Science fiction is often celebrated for its technological speculation, political satire, or fast-paced adventure, but its truest power lies in its capacity for the visionary. Edited by Robert Silverberg, this anthology gathers eight extraordinary stories that bypass ordinary plot formulas to open the walls of the universe, placing the reader in direct communion with the vastness of the cosmos.Moving beyond standard pulp adventure, these selections focus on the mystical, the psyched...

In a grim authoritarian future, Interrogator Conway Kroll performs his duty with cold certainty, greeting three accused traitors and defending torture as a necessary function of the State. Florence Horniman refuses to confess and is subjected to the merciless Inquisitor, while Chester Wengrove eventually breaks, is declared "exonerated," and then sent to quarantine in a cruel parody of mercy. The machinery of punishment is orderly, bureaucratic, and absolute, turning pain into policy. But ...

On the blood-red world of Markin, Colonel John Devall wears the stern mask of a Terran commander, though he is really an anthropologist struggling to balance science, diplomacy, and authority. His routine of careful administration is shattered when his nephew, Second Lieutenant Leonards, returns from a botanical expedition with a deadly problem: a native has been killed in what appears to be self-defense. But the death is only the beginning. The Markins reveal that the real offense is sacr...

On the bleak, wind-scoured surface of Mars, Ron and Val trudge across the desert after their sandcat breaks down, searching for uranium to keep Earth's industries alive. Exhausted and increasingly bitter, Val begins to question their mission, their pay, and even the choice that brought them to this hostile world. Yet beneath the hardship and resentment lies something steadier: a married team driven not by glory, but by loyalty, stubborn love, and the small comforts they have built together...

On the desert world of Carthule, First Priest Marik wrestles with a faith shaken by the revelation that humanity is not alone in the universe. When he spots a lone Earthman wandering the sands, he sends his young acolyte Kenra Sarg to bring the stranger under the protection of the sacred Guest Rite, a law of hospitality so absolute it overrides all other obligations. The rescued visitor is small, talkative, and eager to depart, but Marik senses unease beneath his gratitude. That unease bec...

In this epic, "[a] brilliant concept of the imagination," an amnesiac wanderer rediscovers his destiny as ruler of a vast planet ( Chicago Sun-Times).Valentine, a drifter who remembers nothing except his name, finds himself on the fringes of a great city. Joining a motley troupe of jugglers and acrobats, he travels with them across the magical planet of Majipoor. All the while, he hopes to meet someone who can help him retrieve his past.Th...

Life has spread across the stars, and everyone enjoys a long life. However, only those who are Earth-born are truly immortal.But what happens when the immortals of Earth are suddenly faced with their ultimate destruction?Hanosz Prime, a near-immortal (though not truly so, not being of true Earth stock) travels to humanity's ancient home to discover the ultimate answer to humanity's end.A grand new adventure by a Grand Master of science fiction, a Silverberg story in...

By the 23rd century Earth's population had reached seven billion. Mankind was in danger of perishing for lack of elbow room - unless prompt measures were taken. Roy Walton had the power to enforce those measures. But though his job was in the service of humanity, he soon found himself the most hated man in the world.

What will it mean to be human in the future? How will we evolve in order to reach the stars?Fifteen short stories collected in this book examine how interstellar flight might change humanity itself. Will we choose to upload our minds into a singularity? Enhance ourselves with alien DNA? Will our bodies remain the same, but our culture and societal norms adapt to accommodate for effects of time dilation, or become subsumed by advanced alien cultures?Hugo and Nebula award win...

When you think of Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Robert Silverberg, you most probably think, "Master of Science Fiction". Or, perhaps, considering his 1980 novel Lord Valentine's Castle and the other books and stories in the author's "Majipoor" series, you may consider him a "Master of Fantasy".However, it is probably highly unlikely that most people would ever consider Bob to be a "Master of Horror".And yet, there was a time—in the late 1950s—when Robert Silverberg ...

WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY PATTON OSWALTDubbed “the most significant and controversial SF book” of its generation, Harlan Ellison’s groundbreaking collection launched an entire subgenre: New Wave science fiction. With contributions from legendary authors and multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, Dangerous Visions returns to print in a stunning new edition perfect for new and returning fans alike.A landmark short-story collection that put th...

From Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Robert Silverberg, Lord of Darkness is a classic swashbuckling adventure.Captured by pirates and brought to the west coast of Africa, young British seaman Andrew Battell longs for his home in seventeenth-century England. His only hope of returning is to work hard and be awarded freedom by his Portuguese captors—a freedom he is consistently denied.As he is moved farther and farther inland, away from the coas...