It all started in 1946, when the bizarre, gene-altering wild cards virus was unleashed in the skies over New York City. Now, 30 years later, the victims face a new nightmare.

Amidst the fun and festivities of Wild Card Day there is an evil mind lurking, who hopes that the celebrations will go off with more than a bang. This is the third volume of the shared world superhero series created by George R.R. Martin.

In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent of those who survived mutated into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited since 1987 by NEW YORK TIMES No.1 bestseller George R.R. Martin along with Melinda Snodgrass, is the tale of the history of the world since then - and of the heroes among that one percent. Now it is time for a new generation of heroes - and writers - to pick up the...

In the six decades since the alien plague known as the Wild Card virus spread a wave of mutations around the globe, humanity has begun to come to terms with its consequences. Grotesque half-human creatures known as 'jokers' inhabit an underworld of their own, while the legendary prodigies known as 'aces' have become real-world superheroes, complete with colourful names and costumes. Now a new generation of aces has taken its place on the world stage, becoming crucial players in international events. At the United Nations, veteran ace John Fortune has assembled a team of young heroes, known as...

The heart of the world is bleeding, the People's Paradise of Africa is having it out with the Caliphate, and the Sudan is a charnel house. The powers-that-be aren't doing anything. The UN might set up a committee. But the time for action is now. So, one by one, the aces join the fight, each for their own reasons...The Wild Card virus kills 90 percent of the folks who catch it, but those who survive gain special powers. Some become grotesque mutants like the half-man, half-rhino Denys Finch. They're the jokers. Some get trivial powers. They're deuces. And some - the aces - develop wild...

In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed 90% of those it infected. Nine percent survived, mutated into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited by bestseller George R. R. Martin (called 'the American Tolkien' by TIME), is the tale of the history of the world since then - and of the heroes among the one percent. Now, in the latest Wild Cards mosaic novel, we get to know the hard-bitten world of Manhattan's Fifth Precinct - or 'Fort...

HBO's hit series A GAME OF THRONES is based on George R R Martin's internationally bestselling series A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. A GAME OF THRONES is the first volume in the series. Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must ...and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty. The old gods have no power in...

When an alien virus struck the Earth decades ago, it spawned a new breed of superhuman men and women. Those with useful mutations were known as Aces, those with deformities as Jokers. Now, in New York's Jokertown, a savage street war has broken out between the Mafia and a gang known as the Shadow Fists. A courageous band of Aces must go underground to wage a war against the powers of the criminal netherworld. Edited by George R.R. Martin and including a story by him, this volume also features stories from Roger Zelazny, Pat Cadigan, Melinda M. Snodgrass and many more.

Decades have passed since the first victims of the Wild Card virus appeared in public life. Transformed into Aces - with useful and remarkable powers - or Jokers - deformed and twisted - the virus has changed lives. But not all mutations are easily identified. As campaigners converge on Atlanta for the Democratic Party Convention, one man sets his final plan into motion. Gregg Hartmann, outwardly normal, polite and serious, is in fact secretly a sadistic murderer with terrible psychic abilities. He also has an insatiable lust for power. And what better hiding place is there than being in the...