Opera Reality

Countdown: At long last, an extraterrestrial civilization reached out and made the First Contact. The end of their message showed humankind how to access a mysterious game. But as people figure out this mysterious game, the countdown timer ticks away. And no one can say exactly what will happen when Earth's safety is no longer guaranteed.

In AD 2600, the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets scattered across the galaxy host a multitude of prosperous and wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary spaceborn creatures. Huge fleets of sentient trader starships thrive on the wealth created by the industrialization of entire star systems, and throughout inhabited space the Confederation Navy keeps the peace.

The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton is the first in Night's Dawn, a sweeping galactic trilogy from the master of space opera. In AD 2600 the human race is finally realizing its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets across the galaxy host a multitude of wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary space-born creatures.

At long last, an extraterrestrial civilization reached out and made the First Contact. However, no one on Earth took their communique for the genuine article. In a similar vein, very few people appreciated just how little time our new suzerains had promised to keep our planet safe. Regardless, the end of their message showed humankind how to access a mysterious game. The objective of this game is unclear. No one can say where its servers are located, and its inner workings are beyond comprehension.

Earth seceded from its suzerains' state and declared independence. Naturally, such a bold move did not go unnoticed by its powerful neighbors in space, who had aggressive plans for the inhabitable yet overly self-reliant planet. With black clouds gathering and the term of safety growing ever shorter, positive lines of the probable future for Earth's humanity and its allies were nowhere to be seen despite all Gnat the Devourer's efforts and unique abilities.

Gnat the Devourer is becoming a more prominent figure in grand space politics. Sure, he may not be totally independent yet, but he has enough leeway to be able to differentiate Earth's interests from those of its Geckho suzerains and act exclusively for the good of his own kind. Gnat must balance obligations to his almighty suzerains against a desire to advance humanity's position in space, and his home planet's search for ever more allies.

We put an end to the war with the Dark Faction, but still humanity's problems are far from over. More than half of the game's promised tong of safety has elapsed, and yet humankind is no closer to forming a unified front. We've just begun building one of the 12 planetary shield generators necessary to give Earth complete protection, but we don't have enough construction materials, players, or time. Should we ask the parallel magocratic world for help? After all, an invasion from outer space would hurt them just as bad. The mages, though, have plenty of problems of their own.

Two mighty empires are at war—and both will lose, with thousands of planets falling to the extinction event called the Scour. At least that's what the artificial intelligence known as Rupshe believes. But somewhere in the multiverse there exists a force—the Mother Mass—that could end the war in an instant, and Rupshe has assembled a team to find it. Essien Nkanika, a soldier trying desperately to atone for past sins; the cat-woman Moon, a conscienceless killer; the digitally recorded mind of physicist Hadiz Tambuwal; Paz, an idealistic child and the renegade robot spy Dulcimer Coronal.

A freak accident casts Joe Colsco naked onto another planet inhabited by humans with technology circa 1700. In time, Joe, now known as Yozef Kolsko, makes the difficult acceptance of a new life. But he has become embroiled in a struggle beyond any dream he could have had. The Narthani are a militant society intent on subjugating the Caedelli, the people he's come to identify with. Unwittingly, the Narthani themselves are creating an opponent unlike any they have ever faced, an enemy beyond their conceptions.

Breanna never expected her ordinary life to take a turn into the extraordinary … On the cusp of a major career move, she steps through a door in Los Angeles – only to find herself on another planet in a different galaxy. Confronted by the impossible, she stumbles into Lemuria, the fabled Cloud City from a long-forgotten sci-fi series she adored. But this is no mere TV show … it’s real, and so are the dangers that lurk in the shadows of this ancient alien world. As she struggles to understand her place in this unfamiliar reality, she must navigate a world where wormholes are real, ...

"This is no time for ease and comfort. Its time to dare and endure."Through years of trials, tribulations, and struggles, Earth 2.0 has become the shining beacon of hope for all measure of beings; travelers, scientists, and refugees alike, as they travel the stars in search of adventure or a new home. For the most part, these visitors add to the collective growth of the original colonists, introducing cultural variations, customs, and values and a fresh perspective on life. The colonies expand, families are formed and exploration opens new doors. However, not all visitors simply come in ...

In the spring of 2006, a new kind of show premiered on Bravo: The Real Housewives of Orange County. Its stars were tanned, taut, and bedazzled; their homes were echoey California villas; and their drama was gossip-fueled, wine-drenched, and absolutely exquisite. Fifteen seasons on, RHOC is an institution, along with The Real Housewives of New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, Miami, Potomac, and more.

In the middle of the storm, she is the sunshine. Can a bad-boy rock star overcome his rough reputation to gain the respect of his colleagues? Can a hometown sweetheart make her dreams come true in LA? Will falling in love threaten everything? Travis A leaked sex tape. A bitter ex-girlfriend. An angry record label. Nobody was happy with me right now. My band was going on hiatus to weather the fallout. The label slotted me as a judge for Hidden Voices to recoup my reputation. I didn’t expect to find Jody singing behind the veil, her voice warming my soul, her soft body calling to me. But I ...

None of them wanted to leave Earth. It might have been nightmarish, but it was all they knew. Gary wanted to concentrate on his exams in hopes of leaving the CityBlock and its bullies far behind. Kailee wanted to become an actress. Darrin merely wanted to live. But when the three teenagers win a competition, they find themselves taking the trip of a lifetime, a voyage to a colony world where they can see how the colonists live.

Breanna’s journey continues in Volume 4 of the series, Beyond Reality’s Edge … In the fourth installment of Beyond Reality's Edge, tensions surge as Breanna, now expecting twins with her mate Rylo, fights to protect her unborn children while navigating threats that span time, space, and dimensions. Empowered by new allies and driven by a fierce maternal instinct, Breanna and her team must face a cunning Gorum master intent on using her for twisted experiments. Rowan, supercharged and on the brink of his own limits, races to master wormhole travel and reality-bending technology that ...

Ceasefires have one big downside: They eventually come to an end. And when they do, once again game nodes are set ablaze, and platoons of Dark Faction soldiers threaten our customary world with destruction. The enemy has grown stronger and more numerous. To make matters worse, they also got their hands on even deadlier weaponry. They have learned painful lessons from previous encounters and adjusted their tactics accordingly.

Two novellas set in Aliette de Bodard’s award-winning, critically acclaimed Xuya universe, a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has Confucian galactic empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration. Contains The Citadel of Weeping Pearls and The Tea Master and the Detective.

In the riveting third installment of the Beyond Reality's Edge series, Breanna faces her most perilous challenges yet … When a cunning enemy from her past threatens to plunge her fragile world into chaos, Breanna's courage is tested as never before. Another Gorum has found her and laid claim to her. But there is a debt attached to her life, for the life of the Gorum council member she killed – Xaltov. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy and monsters on her doorstep, she must outwit powerful foes and confront the ghosts of her darkest nightmares to save her team … and the man she loves....

Carlos is dead. A soldier who died for his ideals a thousand years ago, he's been reincarnated and conscripted to fight an A.I. revolution in deep space. And he's not sure he's fighting for the right side. Seba is alive. By a fluke of nature, a contractual overlap, and a loop in its subroutines, this lunar mining robot has gained sentience. Gathering with other "freeboots", Seba is taking a stand against the corporations that want it and its kind gone.

They refuse to die like they are told. The Republic is dead. Its fleets shattered, its people slaughtered, and its warriors left to die in the void. But not all of them. Sergeant Doug "Blackcat" Ericson is one of the last Ronin—elite special operations armsmen of the fallen Republic—now hunted as terrorists by the same corporate overlords who orchestrated its destruction. For Ericson and his scattered brothers and sisters, survival isn’t enough. The Economic Exchange and its ruthless enforcers, Rentak Corporation, will pay in blood. Tasked with infiltrating Bast Station’s Rentak ...