A collection of suspense stories, puzzle stories, whodunits and tricky whydunits involving police detectives, private eyes, talented and sometimes lucky amateurs, armchair detectives, and ethnic detectives.

From the first appearances of Roger Zelazny’s short fiction in the early 1960s, it was clear that a dazzling new genius had burst into the field of speculative literature. Over the years, that incendiary talent blazed even brighter in novels such as Lord of Light, The Dream Master, and Creatures of Light and Darkness—incomparable works whose lyrical prose, imaginative virtuosity, masterful plotting, and unique blend of timeless myth and cutting-edge science won Zelazny the acclaim of critics and readers alike . . . as well as six Hugos and three Nebula Awards. His groundbreaking Amber novels are still counted among the most original and well-beloved fantasy series of all time. Zelazny...

Massive and arrogant, they patrol the final war zone - deep space. All great battleships before them - the celebrated fleet of the Spanish Armada, the mighty gunboats of the British Navy - are mere toys in comparision. In their armoured bellies swarm battalions of soldiers. Their flanks bristle with high-tech artillery. They are perfectly equipped to deliver their payload: Death. Now, the masters of science fiction present their most awesome visions of future warfare. A stunning collection of the ultimate war machines by such acclaimed writters as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, David Drake, Algis Budrys, Eric Frank Russell, C.M. Kornbluth, Poul Anderson, J.F. Bone, and Jack Williamson....

Who do today's top fantasy writers read--and why? This was the question posed to some of the most influential authors in the field today. This book is their answer. Here are seventeen of the most memorable stories in the genre, each one personally selected by a well-known writer, and each prefaced by that writer's explanation of his or her choice. Here's your chance to enjoy familiar favorites, and perhaps to discover some wonderful new treasures. In each case, you'll have the opportunity to see the story from the perspective of a master of the field. "Ghosts of Wind and Shadow" • Charles de Lint chosen by Tanya Huff "Mazirian the Magician" • Jack Vance chosen by Robert...

Bob Zane, the hero of most of these stories, is a seasoned prospector who not only knows the western deserts, but also knows the criminal mind and the laws that govern survival in this beautiful, dangerous land where the search for gold never ends. With keen intelligence and a strong sense of justice, he tracks robbers across the desert wastes and rescues hapless city slickers. Deep in the arid Sierra Madre, where gold is so plentiful it is used to make bullets. Bob Zane saves a young woman prospector from a band of fierce Yaqui Indians. He is almost outwitted by a psychotic killer who knows everything there is to know about desert warfare, and he solves a case of robbery and murder for the...

Gold is the pay dirt in all these rip-roaring western stories, more of Erle Stanley Gardner’s Whispering Sands series with their unique desert setting. Again the master storyteller features his rugged western hero, the philosophical prospector Bob Zane. In the title story Zane is true to form when he gets a spoiled rich kid to behave like a man and beat out claim jumpers in the desert. Men learn fast out there, or die, and Zane moves faster than any of them, rescuing a pretty hostage from Yaqui Indians, outwitting murderous gangsters in the Painted Desert, avoiding death from poisonous alkali springs, and hunting lost gold in Death Valley. Around camp at night, the sand whispers on the...

A space capsule reels into space (in the 1920s!), complete with rocket and weightless passengers. Intelligent ants guard a ledge of solid gold in darkest Africa. A scientific miracle makes people invisible. Fans of Erle Stanley Gardner will be surprised and delighted to discover in these long-unavailable stories that he was one of our earliest science fiction writers — and science fiction readers will regret that he did not write many more. Published in Argosy magazine in the 1920s and 1930s, these suspenseful tales display Gardner’s grasp of a vast range of unlikely subject matter and the masterful gift for plot and action that made him the best-selling author of all time. Some of the...

From Library Journal:   A cautionary tale by Stephen R. Donaldson ("Reeve the Just"), a whimsical ad venture in miniature by Dennis L. McKiernan ("The Halfling House"), and a tribute to the art of storytelling by Charles de Lint ("The Conjure Man") il lustrate the variety of this collection of 19 stories written to celebrate the centennial of Tolkien's birth. Although fans of Middle Earth may be disappointed that none of these tales draw directly from Tolkien's world, discerning readers will find the unmistakable stamp of the master concealed in the heart of each story. All in all, this solid collection of fantasy belongs in most libraries. For a new edition of The Lord of the...

Charmingly insidious, satisfyingly devious 100 Malicious Little Mysteries is the perfect book to fit your most malevolent mood. Each story has its own particular and irresistible appeal — that unexpected twist, a delectable puzzle, a devastating revelation, or perhaps a refreshing display of pernicious spite. These stories by some of the many well-known writers in the field, including Michael Gilbert, Edward Wellen, Edward D. Hack, Bill Pronzini, Lawrence Treat and Francis Nevins.

The Good Old Stuff is a selection of thirteen of John D. MacDonald’s best mystery stories written between 1947 and 1952, at the beginning of his career. While many readers know about MacDonald’s success from recent books such as Cinnamon Skin, Free Fall in Crimson and The Empty Copper Sea, few but the hardcore mystery addicts remember when MacDonald wrote for magazines. The Good Old Stuff has been chosen carefully to give readers a taste of his early best and to show the range of his abilities in the mystery genre. “The Simplest Poison” is a straight detective story, “Miranda” psychological suspense, “Noose for a Tigress” a real thriller. “Murder for Money” gives us an early glance at...