Sean Demory – författare

From Rumplestiltskin to Faust, tales of deals with creatures from beyond have always fascinated readers. "Bargains" continues that tradition with nine original stories about deals with demons, monsters and a host of creatures from the dim recesses of Somewhere Else.

Philomena Thrice-Bound has had her future mapped out for her from before her birth. As the daughter of one of the rulers of a vast city on the edge of a surreal wilderness, her role was to serve as a handmaiden to her family''s infernal benefactor. Philomena will have none of it. Follow Philomena Thrice-Bound on a twisting journey from the perfumed, treacherous Agora to her final destiny. Follow but watch your step. Follow and watch your tongue. Follow.

The witch Sekkura, defender of the Barbary Pirates, sets off on a quest to defend her charges from a mysterious sorcerer. Her journey takes her from the Great Desert to the palaces of the djinn and from the alabaster spires of Algiers to the deepest jungles before her story is complete. "Sycorax Resplendent" tells a story of magic, passion and transformation in the shadows of one of William Shakespeare''s greatest plays.

It’s 1958 and the night sky of Mars sings to a hot-jazz tune played by a quartet of slot machine, rocket engine, laser fire and broken bone. The Outfit and the corporations run Mars, keeping the mines running and the Strip humming. Deputy Marshals ride between the waystations and the city, bringing rough justice to the roughest beat in the solar system. Barsoomist rebels fight a hit-and-run war, staying one step ahead of the law and the Mob, knowing they’ve got miles to go before they sleep and deals to honor before they’re free of the yoke of Terra and their own all-too-human biology. An army of chancers, either too clever or too foolhardy, make their way through occupied space in search of a bit of green. And in hidden valleys and lost caverns, the old masters of Mars awaken, peer out with tar-black eyes and prepare to up the ante.