New Releases by John Brunner

This unique novel represents a collaboration between two greats of science fantasy writing, published for the first time on the SF Gateway. Between 1956 and 1962, John Brunner wrote three novellas that blurred the boundaries between science fiction and fantasy. Following Brunner''s untimely death, Damien Broderick was given permission to develop these works into a full-length novel, expanding on the ideas and concepts that had captured his imagination when he first read them. The result is a story that blends the technological with the magical, and travels to different worlds and undiscovered parts of our own. Weaving together ideas from No Other Gods But Me, The Kingdom of the world and Father of Lies, Broderick takes us from the modern day Earth, across dimensions and into battle with cults, dragons, ogres and people with psychokinetic powers. This is a fantastic read for both fans of Brunner''s original works and readers looking to be swept away on a new adventure.

GALACTIC STORM tells the tale of a young genius who uses a supercomputer to discover an alarming trend of global warming that will see half the world''s ice-caps melted within fifty years. This leads to an expedition to the South Pole to investigate the problem, and from there to the discovery of a sinister plot of extraterrestrial origin...

The third Thieves’ World® anthology—with stories by fantasy’s favorite authors—curated by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Myth series. Times are hard, and the citizens of Sanctuary are not their greedy, immoral, grifting selves. But desperate times call for desperate measures, which means the bad guys are about to up their game. No one is safe from Sanctuary’s evil charms—not the fish in the waters, not the prince’s own Hell Hound guards, not even Satan himself. “Shadows also includes another story by Offutt that reinforces my opinion that he is incapable of writing a bad story for this series. A number of the tales are Tempus stories, with several of our other recurring characters also making appearances. By virtue of Tempus’ unique relationship with the god Vashanka, these stories also bring us back toward the storyline of the competing deities, and help us to look forward to new developments in the fourth book. All in all, Shadows is the strongest book amongst the first three publications.” —Fantasy-Faction

Sixth in the magical, action-packed shared-world series: “Thieves’ World® has grown into a real presence in the fantasy genre” (Fantasy-Faction). Under the rule of a humanoid race, the city of Sanctuary finds itself divided. Rebels and assassins stalk the shadows, bringing chaos to the streets—which is nothing new to the lawless locals. But even they will have to put aside their differences to unite against their common enemy. An accomplishment easier said than done in a city where everyone is out for themselves . . . Stories by Chris and Janet Morris, Robin W. Bailey, Diana L. Paxson, Diane Duane, C. J. Cherryh, Andrew J. Offutt, Lynn Abbey, and Robert Lynn Asprin add to the legend and lore of this “surprisingly rich and deep world” (Book Riot). “In the sixth book of the collection, the friction between the residents of Sanctuary and the invading Beysib heats up and makes for some exciting reading . . . Offutt’s character Shadowspawn gets some good coverage, and a few fresh new characters also get some play . . .” —Fantasy-Faction “‘The Hand That Feeds You’ [by Diane Duane] is one of the best stories in the entire collection to date.” —brianbookreviews.blogspot.com

War looms over Sanctuary in the fifth Thieves’ World® anthology compiled by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Phule’s Company series. The invasion by the Beysibs, an amphibious humanoid race, brings unusual prosperity to the city of Sanctuary. But underneath the glittering façade lies a ticking time bomb, for the nefarious residents of Sanctuary don’t take kindly to an invasion—well-meaning or otherwise . . . Join Janet Morris, C. J. Cherryh, Robert Lynn Asprin, Lynn Abbey, David Drake, and Diana L. Paxson as their stories unravel the fates of Sanctuary’s favorite liars, thieves, assassins, and warriors. “Abbey . . . understands Sanctuary and its characters. She also knows how to write a short story with a strong main character, a riveting plot that contains twists and turns, and a satisfying resolution. Best story in the book . . . Lalo is the most interesting of all of the characters in Thieves’ World and his stories are always interesting. Paxson . . . spins an interesting and well written yarn that closes the book nicely.” —brianbookreviews.blogspot.com

Belly up to Thieves’ World®’s favorite bar for tales told by such fantasy stars as Philip José Farmer, David Drake, Janet Morris, and others. In the second shared-world anthology of the Thieves’ World® series, we see “the gods themselves taking a hand in the fight for the hearts, minds and souls of the citizens of Sanctuary” (Fantasy-Faction). Via contributions from Philip José Farmer, David Drake, Lynn Abbey, A.E. van Vogt, Janet Morris, Andrew J. Offutt, and Robert Lynn Asprin, you’ll revisit the nefarious characters of Sanctuary, including One-Thumb, the proprietor of the Vulgar Unicorn; Regli, a nobleman; Illyra, the seer; Hanes, the thief; the crime lord, Jubal; and introducing Tempus Thales, the immortal mercenary. “It’s the best kind of sequel, the kind which was not meticulously planned from the start, unlike the deliberate megafranchises being created today, which may be plotted out for a decade in advance of the launch. . . . An important book in the series . . . Many elements which will be exploited to huge degree and cast a huge shadow over later pages are introduced here for the first time. . . . In some ways, it provides an anticipatory, even direct, model for the grimdark of the nineties which would follow.” —World of Antra

A whirlwind of fantasy action and adventure descends on Thieves’ World®—as related by C. J. Cherryh, Diana L. Paxson, Andrew J. Offutt, and others. Welcome back to Sanctuary, “the city where anything could happen, where characters created by some of the best fantasy writers of the generation crossed paths and shared adventures” (Black Gate). The Thieves’ World® series continues with a story line created by Robert Lynn Asprin, C. J. Cherryh, Diana L. Paxson, Lynn Abbey, Janet Morris, and Andrew J. Offutt. In Storm Season, immortal warrior Tempus Thales and his nemesis, the crime lord Jubal, go head to head in fast-paced exploits that bring the simmering tension between them to a boil. “Much of Storm Season pertains to the conflict between Asprin’s gladiator/crime lord Jubal and Morris’ Tempus, and the other stories work to move this plotline along, while telling their own tales. Offutt, as usual, steals the show with a Shadowspawn story . . .” —Fantasy-Faction

Missing Game of Thrones? Dare to “be pulled into political intrigues, watch new gods replace old, and witness fortunes rise and fall and rise again” (Book Riot). A classic series for a new generation of fantasy adventure fans, Thieves’ World® paved the way for the shared-world anthology tradition with epic worldbuilding, unforgettable characters, and nonstop action thanks to the legendary authors who contribute to it. The series’s groundbreaking debut features stories by John Brunner, Lynn Abbey, Poul Anderson, Andrew J. Offutt, Robert Lynn Asprin, Joe Haldeman, Christine DeWees, and Marion Zimmer Bradley, who populate the lawless city of Sanctuary with orphans and wizards, fortune tellers and emperors, merchants and madams, spies, assassins, and, of course, thieves. “Sanctuary was the city where anything could happen, where characters created by some of the best fantasy writers of the generation crossed paths and shared adventures.” —Black Gate “A bold and daring experiment in fantasy storytelling . . . We are introduced to the cast of characters, including beggars and crime lords, wizards and soldiers, minstrels and thieves, as this new chapter in the life of Sanctuary begins, life under the governorship of Prince Kadakithis.” —Fantasy-Faction

Three fascinating sci-fi novels from the limitless imagination of the Hugo Award–winning author of the dystopian classic, Stand on Zanzibar. British novelist John Brunner remains “one of the most important science fiction authors . . . [who] held a mirror up to reflect our foibles” (SF Site). Brunner’s skillful and often frightening political and social commentary takes its place alongside the most iconic works of Arthur C. Clarke, Aldous Huxley, Margaret Atwood, and George Orwell. The Wrong End of Time: In a near future, where a paranoid America has sealed itself off from the rest of the world by a vast and complicated defense system, a young Russian scientist infiltrates all defenses to convey terrifying news. At the outer reaches of the solar system, near Pluto, a superior form of intelligent life possesses technology that makes it immune to attack and strong enough to easily destroy planet Earth . . . The Ladder in the Sky: A starving youth, trapped in poverty with no hope of escape, is taken prisoner and offered up in an actual “deal with the devil”—servitude for a year and a day in return for helping a resistance group free their imprisoned planetary leader. When he returns to consciousness, he is told that the devil has taken up residence inside him. At first, he thinks nothing has changed and he can take advantage of the situation, but some upsetting surprises are in store for him . . . The Productions of Time: Murray Douglas has beaten his alcoholism, but he needs an acting job and can’t be selective. He ends up with an improv group at an isolated country estate, where every move is being recorded by unfamiliar technology, and each player’s weakness is constantly prodded and encouraged. Just what is this show? And who is it for?

Three visionary sci-fi novels from the Hugo Award–winning author whose dystopian prescience made him “one of the most important” (SF Site). British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being made available to new generations of readers. The very definition of timeless, Brunner’s skillful and often frightening political and social commentary takes its place alongside the most iconic works of Arthur C. Clarke, Aldous Huxley, Margaret Atwood, and George Orwell. The Sheep Look Up: In a near future of poison air and soaring health hazards, environmentalist Austin Train is on the run—from the insurrectionists who want him to lead and the government that wants him dead, in this Nebula Award Finalist. “An arresting diary of what’s in store for us.” —The Washington Post The Crucible of Time: On a planet hurtling precariously through space, an alien civilization struggles for generations against ice ages and catastrophic meteors while scientists slowly develop the technology that will ultimately save them. “Impeccably detailed, and beautifully thought out, even to the fascinating alien personalities, speech patterns, and thoughts: Brunner in top form.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review The Jagged Orbit: In this Nebula Award Finalist, a journalist tries to expose the corrupt director of a mental hospital in a dystopian future where drug abuse, organized crime, and the inhumane treatment of anyone deemed “insane” have all but destroyed social order. “One of his most trenchant dystopias, yet it is as irresistible as it is biting.” —SFReviews.net

Because of a twist in the structure of Time, three strangers were brought unexpectedly together: Red Hawkins of California, Chantal Vareze of London and a man from the 41st Century. Their meeting seemed an impossible prank of a universe gone mad - but it turned out to be quite otherwise. For it seemed there was a war going on throughout space and time. A war fought by men of different epochs, on planets of different cultures, but for a cause that all could acknowledge - the very continued existence of creation itself. And the coming together of these three very unlikely people - a modern man, a lovely girl and a futurian soldier - was to prove the master stroke of a super-science strategy that had already brought humanity to the THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY.

John Brunner is best known for his dystopian novels written 40 years ago, like THE SHEEP LOOK UP and STAND ON ZANZIBAR, but in 1969 he wrote a novel of swinging London and its underworld of sex and voodoo. For the first time since its initial publication, BLACK IS THE COLOR is now available. It''s introduced by horror scholar John Pelan and has a cover by Gavin L. O''Keefe. In the introduction, John mentions that there will be more obscure titles by John Brunner to come from Ramble House.

Thirteen stories of the past, present, and future from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar. In Out of My Mind, John Brunner, in mid-career, selects a double-handful and more of what he considers his best work to date, thirteen stories that represent—under the three categories in which he classifies them: Past, Present, Future—his most challenging and entertaining stories, from present-day fear of nuclear annihilation to a loving, yet also terrifying infinite loop in time that includes a sideways step outside the universe as we know it. Put yourself in the hands of a master and take your imagination for a series of thrill-rides. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

In a world drowning in data, a fugitive tries to outrun the forces that want to reprogram him, in this smart, edgy novel by a Hugo Award–winning author. Constantly shifting his identity among a population choking on information, innovation, and novelty, Nickie Haflinger is a most dangerous outlaw, yet he doesn’t even appear to exist. As global society falls apart in all directions, with corporate power run amok and personal freedom surrendered to computers and bureaucrats, Haflinger is caught and about to be re-programmed. Now he has to try to escape once again, defy the government—and turn the tide of organizational destruction, in this visionary science fiction novel by the author of The Sheep Look Up and Stand on Zanzibar. “Brunner writes about the future as if he and the reader were already living in it.” —The New York Times Book Review “When John Brunner first told me of his intention to write the book, I was fascinated—but I wondered whether he, or anyone, could bring it off. Bring it off he has, with cool brilliance. A hero with transient personalities, animals with souls, think tanks and survival communities fuse to form a future so plausibly alive it as twitched at me ever since.” —Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

Hugo Award Finalist: “Story plotting holding much in common with chess . . . An exciting political thriller in the vein of Graham Greene” (Speculiction). In The Squares of the City, Brunner takes the moves of a classic championship chess game and uses them as the structure to build a novel about a revolution in a South American country obsessed with chess and dominated by a dictator who sees people as pawns in his game of power and survival. Intriguing premise, dramatic story, future setting, great entertainment. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

This “story of a severely handicapped man in a Dystopic world . . . very much reminds you of the Cyberpunk novels that would appear 20 years later” (Wanderings). In A Whole Man, a baby boy is born in a hospital surrounded by the chaos of battle and civil unrest. The birth is unremarkable and little noted, but the child, Gerald Howson, turns out to be very special. He is afflicted by infirmities and bodily flaws, but his mind becomes a miraculous device, capable of telepathic marvels that can, and do, change the world. But the power fantasies that sometimes tempt him are deadly to those near him and can ultimately threaten the whole of the world. And a man in a physical envelope that inspires pity and fright turns out to be the embodiment of a superman. This ebook was originally published in the United Kingdom under the title Telepathist. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, it is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

An alien race struggles to survive on an uninhabitable planet in this “impeccably detailed and beautifully thought out” novel from a Hugo Award winner (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). On a planet besieged with cosmic dust, where meteors of all sizes frequently hit, wiping out entire civilizations, a strange alien species struggles against extinction over the course of millennia. As their star grows hotter, melting ice caps and causing more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, higher levels of radiation lead to higher rates of mutation. Plants that had been edible become poisonous or die off altogether. Watching their dire situation only get worse, the planet’s scientists finally acknowledge that to survive long-term, the inhabitants will have to abandon their fraught home world and become a space-faring species. In a story that spans millennia, Hugo Award–winning author and British science fiction master John Brunner introduces us to an alien race that takes control of their own evolution and builds the technological society that will be their way into space. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

Nebula Award Finalist:Mankind has been reduced to slavery by technology and surveillance, in this near-future novel from the author of Stand on Zanzibar. In The Jagged Orbit, Brunner, writing at the peak of form that allowed him to create Stand on Zanzibar, takes a long, hard, disturbing, and hilarious look at the near and not-so-distant future. Catastrophic changes due to rampant drug abuse, uncontrolled violence, high-level government corruption, inhumane treatment of the too-readily defined “insane,” and the accompanying collapse of the social order are wreaking havoc on the world we recognize and turning it into a reality we must fear and hope to avoid. Brunner tells a spine-chilling tale of where the world could possibly go that is all too believable and real for our comfort. “For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, it is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words. For new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

In the face of an alien threat, Russia and a xenophobic US must work together to save humanity in “one of the better science fiction novels of the year” (Library Journal). In a near future where a paranoid America has sealed itself off from the rest of the world by a vast and complicated defense system, a young Russian scientist infiltrates all defenses to tell an almost unbelievable and truly terrifying story. At the outer reaches of the solar system, near Pluto, has been detected a superior form of intelligent life, far smarter than man and in possession of technology that makes it immune to attack from human weaponry and strong enough to easily destroy planet Earth. Can humans set aside their differences and mutual fears to work together and defeat a common enemy? For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, it is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

A thought-provoking novel of a sentient spaceship’s voyages, from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar. "One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves." —SF Site Among six hundred thousand stars visited by man, sixty thousand have planets hospitable to life, six thousand have developed life and six hundred have been settled, or seeded, with humanity. A vast vessel, known simply as Ship, travels an endless route, checking in with all the settled planets, observing, offering help where it can as some flourish, some falter but all change and evolve. Unexpectedly, Ship has developed feelings and intelligence and it struggles with human-like emotions as it sees the many ways that man can evolve or devolve when left to his own devices with the one eternal constant--change.

A young man must deal with the consequences of a demonic possession—from the science fiction author whose “best writing is turbo-charged with ideas” (BBC). In The Ladder in the Sky, a starving youth, trapped in poverty and with no hope of escape, is taken prisoner and offered up in an actual “deal with the devil,”—servitude for a year and a day in return for helping a resistance group free their imprisoned planetary leader. When he returns to consciousness, he is told that the devil has taken up residence inside him. At first, he thinks nothing is changed and he can take advantage of the situation but some upsetting surprises are in store for him. With an SF setting and a fantasy premise, this is one of Brunner’s best hybrids of action, magic, technology and suspense. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

A down-on-his-luck actor finds himself directed toward self-sabotage in this science fiction thriller from the award-winning author of Stand on Zanzibar. In The Productions of Time, Murray Douglas has beaten his alcohol addiction, needs a new acting job and can''t be choosy. Then he ends up in an isolated country estate with every move being recorded by what appear to be alien instruments, every deviant desire and weakness constantly prodded and encouraged and self-destruction the order of the day, every day. What is the goal of the production? Who (or what) will ever see the show? Will he (or anyone) survive the ordeal? The show must go on . . . “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

“Speculation is compounded with suspense” in these thirteen short works of sci-fi from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar—“Genuine startlers” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Collected when Brunner was at the peak of his writing form, this even dozen of his short stories, with a bonus poem thrown into the mix, offers provocative ideas and thrilling action mixed with conceptions of the inevitable future, the inventable future, the alternate future, the future to be avoided, and the future that is sometimes right now. A heady brew. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, this is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

A postapocalyptic thriller with “the fun aspect of an American International 50’s SF movie” from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar (Vintage45). In To Conquer Chaos, John Brunner gives us a heaping helping of classic planetary science fiction adventure. The barrenland is a mystery and an enigma, a dangerous and terrifying place that none who enter ever return from. More than three hundred miles around, it has existed far longer than collective memory can guess, and all too often, strange beasts emerge from it and kill at random. Conrad lives on the edge of the barrenland and is haunted by visions of its past as a haven, populated by magical people who could travel between worlds. He meets Jervis Yenderman, a soldier who has knowledge of the visions and who believes that within the barrenland is an island of human survivors—and that one man has escaped it within recent memory. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, it is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

A “very enjoyable” novel of first alien contact from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar (Frederick Pohl). While two very different men—Counce, who has strange powers and a formidable intellect, and Bassett, a master of money, finance, and business—are locked in a battle for supremacy over the inhabited worlds of the galaxy, an unknown threat to their power lurks in the shadows: secretive aliens who have a takeover plan of their own. John Brunner delivers fast action as a galaxy-size drama and cosmic surprises unfold one after another, leading to a heart-pounding climax. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, it is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

A mutant species from the sea unleashes a tide of terror in this horror thriller from “one of the most important science fiction authors” (SF Site). In Double, Double, a random collection of strangers converges on a seaside town, not knowing one another and having nothing in common. A mystery from the sea, a shape-shifter, begins to take over the people and produce oddly behaving duplicates of them. A combination of scientific knowledge and a little luck may be all that stands between mankind and an alien invasion. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, this is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

One journey. Six stories. Mind-blowing fantasy from the Hugo Award winner, “one of the most important science fiction authors” (SF Site). In The Compleat Traveller in Black, six linked tales, comprising one of Brunner’s rare ventures into fantasy, relate the legend of a man with many names, who travels the world with a staff made of light and performs his eternal duty by bringing order to a world filled with chaos. What he dispenses is always asked for but not always welcomed by the recipients. And the world becomes, step by slow step, a better place for those who remain. For each generation, there is a writer meant to bend the rules of what we know. Hugo Award winner (Best Novel, Stand on Zanzibar) and British science fiction master John Brunner remains one of the most influential and respected authors of all time, and now many of his classic works are being reintroduced. For readers familiar with his vision, this is a chance to reexamine his thoughtful worlds and words, while for new readers, Brunner’s work proves itself the very definition of timeless.

Telepathic children hold the fate of humanity in their hands in this “compulsively readable novel” from the Hugo Award–winning author of Stand on Zanzibar (The Washington Post). In Children of the Thunder, Brunner creates another near-contemporary vision of a world gone awry and proposes a peculiarly disturbing and frightening solution. Starting separately, a small number of very smart and uniquely talented children, none more than fourteen years old, create lucrative designer drugs, kill a Marine commando in unarmed combat, run a sex-ring of chilling depravity. None of them are even punished for their crimes. Combine powers of mental control and irresistible suggestion with creative and completely amoral intelligence and you have the recipe for a super-race of world-savers—or for the subjugation of all humanity to a new form of collective evil. “One of the most important science fiction authors. Brunner held a mirror up to reflect our foibles because he wanted to save us from ourselves.” —SF Site

A cold war among the stars was growing hotter by the minute. As Pag and Cathrodyne struggled for domination, a hot war threatened which would rend and annihilate whole planetary systems. The two master races would have consumed one another long ago, but for one single factor: Waystation. It was a stupendous synthetic world, famed throughout this galaxy. For Waystation was controlled by a neutral people, and until the greater powers could seize this strategic wonder planet and ferret out its secrets, they were doomed to fretful inactivity. But as a Cathrodyne vessel drew near to Waystation, the all-important balance of power stood in sudden peril. The ship in itself was routine. But on board was a stranger, a man of undiscovered race, who spoke too little, and, it appeared, knew too much...

MUST THE UNIVERSE DIE WITH THEM? The Starfolk, arrogant masters of vast stretches of the cosmos beyond the Earth''s sphere of influence, were determined to complete the extermination of the mind-reading mutants of Regnier''s planet. But to the mutants themselves, the terror of the Starfolk was nothing compared to the greater dread that gripped their spirits - the obsession that the universe itself was doomed. This obsession ripped into their minds, overwhelmed them, and plunged them into horrifying hysteria. The message of room reached the ears of the Starfolk themselves, forcing the to a fateful decision. They would allow an Earthman, archeologist Philip Gascon, to visit Regnier in an attempt to unravel its secrets. What he found would either contain the key to the ultimate destiny of the universe - or the date of the doomsday.