(Neal Stephenson hacks into the secret histories of nations and the private obsessions of men, decrypting with dazzling virtuosity the forces that have shaped the past century)

Erasmas, 'Raz', is a young avout living in the Concent. Three times during history's darkest epochs, violence has invaded and devastated the cloistered community. Yet the avout have always managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe. But they now prepare to open the Concent's gates to the outside world, in celebration of a once-a-decade rite.

Schismatrix Plus, is Bruce Sterling's new trade paperback. For the first time in one volume: every word Bruce Sterling has ever written on the Shapers-Mechanists Universe.

In the last decade, Sterling has emerged a pioneer of crucial, cutting-edge science fiction. Now Ace Books is proud to offer Sterling's stunning world of the Schismatrix—where Shaper revolutionaries struggle against aristocratic Mechanists for ultimate control of man's destiny. This volume includes the classic full-length novel, Schismatrix, plus thousands of words of mind-bending short fiction.

It actually does spell out, chapter by chapter, the workings of the branches of government, the election process, and the role of journalism in creating and destroying all these

."..Not an academic translation but a collection of tales that are retold with lavish illustrations. Stewart selected the Celtic stories from collections and manuscripts, interpretations and reworkings of Celtic myths, and traditional ballads and tales.... These are hard-edged stories that illustrate the cruelty of an early people, but they are also fanciful and lovely. The author's retelling of these stories is very poetic and beautiful. Recommended."— "LJ

. 176 pages (11 in color), 40 b/w illus., 7 1/2 x 9 3/4.

113 people are born with power beyond mortal man. Like unto gods, they wield life, death, terror, beauty, and what happens in the spaces in-between. Babylon Five's award winning creator, J. Michael Straczynski, brings to life the tale of 113 individuals with one thing in common, each was affected by a comet crashing into Pederson, Illinois before they were born. A comet that gave each extraordinary abilities. Raised by a very watchful government, one "Special" as they are called, discovers that the 113 are slowly being murdered, one by one. But who would have the powers or know how to do it, unless the killer comes from within their own group?

"By the creator of Babylon 5 and Midnight Nation"—Cover.

Writer J. Michael Straczynski's superhero tour-de-force reaches its stunning conclusion as the final fate of the 113 "Pederson Specials" is revealed. The final chapter of one of the greatest comic series EVER is now available in trade paperback for your bookshelf! Collects Rising Stars #17-24.

Yesterday's Men of Tomorrow - today! Thought lost to the pages of time, a dozen Mystery Men from the "greatest generation" of World War II find themselves thrust into the morally-gray world of the 21st century! Now, Captain Wonder, Dynamic Man, Mastermind Excello, Mister E, the Laughing Mask, the Witness, the Black Widow, the Phantom Reporter, the Fiery Mask, Rockman, the Blue Blade, and Electro the Marvel of the Age must seek a place for themselves in the modern Marvel Universe - while a silent killer seeks to eliminate them, one by one! Collecting The Twelve #1-6.

When the planet of New Moscow was brutally destroyed, its few survivors launched a counter-attack against the most likely culprit: the neighbouring system of trade rival New Dresden. But New Dresden wasn't responsible, and as the deadly missiles approach their target, Rachel Mansour, agent for the interests of Old Earth, is assigned to find out who was. The one person who does know is a disaffected teenager who calls herself Wednesday Shadowmist. But Wednesday has no idea where she might be hiding this significant information. Time is limited and if Rachel can't resolve this mystery it will mean annihilation of an entire world.