Light, Laugh, and Human Folly is a collection of novellas centered around anti-heroes living in a society that makes a straight road to success impossible. Alexander Belyaev's reality-set stories with a touch of science fiction are chillingly close to home. They present the reader with scenarios that are very plausible and easy to imagine witnessing in today's world. Instead of introducing a traditional hero, who comes and saves the world, Belyaev centers his narrative around individuals who are not only far from heroic but are decidedly unlikable at times.
This collection includes the following works:
- Invisible Light
- Mister Laugh
- Doomsday
Antonio Presto had everything - fame, fortune, and prestige. And yet, through a terrible whim of nature, he could not have what he most wanted - ordinary human happiness. One day, he decided to change it all by appealing to one of the strangest physicians available.
Alexander Belyaev's rare foray into a bit of mysticism, 'The Witches' Castle' is a reminder how careful must be wandering around the woods, especially when mysterious strangers and spooky buildings might be involved.
A mysterious creature haunts the fishermen and pearl divers of the La Plata Bay. The superstitious local villagers call him the Sea Devil. When a pearl merchant decides to capture the strange being against all odds, the truth turns out to be far more tragic and complex than anyone had ever imagined.
Great historic rulers attempted to take over the world with superior armies and weapons. Ludwig Shtirner decided not to follow in their footsteps. Instead, he set out to take over the world using nothing more than the power of his mind.
Ariel does not know who he is, where he is from, or what is his purpose in life. The chance to get the answers comes in the form of a strange experiment, in which Ariel receives the ability to fly.
Marie Lauran is a young medical school graduate desperately looking for a job. Just as her savings are about to run out, she lands an assistant position with the famous surgeon, Professor Kern. The terms of her contract are somewhat strange, but the pay is spectacular, and Marie is the sole breadwinner in her household.
When she takes the job and steps through the door of Professor Kern's laboratory, Marie enters a nightmare world she realizes she cannot escape. Instead of a promising medical career, she ends up in the middle of a fight for her life and sanity, where she can trust no one and where everything she believed in is put into question.
A mysterious creature haunts the fishermen and pearl divers of the La Plata Bay. The superstitious local villagers call him the Sea Devil. When a pearl merchant decides to capture the strange being against all odds, the truth turns out to be far more tragic and complex than anyone had ever imagined.
How many ways are there to drive someone mad? You could take him out of his time and propel him into another era. You could pluck him from his home and drop them in the middle of primitive jungle.You could pull him off the surface of the Earth altogether.
Welcome to the Tales of Madness - a collection of three novellas by Alexander Belyaev bound to make you ponder the variety of ways, in which one might lose his mind.
This collection includes the following works:
- Neither Life Nor Death
- The Death's Head Moth
- Over the Abyss
Ariel does not know who he is, where he is from, or what is his purpose in life. The chance to get the answers comes in the form of a strange experiment, in which Ariel receives the ability to fly.
