From the author of the world-famous Travis McGee thrillers, thirteen of John D. MacDonald's earliest and best crime and mystery stories brought together in one volume. Written at the beginning of his career and originally published in American magazines only, these stories give us a taste of MacDonald's early achievements and show the range of his skill in the realm of mystery and thriller writing. 'Sharp, taut, realistic ... an impressive selection' Times

Nineteen-ninety-nine looms near and yet the stars are still far away . . . but this anthology brings them closer with more than a dozen of the best SF adventure stories ever written. Among the gems collected here are "The New Prime," by Jack Vance, " Fritz Leiber's "Moon Duel," and "The Sky People," by Poul Anderson, along with masterpieces by less-familiar names such as Murray Leinster and James H. Schmitz. With more than a dozen stories (written between 1940 and 1970) from greats such as Brian W. Aldiss, Leigh Brackett, L. Sprague de Camp, and A. E. van Vogt, this anthology ranges throughout our galaxy and into the stars. Whether you're revisiting past adventures or discovering these stories for the first time, you're sure to thrill to these wonderful adventures across the vast expanse of space.

Offering indisputable evidence of the early talent that was to lead him to the top of the bestseller lists everywhere, these fourteen tales of crime and corruption, of sleuthing and suspense, of treachery, intrigue, and revenge, by the incomparable John D. MacDonald, were selected from the hundreds that originally appeared in the immensely popular pulp magazines of the late 1940s. Superb entertainment from one of crime's most famous and accomplished writers. 'The stories share MacDonald's love of a buzz ending and the biting setup' Chicago Sun-Times

Written at the beginning of his career and originally published in American magazines only, these stories give us a taste of MacDonald's early achievements and show the range of his skill in the realm of mystery and thriller writing.