The Floating Press: 2252 books

In this clever tale from W. W. Jacobs, a grocer is nagged to within an inch of his life by his pretentious wife and her family, who want the man to display finer manners. But when he takes their advice to the extreme, they soon find themselves longing for his former, more informal approach to life.

Discover an often-overlooked period in history with this sweeping epic exploring the period when Australia served as a penal colony. Packed with exhaustively researched historical detail, this rip-roaring yarn will leave your head spinning with its many twists, turns and surprises.

Set against the backdrop of World War I, this emotionally engaging novel from John Galsworthy examines the role of religion and spirituality in a modern world that seems consumed by destruction. Clergyman Edward Pierson, a kind and gentle soul, finds himself struggling against the strictures of dogma.

In this novella from acclaimed Western writer Bret Harte, the discovery of gold leads not to a life of luxury and leisure, but instead to untold misery for miner H.J. Slinn. Mistreated by his wife and later abandoned by his family, Slinn is the beneficiary of kindness from an unexpected source.

In this darkly humorous short story, a miner is subjected to mortifying humiliation in front of the entire camp and takes matters into his own hands to set things right. From a toxic friendship to a marriage that's doomed to fail, "Tennessee's Partner" is a bracing case study of the dark side of human relationships.

This hilarious gem from the golden age of science fiction takes the old "city mouse, country mouse" archetype to a whole new level. A savvy call girl and her duplicitous pimp hatch a scheme to take an unsophisticated "hayseed" alien for all that he's worth -- but they wind up getting more than they bargained for.

Space jockey Marlow and his lovely lady Pat are cruising the universe when they hit a speed bump of sorts. Suddenly and unexpectedly, everything they thought they knew is torn asunder. Will things ever return to normal for the pair of interstellar travelers?

This engaging novel from British author Compton MacKenzie follows the professional travails and romantic ups and downs of John Touchstone, a "successful romantic playwright and unsuccessful realistic novelist." Drawing heavily on his own life experiences and his family's background as one of the foremost...

In this beguiling mystery story geared for younger readers, a group of fearless young girls staying on an island off the coast of Maine happen to stumble across some strange activity. Is it related to the legends of supernatural beings and ruthless conjurers that have long been associated with the area?

Christmas-themed short stories, often with a strong moral lesson, were an abidingly popular annual tradition in Victorian England. Author George Manville Fenn contributes to the genre with this charming collection, which runs the gamut from spooky chillers to family bonhomie.

A heartbroken cavalry officer, Auguste de Maulincour, is strolling through a rather seedy section of Paris when he happens to spot the object of his unrequited love, a married young woman named Clemence. Even more remarkable is the fact that he sees her furtively entering a house of ill repute. Aghast...

In "Attention Saint Patrick," American science fiction writer Murray Leinster cleverly transposes aspects of Irish myth and legend into an intergalactic setting. The inhabitants of a planet known as Eire are battling an infestation of strange creatures known as dinies with an insatiable appetite for infrastructure. Will the far-fetched solution posed by an earthling name Moira solve the problem?

Science fiction luminary H. Beam Piper was fascinated with the idea of time travel, and it is a theme that appears frequently in his work. This early short story tells the tale of a wounded soldier who awakes after suffering a profound injury on the battlefield. Though he can remember everything about his life as an adult, he has somehow been transported back into his childhood body.

Even when it's undertaken with the best of intentions, time travel can cause more problems than it solves. The unforeseen consequences begin to unfold when protagonist Benson wakes up in a strange time and place and finds himself tasked with a seemingly impossible mission.