Product Description
Chapters: Billie Jean King, Edward James Olmos, Maxine Waters, Octavia E. Butler, Michael D. Antonovich, Kevin Cheng, Scott Shaw, Jaime Escalante, Diane Watson, Juanita Millender-Mcdonald, Donald Sterling, Walter E. Williams, Joseph Wambaugh, Martin Vasquez, Elton Gallegly, Charles Gordone, Jay Gibbons, Carole Caldwell Graebner, Michael Blodgett, John J. Benoit, Billy Barty, Robin Shou, Mal Whitfield, Carlos Almaraz, Earl G. Yarbrough, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Dave Nelson, Velega Savali, Edward Manukyan, Ken Mettler, Samuel T. Durrance, Julian C. Dixon, Lorraine Rothman, George Louis Mcghee, Hafeez Hoorani, Joseph Stroud, Kara Brock, Henri Coulette, Rosie Tran, Seymour Liebergot, Cheryl Tiegs, James A. Bell, Alvin O. Austin, J. Paul Reddam, Richard Paul, Mike Burns, Robert A. Underwood, John Adams, Arnold H. Green, Isaac Larian, Dustin Lee Abraham, Carl Bergmanson, Howard Kindig, Mitch Johnson, Walter Johnson, Barry Abrams, Tom Forman, Jim Weatherwax. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 276. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Billie Jean King (née Moffitt; born November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society. She is known for the "The Battle of the Sexes" in 1973, in which she defeated 55-year-old Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon men's singles champion. King is the founder of the Women's Tennis Association, the Women's Sports Foundation, and World Team Tennis, which she founded with her former husband, Lawrence King. Billie Jean Moffitt was born into a conservative Methodist family, the daughter of a fireman father and housewife mother. Her younger brothe...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=113080 ... Read more

Product Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students." ... Read more

Product Description
For almost 15 years, this widely heralded, award-winning anthology series has been propelling readers into realms beyond time and space, parallel worlds and alternate realities and place at the infinite edges of the imagination. The impetus for these startling voyages has come from the best new writers of speculative fiction--the winners of the internationally acclaimed Writers of the Future Contest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A rich and rewarding anthology
A Boy and His Bicycle is a great story.
(I put this in so I don't continuously trip over the review by someone who apparently didn't get it. I must offer the disclaimer however, that I wrote that story. It's a subtle tale, and I'm very grateful that the judges understood it and gave it a First Place award.)

This anthology, Volume XIX, (IMO) contains richly tapestried stories, strewn with new ideas or new takes on old ones. I've no doubt that before long, many of the authors will be Hugo winners

Some incredible writing (and some bad)
WotF XIX is a compilation of excellent stories (with a few, notable exceptions) spanning the genre range from historical fiction through horror and fantasy to science fiction. Despite the ever-present copy-editing errors, this was a very good read.

I would put the stories in four categories of excellence (well, three of excellence and one of crap).

Group One: The best

Walking Rain - Ian Keane's tale of supernatural beings in present day America, reminiscent (but not derivative) of American Gods, is compelling. The writing is lush, the characterizations beautiful. Hands down the best of the best. I can't say enough about this story. The book is worth buying for this story alone.

Into The Gardens of Sweet Night - Algis Budrys weaves a fairy tale-like tapestry of words as a boy takes a fantastic journey into the sky looking for the fabled gardens. Sometimes the discussions on freedom get a bit thick, but still great.

Blood and Horses - Myke Cole brings us a story of military sf where rebels riding horses seek the oil that gives life, losing their own blood fighting against a technically far superior opponent.

Group Two: The very excellent (in no particular order)

From All the Work Which He Had Made - Michael Churchman's style is strikingly odd at first, but within a page he had made me a convert with this interesting tale about the development of a humanoid robot exploring the questions of his soul.

Dark Harvest - Geoffrey Girard brings us a story about what happens when you find your worst nightmare dying in a field, and it becomes a tourist attraction. Excellent writing, and a wonderful story.

Beautiful Singer - Steve Bein's story of a haunted sword is elegant in its way of presenting feudal Japanese culture and characters. Every word of this story echoes with the culture of the samurai. The only thing holding back this most savory of writing from the top slot was the way the ending rushed together (a common difficulty in short-story writing).

A Few Days North of Vienna - Brandon Butler takes us along as a band of thieves join up with a group of vampire hunters to eradicate those evil creatures. The plot is nothing new or innovative, but the writing is top notch, and that's more important anyway.

Group Three: The still excellent (still in no particular order)

A Ship That Bends - whatever Butler lacked in innovation, Luc Reid makes up for in spades with his characters who live on a flat world and must build a bending ship if they wish to sail to the other side without falling off. The ending is its great weakness, suddenly ending the story before it really reaches its climax. Fun world, great writing, but it just stops cold.

A Silky Touch to No Man - a weak ending is also the problem with Robert J. Defendi's exploration of life in the near future where virtual reality has become the only reality. For a murder mystery, it was painfully apparent "whodunit" from the very beginning. But the writing is strong and the world well conceived (almost scary, actually) which makes it fun anyway.

Gossamer - Ken Liu offers a scenario where Earth finally makes contact with an alien species, and has no idea if they can even communicate. Art seems to be the only thing the Gossamers are interested in, but what does that mean? Interesting twist on the first contact plot.

Numbers - Joel Best brings us a stark account of a world where mathematicians can do almost anything, including make animals and people. In this world one woman seeks to create the perfect mate, but learns that perfection (and creation) are about more than doing everything flawlessly.

Group Four: The stories that really don't belong

Trust Is A Child - Matthew Candelaria's overly long story of negotiations with aliens is really just a painful rehash of about a thousand other identical stories, offering no new slants or anything. That alone wouldn't make it so horrible, but the main character is painfully stupid, and the plot has a hole in it the size of a small star system (it has to do with her being stopped by Marine guards while the aliens can just cruise on by and enter her private quarters without explanation). Also, her solution to being stopped is just horrible (apparently the guard is even dumber than she is). Still, with a good edit and re-write, I think it could have been decent, so I wouldn't write off the author.

A Boy and His Bicycle - Carl Frederick offers a story about just that: a boy and his bike. They don't do anything interesting, or go anywhere fun, or give us any reason not to hope that they just crash into a bus and die. The only saving grace is that it's short and over quickly. And to think this story got first place that quarter...

Bury My Heart At the Garrick - Steve Savile takes the prize for plodding, pointlessness. This story of Houdini was confusing, but not in that good way where you want to know what's going on, more in the way where you just don't care and want to skip to the next story. I kept reading to see if it would get better (imagine a short story that took me a week to read!). It didn't.

Surprisingly good; recommend for short story lovers.
While I do not get a chance to read much science fiction, I decided to pick up this book mainly because I enjoy short stories.And I must say that this book surprised me.There are a number of well-written, very entertaining stories in this book.There is also a good amount of variety.As more than 12 authors contribute to this book, if you are not a fan of one story, you can move onto the next.There should be four stories in this book that will captivate you.From the quality of the prose and the structure of the stories, I was at first surprised to see that these are first time authors.Now realizing that these are contest winnners from L Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future contest, it makes more sense.My favorites include Oragami Cranes, Eating Drinking and Walking, Windseekers, and Rewind (for it's writing style).

Ably compiled and edited
Before he went on to invent Cybernetics, L. Ron Hubbard was a prominent author of science fiction and eventually launched annual collections of science fiction and fantasy drawn from the best and the brightest in the field. The newest addition to the L. Ron Hubbard "Writers Of The Future" series is volume 18, ably compiled and edited by long time science fiction expert Algis Budrys and highly recommended reading for any fantasy fan and science fiction enthusiast. Included in this outstanding anthology are: The Dragon Cave (Drew Morby); The Haunted Seed (Ray Roberts); Rewind (David D. Levine); Windseekers (Nnedi Okorafor); Magic Out Of A Hat (L. Ron Hubbard); Lost On The Road (Ari Goelman); Graveyard Tea (Susan Fry); Carry The God (Lee Battersby); A Few Tips On The Craft Of Illustration (H. R. Van Dongen); Memoria Technica (Leon J. West); Free Fall (Tom Brennan); All Winter Long (Jae Brim); The Art Of Creation (Carl Frederick); Advice To The New Writer (Andre Norton); The Road To Levenshir (Patrick Rothfuss); Eating, Drinking, Walking (Dylan Otto Krider); Origami Cranes (Seppo Kurki); A New Anthology (Tim Powers); Worlds Apart (Woody O. Carsky-Wilson); Prague 47 (Joel Best); and What Became Of The King (Aimee C. Amodeo). L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers Of The Future, Volume XVIII concludes with "The Year In Contests" by Algis Budrys and "Contest Information".

Pretty good story weaving
It's not perfect but I found this anthology very satisfying. When every single one of the stories is able to take me somewhere interesting, then the anthology is worth the money.. Favorite stories: Graveyard Tea, Windseekers, and Origami Cranes. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Utopian Studies, published by Society for Utopian Studies on June 22, 2008. The length of the article is 11702 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Of gifted children and gated communities: Paul Theroux's O-Zone and Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower.
Author: Douglas W. Texter
Publication: Utopian Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2008
Publisher: Society for Utopian Studies
Volume: 19Issue: 3Page: 457(28)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Utopian Studies, published by Society for Utopian Studies on June 22, 2008. The length of the article is 9270 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Diversity, change, violence: Octavia Butler's pedagogical philosophy.
Author: Sarah Outterson
Publication: Utopian Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2008
Publisher: Society for Utopian Studies
Volume: 19Issue: 3Page: 433(24)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from African American Review, published by African American Review on September 22, 2004. The length of the article is 6271 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Inverting history in Octavia Butler's postmodern slave narrative.(Critical Essay)
Author: Marc Steinberg
Publication: African American Review (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2004
Publisher: African American Review
Volume: 38Issue: 3Page: 467(10)

Article Type: Critical Essay

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Utopian Studies, published by Society for Utopian Studies on June 22, 2008. The length of the article is 8847 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Theorizing fear: Octavia Butler and the realist utopia.
Author: Claire P. Curtis
Publication: Utopian Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2008
Publisher: Society for Utopian Studies
Volume: 19Issue: 3Page: 411(21)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Utopian Studies, published by Society for Utopian Studies on June 22, 2008. The length of the article is 8352 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The certainty of the flesh: Octavia Butler's use of the erotic in the Xenogenesis trilogy.
Author: Nolan Belk
Publication: Utopian Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2008
Publisher: Society for Utopian Studies
Volume: 19Issue: 3Page: 369(21)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Utopian Studies, published by Society for Utopian Studies on June 22, 2008. The length of the article is 7344 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: "Every age has the vampire it needs": Octavia Butler's vampiric vision in Fledgling.
Author: Ali Brox
Publication: Utopian Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2008
Publisher: Society for Utopian Studies
Volume: 19Issue: 3Page: 391(19)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: author biography; plot summary; character analysis; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An entertaining collection!
I enjoyed this collection of stories; there is something for everyone.The writing styles are varied enough to keep you interested. The themes are similiar to other books and stories, but I liked it anyway. ... Read more

Product Description
Octavia Butler's Xenogensesis series, including Book 1: Dawn, Book 2: Adulthood Rites, and Book 3 Imago. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader

A better than usual anthology this one, and also from the mid-80's, so more impressive for that, the average being 3.88 overall.13 stories, and four are excellent.Carr has managed to start with the best, have two of them in the middle, and funny, at that, and end with the other.Impressive organisation.

Best SF of the Year 14 : PRESS ENTER [] - John Varley
Best SF of the Year 14 : Blued Moon - Connie Willis
Best SF of the Year 14 : Summer Solstice - Charles L. Harness
Best SF of the Year 14 : Morning Child - Gardner R. Dozois
Best SF of the Year 14 : The Aliens Who Knew I Mean Everything - George Alec Effinger
Best SF of the Year 14 : A Day in the Skin - Tanith Lee
Best SF of the Year 14 : Instructions - Bob Leman
Best SF of the Year 14 : The Lucky Strike - Kim Stanley Robinson
Best SF of the Year 14 : Green Hearts - Lee Montgomerie
Best SF of the Year 14 : Bloodchild - Octavia E. Butler
Best SF of the Year 14 : Trojan Horse - Michael Swanwick
Best SF of the Year 14 : Fears - Pamela Sargent
Best SF of the Year 14 : Trinity - Nancy Kress


Electronic entity killer discovery.

4.5 out of 5


Coincidental project.

3.5 out of 5


Alien astronomical advice.

4 out of 5


Weapon parental effects.

4 out of 5


Don't you worry about that, nuhp nuhp.

4.5 out of 5


Out of body can make no sense.

3.5 out of 5


Interdimensional chess test.

4 out of 5


Japan nuke near miss punishment.

4.5 out of 5


Fashion for the growing.

3 out of 5


Parasite pregnancy punishing for people.

3 out of 5


Experimental theology brainwipe.

3.5 out of 5


Girls not popular.

4 out of 5


Clone twin teleological trance test.

4.5 out of 5




4.5 out of 5 ... Read more