The age-old question about alien existence and human contact is explored in a new way in this collection of six novellas, previously anthologized in Analog magazine. When disillusioned aerospace engineer Adrian Mast buys a book at a remainder sale, the last things he expects to find in its appendix are alien spacecraft designs. With the help of the bookstore owner, Adrian tracks down the author―only to find him in a mental institution anguishing over the intentions of the aliens who sent the designs to him. By bluffing a bureaucrat intent on thwarting their progress, the two friends continue their quest for the stars and go ahead with the spacecraft designs. Having successfully launched their ship 15 years later, the questions that remain are What were the intentions of the aliens? Is mankind ready to face what's out there?

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Johnson is plagued by the absence of his memory and by the strange dreams of horrific futures that he somehow knows will become reality if he does not act. He was born in a hopeless future and is doomed to travel in the past and repair humanity's problems before they can happen. Unfortunately, every time he returns to the abyss outside of time he loses all memory of what just occurred. The only information Johnson has of his existence is a one-page letter written to himself, reminding him of his duties. Over and over, he must follow his nightmares and repair the damage done by those in the past. Time is in a perpetual state of turmoil for Johnson, but he lives in a future free of damage. His duty is to erase all possibility of the predicted Crisis!

Josh, an Earthman returning from a rugged colony on Venus, finds the pursuit of happiness and pleasure has become the domineering philosophy on Earth. Is it all good, or an enslaved society that needs to be freed? A thrilling look at a possible future from SFWA Grand Master James Gunn.

Transgalactic: the latest novel in Hugo Award Winner James Gunn's SF Grandmaster Career!When Riley and Asha finally reached the planet Terminal and found the Transcendental Machine, a matter transmission device built by an ancient race, they chose to be "translated." Now in possession of intellectual and physical powers that set them above human limitations, the machine has transported them to two, separate, unknown planets among a possibility of billions.Riley and Asha know that together they can change the galaxy, so they attempt to do the impossible—find each other.

After fifty-one long years of patient waiting, the message has finally arrived. They have dedicated their lives to trying to decipher the eerie silence that resounds from space and now there is finally a sound after decades of quiet. In the beginning there is a hail of celebration--the Project has finally produced results--but then the questions begin. What does the message mean? Could it be 'We come in peace' or 'Get ready for world domination'? The message baffles Earth. Only one man has the power to make the decision and it could mean intergalactic warfare if he makes the wrong choice. Director MacDonald holds in his hands the fate of Earth, the universe and the Project, which is dedicated to answering questions that have plagued humanity for centuries. Will he make the correct choice?A classic of science fiction, The Listeners predicted and inspired the creation of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) — the organization dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life. A tale of contact with alien life hailed by leaders of SETI organizations and today's leading science fiction authors as hugely influential, the story appeals to both science fiction readers and the hundreds of thousands of members of various SETI organizations.Review"A fascinating ... view of the many responses of mankind to the coming confrontation with intelligent aliens ... First rate science fiction." ~Publishers Weekly"A must for any library whose readers look beyond their feet." ~Library Journal"One of the finest books of speculative fiction ever written ... strong, thoughtful, marvelously human, and ... without flaw ... An unforgettable experience." ~Harlan Ellison"One of the very best fictional portrayals of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence ever written." ~Carl Sagan

Wow, the millennium is off to a great start, the notorious Y2K bug was no problem, and the world didn't end; time to take a break and relax.... Well, not exactly. The millennium didn't really get underway until January 1, 2001. You thought you were safe? Think again! Something much, MUCH, MUCH worse is ahead. The new millennium will bring nothing but disaster and destruction. As six unique people rush feverishly to resolve catastrophes both personal and otherwise, they cannot ignore the loudly ticking clock that will bring...THE END OF THE WORLD. And this time its no psychic premonition; it's more real than you've ever dreamed.

A space opera in ten parts...An expanded version of the pilgrims' tales in the first book in the Transcendental Machine trilogy...PILGRIMS is a set of related stories about how the pilgrims in TRANSCENDENTAL gathered at Terminal waiting for the beginning of their epic journey. They were published sequentially in ASIMOV'S, and include an essay on "Space Opera and the Quest for Transcendence" and conclude with an essay on the post-human.Riley, a veteran of interstellar war, is one of many beings from many different worlds aboard a ship on a pilgrimage that spans the galaxy. However, he is not journeying to achieve transcendence, a vague mystical concept that has drawn everyone else on the ship to this journey into the unknown at the far edge of the galaxy. His mission is to find and kill the prophet who is reputed to help others transcend. While their ship speeds through space, the voyage is marred by violence and betrayal, making it clear that some...

It’s an age where high tech rules supreme. Computers do all the work while humans spend their lives enjoying drug-induced fantasies. Only a handful live and work in the traditional sense—managing the few affairs that still need attention. At the center of this system is the Mnemonist, the man who directs everything that happens. But now he has reached an advanced age and must carefully choose a dreamer capable of taking over his crucial position.

James Gunn’s masterpiece about a human fountain of youth collects the author’s classic short stories that ran in elite science-fiction magazines throughout the 1950s. New material accompanies this updated edition, including an introduction from renowned science-fiction writer Greg Bear, a preface from Gunn himself, and “Elixer,” Gunn’s short story that introduced Dr. Pearce to another Immortal.What is the price for immortality? For nomad Marshall Cartwright, the price is knowing that he will never grow old. That he will never contract a disease, an infection, or even a cold. That because he will never die, he must surrender the right to live. For Dr. Russell Pearce, the price is eternal suspicion. He appreciates what synthesizing the elixir vitae from the Immortal’s genetic makeup could mean for humankind. He also fears what will happen should Cartwright’s miraculous blood fall into the wrong hands. ...

At one time, outer space was seen as the last frontier, the final challenge to human ingenuity. But those days are gone as the galaxy becomes the stomping ground for humans encountering strange new machinery and green-faced Martians. Depicted with stark realism and meticulous detail, this novel tells of the dangers, despair and unbelievable pleasure that awaits the men and women who are to populate the first ever station in space.

Now in Paperback!Between an ancient Roman's trip to the moon and the fantastic tales of H.G. Wells lies a journey through time and space and an awesome evolution in scientific thinking. From Gilgamesh's search for immortality to Lucian's odyssey on the moon; from Jonathan Swift's hilarious satire on scientists in Gulliver's Travels to Mary Shelley's horrifying description of a scientist who has gone too far in Frankenstein from Edgar Allan Poe's balloon trip in the year 2848 to Jules Verne's prophesies of the impact of scientific inventions on future civilization; from Edward Bellamy's utopian escape from the industrial Revolution to H.G. Wells's magnificent story of Earth threatened by an inescapable menace-here are the chief ancestors of the modern science fiction story. For the first time, these and other key works are gathered together in one anthology, complete with revealing commentary on the authors, their eras, and the role each played in establishing...