When you realize that the 33 stories are ordered chronologically, you begin to grasp the scale of Cordwainer Smith's creation. Regimes, technologies, planets, moralities, religions, histories all rise and fall through his millennia.These are futuristic tales told as myth, as legend, as a history of a distant and decayed past. Written in an unadorned voice reminiscent of James Tiptree Jr., Smith's visions are dark and pessimistic, clearly a contrast from the mood of SF in his time; in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s it was still thought that science would cure the ills of humanity. In Smith's tales, space travel takes a horrendous toll on those who pilot the ships through the void. After reaching perfection, the lack of strife stifles humanity to a point of decay and stagnation; the Instrumentality of Mankind arises in order to stir things up. Many stories describe moral dilemmas involving the humanity of the Underpeople, beings evolved from animals into humanlike forms.Stories not to be missed in this collection include "Scanners Live in Vain", "The Dead Lady of Clown Town", "Under Old Earth", "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal", "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons", and the truly disturbing "A Planet Called Shayol". Serious SF fans should not pass up the chance to experience Cordwainer Smith's complex, distinctive vision of the far future.--Bonnie BoumanContents:- Introduction by John J. Pierce- Editor’s Introduction by James A. Mann• Stories of the Instrumentality of Mankind- No, No, Not Rogov! (1959)- War No. 81-Q (rewritten version) - Mark Elf (1957)- The Queen of the Afternoon (1978)- Letter to Editor, Fantasy Book (March 9, 1948)- Scanners Live in Vain (1950)- The Lady Who Sailed The Soul (1960)- When the People Fell (1959)- Think Blue, Count Two (1963)- The Colonel Came Back from Nothing-at-All (1979)- The Game of Rat and Dragon (1955)- The Burning of the Brain (1958)- From Gustible’s Planet (1962)- Himself in Anachron- The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal (1964)- Golden the Ship Was — Oh! Oh! Oh! (1959)- The Dead Lady of Clown Town (1964)- Under Old Earth (1966)- Drunkboat (1963)- Mother Hitton’s Littul Kittons (1961)- Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (1961)- The Ballad of Lost C’Mell (1962)- A Planet Named Shayol (1961)- On the Gem Planet [Casher O'Neill] (1963)- On the Storm Planet [Casher O'Neill] (1965)- On the Sand Planet [Casher O'Neill] (1965)- Three to a Given Star [Casher O'Neill] (1965)- Down to a Sunless Sea (1975)• Other Stories- War No. 81-Q (original version) (1928)- Western Science Is So Wonderful (1958)- Nancy (1959)- The Fife of Bodidharma (1959)- Angerhelm (1959)- The Good Friends (1963)Cover art by Jack Gaughan

    Originally puublished uner the title 'The Many Worlds of Andre Norton'

     A suspicious husband sets out to discover what his wife really does late at night in her shop. A man starts a new job guarding the entrance to a pier at night. An abandoned house hides a sinister – and disgusting – secret in its basement. A young girl waits for a message from her dead mother, and then she finds something stranger in the freezer. The Butcher's Husband and Other Stories features the new short stories The Butcher's Husband, Tongue, The Pier and The Butcher's Husband II, as well as revised versions of The Seagull and A Perfect Death, and a new novella titled Larry.

    Written by top thriller author, Jeremy Robinson, these stories include all of the action, imagination and twists that fans have come to expect, but they also contain experiments into subjects and voices not normally touched on in his novels. INSOMNIA - In a world of super efficiency and equality, sleep is illegal and Feene keeps the masses going. THE EATER - Three children discover a writhing black puddle in the woods of New Hampshire. HARDEN’S TREE - A group of teens visit a tree planted atop the ashes of a mass murderer from late 1800’s. STAR CROSSED KILLERS - Two lovers, both deadly killers, compete for the same target. COUNTING SHEEP - A future terrorist gives an insomniac three minutes to fall asleep. HEARING AID - In the future, a deaf man is healed, but does he like what he hears? DARK SEED OF THE MOON - Vampires live, and kill, in the eternal shadow of the moon’s polar crater. FROM ABOVE - In the future, a detective goes after terrorists who vaporized his city--and his arm--from space. BOUGHT AND PAID FOR (Bonus Story) - A brutal character sketch for Scott Sigler’s THE CRYPT. EXCLUSIVE SAMPLES INCLUDED: -- THE LAST HUNTER by Jeremy Robinson -- CALLSIGN: KING by Jeremy Robinson and Sean Ellis -- THE SENTINEL by Jeremy Bishop -- SECONDWORLD by Jeremy Robinson PRAISE FOR JEREMY ROBINSON "Rocket-boosted action, brilliant speculation, and the recreation of a horror out of the mythologic past, all seamlessly blend into a rollercoaster ride of suspense and adventure." -- James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of JAKE RANSOM AND THE SKULL KING'S SHADOW "With THRESHOLD Jeremy Robinson goes pedal to the metal into very dark territory. Fast-paced, action-packed and wonderfully creepy! Highly recommended!" --Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of ROT & RUIN "Jeremy Robinson is the next James Rollins" -- Chris Kuzneski, NY Times bestselling author of THE SECRET CROWN "If you like thrillers original, unpredictable and chock-full of action, you are going to love Jeremy Robinson..."-- Stephen Coonts, NY Times bestselling author of DEEP BLACK: ARCTIC GOLD "How do you find an original story idea in the crowded action-thriller genre? Two words: Jeremy Robinson." -- Scott Sigler, NY Times Bestselling author of ANCESTOR "There's nothing timid about Robinson as he drops his readers off the cliff without a parachute and somehow manages to catch us an inch or two from doom." -- Jeff Long, New York Times bestselling author of THE DESCENT "Greek myth and biotechnology collide in Robinson's first in a new thriller series to feature the Chess Team... Robinson will have readers turning the pages..." -- Publisher's Weekly "Jeremy Robinson’s THRESHOLD is one hell of a thriller, wildly imaginative and diabolical, which combines ancient legends and modern science into a non-stop action ride that will keep you turning the pages until the wee hours. Relentlessly gripping from start to finish, don’t turn your back on this book!" -- Douglas Preston, NY Times bestselling author of IMPACT and BLASPHEMY "Jeremy Robinson is an original and exciting voice.

    When a young girl is snatched on her way home from school, Matty's police detective father knows that every minute counts. For the first time - but not the last - Detective Roger Turner enlists his son's unique help.With over 130,000 copies sold, the Matt Turner Series launched author Michael Siemsen to bestseller status. The Dig (Book 1) and The Opal (Book 2) hint at the troubled psychometrist's shocking childhood, using his ability to "read" an object's history to help his father solve the worst kinds of crimes. Only now, with the short story Matty are we offered a firsthand glimpse into a young Matt's first case - tracking down a kidnapped girl named Joss Lynn Leland.

    Written by well-known fantasy author Robert Holdstock it describes the quest of Alex Ryder, a newly-qualified pilot, to exact revenge for his father's death at the hands of a paid assassin. Along the way he is assisted by the enigmatic Rafe Zetter who links him up with a fugitive pilot who also wishes to eliminate the killer of Alex's father, but for her own reasons.All in all, a good story which, though spoiled by a few irritating character traits and a number of typographical errors, sets up the Elite universe in a cohesive manner.It also covers the combat and trading sides of Elite and the general nature of trading between different systems, buying what's cheap on one world and selling it wherever the demand is sufficient to keep the price high.Interestingly, the back of the BBC novella states that a sequel was planned for publication in 1985, but as far as I know this never came to fruition. Later editions of The Dark Wheel, included in the Sinclair Spectrum and Commodore 64 versions amongst others, sported new artwork

    KornbluthThe Human Equations - Dave CreekThe Gun - Philip K. DickNot Stupid Enough - George H. ScithersJackpot - E.C. TubbThe Killing Streets - Colin HarveyCharon’s Curse - John GlasbyMoon Dive - Sydney J. BoundsThe Hunted Heroes - Robert SilverbergNight of the Squealers - Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlinChaos - John Russell FearnAnd Happiness Everlasting - Gerald WarfieldSeeds of Invasion - Philip E. HighThe 7th Order - Jerry SohlMonkey on his Back - Charles V. De VetThe Calm Man - Frank Belknap LongAlien Still Life - John Gregory BetancourtA Question of Courage - J.F. BoneAngels and Moths - Costi GurguSecond Landing - Murray LeinsterThe Einstein-Rosen Hunter-Gatherer Society - George S. WalkerWind - Charles L. FontenayStar Mother - Robert F. YoungThe Sky Is Falling - Lester Del ReyLittle Fuzzy - H. Beam Piper

    Le Guin's Vaster Than Empires and More Slow. Including brief general essays and a separate introduction to each individual story or excerpt, Rabkin's anthology greatly illuminates the evolution of the genre.

    He hadn’t even gotten over the loss of his family and now his doctor was telling him his recent aches and pains were cancer. Going in for his first surgery, he was uncertain he could, or even should, face the challenges ahead. When he woke up to find over three hundred years had passed, an entirely new set of challenges lay before him. Discovering where he was, how he got here, and why he was here was just the beginning of a life he thought was all but over. Now he had to fight for the very survival of the human species, a fight that would be centered around “The Freezer”.

    Now, for the first time in more than a decade, you can find these treasured gems within a single volume. The Hugo Award Showcase collects the stories-by rising stars like Kij Johnson, beloved taleslingers like Michael Swanwick, and literary legends like Nancy Kress-that have captured the hearts and imaginations of some of the genre's most dedicated readers.

    Science-Fiction and WarA. E. Van Vogt. Recruiting StationLester del Rey. The Wings of NightRoby Wentz. Day After TomorrowMartin Pearson. The EmbassyIn Times to Come The Analytical Laboratory Anson MacDonald. Goldfish BowlSuppressed ViolenceIsaac Asimov. RunaroundMalcolm Jameson. DispersionBrass Tacks Eric Frank Russell. Describe a Circle