DAW

From a farmer at war with Nature's creatures, to dangerous doings when the henhouse goes on-line, to the hazards of keeping company with a book wyrm, here are ingenious tales that will make readers laugh or cry-or double-check to make sure that their windows and doors are firmly locked against the things that prowl the night.

Let the games begin! These thirteen original stories by veterans of the fantasy realms take role-playing games and universes to a whole new level.From a teenager who finds a better future in virtual reality; to a private investigator hired to find a dying man's grandson in the midst of a virtual reality theme park; from a person gifted with the power to pull things out of books into the real world; to a psychologist using fantasy role-playing to heal his patients; from a gaming convention where the real winners may not be who they seem to be; to a multi-layered role-playing game that leads participants from reality to reality and games within games—these imaginative and fascinating new tales will captivate both lovers of original fantasy and anyone who has ever fallen under the spell of role-playing games.

Sixteen original stories about magic-fueled crimes and those who investigate themWhen magic is used for criminal purposes, all sorts of ethical and logistical questions arise beyond the realm of everyday law and order.Now, sixteen top tale-tellers offer fascinating new stories of those who commit magic crimes, those who investigate them, and those who prosecute them. From a young woman who uses out-of-body excursions to research paranormal crimes to a bookie who's been paying for hex protection against magical interference to an artist who does divination through his sketched visions which may lead to a murderer's undoing, here are powerful tales of magical crimes and punishments.