A lone adventurer challenges an indestructible presence on a distant asteroid. A world on the edge of madness threatens to destroy itself. A salesman discovers an extraordinary advantage. And two stranded men face a decision where survival for one may mean death for the other.
Lost Sci-Fi Books 101 thru 105 brings together five imaginative stories by Paul Ernst, James Blish, John Bernard Daley, Henry Slesar and Ross Rocklynne.
The Planetoid of Peril by Paul Ernst — Strange stories surround Asteroid Z-40 and the supposedly indestructible presence waiting there. Harley 2Q14N20 dismisses the warnings and sets out alone, determined to confront whatever has frightened everyone else away.
King of the Hill by James Blish — Stopping one dangerous madman is difficult enough. But what happens when madness extends far beyond a single individual? Blish takes that question into a future where the greatest threat may be the world itself.
The Man Who Liked Lions by John Bernard Daley — Kemper enjoys zoos, but his ideas about which creatures are superior are anything but ordinary. To him, people are the lower animals—and he has his own disturbing way of proving it.
A Message From Our Sponsor by Henry Slesar — Every salesman wants a way to get his foot in the door. One salesman has an advantage nobody can see, turning a familiar sales technique into a clever science-fiction twist.
Distress Signal by Ross Rocklynne — Marooned on the frozen satellite of a dying sun, Rex and Carl are light-years from home with almost no hope of rescue. Rex believes he has discovered their only chance of escape. Carl has another name for the plan: murder.
From dangerous asteroids and desperate survival to strange inventions and worlds gone mad, Lost Sci-Fi Books 101 thru 105 delivers five journeys into the danger, imagination and unexpected possibilities of vintage science fiction.
