The 28th Golden Age of Science Fiction Megapack: 15 Stories by Edward Wellen (Golden Age of SF Megapack, Book 28)
Edward Wellen
Language: English
Pages: 167
ISBN: 2:00351193
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The Golden Age of Science Fiction Megapacks are designed to introduce readers to classic science fiction writers who might otherwise be forgotten.
Edward Paul Wellen (1919-2011) wrote primarily short stories throughout his long career, primarily in both the mystery field, but also (especially early in his career) in science fiction magazines. This is the second collection of his science fiction stories we have published, and it's another good one.
About the Megapacks
Over the last few years, our “Megapack” series of ebook anthologies has proved to be one of our most popular endeavors. (Maybe it helps that we sometimes offer them as premiums to our mailing list!) One question we keep getting asked is, “Who’s the editor?”
The Megapacks (except where specifically credited) are a group effort. Everyone at Wildside works on them. This includes John Betancourt, Mary Wickizer Burgess, Sam Cooper, Carla Coupe, Steve Coupe, Bonner Menking, Colin Azariah-Kribbs, Robert Reginald. A. E. Warren, and many of Wildside’s authors… who often suggest stories to include (and not just their own!)
Contents:
• “Origins of Galactic Law” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1953.
• “The Big Cheese” was originally published in Imagination, May 1953.
• “Root of Evil” was originally published in Science Stories, December 1953.
• “The Voices” was originally published in Universe, March 1954.
• “The World in the Juke Box” was originally published in Infinity, August 1956.
• “The Superstition Seeders” was originally published in Infinity, December 1956.
• “The Engrammar Age” was originally published in Infinity, February 1957.
• “Utter Silence” was originally published in Infinity, February 1957.
• “Army Without Banners” was published in Galaxy, April 1957.
• “Sweet Dreams” was originally published in Infinity, July 1957.
• “Dr. Vickers’ Car” was originally published in Infinity, October 1957.
• “Note for a Time Capsule” was originally published in Infinity, March 1958.
• “Old Hat” was originally published in Amazing Stories, May 1958.
• “IOU” was originally published in If, March 1961.
• “Deadly Game” was originally published in If, May 1962.
again, the one for remembering the sequence of classes of suns?” “Hum. Ah. O, B, A, F, G, K, M, R, N, S. ‘Oh, Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me Right Now. Smack!’” “Harrumph. Well, now we know the what of what we’re hunting. Enough time and box-tops and we’ll learn the where.” “Hum. Ambiguous, that Smack. Kiss? Or Slap?—Miss Jaxin.” “Yes, sir?” “Please step into my office.” “Yes, sir.” Click, click, click, click, click. “Yes, sir?” “Oh, Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me Right Now.” Smack! CHAPTER V In
fool of himself—because there was no one. He was alone on Rotanev IX. Looking up, he met the vibrant sky. Somewhere out there, beyond the bronze gong of Rotanev, his spaceship—his spaceship—was returning to Tellus. Returning without him. Returning from the colony on Sualocin II with a precious cargo of upalenal—the hard-to-come-by-ripe type. But the upalenal would never reach Tellus. And he of the fireworks would never reach Tellus. Captain Otto Rajpepna would die on this waste planet where the
Rotanev to strike noon or later, when he would know by the sun’s resounding through the vault if there was anything at all inside. He stretched his pack across the threshold to hold an opening if the door decided to slide shut. He shoved one foot slowly across. Nothing happened. He ventured his weight on it, then pulled the other foot across. Nothing happened. He breathed an orange sigh. He reached out through air like felt and began to probe the chamber, starting with the wall on his left. Even
Gorki Desert, climbed out. It was no use. There was air enough, though thin, but just under the horizon might be someone. He climbed in. He took off. He let the spaceboat drift sunward. But his dream was strong. He switched on the reverse rockets. But where, where? He remembered the air bubbles. Mile-diameter plastic bubbles, bottle-green, spotted strategically about, they held high oxygen-content air. Spaceship air might sour due to sick algae, leak out owing to a hole in the hull or carbonize
on Bourne. The answer came to him out of the blue. Why not put real—that was atmospheric—pressure on Bourne? * * * * Bourne was on his way up. Rush glanced around one last time. Lighting, atmospheric pressure, temperature. All working to condition physiological stress, which in turn would turn the screw. Even Rush, knowing the cause and taking precautions, felt the effect. But he hoped to hide the fact. He had to establish mastery. “Come in, sir, come in.” Bourne entered stiffly. Was there a