KNOCKIN' ON EVIL'S DOOR Werewolves. Trolls. Sea Monsters. Rain of toads. Skyquakes. Sunnydale is being besieged by dark forces. But even with Buffy providing her unique style of damage control while Giles is hospitalized out of town, it's more than one Slayer can handle — especially since the abominations are coming from a centuries-old portal through time and space. Somehow, the hell-hole must be found and corked at its source. For Buffy, Angel, and the rest of her gang, that means a road trip to Boston where an ailing Gatekeeper resides over a supernatural mansion that has been, until recently, holding the world's worst monsters at bay. Once there, Buffy discovers the catastrophic truth: the magical structure houses thousands of rooms, all of which are doorways to limbo's "ghost roads," and all of which may bring her face-to-face with the most nefarious forces in hell and on earth — forces bent on horrific plans far worse than the Slayer ever imagined.

PASSPORT TO HELL Buffy, Oz, and Angel are Europe-bound, only they're not flying any airlines. They're traveling limbo's "ghost roads" in search of Jacques Regnier. Jacques is the sole heir of the dying Gatekeeper whose Boston mansion is the supernatural barrier restraining thousands of the world's monsters. The evil Sons of Entropy will do anything to destroy the gate — even if it means trading the power-laden Spear of Longinus to the wicked vampires holding Jacques. Back home, the ghost ship Flying Dutchman has set sail for Sunnydale, determined to shanghai new crewmen — dead or alive. For Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and Giles, it's an ocean of trouble, especially when the monstrous Kraken reemerges with a vengeance. But everyone's assistance will be needed once Buffy locates Jacques, and uncovers the shocking plans the Sons of Entropy have already placed in motion — a plan that, if successful, will destroy the world and create a horrible new realm...

From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. The 19 provocative, haunting, and genuinely unsettling original stories in this zombie anthology move the genre beyond its usual apocalyptic wastelands. David Liss's novelette What Maisie Knew is a stunning and gruesome meditation on the banality of capitalism and evil. Mike Carey's Second Wind is a haunting tale of an undead stockbroker who comes to question whether he ever truly lived. Lovers of more traditional zombie fare will also not be disappointed. Joe Hill's ingenious Twittering from the Circus of the Dead tells a classic slasher film story through Twitter posts, while Jonathan Maberry's heartbreaking Family Business describes a ruined America populated by kindly monks and zombie hunters. This powerful anthology shines a bright and unflinching light on the fears of death, decay, and loss that underpin America's longstanding obsession with the undead. (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistThe best-selling popularity of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2009) and the hit status of the movie Zombieland show that the living-dead subgenre still has legs. Zombie anthologies are invariably of varying quality, and this new one, curated by fantasy author Golden, is no exception. The best stories in it depart from the basic formula of living versus dead so familiar to zombiephiles. Among them are Rick Hautala’s nautical horror story, “Ghost Trap,” in which a gruesome discovery at the bottom of the sea awakens a long sleeping plague; David Wellington’s “Weaponized,” in which an undercover reporter investigates a mysterious new branch of the U.S. military; and Joe R. Lansdale’s grisly “Shooting Pool,” in which a hustler’s murder transforms the lives of a gang of teenagers. Meanwhile, those anticipating the promised movie adaptation of Max Brook’s World War Z (2006) will flock to his “Closure LTD,” set in the same milieu. Not every story here’s a success (a disastrous Twitter-format experiment may be the worst), but genre fans will still find plenty to satisfy them. --Carlos Orellana

Bestselling author Christopher Golden brings his epic, innovative trilogy, the Veil, to an astonishing conclusion as the mythic realm of heroes and monsters becomes the site of humanity's last—and greatest—showdown.In the world of the legendary, every myth and folktale is real. That is what Oliver Bascombe learned on the other side of the Veil, where humanity's legends have hidden away for centuries. But even legends have legends, and Oliver has learned of a prophecy that many believe he and his sister, Collette, have come to the Two Kingdoms to fulfill. Before they can discover the truth, the Bascombe siblings must help to stop an apocalyptic war that threatens to destroy the Two Kingdoms, unravel a conspiracy, and prevent a powerful sorcerer from severing the world of humans from the realm of the legendary forever.But first Oliver will have to plot an escape from an impregnable palace dungeon where he and his allies have been imprisoned . . . for regicide.As old heroes and friends ally themselves for one last battle, even older enemies stand arrayed against them. Is humanity ready to face its legends head-on? For Oliver Bascombe, the price may be dearer than even he could ever imagine.

"The Pride, back in L.A.? Their parents, alive? Karolina had never realized hope and fear could feel so much alike." Written by New York Times best-selling author Christopher Golden, Runaways: An Original Novel is a fresh take on the Marvel fan favorite. Including the first issue of the revived Runaways comic series written by Rainbow Rowell and with art by Kris Anka, it's easy for fans of the comics, fans of the new Hulu TV show, and first-time readers to all enjoy this new take on an old classic. Turns out murderous Super Villains don't make for good parents. The Runaways had no choice. They had to kill them. Well, more or less. Now Nico, Karolina, Gert, Chase, and Molly are on the run again, hiding out and trying to regain a sense of normalcy. But kids with super powers don't get to be normal. The city is overrun with criminals, each faction bent on murdering them for one reason or another. It's only when the Runaways uncover the truth behind their parents' past that they...

View our feature on Christopher Golden's Waking Nightmares.Peter Octavian, once a vampire, now a powerful mage, has been living a quiet life in San Francisco. But when the barrier that used to prevent demons and monsters from entering the world have fallen, Octavian is compelled to do what he can to hold back the darkness.Review'The pacing is always pedal-to-the-floor, the main characters are larger than life and the demons and other assorted monstrosities give Lovecraft's Cthulu mythos a run for their money' Barnes & Noble Online 'Something wicked this way comes in Christopher Golden's WAKING NIGHTMARES. An intriguing thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, it highlights the nightmare that has been unleashed in Hawthorne and which the police are ill-equipped to handle. In a race against time, Keomany and Peter, along with several other secondary characters, must discover the source before Hawthorne is consumed and the terror spreads beyond the town limits to the rest of the world. Readers get glimpses into several lives as they are affected by the circumstances and must piece together the puzzle along with Peter and Keomany to determine the nature of the threat. A thrilling page-turner, WAKING NIGHTMARES is a great addition to the spring/summer reading collection' Romance Reviews Today ' A thrilling horror tale' scifibulletin.com 'Whether a reader has been waiting for Peter Octavian's return or just wants a good horror adventure, WAKING NIGHTMARES is a satisfying read' assignmentx.com About the AuthorChristopher Golden is the author of more than twenty novels, including the critically-acclaimed Strangewood, and six nonfiction projects. He has worked in the comic book field for both Marvel and Dark Horse, and his short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. He received the Bram Stoker Award for his nonfiction work, Cut: Horror Writers on Horror Film. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. Visit his website at www.christophergolden.com

Xander is shot at while trying to save Buffy's mother from the Sons of Entropy who abduct her so they can trade her for Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Their leader, II Maestro wants to present Buffy to a demon who thirsts for a Slayer's blood. In a bid to save Xander, Cordelia and Willow walk the ghost roads in order to reach the Cauldron of Bran, the Blessed. As the breaches between the two worlds have been opened, the ghost roads have turned into a battlefield where the ghosts are battling the demons from the pit. In the midst of all this chaos, Belphegor arrives in Sunnydale for Buffy. In a crypt, her blood turning to ice in her veins, Buffy hears his ominous threatening. Will Buffy be able to escape and save the others from the horror of the evil that surrounds them?

In shadowy back alleys, crumbling brownstones, and gleaming skyscrapers, cities harbor unique forms of terror. Here lie malicious ghosts, cursed buildings, malignant deities, and personal demons of every kind. Twenty of today's most talented writers bend their skills toward the darkness, creating brand-new tales guaranteed to keep you awake at night— especially if you live in the dark cities. Far worse than mythical creatures such as vampires and werewolves, these are horrors that lurk in the places you go every day—where you would never expect to find them. But they are there, and now that you know, you'll never again walk the streets alone.

As long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer. One girl in the all the world, to find them where they gather and to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. Around Sunnydale, they say a scarecrow saturated with Halloween rain will come alive and slaughter anyone in sight. (Lovely place, Sunnydale.) Buffy's best friends, Xander and Willow, used to think the tale was nonsense — but after a few adventures with Buffy, they're not so sure. Even without a maniacal scarecrow, a Sunnydale Halloween is a truly horrific happening. There are enough zombies and vampires about, ready to party hearty and eat some brains, to keep the Slayer and her friends up all night. And then rain starts to fall....

In 525 B.C., the Persian king Cambyses sent fifty thousand soldiers across the conquered Egyptian desert to take an oasis city not far from where the Libyan border stands today. According to Greek history, a hurricane-force sandstorm struck near the end of their six-hundred-mile trek. The army -- all fifty thousand men -- vanished without a single trace. Fast forward to 1986. A British archaeological team, sent to the edge of the Great Sand Sea to exhume evidence of the incident, has also gone missing. So the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is sending the world's greatest paranormal investigator, Hellboy, to find the missing Brits and to discover what became of The Lost Army. Dark Horse is proud to present a milestone in the history of Hellboy. This illustrated novel is written by Christopher Golden, best-selling author of the book Of Saints and Shadows. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has done sixty-eight black-and-white illustrations for the story,...