Drawing on the mythology of the Green Man and the power of nature, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, and others serve up "a tasty treat for fantasy fans" ( Booklist).There are some "genuine gems" in this "enticing collection" of fifteen stories and three poems, all featuring "diverse takes on mythical beings associated with the protection of the natural world," most involving a teen's coming-of-age. Delia Sherman "takes readers into New York City's Central Park, wh...

Stories of the archetypal Trickster from Michael Cadnum, Charles de Lint, Patricia A. McKillip, Jeffrey Ford, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and others.World Fantasy Award FinalistThe mythic Trickster is both good and bad, wise and witless, sacred and profane. He appears in many different guises in world mythology, taking the form of a god in Greek legend; a coyote, raven, or rabbit in Native American lore; a meddlesome faery in English folktales; a la...

San Francisco Bay Area archaeologist Davis Lowry has everything—success, a fascinating profession—but he is troubled by a bout of sleepwalking. For a change of scenery, he travels to York, England, where a bog man has been unearthed. A series of macabre accidents plague the site, and Davis finds himself enmeshed in a modern-day horror with roots in the bloody past.

His sister's disappearance threatens to tear a boy's family apartCray is the first to smell smoke. It's his 1st week on the job, working alongside his father at the family plant, and he's afraid of making a fool of himself. So he waits on the factory floor, the machines screaming and wood chips flying. But he's finally certain: The roof is on fire, and if the blaze isn't put out, the factory could explode.Cray calls the fire department and races through the ...

A 17-year-old Viking learns the horrible nature of warfare during his first raidThe warriors of Lidsmod's village live for war. When the waters thaw, they set their ships upon the waves, ranging up and down the coasts of Scandinavia in search of loot and throats to cut. In this culture built on violence, songs are sung of bloody battles and fallen warriors are rewarded with a lifetime in Valhalla. Today, Lidsmod will join the fray. In the newly built Raven,...

A teenage boy searches for revenge on the streets of OaklandThe battle is nearly over. The outsiders—who came to Oakland looking for excitement—are about to get back on the highway and go home. But they hurt 1 of Zach's friends, and he can't let that stand. He hurls a chunk of concrete at their car, starting a fight that turns into a riot. The police flood the streets with teargas, and Zach gets lost in the chaos. In the melee, he finds something someone left behind...

Hamilton Speke is a successful playwright and composer—an extraordinary creative force. He lives and works on an estate south of San Francisco, secure in a woodland sanctuary where, to his surprise, he receives a visitor from his past, an old friend and former partner. Then everything changed. Speke's life of celebrity and vision is ruptured by bloodshed and insanity, in a world where it's revealed that no one, and no career, is far from danger.

A teenage boxer learns how to fight dirty—in and out of the ringAs soon as the bell chimes, Steven knows he's in trouble. Del Toro is stronger, faster, and in better shape; he's by far the better boxer. But Steven has been learning to fight dirty. He steps on Del Toro's toes, whips his head into the bigger man's chin, and throws a straight right just wide enough to send his elbow crashing into his nose. It isn't pretty, and it isn't honest, but it works. In the boxi...

Little John lives a lifetime of adventure—from humble ferryman to legendary outlawJohn Little is strong enough to be a knight, but he knows he is destined to life as a thief. He spends his days on the river, poling nobles back and forth on a wooden ferry, the master of which robs the passengers blind. When an arrogant knight draws his sword to protect his purse, John defends his unscrupulous boss. The struggle leaves the knight dead, and John becomes an outlaw who m...

Collector Benjamin Byrd has added a new and eerie item to his archives: a set of fangs embedded in silver. As he grows more and more obsessed with his new treasure, he finds himself experiencing dreams and visionary adventures. Soon, Benjamin's normal, successful routine is transformed beyond anything he ever imagined; he has to confront the truth that he is no longer simply human. This powerful and lyrical story brings into our own day-to-day lives the story of the werewolf.

San Francisco architect Stratton Fields has just discovered that a contest was rigged against him and that the man who engineered the cheat, Ty DeVere, is determined to keep Stratton from success. But when Stratton's enemies, including Ty, start dying mysteriously—and Stratton encounters several apparitions—he wonders if he unknowingly made a deal with a supernatural force. Or maybe he murdered these people himself and has no memory of his deeds. Stratton must confront both the humans and ...

Richard Stirling is a successful lawyer who specializes in defending the rights of the underprivileged. He falls in love with the pianist Rebecca Pennant, and as their romance develops, a tragic event takes Rebecca out of his life. In the wake of this dramatic misfortune, Richard re-encounters an heirloom, an astonishing mirror.This is a vampire story unlike any other, a tale of this contemporary world reflected from that other land where the dead are more alive than any dreamer.