Science Fiction Stories

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.

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.

Minor Planets was the one solid account they had. At first they naturally wanted to hold on to it.

The best way to keep a secret is to publish it in a quite unbelievable form--and insist that it is the truth.

You'd love Earthmen to pieces, for they may look pretty bad to themselves, but not to you. You'd even want to be one!

Intelligent birds! They knew a dead-end planet when they visited one!

A The Catalyst Story (1)
A young man, suddenly finds women mysteriously attracted during a family trip to New Orleans. He acts as a catalyst, activating strange abilities in them that he doesn't understand. He's not ready for the responsibilities of adulthood, yet he's called upon to lead a string of followers. There are no superheros or world saving here, it's an examination of building a movement from the ground up.

Earth scientists investigating the remains of a Martian city.

Despite Mr. Shakespeare, wealth and name are both dross compared with the theft of hope-- and Maxwell had to rob a whole planet of it!