Murray Leinster
Protagonist Bran Hoddan wants nothing more for himself than to be free of the taint of criminal activity that has long besmirched his clan. His plans for his future include a steady job and a fulfilling marriage. However, unforeseen circumstances have intervened, and suddenly Hoddan finds himself being pursued by a brutal group of primitive people. In desperation, he turns to his native trade -- piracy -- to free himself.
3) Space Tug
4) The Invaders
When we imagine establishing contact with an alien race, we usually assume that the interstellar interlopers would be light-years ahead of us in terms of technological sophistication. But what if our new alien acquaintances were astoundingly average in their appearance and intellect? That's the premise of The Invaders, a tale from Murray Leinster that puts a new spin on the first contact genre of science fiction.
This fast-paced novella will command the attention of fans of classic science fiction. A desperate fugitive attacks the crew of a spaceship that's temporarily docked. Planning to abandon the interloper on a distant, little-known planet, the crew makes a last-minute landing there—only to discover a danger far more lethal than the fugitive they sought to maroon.
Written before the outbreak of World War II, this remarkable story imagines a military conflict in which a weapon of unprecedented power and destructiveness is unleashed—but this time, it's an enemy of the U. S. that has the upper hand. With entire cities swept off the map in a matter of seconds, will the country be able to fight back?
11) Space Platform
13) The Mad Planet
14) The Red Dust
15) Nightmare Planet
16) The Aliens
What will happen when we first encounter sentient beings from outer space? In this action-packed account of first contact between the human denizens of Earth and an alien species, Murray Leinster details the tense early interactions between clashing spaceships. Is long-term coexistence possible? Read The Aliens to find out.
Settle in for a rollicking science-fiction adventure from golden-era star Murray Leinster. In The Fifth-Dimension Tube, a prominent scientist and his beloved daughter have become stranded in another dimension. In order to survive, they must cast their lot with rogue mathematician Tommy Reeves. To succeed in this life-or-death endeavor, Reeves has to overcome not only his own gadabout ways, but also the thugs who are pursuing him.
What if the inhabitants of Earth received a message from the future warning of an upcoming calamity that could wipe out the entire planet? That's the plot that propels "The Machine that Saved the World" by prolific SF luminary Murray Leinster. When the denizens of the future propose a solution, however, one man harbors suspicions. Is he merely paranoid, or are his misgivings well founded?
19) Invasion
In Murray Leinster's "Invasion," the unthinkable has come to pass -- a spacecraft has touched ground on American soil with intentions that seem to be nefarious. A lone U.S. soldier is trapped within the vast force field surrounding the ship, and he quickly determines that all is not as it appears to be. Will this intrepid warrior be able to communicate what he knows and thwart the invasion?
20) The Hate Disease
As a member of the elite Interstellar Medical Service, Dr. Calhoun is used to encountering the most complex and challenging illnesses and injuries. But nothing could have prepared him for the bizarre affliction that comes to be known as the Hate Disease. Will he be able to put an end to the pandemic before it destroys the universe?