Eric Brown is an author whose work is characterized by a rich imagination and a deep insight into human nature, often set in futuristic and imaginative worlds. His narratives skillfully weave elements of science fiction with compelling storytelling, exploring themes of humanity, technology, and our place in the universe. Brown's style is known for its fluency and ability to draw readers into intricate plots and engaging characters. His writing appeals to a broad range of readers, leaving a lasting impression.
The anthology features a diverse collection of two dozen science fiction stories from British and British-based authors, showcasing a wide range of subjects and styles. Curated by editor Donna Scott, it highlights the best works published in 2022, drawing from magazines, anthologies, webzines, and lesser-known sources. This compilation reflects the vibrant landscape of contemporary British science fiction, offering readers a rich tapestry of imaginative narratives.
The plot revolves around Graham Pilgrimm, a middle-aged local government officer who is wrongfully accused of murder by the alluring Frieda. As he seeks to clear his name from the confines of an allotment shed, he is supported by a cast of quirky characters, including his inept male friends, his spirited daughter, a haunting figure from his past, and an eager young reporter named Becky. The story blends humor and suspense as Graham navigates his unexpected predicament.
London, 1955. When crime writer Donald Langham’s literary agent asks for his help in sorting out ‘a delicate matter’, little does Langham realize what he’s getting himself into. For a nasty case of blackmail leads inexorably to murder as London’s literary establishment is rocked by a series of increasingly bizarre deaths. With three members of the London Crime Writers’ Association coming to sudden and violent ends, what at first appeared to be a series of suicides looks suspiciously like murder – and there seems to be something horribly familiar about the various methods of despatch. With the help of his literary agent’s assistant, the delectable Maria Dupre, Langham finds himself drawing on the skills of his fictional detective hero as he hunts a ruthless and fiendishly clever killer – a killer with old scores to settle.
Eric Brown went to Germany in 1939 on an exchange course, and his first experience of the war came when the Gestapo arrested him, not knowing he was an RAF pilot. The rest is history. He is the only man alive to have flown every major and most minor combat aircraft of the Second World War (as well as all the early jets), and has been interviewed by the top Nazis. While testing the Nazi jets in war-stricken Germany, he interviewed (among others) Hermann Goering and Hanna Reitsch. A living legend among aviation enthusiasts, his amazing life story deserves to be told in full--from crashing in front of Winston Churchill to unmasking a Neo-Nazi ring in the 1950s to his terrifying flights in primitive jets and rockets.
Ed Bentley's wife has left him and he's been dropped by his publisher. Still, it's not the end of the world. All he has to do is ghost-write a science-fiction novel for Tuppy Cotton, a YouTuber young enough to be his daughter... When Ed uncovers an unearthly mystery at Tuppy's Yorkshire retreat, everything changes. The world might not be ending, but it will be turned upside down.Ace Doubles is Eric Brown's dazzling and moving tribute to his the writers who captured his imagination in his youth, inspiring him to become an award-winning author; and the ordinary people who do extraordinary things.
July, 1955. Fellow writer Alastair Endicott has requested Donald Langham's help in discovering what happened to his father Edward, who has disappeared without a trace from inside his locked study. The elder Endicott had been researching a biography of the notorious Satanist Vivien Stafford. Could there be a connection to his disappearance?
Serving Herself is a comprehensive biography of Althea Gibson, one of the most important figures in African American women's sports history and one of the preeminent athletes of the twentieth century. Offering a portrait of the life and career of a complicated and unconventional figure, this book shows how Gibson reaped rewards as well as remonstrances for her extraordinary sports achievements and life-long defiance of social norms.
When Langham's literary agent receives a cryptic letter inviting him to spend the weekend at the grand Cornish home of successful novelist Denbigh Connaught, Charles Elder seems reluctant to attend. What really happened between Elder and Connaught during the summer of 1917, nearly 40 years before--and why has it had such a devastating effect?fect?
London. April, 1957. PI Donald Langham is approached by Vernon Lombard to find
his missing son. But there's more to Christopher Lombard's disappearance than
meets the eye, and the apparently simple case becomes far more alarming. Can
Langham navigate London's criminal underworld, fascism and deception to track
down a killer?
1956. Langham's client is moviestar Suzie Reynard and her lover has been receiving threats. Langham finds the film set awash with resentment and a body is found in the director's trailer. Someone confesses to the murder but Langham is not convinced. He delves into the past and another murder that took place more than twenty years before.
Kat and Travis awaken freshly printed on New-haven. More than a century has elapsed since they left the planet, and much has changed in the interim. Society has devolved―technology is a thing of the past―but more startlingly, the remnants of humanity have become a gestalt, telepathic hivemind―an entity which identifies Kat and Travis as a threat which must be eradicated... Kon Tiki Coda is the moving finale to the successful Kon Tiki Quartet.DislocationsParasitesInsightsIterations
Newlyweds Donald Langham and Maria Dupre have moved to the country, but
they've barely settled in when a body is found by a standing stone in their
neighbour's grounds. Donald and Maria discover tensions, disputes and
resentment raging below the surface of this idyllic village, but can they find
out which of the villagers is a cold-blooded killer?
And then there was one . . . can Donald Langham and Maria Dupré stop a killer who's picking off victims one by one?December, 1956 . Donald Langham's wife Maria Dupré receives a chilling invitation to attend a death at the home of Maxwell Falwell Fenton in Essex. The once-prominent artist has a number of enemies, and has faded into obscurity since the war ended. Is the invitation to his own death or someone else's?Arriving at Winterfield on a cold winter evening, Donald and Maria meet five strangers who have also received numbered invitations. They all had a reason to hate or fear Maxwell, including Maria, who reveals a secret from her own past. But is she telling the whole truth?The soiree produces a gruesome and dramatic twist, but it's about to get much worse when someone starts picking off the six, one by one. Can Donald untangle lies, betrayal, and incredible revelations to identify the killer before Maria becomes the next victim?
SYNOPSIS In the concluding novella of the Kon-Tiki Quartet the action moves from the colony world of Newhaven back to Earth. Two hundred and fifty years have passed since Kon-Tiki I set off for the stars, and Earth is a very different place. The ravages of climate change have taken their toll, and humankind's depleted population struggles to survive at primitive, subsistence levels, with the majority ruled over by a desperate elite who cling to power by utilising old and failing technology. But all this is about to change when returnees bring with them the means of restoring equality to the human race though there are some who will stop at nothing, including murder, to maintain the status quo.
Shortly after Lord Elsmere re-insures his favourite painting for a hefty price, it is stolen and with no sign of a break-in. Elsmere is known to be struggling financially, so is it a staged theft or has one of his guests taken it? Seething animosities, jealousy, secrets and deception are all found once PIs Langham and Ralph Ryland take on the case.
An eighty year old cold case murder investigation that stretches across light
years and risks thefuture of mankind's new home. A hard SF/crime crossover
from two respected and well-likednames in SF. ---
With a brand new introduction by Stephen Baxter, this reissue of Eric Brown's famous Helix is to commemorate the life and work of a preeminent British SF author. Helix is a fast-paced action adventure novel following the plight of four humans when they crashland on what they think is a desolate, ice-bound planet. Daylight brings the discovery that the planet is one of thousands arranged in a vast spiral wound about a central sun. They set off to discover a more habitable, Earth-like world and come across strange races of aliens, and life-threatening perils, on their way.
December, 1955. Donald Langham is staying at a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands, a guest of his old commanding officer Major Cartwright. Shortly after Donald's arrival, one of his fellow guests is murdered - and the hunt is on to find a ruthless killer before he - or she - strikes again.
It's 1910 and the British rule the subcontinent with an iron fist - and with strange technology fuelled by a power source known as Annapurnite - discovered in the foothills of Mount Annapurna. But they rule at the constant cost of their enemies, mainly the Russians and the Chinese, attempting to learn the secret of this technology. This political confrontation is known as The Greater Game. Into this conflict is pitched 18 year old Janisha Chaterjee who discovers a strange device which leads her into the foothills of the Himalayas. When Russian spies and the evil priest Durja Das find out about the device, the chase is on to apprehend Janisha before she can reach the Himalayas.
Discover the power of starting, creating, and maintaining daily routines and rituals to help you decrease your stress levels, improve your sleep, and build a productive, joyful life in this easy-to-use practical guide. Getting everything done on your to-do list all while maintaining a healthy lifestyle is overwhelming. Routines are crucial to work-life balance, but establishing those consistent, daily habits is daunting, especially when you don’t know where to start. The Routine Building Handbook gives you all the tools you need to introduce structure, predictability, and stability into your life, including: A customizable habit-building roadmap Ideas for weekday, weekend, morning, and night routines Examples of realistic, daily schedules Advice for staying flexible Routine creation is a journey, but knowing where to begin will put you on the path to finding more balance and happiness in your life.
Set in a richly imagined universe, this work by Eric Brown blends traditional planetary romance with modern storytelling techniques. The narrative offers a captivating exploration of love and adventure across different worlds, showcasing the author's award-winning talent. With its engaging characters and intricate world-building, it invites readers into a contemporary yet timeless tale that celebrates the genre's classic elements while infusing them with fresh perspectives.
Carrier aircraft, since their beginning, have been a very special kind of machine and demand something equally special of the men who flew them. Landing on a pitching, bucking deck of a carrier, or catapulting over a plunging bow, shipboard aircraft and their pilots had to be exceptional. Often, the real characteristics of these assorted aircraft lie forgotten in the annals of time but Eric 'Winkle' Brown, the first naval officer to head the elite Aerodynamics Flight at Farnborough, records his cockpit experiences testing British and American carrier aircraft. Having enjoyed one of the most extraordinary careers in flying, Eric 'Winkle' Brown places on record the flying characteristics, good bad and indifferent, of a myriad of aircraft from the Fairey Swordfish and Albacore, Grumman Avenger and Panther to the Supermarine Seafire, Douglas Dauntless, North American Skyray, de Havilland Sea Vixen and Blackburn Buccaneer. Highly illustrated with cutaways, photographs and color profiles, "Carrier Testing American & British Aircraft (Wings of the Navy)" makes a valuable contribution to aviation history and keeps the memory of these diverse and absorbing aircraft alive.
Im 22. Jahrhundert ist Paris von Verfall geprägt. Antriebsmann Ralph Mirren erhält ein geheimes Angebot, ein restauriertes Raumschiff zu steuern. Mit seinem Bruder Bobby, der zeitversetzt lebt, landet er auf der Randwelt Hennessy's Reach, wo sie die letzten Lho-Reste retten und die Bedrohung durch die Danzig-Organisation bekämpfen. Das Buch vereint Action und psychologische Tiefe.
Meridian ist 20 Lichtjahre von der Erde entfernt. Es ist eine heiße Welt mit nur ein paar bewohnbaren Oasen. Ein idealer Platz für Bob Benedict, um um dem Schatten seiner Vergangenheit zu entrinnen. Die Bewohner sind Künstler oder Lebenskünstler mit Elektronik oder anderen Drogen im Hirn. Aber dann trifft er Fire, die Tochter einer Bildhauerin, und er gerät in ein Netz aus Intrigen und Mord, das alles übertrifft, was ihm in seinem bisherigen abenteuerlichen Leben begegnet ist. Der Romanerstling eines großen Talents der neuen englischen SF-Szene. Heyne 06/5088
Fel arfer bwli'r pentref yw problem fwyaf Pwtyn. Ond un diwrnod caiff ei gipio gan long ofod. Mae Pwtyn a Del yn cychwyn ar antur fawr ar long ofod, a chyn hir maent yn glanio ar blât brecwast broga mawr. Tybed a fyddan nhw'n cyrraedd yn ôl i'r ddaear yn saff? Addas ar gyfer darllenwyr anfoddog 8-12 oed. Addasiad Cymraeg o An Alien Ate Me for Breakfast. -- Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru
3. kniha série Virex.
Závislost soukromého detektiva Hala Hallidaye na virtuální realitě je způsob, jak stoprocentně uniknout beznaději, do které dospěl jeho život. Jeho dívka Kim ho opustila. Jeho společník Barney Kluger je mrtvý. A Manhattan v roce 2041 je znečištěná pustina, jejíž obyvatelé hledají útočiště ve virtuální realitě a rychle ztrácejí schopnost komunikovat s reálným světem.Ale Halova ex-přítelkyně v reálném světě zmizela společně s geniálním dítětem Suzie Charlesworthovou. Hal se musí vzdát jednoduchých odpovědí virtuální reality a postavit se složitému opravdovému světu.Co je to projekt Metuzalém?A kdo se pokouší Hala Hallidaye zabít?
Přeložil Pavel Toman.
Působivé příběhy a originální nápady Julese Verna fascinují čtenáře po celém světě už více než sto let. Slavní i méně známí angloameričtí autoři science fiction a fantasy, které pojí láska k romantickým dobrodružným románům, se rozhodli vzdát hold tomuto slavnému francouzskému spisovateli a na motivy jeho příběhů napsali deset povídek, které vám představujeme v první knize této dvoudílné antologie. Mezi autory příběhů najdeme slavná jména, jako jsou Stephen Baxter, Brian Stableford, Ian Watson či Peter Crowther. Stejně zajímavé jsou samotné příběhy – fantastické vize či nečekaná dokončení Vernových románů, o čemž svědčí již názvy povídek: Šest neděl v balonu, Pravdivá historie Barbicanovy cesty, Kolumbiáda či Tajemství Nautilu. Editoři napsali ke každé povídce zasvěcený úvod, který je rovněž letmou črtou z Vernova života a díla. Kniha povídek je zařazena do úspěšné řady Jules Verne pro 21. století, kde všechny knihy vycházejí s obálkami a ilustracemi Zdeňka Buriana.
2. kniha série Virex.
Hal Halliday je jenom další ze ztracenců zaplňujících ulice New Yorku, hluboko v kalu jednadvacátého století, které nesměřuje nikam. Jeho společník je mrtvý a Hal si ponechal jeho agenturu na hledání pohřešovaných osob, aniž by vlastně věděl proč.Když hvězda holo-dramatu Hallidaye požádá, aby našel její ztracenou sestru, je Hal vtažen do světa snů, v němž hledají útěchu zoufalí lidé ve zničené Americe.
Přeložil Pavel Toman.
