Short Space

Following the success of their Locus Award-winning anthology

The New Space Opera, editors Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan up the ante with

The New Space Opera 2, in which more of the most beloved names in science fiction spin stunning tales of interstellar adventure and wonder.

When young Tad Thatcher told his grandfather he wanted to command a starship like he did, his grandfather took him seriously. He taught his grandson everything he knew. Fast forward over two decades, and a young Space Fleet officer's dream becomes reality: he's made captain of a starship…just in time for the return of humanity's most terrible enemy, after 50 years of peace.

Earth is dying, and humanity is scrambling to set up colonies in other star systems. But the search process for habitable planets is not perfect, as the crew of the Ouroboros discover on arrival at their new home.

Science Fiction Stories 9 is a riveting collection of short stories that will transport you to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and beyond. Immerse yourself in tales of advanced technology, alien encounters, and the human spirit's resilience against the unknown. This anthology, penned by various talented authors, offers a diverse array of narratives that explore the limitless possibilities of science fiction. The Computational Gambit by Nelson W. Clark: A cunning salesman introduces a revolutionary financial planning computer, but not everything is as it seems. Hiding by William S. Harper...

Two centuries ago, the First Expansionary Fleet set off to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, hoping to explore, colonize, and conquer new worlds in the name of humanity. But when the fleet was violently and unexpectedly thrown off course, the colonists found themselves trapped in an unexplored region of the galaxy—and caught right in the middle of a bloody interstellar war. Now, after generations of relentless fighting, a tentative truce has finally ushered in an era of growth and prosperity.

Warning: Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop! Do you love uncovering the hidden stories behind history’s strangest events? Do you thrive on curiosity and crave stories that make you say, ‘Wait… that actually happened?!’ If you're fascinated by history, mysteries, and mind-blowing facts, then prepare to dive into a world of the weird, the wonderful, and the unbelievable with INTERESTING STORIES FOR CURIOUS MINDS. Why does this matter? Because stories like these ignite curiosity, challenge what we think we know, and prove that reality is often far more interesting than...

From the big bang to black holes, this fast-paced tour of time and space for the astro-curious unlocks the science of the stars to reveal fascinating theories, surprising discoveries, and ongoing mysteries in modern astronomy and astrophysics. Before the big bang, time, space, and matter didn't...

One drunk night. One dating quiz. One very grumpy alien husband. Harper Valdez thought she was taking a joke personality quiz. She woke up on an alien planet, matched to a seven-foot blue commander who looks at her like she's a math problem he can't solve. Commander Vyrak wanted a proper Vraxian mate. Instead, he got a sarcastic human in taco pajamas who argues with him, breaks every cultural rule, and accidentally proposes to him twice in the first week. They have thirty days to dissolve the match. The only problem? His tail keeps reaching for her. Her heart keeps racing when he's near. ...

The best-selling series, complete in a single volume. Star-spanning action and intrigue. A Nation at War: After aliens attack without warning and slaughter half the human race, a new country emerges. Using alien technology and desperate ingenuity, the reborn USA carves a place for itself in a violent universe, thanks to its deadly Navy and the dreaded Warp Marine Corps.

The Starship Atlantis takes you on an unforgettable journey through the extraordinary. From alien civilizations and rogue AI to desperate missions on the brink of collapse, these stories will transport you across the stars into the heart of the unknown. This anthology features six never-before-published novellas and short stories, plus two exclusive bonus tales.

Carl Ramsey has a heist to run and the crew to pull it off. All he’s missing is a specialized computer and the tech to run it. But when an unrelated robbery loses him both, the prospects for a successful job look grim. Unfortunately the one who hired them won’t take excuses, and the owners of the computer come looking for their stolen gear. Caught between a local crime lord and thugs from a galaxy-spanning syndicate, Carl needs to come up with a plan that doesn’t get them all killed.

Quinn Morgan is just barely scraping by from day to day. She’s never had much money, and although a little more would certainly ease her stress levels, she’s never cared about being wealthy. So when her grandfather passes away and leaves her his multimillion dollar estate, Quinn isn’t quite sure how to navigate this new life. Making her transition easier is Ivan, the half human, half machine butler who came with the estate. As he helps Quinn navigate the new trials and tribulations of being an heiress, she comes to trust and care for him more than she’s ever trusted or cared for ...

The sky tore open—and something looked back. On an ordinary night, the stars begin to shift. Then the sky splits apart like a wound, revealing a vast and incomprehensible presence beyond human understanding. That moment is only the beginning. In The Night the Sky Opened, author Adrian Cave delivers 20 chilling tales of cosmic horror, where reality bends, the universe watches, and humanity is exposed as fragile and insignificant. From eerie transmissions hidden in radio static to living constellations and impossible geometries, each story pulls you deeper into a universe that was never ...

The rulers of the People's Republic of Haven are in trouble and revolt is brewing, so it's high time for a short victorious war. But Honor Harrington is going to give them a war that's neither short nor victorious.

When 11-year-old Luke and his father move into a run-down trailer after the death of his mother, Luke hears strange noises coming from beneath the floorboards. With his father working long shifts at the steel mill, Mrs. Crofton, the town's crazy cat lady and eccentric hoarder, may be the only one who can help Luke unravel the horrifying truth of what is lurking in the crawl space. The Thing in the Crawl Space is an 80s-inspired Creature Feature short story that will have you questioning what lurks beneath your feet.

It is a time of treachery, terrorism, and tyranny in the Star Kingdom. The king cannot be trusted, the galaxy is on the brink of war, and a notorious mercenary is destroying everything - and everyone - in his path on his quest for vengeance. The Star Kingdom is in dire need of heroes. What it gets is a band of misfits and underdogs:

The Spaces Between is a haunting collection of twenty chilling tales that explore the quiet terror of in-between places — the corridors we hurry through, the waiting rooms we sit in, the platforms where nothing arrives. An empty underground station where the last train never comes. A house that shifts each time you leave the room. An airport terminal where no planes take off — and no one can leave. A motorway service station frozen at 3:17 a.m. In these liminal spaces — neither here nor there, neither past nor present — something is waiting. Blending psychological horror with ...

Who in their right mind tells both his lawyer and the judge presiding over his murder trial, “F--k you!” while still in the courtroom? No one, right? Yeah, you’d be wrong about that. I did. You’d say the same thing if you were just found guilty of a murder you didn’t commit, though. Call me crazy for going off like that in court, but trust me, you don’t know crazy until you see what happened next.

As the Emperor travels the galaxy at the head of his Great Crusade, few events are as important as rediscovering his scattered sons, the Primarchs, and bestowing them as the masters of their Legions. United, a Legion becomes a reflection of its Primarch, both in his strengths and his flaws. For the Twelfth Legion, once the War Hounds and now the World Eaters, the line between strength and flaw is almost impossible to separate.

When the elite fighter pilots of the Phantine XX arrive on the beleaguered world of Enothis, they know it is a desperate hour. The forces of Chaos are closing in, and their final push could well wipe out all human life on the planet. Thousands of refugees flee the dark armies, and the infamous Chaos fighter pilot Khrel Kas Obarkon is always hunting the skies for more prey....