Lester Del Rey Knihy

Den obrů pojednává o Ragnaroku – poslední bitvě mezi severskými bohy a ledovými obry. Hrdinové říše Asgardu slábnou. Bůh Odin si uvědomuje, že bez nové krve nemají bohové šanci zvítězit v posledním střetnutí se silami zla a souhlasí s tím, aby v rozhodujícím boji vedl vojska Asgardu nový válečník. Leif Svensen je farmář a jeho bratr-dvojče Lee je protřelý voják, který prošel několika bojišti světa, včetně korejského. Háček je v tom, že zatímco většina bohů, včetně Thora, sází na Leeho, bůh zlomyslnosti a klamu, Loki, si vybral jako svého oblíbence právě Leifa. Valkýry se vydají na Zem, aby „hrdinu“ dopravily do Asgardu. Jejich koně však mohou přes duhový most přenést jen člověka, který umírá se zbraní v ruce… Jak sem Leifa dopravit? Začíná Fimbulwinter, zima, která předznamenává Ragnarok… Lester Del Rey na vrcholu své dokonalosti!

Contents:xi · Robert Bloch: The Man Who Wrote Psycho · Lester del Rey · in 1 · Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper · ss Weird Tales Jul ’43 21 · Enoch · ss Weird Tales Sep ’46 39 · Catnip · ss Weird Tales Mar ’48 55 · The Hungry House · ss Imagination Apr ’51 79 · The Man Who Collected Poe · ss Famous Fantastic Mysteries Oct ’51 97 · Mr. Steinway · ss Fantastic Apr ’54 113 · The Past Master · nv Bluebook Jan ’55 141 · I Like Blondes · ss Playboy Jan ’56 153 · All on a Golden Afternoon · nv F&SF Jun ’56 185 · Broomstick Ride · ss Super Science Fiction Dec ’57 197 · Daybroke · ss Star Science Fiction Magazine Jan ’58 209 · Sleeping Beauty [“The Sleeping Redheads”] · ss Swank Mar ’58 225 · Word of Honor · ss Playboy Aug ’58 237 · The World-Timer · nv Fantastic Aug ’60 271 · That Hell-Bound Train · ss F&SF Sep ’58 289 · The Funnel of God · nv Fantastic Jan ’60 319 · Beelzebub · ss Playboy Dec ’63 329 · The Plot Is the Thing · ss F&SF Jul ’66 337 · How Like a God · ss Galaxy Apr ’69 355 · The Movie People · ss F&SF Oct ’69 269 · The Oracle · ss Penthouse May ’71 377 · The Learning Maze · ss The Learning Maze, ed. Roger Elwood, Messner, 1974 393 · Author’s Afterword: “Will the Real Robert Bloch Please Stand Up?” · aw

The computer seemed to work as it should. The speed was within acceptable limits. He gave up trying to see the ground and was forced to trust the machinery designed for amateur pilots. The flare bloomed, and he yanked down on the little lever. It could have been worse. They hit the ground, bounced twice, and turned over. The ship was a mess when Feldman freed himself from the elastic straps of the seat. Chris had shrieked as they hit, but she was unbuckling herself now. He threw her her spacesuit and one of the emergency bottles of oxygen from the rack. "Hurry up with that. We've sprung a leak and the pressure's dropping." Lester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor at Del Rey Books. He was awarded the E. E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction, Balrog Award and the 11th SFWA Grand Master.

In a confined spaceship environment, the dynamics among eighteen men and two women quickly escalate into tension and conflict during their five-month journey. As isolation sets in, the crew faces not only interpersonal issues but also a dire threat from a poisoned atmosphere, heightening the stakes and challenges they must confront together.

Focusing on the preservation and repair of classic literature, this book represents a dedicated effort to maintain the integrity and accessibility of original works. It highlights the importance of safeguarding literary heritage for future generations, ensuring that timeless stories and ideas continue to resonate.

Contents:- The Faithful (1938)- Cross of Fire (1939)- Anything (1939) [as by Philip St. John]- Habit (1939)- The Smallest God (1940)- The Stars Look Down (1940)- Doubled in Brass (1940)- Reincarnate (1940)- Carillon of Skulls (1941) [as by Philip James] by Lester del Rey and James H. Beard - Done Without Eagles (1940) [as by Philip St. John]- My Name Is Legion (1942)- Though Poppies Grow (1942)

The story follows Thomas Wills, a claims adjuster for a powerful insurance company that maintains strict control over society. Initially believing in the company's greatness, his perspective shifts upon meeting Rena dell'Angela, who reveals unsettling truths about their operations. The company enforces its rules with severe consequences, including imprisonment in a deep freeze vault for violators. Faced with this revelation, Thomas must confront the moral implications of his work and decide how to respond to the oppressive system he once admired.

Bruce Gordon was an ex-fighter, ex-gambler, ex-cop, ex-reporter, and now he was an ex-patriot of Earth. Security shipped him to Mars with a knife, 100 credits, and a yellow card that meant no return. An SF novel that would appeal to Mickey Spillane fans, Police Your Planet features lots of hands-on violence, assorted beatings, and blood. But this isn't just a crime novel put into space; this is a hard sf novel, and the terraforming of Mars, while not dwelt upon, is central to the story.