Fantasy Stories - Jim Baen's Universe RSS (2.0) Feed

Hollywood Ending

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:44:00 -0000

Here, in Hollywood, they test everything.

Thrill of the Hunt

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:45:00 -0000

She hid along the lowest ridge, feet sprawled, extended downhill.

Storming Venus

John Lambshead — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:36:00 -0000

“Pickle,” Sarah said quietly to herself. “What a beastly, silly, pottage of a pickle.”

Corpse Vision

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:21:00 -0000

Joe Decker couldn’t remember who poured him into the taxi that brought him to Le Café du Dôme.

The Blimp and Sixpence, A Harry the Book Story

Mike Resnick — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:45:00 -0000

So I am sitting in my office, which is the third booth at Joey Chicago’s 3-Star Tavern, minding my own business, which at this moment is doping out the next day’s races at Aqueduct, when Benny Fifth Street walks up to me.

The Blitz Experience

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:21:00 -0000

Tenesha McGuire towers over her great-grandmother Littleton.

The Queen of Sheba's Diamonds

Paula R. Stiles — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:54:00 -0000

In the Halls of the Sky-Palace

Nancy Fulda — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:44:00 -0000

The clack of castanets tapped out a crisp, clear rhythm beneath the smoky torches of the dining hall.

The Resident

Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:43:00 -0000

The house at 94 Twining Lane had a reputation.

Katie Birch

Sarah L. Edwards — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:25:00 -0000

When we found little Katie Birch blank-faced and naked out by Mackie’s pond that day, I reckoned I might be forgiven for doubting her good sense.

Why I Live in the Silver Mine

Marissa Lingen — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:22:00 -0000

When my sister Tourmaline went off to live above the surface with that Tall Folk man, we thought we'd never see nor hear from her again.

New Jersey's Top Ghost Tours Reviewed and Rated

Sarah Avery — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:12:00 -0000

Any day, the guys from Bizarro Jersey magazine would send a critic to review the ghost tour, and Jim Griggs meant to be ready.

Round-trip Coach

R. J. Ortega — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:04:00 -0000

The trick to getting a drunken leprechaun out of one's chandelier, Ken O'Malley had found, was to have a good flit gun handy.

Johnny So Long At the Fair

Lezli Robyn — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:13:00 -0000

On his fourth birthday Johnny Glover had his first trip to the Big Smoke, but despite his mother’s insistence that the Outback air was clearer than Melbourne’s, he still didn’t understand why his father called the city that—he had yet to see a fire anywhere.

A Very Formal Affair: A Harry the Book Story

Mike Resnick — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:08:00 -0000

I am sitting in my office, which happens to be the third booth of Joey Chicago’s 3-Star Tavern, studying the fight card and wondering if this could be the night Kid Testosterone makes it all the way to the second record before being knocked senseless.

The Good Son

Naomi Kritzer — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:11:00 -0000

I don't just want to be with you.

Storming Hell

John Lambshead — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:01:00 -0000

The sun rose slowly on another long day.

The Gossamer Mage: Intended Words

Julie Czerneda — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:32:00 -0000

The body was beechwood, smooth and bronzed with age, of perfect balance.

The Mudlark

Pat Cadigan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:01:00 -0000

A week and a half after my mother vanished out of the British Museum, I found her, purely by chance, picking up trash on a stretch of stony shore by the Thames.

Soul Survivor

Matthew Joseph Harrington — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:19:00 -0000

Kevin Ridler was in the habit of making his own entertainment.

Dragon's Tooth

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:59:00 -0000

The last place Tara expected to find magical items was in a tourist shop on the rue de Rivoli.

A Thread of Silk

Eugie Foster — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:23:00 -0000

Sitting in the back on the Otemachi subway, away from the glitter of young people bedecked in late-night finery, the young woman gazed out the window as though fascinated by her reflection in the glass.

Christmas Eve at Harvey Wallbanger's: A Harry the Book Story

Mike Resnick — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:49:00 -0000

So we are sitting around Joey Chicago’s 3-Star Tavern, with the wind howling outside the front door and sounding just like Velvet Voice Vinnie singing off-key.

Knight of Coins

Margaret Ronald — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:13:00 -0000

I can tell a lot about a person just by how they come into my office.

Twinkletoes

J. A. Howe — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:49:00 -0000

I'm here walking up Broadside on a nice spring day, decided not to take the bus it was so nice and anyway I'm in a good mood.

Madame Pompadour's Blade

Tom Purdom — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:11:00 -0000

They passed the carriage about an hour after they left Paris, as Geveaux had expected.

Bella of Ghostsea is Dead

A. S. Fox — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:08:00 -0000

The bar was dark and the barmaid wary.

Scraps of Fog

Sarah A. Hoyt — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:04:00 -0000

Sandra saw the ghost in the patio, but only for a moment.

The Witch of Waxahachie

Lou Antonelli — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:52:00 -0000

February is always cold, even in Texas.

Sluggo

Mike Resnick — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:04:00 -0000

He was born in the charity ward at 3:07 a.m. on March 5, 1931. There were two nurses in attendance.

Hourglass

Alma Alexander — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:15:00 -0000

I could get RICH in Ghulkit!

The Art of Memory

Barry N. Malzberg and Jack Dann — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:00:00 -0000

The car, a l958 DeSoto, last of its line, spins out, and hits the guardrail with terrific impact.

The Temple of Thorns

John Lambshead — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:58:00 -0000

She sat cross legged on a wool sack in the small cult room and prayed.

Palm Sunday

Ian Watson — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 07:27:00 -0000

Today was Saturday, and tomorrow would be Palm Sunday, when most people would gather in Grand Square to party, then all hold the palms of their hands up to the sky in celebration of life.

Fossilized Gods

J. Simon — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 19:29:00 -0000

Henry Goss smiled coldly.

Second Banana

Way Jeng — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 19:23:00 -0000

I have two rules. First, never get mixed up with a girl who wants you to call her a guy's name. Second, always know what you're getting yourself into.

The Lord-Protector's Daughter

L. E. Modesitt, Jr. — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 04:41:00 -0000

Mykella's bootsteps echoed dully as she descended the stone staircase to the lowest level of the Lord-Protector's palace.

Creation: The Launch!

Laura Resnick — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:01:00 -0000

Don't call me Ishmael.

Dark Corners

Kristine Kathryn Rusch — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 02:30:00 -0000

The fighting had been going on for days.

Soul Searching

Laird Long — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:12:00 -0000

Dugan Growser was the last guy I wanted to see in my office, since I'd been haunting him at home for the last month.

Midnight at the Quantum Cafe

K. D. Wentworth — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 21:49:00 -0000

The torrid summer air tasted of industrial sludge as I stood ankle-deep in the rubble at the edge of the street and gazed into the darkness.

The Rest of Your Life in a Day

Elizabeth Bear — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 03:41:00 -0000

The tattoo artist was Yukako Kobayashi, and she was in her sixties or seventies—or possibly older.

The Littlest Wyrm-Maid

Rebecca Lickiss — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 03:38:00 -0000

The problem, of course, was that humans were such speciesists.

Child, Maiden, Woman, Crone

Terry Bramlett — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:16:00 -0000

The music filled the valley as Johnny Nobles coerced the strings on his Gibson.

Cryptic Coloration

Elizabeth Bear — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:52:00 -0000

Katie saw him first. The next-best thing to naked, in cutoff camouflage pants and high-top basketball sneakers and nothing else, except the thick black labyrinth of neo-tribal ink that covered his pale skin from collarbones to ankle-bones. He shone like piano keys, glossy-sleek with sweat in a sultry September afternoon.

Redemption of Nepheli

E. Sedia — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 21:19:00 -0000

There were fires outside the Tavrid city wall, and they crackled day and night, their glow sinister, and their smell putrid.

Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go to War Again

Garth Nix — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 22:15:00 -0000

"Do you ever wonder about the nature of the world, Mister Fitz?" asked the foremost of the two riders, raising the three-barred visor of his helmet so that his words might more clearly cross the several feet of space that separated him from his companion, who rode not quite at his side.

The Spiral Road

Louise Marley — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 02:52:00 -0000

Gray smoke curled from the beaten copper censer and rippled gently up to the high ceiling, filling the sanctuary with the spicy smell of pursil smoke. It made Romas's nose tingle.

The Realm of Words

Eric Flint — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:14:00 -0000

Damn Les Six. The way I see it, it's all their fault. Sure, you could blame Wolfgang. Humans would.

As Black As Hell

John Lambshead — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 03:42:00 -0000

Gaston was used to waiting. The unofficial motto of the British Army was 'hurry up and wait.' Gaston had reached the rank of sergeant in the 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment—the Queen's own Royal goon squad, not bad for the illegitimate son of a Charing Cross streetwalker.

Caught Forever Between

Adrian Nikolas Phoenix — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 06:40:00 -0000

Tearing down the yellow crime-scene tape, Cassie keyed open the door to INNER EYE TATTOO and stepped inside. Closing the door, she glanced around the shattered shop she and Alex shared.

Singing Them Back

Marissa Lingen — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 05:35:00 -0000

Every fall, I was there when my grandmother sang the disir back.

Servants to the Dead

Steven Piziks — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 23:27:00 -0000

"Dad, look out!" Jen caught her father by the shoulders and yanked him away from the rake in the grass. Charlie Liles teetered, then recovered his balance.

The Nature of Things

Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 07:16:00 -0000

"Can someone explain to me what a box labeled 'cookware' is doing in the upstairs guest bath?"

A Hire Power

J. Simon — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 03:47:00 -0000

Another Monday in the office, and it was going to be a bad one. She could tell.

Pawn's Gambit

Carol Hightshoe — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 04:35:00 -0000

Malei watched the images in her mirror as the guests began to arrive at the palace. The King had invited everyone of any position from within the kingdom and the neighboring lands, as well as the fairy council, to attend the christening of his first-born child.

Baby Girl

Jon Skovron — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 04:32:00 -0000

There was a knock on the door and it wasn't good. It couldn't be good. What knock at 2 am when you were taking a bath ever was?

Protection Money

Wen Spencer — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 04:18:00 -0000

Tommy Chang had no sympathies for the humans of Pittsburgh. Every time he heard someone complaining about how dangerous the city had become with the war between the elves and the oni, he wanted to punch the speaker in the face.

Femme Fatale

Jason Wittman — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 06:41:00 -0000

When I first met Molly Flammare, I hadn't heard any of the stories they told about her.

Rebel the First

Edd Vick — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 06:40:00 -0000

This here's a story about more than a few things, but mostly it's about Duane Fuller, who we all call Reb, so you might as well forget I told you his real name anyway.

For Blue Sky

Wen Spencer — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 06:39:00 -0000

Two weeks after Pittsburgh became permanently stranded on Elfhome, the war between the elves and the oni reached John Montana's gas station. John had been greasing the CV joint of a Honda he had up on the rack when the bell on the pumps chimed, announcing someone had pulled up for gas. He listened for the sound of his little brother's feet moving across the ceiling above him, but could only hear the rumble of rock music. He ducked out from under the Honda, walked to the old fireman pole that dropped down from their apartment, and yelled, "Hey! We've got a customer down here!"

Sisters of Sarronnyn: Sisters of Westwind

L. E. Modesitt, Jr. — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 04:28:00 -0000

The Roof of the World was still frozen in winter gray, and the sun had not yet cleared the peaks to the east or shone on Freyja when I caught sight of Fiera coming up the old stone steps from the entrance to Tower Black.

I moved to intercept her. "What were you doing, Guard Fiera?"

Gnome Improvement

Rebecca Lickiss — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 04:23:00 -0000

"Gnome Improvement!" The heavy, almost cardboard, door hanger read in bright red letters on an emerald green background. "Bring good luck to your home and your family, brighten your lawn, and make your gnomes happy. We pick up and deliver your lawn gnomes to the Gnome Spa (TM), and return them refreshed, renewed, and revived. Call today!"

The Thief of Stones

Sarah Zettel — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 02:44:00 -0000

As I have been bidden, I will tell of how the sorcerer Merlin Ambrosius came to the shores of Ireland, and what he did there.

Poga

John Barnes — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 04:05:00 -0000

Her father always called her "plain old goddam Amy."

Build-A-Bear

Gene Wolfe — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 04:02:00 -0000

Sighing, Viola picked up the yellow schedule of shipboard activities and glanced at her watch. It was three thirty, still two and half hours till dinner.

'Ware the Sleeper

Julie Czerneda — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 03:37:00 -0000

There were bones where the children played: small, smooth pieces perfect for game markers on the black sand, and long shards Skalda remembered using for fence posts around imaginary horses. The tides washed them here, along with links from shattered chainmail and futile bits of armor.

What Sleeps in the Shallows Belongs to the Depths

Julie Czerneda — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 03:26:00 -0000

And so it came to pass, in the third age of the world, that those from the mainland sought once more to conquer the ocean realm. They gathered powerful sorcerers and built ships beyond numbering to carry them. Unstoppable, they sank fleet after fleet, razed island after island of the archipelago until they threatened Circle Cove itself, the very heart of our Blessed Kingdom. All seemed lost.

The Cold Blacksmith

Elizabeth Bear — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 03:18:00 -0000

"Old man, old man, do you tinker?"

Benny Comes Home

Esther Friesner — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 02:28:00 -0000

Why do mothers never understand our most prized possessions?

The Opposite of Pomegranates

Marissa Lingen — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 01:27:00 -0000

The real difference between humans and fey is not the magic: with the fey comes down to this: they only know how to make bargains . . .