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"Superiority" is a science fiction short story by Arthur C. Clarke, first published in 1951. It depicts an arms race, and shows how the side which is more technologically advanced can be defeated, despite its apparent superiority, because of its own organizational flaws and its willingness to discard old technology without having fully perfected the new.

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"The Lost Mine" immerses readers in a compelling short story featuring the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot, created by the renowned Agatha Christie. In this narrative, Poirot is confronted with the mystery of a missing map leading to a valuable gold mine, owned by the eccentric prospector Mr. Richard John Emsworth.

"The King of Clubs" immerses readers in another enthralling short story featuring Agatha Christie's iconic detective Hercule Poirot. In this intriguing narrative, Poirot is called upon to investigate a seemingly straightforward case involving a mysterious threat to the life of Sir George Carrington, a wealthy and influential man.

Publicity Campaign is a short science fiction story by Arthur C. Clarke, originally published in 1953 in the London Evening News. It explores the themes of communication and xenophobia, focusing on an alien expedition attempting to interact with Earthlings. The story depicts an alien race facing difficulties understanding and interacting with humans due to their xenophobia, ultimately leading to a drastic, though seemingly necessary, solution.

John W. Campbell Jr.'s "The Classic Collection" is a remarkable anthology that showcases the genius of one of science fiction's most influential writers.

The Constitution of the Athenians, also called the Athenian Constitution (Greek: Ἀθηναίων πολιτεία, Athenaion Politeia; Latin: Atheniensium Respublica), is a work by Aristotle or one of his students. The work describes the constitution of Athens. It is preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis, published in 1891 and now in the British Library. A small part of the work also survives on two leaves of a papyrus codex, discovered in the Fayum in 1879 and now in the papyrus collection of the Ägyptisches Museum in Berlin.

The Big Book of Christmas: Classic Stories and Poems is a grand compilation that assembles a treasure trove of holiday tales and poems from a remarkable array of authors. This extensive collection includes 100 classic works, each thoughtfully illustrated, to immerse readers in the magic and wonder of the Christmas season. This anthology spans a rich tapestry of Christmas literature, including timeless favorites such as "The Gift of the Magi," "The Red Room," "A Letter from Santa Claus," "The Fir Tree," "Song of the Holly," and many more.

Love, for Emerson, is neither simple nor sweet. It is a force—wild, untamable, and yet profoundly human. In Love, he explores the deep currents that pull us together and push us apart, not with the softness of romance, but with the clarity of a philosopher who sees love as a transformative, even unsettling, experience. It is not just an emotion, but a vital, unpredictable energy that shapes and redefines us. Emerson doesn't idealize love; he insists on its complexity.

Time does not hold history—people do. Emerson's History is not a chronicle of names and dates, not a reverence for the past, but a revelation: every life is a vessel of all that came before. The individual is not separate from history but its continuation, its living pulse. Emerson does not ask his readers to study history; he asks them to recognize themselves within it. Every triumph, every downfall, every flash of genius from ages past is not distant—it is ours, woven into the mind that thinks, the hand that writes, the heart that dares.

Asleep in Armageddon delves into the recesses of human imagination as Ray Bradbury crafts a mesmerizing narrative set against a backdrop of impending cataclysm. In this thought-provoking short story, Bradbury explores the complex interplay between dreams and reality, challenging conventional notions of existence. As the world hurtles toward an uncertain fate, the protagonist grapples with the surreal landscape of their own subconscious, blurring the lines between nightmare and actuality. Bradbury's poetic prose and evocative imagery converge in this tale, creating a vivid exploration of the human psyche in the face of existential turmoil.

Alyosha the Pot is a short story written by Leo Tolstoy (1905) about the life and death of a simple, uncomplaining worker. It was published after Tolstoy's death in 1911 and received high praise from Tolstoy's contemporaries. Without ever calling Alyosha a holy fool, Tolstoy centers the story on his meekness, aloofness, and foolishness. Alyosha's simple life, soft-spoken manner, and calm acceptance of death epitomizes Tolstoyan principles.

Morgue Ship by Ray Bradbury is a science fiction short story, which appeared in the summer 1944 issue of Planet Stories and is therefore eligible for the 1945 Retro Hugos. Morgue Ship is short, only six pages long, but Bradbury perfectly manages to capture the atmosphere aboard the morgue ship with its clinical interior, its shelves full of dead soldiers, the churning blood pumps and whirring machinery, in such a short space. Bradbury also manages to pack the horrors of war in space, the exploding ships and spinning dead bodies among the wreckage, into just a few paragraphs.

"The Submarine Plans" immerses readers in a captivating short story featuring Agatha Christie's renowned detective Hercule Poirot. In this narrative, Poirot is drawn into a case involving espionage, international intrigue, and the theft of top-secret submarine plans.

"The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb" by Agatha Christie immerses readers in another spellbinding Hercule Poirot mystery. Set against the backdrop of an archaeological expedition to Egypt, this short story unfolds as Poirot is called upon to investigate the ominous deaths surrounding the opening of a newly discovered tomb.

"The Adventure of the Clapham Cook" introduces readers to the early sleuthing endeavors of Hercule Poirot in this captivating short story by Agatha Christie. When a seemingly routine case of a missing cook in Clapham is brought to Poirot's attention, the renowned Belgian detective discovers that there's more to the disappearance than meets the eye. As Poirot employs his trademark methods of observation and deduction, readers are treated to the charming yet astute investigative skills that would.

The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face is a short story from Dorothy Sayers' book, Lord Peter Views the Body. Several passengers on a train are excitedly discussing a recent murder, in which a man was found on a beach, strangled, with his face cut off. Lord Peter Wimsey is among them, and cleverly deduces several facts about the case based on details mentioned by the passengers. A policeman, Inspector Winterbottom among them overhears the conversation and takes Lord Peter's calling card.

Step into the quiet English countryside, where serenity hides shadows, and ancient grounds guard forgotten secrets. In M. R. James's chilling tale The Rose Garden, a simple act—planting roses on a peaceful estate—unearths more than just soil. Whispers in the wind, a cursed corner of land, and a long-buried injustice begin to stir. Elegant, eerie, and steeped in the uncanny, this masterfully told ghost story unfolds with James's signature subtlety and scholarly dread.

The Sayings of Mencius has been revered for well over 2,000 years, and is arguably the most influential of the Si Shu (Four Books) which form the foundation of traditional Chinese education. 'Master Meng' was born during the turbulent Warring States period, and was a tireless advocate of Confucian thought, defending and expanding its tenets as a means of achieving peaceful relations between individuals and competing kingdoms. The sage spent most of his life journeying from court to court, always seeking a Ruler sufficiently principled to apply his teachings. Few were found worthy.

The Treasure of Abbot Thomas draws its listener into a labyrinth of ancient secrets, cryptic clues, and a warning that should never have been ignored. In this masterwork of antiquarian dread, M. R. James summons a world where curiosity is a dangerous impulse, and knowledge—particularly the hidden kind—has its price. With echoes of stone chambers and whispered Latin, this is a tale not merely of treasure, but of the peril that guards it. Let your ears adjust to the dark—and beware what answers back.