The World Beyond The Hill

Science fiction is a field of literature that has great interest and great controversy among its writers and critics. This book examines the roots, history, development, current status, and future directions of the field through articles contributed by well-respected science fiction writers, teachers, and critics. This book can be used as a textbook for courses in theory as well as courses in science fiction literature and science fiction writing.

"This book is about Charles Fort, his followers, and the surprising influence they have had on science fiction, the avant-garde, UFOlogy, and more broadly on the role of spirituality and conspiracy in the modern world. Fort was an author and maverick philosopher who wrote four non-fiction books about anomalies-rains of frogs, mysterious disappearances, unexplained lights in the sky-for which he offered hypotheses that even he did not (always) accept as true. His books developed into a monistic philosophy that denounced science as a machine for generating truth. In his view, science was a small part of a larger system in which truth and falsity were constantly transforming one into the other. This was not a rejection of the modern world but, instead, its fulfillment: Fort prophesied the next stage in intellectual evolution after the scientific era. He inspired four overlapping groups: members of the Fortean Society; science fiction fans and writers; avant-garde artists; and flying saucer enthusiasts. First We Must Think to New Worlds takes up each of these groups in turn to ask: How can the human imagination be expanded? What is the fundamental structure of the universe? And, how does power move? As they developed their responses, Fort's followers mixed Forteanism with Fundamentalism, New Agery, and conspiracy, as well as a host of other forms of modern enchantments, such as the ironic imagination, scientific wonder, and Theosophical syncretism. Each chapter is interrupted by and concludes with shorter sections that focus on particular Forteans or Fortean events as a way to deepen themes"--

“When I am the Creator then I am the Destroyer too” This book is a compilation of three fictional stories ranging from imaginative adventures to even possible ones. Bubbling with riddles, bizarre creatures and unexplained mysteries, these stories will introduce you to relatable characters and open your mind to a world you never knew could exist. A trip of two friends to an island so deadly that it is deemed impossible, a girl’s sudden ability to predict the future contributes to life and death situations and lastly the unexpected spawning of an adventure from nothing but a single book.

...In the world of life beyond death, there are seven main planes. There are different realms in these seven planes assigned for different types of souls. In the lower levels the sinners experience punishments for their sins and in the higher levels the virtuous souls experience the rewards for their virtues. The Bhu-plane and Bhuva-plane are the only planes for experiencing the rewards and punishments in accordance to the worldly karma of a soul. Right after the boundary of Bhuva-plane starts the arena of eternal karma. The field of karma for the enlightened souls start from Swaloka and has extended through Maholoka, Janoloka and Tapoloka. The enlightened souls who dwell in those planes control everything of this universe according to God's instructions...

An evolutionary and transformative journey through the history of science fiction from the innermost passions and dreams of the human spirit to the farthest reaches of the universe, human imagination, and beyond. '...a grand vision of the role of science fiction in the progress of human consciousness.' Dr. Karlheinz Steinmüller, Winner of the Kurd Lasswitz Award

From best-selling Native American writer Joseph M. Marshall III comes an inspirational guide deeply rooted in Lakota spirituality. When a young man’s father dies, he turns to his sagacious grandfather for comfort. Together they sit underneath the family’s cottonwood tree, and the grandfather shares his perspective on life, the perseverance it requires, and the pleasure and pain of the journey. Filled with dialogues, stories, and recollections, each section focuses on a portion of the prose poem “Keep Going” and provides commentary on the text. Readers will draw comfort, knowledge, and strength from the Grandfather’s wise words—just as Marshall himself did.