A lovesick kraken slowly drags the object of its desire - a ship of sailers - into the sea; a group of cantankerous saints materialize in a well-appointed parlour, and must unravel the mystery of how they got there; ageing fathers are sunk to the bottom of the ocean in pressure-sealed crates in a time-honoured ritual. Michael Andreasen's stories romp through the lunatic and surreal with a tender generous ease; there is a joyous absurdity to each premise. Just because a sister is born without a head doesn't mean her brother won't love and protect her; just because an adulterous tryst ends in alien abduction doesn't mean the man doesn't miss his wife. An extremely funny, very weird, brilliantly constructed set of stories, from an exciting young writer.

Enjoy this fantasy series set in a magical carnival by urban fantasy author Trudi Jaye. A magical carnival. A deadly enemy. And a secret known only to a select few. Go behind the scenes at the Dark Carnival to find out more... As the Ringmaster's daughter, Rilla Jolly has always lived her life under the bright lights of the big top, and the shadowy magic of the Jolly Carnival runs powerfully through her veins. As gutsy as she is talented, Rilla is the one who keeps the Carnival running, while her father provides the showmanship and charisma that holds them all together. At every stop along their summer-long journey, the Carnival folk use their particular brand of alchemy to make the deepest wish of one lucky punter come true. But the magical balance has been disrupted, and their lives are about to change. When the unthinkable happens, and Rilla is thrust into leadership, she must do everything she can to uncover the identity of the deadly enemy determined to destroy them all. But just when she needs the carnival to be united as one, her right to lead the Carnival is threatened, and Rilla must prove to everyone—including herself—that she has what it takes to be the next Ringmaster. Can she keep her birthright as the last of the Jollys, as well as save the Carnival? Click the link above to read The Dark Carnival Boxed Set and find out. Three full-length novels set in the world of the magical Jolly Carnival, where danger, intrigue and magic lurk around every corner. BONUS CONTENT: two extra carnival novellas just for you!

An astonishing fiction debut from a UC Irvine MFA graduate and recent contributor to The New Yorker. Bewitching and playful, with its feet only slightly tethered to the world we know, The Sea Beast Takes a Lover explores hope, love, and loss across a series of surreal landscapes and wild metamorphoses. Just because Jenny was born without a head doesn't mean she isn't still annoying to her older brother, and just because the Man of the Future's carefully planned extramarital affair ends in alien abduction and network fame doesn't mean he can't still pine for his absent wife. Romping through the fantastic with big-hearted ease, these stories cut to the core of what it means to navigate family, faith, and longing, whether in the form of a lovesick kraken slowly dragging a ship of sailors into the sea, a small town euthanizing its grandfathers in a time-honored ritual, or a third-grade field trip learning that time travel is even more wondrous--and more perilous--than they might imagine. Andreasen's stories are simultaneously daring and deeply familiar, unfolding in wildly inventive worlds that convey our common yearning for connection and understanding. With a captivating new voice from an incredible author, The Sea Beast Takes a Lover uses the supernatural and extraordinary to expose us at our most human.

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick received considerable attention shortly after its publication in 1851. Melville's contemporaries reacted strongly to his work, and his innovations often received harsh criticism from his 19th-century audience. Interest in Melville's novel then subsided, until a revival began at the beginning of the 20th century. This volume collects the most significant writings on Moby-Dick to trace the critical response to the novel from the 19th century to now. The introduction explores the reasons underlying the canonization of Moby-Dick and provides challenging new information about the Melville revival of the early 20th century. The sections that follow provide selections of criticism from Melville's contemporaries, the revival of the early 20th century, and academic criticism of the present day. The volume includes the most important critical essays on Moby-Dick, along with reviews by Melville's contemporaries, articles never before reprinted, details gleaned from the correspondence of those who read and publicly commented on Moby-Dick, and an original new essay.

The review in this book, covering the films of two decades from 1920 to 1940, illustrates the important part the National Board has itself played in film history -- Introduction.