Showing results by narrator "Mark Bowen" in All Categories

Jack Spaulding expected to close a deal—not become an alien breeding experiment. Now he’s back on Earth with a very personal problem: something is growing inside him and feeding on his orgasms. His career’s in jeopardy, his marriage is unraveling, and his body’s become a ticking alien time bomb.

The Children of the Night is a short story written by Robert E. Howard, first published in 1931. The tale is a blend of horror, dark fantasy, and the supernatural, typical of Howard's style. It centers around a group of scholars and intellectuals who gather to discuss ancient history and the occult. One of the central characters, John O'Donnell, finds himself inexplicably drawn to an ancient skull during their conversation.

The Breaking of the Chain is a historical adventure story by Robert E. Howard, best known for his creation of Conan the Barbarian and other iconic characters of pulp fiction. In this short tale, Howard delves into a more grounded, historical setting, evoking themes of rebellion, freedom, and the relentless struggle against oppression. The story is set during an unspecified time of turmoil, featuring a protagonist who rises against the chains of tyranny. True to Howard's signature style, the narrative is rich with vivid descriptions of battle, grit, and human resilience.

Discover the heartbeat of American poetry through 101 Great American Poems — a carefully curated collection that spans centuries of voices. From the reflective verses of Anne Bradstreet to the bold rhythms of Langston Hughes, this anthology captures the soul of a nation through themes of love, loss, freedom, and hope. Tracing a journey from Puritan resolve to the artistic fervor of the Harlem Renaissance, these poems invite readers to explore America's evolving identity across generations and genres.

America's black intellectuals - writers, historians, educators, and community activists - have made major contributions to the struggle for equality and human rights throughout American public life. The key streams of thought that gave rise to the intellectual traditions associated with African Americans emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries. These same traditions continue to develop and influence social and political processes today.

"The Princess and the Goblin" by George MacDonald is a classic fairy tale that intertwines the adventures of a brave princess named Irene and her encounters with magical creatures, including goblins and a mysterious great-great-grandmother. Set in a fantastical world, the story explores themes of courage, loyalty, and the triumph of good over evil. MacDonald weaves a captivating narrative filled with enchanting elements and moral undertones, making it a timeless and delightful read for audiences of all ages.

Tamerlane is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe that follows a fictionalized accounting of the life of a Turco-Mongol conqueror historically known as Tamerlane. The poem was first published in the 1827 collection Tamerlane and Other Poems. The poem's original version was 403 lines but trimmed down to 223 lines for its inclusion in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems.

"Of Withered Apples" was first published in Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy (July 1954). An apple tree mentally controls a woman in order to live... The story is simple enough on the surface (and perhaps a little too gimmicky in its ending), but what sticks with the reader is the woman's profound frustration, the comic dull stupidity of her husband and father-in-law, and the way nature itself calls, through her many manifestations, to the unquellable sensuality in all of us.

"Meddler" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published in Future Science Fiction, October 1954 with illustration by Virgil Finlay. The technology called "The Dip" is used by historians to observe and study historical phenomenon. Wood is showing Hasten a new version of the Dip that can look into the future. Hastern is horrified by this. Not only is it illegal to Dip into the future, it is extremely dangerous. Anything from the future brought into the present has the potential to radically alter future event.

"The Gun" is a science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in 1952 September issue of Planet Stories, and later published in Beyond Lies the Wub in 1984. "The Gun" has been published in Italian, German, French and Polish translations. The plot centers around a group of space explorers who investigate a planet which appears deserted. However, they are shot down and crash land on the planet. While repairing their ship, a team of explorers sets to survey the surrounding area, where they discover the ruins of an ancient city.

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1602. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.

The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism, by Lenin, is a concise article that examines the historical roots, essence, and content of Marxist teaching. Lenin wrote it on the 30th anniversary of the death of Karl Marx. Soviet propaganda makers lifted a key quote from the article to use as a slogan for posters, inscriptions on monuments, or other propaganda purposes. The phrase was: "The might of Marx's teaching is in its truth."

People of the Dark is a short story by Robert E. Howard, first published in 1932. The tale blends elements of fantasy, horror, and adventure, set within the dark and mysterious world of ancient races and reincarnation. The protagonist, John O'Brien, experiences strange dreams in which he finds himself in a past life as a warrior named Conan. Through these visions, he discovers a lost civilization and becomes entangled in an ancient conflict. The story is notable for its exploration of themes such as the cyclical nature of time, the struggle for power, and the primal instincts buried deep within human nature.

Looking to learn about how you can use martial arts for self defense or for sport? This bundle has three audiobooks of some of the most popular forms of martial arts: Karate, Ju-Jitsu, and Taekwondo.

Robinson Asbury has built a life of influence through hard work and strategic brilliance. But when the wind of political convenience shifts, he discovers that those who cheered his rise are the first to arrange his fall. In a society that demands a culprit to protect its own, Asbury must face a system where justice is a luxury and the truth is a dangerous weapon. With his signature controlled wit and deceptive lightness, Dunbar strips away the mask of "polite society" to reveal the raw power plays beneath.

In Representative American Negroes, Paul Laurence Dunbar steps away from fiction to present a series of powerful, intimate portraits of men and women who met the challenges of their era with unyielding dignity and brilliant intellect. Writing with the precision of a historian and the soul of a poet, Dunbar captures more than biography—he captures the spirit of an era. These sketches reflect perseverance in the face of prejudice and quiet distinction in an age of loud opposition.

La Vita Nuova (pronounced [la ˈviːta ˈnwɔːva]; Italian for The New Life) is a text by Dante Alighieri published in 1294. It is an expression of the medieval genre of courtly love in a prosimetrum style, a combination of both prose and verse.

Contents: The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, The City of the Sun by Tommaso Campanella, The New Atlantis by Francis Bacon, Utopia by Thomas More, Utilitarianism byJohn Stuart Mill, On Liberty by John Stuart Mill, An Answer to the Question What is Enlightenment by Immanuel Kant, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, A Confession by Leo Tolstoy, Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, The Madman, His Parables and Poems by Kahlil Gibran, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau.

Titus Andronicus is the main character and tragic hero in William Shakespeare's play of the same name, Titus Andronicus, a Senecan tragedy. Titus is a Roman nobleman and a general in the war who distinguished himself in ten years of service against the Goths. Despite his exemplary service the war's toll on him is sufficient that he declined the emperorship. Nonetheless, he begins the play as an exemplary citizen. However faith in the traditions of the Roman system of government eventually leads to his death as others seek revenge.

Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1602. It was described by Frederick S. Boas as one of Shakespeare's problem plays. The play ends on a very bleak note with the death of the noble Trojan Hector and destruction of the love between Troilus and Cressida. The work has in recent years "stimulated exceptionally lively critical debate". Throughout the play, the tone lurches wildly between bawdy comedy and tragic gloom, and readers and theatre-goers have frequently found it difficult to understand how one is meant to respond to the characters.