Sharon Mims overheard her granddaughter Gracie Mims speaking to a mirror and what the elite socialite overheard seemed to evoke a familiar feeling from her distorted past. Being the nosey, forceful woman she’d always been, she challenged her granddaughter on a series of occasions trying to fulfill her hunch but was outsmarted at every turn by her granddaughter Gracie. Pain is a Requirement, is a story that uncovers and exposes different aspects of abuse through molestation, rejection, phys...

Experts continue to debate one of the most important political questions of the twentieth century—why did Communism collapse so suddenly? These essays suggest that a wide range of forces—political, economic, strategic, religious, add the indispensable role of the principled statesman and the brave dissident—brought about the collapse of communism.

Some heists succeed, some fail, and some fail so spectacularly as to set off a chain of events that irrevocably alter a planet’s future. After triggering security alarms in the underground stronghold of an intergalactic pharmaceutical conglomerate, a ragtag group of thieves must use every trick at their disposal to escape and survive. The fates of legendary racing pilot, Pesh Chosen, and the fugitive known as Addy Aker collide and neither them, nor Planet Atmos, will ever be the same. ...

As two siblings, we were walking toward the light. In our mind's eye, it shined brightly, that green light of hope, as multiple sclerosis greatly impacted our lives. We accepted help along the way but not as a sign of defeat. A disabled person is seen as a burden and unfortunately is treated as such. The world doesn't have the patience or understanding of the tremendous struggle one bears living in a world not meant for frailty. This has been a journey of many decades. MS can lead to other...

"Métal Hurlant" magazine was created in Paris in 1974 by Moebius, Druillet and Dionnet, the founding fathers of Les Humanoïdes Associés. This movement soon revolutionized the medium and inspired countless writers, artists and filmmakers the world over. Versions in various languages flourished everywhere, including in the States with "Heavy Metal." The French version was eventually shut down in 1987. But in 2002, Humanoids relaunched a limited publication of a 13-issue anthology, with one m...

Berg Katse is ravaging the country of Atrena for rare mythical elements that create a psychic link between Galactor pilots and their weaponized mechs. As Joe and Ken’s friendship is pushed to the limit during a mission to save Atrena’s princess, the Science Ninja Team uncovers an ancient temple that may hold the key to defeating Galactor once and for all. The first issue of an exciting event that connects to the Gatchaman ongoing series from Mad Cave Studios!

We were walking this journey together, yet alone. Two siblings from a close-knit, boisterous family of six. There is nothing like the camaraderie of family to give you the determination to persevere in spite of any obstacle. We were overwhelmed by the disease of multiple sclerosis as well as other autoimmune diseases. Our outward appearance of healthiness was deceiving. Unbeknownst to us, the disease of multiple sclerosis would eventually consume mobility, sight, memory, fine motor skills,...

A private dick gets shot up to keep him from giving away trade secrets.A child remembers the monster he called friend.A secret agent discovers he is being watched while waiting for the man he is assigned to kill.A rich Sultan has second thoughts about a magic transaction he has hired a Djinn to process for him.A thief tries to steal a magic orb and gets more than he bargained for.A brother and sister get lost in the woods on a winter's night.Anothe...

Half a decade ago, the first stirrings of a true new shift in rock and roll music was felt, perhaps for the first time since 1991 with the Grunge Sound. Music both innovative and yet highly respectful of the great albums that had informed the Rock 'n' Roll of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. For one writer, it was a recapitulation for the many years of faithful devotion and careful scanning of rock magazines and increasingly tiny liner notes. His eyesight has not improved appreciably.Thi...

In the last three years, I have written somewhere in the realm of three hundred thousand words of fiction, and haven't published most of it. A LOT of false starts and mistakes, which would probably have been good to go if I hadn't felt like I was losing my way.However, as I mentioned, I haven't published much work in recent months, and owing to my plans to write or rewrite at least two of these novels, it'll be a while before I publish again. So, to clear the decks of some possible ...

The old man (Pat Burke) has lost a lot of things in his life, and still hasn't completely reconciled with many of them. But the one loss that still stings the most is the death of his beloved dog, Athena.This story is a short meditation and a prayer for our beloved companions. We all have them. Do they know how much we love them?

Morgan Summerwind is a genetically-modified woman living on Tabyss, a technologically advanced colony planet at the center of a web of mining colonies and trading outposts, light years from mother Earth. In this society, racial prejudice and sexual discrimination have been completely eliminated, as all people are the same hybrid race and gender.On Tabyss, money is made the dirty old fashioned way: technological good manufacturing. Everyone who lives on Tabyss works for the Great Py...