{"title":"Tim Powers","description":"Tim Powers won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare. Declare also received the International Horror Guild Award. His novel On Stranger Tides inspired the Monkey Island video game series and was sold to Disney for the movie franchise installment Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. His book The Anubis Gates won the Philip K. Dick Award and is considered a modern science fiction classic and a progenitor of the steampunk genre. Powers won the Dick Award again for straight science fiction post-apocalypse novel Dinner at Deviant's Palace. Many of his novels, such as Last Call and Alternate Routes,  are so-called \"secret histories,\" which use real historical events in which supernatural and metaphysical elements influence the story in weird and compelling manners. Powers grew up in Southern California and studied English at Cal State Fullerton, where he met frequent collaborators James Blaylock and K.W. Jeter, as well as renowned science fiction author Philip K. Dick, who became a close friend and mentor. Powers is a practicing Catholic who claims \"Stories are more effective, and more truly represent the writer's actual convictions, when they manifest themselves without the writer's conscious assistance. I concern myself with my plots, but I let my subconscious worry about my themes.\" Powers still resides in Southern California with his wife, Serena.","products":[{"product_id":"the-mills-of-the-gods-hardcover","title":"The Mills of the Gods - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA HARROWING SUPERNATURAL ADVENTURE, FULL OF COLOR, DRAMA, AND ROMANCE, AS ONLY TIM POWERS CAN DELIVER\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePARIS, 1925 \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e HARRY NOLAN is an expatriate American, making a meager living as an illustrator for a low-paying magazine, but his life is upended when he is assigned to illustrate an anonymous article about the death of a god--because a centuries-old French brotherhood, the \u003ci\u003es\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eauteurs, \u003c\/i\u003e are determined to suppress the story the article tells. The \u003ci\u003es\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eauteurs \u003c\/i\u003ehave burned the magazine's office and killed the editor, and Nolan has the only surviving copy of the article. The author turns out to be a local writer named ERNEST HEMINGWAY, who--at first--tries to distance himself from the article and its lethal consequences. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e VIVI CHASTAIN is a rootless 19-year-old orphan who sustains herself by betting on horse races--aided by the spirit of the man she was in a previous life. But now that old identity is crowding her consciousness, threatening to push her own precarious identity into oblivion. It was her alcoholic occasional \"stepfather\" who told Hemingway the story about killing a god, and the \u003ci\u003es\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eauteurs \u003c\/i\u003eare now aware of the story--and of her. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The \u003ci\u003eSAUTEURS \u003c\/i\u003emaintain their identities past death through controlled reincarnation--when members die and are reborn, the brotherhood finds their newborn incarnations, kidnaps them, and raises them in special nurseries, where they can fully resume their previous lives. Vivi escaped from one of these nurseries when she was six years old, and so her previous identity has not yet consummated his possession of her. The \u003ci\u003es\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eauteurs \u003c\/i\u003ewant that consummation to happen--soon. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e GERTRUDE STEIN is the hub of literary and artistic Paris, and knows many of the city's supernatural secrets. She has written a book that appears to be nonsense but which can be used to deflect the kind of psychic assault that threatens Vivi, and she becomes a Merlin-like mentor to Vivi and Nolan-- \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e --who find themselves reluctantly thrown together as hunted fugitives. Their struggles to evade the murderous \u003ci\u003es\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eauteurs \u003c\/i\u003eand free Vivi from her increasingly intrusive previous self lead the pair to a mysterious hermit who lives in the towers of Notre Dame cathedral, and the haunted catacombs under Paris, and a confrontation with the Roman goddess Cybele in an other-worldly temple on an island in the Seine. In pursuit of a secret painting by PABLO PICASSO, they learn that the god whose death the Hemingway manuscript describes is Moloch, the child-devouring Phoenician god mentioned in the Bible--and that the \u003ci\u003es\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eauteurs \u003c\/i\u003emake sacrifices to Moloch to maintain their reincarnations. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e From the narrow streets and rooftops of post-war Paris to, finally, a supernatural battle between gods in a remote village in Spain, Nolan and Vivi contend with forces natural and supernatural, enemies living and dead, and ultimately find themselves pitted against the god Moloch himself--at peril of their eternal souls. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Mills of the Gods\u003c\/i\u003e is a harrowing supernatural adventure, full of color, drama, and romance, as only Tim Powers could tell it.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102577791199,"sku":"9781668073018","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/NC8DeD5xSq9781668073018.webp?v=1781083523"},{"product_id":"l-ron-hubbard-presents-writers-of-the-future-volume-41-the-best-new-sf-fantasy-of-the-year-paperback","title":"L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41: The Best New SF \u0026 Fantasy of the Year - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStep into the extraordinary with\u003ci\u003e L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41\u003ci\u003e--an anthology that promises the unexpected, the thought-provoking, and the unforgettable. Celebrating the best new voices in speculative fiction, this collection offers gripping tales of science fiction, fantasy, and beyond. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiscover Distant Worlds\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Explore alien landscapes, futuristic technologies, and hidden realms. From time-traveling adventures to battles for survival in dystopian societies, these stories transport you far beyond the limits of imagination. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeet Extraordinary Heroes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Follow protagonists who face impossible odds--from a young constable on a harsh alien frontier to a reclusive writer sharing a ride with a sentient car. These characters redefine courage, resilience, and what it means to be human. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eExperience Visual Wonder\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Every story is brought to life with breathtaking original illustrations. These commissioned works add depth, color, and vibrancy to the collection, making it a visual and literary masterpiece. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLearn from the Legends\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gain inspiration from essays by L. Ron Hubbard, Robert J. Sawyer, and Tom Wood, offering rare insights into storytelling and creative mastery. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiscover Tomorrow's Stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This volume continues the legacy of Writers of the Future, the competition that has launched myriad bestselling authors. These rising talents are reshaping speculative fiction as we know it. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhether you love heart-pounding action, thought-provoking \"what ifs,\" or stories that blur the line between science and magic, \u003ci\u003eVolume 41 \u003c\/i\u003eis your gateway to new dimensions. With tales and illustrations that linger long after the final page, this anthology invites you to take the leap into worlds uncharted. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePush Beyond the Ordinary. Explore the Extraordinary. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Grab your copy of \u003ci\u003eL. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41 \u003c\/i\u003eand discover the next generation of visionary storytellers and artists.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50103236034783,"sku":"9781619868441","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/beWKe0m-xr9781619868441.webp?v=1781090544"},{"product_id":"the-drawing-of-the-dark-paperback","title":"The Drawing of the Dark - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Combining the best of mythology and real history, Tim Powers takes you on a rollicking magical adventure that is both tense and hilarious. You won't read a more plausible explanation for Western civilization, or one that's half so much fun.\"--David Brin\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBrian Duffy, aging soldier of fortune, had been hired in Venice by a strange old man who called himself Aurelianus Ambrosius. He was supposed to go to Vienna and act as bouncer at an inn where the fabulous Herzwesten beer was brewed. That was clear enough. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut why was he guided and guarded on the trip by creatures from the ancient legends? Why should he be attacked by ifrits and saved by mythical dwarfs? What was so important about the Herzwesten beer to the Fisher King--whoever he was? Why was Duffy plagued by visions of a sword and an arm rising from a lake? And what had a bunch of drunken, ancient Vikings to do with it all? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThen there was no time for speculation as Vienna was besieged by the Turkish armies of Suleiman. Duffy found himself drawn into a war of desperation and magic. It was up to him to preserve the West until the drawing of the Dark.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat does the famous Herzwesten beer have to do with saving the entire western world from the invading Turkish armies? Brian Duffy, aging soldier of fortune, is the only man who can rescue the world from evil--if only he can figure out why the beer was so important to a mysterious old man called the Fisher King, and why his dreams are plagued with images of a sword and an arm rising from a lake . . .\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50104756207839,"sku":"9780345430816","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/FewRjvZMye9780345430816.webp?v=1781111253"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/tim-powers.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}