Fantasy Stories Volume 2

In the Unnatural Quarter, the Plot Thickens . . . and then runs uncontrollably!When Howard Phillips Publishing announces the 12 + 1 anniversary edition (due to unavoidable production delays) of the famed Necronomicon-the very book that caused the Big Uneasy in the first place-it takes zombie P.I. Dan Chambeaux, a.k.a. "Shamble," to root out the diabolical schemes surrounding the book, and the fanatics who wish to destroy it.With enough plot twists to confound a professional contortionist, Dan Shamble doesn't have time for light reading. Along with his ghost girlfriend Sheyenne, his firebrand lawyer partner Robin, his best human friend Officer Toby McGoohan, and his ultra-cute vampire half-daughter Alvina, Dan faces an unnatural caseload.Entire neighborhoods in the Quarter have simply vanished into thin air.Rogue werewolf cop Hairy Harry struggles to write and market his memoir.Customer complaints turn monstrous over an auto-mechanic shop run by gremlins, to whom "repair" is a foreign concept.And when unnatural doppelgangers appear in the shadowed streets, it does not mean double the fun.Entangled in it all is the mousy virgin librarian-now turned superstar celebrity-whose blood sacrifice, through an accidental paper cut, brought back all the monsters thirteen years ago.That anniversary is indeed an unlucky number.

Kevin J. Anderson is one of the best-selling novelists working in the field today, but over the course of his long career he has produced a steady stream of short fiction, ranging from hard science fiction, to fantasy, to horror, dark fantasy, and humor. He has won or been nominated for the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Bram Stoker Award, Shamus Award, Colorado Book Award, Scribe Award, New York Times Notable Book, and many others.This extraordinary multi-volume set collects over 130 of Anderson's short stories spanning fifty years of his career and across multiple genres. Each piece is introduced by an original personal note placing the story in context, describing the inspiration or special relevance.In this second volume of horror and dark fantasy stories, you will read about ancient gods and unleashed demons, resurrected rock stars and bloodthirsty drums, haunted trains, the boogeyman, as well as Bela Lugosi and the real Vlad the Impaler. (lib)

"Kevin J. Anderson is one of the best plotters in the business."-Brandon SandersonThe titanic conflict continues between galactic civilizations and the life-destroying force of sentient shadows...After the events in the Hugo-nominated The Dark Between the Stars, the humans and Ildirans have narrowly escaped annihilation by the Shana Rei and their alien robot allies. But civilization in the Spiral Arm is at the risk of extinction from the deadly black clouds that absorb all life. The last few survivors of the mysterious Gardeners, whose worlds were smothered by the Shana Rei millennia ago, raise countless questions of their own, and these alien refugees may be a disaster in disguise. What is their true intent?A desperate alliance among empires tests a provocative new weapon that may be powerful enough to combat the deadly shadows ... but its horrible failure could bring the human race and its allies to the brink of annihilation.An epic space opera filled with intertwined plots, colorful ideas, a large cast of characters, and dozens of solar systems, alien races, and strange creatures."A gripping story that's sure to keep SF fans riveted until the very end."-Booklist (starred review) (lib)