Bøker utgitt av OPEN ROAD MEDIA SCI FI & FANTA

Youth is wasted on the young. Being grown up is a drag . . . or so thinks Lacuna, one of the mischievous Castle Zombie twins. So she makes the Good Magician Grey an offer he can't refuse. Thirsty for a taste of the Elixir of Youth, she'll help him outwit the evil Com-Pewter, if he'll send her to Hell (in a handbasket, no less) to find Humfrey, the missing sorcerer. And while there, she'll learn the True History of Xanth (simplified) and help rescue a blushing Rose from the demon X(A/N)th . . . with the help of a gorgon or two.

We See England, We See Xanth, We See Mels's Underpanth. In fact, Gwenny Goblin, Che Centaur and Jenny Elf are just about the only creatures on Xanth who have been spared the sight of Mela Merwoman's undergarment--preoccupied as they are with helping Gwenny beat out her awful half-brother Gobble for chiefship of the goblin horde. But first they must master space and thyme . . . and find the fabulous egg that sits between the Roc and the hard place. While Mela--who would gladly relinquish her oft-viewed undies for a new husband -- joins the Adult Conspiracy . . . and quickly discovers the power of a perfect pair of panties! Praise for Piers Anthony "Piers Anthony is one of those authors who can perform magic with the ordinary. . . . [He] is a craftsman." --A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction "Anthony's unflagging sparkle, verve and wordplay spin everyday trials of Mundane life into storytelling gold." --Publishers Weekly

Read an updated translation of the classic English epic poem, and discover what happens next in the two exciting sequels, all collected here in one edition. About one and a half millennia ago, an anonymous author gave the world Beowulf, the first great epic written in what would become the English language. The poem follows the adventures of Beowulf, hero of the Geats, as he battles the monstrous Grendel, Grendel's fearsome mother, and a deadly dragon. After the hero meets his death, readers are left with the question: What will happen now? Without their champion, hero, and king, the Geats are defenseless against their enemies. With The Beowulf Trilogy, author Christopher L. Webber shares his own translation of the original epic and also answers the question of what happens next with two epic poems of his own. In Beyond Beowulf, follow the Geats as they welcome a new leader, Wiglaf, the young warrior who aided Beowulf in his encounter with the dragon. He helps the tribe search or a new home while contending with threats from storms, trolls, and the Saxon army. Then, in Yrfa's Tale, Webber looks beyond the warrior's viewpoint to give a perspective from Wiglaf's wife and family, and the emotional toll of their struggle. In The Beowulf Trilogy, Webber gives readers a complete picture of Beowulf's world, a somber and magical land full of adventure and turmoil. Praise for The Beowulf Trilogy"[Webber's] translation's clean, musical lines are excellent for reading aloud. The two sequels also maintain the original's language and narrative style. . . . Succeeds in both respecting and enriching the venerable original." --Kirkus Reviews

Two ill-prepared humans endeavor to stop a war in the land of Faerie, in this final adventure in the Spearwielder's Tale trilogy by the New York Times-bestselling author of The Dragon's Dagger. Much has changed in the four years since Gary Leger came home from his second adventure in the mystical land of Faerie. He married his girlfriend, Diane, but more recently, his father passed away. Overcome by grief, he frequently dreams of returning to Faerie and visiting his three friends, Mickey the leprechaun, Kelsey the elf, and Geno the dwarf. And right now, they would love to see him . . . The wicked King Kinnemore and his bloodthirsty son, Geldion, are leading an army of thousands to take over Faerie, and the threat of the evil witch still looms across the land. As war breaks out, Gary is needed to don the enchanted armor and wield the magic spear once more. And when he arrives in Faerie, Diane is by his side. Now Gary and his companions must bring their skills together to strike evil from the land and restore peace to Faerie once and for all . . . Previously published as Dragonslayer's Return. Praise for the Spearwielder's Tale "The book's fast-paced, good-humored nature draws the reader in and makes the world of Faerie a fine place to visit." --SF Site on The Woods Out Back "Gary has a lively time of it in Faerie, which Salvatore recaptures with verve and wit and many nice touches . . . A classic tale." --Booklist on The Dragon's Dagger

A factory worker is kidnapped to help an elf reforge a broken spear, in this trilogy opener by the bestselling author of the Legend of Drizzt series. Gary Leger is desperate for adventure. Daydreaming is all that keeps him from going nuts while working a dead-end job in a plastics factory. The next best thing is burying himself in a good fantasy novel, and he spends much of his free time reading in the woods behind his house. That's when adventure finds him. Or rather, that's when he's hit with a tranquilizer arrow . . . When Gary comes to, he's still in the woods--but in a world inhabited by creatures from his favorite novels, like a pixie and a leprechaun. There's also an elf on a dangerous life-quest who requires Gary's assistance. As soon as Gary finishes helping him, he can go home. He simply needs to complete the task . . . while surviving encounters with trolls, an ice-hag, a dragon, and a sorceress bent on stopping them at all costs. This first novel in the Spearwielder's Tale trilogy is a great choice for fans of Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger books and Terry Brooks's Shannara series. Praise for The Woods Out Back "Written as a light-hearted adventure, the book works because the reader sees the world of Faerie through Gary's eyes and Faerie is just as new to him as it is to the reader. . . . The book's fast-paced, good-humored nature draws the reader in and makes the world of Faerie a fine place to visit--good thing there are two more installments!" --SF Site

The reluctant hero of The Woods Out Back is needed again in the realm of Faerie, in this fantasy adventure by the New York Times-bestselling author. Gary Leger returned from the magical realm of Faerie five years ago, and each day since, he has longed to embark on more adventures. Now a mob of pixies is about to grant his wish. For the inhabitants of Faerie, it's only been a month since Gary left, and life is not great. A vile king sits on the throne, threatening war. An evil witch imprisoned on an island struggles to free herself. And a dragon is burning the countryside. It's up to Gary and his friends--Mickey the leprechaun, Kelsey the elf, and Geno the dwarf--to get Gary back to where he belongs before Faerie is blackened to a crisp . . . Praise for The Dragon's Dagger "Gary has a lively time of it in Faerie, which Salvatore recaptures with verve and wit and many nice touches. . . . A classic tale of humans caught in the toils of Faerie, certain to retain its predecessor's audience." --Booklist

The first book in the Skolian Empire saga by the Nebula Award-winning author. "Fast, smart, speculative . . . another stellar debut." --Los Angeles Daily News Soz Valdoria, a bioengineered fighter pilot--and first in line for the military command of her people--has found refuge with her squad on the sanctuary planet of Delos. It offers a respite from the war that rages between her Skolian people and their enemies, the Traders. Looking for rest and relaxation, they must still be on their guard for the Trader soldiers who also visit the sanctuary. In a bar, they confront the worst of the worst: an Aristo from the Trader ruling caste, seemingly on the prowl for a "provider" he can use for his barbaric impulses. His presence takes Soz back to her days as a prisoner of war, when she became the plaything of a sadistic and soulless Aristo. And yet something is off about this Aristo. Unable to ignore her instincts, Soz searches the city until she finds him in a secured mansion. Breaching its fortifications and eluding its guards, she discovers a devastating truth: this man is no true Aristo. He is a genetic anomaly like Soz, one of the few people who can handle the massive neurological demands of the psibernet, the technological marvel that gives the Skolians their only advantage over the Traders. This false Aristo, this sheep in a wolf's clothing, is heir to the Trader throne. The emperor created him for one reason--to take control of the Skolian network and conquer Soz's people. But Soz has never felt such a connection as she does to this Trader heir. It may prove her--and the universe's--undoing . . . "This is one of the best SF first novels in years." --Booklist

A collection that includes the Nebula Award-winning titular novella and "Light and Shadow," the story that begins the Saga of the Skolian Empire series. In "The Spacetime Pool," recent MIT grad Janelle Aulair is hiking through the Great Smoky Mountains when a man appears out of nowhere to request her help. Shaken by his impossible appearance, she steps away--and falls through a portal onto a beach in another universe. That's when Dominick, the man who waylaid Janelle, reveals she is part of a prophecy. It foretells a bizarre future: if Dominick marries Janelle, he'll depose his twin brother and become Emperor of the land. If Dominick doesn't marry her, his brother--a brutal tyrant who will do anything to keep his throne--will murder him. Janelle finds herself caught in a conflict that could destroy the realm. If that's not mind-blowing enough, she discovers books that prove this civilization achieved interstellar travel five centuries ago. Yet now they're living in a culture that doesn't have electricity, riding two-horned creatures that definitely aren't horses, and sword-fighting. To find her way home, Janelle must figure out what happened between then and now . . . The Spacetime Pool also includes Catherine Asaro's first-ever published story, "Light and Shadow," featuring Kelric, a popular character from the Saga of the Skolian Empire series, and an illustrated essay on the math in her fiction titled "A Poetry of Angles and Dreams." Praise for Catherine Asaro "Readers seeking the harmonious meld of hard SF's rigor and human chemistry's heat should read Catherine Asaro's fiction." --SciFi Weekly

"Powerful characterization and intriguing scientific concepts . . . an elegant subtlety and a far-reaching sense of destiny that carries [Asaro] to the highest rank of master storyteller." --Romantic Times Reeling from a battle, pilot Kelric Valdoria crash-lands his Jag starfighter on Coba, the closest safe planet he can find after a Trader squad cripples his ship. Although the military of Kelric's people have given Coba Restricted status, Kelric sees no reason for such draconian measures to isolate the seemingly benign world. While recovering, the dashing Kelric becomes the target of affection for high-powered women in Coba's matriarchal society, including Deha Dahl, an Estate Manager, and young Ixpar Karn, the chosen successor of the Minister. Distracted by their flirtations, Kelric doesn't at first realize the Restricted status of the planet was their own choice--and that they can't risk letting him go. However, Kelric's internal biomech system is failing, causing his brain to malfunction. His only hope is to escape. But when his attempt fails, ending in the death of a guard, he must face a trial that could mean his execution, unless he can win the trust of the people who both covet and fear him . . . "Well-written, entertaining, classic science fiction fun." --The Plain Dealer "Impossible to put down." --L. E. Modesitt, Jr., New York Times-bestselling author "A smoothly absorbing space opera that mixes high-tech gimmickry with galactic politics and plenty of romance." --Publishers Weekly