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Paths to Otherwhere
by James P. HoganIn the early 21st century, terrorism, economic decay and war make the world a not so pleasant place to live. But when scientists discover that the Many Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is true, and people can travel in mind, if not in body, between alternate universes, some of them seek a more appealing place to live
Understanding Middle Earth: Essays on Tolkien's Middle-Earth
by Michael MartinezMichael Martinez calls himself a populist commentator. He has long been an advocate for fans of science fiction honing his encyclopedic knowledge of all of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien with Tolkien special interest groups on the internet, arranging Tolkien programming at fan run science fiction and fantasy conventions and making live, sophisticated presentations to audiences world wide. His coverage of Tolkien Topics in this collection of 36 essays is so thorough that you will feel as if Martinez has left no stone on Middle-earth unturned. He explains how the first elves lost their innocence taking their first step on a long road, filled with loss and grief, toward sorrow. He describes what they lost on their 500 year journey across a frozen wasteland and how Melkor's lies transformed artists who celebrated beauty to avaricious, vengeful, murdering, hoarders. He outlines the long lives of some of our favorite Elves including Gil-galad, Glorfindel and Legolas. He explains how the roles of elves changed through the long ages. For example, Elrond evolved from a warrior to an innkeeper. Exuberant, benevolent yet powerful Tom Bombadil is beloved by most Tolkien readers. Martinez illustrates Bombadil's importance to The Lord of the Rings and makes a strong case that it is a mistake to underrate him or pass him over as nonessential to the plot. We learn that only a few elves were vegetarians and that limbas is much like our cornbread though the corn used by the elves was a special, magical variety. Most of Tolkien's evil characters paid dearly for their deviation from goodness. In one essay Martinez explains why unlike other villains, Frodo is forgiven for crumbling and claiming the ring as his own instead of casting it in to the fire. This long book answers many of your questions about Tolkien's writing and stimulates further thought and debate on Tolkien's complex fantasy. Whether you read it all or skip to the essays that interest you, time spent reading this fascinating, well grounded book will enrich your Tolkien experience. A list of accented words with a key identifying the specific accents is provided on pages III and IV.
Living in Harmony: Nature Writing by Women in Canada
by Andrea Pinto Lebowitz20 Canadian women write about Origins, Explorations, Home, Encounters, Place, Gardens, For the Future, and On the Form.
The San Diego Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes from America's Finest City
by Ingrid CroceOver 260 fabulous recipes from some of the finest restaurants in San Diego, California
The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories
by Isaac Asimov11 short stories from the famed sci-fi author
Isaac Asimov's Caliban
by Roger Macbride AllenEveryone is protected by the 3 Laws of Robotics, but then a politician is murdered and the evidence points to a robot...
Orion and the Conqueror (Orion #4)
by Ben BovaJohn O'Ryan is Orion - more than human, less than a god, cast away on the seas of Time to do battle among the Creators for the future of mankind
Oops ... I Spilled the Coffee ... Again!
by Sharon Rose WhiteGod has a special design and purpose for each one of us, even when we spill the coffee again!
Isaac Asimov's Utopia (Caliban Series, Vol. #3)
by Roger Macbride AllenThe world of Inferno is dying. Maybe dropping a comet on the planet would create new rivers and save it, but the robots won't let them try this, due to the 3 Laws of Robotics.
Rails West!
by Franklin CarterThis book begins the series on the brave men and women who built the Union Pacific Railroad across America.
The Nomad of Time
by Michael MoorcockThree novels: The Warlord of the Air, The Land Leviathan, and The Steel Tsar. A British officer is sent into a timestream, landing in different worlds.
Prelude to Mars
by Arthur C. Clarke2 complete novels - Prelude to Space, and The Sands of Mars - and 16 short stories by the sci-fi master
Sam Gunn, Unlimited
by Ben BovaVisionary, scoundrel, lover, liar, Sam Gunn is the 21st century's greatest entrepreneur and its most hated public figure.
Death of a Politician
by Richard CondonWho murdered Walter Slurrie, America's most prominent political figure? Parallel investigations by the NYPD and the Secret Police uncover his life.
Send a Fax to the Kasbah
by Dorothy DunnettA bomb explodes at Kingsley Conglomerates, shattering delicate takeover negotiations and sending executive secretary Wendy Helmann to Morocco to investigate.
Dream of Darkness
by Reginald HillSairey Ellis, at age 18, is haunted by recurring nightmares of her childhood in Uganda and her mother's death there years before. She begins to bring her cloudy past to light...
Dolly and the Starry Bird (Johnson Johnson #4)
by Dorothy DunnettJohnson Johnson and his yacht Dolly are in Rome, trying to solve the mystery of a headless camera thief.
The Talmud: What It Is and What It Says
by Jacob NeusnerThe history of the 2 Talmuds, the Mishnah, and the Gemara and how the Talmud reframes the Torah through argument and analysis.
The Jewish Ethicist: Everyday Ethics for Business and Life
by Asher MeirA modern-day guide to the perplexed on everyday ethical issues and dilemmas in the workplace and the marketplace.
Life Cycles: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist
by John Tyler BonnerThe author combines an intensely personal memoir of scientific progress and an overview of what we now know about living things.
Borderliners
by Peter Høeg Barbara HavelandSet in the world of an elite private school in Copenhagen in the 1970s, Peter, the narrator, has grown up in institutions and is given a last chance to join "normal society" when he is accepted at Biehl's Academy. He is drawn to the school's outsiders: Katarina and August. Together they discover that the school is using them in an experiment in controlling children, an experiment that has tragic consequences.
The Glass Bead Game
by Hermann Hesse Richard Winston Clara WinstonThis novel is set in the future, looking back at the life history of Joseph Knecht, Magister Ludi, who plays the Glass Bead Game.
Troy
by Adèle GerasTold from the point of view of the women of Troy, this portrays the last weeks of the Trojan War, when women are sick of tending the wounded, men are tired of fighting, and bored gods and goddesses find ways to stir things up.
The Magic School Bus Hops Home: A Book about Animal Habitats
by Patricia RelfWanda's best friend, Bella the bullfrog, is missing! The class wants to help look for her, so they travel to a swamp.
The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake: A Book about Kitchen Chemistry
by Linda BeechThe class wants to surprise their teacher on her birthday, but something's missing - a birthday cake! Off to the bakery they go.