Showing results by narrator "Kevin Collins" in All Categories

Star-trading Clan Korval - known to Terrans as the Tree-and-Dragon Family and to the locals simply as the Dragon - has been convicted of crimes against the homeworld. No matter that one of the "crimes" consisted of saving the elitist planet of Liad from very real internal threats, the Council of Clans wanted Korval heads to roll. Unfortunately for the council, the Dragon's allies conspired to impose a milder punishment for saving the world: banishment rather than execution.

By the workings of chance Bleys Ahrens was born the genetic equal of Hal Mayne, the hero of The Final Encyclopedia, but he was destined by nurture to a far different fate. Raised alone by his unhappy Exotic mother, Bleys was an outcast from every society until his half-brother Dahno claimed him. Disciplined by Friendlies, schooled by Exotics, Dahno was beginning to build an interplanetary network of half-breeds, who called themselves "Others". But Dahno thought only of gaining wealth and power for himself; Bleys saw an opportunity to challenge the Dorsai for control of the Human Worlds.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth global anxiety about linkages between the environment and society at a fundamental structural level. Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life provides an accessible exposition of the latest foundational knowledge on how natural and social systems science can inform planetary crises. Humanity has either tried to conquer or capitulate to natural order, whereas we should be seeking to understand latent structures and patterns that permeate all systems and develop an "earthly order," that is socially functional and sustainable.

The ancient war has finally come to an end, bringing a peaceful closure to the chaotic dispute of the Ancient Dragon Battlefield. Its prisoners, along with their mysterious foes, return to the realm of the forgotten.

Philip and his girlfriend Beth were seniors in high school when they chose adoption for their son. Now, years later, Beth has moved to Palo Alto - and on with her life - but Philip still lives in town. He works a job he hates so he can be near Olaf, who knows him as “uncle”. On the morning of Olaf’s 14th birthday party, Philip hears his neighbor Zali’s dog, Sinai, barking on the other side of the fence. Philip scales the fence and finds the dog tied to a tree with a belt, hungry and scared.

Some mysteries don't solve themselves.... The trail seems never ending. Sadie Turnberry had played her cards close to her chest, but she's not the main target anymore. Another name whispers in the wind. A name with no background but a whole lotta legacy. Dick has caught a whiff of the endgame and now he can't let go, no matter who gets in his way. Accompanied by a fabled mercenary slash assassin-for-hire, Valentina Winters, Dick is about to bring the whole system crumbling down on itself.

"Yellachile's Cage", a story by Robert McCammon, was first published in his short fiction collection Blue World.

Heavy Metal has benefited from promo videos, but unfortunately, someone figured out that some of the driving during the Russian Base operation...was just too damned good. People are noticing that Sal and his team have someone extra-special working with them, and they want a piece of her...or all of her. What is the other team willing to attack Sal's people with to get what they want? And do they have capabilities Sal can't conceptualize?

Bud is back, and he's finally in the Keerah war! It is thought that back in the far past, the Dragon Host pillaged the galaxy. But something must have happened for them to lose everything they were. Now they have a champion. Someone who knew he had to bring back two genocide populations of dragon kin. A mage who leveled up in power by doing so. The Imperium learned a hard lesson, and is moving forward. And Bud isn't as angry now. The Keerah war goes on, and the dragons need training. But it seems there's one important thing needed to establish a true Dragon Host.

A year ago, I thought my whole world had ended. My family was dead. The life that I knew had been changed forever. Now I know that was just the beginning. I faced down the devil who destroyed my family, and I f--king lost. I've become the thing I hate most in this world, and there is no turning back. Even a contract with a demon couldn't save me from the creature that now inhabits my body.

UFOs are a myth, says David J. Halperin, but myths are real. The power and fascination of the UFO has nothing to do with space travel or life on other planets. It’s about us, our longings and terrors, especially the greatest terror of all: the end of our existence. This is a book about UFOs that goes beyond believing in them or debunking them, to a fresh understanding of what they tell us about ourselves as individuals, as a culture, as a species.

According to studies, we all work for the same thing--and it's not just money. It's meaning. Through our work, we seek a sense of purpose, contribution, connection, value, and hope. Digging down to the meaning of work taps our resilience in hard times and our passion in good times. That's the simple but profound premise behind this groundbreaking book by renowned management expert Dave Ulrich and psychologist Wendy Ulrich.

Silicon Valley scion Captain Don Donogue is dead under mysterious circumstances. In fact, he might’ve well have been murdered. Just ask Captain Don himself. He’s been sending messages about his suspicious death from beyond the grave. Yep, he’s been tweeting from the afterlife. Or so it seems.

Without warning, something has gone terribly awry. In the remote and unnoticed places of the world, small pockets of death begin occurring. As the initially isolated extinctions spread, the world's eyes focus on this unimaginable horror and chaos. Out of the ecological imbalance, something new and extraordinary is evolving and surviving to fill the voids left by these extinctions. Evolution is operating in ways no one could have expected, and environmental damage may be the catalyst.

It almost seemed that the worst lay behind them. Hanuvar and his small band of allies had faced down warriors and horrors and sinister magics to free hundreds of their people from slavery. The emperor was dead and his successor had so little interest in finding Hanuvar he'd ordered his sorcerous revenants to cease their search and turn their sinister talents to other targets.

Beset by the angry remnants of the Department of the Interior, challenged at every turn by opportunists on their new homeworld of Surebleak, and somewhat low on funds, Clan Korval desperately needs to reestablish its position as one of the top trading clans in known space. To this end, Master Trader Shan yos'Galan, aboard Korval's premier trade ship, Dutiful Passage, is on a mission to establish new business associations and to build a strong primary route that links well with existing Loops and secondary routes.

A city equal parts darkness and hope. A scarred city. An often violent one. But a resilient city, too. That's our Memphis. Like many cities we have a namesake - in Egypt, Men-nefer became Menfe became Memphis, enduring and beautiful, on the banks of the Nile. Centuries later, another continent, another people, another river: Memphis, Tennessee, the soul of the Mississippi Delta, was formed.

Mac Montgomery spent two years watching his father play matchmaker for his brothers and their wives, and as the last Montgomery standing, he knew it wouldn't be long until all eyes would be on him. While he couldn't deny that things had worked out well for his siblings, the last thing that Mac wanted was to get married and settle down.

Americans today are frustrated and anxious. Our economy is sluggish and leaves workers insecure. Income inequality, cultural divisions, and political polarization increasingly pull us apart. Our governing institutions often seem paralyzed. And our politics has failed to rise to these challenges. No wonder, then, that Americans - and the politicians who represent them - are overwhelmingly nostalgic for a better time.

Back in Washington, DC for the funeral of his college roommate, Mac Callahan reluctantly agrees to spend one night in Senator Price Redding’s apartment before flying home to Alabama. But when a dead, naked woman falls from the closet of Redding’s secret bachelor pad and into Mac’s arms, someone must atone for the sins of the sitting senator. The perfect setup for murder will lead to an immaculate warrant for the arrest of former FBI agent Mac Callahan. But the scandal he stumbled into wasn’t meant for him.