Short Stories/Novellas
“This must be another world altogether, separate from his own in time and space. He wasn't sure about the details―it had been a long time since he had read H. P. Lovecraft―but this theory seemed the most tenable.” Grant O'Reilly was not the adventurous type. A sheltered invalid as a child, who used books for accompaniment, he had barely begun to live his life before the great change occurred. Suddenly, about to be married, he is taken by a seizure to wake in a land like none he had known before. Plucked by accident by the fates, he is carried away to a medieval world of wintry weather and barbaric battles. Berl-Cats, fire salamanders and Al'kahar ghouls, existed in this world. He will have to toughen to this strange, brutal world—or die in it!
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SF writer and editor Harry Harrison explores a not-too-distant future where robots -- particularly specialist robots who don't know their place -- have quite a rough time of it. True, the Robot Equality Act had been passed -- but so what? New York was a bad town for robots this year. In fact, all over the country it was bad for robots. . . .
My boss leaned back, wiped his hands on his handkerchief and gave me Lecture Forty-four on Company Duty and My Troubles. "This department is officially called Maintenance and Repair, when it really should be called trouble-shooting. Hyperspace beacons are made to last forever -- or damn close to it. When one of them breaks down, it is never an accident and repairing the thing is never a matter of just plugging in a new part." He was telling me -- the guy who did the job while he sat back on his fat paycheck in an air-conditioned office.
This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.
"The Misplaced Battleship" by Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey) is a science fiction short story that combines elements of humor and adventure. The story follows the escapades of John Leary, an ordinary man who inadvertently stumbles upon a highly advanced battleship belonging to an alien race known as the Sthor. With the battleship under his control, Leary becomes an unwitting participant in an intergalactic conflict. As Leary grapples with the unexpected responsibility of commanding a powerful spaceship, he must navigate the complexities of alien technology and outsmart various factions that seek to acquire the battleship for their own purposes. The story takes readers on a thrilling journey through space, filled with encounters with alien beings and thrilling space battles. "The Misplaced Battleship" showcases Harry Harrison's knack for blending science fiction with humor, delivering an entertaining tale that keeps readers engaged from beginning to end. The story explores themes of unexpected heroism, the power of technology, and the unpredictable nature of the universe.
The human race has reached the stars, colonized many planets and done amazing things in all areas of scientific progress. But humans are still humans and remain both honorable and not so honorable; some with high ideals and others with very low ones indeed. So why hasn't war occurred in several centuries among the hundreds of planets? Has man really changed? Not on your life it hasn't! Read how science has given man peace but at what cost?
Because there were few adults in the crowd, and Colonel "Biff" Hawton stood over six feet tall, he could see every detail of the demonstration. The children -- and most of the parents -- gaped in wide-eyed wonder. Biff Hawton was too sophisticated to be awed. He stayed on because he wanted to find out what the trick was that made the gadget work.