Shapers of Worlds Volume IV

 The fourth in a series of powerhouse anthologies featuring some of today's top authors of science fiction and fantasy.

From the farthest reaches of our galaxy to the cozy-yet-mysterious spaces under beds and behind sofa cushions, from mystical realms of fantasy to the here-and-now and the very near future, the nineteen authors in this fourth collection of science fiction and fantasy by authors featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers offer readers a kaleidoscope of fantastical adventures in the company of unforgettable characters.

The editor of a tyrannical bestselling author thinks she's finally escaped their hellish relationship when the author dies . . . but she couldn't be more wrong. A retired ghost-hunter's life takes an unexpected turn when an immensely valuable magical vase from the nineteenth century is brought to her attention. At the end of a millennia-long journey to the edge of the galaxy, a man who has lived a hundred lifetimes is reunited with his first true love in the midst of a battle for survival. Scarecrows that appear overnight on a lonely man's lawn prove to be far more than the teenagers' prank he thinks them to be. A man travels back in time to confront the attacker who destroyed his life, only to make a horrifying discovery. The Monster Under the Bed finally meets his match . . .

Shapers of Worlds Volume IV has new stories by David Boop, Michaelbrent Collings, Roy M. Griffis, Sarah A. Hoyt, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Noah Lemelson, Edward M. Lerner, David Liss, Gail Z. Martin, Joshua Palmatier, Richard Paolinelli, Jean-Louis Trudel, James Van Pelt, Garon Whited, and Edward Willett, plus previously published stories by James Kennedy, Mark Leslie, R.S. Mellette, and Lavie Tidhar. Each story features an illustration by Wendi Nordell.

Travel into the past, the present, and the future in stories set in our world, in deep space, in worlds scattered across the multiverse, and in worlds that exist only in the imagination, all shaped by an outstanding collection of authors, many of them bestsellers and award-winners.

An unforgettable journey awaits. All you have to do is turn the page . . .

This is the fourth in a series of Kickstarted anthologies featuring authors who were guests on The Worldshapers podcast, hosted by Edward Willett, "conversations with science fiction and fantasy authors about the creative process." It's an authors' showcase, not a themed anthology, so stories run the gamut from humorous fantasy to horror to far-future science fiction.

Edited by Edward Willett, this volume is also illustrated: every story is accompanied by an original black-and-white illustration by artist Wendy Nordell.

EDWARD WILLETT is the Aurora Award-winning author of more than sixty books of science fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction for readers of all ages, including twelve novels for DAW Books, the latest of which is The Tangled Stars, a humorous far-future space-opera heist novel featuring a talking genetically modified AI-uplifted cat who becomes a starship captain. Ed owns and operates Shadowpaw Press, which publishes new work by established and emerging authors and new editions of notable, previously published work, including the previous three volumes of the Shapers of Worlds anthology series. A past president of SF Canada, he is currently vice-president of SaskBooks, the professional association of publishers in Saskatchewan. He lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, with his wife, Margaret Anne Hodges, P.Eng., and their black Siberian cat, Shadowpaw.

WENDI NORDELL has been drawing for as long as she could hold a pencil. It has always been a favourite pastime and eventually became an occasional job. While her three children were growing up, she painted many murals, including the pediatrics wing in a hospital, a school entrance, and in many homes. She also attended festivals and craft shows, selling hand-drawn gift cards, bookmarks, and illustrations. Now that her children are grown, she has pursued an illustration career, illustrating a dozen books in the last five years, mostly for children, but also including Edward Willett's science-fiction and fantasy poetry collection I Tumble Through the Diamond Dust. Recently, Wendi decided to improve her artistic skills and abilities by returning to the Alberta University of the Arts, pursuing a degree in illustration. Wendi has almost always picked up books based on their cover art, and if there are illustrations inside the book, she thinks that’s even better. She truly hopes that her illustrations enhance readers’ experience with books—including this one!