The Edge of Ruin (41 page)
Authors: Melinda Snodgrass
“And then what?”
“We shut them down.”
Simple, matter-of-fact.
Apparently a response team was being organized to then deal with these hot spots. Grenier pointed out that he’d need a staff to sift through news reports and rumors and stories to find the places where reality was being torn apart.
Already in the works. The fourth floor was his. Grenier could hire his own researchers, and it would be up to him to teach them what to look for. Once he’d established his team he would be allowed to live in the Lumina building.
Grenier was on board with the plan.
“Welcome back to the human side of the equation,” Richard said.
* * *
“What am I doing?” Pamela asked.
“I’m going to teach you how to shoot.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re not going to just watch any longer. We’re going to fight. And there’s nobody I’d rather have covering my back than you.”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I
want to thank my amazing writers group, Critical Mass, who every month helps me to become a better writer. So, thanks to Daniel Abraham, Terry England, Emily Mah, George R. R. Martin, Victor Milan, Walter Jon Williams, Steve Stirling, Ian Tregillis, and Sage Walker.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M
elinda Snodgrass has written multiple novels and screenplays, and worked extensively in Hollywood. She is best known for her work on
Star Trek: The Next Generation
—her episode ‘Measure of a Man’ was nominated for the Writer’s Guild Award in Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series. She has also worked on numerous other shows, including
The Profilers
,
Sliders
and
Seaquest DSV
. She coedits the Wild Cards series with George R.R. Martin, and has recently turned in her Wild Cards screenplay to Universal Pictures, for which she would also be Executive Producer. Melinda is the author of The Edge series, and the forthcoming Imperials series for Titan Books. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM TITAN BOOKS
THE EDGE OF REASON
MELINDA SNODGRASS
A contemporary fantasy series that explores the tensions between science and rationality, religion and superstition.
Richard Oort is a cop. He’s also the last Paladin: a reluctant hero, fated to defend the world against demonic forces that threaten to plunge us into another Dark Age. Richard is on patrol one night when he leaps to the defense of a terrified young woman fleeing something impossible: beings that can only be described as monsters. Beings that can only have been created by magic. But in saving the beautiful Rhianna, he gets drawn into the machinations of a mysterious billionaire who just might be Prometheus and Lucifer. And who claims to be waging a millennia-old war on the side of reason and light, defending humanity from others of his kind who want nothing more than to see us destroy ourselves with superstition, religion, darkness, fear.
But when Richard discovers he’s a Paladin — product of a genetic fluke that enables him to wield Lucifer’s sword — he becomes a central figure in the battle between Light and Darkness. But is he strong enough to bear the burden?
THE EDGE OF REASON
“If H.P. Lovecraft and H. L. Mencken had ever collaborated, they might have come up with something like The Edge of Reason. This one will delight thinkers—and outrage true believers—of all stripes.”
George R. R. Martin
“[A] gritty narrative of a war between light and dark… Balanc[es] a harsh critique of organized religion with touches of humor and a good-hearted priest who grounds his faith in the Golden Rule…”
Publishers Weekly
“Peopled with a richly drawn cast of characters… the story is a big, complex and ambitious tale that rarely rests and demands the reader’s full attention. Thee ideas are provocative, strongly so… Readers looking for a thoughtful, action-packed and fascinating story, this one is for you. Strongly recommended.”
SF Revu
“Interesting religious arguments aside Snodgrass crafted a tightly paced supernatural thriller that manages to stay interesting and thrilling from beginning to end.”
King of the Nerds
‘I really enjoyed this book. It’s thought-provoking and certainly memorable, with an intriguing concept and a cast of characters begging for further exploration. I’d love to see more of this world.”
Green Man Review