A spellbinding short story collection from bestselling fantasy author Garth Nix. Across the Wall brings together thirteen wide-ranging and gripping stories, each showcasing Garth's talent as a versatile writer and introduced by Garth himself. Whether your jaw drops as you read about Nicholas Sayre taking on a powerful blood-thirsty beast in the story set in the Old Kingdom, Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case, or you howl with laughter as you follow the instructions of the Choose Your Own Adventure parody, Down to the Scum Quarter, it is clear that Garth Nix has a story for every reader. The collection also features a fascinating bonus section of frequently asked questions for which Garth provides vital answers to his readers' burning queries.

In Crossover Fiction, Sandra L. Beckett explores the global trend of crossover literature and explains how it is transforming literary canons, concepts of readership, the status of authors, the publishing industry, and bookselling practices. This study will have significant relevance across disciplines, as scholars in literary studies, media and cultural studies, visual arts, education, psychology, and sociology examine the increasingly blurred borderlines between adults and young people in contemporary society, notably with regard to their consumption of popular culture.

This Oxford companion provides an authoritative reference source for fairy tales, exploring the tales themselves, both ancient and modern, the writers who wrote and reworked them and related topics such as film, art, opera and even advertising.

In the heart of the new millennium, worlds beyond our imagination have opened up, blurring the line between life and art. Embracing the challenges and possibilities of cyberspace, genetics, the universe, and beyond, the world of science fiction has become a porthole into the realities of tomorrow. In The Year's Best Science Fiction Twenty-third Annual Collection, our very best SF authors explore ideas of a new world with such compelling stories as: "Beyond the Aquila Rift": Critically acclaimed author Alastair Reynolds takes readers to the edge of the universe, where no voyager has dared to travel before---or so we think. "Comber": Our world is an ever-changing one, and award-winning author Gene Wolfe explores the darker side of our planet's fluidity in his own beautiful and inimitable style. "Audubon in Atlantis": In a world not quite like our own, bestselling author Harry Turtledove shows us that there are reasons some species have become extinct. The twenty-nine stories in this collection imaginatively take us far across the universe, into the very core of our beings, to the realm of the gods, and the moment just after now. Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including:Neal Asher, Paolo Bacigalupi, Stephen Baxter, Elizabeth Bear, Chris Beckett, Dominic Green, Daryl Gregory, Joe Haldeman, Gwyneth Jones, James Patrick Kelley, Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold, Ken MacLeod, Ian McDonald, Vonda N. McIntyre, David Moles, Derryl Murphy, Steven Popkes, Hannu Rajaniemi, Alastair Reynolds, Robert Reed, Chris Roberson, Mary Rosenblum, William Sanders, Bruce Sterling, Michael Swanwick, Harry Turtledove, Peter Watts, Liz Williams, and Gene Wolfe. Supplementing the stories are the editor's insightful summation of the year's events and a lengthy list of honorable mentions, making this book both a valuable resource and the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination and the heart.

The fourth incredible installment of Garth Nix's bestselling OLD KINGDOM fantasy series, perfect for readers of Philip Pullman Besieged on all sides, Lirael, Sameth and the Disreputable Dog are in for the fight of their lives. Chlorr of the Mask, under the control of the enormously powerful Necromancer Hedge, is determined to free Orannis the Destroyer - the greatest and most powerful Free Magic creature in the history of the Old Kingdom. Only Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and only just beginning to understand her powers as a Remembrancer, has any chance of stopping the Destroyer - although she has no idea how. To make matters worse, Sameth's best friend, Nick, seems to be helping the Destroyer, and there has been no word from the Abhorsen Sabriel or King Touchstone for days. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the rather mixed help of her companions, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer. The Old Kingdom - and the world - is depending on her... Praise for Garth Nix: 'Sabriel is a winner . . . a world with the same solidity and four-dimensional authority as our own, created with invention, clarity and intelligence' Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials series 'One of the best worldbuilders in fantasy . . . I love the Old Kingdom series' Brandon Sanderson 'There is no joy like returning to the Old Kingdom . . . Nix sets the standard for fantasy' Leigh Bardugo 'One of the greatest living fantasy writers . . . I will never get enough of the Old Kingdom' Sarah J. Maas Bonus Content: This ebook is packed with bonus content like Garth's A to Z of his author influences and, for devices that support audio, 8 clips of an exclusive interview with Garth.

In this unmissable collection, the biggest names in Fantasy reignite the fire of these legendary beasts with stories that will consume your imagination. Magical! THE DRAGON BOOK has stories from Garth Nix, Tad Williams, Jonathan Stroud, Tamora Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones, Sean Williams, Greg Maguire and many others.

'You are in for a treat' GEORGE R.R. MARTIN Meet the beloved Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz in this exciting collection by Sunday Times bestseller Garth Nix gathering all eight of their stories - plus a never-before-published tale - in one magical volume for the very first time! Sir Hereward: the only male child of an ancient society of witches. Knight, artillerist, swordsman. Mercenary for hire. Ill-starred lover. Mister Fitz: puppet, sorcerer, loremaster. Practitioner of arcane arts and wielder of sorcerous needles. Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: godslayers. Agents of the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World, charged with the location and removal of listed extra-dimensional entities, more commonly known as gods. Together, they are relentless travellers in a treacherous world of magic, gunpowder, and adventure. Compiled for the first time ever, these eight magical stories - plus an all-new tale, 'The Field of Fallen Foe' - featuring fabulous, quintessential Garth Nix protagonists Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz comprise a must-have adult fantasy collection for fans and those about to discover the witch knight and his puppet sorcerer for the first time. PRAISE FOR GARTH NIX 'Garth Nix is one of the best world-builders in fantasy' BRANDON SANDERSON 'Garth Nix sets the standard for fantasy' LEIGH BARDUGO 'This is my favorite kind of tale' V. E. SCHWAB 'The most original magic I've seen in years' JOE ABERCROMBIE 'A warm, whimsical delight' VERONICA ROTH Reader Advisory: Though some of Garth Nix's books and stories are for children, this one is not. It is for adult readers.

"Strong storytelling and new takes on a beloved fantasy topic result in a welcome addition to the literature of dragons." (Library Journal) Whether portrayed as fire-breathing reptilian beasts or as noble creatures of power and grace, dragons have been found in nearly every culture's mythology. Now, in The Dragon Book, today's greatest fantasists reignite the fire... Includes stories by New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Stroud, Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Diana Gabaldon, Tamora Pierce, Harry Turtledove, Sean Williams, and Tad Williams, as well as tales by Peter Beagle, Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple, Cecelia Holland, Naomi Novik, Kage Baker, Samuel Sykes, Diana Wynne Jones, Mary Rosenblum, Tanith Lee, Andy Duncan, and Bruce Coville.

A girl's quest to find her father leads her to an extended family of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World of England when it intrudes on the modern world. From the bestselling master of fantasy, Garth Nix. In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn't get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin. Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops. Susan's search for her father begins with her mother's possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms. Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan's. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New. Praise for Garth Nix Garth Nix sets the standard for Fantasy (Leigh Bardugo) A swashbuckling adventure . . . and the most original magic I've seen in years (Joe Abercrombie) Garth Nix is one of the best world-builders in fantasy. (BRANDON SANDERSON) Angles are called, and swords are swished and there are jealousies and romances galore in this riotous romp. (DAILY MAIL on ANGEL MAGE) An exciting adventure full of intrigue and action while portraying women in power in a refreshingly casual way. (KIRKUS REVIEW on ANGEL MAGE)

Reader reviews for The Sinister Booksellers of Bath: 'Garth Nix demonstrates his mastery of the fantasy genre' 'An extraordinary work of fiction' 'A cracking sequel to The Left-Handed Booksellers of London' 'An amazing fantasy adventure' 'Well, this is a heap of fun!' 'Wizards, sorcery, Ancients and living statues - what more could you ask for' There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity who inhabits the ancient hot spring. Yet this time it is not from Sulis Minerva that trouble starts. It comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger. A desperate rescue is attempted by his sister the right-handed bookseller Vivien and their friend, art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage. The map takes the trio to a place separated from the world, maintained by deadly sorcery performed by an Ancient Sovereign and guarded by monstrous living statues of Portland Stone. But this is only the beginning, as the booksellers investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths and try to unravel the secrets of the murderous Lady of Stone, a serial killer of awesome powers. If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal. A wintry return to the world of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, as a magical map leads to a dangerous adventure. Praise for Garth Nix Garth Nix is one of the best world-builders in fantasy. (BRANDON SANDERSON)