Kevin Theis – författare

Chicago theater veteran Kevin Theis, co-author of the cult classic “Confessions of a Transylvanian: a Story of Sex, Drugs and Rocky Horror,” presents: “Invading Nirvana: a Chicagoan in the City of Angels” the story of one actor’s quixotic odyssey into the heart of the entertainment industry: Hollywood, California.

From the early preparations for his trip to La La Land to his search for representation, his encounters with the famous (and soon-to-be famous) as well as his deep-dive exploration of this unique and fascinating city, “Invading Nirvana” is a must-read for anyone considering moving to L.A. to pursue a dream of breaking into show business.

The author is both candid and unsparing in his description of the industry, the city of Los Angeles and the challenges of being a performer in Hollywood looking for work.  Casting agents, pay-to-meet workshops, the comedy club scene, film and TV auditions as well as a peek inside the audiobook world; every aspect of the entertainment industry is thoroughly examined in this hilarious and comprehensive look at life as a professional actor in Hollywood.

In this early "Jeeves" novel, the infamous Bertie Wooster, rebuffing the assistance of his trusty manservant Jeeves, attempts to help his old chum and newt-fancier Gussie Fink-Nottle win the affections of the goofy but adorable Madeline Bassett.  But without Jeeves to lend a hand, chaos ensues and Bertie finds himself accidentally - and horribly - engaged to Madeline himself.

"Right Ho, Jeeves" contains a passage described by actor Stephen Fry (a Jeeves and Bertie veteran) as "“the single funniest piece of sustained writing in the language."

A much beloved romp by the master of satirical comedy, the legendary P.G. Wodehouse.

Regarded by many as the world's first detective story, Edgar Allan Poe here creates C. Auguste Dupin, the proto-Sherlock Holmes, investigating the murder of two women and arriving at a startling - and horrifying - conclusion. 

"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" was first published in 1841 in Graham's Magazine and is the first of three stories to center around Dupin, who here explains his theory of "ratiocination," where a precise, logical and unemotional examination of the facts will lead to the solution of a mystery...no matter how bizarre the conclusion.  Poe's Dupin had a profound impact on later writers and his theory of detection is clearly reflected in Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" series as well as the works of Agatha Christie.

This edition also features an essay by Poe's contemporary and friend N.P. Willis entitled "The Death of Edgar A. Poe."

A prisoner, sentenced to death during the Spanish Inquisition, finds himself trapped in a lightless cell to contemplate his fate.  Will he die by falling helplessly into a deathly, yawning pit in the center of the room?  Or will the deadly, razor-sharp pendulum slowly descending from the ceiling be the cause of his demise?

This is an unabridged copy of the classic story by the Master of Horror, Edgar Allan Poe.

Long hailed as one of the great science fiction classics, H.G. Wells' "The Island of Doctor Moreau" tells the story of Edward Prendick, a shipwreck survivor who is brought to an uncharted island where he encounters Doctor Moreau, a mad scientist bent on experimenting with human/animal hybrids.

Described by Wells himself as "an exercise in youthful blasphemy," this story is a disturbing and fascinating look into the moral responsibility of scientific experimentation, the ethics of meddling with the natural world and, ultimately, what it means to be human.

Washington Irving's classic tale of horror and suspense, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" relates the story of Ichabod Crane, the lanky Tarrytown schoolmaster who, in 1790, vies for the hand of the local beauty Katrina Van Tassel.  After attending a party at the Van Tassel's one fall night, Crane learns of the legend of the mysterious and spectral Headless Horseman, who rides by night and terrorizes the locals. Traveling home after the party, the superstitious and crestfallen Crane spies a fellow rider in the woods.  A rider...without a head!

An American Halloween tradition since its publication in 1820, Irving's tale is a classic of the genre and a thrilling holiday yarn.

H.G. Wells, one of the world's earliest and most celebrated science fiction authors, created a number of unforgettable classics of the genre, including "The Invisible Man," "War of the Worlds," "The FIrst Men on the Moon" and many more.

Here, we present a two-volume collection of Wells most celebrated classics of science fiction and horror: "The Time Machine" and "The Island of Doctor Moreau."  This ebook combines both Wells' groundbreaking exploration of time-travel and his "youthful blasphemy" tale of animal/human hybrids.  

Enjoy both classics in one complete volume!

The third of Edgar Allan Poe's early detective stories featuring his classic character C. Auguste Dupin, this is a celebrated tale of intrigue, blackmail and mystery as only the master could tell it and a forerunner to the creation of the character of Sherlock Holmes.

When a member of the Royal House has a sensitive document stolen, the police department turns in desparation to C. Auguste Dupin, amateur slueth and renowned logician.  Can the document be recovered before the blackmailer wins the day?  Can Dupin solve the crime that has baffled all of the Parisian police force?Find out in this classic tale of mystery and intrigue!

A much-beloved classic story by the Master of Horror- Edgar Allan Poe- "The Black Cat" tells an unforgettable tale of obsession, murder...and revenge!  

Poe's narrator, who admits to horribly mistreating the eponymous house pet, is forced to deal with the bizarre and unexplanable reprocussions of his own cruelty. 

Enjoy this unabridged version of one of Poe's most spine-tingling stories...The Black Cat!

One of the earliest stories from the Master of Horror - Edgar Allan Poe - "The Fall of the House of Usher" tells the tale of Roderick and Madeline Usher, ailing siblings who inhabit a haunting mansion that is, as they are, slowly deteriorating.

A thrilling and eerie story from the greatest writer of suspenseful tales in literary history.

Edgar Allan Poe - the Master of Horror - was also responsible for writing the first detective stories in history.  His master sleuth, the elusive logician C. Auguste Dupin, is the man the police turn to when they find themselves unable to solve a mystery.

Here are two of Poe's Dupin stories in a single volume, one involving blackmail of the royal family and the other...a tale of two brutal murders in the heart of Paris!

A classic tale of adventure and romance, Rafael Sabatini's "Captain Blood" tells the story of Peter Blood, doctor and military veteran, who is mistaken for a rebel, arrested and transported to Barbados where he is sold into slavery.

Escaping his captivity during a raid on the colony, Blood and his fellow convicts capture a Spanish ship and sail off to become the most successful pirates in the Caribbean.

"Captain Blood" is Sabatini at his very best, succeeding as both an adventure novel and powerful discourse on the evils of slavery and injustice.  

An early collection of short stories by England's greatest humorist, P.G. Wodehouse, "My Man Jeeves" features four tales of Bertie Wooster and his wily manservant, Jeeves and four stories of an early Wooster prototype, self-described "chump" Reggie Pepper.

Eight of the most enjoyable and popular short stories of the early twentieth century "My Man Jeeves" is a must-read for any Wodehouse fan.

The master of 20th century English humor - P.G. Wodehouse- here presents two classics of the genre- "My Man Jeeves" and "Right Ho, Jeeves." The perpetually befuddled Bertie Wooster and his knight in shining tuxedo Jeeves have long been hailed as the greatest literary creations of P.G. Wodehouse, the most popular English humorist in history.  

Enjoy these two classic Wodehouse stories in one complete set!

H.G. Wells classic tale of science, ethics and madness, "The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance" tells the story of a scientist named Griffin who develops an ingenious serum that can render people invisible.  Taking it himself, Griffin begins a slow descent into insanity...and murder.

One of Wells' infamous Scientific Romances, "The Invisible Man" is an early sci-fi classic and a must-read for all fans of the genre.  

Included in this unabridged version is a brief essay on the themes Wells' explores in this timeless novel of scientific discovery, madness and temptation.

Jeeves and Wooster return!  In this collection of short stories, P.G. Wodehouse - the Master of British Comedy - puts his affable but daffy protagonist Bertie Wooster through the wringer time and again, only to be saved (as always) by his trusty manservant Jeeves.  Featuring such favorites from the series as Bingo Little, Aunt Agatha and the chaotic twins Eustace and Claude, "The Inimitable Jeeves" brings Bertie to America and back as he attempts to assist is friend Bingo to finally tie the knot.

A beloved classic from one of England's greatest humorists.

Here, the master of 20th century English humor, P. G. Wodehouse, presents two of his most beloved classics: The Inimitable Jeeves and My Man Jeeves. 

The perpetually befuddled Bertie Wooster and his knight-in-shining-tuxedo Jeeves have long been hailed as the greatest literary creations of P. G. Wodehouse, the most popular English humorist in history.  Here are TWO complete novels, the latter containing a handful of short stories featuring Reggie Pepper, an early prototype for Bertie.

Enjoy these two classic Wodehouse stories in one complete set!

Long hailed as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, Joseph Conrad's tale of one man's descent into the mysterious and deadly Congo jungle to find a messianic ivory trader is a journey into the depths of man's own greed and quest for power.  Marlow, our narrator, relates his story of his slow upriver quest to meet the strange and enigmatic Kurtz, who lives isolated in the jungle and is revered by the natives he exploits.  An unflinching look at the contrast (and similarities) between the so-called "civilized" and "primitive" worlds, Conrad's novel has become a classic novella, regularly included on any list of the finest books of the past century.

Perhaps the most beloved Christmas book of all time, Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" tells the story of the miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge, who is given one, final chance at redemption on Christmas Eve when he is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley.  Scrooge will be guided by three Spirits- of Christmas Past, Present and Future - who will show the old miser the error of his ways.

Easily one of the most heralded and widely-adapted holiday stories ever created, "A Christmas Carol" is Dickens at his finest and most moving.  A must-read addition to any library.

Edgar Allan Poe, long heralded as the dark master of macabre fiction, is one of America's most celebrated and admired authors.  Here, in this collection, you can enjoy four of his most beloved tales:  "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Purloined Letter" and "The Masque of the Red Death."

Poe's atmospheric, moving and disturbing stories are perfect for a late-night read that will send a shiver up your spine!

This collection also features a brief biography of the author.

Edgar Allan Poe, long heralded as the dark master of macabre fiction, is one of America's most celebrated and admired authors.  Here, in this collection, you can enjoy four of his most beloved tales:  "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Black Cat," "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart."  

Poe's atmospheric, moving and disturbing stories are perfect for a late-night read that will send a shiver up your spine!

This collection also features a brief biography of the author.

Lewis Carroll''s classic tale of nonsense and imagination, "Alice''s Adventures in Wonderland" was an immediate sensation upon its publication in 1865. It tells the tale of Alice, a young girl who tumbles down a rabbit hole into a world filled with talking rabbits, grinning cats, mad hatters and vengeful queens.

Long hailed as one of the greatest children''s books ever created, "Alice" has permeated the culture. The subject of dozens of adaptations, re-tellings, films and stage productions, "Alice" and the sequel Carroll penned soon thereafter - "Through the Lookingglass" - are two of the most treasured works of fiction in the English language.

This version - produced in its unabridged form - also includes a brief biography of the author.

Long hailed as one of the great classics of children''s literature, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" tells the story of a young orphan girl, Dorothy, who is caught up in a cyclone and transported to the magical kingdom of Oz. In order to return home, Dorothy is instructed to travel to the City of Emeralds and ask the Wonderful Wizard of Oz for his help in getting her back to Kansas. Along the way, Dorothy befriends a strange groups of traveling companions - a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodsman and a cowardly Lion - who are all in need of the Wizard''s assistance. Thus begins this magical and wonderful journey into a world of unmatched imagination and creativity; a work that inspired no less than thirteen sequels and innumerable film, stage and television adaptations. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is one of the greatest children''s books in all of American literature.

This edition also features a brief biography of the author.

Lewis Carroll''s classic tales of nonsense and imagination are here brought together in a single volume, featuring the complete tales of young Alice, a girl who dreams of fantastical lands full of talking rabbits, grinning cats, mad hatters and vengeful queens.

An immediate sensation upon its publication, these stories have become two of the most beloved children''s stories of all time. Carroll''s brilliant and cleverly satiric tales have been adapted countless times, for the stage, the screen and in animated features, and yet...the stories themselves remain the best way to enjoy both of these timeless classics.

"Treasure Island" was the first - and perhaps the most successful - of Robert Louis Stevenson''s many works of long-form fiction and forever stamped into the public consciousness the names of Jim Hawkins, Squire Trelawney and, of course, the infamous buccaneer Long John Silver.

An unmatched tale of adventure, greed and heart-pounding suspense, "Treasure Island" follows young Jim as he encounters one piratical character after another, eventually embarking on a search for buried treasure that will take him halfway round the world as he and his companions hunt for the elusive pile of gold secreted away by the infamous and cruel pirate, Captain Flint.

Long hailed as one of the greatest adventure stories ever created, Robert Louis Stevenson''s "Treasure Island" has been adapted into countless stage and screen adaptations and is here presented - along with a biography of the author - in it''s original, unabridged form.

In 1852, Frederick Douglass, former slave and, by then, a leading figure in the abolitionist movement was asked by the Rochester Ladies'' Anti-Slavery Association to address the group for their July 4th celebration at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York.

Delivered, in fact, on the 5th of July, the speech caused an immediate sensation and swiftly became a seminal rallying cry of the abolitionist movement in America. The audience in Rochester included none other than President Millard Fillmore (along with a group of politicians from Washington) as well as some of the most important leaders of the abolitionist movement at the time.

Through the years, Douglass'' powerful words have only grown in stature, resonance and importance. His timeless message and elegant prose have made this speech - here presented in its unabridged, original format - one of the greatest orations in history.

Here is an unabridged version of the classic gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." It tells the story of mild-mannered lawyer G.J. Utterson who becomes alarmed by the odd behavior of his friend and client Dr. Henry Jekyll. After apparently befriending the mysterious and ill-tempered Edward Hyde, Dr. Jekyll''s behavior becomes erratic and after a local murder is attributed to Hyde, the lawyer is forced to conclude that his friend has been caught up in a sinister extortion scheme. This thrilling story has become so intertwined with our cultural narrative that "Jekyll and Hyde" has become shorthand for those people with seemingly split personalities.

It is presented here in its original form and features a biography of the author, Scottish storyteller Robert Louis Stevenson, also known for his adventure novels "Kidnapped" and "Treasure Island."