil Banning nothing more than an elaborate fraud.

It doesn't really matter, though, who is right. For Banning finds himself starnapped, on his way to Katuun, whether he likes it or not. And as Banning, or the Valkar, he has to save that star-world from the terror of the Sun Smasher or perish with the loyal subjects he might never even have known!

Here are some of the fascinating characters you will meet in this fast-moving, colorful space opera by Edmond Hamilton, the man known for his cosmic imagination and world-wrecking weapons: Tharanya, Empress of the New Empire, who is hindered by her love for the exiled Emperor of the Old; Rolf, charged with completing a task started 90,000 years earlier; Sohmsei, fifty percent spider, fifty percent man, and one hundred percent watchdog; Zurdis, whose honest face belies his traitor's blood; Jommor, a scientist so great he can turn one man into another! Or can he?

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction says "the scope, color, and dynamic clarity of [Hamilton's] liberated action did much to define the Sense of Wonder for generations of readers" and hailed his work as "Genuine space opera."

Cover art: Jeff Fisher.

A Paranormal Thriller by an Exciting New Writer!

A psychotic criminal determined to revenge himself on Alice Turner, the woman he raped and whose testimony put him behind bars, discovers the unsuspected psychic power to inhabit and manipulate others. Soon the criminal, Maurice Lorenzo Ellison, turns his power against Alice, beginning a supernatural cat-and-mouse struggle.

His plan is diabolical and bloody. He plans to kill twenty loved ones from Alice's past, the exact number of years he endured in prison. The first will fall on May 13th. The last, Alice herself, will come to him on June 1st, her birthday and the twentieth anniversary of her rape. To make certain she knows who is responsible, Maurice plans to leave a note at the scene of each killing, echoing something Alice once said: "Out there is forever."

Twenty years have changed Alice, now Director of the Colorado Center for Supersensory Research and head of a small corps of specially trained psionic agents. She has also begun to fall in love with Chris Branche, her most gifted agent. When one of her cousins is murdered, the message left at the scene makes it clear to her that Ellison is the murderer. Alice realizes this will be only the first of many killings, unless she can find some way to locate and defeat Ellison. Meanwhile, Donna, her nineteen-year-old "niece," begins to have questions about her own parentage.

As the murders strike closer, Alice discovers she will either have to face the man she fears most in the world, or risk sending the man she now loves to defeat him single-handedly. Little does she realize the harrowing climax will take place on the day—and the very spot—where Ellison assaulted her two decades earlier.

Adult situations and language.

The Triumphant Conclusion of The Minstrel's Song!

Darkness has eclipsed light. It is a time when humans, elves, giants, druids—and even gods—tremble. Only a small, desperate band of comrades still continue to struggle against a demon's inevitable triumph. But even Arthur the minstrel, Malwyn the druidess, Rubio the elf, Faranor the giant, and Elezar the druid are defeated at every turn. Their last hope lies in an ancient prophecy that only Galan, Arthur's father, can defeat the demon. And Galan has been dead since Arthur's birth!

Discover for yourself why Ayden Delacroix of In the Library Reviews says Jac Eddins' novels are "Fast-paced, attention-grabbing, full of surprises, and filled with intriguing characters."

Minstrel against Demon!

Returning from his quest for a protective amulet, Arthur the Minstrel finds the druid outpost destroyed and his beloved Malwyn, the druidess, missing. Together, he and his companions must find and rescue her.

Meanwhile Malwin, helpless due to a head injury, has been taken captive by the evil Baron and the Demon he serves. The Demon plans to seize the secret of her powers one way or another, and free himself to conquer the world. Presenting himself as a simple minstrel, Arthur enters the castle of the Baron offering his services for the upcoming festivities. Surrounded by danger, potentially recognized at any moment, Arthur finally finds Malwyn—and the Demon! ...which brings our hero to a moment the Demon has been waiting for ever since Arthur joined the Druid's efforts to oppose him. What can a minstrel do against the awesome powers of a Demon? Will this be the end of the minstrel's song?

Balrog Award winner Ardath Mayhar, author of Warlock's Gift, The Black Tower, and The World Ends in Hickory Hollow, calls the Minstrel's Song series "Engaging and enjoyable, with a great deal of originality. I particularly like the gnome, Squeak, and his hot-air balloon. The characters are likeable, and the action non-stop ... a fun read. The first book is ended satisfactorily, while setting up the basic premise for future novels dealing with continuing difficulties with the dormant Demon. What fun!"

Fantasy, Romance, Magic and Danger!

When Arthur the Minstrel and Malwyn the Druidess are forced to take shelter from a raging storm in a convenient cave, Malwyn is attacked by a giant bear under the control of a Demon they encountered once before. The Demon is determined to destroy Malwyn before she grows strong enough to destroy him, but that won't be easy.

Arthur, who is madly in love with Malwyn, rescues her—but if he is hoping for the usual reward, he is disappointed, for she has sworn a vow of chastity. Arthur believes, perhaps not surprisingly, that the Druids' vow of chastity is an outmoded idea: it presupposes that sex drains magical powers and makes a Druid vulnerable to enemies—but sex has never drained Arthur and he doesn't believe it really could impair Malwyn's magical powers, either. When he presses his suit too hard, the resulting fight makes them both step back and realize that their love is, in fact, mutual. Arthur promises to wait for Malwyn.

That promise is shattered when the Demon sends a strange woman to claim she is his legal wife. The Demon knows that Druidesses are forbidden to travel in the company of married men, and Arthur will be banished from Malwyn's presence.

Meanwhile, Arthur learns of a magical scroll that can protect Malwyn from the Demon's attacks, if he can find it. When Arthur's supposed wife seduces one of the young men who make up Malwyn's company and provokes a duel between him and Arthur, he realizes that to prevent bloodshed, prove his innocence and find the magical scroll, he will have to call upon his own limited store of magic to create the largest illusion of his life.

Jac Eddins' novels are "Fast-paced, attention-grabbing, full of surprises, and filled with intriguing characters," writes Ayden Delacroix, In the Library Reviews.

Romance and Adventure in This Classic 1920 View of the Year 2666!

Ralph 124C 41+ is the leading genius around town in the scientifically run utopia of the year 2660. His inventions have helped make the world a better place to live in and his every thought is devoted to scientific advancement—until he meets Alice 212B 423 and she instantly becomes the object of his affections. He woos her amid a tour of the wonders of the New York of 2660 C.E.—until one of his scientific rivals also becomes a rival for Alice's hand. Though Ralph has won Alice's heart, his rival kidnaps her and hides her in a scientific fortress defended by fearful weapons of his own invention. Soon the two are pitted against each other in a battle of scientific genius and weaponry.

Here's a genuine keystone novel in the field of science fiction. Written by Hugo Gernsback, the man dubbed the Father of American Science Fiction for his founding of the first all-sf magazine, Amazing Stories, in 1926, Ralph 124C 41+ is 1920's fictional look at the year 2660. And, due to the author's scientific background, most of its predictions came true! As critic Groff Conklin says, Ralph "contains a goodly number of then-fantastic scientific ideas that have since become fact. It also is a lot of fun to read. True enough, the plot is old-hat and the style is awkward—but even so Ralph is thoroughly delightful. It has the genuine charm of a sound, workmanlike antique, plus the often-astonishing survival value of successful prophecy. You will not be disappointed with this tale!"

With five of the original 1920s illustrations by Paul.

Sci-Fi Larry Niven Hails as "Dark" And "Funny!" Mars, the church, media and world crisis come together in a heady mix that will remind some readers of James Morrow and others of Frederik Pohl. Not since Dr. Strangelove has there been such a wildly cynical science fictional look at the world we live in!

From an April Fool joke gone wrong, to an imitation alien bilking the rich, The Cosmic Wheel turns through a near future filled with sex, blasphemy, and a satiric look at life in the mid-21st Century. Michael Brandise, Public Relations Director for NASA, searches for the meaning of it all, with a few rolls in the hay along the way. Fastidious Maryanne Thinready is looking for a way to break off a love affair gone sour, while her husband finds comfort in the arms of a woman with unique ideas about the Hereafter. The irreverent Pope Glorious the First, the closest thing to an anti-Pope the modern world has seen, wonders where he went wrong. Pint-sized Childe Osbourne, entertainment's biggest star since that little girl with the golden curls, enjoys big graveyards and big women, often at the same time. In the midst of the mayhem, Jason Christopher Woodman rockets into space, while newspaper editor Carl Fawcett and roving reporter Nilla Bristol record it all with a jaundiced eye and hopes for a better future.

No wonder multiple award-winning science fiction author Larry Niven says, "Reading The Cosmic Wheel was something like watching a Ping Pong game played by thousands of players around a table the size of a world. Dark humor. Funny stuff, The Cosmic Wheel."

Cover: Elspeth Fahey

Were The Menaced by Monster or Murderer?

The little town of Solitaire, located on the shore of lovely Lake Mendocino, has a problem: the tourists are only there during the summer. After Labor Day, the place looks more like a deserted crypt in a forgotten graveyard.

Local merchants are feeling the pinch and thinking of leaving for the bright lights and big bucks of the Big City. The City Council comes up with a plan to bring people to the town during the off-season. What they have in mind is reviving an old Huchnom Indian ceremony appeasing the Lake God. (Uncle Hank Cross, local wise man, swears it's an old Indian custom, and who are they to doubt him?)

During the probably-fake ceremony, however, some bystanders are horribly murdered in front of eyewitnesses by a monster very much like the one the city hall made out of plastic foam and trash bags. Who is responsible? Some say the genuine monster has returned. Others claim the killings are the work of a clever killer. Either way, the local business owners are wondering if it is time to sell out.

Is the town doomed? A small band of citizens are determined that it won't be; they'll learn the secret of Monster Lake or die trying—which, of course, some of them will.

"Funny!" says Hugo winner Larry Niven about science fiction of J. D. Crayne.

In the third adventure of Captain Spycer and her zany band of space heroes, the Earth is doomed! Or maybe it's Callisto that's doomed. On the other hand, perhaps it's just Anaheim, California. The only chance Earth has to avoid possible annihilation is to send the Command Force's intrepid Captain Sherilyn Spycer to the rescue! The Captain and her crew of stalwart civilization-savers are on their way, and the hero business may never be the same.

A rogue pleasure satellite, missing for over two hundred years, is about to crash through the solar system, causing widespread destruction, the downfall of civilization, and the violation of beautiful young women. That's what one eminent scientist claims, but he and his team of research geniuses are missing in action. They took off for the satellite two weeks ago, and haven't been heard from since. The date of destruction draws ever closer and doom is staring humanity square in the face.

Follow the incredible adventures of Captain Spycer and her crew as they brave the evil android Queen Animatronica, who is dedicated to the obliteration of all living things. Cheer them on as they face 150-meter rollercoasters and broken teeth from antique chocolate bars. It's danger, excitement, and nerve-tingling adventure, plus a lot of familiar faces that you know and love. The crew of the good ship RayRunner is on the job! The disembodied head of Professor Andre Groppe is here to imagine the unimaginable, while his scaly red aide, Col. Krabchake, is primarily interested in the satellite's savory green tree frogs. Rugged duraluminum robot Peter Decade has all of the answers, but only if someone asks the right questions. Dr. Brian Lefarge, the perpetually confused innocent, is certain that everybody means well and does the best he can with someone else's plastic arm. Space adventure at its very best; accept no substitutes!