Slippery Jim diGriz--a.k.a. The Stainless Steel Rat--is back in this classic adventure, originally published in the April, 1960 issue of Astounding Science Fiction! It might seem a little careless to lose track of something as big as a battleship. but interstellar space is on a different scale of magnitude. But a misplaced battleship--in the wrong hands!--can be most dangerous.
Space is huge and governments control as much of the space around and between their systems as they can, but there are still a very small parts of space not claimed by any government. Very few people are born on the ships travelling between the stars, and even fewer are born in the unclaimed areas of space, but that one thousandth of one percent who are so born are called Space Born and have some very odd citizenship rights and duties.
It's hard to ferret out a gang of fanatics; it would, obviously, be even harder to spot a genetic line of dedicated men. But the problem Orne had was one step tougher than that!
A Not-Quite Human Story (1) Al and Betty aren't like their classmates. They've developed skills which set them apart and sets them on a search for others like them. As they discover who they might be, they become alienated from friends, family and humanity in general. Between walking into disasters, ungrateful rescues and government agents tracking their movements, they're searching for a way out and a way home, wherever that might be. Updated and revised to match the other books in the series.
Earth has been conquered and is a subjugated planet, the humanoid new rulers extract heavy taxes, control industry and reproduction and interfere in every aspect of life. Rumors of their brutality and vicious massacres increase every day. They must be thrown out and rebellion seethes among the patriots. But on the other hand, others are not eager to get rid of the overlords: the terrible nationalistic wars have been stopped, famine is long gone and health care is almost universally available.
A story in the Damsels In Distress Universe
Professor Edwin Jackson taught history, for the simple reason that he had a desire to live in historical times. Although offered many times to go to Chaos, he had always refused. He knew that the suggestion of a medieval world with Damsels in Distress was a result of the misguided imaginings of his good friend Gerald Jones. Better late than never.