Philip Athans

The ever-present possibility of death forces upon us the question of life's meaning and for this reason death has been a central concern of philosophers throughout history. From Socrates to Heidegger, philosophers have grappled with the nature and significance of death. In "Annihilation", Christopher Belshaw explores two central questions at the heart of philosophy's engagement with death: what is death; and is it bad that we die? Belshaw begins by distinguishing between literal and metaphorical uses of the term and offers a unified and biological account of death, denying that death brings about non-existence. How our death relates to the death of the brain is explored in detail. Belshaw considers the common-sense view that death is often bad for us by examining the circumstances that might make it bad as well as the grounds for thinking that one death can be worse than another. In addition, Belshaw explores whether we can be harmed after we die and before we were born. The final chapters explore whether we should prevent more deaths and whether, via cryonics, brain transplants, data storage, we might cheat death. Throughout Belshaw shows how questions of personhood and life's value are bound up with our views on the sense and significance of death. "Annihilation's" in-depth analysis and insightful exposition will be welcomed not only by philosophers working on the metaphysics of death but also by students and scholars alike looking for a foundation for discussions of the ethics of abortion, euthanasia, life-support and suicide.

The Wizard - Pleged to the Red Wizards of Thay from boyhood, he will do anything for anyone who can give him more power. In a twisted dimension outside the walls of time and space, he plots and plans.The Senator - A genasi, he has fought his way up from the gutter and will never go back. Amid the tangled streets of Innarlith, he mixes ambition with thoughts of vengeance.The Man - A master builder, he walks the coast of Faerun, and the waves whisper to him of a mighty work, a task worthy of his talents.

The finale of the acclaimed Watercourse Trilogy from The New York Times best-selling author Philip Athans! When the true mission of the Thayan Enclave is revealed, the richest man in Innarlith decides he wants to be the most powerful too, a once promising young man is transformed into a twisted undead assassin, and a quiet genius finally makes his stand, the explosive fury of decades of boiling rage explodes from the heart of a city at war with itself.From the Paperback edition.

Philip Athans, the New York times best-selling author of Annihilation, continues the epic saga begun in Whisper of Waves of a man consumed by his obsession and driven by an overwhelming vision of what might be. The Wizard Furthering the plots of the Red Wizards of Thay while spinning his own webs, he works in the shadows, manipulating the highest reaches of power. The Woman Tormented by the ghosts of the past and her own passions, she walks the fine line between sanity and madness, and her obsession may destroy the one thing she loves most. The Man A visionary who cares nothing for the petty squabbling of those in power, his one desire is to accomplish his greatest work. From the Paperback edition.

The millennia-old history of Faerûn is punctuated by wars both local and world-spanning. This anthology of all new stories are set against the backdrop of a dozen of those conflicts. From forest elf assassins to jungle-dwelling halflings, from the mighty Seven Sisters to primitive goblins, warriors in every form struggle for their place in the Forgotten Realms world.