New Releases by Fritz Leiber

Fritz Leiber ranks among the giants of fantasy and science fiction visionaries, capturing multiple Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards and influencing a generation of writers. And his most renowned creations are the swashbuckling Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories. Collected here are adaptations of some of the finest of these tales—including the Hugo and Nebula Award winning “Ill Met in Lankhmar”—by comics legends Howard Chaykin, Mike Mignola, Dennis O’Neil, Al Williamson, and more. Join the hulking barbarian and the diminutive rogue as they battle swordsmen, necromancers, and flagons of strong drink! Collects Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser: The Cloud of Hate and Other Stories.

Time Voyage - Boxed Set is a magnificent tapestry that showcases the evolution of speculative thought and narrative mastery spanning several decades. United by the timeless theme of time travel and alternate realities, this anthology offers a rich palette of literary styles, from daring explorations of dystopian futures to intricate tales of metaphysical quandaries. With a diverse range of stories that push the boundaries of imagination, the collection includes standout works that challenge perceptions of time, space, and human consciousness, without confining itself to the conventions of any single genre. The contributing authors of this anthology represent a remarkable cross-section of speculative fiction, each bringing their unique voice and vision to the theme of temporal exploration. This illustrious lineup, including literary titans and genre pioneers, reflects a history of substantial movements in speculative literature, from the scientific romance of H. G. Wells to the philosophical musings of Philip K. Dick. Such a constellation of authors promises a multifaceted dialogue on the nature of existence, questioning modernity through the lens of past, present, and future. For scholars, enthusiasts, and new explorers alike, this collection offers a compelling introduction to the myriad possibilities within speculative fiction. Time Voyage - Boxed Set serves as a valuable educational resource, advancing one''s appreciation of literary innovation and thematic depth while inspiring an enriching dialogue between different narrative traditions. Immerse yourself in this anthology to experience the convergence of distinct voices that reshape our understanding of both the literary landscape and the world beyond the page.

"The Green Millennium" by Fritz Leiber. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

The Big Time is a short science fiction novel by American writer Fritz Leiber. Awarded the Hugo Award during 1958, The Big Time was published originally in two parts in Galaxy Magazine''s March and April 1958 issues, illustrated by Virgil Finlay. It was subsequently reprinted in book form several times.

“You forget, baroness, the runic rhymes of the Prussian Nostradamus,” said Dr. Rumanescue, Vividy’s astrologist and family magician. “Wenn der Kassette-Teufel . . . ’—or, to translate roughly, ‘When the casket-demon is let out, The life of the Von Sheer is in doubt.’”

The machine was not perfect. It could be tricked. It could make mistakes. And—it could learn!

“An excellent collection” of vampire stories, from authors such as Harlan Ellison, Dan Simmons, Gahan Wilson, Tanith Lee, and Fritz Leiber (Publishers Weekly). Renowned editor Ellen Datlow has gathered seventeen variations on vampirism ranging from classically Gothic to postmodern satire, from horrific to erotic. These stories reflect the evolution of vampire literature from Bram Stoker to Anne Rice and beyond, resulting in a deeper exploration of their inner lives. Expanding the concept of vampirism to include the draining of a person’s will or life force, Datlow’s collection transcends the traditional “black capes and teeth marks on the neck” to reinvent an eternally fascinating subgenre of horror. In Harlan Ellison’s “Try a Dull Knife,” an empath stumbles bleeding into a nightclub, on the run from emotional vampires. A Broadway actress steals the emotions of her fellow performers in “. . . To Feel Another’s Woe” by Chet Williamson. And in “The Sea Was Wet as Wet Could Be,” Gahan Wilson offers his own surreal twist on Lewis Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” as two strangers on a beach lure intoxicated picnickers to a different kind of picnic . . . Blood Is Not Enough includes contributions by Dan Simmons, Gahan Wilson, Garry Kilworth, Harlan Ellison, Scott Baker, Leonid Andreyev, Harvey Jacobs, S. N. Dyer, Edward Bryant, Fritz Leiber, Tanith Lee, Susan Casper, Steve Rasnic Tem, Gardner Dozois and Jack Dann, Chet Williamson, Joe Haldeman, and Pat Cadigan.

The Hugo and Nebula Award–winning series of sword and sorcery—featuring two unorthodox heroes—from a Grand Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Long before George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones became a worldwide phenomenon, Fritz Leiber ruled the literary universe of sword and sorcery. This novel and two short story collections chronicle the adventures of Leiber’s endearing and groundbreaking antiheroes: the barbarian Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, a former wizard’s apprentice—in the series hailed as “one of the great works of fantasy in this century” (Publishers Weekly). This is a must-read collection of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser short stories, featuring the Hugo Award–nominated novellas “Scylla’s Daughter” and “Stardock.” Swords Against Wizardry: Bold Fafhrd and the sly Gray Mouser find adventure wherever they tread quick and lightly, whether it be in consulting a witch for advice, climbing Nehwon’s highest peak in search of riches, discovering that they may not actually be the greatest thieves in Lankhmar, or working both sides of a royal battle for the throne of Quarmall. The Swords of Lankhmar: With a plague of rats teeming in Lankhmar, Fafhrd and the Mouser are hired by the city to guard a shipment of grain overseas. But when the duo returns, they discover the sentient vermin have taken over Lankhmar for themselves! And now it’s up to the barbarian and the thief to build a better rat trap. Swords and Ice Magic: Fafhrd and Gray Mouser make their way by sword and stealth as they face death in many forms, earn the ire of gods whose names they rarely even speak in vain anymore, lazily drift on the Great Equatorial Current, and venture far into the icy wastes of the Rime Isle to confront a pair of deities and a pillaging fleet in this World Fantasy Award nominee.

The fourth incredible installment of the Science Fiction Archive, edited by the time-traveling genius Rey Bertran! Featuring: Proof of the Pudding, by Robert Sheckley Where the World is Quiet, by C.H. Liddell Business for the Lawyers, by Ralph Robin The Observers, by G.L. Vandenburg Infinite Intruder, by Alan Nourse Where the PHPH Pebbles Go, by Miriam Allen DeFord The Snare, by Richard Smith X Marks the Pedwalk, by Fritz Leiber Education of a Martian, by Joseph Shallit The Light on Precipice Peak, by Stephen Tall Not Fit for Children, by Evelyn E. Smith Thin Edge, by Johnathan Blake Mackenzie Where There''s Hope, by Jerome Bixby Mars Confidential, By Jack Lait & Lee Mortimer What Do You Read?, by Boyd Ellanby The Moons of Mars, by Dean Evans Fee of the Frontier, by H.B. Fyfe Sweet Tooth, by Robert Young The Highest Mountain, by Bryce Walton Half Past Alligator, by Donald Colvin The Rag and Bone Men, by Algis Budrys

The Hugo and Nebula Award–winning series of swords and sorcery, featuring two unorthodox heroes, from a Grand Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Many decades before George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, Grand Master Fritz Leiber ruled the sword-and-sorcery universe. These three short story collections chronicle the unconventional adventures of Leiber’s endearing antiheroes: barbarian Fafhrd and former wizard’s apprentice, the Gray Mouser. Swords and Deviltry: Fafhrd, a handsome barbarian of the Steppes, is seduced by a beautiful prostitute and her equally intoxicating city, while the Gray Mouser, a slum rat wizard-in-training, is tempted by the dark arts. The two men meet on a night of multiple thieveries and an enduring partnership is born. Swords Against Death: Rogue swordsmen and devoted companions Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser pursue ill-gotten fortunes within the confines of Lankhmar. They cross paths with two wizards, Sheelba of the Eyeless Face and Ningauble of the Seven Eyes, and a most violent clash ensues. Eventually, following further adventures, the two antiheroes end up as indentured swordsman servants to their former foes. Swords in the Mist: A cloud of concentrated hatred and lean times in Lankhmar compels Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser to temporarily depart the most corrupt metropolis in all of Nehwon as they seek adventure in the realm of the Sea-King—and on a different world entirely. This must-read collection of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser short stories features multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–nominated tales, and includes the acclaimed novella Ill Met in Lankhmar.

This volume collects 19 stories of robots in their many guises. Some obey Asimov’s 3 Rules of Robotics. Some are of alien design. Some serve mankind. And some...don’t. All are great reading. Included are: HELEN O''LOY, by Lester del Rey SIDNEY, THE SCREWLOOSE ROBOT, by William P. McGivern JAMES P. CROW, by Philip K. Dick HAVE IT YOUR OWN WAY, by Richard Wilson A BAD DAY FOR SALES, by Fritz Leiber THE SPECTACLES, by Frank Belknap Long ALL JACKSON''S CHILDREN, by Daniel F. Galouye MADE TO MEASURE, by William Campbell Gault ROBOT JUSTICE, by Harry Harrison A POUND OF CURE, by Lester del Rey THE ROBOT MEN OF BUBBLE CITY, by Rog Phillips THE MAD ROBOT, by William P. McGivern HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS, by Jim Harmon THE ROBOT EMPIRE, by Frank Belknap Long NOT QUITE HUMAN, by Emil Petaja THE LAST OF THE MASTERS, by Philip K. Dick THE CREATURE FROM CLEVELAND DEPTHS, by Fritz Leiber THE WORLD OF WULKINS, by Frank Belknap Long ROBOTS SHOULD BE SEEN, by Lester del Rey If you enjoy this ebook, don''t forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 300+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more!

The 13th Science Fiction MEGAPACK® continues the bestselling anthology series, presenting modern and classic works of speculative fiction. This edition features an interview with author Robert J. Sawyer plus 26 great stories! Included are: SARGASSO OF LOST STARSHIPS, by Poul Anderson THE DAY IS DONE, by Lester del Rey X MARKS THE PEDWALK, by Fritz Leiber RAFT, by Larry Tritten SPACEMAN ON A SPREE, by Mack Reynolds THE MASKED WORLD, by Jack Williamson THE GOD-PLLLNK, by Jerome Bixby A GUEST OF GANYMEDE, by C. C. MacApp WALLFLOWER, by Thomas A. Easton THE GIRL IN HIS MIND, by Robert F. Young TO SAVE EARTH, by Edward W. Ludwig THE HERMIT OF MARS, by Stephen Bartholomew A MATTER OF MONSTERS, by Manly Banister WHEN YOU GIFFLE..., by L.J. Stecher THE NIGHT OF THE TROLLS, by Keith Laumer DANGLING CONVERSATIONS, by Edward M. Lerner GUARDSMEN, FED TO TIGERS, by A.R. Morlan THE FOREVER FOREST, by Rhys Hughes DISCOVERY TIME, by Frank Belknap Long A HITCH IN SPACE, by Fritz Leiber TO THIS THEIR LATE ESCAPE, by Jay Lake STEAK TARTARE AND THE CATS OF GARI BABAKIN STATION, by Mary A. Turzillo VITAL INGREDIENT, by Charles V. De Vet JAMES P. CROW, by Philip K. Dick COMMON DENOMINATOR, by John D. MacDonald HUMAN SPIRIT, BEETLE SPIRIT, by John Gregory Betancourt If you enjoy this ebook, don''t forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 300+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more!

The dark star passed, bringing with it eternal night and turning history into incredible myth in a single generation! In this story of desperation and courage a family believing themselves to be the last humans alive on Earth must fight daily against a cold uncaring universe. Fritz Leiber won multiple Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. This story shows him at the height of his prowess.

The Second Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK® collects 14 more stories (plus a poem) by the acclaimed creator of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. Here are adventures in the future, through other dimensions, and across parallel worlds -- with plenty of humor, cats, and fun! Included are: A PAIL OF AIR WHAT''S HE DOING IN THERE? APPOINTMENT IN TOMORROW KREATIVITY FOR KATS A BIT OF THE DARK WORLD THE DREAMS OF ALBERT MORELAND COMING ATTRACTION NICE GIRL WITH HUSBANDS YESTERDAY HOUSE A BAD DAY FOR SALES TIME IN THE ROUND THE LAST LETTER BULLET WITH HIS NAME THE BIG ENGINE RECOGNITION OF DEATH (poem) If you enjoy this ebook, don''t forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 280+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more!

"Have you ever worried about your memory, because it doesn''t seem to be bringing you exactly the same picture of the past from one day to the next? Have you ever been afraid that your personality was changing because of forces beyond your knowledge or control? Have you ever felt sure that sudden death was about to jump you from nowhere? Have you ever been scared of Ghosts--not the story-book kind, but the billions of beings who were once so real and strong it''s hard to believe they''ll just sleep harmlessly forever? Have you ever wondered about those things you may call devils or Demons-- spirits able to range through all time and space, through the hot hearts of stars and the cold skeleton of space between the galaxies? Have you ever thought that the whole universe might be a crazy, mixed-up dream? If you have, you''ve had hints of the Change War."This collection gathers the original magazine versions of every canonical story in Fritz Leiber''s iconic Change War time travel series for the first time. It includes an introduction by Kevin A. Straight, comprehensive Guide to the Change World, timeline of Fritz Leiber''s life and works, and list of Change War apocrypha. Physical book editions include full index.

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

Wysten Turner is a Brit visiting America after it''s great war with Russia. He meets a woman with a tale of woe in the streets of New York. Her boyfriend is a professional wrestler who beats her. She begs Turner to help her escape him, but is the situation as straight forward as it seems? Nominated for a Retro Hugo Award.

History does not move in one current, like the wind across bare seas, but in a thousand streams and eddies, like the wind over a broken landscape. —Cary The boys'' half of the dressing room (two-thirds really) was bustling. There was the smell of spirit gum and Max Factor and just plain men. Several guys were getting dressed or un-, and Bruce was cussing Bloody-something because he''d just burnt his fingers unwinding from the neck of a hot electric bulb some crepe hair he''d wound there to dry after wetting and stretching it to turn it from crinkly to straight for his Banquo beard. Bruce is always getting to the theater late and trying shortcuts.

Anybody who wanted to escape death could, by paying a very simple price--denial of life!

A professor discourages his wife’s witchcraft to disastrous ends in this Hugo Award–winning novel—that inspired three films—by the Grand Master of Fantasy. Ethnology professor Norman Saylor is shocked to discover that his wife, Tansy, has been putting his research on “Conjure Magic” into practice. She only wants to protect him from the other spell-casting faculty wives who would stop at nothing to advance their husbands’ careers. But Norman, as a man of science, demands she put an end to it. And when Tansy’s last charm is burned . . . Norman’s life starts falling apart. First, Norman has a disastrous run-in with a former protégé. Then his student secretary accuses him of seducing her. He’s even passed over for a promotion that had been certain. Plus he’s become exceedingly accident prone: from shaving to carpet tacks to letter openers, hazards are suddenly everywhere. At his wit’s end, he begins to worry that a dark presence is exploiting his fear of trucks. But the worst is yet to come—when Tansy takes his curse upon herself. Now, in order to save his wife, Norman must overcome his disbelief and embrace the dark magic he disdains. Winner of the 1944 Retrospective Hugo Award, Conjure Wife is widely celebrated as a modern classic of horror-fantasy and has been adapted for film three times: Burn, Witch Burn (1962), Weird Woman (1944), and Witch’s Brew (1980).

A horror author is drawn into a mysterious curse in this World Fantasy Award–winning novel from the author of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. Fritz Leiber may be best known as a fantasy writer, but he published widely and successfully in the horror and science fiction fields. His fiction won the Hugo, Nebula, Derleth, Gandalf, Lovecraft, and World Fantasy Awards, and he was honored with the Life Achievement Lovecraft Award and the Grand Master Nebula Award. One of his best novels is the classic dark fantasy Our Lady of Darkness, winner of the 1978 World Fantasy Award. Our Lady of Darkness introduces San Francisco horror writer Franz Westen. While studying his beloved city through binoculars from his apartment window, he is astonished to see a mysterious figure waving at him from a hilltop two miles away. He walks to Corona Heights and looks back at his building to discover the figure waving at him from his apartment window—and to find himself caught in a century‐spanning curse that may have destroyed Clark Ashton Smith and Jack London.

This Hugo Award–winning disaster epic from the Science Fiction Grand Master “ranks among [his] most ambitious works” (SFSite). The Wanderer inspires feelings of pure terror in the hearts of the five billion human beings inhabiting Planet Earth. The presence of an alien planet causes increasingly severe tragedies and chaos. However, one man stands apart from the mass of frightened humanity. For him, the legendary Wanderer is a mere tale of bizarre alien domination and human submission. His conception of the Wanderer bleeds into unrequited love for the mysterious “she” who owns him.

From a Grand Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy: In a post-apocalyptic future, a priest must fight the forces of evil in order to bring freedom to humanity. Three-hundred and sixty years after a nuclear holocaust ravaged mankind, the world is fraught with chaos and superstition. Endowed with scientific knowledge lost to the rest of humanity, Techno-priests of the Great God now rule. Jarles, originally of peasant descent, rises to become a priest of the Great God. He knows that the gospel is nothing but trickery propagated by non-believers. One day, he defies his priestly training and attempts to incite the peasants to rebel—but Jarles is not the only dissenter trying to bring down the priesthood—witchcraft is slowly gaining strength and support among the populace. Little does Jarles know his rebellion is about to throw him headlong into the middle of the greatest holy war the world has ever seen.

A collection of supernatural horror stories from the SFWA Grand Master and Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser novels. Assembled here is a selection of Mr. Leiber''s best horrific tales, many of which have been virtually unobtainable for decades. From the riveting “Spider Mansion” and “The Phantom Slayer” from Weird Tales to the more recent “Lie Still, Snow White” and “Black Has Its Charms” from rare, small‑press magazines, this collection provides an overview of Leiber’s fifty‑plus years as an acknowledged master of the weird tale. This edition was edited by John Pelan and Steve Savile.

The final book in the seminal sword and sorcery series featuring Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser from the Grand Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy. After their adventures in Swords and Ice Magic, Fafhrd the barbarian and Gray Mouser the thief remain on Rime Isle with their loves, seeking lives of respectability and peace. Fafhrd works to regain his archery skills after losing his left hand to Odin in battle. Meanwhile, the Gray Mouser embarks on a trading expedition aboard the ship Seahawk. But their respite will soon come to an end—for on the world of Nehwon, a brother and sister plot to regain the treasures stolen from them by the pirates of Rime Isle. Soon Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, alone and together, are plagued by dreams and curses that will force them to confront the vengeful siblings, destructive temptations, sea demons, and ancient obsessions as “one of the great works of fantasy in this century” comes to its climactic end (Publishers Weekly). The highly regarded British horror author Ramsey Campbell called Fritz Leiber “the greatest living writer of supernatural horror fiction.” Drawing many of his own themes from the works of Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and H. P. Lovecraft, master manipulator Fritz Leiber is a worldwide legend within the fantasy genre, actually having coined the term sword and sorcery that would describe the subgenre he would more than help create. While The Lord of the Rings took the world by storm, Leiber’s fantastic but thoroughly flawed antiheroes, Fafhrd and Grey Mouser, adventured and stumbled deep within the caves of Inner Earth as well, albeit a different one than Tolkien’s. They wondered and wandered to the edges of the Outer Sea, across the Land of Nehwon and throughout every nook and cranny of gothic Lankhmar, Nehwon’s grandest and most mystically corrupt city. Lankhmar is Leiber’s fully realized, vivid incarnation of urban decay and civilization’s corroding effect on the human psyche. Fafhrd and Mouse are not innocents; their world is no land of honor and righteousness. It is a world of human complexities and violent action, of discovery and mystery, of swords and sorcery.

A collection of fifteen tales of horror by the award-winning Grand Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy and author of the Lankhmar series. In Horrible Imaginings, buckle up for a disturbing ride. Meet a mysterious woman in black, a gun with a score to settle, a man who seeks eternal life, a peculiar painting of a dead woman, and more . . . Assembled from magazine submissions, fanzines, and even “lost” manuscripts discovered among the author’s personal papers, this book features two Nebula Award finalists: “Horrible Imaginings” and “Answering Service,” as well as the stories “The Automatic Pistol,” “Crazy Annaoj,” “The Hound,” “Alice and the Allergy,” “Skinny’s Wonderful,” “Scream Wolf,” “Mysterious Doings in the Metropolitan Museum,” “When Brahma Wakes,” “The Glove,” “The Girl With the Hungry Eyes,” “While Set Fled,” “Diary in the Snow,” and “The Ghost Light.” Find out why Fritz Leiber is a must-read for any fan of science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Suspense, surprise, wit, and weirdness—they’re all here for fans both old and new. Praise for Fritz Leiber “For anyone who loves great literature, Fritz Leiber walked on water.” —Harlan Ellison, author of I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream “A master . . . The prose should be savored.” —Locus “High quality.” —The New York Times

“Robin has splendidly captured the quintessential spirit of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Somewhere in Lankhmar, Fritz is smiling” (Dennis L. McKiernan, national bestselling author). Lankhmar, an ancient and decadent city of magic, where witches and sorcerers scheme, where gods and ghosts walk the streets and shadow-haunted alleys, where violence and death dance together like lovers in the darkness. Lankhmar–a city of plague! Years ago, two rogues bound together by friendship and a shared destiny neither understood met in Lankhmar. Living by their swords, their wits and their daring, they sought adventure and love. Adventure they found, but love–they lost. In despair, they left the city, vowing never to return. Yet vows are made to be broken. Once again, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are drawn back to Lankhmar and quickly ensnared in its wizard-games as one jealous mage turns on his rivals and unleashes a black force not even he can control, a power that threatens the city itself. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, two of the greatest and most beloved characters in fantasy literature, return in this novel-length adventure by Nebula Award nominated author Robin Wayne Bailey. Swords Against the Shadowland, authorized by series creator Fritz Leiber, is a direct sequel to Leiber’s famous story, “Ill-Met in Lankhmar!” Named one of the six best fantasy novels of 1998 by the Science Fiction Chronicle.

Here is a modern tale of an inner-directed sorcerer and an outer-directed sorcerer''s apprentice. Fritz Leiber is a master of magic realism and dark fantasy.

You can''t know there''s a war on--for the Snakes coil and Spiders weave to keep you from knowing it''s being fought over your live and dead body!ExcerptMy name is Greta Forzane. Twenty-nine and a party girl would describe me. I was born in Chicago, of Scandinavian parents, but now I operate chiefly outside space and time--not in Heaven or Hell, if there are such places, but not in the cosmos or universe you know either.I am not as romantically entrancing as the immortal film star who also bears my first name, but I have a rough-and-ready charm of my own. I need it, for my job is to nurse back to health and kid back to sanity Soldiers badly roughed up in the biggest war going. This war is the Change War, a war of time travelers--in fact, our private name for being in this war is being on the Big Time. Our Soldiers fight by going back to change the past, or even ahead to change the future, in ways to help our side win the final victory a billion or more years from now. A long killing business, believe me.You don''t know about the Change War, but it''s influencing your lives all the time and maybe you''ve had hints of it without realizing.Have you ever worried about your memory, because it doesn''t seem to be bringing you exactly the same picture of the past from one day to the next? Have you ever been afraid that your personality was changing because of forces beyond your knowledge or control? Have you ever felt sure that sudden death was about to jump you from nowhere? Have you ever been scared of Ghosts--not the story-book kind, but the billions of beings who were once so real and strong it''s hard to believe they''ll just sleep harmlessly forever? Have you ever wondered about those things you may call devils or Demons--spirits able to range through all time and space, through the hot hearts of stars and the cold skeleton of space between the galaxies? Have you ever thought that the whole universe might be a crazy, mixed-up dream? If you have, you''ve had hints of the Change War.How I got recruited into the Change War, how it''s conducted, what the two sides are, why you don''t consciously know about it, what I really think about it--you''ll learn in due course.

"Bread Overhead" is a story Fritz Leiber could have written to send up today''s bewildering bread aisle -- all those claims of low-cal and low-low-carb. In fact, the story probably reads better now than it did in 1958, back when the choice came down to white or whole wheat. Leiber slyly imagines a near-future when giant machines not only harvest the wheat field, but grind flour and bake bread on the spot -- the ultimate in big farming. In this toasted tomorrow, the highly-mechanized Puffy Products is bent on producing the supremely lightest loaf. The story is what happens if bread isn''t just airy, but pumped full of lighter-than-air helium. Leiber (Ships to the Stars) didn''t often bake up such a souffle of spoof, but he''s a master in the kitchen. And "Bread Overhead" has just enough to say about human nature to be filling, besides.