The Goddess Of Atvatabar

At the end of the nineteenth century and the first part of the twentieth century fantastical tales of other worlds and times began to grip the imaginations of the reading public, and the prolific output of authors such as Verne, Rice Burroughs, Haggard and Howard propelled the authors to public recognition and their works to abiding popularity. These were among the best known authors of this genre at the time but they were by no means alone in their endeavours or in their choice of subject matter. Off world destinations-whether real or imagined-were popular as were adventures set in fictional pasts and the exotic legendary cultures of the Atlantean age. Having considered the potentials of time and space it was perhaps inevitable that authors would turn their imaginations to the possibilities of a world within our own-a vast landscape hidden from view, alien in flora, fauna and cultures, peopled by strange beings and races often at war with each other. Fortunately, they also usually included the capacity to produce human women of incomparable grace, beauty and an aversion to full body covering. The many enthusiasts of this type of fiction will be pleased to discover that this substantial novel is one of the above and a roller coaster adventure to the last turn of the page. Join this resourceful band of adventurers as they brave the ice to enter a lush and verdant world, altogether primitive and yet able to muster technology in advance of that yet known upon the surface. Often recognised as one of the finest examples of its kind, the enticing and other-worldly land of 'The Goddess of Atvatabar' lies waiting for you to discover for yourself. Available in softcover and hardcover with dust jacket for collectors. (less)

Beliefs in mysterious underworlds are as old as humanity. But the idea that the earth has a hollow interior was first proposed as a scientific theory in 1691 by Sir Edmond Halley (of comet fame), who suggested that there might be life down there as well. Hollow Earth traces the surprising, marvelous, and just plain weird permutations his ideas have taken over the centuries. From science fiction to utopian societies and even religions, Hollow Earth travels through centuries and cultures, exploring how each era's relationship to the idea of a hollow earth mirrored its hopes, fears, and values. Illustrated with everything from seventeenth-century maps to 1950s pulp art to movie posters and more, Hollow Earth is for anyone interested in the history of strange ideas that just won't go away.

Ventus is a large-scale Hard SF adventure novel in the tradition of Larry Niven, Vernor Vinge, and Arthur C. Clarke. Karl Schroeder, a physicist and writer, is a winner of Canada's Aurora Award. His first novel was called the best first fantasy of the year by Science Fiction Chronicle, and now his first SF novel launches a major career in SF. Young Jordan Mason, on the terraformed planet Ventus, has visions. Kidnapped by Calandria May--a human from offworld sent to investigate the AIs (the Winds) of Ventus--Jordan is desperate to find the meaning of his visions, desperate enough to risk calling down the Winds that destroy technology to protect the created environment, who descend and wreak havoc. As a result Jordan escapes from Calandria and sets out to discover his destiny on his own. Calandria and others, both human and AI, search for Jordan, who holds the key to catastrophe or salvation. Ventus is an epic journey across a fascinating planet with a big mystery--why have the Winds fallen silent? It is one of the major, ambitious SF novels of the year and the international launch of an important new hard SF writer. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Describes and visualizes over 1,200 magical lands found in literature and film, discussing such exotic realms as Atlantis, Tolkien's Middle Earth, and Oz.