Brave explorers encounter a dangerous new world and a terrifying future Earth in these two classic novels by the pioneering SFWA Grand Master. Cemetery World After a disastrous planet-wide war, Earth is nothing more than an elite graveyard—but Fletcher Carson is venturing back in search of a vital bounty. Fletcher, a former artist, is joined by a sentient machine, an ancient, powerful robot, and a treasure-seeking beauty. They soon discover that Earth harbors more than the carefully groomed tombstones. In the wild land beyond the cemetery there are dangerous machines, mutant creatures, and even humans who never left their home planet. Destiny Doll When a team of explorers is beckoned to a strange planet, it closes around them like a Venus flytrap. Assailed by strange perils and even stranger temptations, the small group struggles to survive as, surrounded by creatures of myth and mystery, they are stalked by a deadly nemesis. Even more peculiar is the little wooden painted doll that offers them salvation . . . or damnation.

Fourteen-year-old Eddie Innocent hopes to one day become an award-winning newspaper journalist. Now he has won a chance to write for the Junior Herald. The only problem is the newspaper's 16-year-old hard-nosed editor, Jessica Lamps, who wants Eddie to stick to 'the three Ps of kids' journalism: puzzles, pets and prizes. But Eddie has an uncanny ability to find the most bizarre supernatural stories unfolding in his city. Enter Destiny, a girl with a transplanted right hand thathas a mind of its own and is making her steal things ... or so she says. Eddie and his sidekick, the funny but brilliant Noah, find themselves drawn into the mystery.What does the hand want with its bizarre collection? And can Eddie get to the bottom of this story without losing his job, and being drawn into his own darkness?

Guided by Hermes' art, Caris finds the path to a higher consciousness, one grounded in a holistic and alchemical matrix that encourages the growth of a healthy mind. All the arts--including music, art, and literature--are rooted in the sacred tradition and form the center of meditation. From ancient times the arts have conveyed mystical knowledge besides practical skills of their crafts. The treasure discovered on the golden path is paradoxical thinking, the key to a higher consciousness. Offering the reader a dare, Caris shines light on the path to cultivate a higher consciousness. Many examples selected from literature, philosophy, art, and music illustrate paradoxical thinking and its blossoming. Among those artists and philosophers discussed are Bela Bartok, M. C. Escher, Frank Herbert, Hermann Hesse, Carl Jung, Ursula Le Guin, Pablo Picasso, Plato, Tom Stoppard, and Edgar Varese. Some of the important ideas investigated include personal transformation, microcosm-macrocosm, gender duality, perceptual viewpoints, magic theater of the mind, intuitive use of signs, paradoxical thinking, sacred geometry, and continuing the quest.

A professional newspaperman, Clifford Donald Simak was a major figure both in and beyond the ‘Golden Age’ of science fiction. Active for more than fifty years, he published some 140 short stories and (depending on how you count) at least 27 novels. The many Awards he received – three Hugos, a Nebula, a Jupiter, a Locus, an Analog, and an International Fantasy Award – to say nothing of many nominations, show that his contemporaries recognised his qualities. It is no surprise that the Science Fiction Writers of America elected him as their third SWFA Grand Master. This book considers what he achieved. CDS grew up in Grant County, Wisconsin, just south of where the Wisconsin flows into the Mississippi. Many of his tales reflect the ‘Simak country’ of his youth, regularly drawing on the characteristics of the residents of that area. They are high value entertainment. Some are extremely amusing. Others lead you on to explore many ideas: what does it mean to be sentient, to be human, how should/can we cope with technology, has life a purpose, and if so what, and, what about aliens? Francis Lyall, a retired academic lawyer, has been enjoying Simak stories since he was a teenager. Preface 5 Introduction 8 Chapter I Clifford Donald Simak 15 Chapter II Simak Country 40 Chapter III Trees and Houses 68 1. Trees 68 2. Houses 72 Chapter IV Simak Folk 79 1. General 79 2. Dogs 85 3. Names 86 Chapter V Androids, Robots, Aliens and Others 101 1. Androids 101 2. Robots 103 3. Aliens and Others 113 Chapter VI Gadgets, Gates et al. 125 1. Technology 125 2. Time Travel 128 3. Other Worlds 130 4. Parallel and Alternate Worlds 131 5. Access to Worlds: Machines 134 6. Gates and Doors 134 7. Roads and Tunnels 135 8. Other Artificial Aids 135 9. Equations and Longing 136 Chapter VII Of Man 139 1. Mental Powers 139 2. Knowledge and Education 142 3. Multiple Minds 147 4. Mind-swap 148 5. Telepathy and Parakinesis 150 6. Symbiotes 150 Chapter VIII Mysticism and Mistiness 153 1. Dark Tales 153 2. Controllers 157 3. Purpose 158 4. Creator? 159 5. A Journey? 160 6. Helpers and Monitors 164 7. Faith and Truth 169 8. Ethics: Life: Caring 173 Chapter IX An Evaluation 180