“ This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor...Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. ” ― Rumi
This is the definitive collection of the twentieth-century's most characteristic genre -- science fiction. The tales are organized chronologically to give readers a sense of how the genre's range, vitality, and literary quality have evolved over time. Eac
The Saga of CuckooThere was no shortage of danger on Cuckoo.20,000 light years away, the enormous flat surface of Cuckoo travelling at one-sixth the speed of light aimed arrow-straight at the galaxy.Sun One sent the space probe Aurora with a crew of repli
When Comet Sicara brushed near enough to strip the ozone layer form the Earth's atmosphere, civilization effectively ended--in fact, life on Earth was nearly extinguished. But the underwater cities survived, and some heavily protected land enclaves as wel
A race of turtle-like creatures conquers Earth, imposing a gentler set of values on humankind, outlawing destructive technology, and denying the validity of human scientific theories. When their home planet disappears into a black hole, however, the alien
In THE REEFS OF SPACE, Frederick Pohl and Jack Williamson created the glorious worldlets of crystal where rebels from machine-bound Earth could find a refuge from the inexorable Plan of Man with its Body Bank and Programmed Living.Now, in STARCHILD, two g
On the far planet Wing IV, a brilliant scientist creates the humanoids--sleek black androids programmed to serve humanity.But are they perfect servants--or perfect masters?Slowly the humanoids spread throughout the galaxy, threatening to stifle all human
In a basement in New Mexico, four poker buddies and amateur adventurers who have discovered a dark mystery buried beneath the sands of the Sahara desert decide to do something about it.In the deep Sahara, they find an ancient artifact that will change the
Bookstores are the greatest places on earth, yet there's never been an anthology devoted just to them. Here are sixteen stories, fourteen original to this anthology, each of which includes a bookstore at its core. Science fiction, fantasy and horror. Auth