A Wild Chase Through Elizabethan England

Thomas Rimor, a man hunted by time and bound by destiny, roams the sinister pathways of Þagalwood—a haunted realm where grotesque trees whisper his name and prey upon the unwise. Armed with a mysterious ördstone and fueled by a relentless mission to thwart the sinister Yvag elves, Thomas risks his life to rescue the helpless teinds, victims destined for sacrifice in the fathomless pit of Hel.

But the woods hold secrets as dangerous as the Yvags themselves. When a spectral figure emerges from the depths, leaving a trail only the ördstone can illuminate, Thomas is drawn into a deadly mystery that challenges the limits of his courage and cunning. Poisonous blooms, traps within traps, and a shocking betrayal await him in a perilous game of survival against ancient powers.

With each step, Thomas ventures closer to uncovering the truth of his enemy’s dark designs—and the shadowy forces that may already control his fate.

BOOK TWO IN A NEW SERIES FROM CELEBRATED AUTHOR GREGORY FROST

It’s been nearly a century since Thomas Rimor last battled Yvag knights. In that time his wife and daughter have grown old and died, and he has discovered that he ages not at all. The elven world believes him long dead.

In his grief, he has retreated to the depths of Sherwood and Barnsdale Forests and become a hermit, lost in his memories, his grief. But when a dying outlaw arrives on his doorstep with items stolen from an Yvag skinwalker, it sets in motion events that thrust Thomas back into the world and force him into combat with Queen Nicnevin’s soldiers once again, including this time his late sister’s changeling daughter and the Queen’s own grotesque offspring, Bragrender.

As Thomas takes on two sheriffs of Nottingham and a horde of Yvag raiders, he enlists the aid of outlaws Little John and Will Scathelocke, and the Keeper of Sherwood Forest herself, Isabella Birkin, who sets him on a path back to humanity. To keep his true identity hidden from the Yvags, he creates an alter-ego named Robyn Hoode, whose exploits, unbeknown to Thomas, are about to become the stuff of legend.

The Icarus Changeling

by Timothy Zahn

Rhymer: Hoode

by Gregory Frost

The Down Deep

by Catherine Asaro

For Love of Magic

by Simon R. Green

The Ross 248 Project

edited by Les Johnson and Ken Roy

The Trouble with Huguenots

by Virginia DeMarce

In January of 2011 we started posting free short stories we thought might be of interest to Baen readers. The first stories were "Space Hero" by Patrick Lundrigan, the winner of the 2010 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Contest, and "Tanya, Princess of Elves," by Larry Correia, author of Monster Hunter International and set in that universe. As new stories are made available, they will be posted on the main page, then added to this book (to save the Baen Barflies the trouble of doing it themselves). This is our compilation of short stories for 2023.

As is usual with such copyrighted material from Baen, the contents may be copied and shared but NOT sold. All commercial rights are reserved to Baen Books.

Black Box by Sean CW Korsgaard

The Quail Runs by D.J. Butler

Awakenings by Patrick Chiles

The Last Temptation of the Outsider by Simon R. Green

The Witch, the Woods, and the Elf Queen by Gregory Frost

The Insomniac by Brad Zeiger

A Lesson to Those Who Survive by D.J. Butler

Requiem - An Honor Harrington Story by David Carrico

BOOK TWO IN A NEW SERIES FROM CELEBRATED AUTHOR GREGORY FROST

It’s been nearly a century since Thomas Rimor last battled Yvag knights. In that time his wife and daughter have grown old and died, and he has discovered that he ages not at all. The elven world believes him long dead.

In his grief, he has retreated to the depths of Sherwood and Barnsdale Forests and become a hermit, lost in his memories, his grief. But the arrival of a dying outlaw on his doorstep with items stolen from an Yvag skinwalker sets in motion events that thrust Thomas back into the world and forces him into combat with Queen Nicnevin’s soldiers once again, including this time his late sister’s changeling daughter and the Queen’s own grotesque offspring, Bragrender.

As Thomas takes on two sheriffs of Nottingham and a horde of Yvag raiders, he enlists the aid of outlaws Little John and Will Scathelocke, and the Keeper of Sherwood Forest herself, Isabella Birkin, who sets him on a path back to humanity. To keep his true identity hidden from the Yvags, he creates an alter-ego named Robyn Hoode, whose exploits, unbeknown to Thomas, are about to become the stuff of legend.

The Weltall File

by David Weber and Jacob Holo

Rhymer

by Gregory Frost

Ascendant: Star-Spangled Squadron, The Graphic Novel

by Alexander Macris, David Campiti, and William Macris

Time Troopers

edited by Hank Davis & Christopher Ruocchio

Fair Trade

by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Abbott in Darkness

by D.J. Butler

Fermi's Question

by John Cramer

Thomas the Rhymer, legendary twelfth-century figure of traditional Scottish balladry, as you've never seen him before.

Rhymer brings to life Thomas the Rhymer, legendary twelfth-century figure of traditional Scottish balladry, as a champion who must battle the diabolical Yvag—an alien race thought to be elves and faeries—hell-bent on conquering our world. This saga pits Thomas against the near-immortal elves, first with only his wits, then with powers of his own that enable him to take on these evil creatures throughout the centuries. He’s known by many names over time—Tam Lin, Robin Hood, and numerous other incarnations reaching into the present—but at his heart he is still True Thomas, one man doing all he can to save us all from a powerful foe.

When his brother is snatched right before his eyes, Thomas hunts for justice and discovers that not only do these “elves” steal people, but they also are skinwalkers who occupy humans in positions of power. Their goal: to obliterate humanity and take over our world. When Thomas is dragged into their alien realm, he’s imprisoned and barely escapes alive, but in the process he gains near-immortality and the ability to transform himself. Will it be enough to protect his loved ones and defeat the enemies of humankind?

Thomas the Rhymer, legendary 12th century figure of traditional Scottish balladry, as you've never seen him before.

Rhymer brings to life Thomas the Rhymer, legendary 12th century figure of traditional Scottish balladry, as a champion who must battle the diabolical Yvag—an alien race thought to be elves and faeries—hellbent on conquering our world. This saga pits Thomas against the near-immortal elves, first with only his wits, then with powers of his own that enable him to take on these evil creatures throughout the centuries. He’s known by many names over time—Tam Lin, Robin Hood, and numerous other incarnations reaching into the present—but at his heart he is still True Thomas, one man doing all he can to save us all from a powerful foe.

When his brother is snatched right before his eyes, Thomas hunts for justice and discovers that not only do these “elves” steal people, but they also are skinwalkers who occupy humans in positions of power. Their goal: to obliterate humanity and take over our world. When Thomas is dragged into their alien realm, he’s imprisoned and barely escapes alive, but in the process he gains near-immortality and the ability to transform himself. Will it be enough to protect his loved ones and defeat this powerful foe?

Monsters are where you find them . . . unless they find you first: A young Abraham Van Helsing tracks the first vampires of his career while something far more horrible dwells much closer to home. A boxing manager seeks to discover what inhuman force could have killed his best prizefighter. A 19th century chemist investigates spiritualism, inventing a device whereby mediums speak with the dead. A werewolf awaiting a transfer of funds from home becomes embroiled in a bank robbery. A young boy discovers something unnatural living alongside him in a Chicago boarding house. A private investigator searching for a runaway wife tracks her to a town with a diabolical secret. Odysseus and his Greek soldiers climb out of the Trojan Horse . . . and into a nightmare.

These are just some of the Creatures and Curiosities lurking within this collection of fourteen dark, sinister, and comic stories by Stoker, Hugo, and Nebula award finalist Gregory Frost.

A Wild Chase Through Elizabethan England

Thomas Rimor, a man hunted by time and bound by destiny, roams the sinister pathways of Þagalwood—a haunted realm where grotesque trees whisper his name and prey upon the unwise. Armed with a mysterious ördstone and fueled by a relentless mission to thwart the sinister Yvag elves, Thomas risks his life to rescue the helpless teinds, victims destined for sacrifice in the fathomless pit of Hel.

But the woods hold secrets as dangerous as the Yvags themselves. When a spectral figure emerges from the depths, leaving a trail only the ördstone can illuminate, Thomas is drawn into a deadly mystery that challenges the limits of his courage and cunning. Poisonous blooms, traps within traps, and a shocking betrayal await him in a perilous game of survival against ancient powers.

With each step, Thomas ventures closer to uncovering the truth of his enemy’s dark designs—and the shadowy forces that may already control his fate.