{"product_id":"kakistocracy-paperback","title":"Kakistocracy - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAlex Shvartsman\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIf you do it well, lying is every bit as effective as magic.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConrad Brent has no innate magic, so he bluffs a lot and uses a myriad of magical items to protect Brooklyn from monsters and arcane threats. As a member of the Watch, the group that protects the mundane humans from such dangers, he risks his life on a regular basis. Sometimes twice before lunch. Sometimes during lunch, when he dares order his food from a street cart. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter regaining his position in the Watch which he'd temporarily lost due to the machinations of a variety of evil-doers, Conrad doesn't want to take any risks he doesn't have to. But now his boss is missing, there's a totalitarian new regime in City Hall oppressing all magic users, and the mayor has aligned himself with a diabolical villain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn order to save the day, Conrad must team up with a recovering necromancer to mediate a dispute between two ancient enemy factions, solve a mystery of a warded house adjacent to a cemetery, and stand with his friends against tyranny.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat is, if the interdimensional fae assassins don't get him first. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlex Shvartsman\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer, translator, game designer, and anthologist. Over 120 of his short stories have appeared in various venues, including \u003ci\u003eAnalog\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eStrange Horizons\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFireside\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWeird Tales\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGalaxy's Edge\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003eHe won the \u003cb\u003eWSFA Small Press Award\u003c\/b\u003e for Short Fiction in 2014 and was a two-time finalist (2015 \u0026amp; 2017) for the Canopus Award for Excellence in Interstellar Fiction. His political fantasy novel Eridani's Crown was published in 2019.Alex's translations from Russian have appeared in magazines like \u003ci\u003eThe Magazine of Fantasy \u0026amp; Science Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eClarkesworld\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eAsimov's\u003c\/i\u003e. He's the editor of the \u003ci\u003eUnidentified Funny Objects\u003c\/i\u003e series of humorous SF\/F, as well as other anthologies, including \u003ci\u003eThe Cackle of Cthulhu\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHumanity 2.0\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFunny Science Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e. He also edits and publishes \u003ci\u003eFuture Science Fiction Digest\u003c\/i\u003e.Alex has resided in Brooklyn, NY for over 30 years and draws on his experience as a New Yorker in writing \u003ci\u003eThe Conradverse Chronicles\u003c\/i\u003e where Brooklyn is more than merely a background.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 240\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.56 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 17, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48920466849931,"sku":"9781647100827","price":36.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/2579\/7259\/files\/gXgqDVOr3e9781647100827.webp?v=1786769425","url":"https:\/\/thetaletrade.com\/products\/kakistocracy-paperback","provider":"The Tale Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}