Showing results by narrator "Mark Bowen" in Science Fiction & Fantasy

Clive Staples Lewis, better known as C.S. Lewis, was a respected academic, writer, and speaker. While he might be best known for his works of fantasy, especially the Chronicles of Narnia and Space Trilogy series, he also wrote many books on Christian apologetics, including Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain.

This Science Fiction Collection brings together 20 iconic works from some of the genre's most influential authors. Featuring Ray Bradbury's atmospheric The Monster Maker and Rocket Summer, Isaac Asimov's thought-provoking Youth, E.M. Forster's dystopian The Machine Stops, and H.G. Wells' timeless masterpiece The Time Machine, the anthology explores a wide range of speculative themes. From futuristic worlds and artificial intelligence to time travel and human survival, this collection delves into the challenges and possibilities of the future.

1984 is George Orwell's terrifying vision of a totalitarian future in which everything and everyone is slave to a tyrannical regime lead by The Party. Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One. Big Brother stares out from every poster, the Thought Police uncover every act of betrayal. When Winston finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and deadening, and awakens to new possibilities.

The Corpus Hermeticum is a collection of 17 Greek writings whose authorship is traditionally attributed to the legendary Hellenistic figure Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. The treatises were originally written between c. 100 and c. 300 CE, but the collection as known today was first compiled by medieval Byzantine editors. It was translated into Latin in the 15th century by the Italian humanist scholars Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) and Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447–1500).

1984 is George Orwell's terrifying vision of a totalitarian future in which everything and everyone is slave to a tyrannical regime lead by The Party. Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One. Big Brother stares out from every poster, the Thought Police uncover every act of betrayal. When Winston finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and deadening, and awakens to new possibilities. Despite the police helicopters that hover and circle overhead, Winston and Julia begin to question the Party; they are drawn towards conspiracy.

Adjustment Team is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published in Orbit Science Fiction (September–October 1954, No. 4) with illustration by Faragasso. A man called the Clerk approaches a talking dog, and explains in businesslike manner that "Sector T137" is scheduled for "adjustment" at 9 o'clock. He instructs the dog to bark at exactly 8:15, which the Clerk explains will summon "A Friend with a Car", which will take real estate salesman Ed Fletcher to work before 9, but while the Clerk is preoccupied, the dog falls asleep and as a result barks a minute too late.

Enter the world of Lahnri for a collection of stories that follow the lives and tribulations of both heroes and villains alike. Follow their fate to learn whether they shall rise or fall. Which way will fate’s wheel turn?

This collection highlights the imaginative brilliance of Ray Bradbury, one of the most influential voices in science fiction. Spanning over 15 stories, the anthology offers a window into Bradbury's unique ability to blend futuristic ideas with profound human emotions. Featured stories like The Monster Maker, Morgue Ship, The Irritated People, Pillar of Fire, Zero Hour, A Little Journey, and Asleep in Armageddon showcase the author's wide-ranging themes, from space exploration and dystopian futures to the darker sides of human nature.

In Pillars of Fire, Ray Bradbury presents a gripping tale that intertwines themes of faith, doubt, and the quest for truth. Set against a backdrop of political and social upheaval, the story follows a group of individuals grappling with the impact of a devastating event that challenges their beliefs and perceptions of reality. Bradbury's characteristic lyrical prose immerses readers in a world where the boundaries between the sacred and the profane blur.

In "The Creatures Time Forgot," Ray Bradbury weaves a poignant and imaginative tale that explores the themes of nostalgia, memory, and the inexorable passage of time. The story follows the protagonist, who embarks on a journey back to a forgotten world, where ancient creatures and lost wonders linger in the recesses of his mind. As the narrative unfolds, the protagonist reflects on his childhood and the vivid, fantastical memories that shaped his perception of reality.

Lorelei of the Red Mist is a thrilling science fiction novella co-written by Ray Bradbury and Leigh Brackett. The story follows the adventures of Hugh Starke, a notorious space outlaw, who finds himself in an unusual predicament after his death. His mind is transferred into a new, powerful body by a mysterious woman named Rann, who rules a deadly world covered in red mist. With his new form, Starke is thrown into a chaotic struggle for power, involving alien creatures, treachery, and strange forces.

Man has always wanted to travel into the unknown and encounter what he has not, and perhaps cannot, experience in the real world. The early 20th century witnessed an explosion of science fiction literature. Authors studied the wonders of scientific and technological progress and imagined worlds that had developed even greater advances. Jules Vernes' and H.G. Wells' fantastic tales well whetted the public's appetite for adventure tales.

Worms of the Earth is a dark fantasy story by Robert E. Howard, first published in 1932. Set in the world of Roman-occupied Britain, the tale follows Bran Mak Morn, the last king of the Picts, as he seeks revenge against the oppressive Roman Empire. When a Roman official publicly tortures and humiliates one of Bran's people, the Pictish leader turns to an ancient, forbidden race— the Worms of the Earth— for help in exacting his vengeance.

The Haunter of the Ring by Robert E. Howard is a supernatural horror story steeped in dark magic, occultism, and the perilous consequences of meddling with ancient forces. The narrative follows John Kirowan, a recurring character in Howard's mythos, who is drawn into a sinister plot involving a cursed ring and a malevolent spirit. The story begins when Kirowan's friend, John Conrad, reaches out to him in desperation. Conrad's wife, Evelyn, has been behaving strangely, seemingly under the influence of a powerful, malevolent force.

The Thing on the Roof by Robert E. Howard is a chilling tale rooted in the dark mythos of ancient civilizations, exploring themes of human greed, forbidden knowledge, and the consequences of disturbing things best left forgotten. The story follows the first-person narration of an unnamed scholar, who recounts the events surrounding a dangerous expedition undertaken by his associate, Tussmann, an arrogant archaeologist driven by ambition.

The Gods of Bal-Sagoth is an adventure-fantasy story by Robert E. Howard, first published in 1931. The tale follows Turlogh Dubh O'Brien, an Irish warrior and mercenary, who finds himself caught in a storm at sea and cast ashore on a mysterious, uncharted island. There, he encounters Athelstane, a Viking prince who leads him to the legendary lost city of Bal-Sagoth. The city, once ruled by an ancient, god-like race, is now in decline, its people divided and warring among themselves.

The Children of the Night is a short story written by Robert E. Howard, first published in 1931. The tale is a blend of horror, dark fantasy, and the supernatural, typical of Howard's style. It centers around a group of scholars and intellectuals who gather to discuss ancient history and the occult. One of the central characters, John O'Donnell, finds himself inexplicably drawn to an ancient skull during their conversation.

The Shadow Kingdom is one of the earliest examples of sword-and-sorcery fiction, written by Robert E. Howard in 1929. The story is set in the mythic past, in the ancient kingdom of Valusia, ruled by King Kull, a barbarian warrior from Atlantis. As Kull takes the throne, he faces a hidden and insidious threat from a race of shape-shifting serpent people who have secretly controlled the kingdom for generations. The story explores themes of power, betrayal, and identity, blending elements of fantasy, horror, and adventure.

Skull-Face is a fantasy novella by American writer Robert E. Howard, which appeared as a serial in Weird Tales magazine, beginning in October 1929, and ending in December, 1929. The story stars a character called Stephen Costigan but this is not Howard's recurring character, Sailor Steve Costigan. The story is clearly influenced by Sax Rohmer's opus Fu Manchu but substitutes the main Asian villain with a resuscitated Atlantean necromancer (similar to Kull's bit character Thulsa Doom) sitting at the center of a web of crime and intrigue meant to end White/Western world domination with the help of Asian/Brown/African peoples.

The Iron Heel is a science fiction novel novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908. It is considered to be "the earliest of the modern dystopian" fiction, it chronicles the rise of an oligarchic tyranny in the United States. In The Iron Heel, Jack London's socialist views are explicitly on display. A forerunner of soft science fiction novels and stories of the 1960s and 70s, the book stresses future changes in society and politics while paying much less attention to technological changes.