Despite our tendency to think of the demonic as evil and the angelic as good, our own legends don't always bear this out. Angels can be the incarnation of light and salvation, but they can also fall - Satan himself is a fallen angel. Demons can be truly demonic, but these unearthly creatures can also, on occasion, lend humankind a hand. Temptation can lead to revelation, supernatural messengers who bring true justice may not be welcomed, and beings seeking redemption can be blind to mortal needs. Stories from world-renowned authors of science fiction and fantasy - including Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin and Joyce Carol Oates - and rising stars portray angels in all their glory, demons at their most dreadful, and a surprising variety of modern interpretations of ancient myth.

The murder of a world-famous physicist raises fears that the Illuminati are operating again after centuries of silence, and religion professor Robert Langdon is called in to assist with the case.

Here are 25 stories of science fiction that push the envelope, by the biggest names in an emerging new crop of high-tech futuristic SF - including Charles Stross, Robert Reed, Alastair Reynolds, Peter Hamilton and Neal Asher. High-tech SF has made a significant comeback in the last decade, as bestselling authors successfully blend the super-science of 'hard science fiction' with real characters in an understandable scenario. It is perhaps a reflection of how technologically controlled our world is that readers increasingly look for science fiction that considers the fates of mankind as a result of increasing scientific domination. This anthology brings together the most extreme examples of the new high-tech, far-future science fiction, pushing the limits way beyond normal boundaries. The stories include: "A Perpetual War Fought Within a Cosmic String", "A Weapon That Could Destroy the Universe", "A Machine That Detects Alternate Worlds and Creates a Choice of Christs", "An Immortal Dead Man Sent To The End of the Universe", "Murder in Virtual Reality", "A Spaceship So Large That There is An Entire Planetary System Within It", and "An Analytical Engine At The End of Time", and "Encountering the Untouchable."

If love transcends all boundaries, paranormal romance is its natural conclusion. Over twenty tales from some of the hottest names in romantic fiction to transport you to fantastical worlds in which mythical beasts, magical creatures of all shapes and sizes, heart-stoppingly handsome ghosts, angels and mortals with extra-sensory powers live out extraordinary desires. Includes stories from Lara Adrian, Ava Gray, Sharon Shinn, Robin D. Owens, Karen Chance and many more. Praise for MBO Paranormal Romance: 'Paranormal romance readers are in for a treat with this amazing collection!' Kresley Cole, New York Times bestselling author

Valerie Grace isn't quite sure how she went from heavenly angel to plunging into the killer whale tank at Niagara Falls' MarineLand, but that's what's happened. All she knows is that earth can be a tough place for a fallen angel, what with all the demon Tempters lurking around every corner, anxious to recruit her to the "other team" - the evil team. All she can do is keep an eye out for the elusive Key to Heaven, try to help people, and hope that somebody up there notices what an angel she is, even if she's not literally one anymore. And try to avoid that really cute tempter, the one with the pale gray eyes and hypnotic smile, the one that makes her forget her own name and the fact that she's supposed to be a good girl.

You never forget your first time with a vampire. Whether reaquainting yourself with some of your favourite, sexy creatures of the night or getting bitten by the vampire romance phenomenon for the very first time, let the biggest and brightest names in the business help you explore your dark side. Witness the bewildering array of complex vampire codes of conduct, dark ritual and dating practices as they chat up the locals and engage in the most erotic encounters you will sink your teeth into this side of un-Death. Because vampires never really die, do they?

2018 Christy Award winner! By March of Owen Edmonds’s senior year, eleven students at Masonville High School have committed suicide. Amid the media frenzy and chaos, Owen tries to remain levelheaded—until he endures his own near-death experience and wakes to a distressing new reality. The people around him suddenly appear to be shackled and enslaved. Owen frantically seeks a cure for what he thinks are crazed hallucinations, but his delusions become even more sinister. An army of hideous, towering beings, unseen by anyone but Owen, are preying on his girlfriend and classmates, provoking them to self-destruction. Owen eventually arrives at a mind-bending conclusion: he’s not imagining the evil—everyone else is blind to its reality. He must warn and rescue those he loves . . . but this proves to be no simple mission. Will he be able to convince anyone to believe him before it’s too late? Owen’s heart-pounding journey through truth and delusion will force him to reconsider everything he believes. He both longs for and fears the answers to questions that are quickly becoming too dangerous to ignore.