The greatest gift to us is caring. What would the world be like without someone to care for or to care with? Would love survive if we don't care? From the world of twenty-three science fiction and fantasy authors comes a world that can be funny, heartwarming, strange, or sad. Or not what we expect. Nominated – 2018 (Canadian SF&F) Aurora Award Shortlist (anthology/Best Related Work) 2018 Alberta Book Publishing Award Shortlist (Best Speculative Fiction) Finalist One story selected for Best of British Science Fiction 2017 (ed. by Donna Scott) One story selected for Best Indie Speculative Fiction, Vol. 1 (Bards & Sages Publishing) Five stories on Tangent Online Recommended Reading List 2017 One story nominated – 2018 (Canadian SF&F) Aurora Award Short Fiction Finalist One story – 2018 WSFA Small Press Award Finalist One story nominated – 2018 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic Short Fiction Shortlist Three stories – 2018 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic Short Fiction Longlist How can a henchman keep up with a mischievous retired supervillain? Can a dog help a hockey player score again? Will an odd couple with a zany sense of adventure and diminished capabilities survive an earthquake? Where does a stray cat go to find love every night? What secret does a pious monk have with a cargo of sleeping human? Will terrorism in space take out a young apprentice and a blind welder? What does an oracle tell a lover about her final days? Can a "heart of gold" prevent a soldier from crossing the enemy line with the governor's children? These, and many more. Featuring Original Stories by Colleen Anderson, Charlotte Ashley, Brenda Cooper, Ian Creasey, A.M. Dellamonica, Bev Geddes, Claire Humphrey, Sandra Kasturi, Tyler Keevil, Juliet Marillier, Matt Moore, Heather Osborne, Nisi Shawl, Alex Shvartsman, Karina Sumner-Smith, Kate Story, Amanda Sun, Hayden Trenholm, James Van Pelt, Liz Westbrook-Trenholm, Edward Willett, Christie Yant & Caroline M. Yoachim With Introduction by Dominik Parisien Edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law Anthologies in this series (Strangers Among Us, The Sum of Us, Where the Stars Rise) have been recommended by Publishers Weekly, Booklist (American Library Association), Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Locus, Foreword Reviews, and Quill & Quire. REVIEWS for THE SUM OF US “A strong collection . . . make it worth reading.” –Publishers Weekly “Definitely consider buying a copy, if not for yourself, then for someone who is serving as a caretaker. At the very least, it should make us all appreciate caretakers for all they do.” –Lightspeed Magazine “Thought provoking page-turners.” –Tangent “These stories take a broad exploration of what care can mean . . .” —Speculating Canada (Derek Newman-Stille)

Successful spies change history. Failures are never heard from again. From simple data theft or sabotage to protecting state secrets and last-ditch gambles that alter the tides of war, it's the spy—professional or amateur—who gets the job done! Whether it's for King and country or private vendetta, it is often the lone agent, through stealth, skill, and sometimes a little luck, who makes the difference. If only it were that easy. In Last-Ditch you'll find sixteen original stories of men, women, aliens, and even creatures who face seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve their goals. So come join in on a little heart-pounding espionage, as Jason M. Hough, Tanya Huff, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., D. Thomas Minton, Nemma Wollenfang, Hayden Trenholm, Edward Willett, Blake Jessop, Steve Perry, Ember Randall, Derryl Murphy, Chadwick Ginther, Russell Hugh McConnell, Gary Kloster, E.C. Ambrose, and Donald McCarthy put it all on the line to take you behind the scenes and behind enemy lines.

Max Anderson faces his most difficult case ever when part-time journalist and full-time lush, Erich Harvey, is accused of murdering fellow journalist, Rejean LaFoie. Complicated by a series of bombings, the case soon evolves into a plot against the very fabric of French society. Abandoned by his friends, Max must use every skill he has aquired to get to the bottom of this complex mystery.

When a naked corpse is found in the Luxembourg Gardens, Captain Gereau approaches Max Anderson to take on the case "to aid a fellow Canadian." Sarah St. John, the wife of the deceased, is the primary suspect but Max has his doubts. Mark St. John was in Paris, supposedly to visit his mistress, Irina Pavlovna, but he clearly had other reasons to be there -- politics, arms smuggling and stolen Italian money. Max soon finds himself embroiled in the violent world of French and Russian politics and the even more uncertain world of les liaisons dangereuses.

Walter Gladstone came to Paris in the spring of 1923 to write the great American novel but instead wound up dead in an artificial lake. When the police dismiss the death as a drunken accident, Max is hired to find out the truth, but the truth turns out to be an elusive thing, hidden under layers of deceit and artifice. Jealous writers, battling artists and industrial spies all clamour for his attention and nothing is what it seems to be.

The Great War has ended. From all over the world, politicians and diplomats gather in Paris to negotiate the Great Peace. But Max Anderson, former lieutenant in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, cares for none of that. With no home waiting back in Canada, he is determined to make a new life for himself in the City of Light. But soon he finds himself immersed in intrigue and political turmoil of the treaty negotiations. The war may be over but the city is full of violent men pursuing violent causes, and when no one else seems willing to do the right thing, Max has no choice but to act.

Writing fiction isn't easy. The 26 writers and editors-and one writing group-who contributed to this book know exactly how difficult it can be. They've seen the challenges and found the solutions, and they are here to share their hard-won lessons with you. From getting started to choosing a point of view, to adding resonance, crafting an unforgettable villain, advanced editing techniques, and more, Writing Better Fiction has something for writers at every level. Topics include: Dealing with the blank page Surface problems and story-worthy problems Understanding point of view Villains and conflict Writer's block Writing stronger scenes Effective dialogue Give your writing resonance with elemental tales Three steps to move from telling to showing And much more.

"Second Contacts "presents eighteen stories from writers in six countries (Canada, United States, England, Mexico, Israel, and the Netherlands) that answer the question: What happens after first contact? Set fifty years in the future, they explore the aftermath of alien contact, for us and for the aliens.

Found naked and alone in a locked room. The beautiful woman was in perfect health - except she was dead. It's 2043 and much has changed: nuclear war, biotechnology and all-powerful corporations have ruled the world. Now science is taking DNA manipulation to new, unrestricted levels. Superintendent Frank Steele is an old-fashioned cop. He commands a small, elite police unit that is handed all of the bizarre and baffling cases no one else can solve. He knows the money, the murders, missing persons and gruesome body shops are all connected. He knows it starts with the girl.

After decades of stability, climate stresses, never far from the surface, are bringing droughts, crop failures, and massive storms. The world's end--avoided once, centuries before--seems likely to succeed the second time. Scientist Sarah Nahanni has a possible solution, but the math is daunting and the number of mathematicians willing or even able to solve the equations is very small. With the ancient satellites failing and the roads filled with hostile armies, the path to recovery seems lost. Far to the south, Ivan Rodriguez, an unlikely genius, is on the run from the death squads of his feudal overlords, his head full of fears for his family and mathematical dreams of a better future. He holds the key to Sarah Nahanni's problem and would help--if only he knew she existed and he could reach her in time.