Shapers of Worlds

The fifth and final installment in a series of powerhouse anthologies featuring some of today's top authors of science fiction and fantasy

From outer space to inner space, from realms of the never-were to those of the here-and-now and the soon-to-be, the twenty-four authors in this fifth and final collection of science fiction and fantasy by writer featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers plunge readers into fantastic worlds filled with unforgettable characters.

Teenagers are disappearing in a mysterious grove, and no one knows why-not even those who escape it. The god of love finds magical arrows just don't cut it in the modern world of digital matchmaking. A prisoner discovers he has been stripped of thirty-five years of memories as punishment for a crime he cannot remember. Far from being a refuge from humdrum reality, dreams become a trap for one young man when he encounters those who dwell there. A man who hunts angels for a living has the tables turned on him by the last angel he corners. Talking beasts from the island of a certain infamous doctor arrive in London to make their way in the world of men, only to be caught up in the ongoing Martian invasion . . .

Shapers of Worlds Volume V showcases stories by Brad C. Anderson, Edo van Belkom, J. G. Gardner, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, Chadwick Ginther, Evan Graham, M. C. A. Hogarth, M. J. Kuhn, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Kevin Moore, Robin Stevens Payes, James S. Peet, Omari Richards, Lawrence M. Schoen, Alex Shvartsman, Alan Smale, Richard Sparks, P. L. Stuart, Brad R. Torgersen, Hayden Trenholm, Brian Trent, Eli K. P. William, Edward Willett, and Natalie Wright. Every story is illustrated with an original black-and-white drawing by Wendi Nordell.

Travel into the past, the present, and the future in stories set in our world, in deep space, in the land of dreams, and in worlds of pure imagination, shaped by an outstanding roster of authors featuring many bestsellers and award-winners. All you have to do is turn the page . . .

Praise for the previous volume
"One of the most overall enjoyable anthologies I have had the pleasure of reading . . . I think that the editor says it best in his introduction: this collection is like a grand feast, made of many varied splendid ingredients, and you are quite sure to leave happy and satisfied when you are done." - Tangent Online

Introduction



The Rusalka Wakes Up
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore



The Bones of Heroes
Chadwick Ginther



Mad Dog
Evan Graham



Bleach
M. C. A. Hogarth



The Good Gornak
James S. Peet



Magic That Cannot Be Undone
J. G. Gardner



The Grove
M. J. Kuhn



Coming of Age
Edo van Belkom



Never Again the Same
L. Jagi Lamplighter



Rumspringa in Sanzheika
Alex Shvartsman



The Palmist
Robin Stevens Payes



Forest Dark
P. L. Stuart



'Twas
Richard Sparks



Quid est Veritas?
Edward Willett



Grey Scale
Hayden Trenholm



Someone to Dream With
Eli K. P. William



Pole Dancer
Brad R. Torgersen



Cupid 2.0
Brad C. Anderson



The Panda's Dream
Lawrence M. Schoen



Red-Eye and Thunderbird
Alan Smale



Nowhere Falls
Kevin Moore



The Crumbling Walls: A Tale of Nahwalla
Omari Richards



A Juggler's Farce
Natalie Wright



The Beasts at the End of the World
Brian Trent



About the Authors and Illustrato
Acknowledgments
About Shadowpaw Press
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