Alex Acks

James Beamon

William Ledbetter

Is there a better way to start a story than "No sh!t, there I was..."? If you hear that phrase, perk up, because you know you're in for a heck of a tale. That's how all the craziest - and most interesting - stories start. And then we told a bunch of authors to make sure their stories started with that very phrase Grab a pint of your favorite beverage and gather round. We've got two dozen stories here to horrify, amuse, and mystify, each with their very own illustration. Hard to believe, but no sh!t... there I was.

No Sh!t, There I Was

Captain Marta Ramos, the most notorious pirate in the Duchy of Denver, has her hands full between fascinating murder mysteries, the delectable and devious Deliah Nimowitz, Colonel Geoffrey Douglas (the Duke of Denver’s new head of security), a spot of airship engineering and her usual activities: piracy, banditry and burglary. Not to mention the horror of high society tea parties. In contrast, Simms, her second in command, longs only for a quiet life, filled with tasty sausages and fewer explosions. Or does he? Join Captain Ramos, Simms and their crew as they negotiate the perils of air, land and drawing room in a series of fast-paced adventures in a North America that never was.

Murder on the Titania and Other Steam-Powered Adventures

America is a complex tapestry of laws, from the local ones passed by your city council to national laws made by Congress. Sometimes Congress passes a law to build a program, such as the Affordable Care Act, and then hands some or all of its administration over to the states. Was it always like this? What happens when a state and the national government disagree? Readers find out how these issues have evolved since before the Constitution was signed.

Can States Make Their Own Laws?

Tim Pratt

Danie Ware

Robbie MacNiven

Sarah Cawkwell

M Darusha Wehm

Intergalactic civilization emerges from its war-torn ruins for the first time in generations to explore the galaxy, in this stunning new anthology from the bestselling world of Twilight Imperium A terrible war destroyed a vast empire and left its survivors shattered and isolated. Millennia of history, technology, and the ever-expanding imperial grip were lost. From the secretive Naalu and the proud Hacan to the piratical Mentak Coalition, these factions and worlds are recovering and looking past their borders to the galaxy beyond again – but what awaits them in the vastness of space? New territory, allies, and opportunities abound, but the history that once bound them together now stands between them, and a galaxy-wide war is just one spark away from being rekindled… A Ghost of a Chance, by M Darusha Wehm The Fifth Stage, by Alex Acks Shield of the Reef, by Robbie MacNiven First Impressions, by Sarah Cawkwell Contact, by Danie Ware Defiler’s Reef, by Tim Pratt

A Twilight Imperium Anthology

The Stars Beyond

Matt Dovey

Stewart Baker

Is there a better way to start a story than"No sh!t, there I was..."?If you hear that phrase, perk up, because you know you're in for a heck of a tale. That's how all the craziest - and most interesting - stories start.And then we told a bunch of authors to make sure thier stories started with that very phraseGrab a pint of your favorite beverage and gather round. We've got two dozen stories here to horrify, amuse, and mystify, each with thier own illustration. Hard to believe, but no sh!t... there I was.

No Shit, There I Was

Confirmation bias is the tendency of people to interpret, remember, and specifically seek out information that confirms beliefs they already have. It's part of how the human brain works. Being aware of its existence and how it can creep into your life is the best defense. A growing feeder of confirmation bias in the modern world is the internet, particularly social media, where it's easy to surround yourself with a "bubble" of like-minded people. In this text we will explore the ways that the social media bubble encourages confirmation bias, and how to combat it.

Alex Acks

Books

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