A collection of short stories (and one novella) written over a period of almost 30 years. They span from the eerie threshold of urban fantasy to deep space adventure on the far side of the galaxy, from the light-hearted to the grim, from the short to the long. A 13-year-old must choose between the world and hell in a battle with a dead wizard. A murdered CIA agent sets a trap for his killer. A high-tech scarecrow discovers that Phantoms aren't what he supposes they are. A parent discovers the shocking limits of his "pathologically good" children. A young elf girl with a futuristic weapon battles a band of goblins who have stolen a nuke from our world. And more.