Douglas Smith

Un impresionante y conmovedor estudio sobre los últimos días de la corte del zar y de las primeras décadas de la Revolución rusa. Durante las primeras décadas del siglo xx, en la vorágine provocada

A shapeshifter hero battles ancient spirits, a covert government agency, and his own dark past in a race to solve a murder that could mean the end of the world. "I cant remember the last time I read a book that spoke to me, so eloquently, and so deeply, on so many levels. ... Ill be rereading it in the future because its that sort of book. Richly layered and deeply resonant. An old friend, from the first time you read it." Charles de Lint, World Fantasy Award winner The Heroka walk among us. Unseen, unknown. Shapeshifters. Human in appearance but with power over their animal totems. Gwyn Blaidd is a Heroka of the wolf totem. Once he led his people in a deadly war against the Tainchel, the shadowy agency that hunts his kind. Now he lives alone in his wilderness home, wolves his only companions. But when an Ojibwe girl is brutally killed in Gwyns old hometown, suspicion falls on his former lover. To save her, Gwyn must return, to battle not only the Tainchel, but even darker forces: ancient spirits fighting to enter our world And rule it. ~~~ Cree and Ojibwe legends mix with current day environmental conflict in this fast-paced urban fantasy that keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to its explosive conclusion. Novel | 360 pages | Introduction by Charles de Lint

Written by an award-winning writer and the leader of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, this definitive book recounts the years since the wolves’ return to Yellowstone.

Le Monde davant, Les Derniers Jours de l’aristocratie russe raconte l’histoire des « perdants » de la révolution russe, c’est-à-dire la destruction totale d’une classe sociale. C’est l’un des aspects

"Don" Thomas Marshall, The Black Don; of south side Capitol City cast a shadow larger than life. Loved by the entire south side and respected throughout the criminal underworld, no favor was too big or too small for "Don Thomas." Thomas ruled with compassion, integrity, and when needed an iron fist. When Thomas Marshall passed away the entire south side of Capitol City flew their flags at half mast out of respect for the man who was the unofficial mayor of the south side. Just prior to his death, his grandson Donald "Donny Mega" Marshall was handed the reins of the Marshall Family empire. At 25 years old Donald became a millionaire overnight. By age 30 Donald was a multimillionaire turning the Marshall Family into a money making machine with its hands in several lucrative business operations. The one thing that money could not buy was a way out of the large shadow still cast by his grandfather. Follow "Donny Mega" as he begins his journey out of his grad pops shadow and forges his own identity and legacy. Follow Donny as he creates his own vision for underworld supremacy, with his own unique style of diplomacy and tact. Follow Donald Marshall as he sets the course of The Marshall Family Legacy.

Le Monde davant, Les Derniers Jours de l’aristocratie russe raconte l’histoire des « perdants » de la révolution russe, c’est-à-dire la destruction totale d’une classe sociale. C’est l’un des aspects

Aurora Award Finalist Dr. Lucius Rainer, head of research at GenTech, is dead. But to Jack, it seems that his old mentor still lives on through his house. Certainly, Rainers strange island retreat exudes the personality of its late owner: isolated and eccentric, brooding and uninviting. But when GenTech learns that the house holds a working model of Rainers final project, Jack discovers that the house shares one other trait with its former owner. Dangerous. The house will open only to Jacks biometrics, and will only allow two very specific people to accompany him: Wendy, Jacks now ex-wife, and Deak Sanderson, Wendys new lover and Jacks former rival at GenTech. As the three of them explore the house and its secrets, Jack discovers that some doorsin this house and in lifeshould never be opened. Science Fiction, contemporary (novelette) "A couple months ago I was introduced to Douglas Smith by way of his collected short stories, Impossibilia. So I was looking forward to his story Doorways and was not disappointed. ... This story has a cunningly satisfying conclusion. I find a good short story falls into two categories: There is the complete story, the novel miniaturised, which is a nearly perfect art form. These are hard to capture but constantly illustrated by such writers as Douglas Smith."SF Crowsnest Book Reviews"is based on an interesting concept The puzzles [in the story] and the final invention that they hint at are intriguing Smith ties [the storys] denouements metaphorical significance in well with the technological concept at the center of the plot."The Fix

Aurora Award Finalist | Best New Horror Selection*** Now an award-winning independent film *** Cath, a beautiful young sidewalk artist, is driven by a mysterious hunger that feeds from the portraits she draws of her victims. Joe loves Cath still, but as Caths hunger grows, so does Joes fear--fear that one day she may draw him down. Horror, supernatural, vampire (short story) "The best of the buncha haunting variant on the vampire legend with an understated and brutal ending."Publishers Weekly "Highlights among the stories include Douglas Smiths delightfully creepy By Her Hand, She Draws You Down, about a young woman who is driven by a mysterious hunger to sketch people and steal their life force as her horrified lover looks on."Booklist "I was reminded of the tone of some of Harlan Ellisons best workwhere many of the protagonists seemed to be the unwitting victims of dark, irrational forces."The Fix "...a title that rules. ...psychic vampirism, creepy street performers, the horrors of small coastal towns. And Smith took the story somewhere that surprised me. The twist is sustained."Jay Lake, Tangent Online "...examines vampirism from an unusual and genuinely horrifying angle."SF Site Review "Well done and with a nice twist"Fantasy Book Critic "Haunting passages and scenes..."Strange Horizons "...a chilling, weird tale of an artist with a great hunger."The Haunted Weblog "Familiar subjects...dealt with in an original form and with a final turn that will surprise you." Bibliopolis

Jan Mirocek used to be a hunter. A very special hunter. Once, he had hunted the things that haunt the forests of the night in every culture of the world. The kallikantzari of Greece. The loup-garou of France. The kitsune of Japan. Were-beasts. Shape-shifters. Until one night, Jan made a mistake, and the woman he loved died. Now he shuns the dark and his own past, hiding in a big city. For the were-beasts never come here. Or do they? People are dying in Toronto, and all signs point to a shifter. But can Jan conquer his own fears to track down the killer? And what kind of shape shifter would be at home in a modern city? Urban fantasy, shapeshifters (short story) "A creature-hunter tale that kept me guessing until the very last paragraphs. I was on edge throughout the whole story!"Melissa Minners, Global Pop Culture reviews "A man skilled in hunting supernatural entities encounters a new breed of shape-shifter specifically adapted to the urban environment." Innsmouth Free Press

Twelve-year-old Andy Pembletons younger brother disappeared two years ago. The loss tore Andys world apart. His father left. His mother withdrew into guilt, all but ignoring Andy. But Andy is going to change all of that. He has a plan to find his brothera deeply disturbing one. " every parents worst nightmare. This was a gripping tale and goes to show that not only parents suffer when a child goes missing and how it can warp a child." Bitten By Books

As First Officer on the part passenger ship, part space freighter, The Fiscal Restraint, Dex thinks he knows all there is to know about "Murphys Law": If anything can go wrong, it will. And on the perpetually under-staffed, under-funded Restraint, it generally does. But when Dex hires Orville Sod onto the Restraint, he meets a real-life "Murphy"one of those sad souls who attract more than their fair share of calamity. By the time Dex has figured that out, things have become, uh, complicated. A VIP is almost killed Food systems have shut down The navigation computer has been destroyed. Well, at least things cant get any worse Ohwait Science fiction, space, humour (short story) "Douglas Smith showcases his talent for creating strong characters who are believable and sympatheticeven when they inhabit an absurd world. That world is painted vividly with efficient brush strokes as Smith expertly weaves between Murphys misadventures on board the Fiscal Restraint and Dexs retelling of the same to his captive audience at The House Limit. Murphys Law is a hilarious, yet poignant read."Rainbow Dragon Recommends

Charlie the Pearlcon man, gambler, and ever absent fatheris about to catch the dream that hes chased his entire lifethe secret of good luck. But its a secret that could cost Charlie the only thing in the world that he loves more than a winning streakhis daughter. Urban fantasy (novelette) "There are echoes of Ellison again, and of Ray Bradbury, in this understated and deeply moving tale of a con artist who stumbles across an opportunity to right some of the wrongs of his past. ...a deceptively simple narrative of luck, loss, betrayal, and redemption. [The father / daughter interaction] is handled with honesty and a real understanding of the complexity of a relationship between two individuals"The Fix "...a very moving story about a part time gambler, part time con-man who seems to have gotten down luck to a measurable skill. ... Another superb story that made this volume such an unforgettable one for me."Fantasy Book Critic "...packs a powerful emotional punch."Dead Reckonings magazine "Another great story, but Im getting used to that. Deft handling of character and setting (gambling, cons, and the game of life)..."SF Crowsnest Book Reviews "...a bittersweet story about a con man with the talent to detect luck. [...] The plot is wound up and then discharged with nicely inevitable narrative logic."Locus "Smith takes a simple idea and finds potential that many other writers would have overlooked in favour of some easier option. At the storys heart is the relationship between father and daughter, and the things they do to make this work, rendered with a singular care and tenderness, the appreciation that sometimes we muck up without meaning to and that sacrifices are required."Black Static Magazine "The coup-de-grace of this triumvirate of wondrousness [Impossibilia]."Mass Movement Magazine "...again showcases something different on the part of Smith. This is very much a con story and the author succeeds in accomplishing his goals at the same time injecting it with speculative elements. The set-up was handled judiciously and the ending delivered on the goods. This piece caters to a sub-genre (or a combination of two disassociated genres) thats neglected in my opinion but Smith does it justice and gives it the proper treatment it deserves."Bibilophile Stalker - Speculative Fiction Reviews

Aurora Award Finalist Think of human emotion as a geography, with peaks of pleasure and valleys of pain. Imagine a drug that flips the valleys and makes them peaks, too. You react now to an event based not on the pleasure or pain it brings, but solely on the intensity of the emotion created. Pain brings pleasure, grief gives joy, horror renders ecstasy. Now give this drug to a soldier. Tell them to kill. Not in the historically acceptable murder of war, but in a systematic corporate strategy--of xenocide. They will kill. And they will revel in it. Welcome to the world of Scream. Jarrod is a Scream-addicted soldier forced to take part in the destruction of entire races. But when his unit encounters the Benan, aliens who hold the secret to true enlightenment, no one is prepared for the result. Science fiction, space (novelette) "reaches far past the muddled mediocrity of swashbuckling tales forgotten before the page is turned to the next story. I enjoyed the alien anthropology and the details are tremendousin this tale of tremendous sacrifice"Tangent Online "My favourite of the selection was Enlightenment by Douglas Smith. A strange story indeed about Earth people engaged in strip-mining planets and relocating indigenous populations. ... The end is horrific in many respects but its also thought-provoking."SF Crowsnest Reviews"[tells of] a spiritual undertaking by a member of a brutal planetary occupation force who "goes native" in which Douglas Smith provides a riff on Ray Bradburys famous rationale of space travel: for Man to find God in the cosmos. A science fictional depiction of the mistreatment of "aliens" to subvertly criticize the atrocities of imperialist colonization."SF Site "... unexpected twists and a superb ending; the story is as powerful as any in the [Chimerascope] collection (A++)"Fantasy Book Critic "Douglas Smithsucceeds in evoking an alien society with mythic/religious overtones in his moving tale ENLIGHTENMENT."New Hope International Review "Another strong story, looking at humanitys treatment of indigenous people."Best SF "...oppressed inhabitants of distant worlds making the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring mankind back to the realisation of what right and wrong truly mean."Whispers of Wickedness reviews "Nicely judged depictions of alien customs" SF Site

Mary and her teenage son, Jase, survive by their own wits in a post-plague Earth. On the run from a vicious gang, they are saved by Bishop, a man with mysterious powers who just may be the Dead Man, the legendary hero of the Fall of Earth. But Bishops dark past catches up with them all, forcing Bishop to choose between his love for Mary and Jase, or revenge against the men who killed his family. Science fiction / fantasy, adventure (novelette) "All that you want in a sf short story is here from powerful characters, to action, mysterious happenings, and a dark, violent, but excellent tale. A bittersweet ending adds to the power of the story. (A++)"Fantasy Book Critic "again shows off Smiths flair for the cinematic. In his preface to the story, Smith announces his plan to write a novel about the Dead ManI do look forward to reading it."Strange Horizons "has echoes of Stephen King wandering about its post-apocalyptic narrative."Quill and Quire "a wonderful example of the places this author is unafraid to go."SF Crowsnest Reviews "would make a great moviea unique, post-apocalyptic blend of The Road Warrior and X-Men. It was very well done."Tangent Online "I liked the style and subtleties of the storytelling that kept me firmly on the edge of my seat. The characters were what really impressed me, though--by a few lines into meeting each one you had a clear and definable presence in your mind."SF Crowsnest Reviews

Aurora Award Finalist The Builders had made the House generations ago, to shelter the remnants of humanity from the poisons of the Outside. The Inners, the direct descendants of the Builders, now rule the House. The House protects the People, and the Inners protect the House. And Smoothers are the arms and legs of that protection. Big G is a Smoother, ensuring that the daily activities of the House are not interrupted by "Harveys," citizens who suffer violent mental breakdowns in the claustrophobic House. But when Big G discovers a strange photograph of blue and white swirls of nothingness during a Harvey call, it leads him to world within the world he thought he knewand a world outside it as well. Science fiction, dystopia, post-apocalyptic SF "Hands down, my favourite story Ive always been fascinated by the concept of a city that encompasses what we know of the known world. Smiths version, the House, is well conceived, but as always, its his characters that drive the story. Big G is pitch perfect. Every aspect of his personality is just spot on. Though hes not a completely accessible character, portrayed as being not as intelligent as a more usual protagonist, he is completely there and three-dimensional and his reactions and motivations are plausible. It works! The ending is just right. It couldnt have been any other way..."SF Crowsnest Reviews "I first read this story nearly a decade ago. ... The images and the power of the story have stayed with me all this time. Thats one of the strongest recommendations I can give." Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Award-Winning Author "Going Harvey in the Big House" fed into my natural fears, suspicions, and all-round disillusionment with authority. Thereafter, I began an inquiry. I read Orwells 1984, Atwoods The Handmaids Tale, Bradburys Fahrenheit 451, Zamyatins We, Huxleys Brave New World "Going Harvey in the Big House" led me to places I thought Id never be, culminating eventually in sweat-soaked nightmares about a post-apocalyptic world."Cicada Magazine

Aurora Award Finalist The year is 1999. The world awaits a new millennium with a mixture of anticipation and dread. The fear stems from the much-hyped Y2K computer problem, the so-called millennium bug, which could cause uncorrected programs to fail all over the world. PCWare is the worlds largest software company. John Dunne is team leader for the companys newest operating system, the first with a virtual reality user interface, complete with virtual human agents. But on Millennium Eve, John has problems. A Y2K bug has been discovered in the softwareand Johns virtual girlfriend has become far too real. Science fiction, computers (short story) "The story deals with the Y2k bug, and although that might seem dated now, the story is not, since its ideas continue to be relevant today."Bibliopolis

Aurora Award Finalist On the anniversary of his wifes death, Liam makes a startling discovery. The particle accelerator experiments that he is conducting for the university are capable of opening a window back in time. Can he tune that window to the night his wife died? Can he actually go back in time to save her? But what of the strange radio broadcasts he keeps hearing? Broadcasts that warn that changing the past could produce a very dark future for the worldor no future at all. How much is Liam willing to risk to bring back the only woman he ever loved? Science fiction, love story, time travel (short story) "A very human story of a man hung up on the past for far too long, and a woman who cant make him realize her true feelings. ... The resolution is a key moment of personal growth for our protagonist, and thats really what I ask for in a story." Scientifically Bookish "This is a great story, that connects [the reader} with the emotional pain and trauma [of the characters]." Contemplating the Cosmos

Aurora Award Finalist Humans are just beginning to explore the outer reaches of our solar system when the wormships are discovered outside the orbit of Pluto. Abandoned? Lost? Or left to be found? Found with charted wormholes in Sol System. Found with incredibly ancient yet perfectly functioning Wormer technology. Five years later, humanity is exploring the stars. But right now, Cassie Morant, ship geologist on the Johannes Kepler wormship, wishes that she was back on Earth in her tiny apartment, lost in one of her beloved jigsaw puzzles. Because that perfect Wormer technology is perfect no more. Something has gone wrong. The Keplers orbit is decaying, and Cassie has less than twenty-four hours to solve a planet-sized, eons-old puzzleor the entire crew will die. Cassies good at puzzles, but this one has a piece missing. A big piece. Now Cassie has one last chance to save the ship and the man she loves. But times running out Science fiction, space "...a fun romp."Publishers Weekly "...reawakened the child in me who loved to watch Star Trek characters solve the problems of mysterious races on faraway worlds. Its a nicely done puzzle-story, with a clever solution..."Nancy Fulda "A clever story whose protagonist is as reliant on her innate curiosity and fondness for puzzles as her intelligence. It provides added depth that one can miss in short fiction."Tangent Online "reads very, very well in the traditional derring-do of sf adventures shows the scope of the authors range and another favorite of mine in Chimerascope (A+)"Fantasy Book Critic "A darkly amusing look at what can go wrong when humans use alien technology they dont fully understand."infinityplus "Fast-paced...with a clever puzzle."Tangent Online

Aurora Award FinalistYears Best Fantasy & Horror Honorable Mention When James Mackaby, respected scholar, husband and father, accepts a dinner invitation from an old rival who has fallen on hard times, he has no idea that revenge is on the menu. During this singular evening, three very separate and very different dinners will take place, all at the same time, all in the same place, all with the same guests. And by the end of the last course, no ones life will ever be the same again. Science fiction, time travel (short story) "Another standout is the masterful "State of Disorder," which contemplates the flexibility and fluidity of time."Ideomancer Magazine "A neat twist on time travel and quantum physics."Publishers Weekly "The claustrophobic atmosphere of this tale heightens its devilish suspense and draws favorable comparisons to Poes tales of trapped, desperate protagonists."Tangent Online "A chilling story of three dinners in the same place and time, and a very satisfying ending made this another A++ story [in Chimerascope]."Fantasy Book Critic "A stunning piece of work."Amazing Stories "Smith invokes both Stephen Hawking and Edgar Allan Poe ... a successful marriage of bold imagination and finely-crafted details, which results in a chilling page-turner."Rainbow Dragon Recommends

AURORA AWARD WINNER The Walker is a child of the two Realms of the Continuum, a prince of Order and of Chaosand a rebel against both. When he falls in love with an ephemeral, a mortal woman who is the key to the balance between the Realms, he triggers a struggle for her lifeand the fate of her universe. Fantasy short story Reviews "A very different sort of tale. ... A cosmic story of gods which seems to be inspired by the works of Michael Moorcock, and I think he would not be ashamed of it. SF Crowsnest Reviews "A tale of epic love when a mortal gets caught between a battle of the gods. Smith reminds us that we have the potential to change the world around us and that self-sacrifice can be a means of making the world around us better." Speculating Canada