nAn omnibus of tightly coordinated novels revealing the terrifying events that occur between the Alien and Aliens movie hits. nOut of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon nWhen a shuttle crashes into the mining ship Marion, the miners learn that there was more than trimonite deep in the caverns of planet LV-178. There was evil, hibernating--and waiting for suitable prey. Quickly they discover that their only hope lies with the unlikeliest of saviours... Ellen Ripley, the last human survivor of the Nostromo. n nSea of Sorrows by James A. Moore nThe Weyland-Yutani Corporation has secrets of its own, as Decker discovers when he is forced to join a team of mercenaries sent to investigate an ancient excavation. Somewhere in that long-forgotten dig lies the thing the company wants most in the universe--a living Xenomorph. Decker doesnt understand why they need him, until his own past comes back to haunt him. Centuries ago, his ancestor fought the Aliens, launching a bloody vendetta that was never satisfied. n nRiver of Pain by Christopher Golden nProtected by the Colonial Marines, the colonists of planet Acheron seek to terraform the storm-swept planet. Two such residents are Anne and Russell Jorden, seeking a fortune that eluded them on Earth. The wildcatters discover a vast, decaying spaceship. The horseshoe-shaped vessel is of particular interest to Weyland-Yutani, and may be the answer to their dreams. But what Anne and Russ find on board proves to the stuff, not of dreams, but of nightmares.n