The Russian folk tale about the Snow Maiden is read with enthusiasm at any age. It is full of magic and slight sadness, because it not only tells the wonderful story of a tender and fragile snow girl, but also reveals the secrets of the world around it: the change of seasons, the struggle between cold and heat, the water cycle in nature. In the surprisingly harmonious and graceful drawings of...

Since its release in 1969, The Godfather has made an indelible mark on American crime fiction. From the mind of master storyteller Mario Puzo, it traces the Corleone family, whose brilliant and brutal portrayal illuminated the violent and seductive allure of power in American society. A tale of family and loyalty, law and order, obedience and rebellion, it has stood the test of time as the...

On a future Earth poisoned by global wars—amidst radioactive dust and neon signs beckoning people toward a sweet life in colonies on other planets—bounty hunter Rick Deckard must track down and ‘retire’ six fugitive androids: beings almost indistinguishable from humans. But as his investigation unfolds, Deckard begins to be plagued by doubts and questions—questions to which he has yet to...

The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year.

It is a legendary time in the First Age of Middle-earth, long before The Lord of the Rings, and Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwells in the vast fortress of Angband in the North; and within the shadow of the fear of Angband, and the war waged by Morgoth against the Elves, the fates of Túrin and his sister Niënor will be tragically entwined.

Never before published in a single volume, Tolkien’s four novellas (Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, and Roverandom) and one book of poems (The Adventures of Tom Bombadil) are gathered together for the first time, in a fully illustrated volume. This definitive collection of works -- which had appeared separately, in various formats, between 1949 and 1998 -- comes...

The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will gather to cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they are not immune to the human temptations of power and glory. And they are not above the tribalism and factionalism that consumes humanity. When all is said and done, one...

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions...

This book by A. Yu. Lashkov—a Doctor of Historical Sciences and a specialist in the history of military aviation and air defense—examines the involvement of Soviet aviators and balloonists in the suppression of insurgent movements and the elimination of various anti-Soviet armed formations within the territory of the RSFSR (and later the USSR), as well as in neighboring regions, during the...

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have become synonymous with the idea of a split personality. More than a morality tale, this dark psychological fantasy is also a product of its time, drawing on contemporary theories of class, evolution, criminality, and secret lives.