Showing results by publisher "Saga Egmont" in Science Fiction & Fantasy

Little Ida liked the student, who always had a tale to tell, a lot. So, one morning, when little Ida's flowers had all withered, she asked the student what could have happened to them.

On the day that the emperor’s horse received his golden horseshoes as a reward for his heroic deeds, the beetle who shared his stable was very jealous. The smith refused to make shoes for his little feet and the beetle’s anger went up a notch. So, furious, he left the stable and set off to discover the world alone.

Rudy lived close to the little town of Grindelwald in Switzerland. He lived with his uncle as his parents were both dead. Indeed, Rudy himself had almost died at the same time as his mother: while crossing a glacier, she had fallen into a crevasse while carrying Rudy, who was still a baby. When help arrived, it was too late to save the mother, but, to everyone’s great joy, the baby was rescued. Or almost everyone... The only one who did not rejoice was the Ice Maiden...

Gregor Samsa is a travelling salesman who wakes up one morning to realize that he been transformed from a human being to a "monstrous vermin". He reflects back on his life, his work, his relationship with his family and his employer, and he realizes that each relationship he has been a part of has been fake. He feels responsible for his family but he does not receive any gratitude from them. The alienation is unbearable and irreversible. His life will either have to change drastically or he will stay victim of his own existential anxiety.

H. Rider Haggard's 19th-century novel "Allan Quatermain," is the sequel to the novel "King Solomon's Mines"(1885). In this novel, adventurer Allan Quaterman's son has passed away and Quatermain longs to get back into the wild. From the eastern coast of Africa, he and a party of comrades arrive in the hostile territory of the Maasai and eventually make their way to a sacred lake of the Zu-Vendis. Although they are not welcome, the lake is ruled by two queens who take a great liking to the party.

Antoine Breguet is an old watchmaker who wants to retire. One of his two apprentices is going to take his place, but which one? Who is better qualified and who will impress the watchmaker’s granddaughter more? The two men are ready to compete. Whoever comes up with the best, most exquisite and intricate creation will inherit Breguet's shop. However friendship and love stand in the way. What will happen with the two friends and their future as watchmakers? Find out in Lydia Child’s "The Rival Mechanicians". B. J.

In "Ayesha, The Return of She" (1905) the white queen is feared not to be dead after all. After eighteen years, Horace and Leo once again set out on a journey, this time to Asia, where they encounter Ayesha's reincarnation. What follows is a love story and a tragedy of gigantic proportions. H. Rider Haggard's story is a sequel to his widely popular novel "She" and part of the Ayesha series. The series has inspired countless film adaptations, including the 1935 film version She starring Helen Gahagan, based loosely on the books. B. J.

"Far from here, in the land the swallows flee to in winter, lived a king who had eleven sons and one daughter, Elisa." So begins the story of Elisa and her brothers. At the beginning, everything was well, they lived peacefully in the castle and were loved and indulged by their father, the king. But, one day the king decided to remarry and their stepmother did not want them. None of them. Elisa was sent to the country and the eleven boys were turned into swans.

On the death of his father, who was a rich merchant, the son inherited a vast fortune, which he quickly spent. He found himself alone with nothing except the dressing gown on his back and the slippers on his feet. A friend offered him a trunk and advised him to leave. But, this was a special trunk - it could fly! So, the young man decided to go to Turkey, where his dress would not be noticed, but that was just the beginning of his adventure. - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

A family of toads lived in a very deep well: it was so deep that, from the top, you could not even see the surface of the water.

Mr. Cave is an antique shop owner with some curious items in his collection. One of these if an extraordinary crystal egg, which he comes across one evening. Indeed, the egg seems to be a gateway to the planet Mars. This science fiction short story by H. G. Wells dating back to the late 19th century has inspired numerous other literary pieces, as well as radio and television adaptations. "The Crystal Egg" is considered to be a precursor to H. G. Wells' famous science fiction novel "The War of the Worlds" from 1898. B. J.

This way lies monsters and madness. Because you’re about to enter the imagination of H.P. Lovecraft. A master of the short story form, Lovecraft made the unknowable scarily real. Parallel universes, alien worlds, vengeful spirits—all realised in the space of a few pages. And all brought to life with sparse, simple language, making Lovecraft’s fiction an easy read for modern audiences. This volume contains five of his short stories: "From Beyond", "Cold Air", "The Moon-Bog", "The Music of Erich Zann" and "The Transition of Juan Romero". - H.P.

In the city of Florence is a bronze statue of a boar, from who’s mouth runs the water that is collected by the people of Florence. One evening, a poor boy came to drink and found a little lettuce and a few chestnuts on the ground, which became his supper. He then fell asleep on the animal’s back, but when midnight sounded, the animal came to life. And so their adventure began! - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by Washington Irving about a man who drinks some liquor then falls asleep for 20 years amidst the hills. Having missed the American Revolution, Rip Van Winke returns home but finds it completely changed. What he notices is really important, as they possess social and political messages that Irving wanted to stress.

B. J. Harrison reads "She," a fantasy adventure novel by H. Rider Haggard from the late 19th century. Horace Holly and his ward Leo Vincey are traveling to Eastern Africa. On their way, they are shipwrecked and end up in an unchartered area of the African inland, where they are captured and taken to the feared white queen, Ayesha. The events take a turn to the strange when the queen becomes convinced that one of the unfortunate travellers is the reincarnation of the lover she has been waiting for. "She" is part of the Ayesha series.

Ed Loyce is a store owner who is faced with a strange sight: someone is hanging from a lamppost. Furthermore, alien insects have taken over yet no one seems to consider things to be out of the ordinary. Ed goes to the police to sort things out and to find out what is going on, only to be thoroughly surprised. The science fiction short story "The Hanging Stranger" by Philip K. Dick from 1953 was adapted into an episode for the television series "Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams". The story is read by the versatile B.J. Harrison. B. J.

At the bottom of the ocean lived the sea king, his old mother and his six daughters. They lived in a beautiful castle, surrounded by a big garden, of which each daughter took care of a small corner. The little mermaid, the youngest and most beautiful of the princesses, liked nothing more than stories of men and in her garden she had a marble statue of a handsome youth, which had sunk below down after a shipwreck.

One day, a diabolical troll made a mirror that showed everything beautiful as ugly and all that was good as evil. Delighted, the trolls decided to carry their mirror to heaven and mock the angels, but on the way the mirror shattered and pieces of the mirror spread across the world. This was how some became windows and others were made into spectacles, but the most unfortunate received tiny pieces in their eyes or in their heart, changing their life for ever.

"What would you have done? Rubbed your eyes and thought you were dreaming? Well, if you had, nothing more would have happened. Nothing ever does when you behave like that." In 'The Aunt and Amabel' a young girl damages a special flower-bed without meaning to, and as a punishment her aunt sends her to the bedroom with the large wardrobe. When Amabel finds a railway timetable naming a station called 'Bigwardrobeinspareroom' in there she is intrigued. And in opening the wardrobe, she finds something very unexpected on the inside. C.S.

By now the sun was up, and through the periscope he minded he could see the stony plateau in front of the position. On the other side of it were the outskirts of the jungle where the enemy was hiding and building his camps, preparing for new attacks. He observed the vastness of the wild jungle stretching north and west, pierced by hundreds of hilltops, each surrounded by a white fog. French Indochina was a gigantic and mysterious place, and he was gradually losing hope that he would ever find what he had come here searching for.