Leinster Murray
1) The Invaders
When we imagine establishing contact with an alien race, we usually assume that the interstellar interlopers would be light-years ahead of us in terms of technological sophistication. But what if our new alien acquaintances were astoundingly average in their appearance and intellect? That's the premise of The Invaders, a tale from Murray Leinster that puts a new spin on the first contact genre of science fiction.
Written before the outbreak of World War II, this remarkable story imagines a military conflict in which a weapon of unprecedented power and destructiveness is unleashed—but this time, it's an enemy of the U. S. that has the upper hand. With entire cities swept off the map in a matter of seconds, will the country be able to fight back?
This fast-paced novella will command the attention of fans of classic science fiction. A desperate fugitive attacks the crew of a spaceship that's temporarily docked. Planning to abandon the interloper on a distant, little-known planet, the crew makes a last-minute landing there—only to discover a danger far more lethal than the fugitive they sought to maroon.
One of the sole survivors of a raid that wiped out virtually his entire planet, Captain Bors is adrift -- literally and figuratively. His encounter with a group of misfits with an unusual assemblage of talents, skills, and superpowers sets his life on a course he never could have imagined. This entertaining and engaging book is sure to please fans of golden-era SF.
Take an unexpected trip into the past in this gem of golden-era science fiction from Murray Leinster. On what appears to be an ordinary workday, Arthur Chamberlain, a successful engineer based in Manhattan, notices that the sun appears to be traveling backwards in the sky. Chamberlain is the only person who is able to discern the truth of the situation. Can he devise a solution to reverse it in time to save himself and thousands of his coworkers?
...Much like the lepers of ancient times, the inhabitants of the planet Dara have been afflicted by a deadly epidemic and shunned by their neighbors. Only one man's moral code compels him to intervene and help save this otherwise-doomed race. Will the courageous Calhoun be able to succeed?
7) The Leader
What if you had clawed your way to a position of nearly unlimited power and influence—only to be supplanted by an even more powerful political figure? That's the premise behind Murray Leinster's thought-provoking tale The Leader, which many science fiction enthusiasts view as one of the most influential stories of its era.
Originally published with the alternate title "The World is Taboo," this story from Murray Leinster recounts the valiant efforts of intrepid explorer Calhoun to save a race of outcast blue-skinned beings afflicted with a crippling health condition. Will he be able to make a difference before the entire planet succumbs to the disease?
Get set for interstellar adventure with this action-packed novel from groundbreaking SF writer Murray Leinster. In an amazingly prescient plot that resonates with today's reality TV-obsessed culture, the space flight project of the book's title is a television show that helps fund humanity's first foray into the cosmos.
10) Nightmare Planet
The novella Nightmare Planet is the conclusion to Murray Leinster's popular Argosy series and is most closely linked to his previous tales The Mad Planet and The Red Dust. A spaceship lands on a seemingly uninhabited planet that turns out to be the vestiges of a grotesque science experiment gone horribly awry. Will the crew members be able to survive in this hostile territory?
11) Operation Terror
The mild-mannered surveyor Lockley is going about his business at a project site in Colorado when the unthinkable happens -- an object that seems to have originated from outer space crashes to the earth. This unusual event sets off a chain of increasingly dire consequences, and before long, it becomes clear that only Lockley can save the world from the impending alien invasion.
12) Scrimshaw
An advanced mining operation on the Moon is the backdrop for a series of bold attempted heists in this suspenseful tale from science fiction master Murray Leinster. The victim, left for dead, is beginning to recall details of the crime. Will the perpetrators be brought to justice? Read Scrimshaw to find out.
13) The Aliens
What will happen when we first encounter sentient beings from outer space? In this action-packed account of first contact between the human denizens of Earth and an alien species, Murray Leinster details the tense early interactions between clashing spaceships. Is long-term coexistence possible? Read The Aliens to find out.
Settle in for a rollicking science-fiction adventure from golden-era star Murray Leinster. In The Fifth-Dimension Tube, a prominent scientist and his beloved daughter have become stranded in another dimension. In order to survive, they must cast their lot with rogue mathematician Tommy Reeves. To succeed in this life-or-death endeavor, Reeves has to overcome not only his own gadabout ways, but also the thugs who are pursuing him.
What if the inhabitants of Earth received a message from the future warning of an upcoming calamity that could wipe out the entire planet? That's the plot that propels "The Machine that Saved the World" by prolific SF luminary Murray Leinster. When the denizens of the future propose a solution, however, one man harbors suspicions. Is he merely paranoid, or are his misgivings well founded?
16) The Mad Planet
In the aftermath of massive, large-scale destruction, civilization must begin again. The Mad Planet details the halting development of a new society after the planet has been ravaged by environmental damage. The tale focuses on a simple but decent and well-intentioned hero, Burl, who seeks to survive against the odds in this dangerous era.
In "Attention Saint Patrick," American science fiction writer Murray Leinster cleverly transposes aspects of Irish myth and legend into an intergalactic setting. The inhabitants of a planet known as Eire are battling an infestation of strange creatures known as dinies with an insatiable appetite for infrastructure. Will the far-fetched solution posed by an earthling name Moira solve the problem?
In a distant future, humans have overtaken much of the universe and have banished their enemies to the far corners of their territory. A planet long thought to be uninhabited is suspected of being a hub for rebel activities. Will the small police force be able to circumvent a potentially disastrous conflict?
19) The Red Dust
Murray Leinster's science-fiction novella The Red Dust is a sequel to his previous story, The Mad Planet. In the future, humans are no longer running things on Earth. Instead, a race of giant insects has taken over, forcing subservient humans to regress to a primitive state. But a new danger is on the horizon that could mean the end for everyone.
In this gripping action-adventure novel, Murray Leinster turns away from the interplanetary settings that typically form the backdrop of his fiction and instead delves into one of the most mysterious places on Earth: the darkest depths of the sea. Expert radar operator Terry Holt is summoned to an unusual top-secret assignment off the coast of the Philippines. What could be responsible for the strange clues that have been surfacing there?