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The Word Exchange
by Alena GraedonA dystopian novel for the digital age, The Word Exchange offers an inventive, suspenseful, and decidedly original vision of the dangers of technology and of the enduring power of the printed word. In the not-so-distant future, the forecasted "death of print" has become a reality. Bookstores, libraries, newspapers, and magazines are things of the past, and we spend our time glued to handheld devices called Memes that not only keep us in constant communication but also have become so intuitive that they hail us cabs before we leave our offices, order takeout at the first growl of a hungry stomach, and even create and sell language itself in a marketplace called the Word Exchange. Anana Johnson works with her father, Doug, at the North American Dictionary of the English Language (NADEL), where Doug is hard at work on the last edition that will ever be printed. Doug is a staunchly anti-Meme, anti-tech intellectual who fondly remembers the days when people used email (everything now is text or videoconference) to communicate--or even actually spoke to one another, for that matter. One evening, Doug disappears from the NADEL offices, leaving a single written clue: ALICE. It's a code word he devised to signal if he ever fell into harm's way. And thus begins Anana's journey down the proverbial rabbit hole . . . Joined by Bart, her bookish NADEL colleague, Anana's search for Doug will take her into dark basements and subterranean passageways; the stacks and reading rooms of the Mercantile Library; and secret meetings of the underground resistance, the Diachronic Society. As Anana penetrates the mystery of her father's disappearance and a pandemic of decaying language called "word flu" spreads, The Word Exchange becomes a cautionary tale that is at once a technological thriller and a meditation on the high cultural costs of digital technology.From the Hardcover edition.o aphasia, Alena Graedon crafts a fresh, cautionary tale that is at once a technological thriller and a thoughtful meditation on the price of technology and the unforeseen, though very real, dangers of the digital age.From the Hardcover edition.
The Word Exchange
by Alena Graedon'Spine-tingling' New York Times'A fast-paced, thrill-a-minute début novel' New Yorker'Graedon knows how to ratchet up mystery' EsquireWORDS ARE UNDER THREAT. IT'S TIME TO FIGHT BACK...Imagine a world without words. A world in which books, libraries and newspapers are things of the past. A world where personal devices provide all you could want or need.Anana Johnson and her father, Doug, are hard at work on the final edition that will ever be printed of the English Dictionary. But one evening, Doug disappears and Anana unearths a single written clue: ALICE.In the battle to save her father, Anana discovers secret societies, dark incinerator rooms and underground passages. Above all, she finds a world that faces ruin from the dark side of technology. Praise for The Word Exchange'A nervy, nerdy dystopian thriller' New York Times Book Review'A propulsive, twisty future-noir' Daily Beast'Spectacular' Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove'Dazzling' Slate'Wildly ambitious, darkly intellectual and inventive' Kirkus Reviews, starred review
The Word Exchange
by Alena GraedonIn the not-so-distant future, the forecasted 'death of print' has become a reality. Bookstores, libraries, newspapers, and magazines are a thing of the past, as we spend our time glued to handheld devices called Memes that not only keep us in constant communication but have become so intuitive as to hail us taxis before we leave our offices, order takeout at the first growl of a hungry stomach, and even create and sell language itself in a marketplace called the Word Exchange.Anana Johnson works with her father, Doug, at the North American Dictionary of the English Language(NADEL), where Doug is hard at work on the final edition that will ever be printed. Doug is an intellectual who fondly remembers the days when people used e-mail to communicate - or even actually spoke to one another. One evening, Doug disappears from the NADEL offices, leaving a single written clue: ALICE. It's a code word he and Anana devised to signal if one of them ever fell into danger....Joined by Bart, her bookish NADEL colleague (who is secretly in love with her), Anana's search for her father will take her into dark basement incinerator rooms, underground passages of the Mercantile Library, meetings of a secret society designed to save the written word, the boardrooms of the evil online retailing giant Synchronic, and ultimately to the hallowed halls of the Oxford English Dictionary - the spiritual home of the written word. As Anana pieces together what is going on, and Bart falls victim to the strange 'word flu' that is spreading worldwide, the very future of language is at stake....Read by Tavia Gilbert and Paul Michael Garcia(p) 2014 Blackstone Audio
The Word for World is Forest (S.F. MASTERWORKS #164)
by Ursula K. Le GuinWhen the inhabitants of a peaceful world are conquered by the bloodthirsty yumens, their existence is irrevocably altered. Forced into servitude, the Athsheans find themselves at the mercy of their brutal masters.Desperation causes the Athsheans, led by Selver, to retaliate against their captors, abandoning their strictures against violence. But in defending their lives, they have endangered the very foundations of their society. For every blow against the invaders is a blow to the humanity of the Athsheans. And once the killing starts, there is no turning back.
The Word of Unbinding: A Story
by Ursula K. Le GuinThe recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and the Pushcart Prize, Ursula K. Le Guin is renowned for her spare, elegant prose, rich characterization, and diverse worlds. "The Word of Unbinding" is a short story originally published in the collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters.
The Word of a Child (3 Good Cops)
by Janice Kay JohnsonOn an ordinary day, in an ordinary neighborhood, a knock on the door of an ordinary house leads to an extraordinary revelation.Detective Connor McLean is the man who came to call, carrying with him a child's accusation. Connor's visit ended Mariah Stavig's marriage and left her a struggling single mother. Three years later, the word of another child brings Connor back into Mariah's life.Connor knows his investigations can ruin as much as they fix, but he has no choice. He has sworn to speak for the innocent and seek justice for the victims. And now, to do his job, he has to have Mariah's help—no matter how much she hates him.
The Words of Making: The Osserian Saga: Book Two (The Osserian Saga #2)
by David Forbes"I saw the dream. I saw your face."The words of a lone shipwrecked survivor chill the blood of Gerin Atreyano, Crown Prince of Khedesh, for they warn of an approaching armada. The savage, unconquered and unconquerable Havalqa are coming, driven by visions of a power beyond comprehension. Whosoever controls the Words of Making can own the world—and the brutal, single-minded invaders will destroy anything that stands between them and the one man who possesses the secret to this awesome weapon: the Amber Wizard, Gerin Atreyano.But the Words are as much a mystery to Gerin as they are to the fearsome enemy who would make him their prisoner. And unless he can unravel the ancient magic—and defeat a relentless awakening terror—his home and his future will be ashes.
The Wordsmith (Reforging #4)
by Barbara HoweIrene van Gelder’s drudge job is killing her, but how can she earn a living as an air witch when her own guild calls her a fraud?The Fire Warlock doesn’t ask for her credentials, but with tensions rising between the Fire and Air Guilds, proving her value to him is not a safe move. With the White Duchess and her son intent on revenge, what defences can a failure as an air witch muster? All she has is words. Will that be enough to save herself, and Frankland?
The Wordwick Games Omnibus (Wordwick Games Series #4)
by Kailin Gow"As usual Kailin Gow rocks out the YA genre with her work. I absolutely adore her books and think she's one to watch. This book, of course, was great! I love the world building that she did...For me, it's always just right. The characters in this one were great and I loved the storyline." - CajunBookLadyBlog "I think every book lover understands that words really do hold power, so when this book promised words used as actual weapons I was instantly intrigued. It definitely sounded promising and for the most part, I felt it lived up to that." - Jessica Blog "The story was great! I've always loved the idea of falling into a fantasy world, through a book or a movie.. or a game!" - Pieces of Whimsy Blog "Best Books of the Year! The plot had plenty of twists and turns, leaving me eager to read the sequel. Recommended for those who enjoy puzzle/game related books with plenty of character development." - The Geo Librarian DESCRIPTION After winning a contest for a popular game called Wordwick Games, five teens - Gemma, Sparks, Rio, Kat, and Jack, are invited to stay at Wordwick Games inventor Henry Word's mysterious castle and play the newest level of Workwick Games. Little do they know, the castle is the doorway to a wondrous world call Anachronia where words can be used as weapons, power, and commodity. There is unrest in Anachronia, and if the five teens can follow the rules of Wordwick Games and prove to be the best player, one of them will be crowned Ruler of Anachronia.
The Works of Charlotte Smith, Part II vol 10
by A. A. MarkleyCharlotte Turner Smith held a central position during the formative years of the British Romantic period. Smith's work includes eleven novels and two fictional adaptations from the French. This edition reveals the extent to which Smith's work in this form constitutes as significant an achievement as her poetry.
The Works of Charlotte Smith, Part III vol 13
by Stuart CurranIncludes the works of Charlotte Smith, revealing a writer who wrote well in many genres, and, in whatever form she undertook, was innovative with the forms she inherited and strongly influential on those who followed her.
The Works of Clifford D. Simak Volume Four: The Big Front Yard and Other Stories, Time Is the Simplest Thing, and The Goblin Reservation (The Works of Clifford D. Simak)
by Clifford D. SimakA collection of masterpieces from a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning Grand Master of Science Fiction who &“has never written a bad book&” (Theodore Sturgeon).The Big Front Yard and Other Stories: Handyman Hiram likes things he can understand and fix. But he has a true mystery on his hands when a new ceiling appears in his basement—a ceiling with the ability to repair televisions so they&’re better than before. Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novelette, &“The Big Front Yard&” is a powerful story about what happens when an ordinary man finds reality coming apart around him. Along with the other stories in this collection, it is some of the most lyrical science fiction ever published. &“To read science fiction is to read Simak. A reader who does not like Simak stories does not like science fiction at all.&” —Robert A. Heinlein Time Is the Simplest Thing: Space travel has been deemed too dangerous and expensive, and now the Fishhook company holds a monopoly on interstellar exploration, using telepaths who can expand their minds throughout the universe. But when Fishhook employee Shepherd Blaine is implanted with a copy of an alien consciousness, he becomes something more than human—and soon there is no safe place for him to hide. This Hugo Award finalist is a richly imagined tale of prejudice, corporate greed, oppression, and, ultimately, transcendence. &“Simak is the most underrated great science fiction writer alive, and has never written a bad book.&” —Theodore Sturgeon The Goblin Reservation: In this unabashedly tongue-in-cheek novel, Professor Peter Maxwell of the College of Supernatural Phenomena is murdered—but he&’s even more dismayed when he turns up at a matter transmission station several weeks later and discovers he&’s not only dead, but also unemployed. This &“alternate&” Maxwell soon learns he&’s being used as a vessel by a strange alien race to carry knowledge of remarkable technology back to Earth—and it seems someone does not want the information shared . . . &“The finest novel in a merry mood that Simak has yet given us.&” —Fritz Leiber This brilliant volume represents the genre at its very best, reaffirming that &“without Simak, science fiction would have been without its most humane element, its most humane spokesman for the wisdom of the ordinary person and the value of life lived close to the land&” (James Gunn).
The Works of Clifford D. Simak Volume One: Grotto of the Dancing Deer and Other Stories, Heritage of Stars, and City (The Works of Clifford D. Simak)
by Clifford D. SimakTwo classic novels and a short story collection from the legendary Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author in one volume. This volume from an icon of the Golden Age of science fiction includes: City: In this International Fantasy Award–winning novel, millennia have passed since humankind abandoned Earth, leaving their most loyal animal companions alone. Granted the power of speech centuries earlier, the intelligent, pacifist dogs are the last keepers of human history. With the aid of Jenkins, an ageless service robot, the dogs live in harmony and peace. But now they&’re threatened by the reawakened remnants of a warlike race called &“Man.&” A Heritage of Stars: More than a thousand years have passed since humankind intentionally destroyed its treacherous technology. The scant knowledge that has survived is kept in monastery-like &“universities&” where Tom Cushing learns of the legendary &“Place of Going to the Stars.&” On an amazing trek across what was once America, Tom and a band of misfits seek the source of the myth, only to discover an astonishing revelation at the end of their journey. Grotto of the Dancing Deer: Ten tales of wonder, danger, and the future, including the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning &“Grotto of the Dancing Deer,&” in which a man carrying an ancient secret finally speaks up, unable to bear any longer the loneliness he has experienced for millennia; &“Over the River,&” where children from an embattled future are sent back for safekeeping to their ancestors in the peaceful past; &“Day of Truce,&” about the inhabitants of a suburban subdivision who must barricade themselves against bands of roving attackers who invade when the gates open wide one day every year; and seven more stories from a master of speculative fiction.
The Works of Clifford D. Simak Volume Three: I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories, Highway of Eternity, and Project Pope (The Works of Clifford D. Simak #3)
by Clifford D. Simak David W. WixonThree stunning works of science fiction from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning grandmaster and author of Way Station. I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories: Ten stories of mystery and imagination in a world that cannot be, full of plant-based intelligence, robots, aliens, and time-travelers. Includes “I Had No Head and My Eyes Were Floating Way Up in the Air,” originally written for Harlan Ellison’s The Last Dangerous Visions.™ Highway of Eternity: The Evans family is hiding in eighteenth-century England from dangerous aliens from the future when they’re discovered by secret agent Jay Corcoran. Now they all must race for survival through space and time—but it’s easier said than done when monstrous beasts, killer robots, and immortal body-destroyers are waiting at every juncture. Project Pope: Sentient robots on the remote planet End of Nothing are working to create a truly universal religion presided over by a pope, a supercomputer fed knowledge by telepathic humans. But everything could be compromised when one of the humans claims she’s found Heaven . . .
The Works of Mary Robinson, Part I Vol 4 (The\pickering Masters Ser.)
by Daniel Robinson Orianne Smith William D Brewer Sharon M SetzerRegularly the subject of cartoonists and satirical novelists, Mary Robinson achieved public notoriety as the mistress of the young Prince of Wales (George IV). Her association with figures such as William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, and comparisons with Charlotte Smith, make her a serious figure for scholarly research.
The Works of Mary Robinson, Part II vol 5
by William D Brewer Hester Davenport Julia A ShafferRegularly the subject of cartoonists and satirical novelists, Mary Robinson achieved public notoriety as the mistress of the young Prince of Wales (George IV). Her association with figures such as William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, and comparisons with Charlotte Smith, make her a serious figure for scholarly research.
The Works of Mary Wollstonecraft Vol 3
by Janet Todd Marilyn ButlerA seven volume set of books containing all the known published writings and translations of Mary Wollstonecraft, who is generally recognised as the mother of the feminist movement. She was also an acute observer of the political upheavals of the French revolution and advocated educational reform.
The World According to Anna
by Jostein GaarderWhen fifteen-year-old Anna begins receiving messages from another time, her parents take her to the doctor. But he can find nothing wrong with Anna; in fact he believes there may be some truth to what she is seeing. Anna is haunted by visions of the desolate world of 2082. She sees her great-granddaughter, Nova, in a wasteland peopled by ragged survivors, after animals and plants have died out. The more Anna sees, the more she realises she must act to prevent the future in her visions becoming real. But can she act quickly enough? Haunting, gripping and magical, The World According to Anna is a fable for our time.Read by Penelope Rawlins(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group
The World According to Philip K. Dick
by Alexander Dunst Stefan SchlensagAs the first essay collection dedicated to Philip K. Dick in over two decades, this volume breaks new ground in science fiction scholarship and brings innovative critical perspectives to the study of one of the America's most influential authors. With contributions by major voices in literary and cultural studies, the book thoroughly situates Dick in the history of the twentieth century and includes sections on cultural theory, adaptation studies, as well as the first in-depth discussion of his last major work, The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick, only published in 2011. Dick's academic reputation and general popularity continue to grow. A steady flow of films based on his novels and short stories, and several biographies and critical monographs over the last decade, testify to his global appeal. As the publication of three volumes of selected novels in the prestigious Library of America series and a 900-page hardback edition of his Exegesis show, Dick is now considered a canonical author in US literature. The essays commissioned for this volume examine novel aspects of Dick's oeuvre and revise our understanding of a writer who is now seen as a major literary and intellectual figure and often taken as representative of science fiction at large. At the same time, the conceptual and methodological arguments put forward by the authors –from Mark Bould's analysis of 'slipstream cinema' and Laurence Rickels' theorization of psychopathy to Marcus Boon's ontology of the withdrawn object – will be of interest to a wide audience in literary and cultural studies.
The World Afloat
by M.A.C. FarrantIn The World Afloat, a series of seventy-five "miniatures" that melds narrative with elements of prose poem and farce, master of the absurd and expert observer M.A.C. Farrant peers into the complexities of human experience - through the rear window.Inside the linoleum-lined kitchens and lace-trimmed living rooms that drift through these stories, Farrant interrupts the daily routines - doctor's appointments, gardening, mealtimes - of her eccentric yet familiar characters with intensely surreal, laugh-out-loud moments. What happens when a whimsical spirit becomes captive to a middle-aged body? At the end of a Love Your Package workshop, what does the wrap-up dinner look like? Can a soggy tomato salad really end someone's marriage? Brimming with pathos and bathos in equal measure, Farrant's smart prose offers escape and renewal from the monotony of modern life, while at the same time poking fun at her readers' pathological devotion to the technology and interpersonal relationships that leave them feeling bored and empty.Sexuality and depravity, childhood and bad parenting, and love and divorce are all deftly handled in this hot flash of a book that goes straight to the heart of things. As each "miniature" reads stranger (and truer) than the one before, Farrant manages to coax her readers from their well-worn, earthbound narratives and into a world afloat on satire, absurdity, and, in her most brilliant moments, expansive joy.
The World Awakening (Gateways to Alissia #3)
by Dan Koboldt"The World Awakening is a great conclusion to what is a very readable and highly enjoyable series. Characters that are more than the sum of their parts, a world that has so much to offer, and a story that races along apace – the Gateways to Alissia books have it all."-- SFFworldQuinn Bradley has learned to use the magic of another world. And that world is in danger.Having decided to betray CASE Global, he can finally reveal his origins to the Enclave and warn them about the company’s imminent invasion. Even if it means alienating Jillaine…and allying with someone he’s always considered his adversary.But war makes for strange bedfellows, and uniting Alissians against such a powerful enemy will require ancient enmities—as well as more recent antagonisms—to be set aside. The future of their pristine world depends on it.As Quinn searches for a way to turn the tide, his former CASE Global squad-mates face difficult decisions of their own. For some, it’s a matter of what they’re willing to do to get home. For others, it’s deciding whether they want to go home at all.Continuing the exciting adventures from The Rogue Retrieval and The Island Deception, The World Awakening is the spellbinding conclusion to the Gateways to Alissia fantasy series from Dan Koboldt.
The World Before (Wess'Har #3)
by Karen TravissThree strikingly different alien races greeted the military mission from Earth when it reached the planet called Bezer'ej. Now one of the sentient species has been exterminated--and two others are poised on the brink of war. The fragile "bezeri" are no more, due to the ignorant, desperate actions of human interlopers. The powerful "wess'har" protectors have failed in their sworn obligation to the destroyed native population--and the outrage must be redressed. But those who are coming to judge from the World Before -- the home planet, now distant and alien to the wess'har, whose ancestors left there generations ago -- will not restrict their justice to the individual humans responsible for the slaughter. Earth itself must answer for the genocide. And its ultimate fate may depend on a dead woman: former police officer Shan Frankland, who became something far greater than human before destroying herself in the vast airless depths of space.
The World Before (Wess'har #3)
by Karen TravissEbook edition. Three strikingly different alien races greeted the military mission from Earth when it reached the planet called Bezer'ej. Now one of the sentient species has been exterminated—and two others are poised on the brink of war.The fragile bezeri are no more, due to the ignorant, desperate actions of human interlopers. The powerful wess'har protectors have failed in their sworn obligation to the destroyed native population—and the outrage must be redressed. But those who are coming to judge from the World Before -- the home planet, now distant and alien to the wess'har, whose ancestors left there generations ago -- will not restrict their justice to the individual humans responsible for the slaughter. Earth itself must answer for the genocide. And its ultimate fate may depend on a dead woman: former police officer Shan Frankland, who became something far greater than human before destroying herself in the vast airless depths of space.
The World Between Blinks #1
by Ryan Graudin Amie KaufmanBestselling authors Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin invite readers into a wondrous world where lost things are found, and where two cousins must come face-to-face with the impossible…Whenever Jake and Marisol get together, adventure follows. They have their late Nana to thank for that. Her epic trips and treasure hunts were legendary. <P><P>With the whole family reuniting for one last summer vacation at Nana’s home, the cousins are prepared for an extraordinary trip of their own. Following a map Nana left behind, Jake and Marisol sneak out to a nearby lighthouse—then accidentally slip into another world! The World Between Blinks is a magical place, where all sorts of lost things and people wind up. Everywhere they turn, the cousins find real mysteries from history and a few they thought were just myths, from pilot Amelia Earhart to the fabled city of Atlantis. <P><P>But the man who holds the key to Jake and Marisol’s journey home doesn’t want to be found . . . and if the cousins don’t catch him fast, they could end up lost in this world forever. <P><P>This first book in an exciting, fast-paced fantasy adventure series—featuring fun, interesting facts about history––is perfect for fans of Chris Colfer’s Land of Stories and Margaret Peterson Haddix’s The Missing series!
The World Between Blinks #2: Rebellion of the Lost
by Ryan Graudin Amie KaufmanBestselling authors Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin invite readers back to the wondrous world where lost things are found in this second book of an exciting, fast-paced middle-grade fantasy adventure series. Perfect for fans of Chris Colfer’s Land of Stories and Margaret Peterson Haddix’s The Missing!When Jake and Marisol return unexpectedly to the World Between Blinks, they find that nothing is as they left it. The Administrator is on an unstoppable mission, ordering his Curators to catalog absolutely everyone and everything as if they're exhibits in a museum. With rebels like Amelia Earhart and Queen Nefertiti facing the threat of their hourglasses of memories being flipped, Jake and Marisol, along with Marisol’s big brother, Victor, must locate a mysterious item known as the Rocket. This unknown object is their only chance to defeat the Administrator—before everything that makes the World wonderful is lost, in a whole new way.…Propelled by a page-turning mystery and plenty of action, this sequel also features fun, interesting facts about history and engaging back matter that helps readers separate fact from fiction!