Spectrum

A student sorcerer just can't seem to get a break after he transmogrifies his assistant into a palm tree. Alien Bleeders are coming for Earth, ingesting one terraformed planet after another. A ghoul hungers for souls but still finds time to enjoy art. And a shoeshine boy struggles to make ends meet at the far edge of the Oberon Galaxy.

Markey VI, an android on an orbiting space station, assists an artificial intelligence. David, the AI, ponders the question of humanity's fate. The ultimate question is, "Should life be returned to Earth?" The answer is known as the Singular Conclusion. But the answer's impact reaches far deeper into Markey VI's electronic components and programmed logic than could be anticipated. And the android's final moments bring it closer to humanity itself.

Anna wants Gina to forget about Todd. She tells Gina a scary story about the Winter Revelers. They were a mysterious group that had disappeared years ago in the woods behind Anna's cabin. So what do the two women decide to do on a cold Saturday morning? They take a winter hike in the woods to search for the missing Revelers.

What's new in the second edition of Spectrum?

• A rewrite of the science-fiction story "Edge of Twilight".
• A new fantasy story, "The Trouble with Potions"
• A new dystopian story, "A Metal Heart Shines Brightest"
• An updated selection of stories