Karen Lord

When their homeland is destroyed, the survivors of a proud and aloof alien society struggle to reach out to the rest of the galaxy for aid and understanding while striving to preserve their cherished way of life, a situation that leads to an unexpected bond between an alien man and a human woman. By the award-winning author of Redemption in Indigo. 20,000 first printing.

A Novel

The Best of All Possible Worlds

When Paama leaves her husband, she attracts the attention of the undying ones who present her with the Chaos Stick, which allows her to manipulate the subtle forces of the world.

Redemption in Indigo

In this standalone fantasy novel by an award-winning author, the dark truth behind a string of unusual murders leads to an otherworldly exploration of spirits, myth, and memory, steeped in Caribbean storytelling. Dr. Miranda Ecouvo, forensic therapist of the City, just helped put a serial killer behind bars. But she soon discovers that her investigation into seven unusual murders is not yet complete. A near-death experience throws her out of time and into a realm of labyrinths and spirits. There, she encounters brothers Chance and the Trickster, who have an otherworldly interest in the seemingly mundane crimes from her files. It appears the true mastermind behind the murders is still on the loose, chasing a myth to achieve immortality. Together, Miranda, Chance, and the Trickster must travel through conjured mazes, following threads of memory to locate the shadowy killer. As they journey deeper, they discover even more questions that will take pain and patience to answer. What is the price of power? Where is the path to redemption? And how can they stop the man--or monster--who would kill the innocent to live forever?

Unraveling

This near-future sci-fi novel from an award-winning Barbadian author imagines a post-climate disaster Earth suffused by VR tech. On a post-apocalyptic Earth devastated by climate change, the Global Government Project has begun to train a group of young diplomatic representatives in a simulation for First Contact between Earth and extraterrestrials. When the simulation turns true and the concept becomes no longer a hypothetical, but an impending reality, it will change life as they know it. Kanoa, a representative from the Pacific, must ponder the manner of his father's death, and whether there might also be non-human intelligence in the depths of Earth's oceans. Meanwhile, Owen, a rock star who once toured the world for his concerts, has a near-superhuman ability to sway both crowds and individuals. Though global stardom has taken a toll on him, he has used his influence to invest in projects that prime him to be one of the foremost figures in this new world. As the idea of a new galactic civilization sets in, these two and many others must consider how they will navigate this new and strange existence, and what it will mean for the future of the Earth.

The Blue, Beautiful World

Blue Beautiful World

A student at a school for psychic super-humans travels the universe with an intergalactic team and encounters strange alien cultures that help him discover himself. By the award-winning author of Redemption in Indigo. Original. 10,000 first printing.

The Galaxy Game

The search for a notorious serial killer takes a therapist on a nightmarish quest to an alternate world to find the sinister secret behind his crimes, in a dark fantasy inspired by Caribbean urban myth, from the award-winning author of The Blue, Beautiful World. Dr. Miranda Ecuovo works as a forensic therapist, helping traumatized witnesses recover their memories so that they can testify about the crimes they observed. Her most famous case resulted in the conviction of the serial killer Walther Gray, a pathologist’s assistant known as the Butcher of the City. One day Miranda is seized by Chance, one of the spirits known as the Undying, and transported to a fantastical dreamlike world. There she is greeted by an Angel and presented with an unusual mission: Help catch the rogue Undying who was the true mastermind behind the Butcher’s crimes. Now Miranda and Chance must stop the murderer before he kills again. Together they will race through a surreal otherworld of magical labyrinths and wondrous spirits—but also into the maze of Miranda’s own memories when they retrace her original investigation. As Miranda draws closer to the truth, she finds herself confronted by even bigger questions than the killer’s identity. How could his victims’ deaths be forgotten so easily? And what can she do to create a world where the vulnerable can be safe and have their lives treated as precious?

Discover some of the best in speculative short fiction from the Caribbean's up-and-coming voices.

Speculative Tales from the Caribbean

New Worlds, Old Ways

Best of All Possible Worlds

This near-future sci-fi novel from an award-winning Barbadian author imagines a post-climate disaster Earth suffused by VR tech. On a post-apocalyptic Earth devastated by climate change, the Global Government Project has begun to train a group of young diplomatic representatives in a simulation for First Contact between Earth and extraterrestrials. When the simulation turns true and the concept becomes no longer a hypothetical, but an impending reality, it will change life as they know it. Kanoa, a representative from the Pacific, must ponder the manner of his father’s death, and whether there might also be non-human intelligence in the depths of Earth’s oceans. Meanwhile, Owen, a rock star who once toured the world for his concerts, has a near-superhuman ability to sway both crowds and individuals. Though global stardom has taken a toll on him, he has used his influence to invest in projects that prime him to be one of the foremost figures in this new world. As the idea of a new galactic civilization sets in, these two and many others must consider how they will navigate this new and strange existence, and what it will mean for the future of the Earth.

El mejor de los mundos posibles

Tessa Gratton

Racheline Maltese

Ellen Kushner

Joel Derfner

Delia Sherman

Liz Duffy Adams

Sex, Scandal, Swordplay... and Chocolate! The prequel to Ellen Kushner's cult classic Swordspoint is back for a fourth season!

Tremontaine: The Complete Season 4

A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, and the survivors have no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but come to discover that in order to preserve their culture, they may have to change it forever. Now a man and a woman from these two clashing societies must work together to save this vanishing race, and end up uncovering ancient mysteries with far-reaching ramifications. As their mission hangs in the balance, this unlikely team - one cool and cerebral, the other fiery and impulsive - just may find in each other their own destinies . . . and a force that transcends all.

Welcome to Tremontaine, where ambition, love affairs, and rivalries dance with deadly results. In this novel Ellen Kushner and a team of writers return readers to the world of scandal and swordplay introduced in her cult-classic novel Swordspoint. Readers familiar with the series will find a welcome homecoming while new fans will learn what makes Riverside a place they will want to visit again and again. Tremontaine follows Diane, Duchess Tremontaine, whose beauty is matched only by her cunning; Rafe Fenton, a handsome young scholar with more passion than sense; Ixkaab Balam, a tradeswoman from afar with skill for swords and secrets; and Micah, a gentle genius whose discoveries herald revolution. Sparks fly as these four lives intersect in a world where politics is everything, and outcasts are the tastemakers. Tread carefully, dear reader, and keep your wit as sharp as your steel. Originally presented in serial form by Serial Box Publishing, Tremontaine is brought to you by Ellen Kushner, Joel Derfner, Racheline Maltese, Paul Witcover, Tessa Gratton, and Karen Lord.

Tremontaine: The Complete Season 3

Paul Witcover

Swordplay, scandal, and sex—welcome to the world of Tremontaine, a glittering new entry in Ellen Kushner's classic Riverside series. This is the 13th episode in the third season of Tremontaine, a 13-episode serial from Serial Box Publishing. This episode written by Racheline Maltese with Joel Derfner, Tessa Gratton, and Karen Lord. Kaab discovers the truth about Saabim’s death. A public celebration is held for Rafe’s school. Basil decides to send a swordsman against Davenant. Micah makes a decision about her future. Diane faces the consequences of being duchess in her own right. Welcome to Tremontaine, where ambition, love affairs, and rivalries dance with deadly results. A Duchess whose beauty is matched only by her cunning; a handsome young scholar with more passion than sense; a foreigner in a playground of swordplay and secrets; and a mathematical genius whose discoveries herald revolution when games of politics begin, no one is safe. Keep your wit as sharp as your steel in this world where politics is everything, and outcasts are the tastemakers.

A City's Favor (Tremontaine Season 3 Episode 13)

Les Sadiri sont menacés d’extinction, ce peuple est régulièrement assiégé et massacré. Deux individus, Grace et Dllenahkh, sont chargés de trouver une nouvelle planète pour accueillir les survivants Sadiri. Leur autre objectif est de trouver des partenaires génétiquement compatibles pour préserver leur espèce et tenter de sauver la culture sadiri. Durant sa quête, Grace va découvrir des galaxies et des civilisations très éloignées de sa culture qui remettront en cause son identité...Le Meilleur des Mondes Possibles est le journal de Grace, ainsi qu’une réflexion profonde sur la survie, l’identité et l’humanité intrinsèques à chaque être.

Le meilleur des mondes possibles

Karen Lord's debut novel, which won the prestigious Frank Collymore Literary Prize in Barbados, is an intricately woven tale of adventure, magic, and the power of the human spirit. Paama's husband is a fool and a glutton. Bad enough that he followed her to her parents' home in the village of Makende, now he's disgraced himself by murdering livestock and stealing corn. When Paama leaves him for good, she attracts the attention of the undying ones - the djombi - who present her with a gift; the Chaos Stick, which allows her to manipulate the subtle forces of the world. Unfortunately, a wrathful djombi with indigo skin believes this power should be his and his alone. Bursting with humor and rich in fantastic detail, Redemption in Indigo is a clever, contemporary fairy tale that introduces readers to a dynamic new voice in Caribbean literature. Lord's world of spider tricksters and indigo immortals, inspired in part by a Senegalese folk tale, will feel instantly familiar - but Paama's adventures are fresh, surprising, and utterly original.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Karen Lord is one of today’s most brilliant young talents. Her science fiction, like that of predecessors Ursula K. Le Guin and China Miéville, combines star-spanning plots, deeply felt characters, and incisive social commentary. With The Galaxy Game, Lord presents a gripping adventure that showcases her dazzling imagination as never before. On the verge of adulthood, Rafi attends the Lyceum, a school for the psionically gifted. Rafi possesses mental abilities that might benefit people . . . or control them. Some wish to help Rafi wield his powers responsibly; others see him as a threat to be contained. Rafi’s only freedom at the Lyceum is Wallrunning: a game of speed and agility played on vast vertical surfaces riddled with variable gravity fields. Serendipity and Ntenman are also students at the Lyceum, but unlike Rafi they come from communities where such abilities are valued. Serendipity finds the Lyceum as much a prison as a school, and she yearns for a meaningful life beyond its gates. Ntenman, with his quick tongue, quicker mind, and a willingness to bend if not break the rules, has no problem fitting in. But he too has his reasons for wanting to escape. Now the three friends are about to experience a moment of violent change as seething tensions between rival star-faring civilizations come to a head. For Serendipity, it will challenge her ideas of community and self. For Ntenman, it will open new opportunities and new dangers. And for Rafi, given a chance to train with some of the best Wallrunners in the galaxy, it will lead to the discovery that there is more to Wallrunning than he ever suspected . . . and more to himself than he ever dreamed. Praise for The Galaxy Game “There is a weight and grace to [Lord’s] prose that put me in mind of pewter jewelry.”—NPR “This novel is a satisfying exercise in being off-balance, a visceral lesson in how to fall forward and catch yourself in an amazing new place.”—The Seattle Times “A smart science fictional fable as inventive and involving as it is finally vital.”—Tordotcom

Karen Lord

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