Philip Glass has, almost single-handedly, crafted the dominant sound of late-20th-century classical music. Yet in WORDS WITHOUT MUSIC, he creates an entirely new and unexpected voice: that of a born storyteller and an acutely insightful chronicler, whose behind-the-scenes recollections allow readers to experience those moments of creative fusion when life so magically merged with art. From his childhood in Baltimore to his student days in Chicago and at Juilliard, to his first journey to Paris and a life-changing trip to India, Glass movingly recalls his early mentors, while reconstructing the places that helped shape his creative consciousness.

This new anthology of 16 original stories by some of science fiction’s best writers --- edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin and award-winning editor Gardner Dozois --- turns back the clock to a more innocent time, before the hard-won knowledge of science vanquished the infinite possibilities of the imagination. Travel back in time to a planet that never was but should have been: a young, rain-drenched world of fabulous monsters and seductive mysteries.

Stunned by the death of his mentally ill brother, Mark Barr returns to his hometown in West Virginia for Steve's funeral, only to find out that his estranged family has no such plans. He discovers that his family’s memory (as well as his own) of his brother as a broken, hopeless schizophrenic is belied by mounting evidence that Steve had lived a much fuller and more complicated life. Armed with this new knowledge, Mark tears off on a mission to honor his brother’s memory with justice and compassion.

Two people brought together by a horrific act are united in a common cause by the powers of the Silver Box. They join to protect humanity from destruction by an alien race, the Laz, hell-bent on regaining control over the Silver Box, the most destructive and powerful tool in the universe. The Silver Box will stop at nothing to prevent its former master from returning to being, even if it means finishing the earth itself.

Former housecat turned war hero, Mort(e) is famous for taking on the most dangerous missions and fighting the dreaded human bio-weapon EMSAH. But the true motivation behind his recklessness is his ongoing search for a pre-transformation friend --- a dog named Sheba. When he receives a mysterious message from the dwindling human resistance claiming Sheba is alive, he begins a journey that will take him from the remaining human strongholds to the heart of the Colony, where he will discover the source of EMSAH and the ultimate fate of all of earth's creatures.

Nearing his 40th birthday, author and critic Andy Miller realized he's not nearly as well read as he'd like to be. A devout book lover who somehow fell out of the habit of reading, he began to ponder the power of books to change an individual life --- including his own --- and to define the sort of person he would like to be. Beginning with a copy of Bulgakov's MASTER AND MARGARITA that he happens to find one day in a bookstore, Miller embarks on a literary odyssey of mindful reading and wry introspection.

From the beginning, Maeve Binchy’s writings reflected the warmth, wit and keen human interest that readers would come to love in her fiction. From the royal wedding to boring airplane companions, Samuel Beckett to Margaret Thatcher, "senior moments" to life as a waitress, MAEVE’S TIMES gives us wonderful insight into a changing Ireland as it celebrates the work of one of our best-loved writers.

A SLIP OF THE KEYBOARD brings together for the first time the finest examples of Terry Pratchett's nonfiction writing, both serious and surreal: from musings on mushrooms to what it means to be a writer (and why banana daiquiris are so important); from memories of Granny Pratchett to speculation about Gandalf's love life, and passionate defenses of the causes dear to him.

Once a week in the Kurlansky home, Mark spins a globe and wherever his daughter's finger lands becomes the theme of that Friday night's dinner. Their tradition of International Night has afforded Mark an opportunity to share with Talia the recipes, stories and insights he has collected over more than 30 years of traveling the world writing about food, culture and history, and his charming pen-and-ink drawings, which appear throughout the book.

A revolution has taken over the government of the United States, and the environment has been saved. But now the U.S. is ruled by a dictatorship, and the corporations are fighting back. Joining them are an increasing number of rebels angered by the dictatorship of Chairman Rahma. However, cracks are beginning to show as new weapons are developed by the old corporate powers and strange reports of mutants filter through the government's censorship.