Fredric Brown (1906-1972) is perhaps best remembered for his use of humor and his mastery of the "short-short" form (these days called flash fiction) -- stories of one to three pages, often with ingenious plotting devices and surprise endings. (He also wrote excellent short stories and novels.) This volume contains 27 of his stories, including the classics "The Waveries," "Honeymoon in Hell," "Cartoonist," and many more!Included are:THE WAVERIESOBEDIENCEALL G...

" [Fredric Brown is] my favorite writer of all time." — Mickey Spillane" [Ed & Am are] an engaging pair of detectives . . . [Brown is] a real pro— a natural storyteller." — New York TimesEd Hunter and his Uncle Am have left Chicago and hit the road, traveling with the carnival through podunk Midwestern towns— drinking, gambling, and fleecing the local rubes. Nineteen-year-old Ed is no closer to figuring out what he' s running from ...

Fredric Brown (1906-1972), one of science fiction's greatest masters from the Golden Age, is famous for his many classic short stories -- quite a few of which are presented here, including "Arena," "Knock," "Earthmen Bearing Gifts," "The Star Mouse," and many more. The 32 tales of science fiction and fantasy assembled in this massive volume include:ARENAEXPERIMENTKEEP OUTHAPPY ENDINGHALL OF MIRRORSEARTHMEN BEARING GIFTSIMAGINEIT DIDN...

In 1954, Norman Hastings, a young mathematics professor, wakes naked and bewildered in a strange, windowless room that seems impossibly advanced. A note warns him not to leave for an hour, and as he struggles to understand his surroundings, he realizes he may be trapped inside a time experiment with consequences beyond anything he can imagine. When he opens the unsigned letter addressed to him, the truth becomes even stranger: the room is a time machine that has carried him fifty years int...

On a cramped asteroid-mining ship, the men kill long shifts by swapping wild stories, until Hank begins one about a first landing on Ganymede that turns from frontier adventure into nightmare. The crew had gone expecting a strange but manageable moon, with breathable air, low gravity, and bizarre animal life; instead, they found a civilized native tribe whose gold earrings seemed to carry an almost ceremonial importance. Hank's account follows a small scientific expedition led by the sharp...

"Chills, terror, and volcanic climax." — Chicago Tribune"Exciting…amorous…mystifying." — Hartford CourantIt's Ed Hunter's first case with Chicago's Starlock Agency, after he and Am left the carney life behind—investigating a rural inventor who claims his new receiver is picking up signals from outer space. On his way to interview the subject, Ed is startled by an inhuman growl before stumb...

On a barren frontier world where survival depends on science, a generation of children is raised to become something new: Martians. Carefully adapted from birth to breathe thinner air, endure brutal cold, and thrive under alien skies, they are the perfect colonists for humanity's last great hope. But Fredric Brown's sharp, unsettling tale is not merely about conquering Mars. It is about what happens when a grand experiment in human adaptation collides with pride, resentment, and the darkes...

"Ingenious . . . Plunges the reader into a desperate, working-class America now better known through William Lindsay Gresham's precisely contemporary novel Nightmare Alley and such film-noir classics as Out of the Past and The Postman Always Rings Twice." — Washington Post"[Fredric Brown is] my favorite writer of all time." —Mickey SpillaneWhen Wally Hunter is found bludgeoned to death in an alley in Chic...

And the Gods Laughed by Fredric Brown is a brilliant and thought-provoking science fiction tale that explores humanity’s place in the vast universe with sharp wit and philosophical depth. Known for his mastery of short fiction and his ability to deliver powerful ideas with striking simplicity, Brown crafts a story that invites readers to question the nature of knowledge, ambition, and the limits of human understanding.In And the Gods Laughe...

Twenty pulp short stories from the great detective story writers of the early 20th century, including The Silent Witness by Ruth & Alexander Wilson, The Monolith Hotel Mystery by Lloyd Lonergan, The Light That Lies by Pettersen Marzoni, Arson Plus by Dashiell Hammett, The Mystery of the One-Legged Man by J. B. Hawley, The Dark Brown Dress by Meredith Beyers, The Abandoned House by Beulah Poynter, The Mystery of Room 16 by Anne Austin, Blood Will Tell by Arthur B. Reeve, The Accidental Sher...

In "The Star Mouse," Brown presents a whimsical yet thought-provoking narrative that revolves around a mouse named Timothy who inadvertently becomes an astronaut. The story follows Timothy's unexpected journey into outer space, where he encounters a series of challenges and adventures.Brown's writing style in "The Star Mouse" is characterized by its light-hearted tone, clever wordplay, and imaginative storytelling. The short story explores themes of exploration, courage, and the unexpected...

Hall of Mirrors by Fredric Brown is a razor-sharp masterpiece of classic science fiction that bends reality, twists perception, and keeps readers questioning every reflection they encounter. Known for his brilliant short fiction and mind-bending narratives, Fredric Brown crafts a story where nothing is quite as it seems—and every surface may conceal another truth.In Hall of Mirrors, the very concept of identity bec...