Michael Z Williamson Knihy

"From the distant past to the far future, those who carry the sword rack up commendations for bravery. They are men and women who, like the swords they carry, have been forged in blood. These are their stories. In medieval Japan, a surly ronin is called upon to defend a village against a thieving tax collector who soon finds out it's not wise to anger an old, tired man. In the ugliest fighting in the Pacific Theater, an American sergeant and a Japanese lieutenant must face each other, and themselves. A former US Marine chooses sides with outnumbered Indonesian refugees against an invading army from Java. When her lover is stolen by death, a sergeant fighting on a far-flung world vows vengeance that will become legendary. And, when a planet fragments in violent chaos, seven Freeholders volunteer to help protect another nation's embassy against a horde."--Provided by publisher

Michael Z. Williamson returns with his second collection of short fiction, essays, and provocations. Sure to thrill, entertain, and scandalize. IT'S WILLIAMSON'S WORLD. WE ONLY LIVE HERE. Enter the mind of multiple best-selling author Michael Z. Williamson with this new collection of stories, essays, and provocations, sure to entertain, thrill—and scandalize. Inside you find stories set in Williamson’s popular Freehold science fiction series, John Ringo’s Black Tide Rising series, Williamson’s own A Long Time Until Now universe, and much more. And when Williamson turns his eye to pop culture, no sacred cows are safe as he skewers modern movies, classic poetry, beloved firearms, and the way we live today. Rounding out the volume is a fresh batch of his Inappropriate Cocktail recipes—frequently both delicious and outrageously snarky, commemorating celebrities, events, and cultural memes. About Michael Z. Williamson: “A fast-paced, compulsive read . . . will appeal to fans of John Ringo, David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Weber.”—Kliatt “Williamson's military expertise is impressive.”—SF Reviews Novels of Michael Z. Williamson's Freehold Universe: Freehold series Freehold The Weapon The Rogue Contact with Chaos Angeleyes Freehold: Forged in Blood Ripple Creek series Better to Beg Forgiveness . . . Do Unto Others . . . When Diplomacy Fails . . . Standalone A Long Time Until Now

"Within a military that prides teamwork, strength in numbers, and camaraderie, the sniper is the outlier. The loner. The specialist whose talent can mean the difference between mission success and disaster-and often between life and death. Kyle Monroe is one member of this exclusive fraternity. Wade Curtis is another. From Pakistan to the tunnels beneath the ruins of Vlad the Impaler's castle in Romania to the jungles of Indonesia, Monroe and Curtis are the best at what they do: eliminating their nation's enemies from a distance with one well-placed bullet to the head. Includes three complete military thriller novels: The Scope of Justice, Targets of Opportunity, and Confirmed Kill"-- Provided by publisher

IN A FOLLOW-UP TO GROUNDBREAKING A LONG TIME UNTIL NOW, MASTER OF MILITARY SF MICHAEL Z. WILLIAMSON SENDS EPOCH-DISPLACED SOLDIER SEAN ELLIOTT AND HIS CREW ON A RESCUE MISSION WITHIN THE FOLDS OF TIME ITSELF. SOLDIERS OUT OF TIME Then: First Lieutenant Sean Elliott and nine other mixed-service U.S. soldiers on a convoy in Afghanistan suddenly found themselves and their MRAP vehicle thrown back to Earth's Paleolithic Age. And they were not alone. Displaced Romans, neolithic Europeans, and others showed up as well. Some would be allies. Some became deadly foes. Now: Scientists from an almost unimaginably far future need the survivors' advice and support to reconnoiter and ultimately recover other groups displaced in time. The problem is not all of those other groups want to be recovered or even understand where they are. Prehistory is an ugly place, fascinating to visit, but no place for a civilized person to live. But the future, gorgeous as it is, has a darker side that dampens the appeal. In the end, only inventiveness, grit, and a thirst for freedom from the fickle tides of time can keep Sean and the displaced Americans alive and on a path to finally find a place-and a time-to call home. About That Was Now, This Is Then: ". . . a classic story of survival. They may not like each other, but must to depend upon each other. Williamson shows how they pull together to create a solid society. . . . outstanding entertainment. Each character is different and fully developed. Even those you may dislike seem worth caring about. . . . grabs readers from the beginning and keep them reading to the end."-The Galveston County Daily News About Michael Z. Williamson: "A fast-paced, compulsive read . . . will appeal to fans of John Ringo, David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Weber."-Kliatt "Williamson's military expertise is impressive."-SFReviews

It's a matter of trust. For thousands of years the Darhel, a warrior species conditioned to be incapable of killing, manipulated and controlled the human race. Then the humans threw off their yoke. Now, for the first time, a Darhel has been assigned to the elite Deep Reconnaissance Team commandos. Trust, in a small unit, is vital. And there was no trust to be had on either side. But when the mission encountered an alien device worth more than a king's ransom, it was the humans who betrayed the trust. Now the despised Darhel must race against the team's sniper to prevent the artifact falling into the wrong hands. The Darhel has empathic powers, superhuman strength and the speed of a cheetah. The sniper has years of experience and enormous ability. The sniper can kill. The Darhel cannot. The fate of the galaxy and the human race for the next thousand years rests on the shoulders of a Darhel. The Hero has a thousand faces, but is one of them the face of an elf?

Celadon, a poor nation on a poor planet, engaged in civil war and a haven for every type of villainy in space, is ripe for cleanup. The military could pacify it handily, but it would take a statesman to fix it. But some statesmen have ethics, which politicians and megacorps find inconvenient. President Bishwanath compounded the sin by being astute, ambitious and capable. Something had to be done, because a working nation isn't much use for pork and graft. When the word comes down that he is dead, the politicians move on with a new plan, re-allocating resources, and finding a new, more pliable president to put in place. There are three problems with this solution. Bishwanath is not dead. His mercenary bodyguards are more loyal than the politicians. And if they're not on contract, there are no rules.

Sergeant Kendra Pacelli is innocent, but that doesn't matter to the repressive government pursuing her. Mistakes might be made, but they are never acknowledged, especially when billions of embezzled dollars earned from illegal weapons sales are at stake. But where does one run when all Earth and the planets are under the aegis of one government?

DO UNTO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO UNTO YOU... At one time, the Prescot family were just Welsh coal miners. Then they broke through with the technology needed to exploit the subsurface ores of entire planets. This created the problem of being the richest people in the universe, because money is a small blessing when enemies are quite willing to spend billions for the chance at trillions. So Bryan Prescot and his daughter Caron hired bodyguards who would be utterly loyal under any circumstances: Ripple Creek Security, the best in the business. The danger comes to a head inside the domes and mines of the planet Govannon, as Ripple Creek's finest team is matched against a desperate enemy. Caron Prescot has only six bodyguards against an army, but she has two aces in the hole. And Elke, Ripple Creek Security's psychotic demolition expert, has a nuke. The problem with Elke having a nuke is that Elke will use it.

#7 in the Freehold Universe series. Science fiction high adventure with a compulsive thriller edge. High tech near-future mercenaries Ripple Creek Security must protect an obnoxious world government minister from the tons of enemies who want her dead—and killed in the worse possible way. Alex Marlow and Ripple Creek Security's best personal security detail return to action. This time, they really don't like their principal, World Bureau Minister Joy Herman Highland–a highly-placed bureaucrat with aspirations to elected office. Even worse, Highland’s assistant wants to publicize every movement and action for his boss’s pending campaign, which is anathema to good security. With a person of this status, it's not a case of someone wanting her dead. The only question is how many people want her dead, and what are they bringing to the fight? The enemies are from without, within and all over. They have resources, funding and political cover. Ripple Creek needs to be cautious. But the enemy also needs to worry. They’re going to be getting in each others' way in the process of carrying out their plans. And Ripple Creek has no qualms about explosions on galactic news. In fact, they enjoy it. About Michael Z. Williamson: “A fast-paced, compulsive read…will appeal to fans of John Ringo, David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Weber.” – Kliatt “Williamson's military expertise is impressive.” –SF Reviews