GREYLAND

Belmont Tower paperback, 1972. Cover artist uncredited.

"He awoke as from some misty, prolonged, vaguely disturbing dream, yet somehow he knew that what had happened and what was happening had a strange reality. It was not the kind of reality his disciplined mind would have accepted in the past, though his consciousness rejected the concept of present and past. This reality seemed to exist outside thought and apart from emotion. There was the lingering physical sensation of having travelled infinite distances through unimaginable dimensions. There was, too, the sense of unthreatening mystery, of soft, overpowering greyness. This total greyness meant limitless peace, he seemed to know. He knew his name. He spoke it aloud. The beautiful girl bending over him repeated it. her skin was grey..."

ACE DOUBLE: THE COILS OF TIME + INTO THE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

Ace Double paperback, 1964. Cover by Jack Gaughan.

"Dr. Henshaw had created what he thought was a time travel machine and he had sent guinea pigs through it. But now he needed a human guinea pig to test it with. 

Christopher Wilkinson thought the whole idea was absurd, until a book that had been sent through the machine came back with a thumb print on it, the finger print of Vanessa, his long lost sweetheart! 

So Wilkinson agreed to the experiment. He stood in the white circle facing the machine as it began to gleam and spin, pulling him down through the tortuous coils of time...."

Ace Double paperback, 1964. Cover by Ed Valigursky.

"Others called their expedition a "wild ghost chase." But for Space Commodore John Grimes and the beautiful Sonya Verrill who had initiated the project, it was strictly scientific research. Their trip along the rim of the galaxy in search of two men - two dead men - was also an investigation of the long-puzzling phenomenon of the Rim Ghosts. They would do this by penetrating into alternate universes. 

There was only one real problem involved in this study - how to report its results. For once the break-through to an alternate world was achieved, there was no known way of getting out...."

ACE DOUBLE: OFF CENTER + THE RITHIAN TERROR

Ace Double paperback, 1965. Cover by Jack Gaughan.

"The room was quiet; the man in front of the mirror was the only living thing there, and he was too horrified to utter a sound. 

In the mirror, five faces stared back at him: one young and ruddy, which was his own, and four that did not belong in that place at all, for they were wrinkled, malevolent, small as crabapples and blue as smoke. 

So begins Damon Knight's "Be My Guest," a story of the human race possessed by things that were - well, not exactly demons ... but not exactly not demons, either. It's just one of the unpredictable imaginitive tales in this fascinating collection by a modern master of science fiction." 

Contents: 

What Rough Beast

The Second-Class Citizen

Be My Guest

God's Nose

Catch That Martian

Ace Double paperback, 1965. Painting by Jack Gaughan.

"The fate of the Earth Empire hung in the balance - and Security Commissioner Spangler knew it was up to him to find the monster, the Rithian Terror, ans some called it. Seven Rithians had landed on Earth. Six had been disposed of. One was loose. 

Surely, Spangler reasoned, the stereoptic fluroscope would flush it out. "That's one test the Rithian can't meet, no matter how good his human disguise may be." Spangler explained to Pembun, the strange, little Colonial who had been sent to help find the monster. 

But Penbun didn't agree. "The trouble," he said, "is that the Rithi have no bones. Which would be indication enough under a fluroscope, if it weren't for the fact that it can easily swallow a skeleton." 

Spangler Shuddered."

ORDEAL IN OTHERWHERE

Ace paperback, 1965. Cover painting by Gray Morrow.

"Fans of Andre Norton are familiar with the planet Warlock and its shimmering, powerful witches, the matriarchal Wyverns, who rule by dreams. ORDEAL IN OTHERWHERE goes back to this familiar science-fiction setting, this time with young Charis Nordholm, who has been sold as a slave to a trader wishing to buy cloth from these strange creatures. Charis soon finds herself not only mixed up in a mysterious internecine warfare she does not understand..."

SPACE WAR

Ace Books paperback, 1967. Cover by Gray Morrow.

"The Zoromes had found a way to immortality and thereby were able to set out on centuries-long explorations of the entire galaxy. One among the Zoromes was a human, Professor Jameson, last man of Earth, and his adventures make a saga second to none. 

The Zoromes had made on mistake in their scientific history - they had helped another race of beings change over into machine bodies - the Mumes of the world Mumed. But unlike Jameson, the Mumes did not join in fellowship with Zor. Rather instead they turned on their benefactors, schemed for greater power, and finally the two super-races of machine-men became the bitterest of enemies. 

In SPACE WAR, Professor Jameson finds himself in the thick of a war of the worlds...."

TAURUS FOUR

Paperback Library paperback, 1970. Cover artist uncredited, but
I'm dead sure it's by Robert R. Foster.

"IT IS THE YEAR 2270 A.D. 

A long time ago on Earth, our ancestors did not believe in the industrial-warfare society. They dropped out to live in freedom and do their thing, hated by all the uptight squares.... 

Thus begins a folk legend on Taurus Four, where, during the Saurian Wars, a group of hippies had been transplanted forcibly. Right now the only uptight squares on the planet is a stranded Space Sociologist, Dorian Frank - who has reason to be uptight. The group is about to sacrifice a beautiful virgin to the god in charge of their hemp garden. And the planet is about to be colonized by a nonhuman race even more ruthless than mankind. But all Dorian can do is invent new footnotes to the Space manual, like, 

"For his own piece of mind, the Space Sociologist should sometimes kick the dirty savage on his bare butt."

THE FAR REALITY

Consul books paperback, 1963. Cover artist uncredited.

"The companion novel to Tomorrow and Tomorrow, this book, under the deft touch of Lewis Padgett, makes fascinating and exciting reading. It concerns Robert Cameron, trained in applied psychology, who finds himself being driven insane by a strange, unfathomable force. As an experienced psychometrician he fights the terrifying hallucinations (a doorknob opens a blue eye and looks at him). He knows his job is vital. America, dug into great, shielded cavern-cities, has been at war for decades with the European Falangists. Now a new Falangist weapon has appeared to break the stalemate. And it is up to Cameron to find the man to provide the solution - before his own mind collapses under the weird and terrible stresses!"

THE BEST OF FRITZ LEIBER: 1944 - 1970

Sidgewick & Jackson hardback, 1974.
Cover artist uncredited, very likely Tony Roberts (thanks: Ed, Jeff).

"FRITZ LEIBER began writing science fiction in the 1940s and, to the delight of his fans, is still going strong. Leiber succeeds in blending fantasy and science fiction in superbly readable fashion. This collection demonstrates the development of his fascinating talent. 

The collection includes Gonna Roll The Bones - Joe Slattermill knew he could roll dice better than any man in Night Town. But then he played against the Big Gambler. 

The Big Trek - He didn't know where he was or how he got there. But he did know he shouldn't be able to understand the creatures he met. 

This anthology includes a complete bibliography and an introduction by Fritz Leiber."  

Contents: 

Sanity

Wanted - An Enemy

The Man Who Never Grew Young

The Ship Sails at Midnight

The Enchanted Forest

Coming Attraction

Poor Superman

A Pail of Air

The Foxholes of Mars

The Big Holiday

The Night He Cried

The Big Trek

Space-Time for Springers

Try and Change the Past

A Deskful of Girls

Rump-Titty-Titty-Tum-Tah-Tee

Little Old Miss Macbeth

Mariana

The Man Who Made Friends With Electricity

The Good New Days

Gonna Roll the Bones

America the Beautiful

THE FADED SUN TRILOGY

Methuen paperback, 1988. Cover illustration: Gino D'Arcille.

"THE FADED SUN 

shows C. J. Cherryh at her awesome best. A trilogy of epic scale, published for the first time in one volume, The Faded Sun plots the fates of three individuals against a vast background of war, alliance and treachery across the stars. 

Two are members of a far-flung people, the mri-mercenary explorers and warriors, and currently deadly enemies of humanity. But with Melein, their last priestess-queen, and Niun, last of the true-bred warriors, is a human: Sten Duncan, who has renounced his own loyalty to serve them. They set off on a quest for the half-legendary mri-planet Kutath. 

Around this trio, mighty actions swing, and great destinies hang in the balance. C. J. Cherryh proves herself yet again to be an imaginative writer of exceptional power and invention."

NIGHT OF LIGHT

Berkley Medallion paperback, October 1977 - sixth printing. Cover
painting by Vincent Di Fate.

"A WORLD GONE BERSERK 

Every seven years, the placid planet of Dante's Joy becomes a waking nightmare of death, deformity and madness. To escape, the populace has the choice of Sleeping - lying drugged in their tomblike houses - or taking the Chance - staying awake and going abroad while their world goes berserk. They become what their innermost longings dictate, whether it be a beast locked in the vilest bowels of depravity, or a supreme being raised to the flowering serenity of truth and light. Thousands are mutilated, killed, transformed into monstrous things. John Carmody, a conscienceless exile from Earth, arrogantly chooses to take the Chance. 

Reeling, shrieking his fear and despair, Carmody confronts the Night of Light, the unknown and unknowable..."

DIONYSUS: THE ULTIMATE EXPERIMENT

Manor books paperback, 1977. Cover artist uncredited.

"A man and woman locked in a space capsule test the limits of their passion in weightlessness. On earth scientists, generals and politicians test the limits of their ambition to conquer a country, a planet, a universe. 

It was the unthinkable, unreportable project, that would create an aberration in space, a holocaust on earth."

FAITH OF TAROT

Granada / Panther SF paperback, 1982. Cover illustration by
Melvyn Grant.

"On the ancient world of TAROT dreams come true - and fanged nightmares stalk the land. Sent to pierce the dread curtain of the Animation that turns fantasy into hideous reality, the wanderer-monk Paul finds himself on a trip to the ultimate, most terrifying fantasy of all. Hell."

VISION OF TAROT

Granada / Panther SF paperback, 1982. Cover illustration by
Melvyn Grant.

"On the planet TAROT nothing is real. Or everything. For the shimmering Animation curtain is moving across the worldscape like a storm of monsters, changing fantasy into hideous reality, trapping the wanderer-monk Paul in a nightmare of dragons, demons and spectacular lusts!"

GOD OF TAROT

Granada / Panther SF paperback, 1982. Cover illustration by
Melvyn Grant.

"Moments from now and light years away, on the ancient planet of Tarot, the new religions still flourish. But all who dwell in that occult world still worship the timeless Tree of Life as the one supreme god. 

Now this primitive culture is being haunted by apparitions from the mystery-ridden deck of Tarot - by Animations who destroy minds and take human life. can this horror be their god's ultimate challenge to his people? 

A young Earthling adventurer is sent to find the answer. Alone he dares to conjure a Tarot Animation, penetrate its awesome domain - and risk being trapped forever within the mystic borders of the ancient cards."

GEMINI GOD

Penguin SF paperback, 1982. Cover illustration by Chris Moore.

"YEAR 2096 

The human race is in decline. Soon its numbers on earth will drop below survival level. 

Then New Carthage, a world inhabited by strange, cheetah-like creatures, is discovered. Could contact with these aliens provide a lifeline for mankind? 

Using the twins On Lo and Ti, experiments are started to create a human empathic telemetry system between the two worlds. But the encouragement of the closeness factor between the twins provides the catalyst for a far more fantastic event..."