Ergebnis für "Christmas Tales" in Science Fiction & Fantasy

Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas, and all through Pine Cove, California, people are busy buying, wrapping, packing, and generally getting into the holiday spirit.

He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake. This lighthearted song is a bit more ominous in the context of other Christmas traditions. From beasts that threaten to cook children into stew to sinister crones who snatch little ones from their beds, you won’t find any dancing sugar plums here. Outside of the heartwarming Christmas tales we all know and love, there are an abundance of frightening stories to chill all who hear them to the bone.

London, England. Charlotte Connors is tired of asking for a man, only to find coal in her stocking. Emboldened by a little liquid courage, she gives up on Father Christmas and uses her grandmother’s old book to summon a faerie plus-one for the holiday party. But when against all odds it actually works, Charlotte finds herself face-to-face with a foul-mouthed, hungover hitman. Bain was looking to sleep it off after taking revelling to new heights at the Winter Solstice. Instead, the acerbic assassin is stuck with a naïve, pathetic human who doesn’t even have a target in mind.

Every town has its secrets. When it becomes known that Mr. Nicholas, the eccentric owner of the local hardware store, is somehow involved with reindeer, toys, and children, the town becomes more and more suspicious that this man is more than just a clerk on Main Street. JB, a clever, open ten-year-old boy with Down syndrome, is able to figure out the secret from the first time Mr. Nicholas gives him a chocolate deer wrapped in gold foil.

From the twisted imagination of Andrew Buckley comes an original set of Christmas fairy tales designed to educate, amuse, and horrify in equal measure. Discover the true nature of a trickernack, witness the plight of the evil Christmas gnome, and learn the consequences of Timmy Tinker's insatiable greed—and that's just the beginning.

Listen to a modern re-telling of "The Elves and the Shoemaker" and you might conclude it's a tale in praise of gratitude: "Gratitude is noble. If someone does you a kind turn, be nice in return."

While the elusive Secret Symphony of Giovanni St. John captivated the world's fascination, it left his daughter closed away in the Silent House; she, the one who holds the fullness of truth about the ninth symphony. Now Aria St. John is determined to not only break free of the loss that has defined her, but to honor her father through one final gift in his last days.

In this touching Christmas tale, a Minnesota widower has a magical encounter with an enchanted snow man—and gets a last glimpse of the love of his life. Originally appeared in Cicada Magazine. Narrated by Scott William Carter.

Giant trapdoor spiders have launched an assault against the human race and appear to be winning the war. Civilization crumbles, and all hope begins to fade. Nonetheless, even during these terrible times, Christmas still manages to arrive. John, trapped on a farm with his only surviving daughter, desperately tries to find a way to give his little girl some type of holiday joy. To his surprise, John soon discovers Christmas miracles might, in fact, be real as the perfect present arrives on their front doorstep. The only problem is, he may have to race against time to salvage this miracle before the spiders snag it in their deadly traps...

Kris Kringle has awakened from his yearly slumber. What has passed by for him in the blink of an eye has been a year-long struggle for survival in the world of man as a plague tears through the masses turning everyday people into flesh-eating fiends. Santa has one night: one night to make a difference, one night to help man turn the tide against the undead. Will he succeed?

One year after the Shattering and the great collapse, survivors in Columbus, Ohio, are barely holding things together. Then, on December 24, when all seemed lost, a new hero appears, and he is determined to protect all the children of the Earth.

Abducted into a cult called The Brotherhood of Peace at age 12, she has grown up in an abusive system. Now as an adult, she is desperate to get away before she must become a “Bride of the Prophet” and is forced to have sex with the leader, the lecherous Father Caleb. Sarah runs from the cult…and straight into the arms of a tall, dark, angry Kindred warrior. Commander Sazar is the ultimate diplomat but not a very good boss. In fact, he’s awful because he has the habit of biting his personal assistants. As a Pitch-Blood Kindred, he needs blood on a regular basis.