Books in Byron Preiss Book series

Everyone loves scary stories and award-winning comedy writer/director Carl Reiner invites readers to huddle close as he tells a young boy's tale of the mysterious house next door. Something with red beams of light shooting from its eyes was coming down the basement stairs. It came closer and closer... the hair on the back of my neck was sticking straight out. I finally saw it- and it was alive! As the story becomes spookier and spookier, Reiner pauses to ask "Shall we turn the page- or is it too scary?" That's for you to decide! Parents and children can read along together as they listen to spooky sound effects and Carl Reiner's hilarious performance of Tell Me a Scary Story... on the accompanying CD.

So the first time you hear the concept of Halloween when you're a kid, your brain can't even understand it. "What is this? What did you say? Someone's giving out candy? Who's giving out candy? EVERYONE WE KNOW is giving out candy? I gotta be a part of this!"In his first picture book, comedian and bestselling author Jerry Seinfeld captures on the page his hilarious views on Halloween, from Superman costumes that look like pajamas to the agony of getting bad trick-or-treat candy. Seinfeld's tale resonates with vivid experiences of a night every kid loves.Both kids and adults will eat up Jerry's distinct and unwritten rules of Halloween. Hamilton King award-winning illustrator, James Bennett's outlandish illustrations perfectly depict these unique observations, reminding us why Jerry Seinfeld is still the funniest man alive.

Legendary performer Billy Joel's bluesy ode to New York introduces children to the verve and magic of the city."I'm taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River Line - I'm in a New York state of mind."Billy Joel's evocative lyrics invite readers to tag along as two spirited little dogs experience the energy and excitement of New York City, one of the world's most visited cities. From the "movie stars in their fancy cars" at Radio City Music Hall to Chinatown, from the Empire State Building to a Central Park carriage ride, this colorful portrait of the city's most beloved landmarks is a joyous celebration of a great American city.

It's the night before Christmas whensuddenly Santa's old nemesis, the evil Ice King, and his terrible ice trolls launch a surprise attack on the North Pole and capture Santa. But all is not lost -- the powerful Protector is on his way to save the day!However, when the Protector arrives at the North Pole, he too is captured and it's up to his superhero wife, the Protectress, and their two children, Carolyn and Robert, to find a way to save Christmas.

It is the beginning of the twenty-first century, and we are living on the cusp of change. Reality has already spawned one alternate state, and for many people virtual reality is now where they are most at home. But what happens when virtual worlds become indistinguishable from what we consider to be the real world? When you wake up from a dream, how do you know that you are not still dreaming? And if the reality we're in is virtual, who is doing the programming?These questions, and many more like them, spin effortlessly out of the box-office mega-hit The Matrix. More than just a computer-aided shot-'em-up, more than just the latest cinematic expression of cyberpunk angst, The Matrix presented layer upon layer of challenging explorations of what the true nature of reality might be, and why this should (or should not) be important to us.Exploring the Matrix presents eighteen thoughtful and thought-provoking essays on what the film had to say and exactly how it was said. Here you will discover the long and fascinating history of some of the themes set forth in the Wachowski Brothers' landmark film, why they are important, how they have been explored in the past, and their implications for the immediate future of human society. The true nature of reality in our current cyber-age is not a rhetorical question, but rather one that needs to be answered as we move closer to seamless virtual scenarios, accessible online, in video games . . . and perhaps ultimately as the result of uploading software to an implanted chip in the brain.You can take the blue pill and stay in the dream, unaware of your status, or take the red pill and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

It is the beginning of the twenty-first century, and we are living on the cusp of change. Reality has already spawned one alternate state, and for many people virtual reality is now where they are most at home. But what happens when virtual worlds become indistinguishable from what we consider to be the real world? When you wake up from a dream, how do you know that you are not still dreaming? And if the reality we're in is virtual, who is doing the programming?These questions, and many more like them, spin effortlessly out of the box-office mega-hit The Matrix. More than just a computer-aided shot-'em-up, more than just the latest cinematic expression of cyberpunk angst, The Matrix presented layer upon layer of challenging explorations of what the true nature of reality might be, and why this should (or should not) be important to us.Exploring the Matrix presents eighteen thoughtful and thought-provoking essays on what the film had to say and exactly how it was said. Here you will discover the long and fascinating history of some of the themes set forth in the Wachowski Brothers' landmark film, why they are important, how they have been explored in the past, and their implications for the immediate future of human society. The true nature of reality in our current cyber-age is not a rhetorical question, but rather one that needs to be answered as we move closer to seamless virtual scenarios, accessible online, in video games . . . and perhaps ultimately as the result of uploading software to an implanted chip in the brain.You can take the blue pill and stay in the dream, unaware of your status, or take the red pill and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes.