Catherynne M. Valente

"One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century."--Time magazine on the Fairyland series; perfect for fans of IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES. Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn't . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday. With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when author Catherynne M. Valente first posted it online as a serialized novel. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is the first book in the Fairyland series by Catherynne M. Valente, with beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Ana Juan. Catherynne M. Valente is the New York Times bestselling author of the Fairyland series, for young readers, and the author of many books for adults, including Radiance. The adventures continue in the rest of the Fairyland series, including The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (Volume Two), The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two (Volume Three), The Boy Who Lost Fairyland (Volume Four), and The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home (Volume Five.) Not since Oz has there been a land, or a cast of characters, so rich and entrancing. This deluxe paperback edition contains bonus materials, including interviews with the author and the illustrator. A New York Times BestsellerA Publishers Weekly Best Children's Fiction TitleWinner, Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and FantasyA National Public Radio Best Middle-Grade Book of the YearA National Public Radio Top Five Science Fiction/Fantasy Title of the YearAn Amazon Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the YearA Booklist Editors' ChoiceA New York Public Library Top 100 Books for Reading and Sharing "A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian Fairy Tale, done with heart and wisdom." --Neil Gaiman, Newbery Award-winning author of The Graveyard Book "September is a clever, fun, stronghearted addition to the ranks of bold, adventurous girls. Valente's subversive storytelling is sheer magic." --Tamora Pierce, author of The Immortals series "A mad, toothsome romp of a fairy tale--full of oddments, whimsy, and joy." --Holly Black, author of the Spiderwick Chronicles "When I saw that this book reminds me simultaneously of E. Nesbit, James Thurber, and the late Eva Ibbotson, I don't mean to take anything away from its astonishing originality. It's a charmer from the first page, managing the remarkable parlay of being at once ridiculously funny and surprisingly suspenseful. Catherynne Valente is a find, at any age " --Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn "This is a kind of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by way of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland--it's the sort of book one doesn't want to end." --Publishers Weekly, starred review " Fairyland creates] a world as bizarre and enchanting as any Wonderland or Oz and a heroine as curious, resourceful and brave as any Alice or Dorothy. Complex, rich and memorable." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From Kapek's biotech machines of R. U. R. to Kuttner's Proud Robot to the fictional assortment of mechanical sex toys, rebels, grandmothers, servants, and masters, these machines have represented our dreams as well as our anxieties. We love these literary creations but fear them as well. Stories from the last decade representing the many faces of robots — beautiful, hideous, and everything in between.

A glorious retelling of the Russian folktale Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless from Catherynne M. Valente, set in a mysterious version of St. Petersburg during the first half of the 20th century Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century. Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei's beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

This second volume of The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy features over a quarter million words of fiction by some of the genre's greatest authors, as selected by Rich Horton, a well-known and well-received contributor to many of the field's most respected magazines.

With the Craigslist of the future, apply for a job on Mars. In the maps of the past, learn the secrets of using dessicated penguin feet as an explorer of the Antarctic. These are just two of the voyages you will take in these pages, just a pair of the places you have been online. Featuring stories by legends such as Peter S. Beagle and Nancy Kress, speculative fiction stars Cory Doctorow and Catherynne M. Valente, newcomers Merrie Haskell and Beth Bernobich, plus many more, Unplugged surfs the Web so you don't have to.