Showing titles in Short Stories

There is a book that is shrouded in mystery. Some even say it's a myth. Within its pages is a play - one that brings madness and despair to all who read it. It is the play of the King in Yellow, and it will haunt you for the rest of your days. The King in Yellow is a collection of stories interwoven loosely by the elements of the play, including the central figure himself.

This classic science fiction masterwork by Isaac Asimov weaves stories about robots, humanity, and the deep questions of existence into a novel of shocking intelligence and heart.

She's his daughter's best friend, half his age and off-limits. But that won't stop this alpha hero claiming what's his. Amy I’m never falling in love. I’ve seen what love can do, and it’s not for me. But that doesn’t mean a girl can’t have a little fun. Only the man I want to have fun with is twice my age, my boss, and my best friend’s dad. He should be off limits. But I can’t resist Landon. Now my heart is as treacherous as my body. But love is a risk that I’m not ready to take. Landon As soon as I lay eyes on the curvaceous Amy, I want her. I don’t give a damn about the ...

On a hot day in late June, four boys head out into the pasture with a bag a firecrackers. If and when they return, their innocence will be left behind amongst a flurry of exploded Black Cats . . . and blood.

I’ve had a crush on my best friend’s older brothers for as long as I can remember… long before they made a fortune designing high-end homes, and their success puts them even further out of my league. Being the bratty friend of their little sister never gave me much appeal. Dropping out of college and working, temporarily, as a maid doesn’t exactly sweeten the deal either. Or does it? When opportunity presents itself, will I risk losing my best friend by cozying up to her brothers?

Dropping papers off at my boss's house shouldn't be a big deal. Except that I'm in love with him, and I have a little fantasy that he secretly feels the same. An unexpected change in his demeanor makes me think my fantasy is finally coming true, but the second I realize I'm dealing with his identical twin, the storm of the century unleashes a mudslide, trapping me at his house. It's way too late to question what could possibly go wrong. The only question remaining is if I'd rather save my job or my heart.

It takes some gumption to claim to be the best tea shop in the city of Kansar, where five ancient roads meet and everyone is selling something. But Yala’s shop has been in her family for three generations and is famed for its brews among warriors and wizards alike. When the Imperial Spell Company claims a monopoly on all magic in Kansar, Yala tries to convince a company henchman that her teas are nothing but ordinary leaves and water.

A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name is hidden from all he and Dunk encounter. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits. Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

Laura is a mischievous 19-year-old young lady with a smart and sassy mouth. One day she makes the mistake of using some racy innuendos to embarrass her mom and the neighbor, implying that their relationship is more than just a neighborly one. Out of frustration, their neighbor, Brian, threatens her with a spanking for her birthday after another saucy innuendo from Laura. Surprisingly, Laura’s mom agrees to this and advocates for Brian to do just that. Laura gets a lengthy birthday spanking, seeks revenge the next day, which earns her a much more painful spanking, and soon, getting a ...

Just After Sunset - call it dusk, call it twilight, it's a time when human intercourse takes on an unnatural cast, when nothing is quite as it appears, when the imagination begins to reach for shadows as they dissipate to darkness and living daylight can be scared right out of you. It's the perfect time for Stephen King.

Aliens searching for a new home planet have studied humans through the “archives” they’ve discovered, specifically, Hollywood musicals. They arrive on Earth ready to integrate with the world through song, but find the world does not greet them the way they expect. Think Galaxy Quest with musicals!

"This is small town romance at its best!” Brook I meet the hottest man I’ve ever seen, and I ugly cry on him. And when I say ugly cry, I mean the whole deal: streaky mascara, puffy eyes, and snot everywhere. Totally embarrassing. And confirmation that my life is officially a hot mess. I’ve inherited my mother’s dog hotel. The building needs repairs, we’re in debt, and my sisters have descended on the house, leaving it a noisy, chaotic mess. Then along comes Owen, making me laugh and cry and tingle all over. But when I find out his secret, I’m devastated. I want nothing more to ...

Frank Becker is a highly sought after, expert assassin. When Becker takes a mysterious job, he has no idea that it will force him to delve deeply into his own past. Undeterred by obstacles he is determined to complete his assignment. But he may realize too late that his success will permanently alter his future.

A 300-year-old tree has plenty to do: repairing the damage to her bark from people who have carved their initials, drinking from her roots, and, lately, tolerating two lonely bookworms who visit separately. Playing matchmaker might solve everyone’s problems. Rebecca Sky is an award-winning writer best known for the Love Curse series with more than 20 million reads online; most recently her work can be found in the Every Body Shines body-positivity anthology with Bloomsbury.

A desolate young girl finds herself trapped in rising floodwaters after her little brother is tragically killed in a hit and run accident during a catastrophic hurricane. As she and her mother fight to overcome their grief and the wrath of the storm, her faceless assailant sits out of harm's way with callous disregard for their struggles.

Death-shaped entities—with all of their humor and strangeness—haunt the twelve stories in Exit Zero. Vampires, ghost girls, fathers, blank spaces, day-old peaches, and famous paintings all pierce through their world into ours, reminding us to pay attention! and look alive! and offering many other flashes of wisdom from the oracle and author of Beautyland, Marie-Helene Bertino.

From Lydia Millet—“the American writer with the funniest, wisest grasp on how we fool ourselves” (Chicago Tribune)—comes an inventive new collection of short fiction. Atavists follows a group of families, couples, and loners in their collisions, confessions, and conflicts in a post-pandemic America of artificially lush lawns, beauty salons, tech-bro mansions, assisted-living facilities, big-box stores, gastropubs, college campuses, and medieval role-playing festivals.

Tackling some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine, these stories will change the way you think, feel, and see the world. They are Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic, revelatory. Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine.

In the near-future, there might be detox centers for people addicted to technology. This short listen asks: What if a teen snuck her phone in? And what if everything in the outside world has changed…or gone silent? For fans of Station Eleven.

Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do.