The other side of the world could be just a step away. .

. Whether loved, despised, or just a fact of life, the Gates connect all parts of the globe to each other in an interwoven web linking disparate cultures and forming strange relationships.

And whether you're a seasoned Traveler or a neophyte, when you step through a Gate, you won't be the same on the other side. For one thing, you'll be naked.

The Gates only admit living beings - but living beings always bring with them their knowledge, their faith, their languages, their skills, and their beliefs. Some nations embrace the Gates.

Others fear them. For some nations, they are the beating hearts of trade, centers for the exchange of language and philosophy, hubs of adventure and discovery.

For others, they are useless dead-ends, objects of terror, or outright threats. In this anthology, twelve authors explore the adventures, intrigues, and discoveries, large and small, global and personal, that occur because of the interconnections of these incredible magical Gates.

The anthology includes the following stories:VIGNETTES FROM THE HILTHSTAD by Cass MorrisDEAD MAN'S MAP by Marie BrennanTHROWING MUSES by Mike ChenMUSIC TO YOUR EARS by J. C.

PillardTHE CLOTHIER OF ALENNI by Victor ManiboCANDIDATE ELEVEN by Kate ElliottSILVER AND GOLD by Rowenna MillerMARIT THE RESOLUTE by Lindsey CarmichaelLUMI & THE NAVIGATOR by Natania BarronCOURIER'S HONOR by Valerie ValdesCHASING THE SUN by Marshall Ryan MarescaSCHEMES, FACTIONS, AND CULTURE Non-fiction essay by Michael R. Underwood.