In the Orbit of Love

In the Orbit of Love
Author: David Konstan
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2018-06-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 0190887893

This book is about love in the classical world - not erotic passion but the kind of love that binds together intimate members of a family and very close friends, but which may also be extended to include a wider range of individuals for whom we care deeply. The book begins with a discussion of friendship, focusing particularly on the Greek notion that in friendship the identities of two friends all but merge into one. The book then turns to the question of loyalty, and why loyalty seems not to have achieved the status of a virtue in classical thought. The next chapter considers love in relation to generosity, favors, and gratitude. There follows a discussion of grief, which is a symptom of the loss of a loved one. The final chapter treats love as the basis of civic solidarity. In each case, love is at the basis of the relations under examination. In this, the book departs from the more usual analysis of these affective ties in terms of reciprocity, which in one way or another involves an expectation of return. Seen this way, such relationships seem to have a selfish or at least self-centered dimension, as distinct from truly other-regarding attitudes. While it is true that the ancient sources sometimes describe these relations, including friendship, as forms of mutual obligation, there is also a counter strand that emphasizes genuine altruism, and it is this aspect that the book seeks to bring out. A close look at how love drew into its orbit the various relations examined in this book may shed light on some central features not only of ancient habits of thought but also, it is to be hoped, our own.

Hitchers

Hitchers
Author: Will McIntosh
Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
Total Pages: 279
Release: 2012-02-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1597803367

Two years ago, on the same day but miles apart, Finn Darby lost two of the most important people in his life: his wife Lorena, struck by lightning on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, and his abusive, alcoholic grandfather, Tom Darby, creator of the long-running newspaper comic strip Toy Shop. Against his grandfather’s dying wish, Finn has resurrected Toy Shop, adding new characters, and the strip is more popular than ever, bringing in fan letters, merchandising deals, and talk of TV specials. Finn has even started dating again. When a terrorist attack decimates Atlanta, killing half a million souls, Finn begins blurting things in a strange voice beyond his control. The voice says things only his grandfather could know. Countless other residents of Atlanta are suffering a similar bizarre affliction. Is it mass hysteria, or have the dead returned to possess the living? Finn soon realizes he has a hitcher within his skin... his grandfather. And Grandpa isn’t terribly happy about the changes Finn has been making to Toy Shop. Together with a pair of possessed friends, an aging rock star, and a waitress, Finn races against time to find a way to send the dead back to Deadland... or die trying!

The Business of Death

The Business of Death
Author: Trent Jamieson
Publisher: Orbit
Total Pages: 642
Release: 2011-09-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316123137

Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that's exactly what he gets when someone starts shooting at him. Steven is no stranger to death -- Mr. D's his boss after all -- but when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate, he finds himself on the wrong end of the barrel. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld but now his clients are his own colleagues, friends, and family. Mr. D's gone missing and with no one in charge, the dead start to rise, the living are hunted, and the whole city teeters on the brink of a regional apocalypse -- unless Steven can shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out what happened to his boss -- that is, Death himself. The Business of Death includes the first two volumes of the Death Works trilogy, Death Most Definite and Managing Death, as well as the third volume.

Winter's Orbit

Winter's Orbit
Author: Everina Maxwell
Publisher: Tor Books
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2021-02-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1250758858

A Sunday Times Bestseller! A 2022 Alex Award Winner! “Sparks fly” (NPR) in Everina Maxwell’s gut-wrenching and romantic space opera debut. Prince Kiem, a famously disappointing minor royal and the Emperor's least favorite grandchild, has been called upon to be useful for once. He's commanded to fulfill an obligation of marriage to the representative of the Empire's newest and most rebellious vassal planet. His future husband, Count Jainan, is a widower and murder suspect. Neither wants to be wed, but with a conspiracy unfolding around them and the fate of the empire at stake they will have to navigate the thorns and barbs of court intrigue, the machinations of war, and the long shadows of Jainan's past, and they'll have to do it together. So begins a legendary love story amid the stars. Like Ancillary Justice meets Red, White and Royal Blue, Winter’s Orbit is perfect for fans of Lois McMaster Bujold. “High-pitched noises escaped me; I shouted, more than once, 'Now kiss!' ... in a world so relentlessly uncertain, there’s a powerfully simple pleasure in the experience of a promise kept.” —The New York Times Book Review At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Love Minus Eighty

Love Minus Eighty
Author: Will McIntosh
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2013-06-11
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316217778

In the future, love is complicated and death is not necessarily the end. Love Minus Eighty follows several interconnected people in a disquieting vision of romantic life in the century to come. There's Rob, who accidentally kills a jogger, then sacrifices all to visit her in a cryogenic dating facility, seeking forgiveness but instead falling in love. Veronika, a shy dating coach, finds herself coaching the very woman who is stealing the man she loves. And Mira, a gay woman accidentally placed in a heterosexual dating center near its inception, desperately seeks a way to reunite with her frozen partner as the years pass. In this daring and big-hearted novel based on the Hugo-winning short story, the lovelorn navigate a world in which technology has reached the outer limits of morality and romance.

Ancillary Justice

Ancillary Justice
Author: Ann Leckie
Publisher: Orbit
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316246638

Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards: This record-breaking novel follows a warship trapped in a human body on a quest for revenge. A must read for fans of Ursula K. Le Guin and James S. A. Corey. "There are few who write science fiction like Ann Leckie can. There are few who ever could." -- John Scalzi On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren -- a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

The Red Knight

The Red Knight
Author: Miles Cameron
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2013-01-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316212296

Miles Cameron weaves an epic tale of magic and mercenaries, war and depravity, politics and intrigue in this action-packed debut fantasy The Red Knight. Twenty eight florins a month is a huge price to pay, for a man to stand between you and the Wild. Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men -- or worse, a company of mercenaries -- against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder. It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it. The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he's determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery, it's just another job. The abby is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can't deal with. Only it's not just a job. It's going to be a war. . . If you're a fan of Mark Lawrence, John Gwynne, or Brian McClellan you won't want to miss out on this intricate, epic debut fantasy.

Torn

Torn
Author: Rowenna Miller
Publisher: Orbit
Total Pages: 424
Release: 2018-03-20
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 031647861X

"A gorgeous weave of romantic fantasy and urgent politics." —Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken Knives In an enchanting world of sartorial sorcery, court intrigue, and revolutionary royals, a charm caster finds herself torn between loyalty to her brother and her love for a nobleman as a rebellion sweeps the land in this French Revolution-inspired debut historical fantasy. Sophie, a dressmaker and charm caster, has lifted her family out of poverty with a hard-won reputation for beautiful ball gowns and discreetly embroidered spells. A commission from the royal family could secure her future -- and thrust her into a dangerous new world. Revolution is brewing. As Sophie's brother, Kristos, rises to prominence in the growing anti-monarchist movement, it is only a matter of time before their fortunes collide. When the unrest erupts into violence, she and Kristos are drawn into a deadly magical plot. Sophie is torn—between her family and her future. In a time of revolution, everyone must take a side. Praise for The Unraveled Kingdom: “Miller places immigrant ambition and women’s lives at the heart of her magical tale of politics and revolution. I was utterly enchanted by this unique, clever, and subtly fierce fantasy. —Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne “Strong research, moral ambiguities, and an innovative magic system....A well-executed historical fantasy debut whose author has a sharp eye for detail.” —Kirkus “Miller weaves a fresh, richly textured world full of magic-stitched ball gowns and revolutionary pamphlets. The vivid, complex setting and deeply human characters make for an absorbing read!” —Melissa Caruso, author of The Obsidian Tower The Unraveled Kingdom Torn Rule Fray

Orbit's First Day of School

Orbit's First Day of School
Author: Kyle Hamsher
Publisher: Mascot Books
Total Pages: 38
Release: 2018-01-02
Genre: Baseball stories
ISBN: 9781684012275

It's Houston Astros mascot Orbit's first day of school and he is SO excited to learn about new things here on Earth! But new places can be a little bit scary, too. Join Orbit as he learns how to make new friends, love his new home, and embrace what makes him different because it is also what makes him special!

The Orbit Magazine Anthology

The Orbit Magazine Anthology
Author: Robert St. Mary
Publisher: Painted Turtle
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780814337318

With a mischievous globe-headed mascot that appeared in every issue and even on Quentin Tarantino's T-shirt in Pulp Fiction, Orbit was an instantly recognizable arbiter of 1990s Detroit culture. But its irreverent tone and unique editorial features could be traced to two earlier local publications from creator Jerry Peterson, a.k.a. Jerry Vile-White Noise (1978-1980) and Fun: The Magazine for Swinging Intelectuals [sic] (1986-1990). In The Orbit Magazine Anthology: Re-Entry, author Rob St. Mary details the full run of White Noise, Fun, and Orbit, collecting two decades' worth of Detroit's alternative publishing history into an oversized, heavily illustrated volume that situates the publications in the city's pop culture and media history. St. Mary shows that while other alternative papers followed a tried-and-true focus on lefty politics and the arts, Vile's publications found their niche in biting satire and sharp design that fed on popular culture. From the 70s punk scene in White Noise to audacious articles and irreverent "news" in Fun and a blend of reporting, satire, and culture in Orbit, St. Mary shows that Vile's publications were distinctive in their content and uniquely Detroit in their tone. In sections devoted to each magazine, St. Mary details their recurring features (including dining, movie, and music reviews) and interviews former staffers. Numerous images and page spreads reveal the notable Detroit musicians-like Destroy All Monsters, the Gories, ICP, Jack White, Kid Rock, and Derrick May-and artists-including Niagara, Glenn Barr and Tristan Eaton-that graced their pages. A foreword by Jerry Vile and an afterword by Ben Blackwell round out this one-of-a-kind volume. Anyone interested in Detroit arts and culture or the history of alternative publishing will be grateful for The Orbit Magazine Anthology.