Showing results by narrator "Mark Boyett" in All Categories

As Ian Brown's 60th birthday loomed, every moment seemed to present a choice: confront or deny the biological fact that the end was now closer than the beginning. True, he was beginning to notice memory lapses, creaking knees, and a certain social invisibility - and yet it troubled him that many people think of 60 as "old", because he rarely felt older than he had at 40.

"He shoots and he scores! Lightning Logan strikes again." That was me, Lightning Logan Jackson, because I was as fast as lightning on the ice. Playing for the NHL had been my dream since I was six years old, when my dad took me to my first hockey game. Hockey was my life. It consumed me. It was the one thing in life that I could commit to. Relationships were a no. Sex with beautiful women and no strings attached was a yes. I was a bachelor - happy and living the dream. Then the accident happened, and the doctors told me I'd never play hockey again.

Unbreakable Bonds tells 10 touching stories of mothers who spent years aiding the recoveries of their children, U.S. soldiers and marines who suffered severe injuries during the War on Terror. The survival of these wounded warriors is a testament not only to the extraordinary efforts of military medical personnel and their own inner fortitude but also to their mothers.

Bombs go off in the human colony of Atlantis. In the same system, the gas giant miners of Hybras Station have been evicted, but refuse to move. Commander Hanson of the Solar Alliance Navy is sent to defuse the situation. But as he investigates, the mission becomes more complicated than anyone anticipated. The mysteries multiply. Who is really behind the bombings? What is the ancient alien substance inside the atmosphere of Hybras? And who is the silent, faceless, merciless stranger moving between Atlantis and Hybras Station?

Guardian spirits. Divine presences. Demonic powers. Ghosts. The concept of "genius loci" is indeed an ancient one, found in nearly every human mythology. Genius Loci is a huge anthology of 31 all-new fantasy and science fiction stories drawing on the rich tradition of place-as-person. Within this audiobook, the authors present stories of sentient deserts, beneficent forests, lonely shrubs, and protective planetary spirits, as edited by Jaym Gates.

Interstellar war is about to erupt. For Blake Harley, that's the least of his problems. Jorn Freyul, the astonishingly gifted child he is tasked with protecting, has been targeted by an unknown, malicious entity described by the boy as a god…one intent on destroying all life. Blake, his alien ally, Sekkha, and new team member Mariya, all fellow fugitives from the law, are about to find out that Jorn's fears could become an all-too terrifying reality. Now, Blake and his companions are embarking on their most important mission yet.

William Shakespeare had nothing to do with the actor and moneylender William Shaksper from Stratford-upon-Avon. The man behind the nom de plume "William Shakespeare" was, in fact, a very well-educated aristocrat who often frequented the court of Elizabeth and whose real name was Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford. The dramas of Shakespeare were not written for the Globe Theatre but for the Queen's court.

Conway Sax, the no-nonsense auto mechanic with a knack for solving difficult problems for the Barnburners - the renegade AA group who saved his life - is back in The Whole Lie. And for once, he thinks normalcy is within reach. He’s opening a new garage, and he’s finally moved in with longtime girlfriend Charlene. The end of his parole is finally in sight. Then along comes Savannah Kane: smart, smoky, and a pusher of men’s buttons. Seven years ago, Conway helped her disappear....

Big Ray's temper and obesity define him. When Big Ray dies, his son feels mostly relief, dismissing his other emotions. Yet years later, the adult son must reckon with the outsized presence of his father's memory. This stunning novel, narrated in more 500 brief entries, moves between past and present, between his father's death and his life, between an abusive childhood and an adult understanding.

The Space Marines are in the Oort Cloud, racing in their insertion pods to the frozen planetoid of Tyche. Alone in the dark, outnumbered and outgunned by the cyborgs waiting for them on the methane-ice surface, the hour of desperation has arrived. This novella is set in the Doom Star series.

"Stop the wedding!" No bride wants to hear those words, least of all Susannah "Legs" Carter, one of the Bod Squad's best agents. But when her colleague Jackson bursts in with news that her presumed-dead father may still be alive - and possibly a double agent - the vows are on hold, and the Bod Squad hits the road.

The most valued workers today are what the economist Richard Florida calls the Creative Class, skilled individuals ranging from money managers to makeup artists, software programmers to steadycam operators who are in constant demand around the world.

In this nightmarish tale, a third-rate detective is faced with an impossible crime, as bodies are turning up without their brains and without any indication of how the organs were removed. His only lead - an attractive landlady - becomes more than a lead and drives him into a world of terror, where his sanity is questioned and he must stop the monster before she does more evil. Or should he join her? Does he even have a choice, or will he just be driven by terror?

It is the end of all things. Ancient ships sweep across the galaxy, conquering worlds with ease. It seems to be only a matter of time before Pierce and his allies control everything. Meanwhile, the Oracle, Pierce's mysterious advisor, has plans of its own. His own closest friend is questioning his motives. With Earth under occupation, Hanson searches for allies. With a secret at the heart of a million-year-old dead alien and a farfetched plan, the galaxy might just have a thin ray of hope. But the great powers have their own problems. Old allies are ready to betray one another.

Skiptracer Blake Hartley has formed a tenuous alliance with the alien Sekkha on what should be an easy job: escort a young boy named Jorn Freyul to their client. That's it. But they soon find out that Jorn is more than he seems. He's known as the Exegent, a divine-like figure among members of a fanatical order called the Fold. Unfortunately for Blake and Sekkha, Jorn also possesses classified information that will not only put their lives in jeopardy, but also ties in to a devastating secret from Blake's last job - Hypertek.

Jonathon Bender had something to say to the world; unfortunately, the world wasn't listening, and didn't start until Jonathon committed suicide. Dear Everybody is his last will and testament: unsent letters addressed to relatives, friends, teachers, classmates, professors, roommates, employers, former girlfriends, his ex-wife, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the state of Michigan, and a weather satellite, just to name a few, alongside the eulogizing reminiscences of his closest acquaintances.

When Jill McCorkle feels a short story coming on, she goes right ahead and "wastes" wonderful ideas instead of hoarding them for a novel. The result is another extraordinary collection of stories and characters. In "It's a Funeral! RSVP," the storyteller is a woman who takes up self-styled "careers" that suit her circumstances. Now she's stumbled onto one that's so successful that she just can't quit. It's planning funerals, what she calls Going Out Parties, in which the clients are the soon-to-be-deceased themselves.

When Cmdr. Eric Stoner, executive officer of the Terran Republic Navy battle cruiser Tobruk, is suddenly reassigned to the Reserve Fleet, in order to make room for the promotion of a genetically enhanced officer, he suspects that something is wrong. He quickly discovers that Homo sapiens is in danger of being replaced by Homo superior, a stronger, more intelligent and more aggressive version of Humanity.

Blake Harley is a Skiptracer - a kind of bounty hunter - on the faraway construct world of Concourse Prime. Hired by a corporate client to secure an overdue product, he'll make some quick cryp and be on to the next job. Easy. Except, this job is anything but simple. The product is tied to the immensely powerful and ultra-secret Hypertek, leaving Blake with a choice: be a good soldier, or refuse to help MagnaCorp become the most powerful entity in the system. Another problem: everyone else in Concourse Prime is gunning for the product as well.

Caribbean born novelist Tobias Buckell established himself as a gifted new voice in science fiction with his stunning first novel Crystal Rain. Now, in his first collection, Buckell demonstrates his strengths in the short form, offering readers a collection of stories that are compelling, smart, wonderfully imagined, and entertaining. Tides from the New Worlds contains 19 stories that range from multicultural science fiction to magical realism, some in print for the first time.