Odd’s luck has been bad so far. He lost his father on a Viking expedition, his foot was crushed beneath a tree, and the winter seems to be going on forever. But when Odd flees to the woods and releases a trapped bear, his luck begins to change. The eagle, bear and fox he encounters reveal they’re actually Nordic gods, trapped in animal form by the evil Frost Giants who have conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Can a twelve-year-old boy reclaim Thor’s hammer, outwit the Frost Giants and release the gods?

In this noir thriller set on the interstellar Quadrail, former government agent Frank Compton can't catch a break. After a successful mission against the Modhri, the coral polyp-based group mind that is attempting to take over the galaxy, Frank arrives at his New York apartment. A young woman is waiting for him, pointing a gun at his face. She tells him that someone on New Tigris is holding her ten-year-old sister. Compton takes her gun and orders her out, only to be rousted out of bed and accused of her brutal murder. After Frank's ally Bruce McMicking posts his bail, Frank travels to New Tigris with his assistant, Bayta, and locates the sister, who is part of a key resistance group that is fighting the Modhri throughout the galaxy. Compton must get the girl to a hidden refuge planet via the Quadrail to ensure the continued efforts of the resistance. But can he do it before the Modhri gets to her first? Compelling characters, hard-boiled sleuthing, and non-stop action make this a hard SF thriller that will grab the reader and not let go until the last page

Only a handful of fictional characters are recognized by first name alone. Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas is one of those rare literary heroes who have come alive in readers' imaginations as he explores the greatest mysteries of this world and the next with his inimitable wit, heart, and quiet gallantry. Now Koontz follows Odd as he is irresistibly drawn onward to a destiny he cannot imagine and to undreamed of places where the perils he will face and the stakes for which he fights will eclipse all that he has known. The legend began in the obscure little town of Pico Mundo. A fry cook named Odd was rumored to have the extraordinary ability to communicate with the dead. Through tragedy and triumph, exhilaration and heartbreak, word of Odd Thomas's gifts filtered far beyond Pico Mundo, attracting unforgettable new friends-and enemies of implacable evil. With great gifts comes the responsibility to meet great challenges. But no mere human being was ever meant to face the darkness that now stalks the world-not even one as oddly special as Odd Thomas. After grappling with the very essence of reality itself, after finding the veil that separates him from his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, tantalizingly thin yet impenetrable, Odd longed only to return to a life of quiet anonymity with his two otherworldly sidekicks-his dog Boo and a new companion, one of the few who might rival his old pal Elvis. But a true hero, however humble, must persevere. Haunted by dreams of an all-encompassing red tide, Odd is pulled inexorably to the sea, to a small California coastal town where nothing is as it seems. Now the forces arrayed against him have both official sanction and an infinitely more sinister authority…and in this dark night of the soul dawn will come only after the most shattering revelations of all. Burnishing Dean Koontz's stature as a master of suspense and one of our most innovative and gifted storytellers, Odd Hours illuminates a legacy of mystery and hope that will shine on long after the final page

John Wainwright is a freak, a human mutation with an extraordinary intelligence which is both awesome and frightening to behold. Ordinary humans are mere playthings to him. And Odd John has a plan to create a new order on Earth, a new supernormal species. But the world is not ready for such a change…

"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn. Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different. A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15. Today is August 14. In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares-and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere

A pro softball player, an alcoholic husband, a drug deal out of town, and buried treasure — the postmodern and vibrantly pulpy debut novel from Hob Broun. The heroine of Odditorium is Tildy Soileau, a professional softball player stuck in a down-and-out marriage in South Florida. Leaving her husband to his own boozy inertia, she jumps at the chance to travel to New York with Jimmy Christo, only recently released from a mental institution, and make some much-needed cash on a drug deal. Adventure is just as much a motivating force, though, and Tildy quickly gets involved with a charismatic drug dealer; meanwhile, in carrying out business, Jimmy is dangerously sidetracked in Tangier. By the time the two are back in Florida, a financial boon greets them, but here, too, trouble is in the wings. Formally daring and full of jolts of the unexpected, Odditorium is an addictive romp through shady realms

A varied collection of stories by Shamus Award-winner Bill Pronzini. Rich in character, incident, and exceptional storytelling, this collection of Oddments is the best evidence of why the Private Eye Writers of America honored Bill Pronzini with their Lifetime Achievement Award. The fourteen selections include “The Highbinders,” where 1890’s detectives Quincannon and Carpenter venture deep into Chinatown’s opium dens to solve the murder of a client. And a man gets involved in the “Wishful Thinking” of his neighbor, who has a habit of confessing to killing his wife. Trailing suspense from the depths of the ocean to the planet Venus and on to Death Row. Pronzini rounds out the collection with a trio of twisty tales: A penchant for a harmless bar game called “Liar’s Dice” leads to danger for the narrator: an incorrigible prankster plays the ultimate joke in “The Dispatching of George Ferris,” only to find the joke is on him: and the Nameless Detective manages to turn the tables on a blackmailer in “The Big Bite.”

Here is brilliantly executed narrative of two human beings caught in the terrifying grip of their own hatreds and fears. On an immediate level this is a powerful novel of violence and suspense, but in a more significant area it casts a surgically compassionate light on the most anguishing problems of the human spirit. The story develops with classic simplicity; two men, strangers but inevitable enemies, meet in the planning of a crime. They violate the laws of society deliberately and gravely; a bank is broken into, a man is killed and the two protagonists are driven to ground in a lonely farmhouse. One of them is bitter and inarticulate, tormented by his inadequacies and failures. His accomplice, a Negro, is clever but in panic at the thought of death. Do they dare trust one another? Instinct warns them no, and betrayal becomes inevitable. But who will be betrayed is the lesser question; what is betrayed is of paramount importance. There is freedom of the spirit as well as freedom of the body, and a glimmering of this occurs to betrayed and betrayed alike. In the framework of this problem, they are forced to examine their hatred and fear and to reassess themselves as individuals possessing our common humanity

A novel about fear of the future — and the future of fear. New York City, the near future: Mitchell Zukor, a gifted young mathematician, is hired by a mysterious new financial consulting firm, FutureWorld. The business operates out of an empty office in the Empire State Building; Mitchell is employee number two. He is asked to calculate worst-case scenarios in the most intricate detail, and his schemes are sold to corporations to indemnify them against any future disasters. This is the cutting edge of corporate irresponsibility, and business is booming. As Mitchell immerses himself in the mathematics of catastrophe — ecological collapse, war games, natural disasters — he becomes obsessed by a culture’s fears. Yet he also loses touch with his last connection to reality: Elsa Bruner, a friend with her own apocalyptic secret, who has started a commune in Maine. Then, just as Mitchell’s predictions reach a nightmarish crescendo, an actual worst-case scenario overtakes Manhattan. Mitchell realizes he is uniquely prepared to profit. But at what cost? At once an all-too-plausible literary thriller, an unexpected love story, and a philosophically searching inquiry into the nature of fear, Nathaniel Rich’s Odds Against Tomorrow poses the ultimate questions of imagination and civilization. The future is not quite what it used to be

"Oddsfish!" by Robert Hugh Benson is a historical novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around the main character, Roger Mallock, who embarks on a significant journey that intertwines with the political and religious turmoil of 17th-century England, notably during the reign of Charles II. As a messenger from the Holy See, Roger's mission involves navigating the complex societal landscape of England while maintaining his loyalty to the Catholic Church. At the start of the novel, we find Roger, a young English gentleman, being summoned by Pope Innocent XI to serve in a diplomatic capacity at the English court. Having spent two years as a novice in a monastery, he questions his vocation but is eager to serve God in the world rather than in the cloister. The scene shifts as he arrives in London after a seven-year absence, describing the city’s transformation since the Great Fire. Introduced to a host of characters, including his boisterous cousin Tom Jermyn and the enigmatic Cousin Dorothy, Roger's arrival marks the beginning of his involvement in the political intrigues and cultural dynamics of a court influenced by religious struggles, complex alliances, and his own personal desires

Berlin, 31. August 1948. Die verstümmelte Leiche einer Stadtstreicherin wird in der Nähe des Lehrter Bahnhofs gefunden. Nichts Besonderes im Berlin der Nachkriegszeit und so glaubt Hauptkommissar Tom Sydow zunächst an einen Routinefall. Doch warum sammelte das Mordopfer Zeitungsausschnitte über den stadtbekannten Kriegsgewinnler, Schieber und Spekulanten Paul Mertens? Bei seinen Ermittlungen kommt Sydow einer Organisation auf die Spur, deren Verbindungen in höchste Kreise von Justiz und Politik zu reichen scheinen

Set in an ancient Viking world full of brooding Norse mythology and bloodthirsty battles, VIKING - Odinn’s Child is the stunning first volume in an epic historical fiction trilogy. Our story begins in the year 1001 and the toddler, Thorgils Leiffson, son of Leif the Lucky and Thorgunna, arrives on the shores of Brattahlid in Greenland to be brought up in the fostercare of a young woman - Gudrid. Thorgils is a rootless character of quicksilver intelligence and adaptability. He has inherited his mother’s ability of second sight and his destiny lies beyond the imagination of those around him. Virtually orphaned, he is raised by various mentors, who teach him the ancient ways and warn him of the invasion of the ‘White Christ’ into the land of the ‘Old Gods’. Thorgils is guided by a restless quest for adventure and the wanderlust of his favoured god, Odinn. His fortunes take him into many dangerous situations as well as to the brink of death by execution, in battle, disease and shipwreck… Packed with wonderfully reimagined Viking sagas and adventures, and fascinating and unique characters, VIKING - Odinn’s Child gives historical novel writing a new dimension

Sucede sin previo aviso, ataques súbitos, salvajes y letales. ¿Por qué la gente ataca a sus amigos, a su familia, incluso a desconocidos? ¿Se trata de un virus, de un ataque terrorista o es algo más primitivo? Un opresivo horror domina el país y no queda nadie en quien confiar, ni siquiera en uno mismo. En la tradición de H. G. Wells, Anthony Burgess y Richard Matheson, Odio es la historia de un hombre y de su papel en un mundo desquiciado, un mundo infectado por el miedo, la violencia y el odio. «Un viaje delirante, una fábula acerca del sentimiento predominante del siglo XXI. Odio te perseguirá mucho después de que hayas leído la última página.» – Guillermo del Toro, director de El laberinto del fauno «Un lúcido acercamiento al estado del terror en el que vivimos y una fábula espeluznante acerca de sus últimas consecuencias. Ten cuidado con Odio, se adentrará en tu alma capítulo a capítulo hasta que encuentre la semilla de maldad que acecha en ella.» – J. A. Bayona, director de El orfanato

Homērs Odiseja Sižetiski «Odiseja» nav tiešs «Iliadas» turpinājums. «Odisejas» darbība, tās ģeogrāfiskais loks saistīts ar grieķu kolonizācijas kustību, it īpaši ar kolonizācijas tieksmēm uz rietumiem. Pamattemats ir «vīra atgriešanās» pēc ilgas prombūtnes. Kad iepazīstamies ar Odiseju daudzveidīgajās sarežģītajās situācijās, kādās viņš atrodas gandrīz nepārtraukti, mūsu acu priekšā parādās fiziski un morāli ārkārtīgi izturīgs, viltīgi gudrs un mērķtiecīgs cilvēks. No grieķu valodas tulkojis A. Ģiezens Noskanējis grāmatu un  failu izveidojis Imants Ločmelis imantslochmelis@inbox.lv A. Feldhūna Ievads un komentāri Mākslinieks Kurts Fridrihsons Liesma 1967

Powieść ukraińskiego pisarza sf, wydana w oryginale w 1967 roku. Akcja rozgrywa się w środowisku cybernetyków, którzy wytwarzają ludzkie sobowtóry metodą powielania informacji w basenie z pierwotną materią organiczną. Mają z początku kłopoty, produkują martwe, identyczne ciała i pozbywają się ich, a milicja rozpoczyna śledztwo w sprawie morderstw w okolicy — no bo skoro są zwłoki? Całość znakomicie napisana, sylwetki bohaterów wyraziste, nauka bez zarzutu. Czyta się wręcz jednym tchem i z przyjemnością

Walka z Tengelem Złym przerodziła się w śmiertelni niebezpieczny wyścig do Doliny Ludzi Lodu. Obie strony zmobilizowały wszystkie siły, by wyprzedzić przeciwnika. Tengel Zły wezwał na pomoc najokrutniejszych ze swych poddanych, ale i Ludzie Lodu mieli potężnych sojuszników. A w samym środku tej walki Tova przeżyła swój pierwszy i być może jedyny romans w życiu…

Beznadziejna wojna pomiędzy Sojuszem a Światami Syndykatu trwa już od stu lat. Losy tego konfliktu odmienić miało odnalezienie kapitana Johna „Black Jacka” Geary’ego. Czy legendarny dowódca, wybudzony po dziesięcioleciach hibernacji, zdoła ocalić flotę Sojuszu przed bezlitosnym wrogiem? Po serii krwawych starć Sojusz utracił większość zapasów i znaczną część sprawności bojowej. Geary, pomimo dręczących go niepokojów, musi zatrzymać się w systemie Baldura, aby zdobyć potrzebne surowce w tamtejszych kopalniach. Jaki będzie jego następny ruch? Syndycy zaczynają rozgryzać strategię komodora i uciekająca flota z każdym skokiem traci przewagę nad wrogiem. W miarę zagłębiania się w raporty wywiadu Geary odkrywa kolejną prawdę: w tej wojnie nie chodzi tylko o starcie dwóch systemów wartości. Na planszy znajduje się także trzeci — kto wie — czy nie znacznie niebezpieczniejszy gracz, którego celem jest unicestwienie rodzaju ludzkiego…

Wydaje się rzeczą niemożliwą, by wszyscy mieszkańcy spokojnego kalifornijskiego miasteczka zniknęli niemal w jednej sekundzie podczas wykonywania codziennych zajęć. A jednak kiedy pewnego wrześniowego wieczoru Jenny Paige i jej młodsza siostra przyjeżdżają do Snowfield, w tej dopiero co tętniącej życiem miejscowości nie ma nikogo. Właściwie należałoby powiedzieć: nie ma żywego człowieka, bo oprócz nielicznych ludzkich zwłok, na których trudno dopatrzyć się śladów gwałtownej śmierci, jest tu ktoś jeszcze – niewidzialny, mądry i okrutny, rozkoszujący się własną potęgą. Odwieczny wróg ludzkości, pragnący dla niej tylko śmierci i zatracenia…

From the widely acclaimed writer, a beguiling new novel, at once wistful and ribald, about a day in the life of two Indian men in London-a university student and his bachelor uncle-each coping in his own way with alienation, solitariness, and the very art of living. It is 1985. Twenty-two-year-old Ananda has been in London for two years, practicing at being a poet. He's homesick, thinks of himself as an inveterate outsider, and yet he can't help feeling that there's something romantic, even poetic, in his isolation. His uncle, Radhesh, a magnificent failure who lives in genteel impoverishment and celibacy, has been in London for nearly three decades. Odysseus Abroad follows them on one of their weekly, familiar forays about town. The narrative surface has the sensual richness that has graced all of Amit Chaudhuri's work. But the great charm and depth of the novel reside in Ananda's far-ranging ruminations (into the triangle between his mother, father, and Radhesh-his mother's brother, his father's best friend; his Sylheti/Bengali ancestry; the ambitions and pressures that rest on his shoulders); in Radhesh's often artfully wielded idiosyncrasies; and in the spiky, needful, sometimes comical, yet ultimately loving connection between the two men

Sovereign James wakes up one morning to discover that he’s gone blind. Sovereign’s doctors can’t find anything wrong with him, nor does he remember any physical or psychological trauma. Unless his sight returns, Sovereign has reached the end of his 25-year career in human resources. A couple of weeks later he is violently mugged on the street. His sight briefly, miraculously returns during the attack: for a few seconds, he can see as well as hear a young female bystander’s cries of distress. Now he must grapple with two questions: What caused him to lose his vision — and, perhaps more troubling, why does violence restore it? As Sovereign searches for the woman he glimpsed, he will come to question everything he valued about his former life

Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchinson's fifth adventure opens with the former starship pilot deskbound at the Academy (the twenty-third-century equivalent of NASA), which is facing catastrophic cuts to the space program. In a media campaign led by Hutch's old friend, acerbic newspaper editor Gregory MacAllister, pundits and politicians alike argue that the program's money would be better spent on the earthbound threats of global warming and disease. Perhaps not coincidentally, humans everywhere from Earth to Ophiuchi begin witnessing repeated visitations from "moonriders" (apparently alien spherical spacecraft), and they prompt an Academy investigative mission. To humor Hutch and grab a good story, MacAllister joins a spacebound team including a celebrated pilot and a senator's daughter. When the moonriders apparently redirect a few asteroids to destroy an orbiting hotel and narrowly bypass Earth, suspicions begin to emerge that the moonriders--and certain members of the Academy--may not be what they seem to be. McDevitt's energetic, character-driven prose serves double duty by exploring Earth's future political climate and forecasting the potential dangers awaiting humanity among the stars

Pierwsza część cyklu fantasy Tułacze (Skitalcy). Odźwierny jest debiutem powieściowym Mariny i Sergieja Diaczenków i zarazem pierwszym tomem cyklu Tułacze, opowiadającego o ludziach błąkających się na pograniczu dwóch światów, realnego i nadprzyrodzonego. Wielki czarnoksiężnik traci wszystko: magiczną moc i miłość swego życia. Wystawiony zostaje na pokusy złowrogiej, diabolicznej potęgi, która pragnie przedostać się do ludzkiego świata. Za cenę odzyskania czarodziejskich zdolności miałby się stać tytułowym Odźwiernym, który otworzy wrota wymiarów i sprowadzi na świat niewyobrażalne zło. Czy wybierze drogę zemsty na tych, którzy go odrzucili i potępili? A może znajdzie w sobie dość sił, by oprzeć się demonicznej pokusie?… Powieść została szybko zauważona i wyróżniona nagrodą Euroconu dla najlepszych europejskich fantastów roku