Opera Reality

Level up. Build your crew. Save the Galaxy. Byron Jones was just another lonely gamer until saving a mysterious old man earned him a once-in-a-lifetime invite to VENUS ONLINE, the most immersive sci-fi VRMMORPG ever created. Inside the game, Byron becomes commander of a starship with a crew of beautiful alien women, each with their own skills, secrets, and charms. But paradise becomes a nightmare when he realizes he can’t log out and the galaxy is ruled by Lady Necralia, a cruel warlord who thrives on the suffering of trapped players. To survive, Byron must grind levels, upgrade his ship,...

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.

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.

From the author of the bestselling The Girl With All the Gifts comes the thrilling conclusion to the spectacular Pandominion duology, an exhilarating science fiction story perfect for fans of The Space Between Worlds, The Long Earth and Children of Time. Two mighty empires are at war - and both...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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 ...

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.

Gnat is on his voyage with the Shiamiru, all the while trying to find backup for humanity among the great spacefaring races. After all, based on what he's already seen, he knows not to count on the good sense of his own kind. Even facing an external threat, the people of our Earth cannot see past their internal squabbles and come together to fight as one. Gnat does not expect gratitude from his leaders for taking such matters into his own hands, but when have laws and rules ever stopped our intrepid hero before?

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.

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 ...

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 ...

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.

The conflict against the Progenitor Order has come to an end after a near year-long struggle, but at a terrible cost: Drake has disappeared; the Alliance Council is powerless to act as unrest grows throughout Halcyon space; the Order moves to cement its hold over the galaxy; and whispers of betrayal sweep through the colony worlds, as tales run rampant about a deadly exchange between the Shadow Defence Force and the Zenith. The universe darkens, but all is not as it seems… Far from the relative safety of Halcyon space – on the outskirts of the Old Systems and dangerously close to the ...

When interstellar probes land on Earth 2,000 years ago, an unlikely Roman legionnaire stumbles upon one and finds himself the last refuge for humanity in an interstellar war. Lucius, enhanced by the alien technology and seemingly immortal, allies with the alien AI in its quest to save mankind. Lucius wanders the Earth over the millennia, preparing and searching for those who will ally with him before the final conflict. A French priest, a Viking shield maiden and an Irish immigrant make an unlikely team as they confront their enemy, the secretive Obsidian House. Echoes of Reality is filled ...

Beyond reality lies a different world where survival hangs by a thread. Be brave and enter that illusive, unknowable place. Travel with me through the worlds of androids hiding from their owners -- cave-dwelling albinos afraid of the world -- security robots with itchy trigger fingers -- aliens in disguise and on the run -- asteroid miners alone and injured -- and ghostly women who may or may not be real. You'll be glad you took the trip. Six stories, six unique and totally different trips to the other side of reality: DELIVERING DEATH THE GUY IN THE CABIN NEXT TO MINE THE NEW KIDS ON THE ...