Aurora Burning: (The Aurora Cycle)

The first modern tale of alien invasion, H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds remains one of the most influential science fiction novels ever published.

The night after a shooting star is seen streaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common in London. At first, naïve locals approach the cylinder armed just with a white flag - only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat-ray, as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilisation is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of trapped, still-living human prey. The forces of the Earth, however, may prove harder to beat than they at first appear. The War of the Worlds has been the subject of countless adaptations, including an Orson Welles radio drama which caused mass panic when it was broadcast, with listeners confusing it for a news broadcast heralding alien invasion; a musical version by Jeff Wayne; and, most recently, Steven Spielberg's 2005 film version, starring Tom Cruise.

This Penguin Classics edition includes a full biographical essay on Wells, a further reading list and detailed notes. The introduction, by Brian Aldiss, considers the novel's view of religion and society.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Humanity has colonized the planets - interstellar travel is still beyond our reach, but the solar system has become a dense network of colonies. But there are tensions - the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars and the political and military clout they wield over the Belt and beyond. Now, when Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. Attacked by a stealth ship belonging to the Mars fleet, Holden must find a way to uncover the motives behind the attack, stop a war and find the truth behind a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire human race.

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch... A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy's biggest chip on his shoulder An alien warrior with anger management issues A tomboy pilot who's totally not into him, in case you were wondering And Ty's squad isn't even his biggest problem that'd be Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley, the girl he's just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler's squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy. NOBODY PANIC.

Our Heroes Are Back. Kind Of. First, The Bad News: An Ancient Evil--you Know, Your Standard Consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy Deal--is About To Be Unleashed. The Good News? Squad 312 Is Standing By To Save The Day. They've Just Got To Take Care Of A Few Small Distractions First. Like The Clan Of Gremps Who'd Like To Rearrange Their Favorite Faces. And The Cadre Of Illegit Gia Agents With Creepy Flowers Where Their Eyes Used To Be, Who'll Stop At Nothing To Get Their Hands On Auri. Then There's Kal's Long-lost Sister, Who's Not Exactly Happy To See Her Baby Brother, And Has A Syldrathi Army At Her Back. With Half The Known Galaxy On Their Tails, Squad 312 Has Never Felt So Wanted. When They Learn The Hadfield Has Been Found, It's Time To Come Out Of Hiding. Two Centuries Ago The Colony Ship Vanished, Leaving Auri As Its Sole Survivor. Now, Its Black Box Might Be What Saves Them--but Time Is Short, And If Auri Can't Learn To Master Her Powers As A Trigger, The Squad And All Their Admirers Are Going To Be Deader Than The Great Ultrasaur Of Abraaxis Iv. Shocking Revelations, Bank Heists, Mysterious Gifts, Inappropriately Tight Bodysuits, And An Epic Firefight Will Determine The Fate Of The Aurora Legion's Most Unforgettable Heroes--and Maybe The Rest Of The Galaxy As Well.