New Releases by Philip Jose Farmer

NOVELS The House of the Missing, by Sinclair Gluck When Margaret disappears during a routine shopping trip, her brother sets off on a relentless quest to find her. New Amazonia, by Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett This pioneering feminist utopian novel transports a Victorian-era woman into a future Ireland governed by women. NOVELET “Horsesense Hank in the Parallel Worlds,” by Nelson S. Bond Hank ventures into parallel worlds where nothing is as it seems. SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY “Murder on the Christmas Train,” by Hal Charles Can you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!  SHORT STORIES “Hearth and Home,” by Rick McMahan [Michael Bracken Presents short story] A detective’s pursuit of a fugitive reveals haunting truths about a family massacre. “The Queen of Christmas,” by Shari Randall [Barb Goffman Presents short story] A Sugar Plum Fairy, a stolen necklace, and an icy night bring mischief and mayhem… “Two Words,” by Paula Messina A struggling shop owner faces unexpected dangers—and blessings—on a snowy Christmas Eve... “Beginner’s Luck,” by Susan Love Brown A too-clever Christmas plan unravels when past crimes resurface, exposing secrets, irony, and ultimate justice. “The Bleak Mid-Winter Snow,” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins In a post-AI-revolt world, a first date sparks hope—until chilling truths shatter trust and safety! “A Stranger at the Door,” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman A secretive elf gives Chiara a magical gift, transforming her Christmas—and her life—in unexpected ways. “Heel,” by Philip Jose Farmer Achilles fights destiny as gods manipulate his fate in a cosmic war where the scriptwriter reigns supreme… “The Lost Race,” by Robert E. Howard A Briton stumbles upon a hidden Pict civilization—where vengeance, honor, and ancient curses shape his fate…

This issue features three original short stories (mysteries by M.A. Monnin [thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken], and Edd Vick & Manny Frishberg, plus a fantasy story by D J Tyrer), and an original science fiction novel by Thomas A. Easton. Furthering the mystery section, we also have a great tale by John M. Floyd (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman) a classic novel by William J. Burns & Isabel Ostrander, and a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. Rounding out the science fiction and fantasy selections are a dark fantasy by British master John S. Glasby and a classic by Philip Jose Farmer. Lots of fun. Here’s the complete lineup— Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Tick Tock,” by M.A. Monnin [Michael Bracken Presents original short story] “Who Stole the Monopoly Money?” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Molly’s Plan,” by John M. Floyd [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Time and Tide,” by Edd Vick and Manny Frishberg [original short story] The Crevice, by William J. Burns and Isabel Ostrander [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Ring of Tsimblier,” by D J Tyrer [original short story] “In the Midst of Night,” John S. Glasby [short story] “Lancelot Biggs: Master Navigator,” by Nelson S. Bond [short story, Lancelot Biggs series] “The Wounded,” by Philip José Farmer [short story] Configuration Hacks, by Thomas A. Easton [original novel]

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly. On the mystery side of things, we have original tales by Veronica Leigh (one that looks to be the start of a new series) and Richard A. McMahon (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken). Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman has selected a great tale by Anna Scotti, and our novel is The Talleyrand Maxim, by Golden Age author J.S. Fletcher. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. On the science fiction and fantasy side, our lead item is a new feature—a portfolio by artist Ron Miller. Ron has joined our staff as art director and will be providing covers from his vast body of work. But I wanted our readers to know how great an artist he is, so here is a collection of some of his best covers. As for the fiction, we have a monster-in-the-mist story by British master John Glasby, plus an all-star lineup of classic authors: Frank Belknap Long, Donald A. Wollheim, Henry Slesar, and Philip Jose Farmer. Great stuff. Here’s the complete lineup— Cover Art: Ron Miller Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Mr. George,” by Richard A. McMahan [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “An Open and Shut Case,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “That Which We Call Patience,” by Anna Scotti [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughters,” by Veronica Leigh [short story] The Talleyrand Maxim, by J.S. Flextcher [novel] Special Feature: “Cover Portfolio,” by Ron Miller Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Thing in the Mist,” by John Glasby [short story] “Mr. Caxton Draws a Martian Bird,” by Frank Belknap Long [short story] “Saknarth,” by Donald A. Wollheim [short story] “Mr. Loneliness,” by Henry Slesar [short story] “The Celestial Blueprint,” by Philip José Farmer [short story]

THE CAT’S MEOW Welcome to Black Cat Weekly. This issue, on the mystery side of things, we have original stories from Brendan DuBois (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), E Senteio (crime in the library!), and Cody Goodfellow (has the classic villain Fantomas finally met his match?)…plus Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman has unearthed a gem by Eve Fisher. Our novel is Behind the Bronze Door, by William Le Queux, and of course we have a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. As if that weren’t enough, we also have science fiction stories from Lester del Rey, Philip Jose Farmer, and T.D. Hamm. Rounding out the issue is a Jules de Grandin novelette by Seabury Quinn. Our cover is by our art director, Ron Miller. I’ve had to twist his arm (he’s far too humble for self promotion) and next issue, we’re going to have an illustration feature—a portfolio of his best and favorite book covers. Something to look forward to. Here’s the complete lineup— Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “The Million-dollar Recovery,” by Brendan DuBois [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “An Historic Heist,” by Hal Charles [solve-it-yourself mystery] “Wind Power,” by Eve Fisher [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Damned If You Do, and Damned If You Don’t,” by E Senteio [short story] “The Black Hand of Fantomas,” by Cody Goodfellow [short story, Fantomas series] Behind the Bronze Door, by William Le Queux [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Battleground,” by Lester del Rey [short story] “Tongues of the Moon,” by Philip Jose Farmer [short story] “The Survivors,” by T.D. Hamm [short story] “The Jewel of Seven Stones,” by Seabury Quinn [novelette, Jules de Grandin series] Until next time, happy reading!

In a dystopian future, brilliant but arrogant scientist Dr. James Carroad conducts a shocking experiment on his unborn son to impress the Secretary of Science. Using a powerful mind-reading machine, Carroad taps into his child's thoughts - with disturbing results that call into question the nature of free will. As secrets from the past resurface, his wife Jane starts to realize the horrific implications of her husband's hubris.

Black Cat Weekly #98 features 10 short stories and a novel. This time, we have five mysteries (including a terrific original by Adam Meyer, courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), modern tales by Dharma Kelleher (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman) and Jack Halliday, plus a classic by Frank Gruber, who was a prolific pulp writer and novelist. Gruber’s story of a dance-hall clip-joint provides a window into a long-gone era. And of course, no issue is complete without a solve-it-yourself mystery. On the more science fiction and fantasy side, we have a sword-and-sorcery tale by Phyllis Ann Karr (set in her Frosterflower and Thorn universe), a dark fantasy by horror master Joseph Payne Brennan, a time-travel tale by Robert Abernathy, and classic science fiction by Philip Jose Farmer (“Daughter” is a followup to his classic tale, “Mother”) and John W. Campbell (the tale of grim survival on the moon, The Moon Is Hell.) And for Western fans, we have a classic tale by Alan Le May. Great stuff! Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Stacy’s Mom,” by Adam Meyer [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Games Gang Rides Again,” Hal Charlies [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Kissing Asphalt,” by Dharma Kelleher [Barb Goffman Presents short story] “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” by Jack Halliday [short story] “Clip-Joint Adventures,” by Frank Gruber [short story] “The Bells of San Juan,” by Alan Le May [short story] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Sorcery and Sacrilege,” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story] “The Midnight Bus,” by Joseph Payne Brennan [short story] “Daughter,” by Philip Jose Farmer [short story] “Stopwatch on the World,” by Robert Abernathy [novelet] The Moon Is Hell, by John W. Campbell [novel]

Twentieth-century scientist Ulysses Singing Bear had no idea his experiments with atomic stasis would result in a twenty-million-year journey to a world peopled by the descendants of present-day mammals. It was the world of Awina, the cat-woman who impossibly loved Ulysses. It was the planet of the mammoth continent-spanning intelligence-The Tree, whose branches touched the heavens and whose roots clasped hell-who knew that Ulysses, the newly-awakened Stone God, could destroy his reign. To enable his species to survive, Ulysses had to find a human mate. To do so, and to fulfill the single condition set by his worshippers, he had to confront The Tree. It would have been an easy task for a god, but he was only a man-and the only man at that... Originally published as an ACE paperback in 1970, The Stone God Awakens has been reprinted numerous times throughout the '70s and into the '80s, but is still one of Philip José Farmer's lesser-known works. And that is a shame because, as Danny Adams (co-author with Philip José Farmer of The City Beyond Play and Dayworld: A Hole in Wednesday) spells out in his introduction, it is "a breathless mix of adventure, intellect, and myth."

After the Apocalyptic War, the decimated remnants of the French huddled in the Loire Valley were gradually squeezed between two new and growing nations. The Colossus to the north was unfriendly and obviously intended to absorb the little New France. The Colossus to the south was friendly and offered to take the weak state into its confederation of republics as a full partner...

Philip José Farmer was given the WORLD FANTASY AWARD FOR LIFE ACHIEVEMENT and named an SFWA GRAND MASTER in the same year - a fitting recognition of his refusal to be pigeonholed. Whether pushing the boundaries of sexual and religious themes or reimagining pulp heroes for the modern age, Farmer's restless imagination knew no bounds. This omnibus contains THE MAKER OF UNIVERSES, the first of the World of Tiers series; the HUGO AWARD-winning TO YOUR SCATTERED BODIES GO, which opens the acclaimed Riverworld sequence; and the stand-alone space opera, THE UNREASONING MASK.

Simon Wagstaff narrowly escapes the Deluge that destroys Earth when he happens upon an abandoned spaceship. A man without a planet, he gains immortality from an elixir drunk during an interlude with a cat-like alien queen. Now Simon must chart a 3,000-year course to the most distant corners of the multiverse, to seek out the answers to the questions no one can seem to answer.

A collection of Wold Newton-inspired short stories by Farmerphiles, experts, and the Grand Master of SF himself.A real meteorite fell near Wold Newton, Yorkshire, England, on December 13, 1795, and was found to be radioactive, causing genetic mutations in the occupants of a passing coach. Many of their descendants were thus endowed with extremely high intelligence and strength, as well as an exceptional capacity and drive to perform good, or, as the case may be, evil deeds.

Philip José Farmer applies his unique brand of sci-fi to create a thrilling post-apocalyptic America! Space Commander Stagg explored the galaxies for 800 years. Upon his return, the hero Stagg is made the centerpiece of an incredible public ritual, one that will repeatedly take him to the heights of ecstasy and the depths of hell.

Operation Timestop: Post-holocaust Paris is a pretty seedy stand-in for the original, but what can you expect when the goverment's main function is Orgasm Prevention & when the national hero is wandering around in Nowhen. But things are changing! Rumor has it that the Timetraveler is coming back in a few months. At which point, Time itself will come to an end.

In Philip Jose Farmers incredible sequel to The Image of the Beast, Herald Childe continues what started as a murder case - a very gruesome one - but which has now become a struggle against the strange and deadly beings who have taken his wife, who threaten his manhood and threaten mankind itself. His seems a hopeless quest. He is fighting not people but inhuman, unhuman monster from another universe. They take grotesque physical forms, they indulge cruel whims, and they are sex-mad. There is Vivienne, amazingly beautiful, who used to be Joan of Arc. But she has false teeth and she comes literally to pieces. Her lover is a snake-like horror whose needle teeth drip aphrodisiac venom. There is Count Igescu, a real live vampire. And these three are surrounded by a grisly crowd of bizarre aliens, characters in a science fiction nightmare. But for Childe there is to be no waking up: though no one else will believe him, he knows this is for real...

After viewing his partner's mutilation in a home movie, a horrified private detective pursues leads in the most disgusting case of his career. His investigation plunges him into a nightmare of sexual brutality and supernatural bestiality. It is a journey he - and you - will never forget.

It was a world of tiers and layers - the Amerind level, the Garden of Eden level, the Talanac, the Atlantean - a universe of green skies and fabled beasts. It was the playground-cosmos of the Lord Jadawin, with trans-gravitational gates to the other levels and other worlds. But now those gates were being sabotaged to permit the entry of an invading force of 'Bellers' - human bodies housing the transferred minds of rebel Lords - and their minions, who were seeking two things: total domination of every lord's private cosmos, now that they had achieved immortality, and the life of Kickaha the Trickster, who knew too much...

Escaping the religious tyranny of a 31st-century Earth by a fluke assignment to the planet of Ozagen, linguist Hal Yarrow found that the worst of Earth had followed him - Pornsen, his personal Guardian Angel, vigilant for any evidence of sin or wrong thinking. Conditioned by a lifetime of submission, Yarrow would have accepted Pornsen's constant spying as an unpleasant necessity, had it not been for Jeanette, the beautiful but dangerously different fugitive he found hiding in the ancient ruins...

His journey began with the blast of a shotgun aimed at a gleaming nimbus of light. The tightening of his finger on the trigger was almost accidental; his punishment was almost merciful. But his journey has just begun, and when it is over Paul Eyre will no longer be human....

Behind the walls of Terra lay a secret no man could be allowed to learn. But Kickaha - the Earth-born adventurer of the tiered worlds - had to uncover that secret, or watch his home world destroyed. Kickaha was returning to Earth from the World of Tiers, the many-levelled universe of the god-like Lords, that he had entered many years ago as Paul Janus Finnegan. Now he had returned to a world he no longer knew, to find it ruled by Red Orc, a Lord jealous of his personal domain and hostile to intruders. Yet Kickaha had to stay alive in order to defeat the deadly enemy that threatened Earth and the other worlds of tiers - the 'Beller', the malignant creature that was the mind-essence of a rebel Lord.

Kidnapped by an insane millionare bent on recreating the famous Lord of the Jungle, Ras Tyger is raised in a remote African valley by people he believes to be apes. Heroic, and beautiful, he is master of his world. And he rules his kingdom with sex, savagery, and sublime innocence. But the laws of nature and those of man are about to collide....

The lavalite world is a world of slow but constant change. Here mountains rise from plains, or sink into rifts; new oceans form as vast hollows collapse and seas rush in. There is only one escape from this world where the very landscape moves. The one gateway to other universes is in the palace of the Lord Urthona. Paul Janus Finnegan - also known as Kickaha - must reach it if he is to survive. And he must do so despite the Lords Urthone and Red Orc, the hired thug McKay, flesh-eating vegetation on the run, beasts of prey and planetary pseudopods.

Inspired by Around the World in Eighty Days, this classic sci-fi steampunk tale combines aliens with iconic characters like Sherlock Holmes, Flash Gordon, and James Bond In a delicious slice of sci-fi whimsy that sits cleverly alongside Verne’s original tale, Phileas Fogg's epic global journey is not the product of a daft wager but, in fact, a covert mission to chase down the elusive Captain Nemo—who is none other than Professor Moriarty. A secret alien war has raged on Earth for years and is about to culminate in this epic race . . . Part of the Wold Newton universe, The Other Log of Phileas Fogg is set in a world in which Sherlock Holmes, Flash Gordon, Doc Savage, James Bond, and Jack the Ripper are all mysteriously connected.

Gods of Riverwold is the fifth and final chapter in Philip Jose Farmer's New York Times bestselling classic SF series, Riverworld Thirty billion people from throughout Earth's history have been resurrected along the great and winding waterways of Riverworld. Most began life anew—accepting without question the sustenance provided by their mysterious benefactors. But a rebellious handful, including Mark Twain, Richard Burton, and Peter Jairus Frigate, burned to confront the unseen masters who controlled their fate—and these few launched an invasion that will ultimately yield the mind-boggling truth. The story was chronicled in four previous volumes, and is now concluded in Gods of Riverworld. Riverworld's omnipotent leaders must finally be confronted, and the renegades of Riverworld—led by the intrepid Sir Richard Francis Burton—will control the fantastic mechanism that rules them. But the most awesome challenge lies ahead. For in the vast corridors and secret rooms of the tower stronghold, an unknown enemy watches and waits to usurp the usurpers.... At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Reissued to follow the Syfy Channel film of Riverworld, this fourth book in the classic Riverworld series continues the adventures of Samuel Clemens and Sir Richard Francis Burton as they travel through Farmer's strange and wonderful Riverworld, a place where everyone who ever lived is simultaneously resurrected along a single river valley that stretches over an entire planet. Famous characters from history abound. Now Burton and Clemens, who have traveled for more than thirty years on two great ships, are about to reach the end of the River. But there is a religion, The Church of the Second Chance, that has grown up along the River and its adherents, possibly inspired by aliens, are determined to destroy the riverboats. A coming battle may destroy Burton and Clemens, but even if they survive, how can they penetrate the alien tower of the Ethicals, who created this astonishing world? What can humans do against a race capable of creating a world and resurrecting the entire human race on it? At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A New York Times bestsesller, The Dark Design is the third novel in Hugo and Nebula award-winning science fiction legend Philip José Farmer's Riverworld series. Milton Firebrass, once Mark Twain's enemy and now his greatest ally, plans to build a giant airship that can fly to the North Pole of Riverworld. Once there, he hopes to learn the secret of the mysterious tower that dominates the landscape and find the answer to his most urgent question: could the tower contain the Ethicals, the enigmatic beings that created Riverworld? Meanwhile, Jill Gulbirra is challenged for the job of piloting the airship by none other than Cyrano de Bergerac. As if there were not enough challenges facing the crew, they soon suspect there is an agent of the Ethicals among their number, plotting their destruction.... At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

One of the most daring, innovative, and prolific writers in the science fiction genre, Philip Jose Farmer has long been hailed for his soaring imagination and compelling storytelling. The Unreasoning Mask, first published in 1981, is Farmer at his best: it's a fast-paced, mystical, high-action adventure. Ramstan is the captain of al-Buraq, a rare model starship of which three have been built. Each is capable of alaraf drive: instantaneous travel between two points in space. When one of the ships mysteriously disappears, it is discovered that an unidentifiable "creature" is marauding through the universe, destroying intelligent life on planet after planet. Ramstan, a thoughtful and moral man, becomes a fascinated yet reluctant pawn in the hands of the strange forces which arise to fight the deadly destroyer. But what price must he pay for becoming the savior of intelligent-kind?

This one is for fans of Quentin Tarantino and of the ever-present gratuitous violence of Robert Altman. It is a direct descendant of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and the mystery action pulps epitomized by Black Mask. Philip José Farmer, now one of the great living SF writers, who has published many varieties of pulp fiction, who has written novels of Tarzan, Doc Savage, and Oz, now turns his hand to the detective novel, with colorful, violent results. A self-obsessed private detective married to a sincere wiccan is hired to witness an illegal transfer of money in a rainy cemetery that goes bloody wrong. Chasing the bad guys, he ends up the prisoner of a grusome threesome in their Dogpatchy cabin in the woods. His escape involves nudity, blood, death, and a terrible snapping turtle. That's how the mystery begins, leading him through all the levels of Peoria society, geography, and history. Absurdly funny things happen continually in the peripheral vision of the story. No violence is left out. Greed, venality and hatred are unleashed. Unpleasant family history is brought to light. All the sex is offstage. The body count mounts steadily, with occasional mutilations. Nothing Burns in Hell is pulp fiction at its most gorgeously excessive.

The author of the bestselling Riverworld saga presents the second omnibus volume of classic SF novels from his popular World of Tiers series. These three action-packed novels--"Behind the Walls of Terra, The Lavalite World", and "More Than Fire"--are great originals of universe-hopping adventure and were later used as models by Roger Zelazny for his Chronicles of Amber.