James Lowder

Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is among the most famous literary figures of all time. For more than a hundred years, his adventures have stood as imperishable monuments to the ability of human reason to penetrate every mystery, solve every puzzle, and punish every crime. For nearly as long, the macabre tales of H. P. Lovecraft have haunted readers with their nightmarish glimpses into realms of cosmic chaos and undying evil. But what would happen if Conan Doyle's peerless detective and his allies were to find themselves faced with mysteries whose solutions lay not only beyond the grasp of logic, but of sanity itself. In this collection of all-new, all-original tales, twenty of today's most cutting edge writers provide their answers to that burning question."A Study in Emerald" by Neil Gaiman: A gruesome murder exposes a plot against the Crown, a seditious conspiracy so cunningly wrought that only one man in all London could have planned it--and only one man can hope to stop it."A Case of Royal Blood" by Steven-Elliot Altman: Sherlock Holmes and H. G. Wells join forces to protect a princess stalked by a ghost--or perhaps something far worse than a ghost."Art in the Blood" by Brian Stableford: One man's horrific affliction leads Sherlock Holmes to an ancient curse that threatens to awaken the crawling chaos slumbering in the blood of all humankind."The Curious Case of Miss Violet Stone" by Poppy Z. Brite and David Ferguson: A girl who has not eaten in more than three years teaches Holmes and Watson that sometimes the impossible cannot be eliminated."The Horror of the Many Faces" by Tim Lebbon: Dr. Watson witnesses a maniacal murder in London--and recognizes the villain as none other than his friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.With these and fourteen other dark tales of madness, horror, and deduction, a new and terrible game is afoot.The terrifyingly surreal universe of horror master H. P. Lovecraft bleeds into the logical world of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's champion of rational deduction--in these brand-new stories by twenty of today's top horror, mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writers, including:- Steven-Elliot Altman- Elizabeth Bear- Poppy Z. Brite- Simon Clark- David Ferguson- Paul Finch- Neil Gaiman- Barbara Hambly- Caitlin R. Kiernan- Tim Lebbon- James Lowder- Richard A. Lupoff- F. Gwynplaine McIntyre- John Pelan- Steve Perry- Michael Reaves- Brian Stableford- John P. Vourlis- David Niall Wilson & Patricia Lee MacomberFrom the Hardcover edition.

In Krynn, Lord Soth finally learns that there is a price to pay for his long history of evil deeds. Soth is transported to Barovia by some dark powers, where he faces the minions of Count Strahd Von Zarovich, the vampire lord of that nightmare land within the Raveloft demi-plane of dread. But with only a captive Vistani woman and an untrustworthy ghost for allies, Lord Soth soon discovers that he may have to join forces with the powerful vampire, (Strahd von Zarovich) if he is to escape the realm of terror.

Revenge of a God. The Time of Troubles is at an end, and the gods have been restored to their rightful places. The soul of Kelemvor Lyonsbane, former lover of the goddess of magic, remains hidden from the mad god Cyric. The will of one such as Cyric, when bent on revenge, is not so easily thwarted.

Zara lives on one side of the 'wall' in Ark City. Kell works hard on the other side of the 'wall' in Grey City. No one from the two sides has ever met - until now. Zara is determined to help Kell escape from hardship and poverty, and to unite the two sides.

"These sixteen never-before-published tales of uncanny mystery and strange adventure take you from the skies over the Mexican badlands, to the gritty streets of New York, and the secret-shrouded heart of the African jungle. Astounding Hero Tales presents original works by such critically-acclaimed and bestselling storytellers as Hugh B. Cave, Robert Weinberg, Ed Greenwood, Robin D. Laws, Thomas M. Reid, and Will Murray, as well as newly-discovered yarn by Lester Dent, creator of the pulp icon Doc Savage!"--Cover.