Author: jmstine

A classic of romantic science fiction!

"The Aleta story was worth the price of the issue." —1956 letter, Madge Saunders to Other Worlds magazine, where the novel first appeared.

"I will eradicate the disease of war from the minds of men forever." —Aleta's Vow.

Trapped in the midst of endless galactic war, a frightened woman vows to do everything in her power to bring peace to the planets. Why, then, was her every act destined to bring more bloodshed and betrayal to those she had loved best? A refugee from a war-torn Earth aboard a ship of refugees, Aleta longed for the peace a new word promised and the arms of her fiancée who would follow two weeks later. But fear and dread filled her heart when a warship of Earth's enemies, the relentless Novakkans who had conquered half a galaxy, appeared. A moment later the refugee ship was destroyed and Aleta, along with a handful of others, was castaway on a lifeship, a tiny speck floating alone in infinite space—with no hope of rescue. Yet, Aleta was rescued; by Rahn Buskner, one of the most savage warriors of the savage Novakkans, who would fight his fellow soldiers for the right to her body and win it with his blade. But, before he could claim her, she would escape with a fellow Earthman, and as they raced from world to world seeking refuge, would fall in love with him, and find herself carrying his child. Aleta would meet the peoples the Novakkans had targeted for conquest and slavery—Golgons, Magians, Unorian, and the peaceful, knowledge-seeking Eg—and would discover a repository of ancient scientific knowledge where the ultimate secret of cause and effect, the power of ending war forever, was said to lay lost and forgotten.

But before she could find that secret, Rahn Buskner followed, slaying everyone and every planet that offered Aleta refuge. Until she had to make a devil's bargain and surrender her body to appease his blood madness. Aleta manages to bring about a cease-fire, but she knows it is only temporary, for the seeds of future battle are already sown. What she does not know is that the only possible fulfillment of her oath will lay with her own children—if they can live long enough!

Here is the first volume of a classic science fiction family saga, and of humanity caught up in the endless dream of war and power. And of the three women who swore to end that dream and wake humanity to a higher state of consciousness—not knowing they were players in a greater game and the objects of a prophecy which spoke of three stars...

"The yellow star is a woman, Aleta, tall, stately, fair, a queen ... because of her the galaxy will be divided. Planets will burn. Mighty warships will spread death and destruction.

"The red star is a girl, Aline, daughter of the Yellow Star ... from another era she will coax life and weapons of unlimited power. She will cast her lot with that of a man accepted as a god, whose power is greater than an armada. She will bring peace, but it is only a lull.

"The dark star, Evela is the spirit of life and mystery ... her net is spread over the galaxy, and the spell that she will cast will unleash all the furies of hell. It will be she who opens the gate to another era and all the terrors of mortal and immortal creation … from infinity to infinity."

"I am not exaggerating when I say it is the best adventure story I've ever read in a science fiction magazine. The characters were not the least bit stereotyped. Each was as real as they could possibly have been." —1956 letter Joseph Casey to Other Worlds magazine.

Don't miss:

II. Aline – The Red Star
III. Evela – The Dark Star

Saving the World has Never Been so Much Fun!

J. D. Crayne's newest book is a rollicking and hilarious space adventure that pays unabashed homage to science fiction greats of the past. Here is a book with touches of Red Dwarf, Farscape, Terry Prachett's Discworld, E. E. Smith's Lensmen, and Jean-Claude Forest's Barbarella.

Tetragravitron is classic interstellar adventure with a bit of a feminist twist, and its tongue planted firmly in its cheek. The Earth hovers on the brink of destruction as black-robed Phanot, evil ruler of an alien empire, aims an artificial quasar at the solar system! The only person who can save the world from this horrific threat is gorgeous, red-headed, emerald-eyed Captain Spycer of the Command Fleet.

Accompanied by her trusty companions—Peter, a pain-in-the-rear robot, Colonel Krabchake, a scaly red alien with attitude, and the pickled head of her astrophysics teacher, plus a naive little anthropologist named Brian—Captain Spycer must rocket straight into the enemy's clutches and allow herself to be captured, in hopes of discovering the secret of Phanot's awesome weapon.

Taken prisoner, she and her dauntless crew find they face the threat not only of the cruel, despotic Phanot, but of his suave nephew, Prince Agramon, a man with wide-ranging interests—from hunting the local population to harboring designs on Captain Spycer's virtue—and his sister, Princess Carnadine, a sultry, white-haired, ruby-eyed beauty with taste for naïve little virgins like Brian, and the hot irons to brand them with!

If Captain Spycer and her crew survive these perils, they still have to find Phanot's weapon, the mysterious tetragravitron, an ancient device of unspeakable power that lies hidden away in the depths beneath his great citadel. With time running out and the fate of the solar system hanging by a thread, our courageous heroine finds herself helplessly imprisoned behind dungeon walls.

Can Captain Spycer and her companions escape from the Phanot's prison in time to thwart his fiendish plot and save the Earth? Can the gentle six-legged hargs save themselves and their world from the Phanot's retribution? And will innocent young Brian ever understand the words to that indelicate song the pickled head was singing? Follow the pulse-pounding, comical, and always bizarre adventures of Captain Spycer's determined but motley crew as they do their level best to save civilization from destruction!

J. D. Crayne writes"funny stuff" says Nebula and Hugo winner Larry Niven. Everett Bedford, author of "Alexandra's Awakening," calls the first Captain Spycer adventure, "More fun than The Incredibles. And just as incredible. This romp through science fiction's more tropical tropes is witty, suspenseful, and laugh-aloud funny. Also scantily-clad."

"Unique and truly fascinating," writes Mike Resnick!

M. Christian isn't as good as his peers say—he's better! This "best of" collection, featuring the cream of his fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories, is a dazzling achievement. Only M. Christian could have imagined what happens when a boy's uncle blows Tibetan days powder in his face, or when a woman gave birth to a new species—but not one of flesh and blood, or when the Goddess of the Road gave the gift of beauty to a mortal man.

You will find these and eleven other unforgettable tales from the man Stephen Dedma, author of The Art of Arrow Cutting and Shadows Bite, hails as "A chimera, an amazing combination of tour guide and magician. Whether he's writing science fiction, horror or fantasy, he can take you to places you've never imagined, show you sights no one else will get to see, introduce you to some fascinating people, and guarantee that the trip will be memorable from start to finish."

Among the contemporary classics featured in this stellar collection are: "Some Assembly Required", "The Rich Man's Ghost", "Medicine Man", "Wanderlust", "Buried & Dead", "Nothing So Dangerous", "Shallow Fathoms", and "Constantine in Love".

M. Christian's fantasy and science fiction has appeared in Talebones, Space & Time Magazine, Skull Full Of Spurs, Graven Images, Horror Garage, Song of Cthulhu, and other science fantasy publications.

Fans of Star Trek, Farscape, and Star Wars will Love This Classic Series!

A space accident sends modern astronaut Steven Germaine to the Earth colony at Alpha Centauri in the 25th century. In Supermen of Alpha, Germaine is drawn into an undreamed-of new life of adventure and cosmic intrigue. First, Germaine finds himself to be "property" of the insidious tycoon, Vincent Cardwell, who rescued him. But soon, he is caught up in the riptides of an interstellar revolution against a tyrannical Earth government, and a growing love for Cardwell's beautiful "contract woman," the mutant Anne.

However, Vincent Cardwell has his own schemes for Germaine. There is a secret about the astronaut known only to Cardwell—a secret he plans to use as a hidden "ace" in his own game of empire. Meanwhile, Germaine faces the deadly challenge of the heavy-gravity planet Thulone. Somehow, he must find the will to determine his own destiny and overcome the world's crushing gravity—or die centuries and light years away from Earth. If he fails, he knows he will never see Anne Cardwell again, and the galaxy will suffer in slavery for centuries to come! If he lives, Germaine will become one of the rare cross-overs who survive Thulone, one of the "Supermen of Alpha"—and humanity's one slim hope.

In Time Window, Germaine escapes from an interstellar prison, to land in the secret stronghold of the Thulonian Independence Party (T.I.P.) on the jungle planet, Alpha Minor. Reluctantly, Germaine becomes involved with the rebel cause, never realizing he is destined to be the vital key to Man's first interstellar revolution.

On Alpha Minor, he makes remarkable new friends such as "Si" the human cyborg, and Paul Traynor, the mutant strongman. He also learns the awesome secret of Anne Cardwell, and of Cardwell's hold over her. Planning to strike directly at the heart of the tyranny and use Traynor's formidable paralysis weapon to take over Earth's government, Germaine and his new friends must smuggle Traynor's secret ship, Night Song, in among the cargo in an interstellar star-train. But, but they must risk discovery and act quickly, for Germaine's own destiny and the fate of worlds is being narrowed down to an inescapable tine window.

Read the first two complete Star Man novels for one low price! And don't miss The Second Star Man Omnibus, featuring books #3, Interstellar Mutineers, and #4, The Cosmium Raiders, of this enthralling series by veteran science fiction author Stuart J. Byrne.

Out of the stars … and into her heart—a lost science fiction romcom novel by an academy award winning writer!

Harriet Frank Jr.'s novels are:

"Fast paced and clever." —Chicago Tribune
"Excellent reading." —Hartford Courant
"Bright, fresh, bubbly." —Baltimore Sun

Betsy Simms' crazy about a guy named Yrtxxe, whose skin is green and whose address is Saturn. Betsy dug him out of a test tube one night and hasn't been quite the same since. . .

Yrtxxe isn't easy for a woman to handle. For one thing, his idea of lovemaking is to take a walk in the park and think at Betsy. That might be hot stuff up among Saturn's rings, but Betsy wants the real thing!

And then a sleek slice named Leda comes along and loads Yrtxxe up with ticker-tape parades, keys to the city, and a Presidential reception—and Betsy has more action than she knows what to do with!

From the typewriter of Harriet Frank Jr., Academy Award winning screenwriter of Hud, Norma Rae, The Cowboys, and many others, comes this delightfully dizzy romantic comedy based on her never-filmed movie treatment.

First published in Amazing Stories (1953), then edited by her fellow screenwriter Howard Brown (The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Capone, Banacek, Mission Impossible), this daffy novel of an out-of-this-world love affair has languished unreprinted for more than sixty years.

"Harriet Frank Jr. writes novels in which humanity abounds, in which there is love, tolerance and humor." —The Franklin Indiana Daily Journal

An outstanding collection of legendary cover stories from the Golden Age of the horror pulps—with the original magazine covers in full color!

In this unique anthology, readers will find such delectable fictions and celebrated masters as: "The Wolf-Girl of Josselin" by Arlton Eadie, a heartbreaking tale of lycanthropy and romance; "Strange Orchids" by Dorothy Quick, a disquieting story of a young woman's horrifying transformation; "Death Is an Elephant" by Robert Bloch, a strange and shocking Circus revenge; "Stragella" by Hugh B. Cave, a ship of death found floating free at sea and the doom that followed; and "Incense of Abomination" by Seabury Quinn, devil worshipers, drugs and Jules de Grandin.

The Occult Cases of Police Commissioner Ethredge and Detective-Lieutenant Peters, Vol. 1!

A compulsively readable and innovative terror novel from the golden age of the legendary Weird Tales, the supreme shudder pulp of all time.

All the New York newspapers blare the headlines when the city's leading jeweler is found dead in his office and his vault looted of all its best jewelry and most valuable gems—but there are no signs of forced entry or tampering with the locks. Because of the eminence of the victim, Police Commissioner Ethredge is immediately called to the crime scene, accompanied by his able assistant, Detective-Lieutenant Peters. After a brief examination, the coroner states that the jeweler has died of massive, sudden blood loss...although there is no blood at the scene, nor any needle marks or stab wounds on the body to explain it.

Ethredge is baffled, but when they are alone on the ride back to police headquarters, Detective-Lieutenant Peters, who is widely read, offers a possible theory that would explain the crime—but it is so outré and horrifying in its implications that Commissioner Ethredge dismisses it out of hand. But that night when he and his fiancée, the brilliant Mary Roberts, attend a society party, Ethredge begins to change his mind when he meets Count Woerz, a powerful hypnotist and prognosticator, and master of the super-smooth veiled threat.

Commissioner Ethredge and Detective-Lieutenant Peters' investigations of Woerz, assisted by Mary Roberts, lead to chilling discoveries...and finally a desperate chase by aeroplane and a final murderous confrontation aboard a yacht far out to sea.

As a special bonus this rare reprinting of Loot of the Vampire, horrormeister Thorp McClusky's classic two-part serial from Weird Tales, is accompanied by its sequel, The Woman in Room 607, the second Commissioner Ethredge and Detective-Lieutenant Peters occult adventure.

The classic battles of Union Sergeant Jaeger against the forces of darkness—gripping tales of a visitation of supernatural evil during and after the American Civil War.

Features a complete story told in two novellas: "Fearful Rock"—the story that made Wellman's reputation—and its sequel, "Coven".

Winner of the World Fantasy, Edgar Allan Poe, Ellery Queen, Locus and British Fantasy Awards, Manly Wade Wellman is considered one of the greatest fantasy writers who ever lived and is one of the creators of the great Weird Tales tradition.

An eerie tale of the American Civil War, the uncanny evil being who called himself Persil Mandifer, and his lovely daughter, Enid—a tale of dark powers and weird happenings. The year is 1862, the place the Deep South. Enid Mandifer has been sent hypnotized by her stepfather, Persil Mandifer, to be a sacrifice to the Nameless One, a demonic presence who haunts an ancient house under the shadow of a natural pillar called Fearful Rock. Kane Lanark, a Lieutenant in the Union cavalry, who has been ordered to scout for Quantrill's infamous raiders, discovers Enid in a half-dazed condition on the trail to Fearful Rock. Kane is puzzled and repelled when he learns of her stepfather's strange worship. Sergeant Jager, a religious fanatic known as "Bible" Jager to the other soldiers in their troop, and Kane's assistant, finds a horned image in the cellar of the house at Fearful Rock and destroys it, earning Persil Mandifer's undying hatred and his curse. After the Civil war, cosmic forces reunite all four at the foot of Fearful Rock, where the dead rise and events reach an eerie, shattering climax!

In the sequel, "Coven," set several years later, Cole Wickett, a former Southern officer, who has lost everything in the war and become a homeless drifter, makes his way toward a small community he has heard of called now called Welcome Rock, where a minister named Jager preaches to all who seek refuge. There Wickett and Jager battle a coven of evil witches pledged to the devil, and find themselves opposed to dark beings wielding unimaginable powers. Forces only the spells from a strange book called "Long Lost Friend" (which actually existed at the time...leave it to Wellman to own a copy) can possibly defeat—if Wickett and Jager can survive long enough to use it!

Inside this collection of fantasy author Joe Vadalma's best short stories about strong, independent women, you'll find:

"Viking Princess"
Alvida was a real person; the things she does in this story may be true...or simply a legend.

"The Countess and the Emperor"
The countess was a real person who saved her country from a foreign invader. This is a fictional account of her story.

"Paddy's New Girl Friend"
Although she is cisgender and female, strictly speaking, Paddy's girl friend is not a woman in the usual sense.

"Lucia Malachi, Android Seductress"
In the far future, a female android is sent on a secret mission to spy on humans.

"Olympias"
Olympias was the mother of a famous conqueror—but this is not his story, it is hers.

"Rose Petal and the Hunter"
Rose Petal is of the fairy race. She must give up much to obtain the man she desires.

"Olivia VanGrimm"
Olivia is one of the undead. A vampire's life is not an easy one.

"Abandoned Mansion"
Mandy was a woman with wanderlust. She entered the abandoned mansion to escape a summer storm, not knowing what dangers lie within.

They saved the world—but could they save themselves?

"Chalfy’s tender rendering of characters sets this novel a notch above its peers." —Publishers Weekly

Gaia has become a worldwide religion of love for the Earth, global warming and pollution have been overcome and the greening of the earth has begun. But the challenges of human selfishness continue to confront those who have been guiding Gaia. Jorge Alvarado, The Director and creator of Rejuvenation City, pursues his dreams of immortality and tries to inveigle Harrison, one of Gaia’s longtime leaders, to join him. Jorge’s race of diminutive women, specially bred for star travel, the Jorgenauts, who will literally spread his seed across the galaxy, remain a dangerous ambition. The weight of the long years they have spent building and protecting the Gaian movement begin to tell on Harrison and Helene and the grinding weight of dealing with fanatics opposed to Gaia drags at the bodies and psyches of Lucas and Maeve. A virologist who wants to destroy the world, and pirates attacking the floating cities, complicate the hand-over of power and responsibility to the next generation of Gaians, creating a looming concern. The question of humanity's survival is placed squarely on the table.

"I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the near future, especially anyone who is concerned about humanity's impact on the Earth." —Joe Vadalma, author, The Retslu Chronicles.