New Releases by Poul Anderson

Step into the boundless universe of "Amazing Tales Volume 68", an enthralling science fiction anthology meticulously curated as an extraordinary anthology offering unparalleled expedition. This extraordinary compilation transcends the ordinary, inviting you to journey through stories that illuminate the mysterious corridors of space, plumb the untouched depths of our oceans, and unravel the intricate tapestry of human and alien relationships. Dive into the cosmic intrigue of "Industrial Revolution", where forgotten technology and machine amnesia ignite a fierce war across the asteroid belt, testing the limits of interplanetary diplomacy. Meanwhile, "The Sensitive Man" plunges you into the enigmatic waters of an underwater city, where hidden abilities and a shadowy cabal threaten to upend the delicate balance of power. Venture across the Martian landscape in "Duel on Syrtis", a heart-pounding chase that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And let "Sentiment, Inc". touch your heart and provoke your thoughts, as it masterfully intertwines ambition with the nuances of romance. But the adventure doesn''t stop there. Traverse a series of interconnected sagas featuring the mysterious Simon Dalgetty, a character who confronts political machinations, survival challenges, and ethical quandaries across mesmerizing locales. The authors tackle timeless themes of identity, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit. Whether you''re a devotee of space operas, dystopian landscapes, or the gripping allure of suspense and survival tales, "Amazing Tales Volume 68" promises a remarkable journey through the celestial and cerebral realms of science fiction. Prepare to be captivated, as this anthology elevates the genre to new heights with its vivid storytelling and limitless imagination.

Poul Anderson''s "Sci-Fi Boxed Set" serves as a compelling portal into the intricacies of speculative fiction, showcasing his masterful narrative style and profound imagination. This collection intertwines rich character development with thought-provoking scientific concepts, establishing a literary context that explores humanity''s potential and ethical dilemmas inherent in technological advancement. Anderson''s works often transcend mere adventure, delving into philosophical inquiries about existence, society, and the interplay between science and the human condition, reflecting the broader themes of mid-20th century science fiction. Poul Anderson, a towering figure in the realm of science fiction, drew from his extensive background in both science and philosophy, which greatly informed his writing. His experiences as a World War II veteran and fascination with Norse mythology and history are intricately woven into his narratives, imbuing them with depth and resonance. Anderson''s ability to blend imaginative storytelling with hard science brings a unique voice to the genre, influencing generations of writers and readers alike. This boxed set is highly recommended for enthusiasts of science fiction seeking to engage with groundbreaking narratives that push the boundaries of imagination. Anderson''s works spark curiosity and contemplation, making them essential reading for anyone interested in the possibilities of future worlds and the moral questions they raise. In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience: - A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works'' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions. - The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing. - A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation. - A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists. - A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work''s strengths. - Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author''s overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts. - Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection''s central themes.

This is a Cock Robin Mystery introducing Trygve Yamamura--judo expert, Samurai sword connoisseur and private detective--triple threat to San Francisco crime. These combined skills enable him to keep his own head attached while finding out who removed someone else''s with honorable Japaneses weapon. This is a good old-fashioned detective story, a genuine whodunit, with a good deal of suspense thrown in. (Goodreads)

From the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author: "A panoramic story of what happens to a world gone super intelligent" ( Astounding Science Fiction). With "wonderfully logical detail . . . exciting storytelling and moving characterization" (Anthony Boucher), science fiction master Poul Anderson explores what happens when the next stage of evolution is thrust upon humanity and animals. As Earth passes out of a magnetic field that has suppressed intelligence for eons, the mental capacity for all mammals increases exponentially, radically changing the structures of society. A mentally impaired farm worker finds himself capable of more delicate and intelligent thoughts than he ever dreamed. A young boy on holiday manages to discern the foundations of calculus before breakfast. Animals that were seen as livestock and pets can now communicate clearly with their owners and one another. And an already brilliant physics researcher now uses his boundless intellect to bring humankind to the stars—even as his wife plunges into an existential crisis. For all of them, the world will never be the same . . .

Werewolf Steve Matuchek and witch Ginny Graylock defend America in this fantasy duology from the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author. Operation Chaos: In a world where magic is real, werewolf Steve Matuchek and powerful witch Virginia Graylock are paired together in the war to stop the invading Caliphate forces from taking over America. Their mission: stop the enemy from unleashing their superweapon—a genie in a bottle. And that is only the beginning of an adventure that will take them quite literally to Hell and back . . . " Operation Chaos was one of the truly fine fantasies of the 1970s, a fantasy whose magic was so splendidly engineered that you felt it was as logical—and as likely—as our real technology." —Harry Turtledove "A great read, from a master writer at the top of his game." —GirlsWithGuns.org Operation Luna: Now married with three rambunctious children, Steve and Ginny once again find themselves fighting for their country as they try to stop a plot to sabotage America''s first manned mission to the moon (in an alternate history timeline, that is). But they will need help from a loyal cadre of magical allies if they hope to avert a catastrophe . . . "An enjoyable tale by a veteran writer who knows exactly what he''s doing." — Publishers Weekly

The giant Norse warrior-king Harald Hardrede strives to forge a mighty empire by conquering the North in the second volume of the epic Last Viking Trilogy He is a savior to the hordes of loyal Norsemen who would gladly give their lives battling at his side and a dreaded scourge to anyone who resists his dreams of empire. Now, Harald Hardrede—who, legend has it, has never been defeated in battle or sport—has returned to Norway, the land of his birth, after years of serving foreign rulers in faraway realms. The lessons of Constantinople are not lost on the giant Viking warrior, as he sets out to unite the northlands under his sole rule and create an empire to rival the great powers of Europe. Harald''s task will not come easily and will demand great sacrifice, for the resisting Danes love their current king, and the proud people of the Throndheimsfjord would rather die than relinquish their cherished independence. But the fabled "Lightning of the North" will not be deterred, for he is determined to carve his place in history—or die in the process. Multiple-award-winning author Poul Anderson''s thrilling three-volume series, the Last Viking Trilogy draws from Norse legend and lore to prove he is as adept at epic historical fiction as he is at science fiction and fantasy. Norway''s most glorious hero comes alive in The Road of the Sea Horse, a magnificent tale of war, adventure, bloodlust, and loyalty.

From an award-winning author: A novel of the fierce Norse warrior who would become the lusty and powerful Viking king Harald Hardrede. At seventeen, Harald Sigurdharson—one day to be called Hardrede—tastes the bitter nectar of blood and battle for the first time, and from that day forward he will forever crave the intoxicating brew of war. Though he knows it is his destiny to conquer and to rule, he is still young and the throne he covets is beyond his grasp. In the meantime, the wide world beckons. Setting out from Norway after a great series of mercenary adventures in Sweden and Russia, the now towering seven-foot-tall Harald arrives at Constantinople on the Golden Horn. In the heart of an empire choking on its own intrigues and excesses, as a member of the Varangian Guard—the foreign warriors entrusted with the safety of the Byzantine emperor—and a tireless suitor to an enticing beauty from a powerful clan, Harald carves out his legend in flesh, bone, and blood. But his true path stretches to the other side of the world, for he must ultimately return to Norway, his homeland, to claim his royal birthright. A winner of multiple awards including the Hugo and Nebula, author Poul Anderson begins an epic trilogy of historical fiction with this novel, bringing to life the eleventh-century conqueror who was known as the last Viking.

A time traveler stumbles upon a horrific plot to alter the future in this adventure from "one of science fiction''s most revered writers" ( USA Today). Born with a strange genetic mutation, Jack Havig can travel backward and forward in time at will. His unique gift enables him to visit ancient Rome, the Byzantine Empire, and the Wild West. He''s even seen the far future, when the ecology-minded Maurai Federation dominates a world nearly obliterated by nuclear war. Jack undertakes these voyages with one objective in mind: to find others who share his remarkable abilities. In the shadow of the Crucifixion, Jack finally achieves his goal. But a terrible darkness clouds his admission into the secretive, time-traveling organization called Eyrie when the group''s true intentions become clear. For Eyrie''s plans include an unthinkable genocide designed to irrevocably alter the destiny of humankind—and Jack is the only one who can stop it. But he won''t be able to do it alone. The prolific and remarkable Poul Anderson dazzles once again with a humanistic science fiction adventure that races across the boundaries of time. Lightning-paced and marvelously inventive, There Will Be Time is an unforgettable journey through the ages from one of the greats of twentieth-century science fiction. This ebook includes the bonus stories "Progress" and "Windmill."

On a post-nuclear Earth, visionaries who dream of reaching for the stars attempt to revive the forbidden technology that destroyed their world. "One of science fiction''s most influential and prolific writers." — The Daily Telegraph Centuries ago, humankind was nearly destroyed in a nuclear apocalypse. Many generations have passed since that terrible time, and the remnants of civilization have re-formed into separate, vastly different societies. The dominant culture of a widely diminished Earth, the ecologically sensitive Maurai hold fast to their belief that "non-green" science is an unacceptable evil. But the reborn dream of space flight harbored by a forward-thinking few could herald the revival of the nuclear technology that once ravaged the planet and its people—and the powerful Maurai Federation will take every step necessary, no matter how drastic, to prevent doomsday from dawning again. An enthralling work of speculative fiction from a winner of the Nebula and Hugo Awards, Orion Shall Rise is a feat of world-building and a sobering view of tomorrow by one of the twentieth century''s most revered science fiction masters. Poul Anderson''s monumental tale combines science, anthropology, philosophy, and global politics with breathtaking action and adventure, offering an ingeniously unique and provocative vision of humankind''s all-too-possible destiny. This ebook includes the bonus story "The Sky People." Praise for Poul Anderson "Anderson has produced more milestones in contemporary science fiction and fantasy than any one man is entitled to." —Stephen Donaldson "Anderson, far more than many newer science fiction writers, takes the trouble to envision a genuinely strange, complex future for mankind." — The Washington Post

In this classic science fiction adventure, a fiery doomsday threatens an alien world—and the human colonists who have made it their home. Firetime is coming to Ishtar. This once-in-a-millennium event occurs when one of the planet''s three suns encroaches on Ishtar''s surface, to disastrous effect. The nightmare rapidly approaching, barbaric tribes have declared war on their more civilized brethren in hopes of avoiding a natural extermination. Standing between the opposing forces are the colonists who settled on Ishtar after abandoning their home planet, Earth. But in this time of chaos and destruction, there is little the humans can do to aid their Ishtarian allies in the desperate fight for survival. The Terran powers, engaged in their own terrible conflict with a hostile alien race, will offer no help to the endangered planet. With a fiery doomsday on the way, the humans can do nothing but watch and wait—and pray for a miracle that will forestall the inevitable apocalypse. A stunning work of speculative invention from one of the all-time masters of science fiction and fantasy, Poul Anderson''s classic Fire Time is a richly imagined tale of war, alien contact, and environmental catastrophe that brilliantly questions the concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, and heroism and villainy.

Winner of the British Fantasy Award: The ancient legend of the Danish Viking king is retold in a tale of vengeance, battles, magic, and monsters. In the court of the Anglo-Saxon king, a visiting storyteller regales the assembled nobles with the enthralling tale of her faraway land''s most revered hero: the Viking Hrolf Kraki. Born of an incestuous union into a royal family with a history of violence, jealousy, usurpation, and murder, Hrolf assembled a loyal band of the mightiest champions in the realm and expanded his small kingdom through wisdom, courage, and conquest. Unbeaten on the battlefield, his great deeds and victories became legends throughout the North as he ushered in an era of peace and prosperity. But Hrolf''s desire for vengeance was ever the warrior-king''s driving force, as he sought the truth about his father''s murder. This obsession would threaten Hrolf''s life and his rule—and ultimately bring his great kingdom to ruin. Poul Anderson, one of the acknowledged giants of twentieth-century fantasy, employs his unparalleled storytelling talents to bring Denmark''s great Viking king to life. A saga that predates the stories of King Arthur and his knights and Shakespeare''s Hamlet, while echoing the Oedipus and Beowulf myths, the Norse legend of Hrolf Kraki takes on a new and breathtaking richness in this classic novel the Guardian described as "full of thrills."

A young man from the twentieth century is recruited to fight in a war that rages throughout time in this classic science fiction adventure from a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning master. College student, ex-marine, and martial artist Malcolm Lockridge is in prison awaiting his trial for murder when he receives an unexpected visit from an extraordinarily beautiful woman named Storm. Claiming to be a representative of the Wardens, a political faction from two thousand years in the future, Storm offers the astonished young man a proposition: freedom in return for his assistance in recovering an unspecified lost treasure. But it is not long before Malcolm realizes that, in truth, he''s been recruited as a soldier in the Wardens'' ongoing war against their rivals, the Rangers. And this war is different from any that has ever been fought, because the battlefield is not a place but time itself. Traveling backward and forward through corridors connecting historical epochs separated by thousands of years, Malcolm is soon embroiled in a furious conflict between the forces of good and minions of evil. But the deeper he is pulled into this devastating time war, the clearer Malcolm''s ultimate role in humankind''s destiny becomes, causing the troubled young soldier from the twentieth century to question whether he''s been chosen to fight on the side of good or evil . . . and if such a distinction even exists.

Nebula and World Fantasy Award Finalist: A fantastic tale of intrigue, love, war, magic, and swashbuckling adventure set in an alternate universe where fairies mingle freely with Englishmen and all of Shakespeare''s fictional characters are real Welcome to an alternate civil-war-torn seventeenth-century England—a world where Hamlet once brooded and Othello jealously raged. Here faeries and sprites gambol in English woods, railroads race across the landscape while manned balloons float above the countryside, and the most respected historian of all is one William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon. The year is 1644, and the war between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers rages. When Rupert, nephew of King Charles I, is taken captive by Cromwell''s troops and imprisoned in a Puritan home, he is immediately smitten with the beautiful Jennifer Alayne, his captor''s niece. Escaping with the help of his newfound beloved and the loyal trooper Will Fairweather, Rupert leads Jennifer deep into the forest, where the faerie folk who dwell there have a vested interest in the outcome of the great and bloody conflict. Though the lovers must soon part—with the prince undertaking a dangerous mission for his magical benefactors that could turn the tide of war—Rupert and his lady love will be forever joined by the rings presented to them by King Oberon and Queen Titania. And despite the strange, twisting pathways and turbulent seas they are destined to encounter, they will always be able to find each other again . . . as long as their love remains true. Nominated for the World Fantasy Award and winner of the Mythopoeic Award, Poul Anderson''s A Midsummer Tempest is a titanic achievement—a delightful alternate-history fantasy that brings the fictional worlds of Shakespeare''s plays to breathtaking life with style, wit, and unparalleled imagination.

In a thrilling collection of hard science fiction stories, a master of speculative fiction envisions a volatile future when Earth''s colonies throughout the galaxy attempt to break free from home-world rule On a spaceship rocketing toward the stars, an official council meets to discuss how to censor history for the benefit of a new generation in space—which stories to preserve and which ones to discard forever . . . Golden-age hard science fiction luminary Poul Anderson approached the future with a mixture of excitement, hope, and skepticism. In Tales of the Flying Mountains, the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner offers stories from a new war of independence and beyond—portending a time when a North American government on Earth will take up arms against its own rebellious children colonizing the cosmos, then exploring the shape of the universe in the war''s aftermath. Firmly based in hard science and human nature, here are seven excursions into a distant tomorrow, from the tense saber rattling preceding the hostilities to the establishment and growth of the independent Asteroid Republic. Whether he''s spinning an imaginative yarn about the courageous crew of an unarmed state-of-the-art commercial space station using every resources at hand to battle a military incursion from the home world or chronicling a space colony''s desperate gamble to thwart a government takeover by moving an entire asteroid, Anderson builds truly breathtaking worlds and imagines astonishing yet eminently credible future scenarios while infusing his unforgettable tales with intelligence, compassion, surprise, and humanism.

Included in this volume are "An Infinite Summer," by Christopher Priest; "The King''s Wishes," by Robert Sheckley; "Manna," by Peter Phillips; "The Long Remembering," by Poul Anderson; "Try and Change the Past," by Fritz Leiber; "Divine Madness, by Roger Zelazny; "Mugwump 4," by Robert Silverberg; "Secret Rider," by Marta Randall; and "The Seesaw," by A.E. van Vogt.

1. Poul Anderson is one of science fiction’s most popular writers, and this generous volume of his best work, with wide-ranging themes and settings, will attract his thousands of fans and win him many new ones. 2. Included is a complete novel, After Doomsday, and a number of equally exciting short novels. 3. Long-time Anderson fans will welcome old friends, and newer Anderson fans will find a host of prime, classic SF by one of the field’s very best. 4. Advertising in Locus, more. From the aftermath of World War III to a world inherited by robots, where humans are unwelcome ... from a handful of human survivors on a starship desperately searching for other ships carrying survivors of the destruction of the entire Earth by an unknown enemy, who may strike again at any time, to another starship hurtling through the cosmos at a speed so close to that of light—and unable to slow down—that relativistic effects make millennia fly by for each tick of the clock onboard . . . from a team striving to make Venus habitable for humans to a group of men who find the ominous secret behind a new quasi-religious philosophy that is sweeping the world. . . . The wide-ranging imagination and exciting storytelling of Poul Anderson brings many different worlds to vivid life in a great volume of his best stories that will thrill all fans of science fiction.

With this new novel, science fiction and fantasy grandmaster Poul Anderson has crafted a powerful story of a mighty queen, magic, and the mastery of ancient nations. Blending characters both historical and mythological, Mother of Kings is the tale of Gunnhild, Queen of England and Norway, who loomed so large in the tenth century-at the end of the Age of the Vikings-that she became a figure of legend, even of myth. As a child of just seven summers, Gunnhild finds herself fascinated with the powers of a witchwoman who is a concubine of her father''s, a powerful Norse chieftain. She also finds another fascination in handsome and lordly Eirik, son of their king. When her mother dies, Gunnhild promises, "I will never yield," and that, "through me, our blood shall flow greatly." Gunnhild has learned from her chieftain father the way the powerful use the weak. But there are other lessons and other powers she seeks. Sent away to learn the magic of a pair of shamans, Gunnhild becomes a Spaewife-a knower of the Gods, a master in the ways of witchcraft and sorcery. Aided by her new abilities, Gunnhild marries Eirik. She is destined to become queen, and her magic is a fearsome complement to Eirik''s strength. But Eirik''s enemies are cunning, and Gunnhild is soon without his might. If Gunnhild can keep the promise she made as a child to never yield, her family''s blood will flow greatly, and the sons she bore Eirik will each become a king. Her own struggles, though, are far from over . . . .

From the aftermath of World War III to a world inherited by robots, where humans are unwelcome . . . from a handful of human survivors on a starship desperately searching for other ships carrying survivors of the destruction of the entire Earth by an unknown enemy, who may strike again at any time, to another starship hurtling through the cosmos at a speed so close to that of light¾and unable to slow down¾that relativistic effects make millennia fly by for each tick of the clock onboard . . . from a team striving to make Venus habitable for humans to a group of men who find the ominous secret behind a new quasi-religious philosophy that is sweeping the world. . . . The wide-ranging imagination and exciting storytelling of Poul Anderson brings many different worlds to vivid life in a great volume of his best stories that will thrill all fans of science fiction. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Now in trade paperback, the landmark epic by one of the greatest SF writers of the century

A fascinating ''what if novel, Brainwave is an exploration into the ways human society is organized and the assumptions that are made about how life is valued. It is also a novel about equality and what happens when the hierarchical structures by which we arrange our daily lives disappear.

More than just a collection of some of Poul Anderson''s most acclaimed works, Going for Infinity is both a celebration and a memoir of Anderson''s distinguished sixty-year career in science fiction and fantasy. Along with several Hugo and Nebula Award-winning stories, Anderson also shares autobiographical musings, and fond memories as he looks back at a lifetime spent crafting many of science fiction''s most memorable adventures. Between the short story and novel excerpts collected here, which range over the entire length of Anderson''s career, he reminisces about his experiences, including his encounters with such peers and colleagues as John W. Campbell, Anthony Boucher, "Gordy" Dickson, Jack Vance, Clifford Simak, and Harlan Ellison. Going for Infinity provides a firsthand look at six decades of science fiction and fantasy, as lived by one of the field''s most honored contributors. From the moons of Saturn to the shores of an enchanted isle, the astounding breadth of Poul Anderson''s imagination is on ample display throughout this once-in-a-lifetime collection, along with a personal glimpse into the man himself.

From the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning Grandmaster, a new novel of classic science fiction adventure Mystery, discovery, and wonder on a cosmic scale are the core of Anderson’s latest novel. Lissa, a human Earth woman, and her partner, “Karl,” a giant alien academic who resembles Tyrannosaurs—are interstellar archaeologists investigating the remote and uncharted planet Jonna. There, they seem to have hit the jackpot. For on that distant world they’ve discovered an immense artifact that may have been left by the mysterious beings called the Forerunners. This race predated all the known cultures in the starfaring galaxy and vanished long before any other intelligent species had taken to the stars. But Lissa and Karl aren’t the first to have made the discovery on Jonna. On the far-off world the archaeologists cross paths with the two freebooters whose plans for motives towards the arcane object are not purely scientific. Their discovery may be the best preserved relic of the ancient beings yet found. Other artifacts from the Forerunners—once reverse engineers—have revolutionized entire fields of technology, reaping huge financial rewards. If the same holds true for this newest discovery, Lissa realizes, only she and Karl stand between the seemingly friendly freebooters and what could be the treasure of a lifetime.

On a planet settled by women, the descendants have long awaited the arrival of mysterious people called "men". But when one arrives, he is nothing like the godlike beings of their legends. Obviously, he is an alien space monster, and must be eliminated.

In a war waged against Black Magic, the fact that Steve is a werewolf and his wife is a highly skilled witch is not unusual. But their adventures prove very unusual, even for their world, when they are given the task of neutralizing an enemy''s ultimate weapon--the world''s most powerful demon.

From the winner of eight Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards comes an entirely new novel of the Time Patrol--the far-future agency charged with responsibility for the stable continuity of human history, plus all the previous tales in the series available in one volume. Original.

Winner of seven Hugo and three Nebula Awards, Poul Anderson is one of science fiction''s supreme masters. In Harvest of Stars, Anderson''s most ambitious novel to date, Earth lies crushed in the grip of totalitarianism. To save her planet, Kyra Davis is sent on a mission to liberate the last bastion of freedom--and rescue its legendary leader.

Captain Rovic meets a shipwrecked traveler who claims to be on an even longer voyage than his; Ira and Gray find a mysterious egg on an abandoned ferryboat, and when it hatches, it begins wreaking havoc

Manse Everard, a Time Patrol agent, searches through time for scholar Stephen Tamberly and Tamberly''s renegade conquistador companion, who is planning to alter history