The Space Opera Megapack: 20 Modern and Classic Science Fiction Tales Read online

  Table of Contents

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  THE MEGAPACK SERIES

  BREATH’S DUTY, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

  SPAWN OF JUPITER, by E. C. Tubb

  KILLER ADVICE, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  THE WORLD WITH A THOUSAND MOONS by Edmond Hamilton

  THE SKYLARK OF SPACE, by E.E. “Doc” Smith

  DEADLINE IN SPACE, by John Russell Fearn

  PLANETESIMAL DAWN, by Tim Sullivan

  THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY, THE LIGHTNESS OF THE FUTURE, by Jay Lake

  BIG PILL, by Raymond Z. Gallun

  WHERE ARE YOU, MR. BIGGS?, by Nelson S. Bond

  THE SKY TRAP, by Frank Belknap Long

  CHANGE OF COMMAND, by Jean Lorrah

  TULAN, by C.C. MacApp

  THE BLACK STAR PASSES, by John W. Campbell, Jr.

  THE GALAXY PRIMES, by E.E. “Doc” Smith

  TARRANO THE CONQUEROR, by Ray Cummings

  THE SARGASSO OF SPACE, by Edmond Hamilton

  SALVAGE IN SPACE, by Jack Williamson

  THE ULTIMATE WEAPON, by John W. Campbell, Jr.

  INVADERS FROM THE OUTER SUNS, by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  The Space Opera Megapack is copyright © 2013 by Wildside Press LLC. All rights reserved. For more information, contact the publisher. Cover art copyright © 2014 by April Cat / Fotolia.

  “Breath’s Duty,” by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, originally appeared in Duty Bound, SRM Publisher, Ltd., November 1999. Copyright © 1999 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Reprinted by permission of the authors.

  “Spawn of Jupiter,” by E. C. Tubb, originally appeared in Vision of Tomorrow #11. Copyright © 1970 by E.C. Tubb. Reprinted by permission of the author’s literary agent, Cosmos Literary Agency.

  “The World with a Thousand Moons,” by Edmond Hamilton, originally appeared in Amazing Stories, December 1942.

  “The Skylark of Space,” by E.E. “Doc” Smith, originally apepared in Amazing Stories, August, September and October 1928. This volume reprints with original magazine text.

  “Deadline in Space,” by John Russell Fearn, originally appeared as “Reverse Action” in Vargo Statten British Science Fiction Magazine #4, 1954. Copyright © 1954 by John Russell Fearn; copyrght © 2013 by Philip Harbottle. Reprinted by permission of the author’s estate.

  “Planetesimal Dawn,” by Tim Sullivan, originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Oct-Nov. 2008. Copyright © 2008 by Timothy R. Sullivan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Weight of History, the Lightness of the Future,” by Jay Lake Subterranean Press Magazine: Spring 2012. Copyright © 2008 by Joseph E. Lake, Jr. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Big Pill,” by Raymond Z. Gallun, originally appeared in Planet Stories, September 1952.

  “Where Are You, Mr. Biggs?” by Nelson S. Bond originally appeared in Weird Tales, September 1941.

  “The Sky Trap,” by Frank Belknap Long, originally appeared in Comet, July 1941.

  “Tulan,” by C.C. MacApp, originally appeared in Amazing Stories, June 1960.

  The Black Star Passes originally appeared in Amazing Stories (1930) and was later extensively edited for book publication in 1953 by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach. This is the 1953 text.

  The Galaxy Primes, by E.E. “Doc” Smith originally appeared as a 3-part serial in in Amazing Stories, March, April and May 1959.

  Tarrano the Conqueror, by Ray Cummings, originally appeared in 1930.

  “The Sargasso of Space,” by Edmond Hamilton, originally appeared in Astounding Stories, September 1931.

  “Salvage in Space,” by Jack Williamson, originally appeared in Astounding Stories, March 1933.

  The Ultimate Weapon, by John W. Campbell, originally appeared as a serial in Amazing Stories under the title of Uncertainty in 1936.

  “Invaders from the Outer Suns,” by Frank Belknap Long, Jr., originally appeared in Thrilling Wonder Stories, February 1937.

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  I grew up reading space opera—E.E. “Doc” Smith, Edmond Hamilton, John W. Campbell, Jr. and so many other authors from the “golden age” really knew how to spin a galactic yarn! It’s no wonder the subgenre remains popular today…though perhaps the writing, characterization, and science has improved a bit.

  This Megapack spans the decades, ranging from the earliest days of Space Opera to contemporary tales by modern masters. Sit back, buckle your seatbelt (shouldn’t all spaceships have seatbelts?), and enjoy the trip!

  —John Betancourt

  Publisher, Wildside Press LLC

  www.wildsidepress.com

  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!).

  A NOTE FOR KINDLE READERS

  The Kindle versions of our Megapacks employ active tables of contents for easy navigation…please look for one before writing reviews on Amazon that complain about the lack! (They are sometimes at the ends of ebooks, depending on your reader.)

  RECOMMEND A FAVORITE STORY?

  Do you know a great classic science fiction story, or have a favorite author whom you believe is perfect for the Megapack series? We’d love your suggestions! You can post them on our message board at http://movies.ning.com/forum (there is an area for Wildside Press comments).

  Note: we only consider stories that have already been professionally published. This is not a market for new works.

  TYPOS

  Unfortunately, as hard as we try, a few typos do slip through. We update our ebooks periodically, so make sure you have the current version (or download a fresh copy if it’s been sitting in your ebook reader for months.) It may have already been updated.

  If you spot a new typo, please let us know. We’ll fix it for everyone. You can email the publisher at [email protected] or use the message boards above.

  THE MEGAPACK SERIES

  MYSTERY

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The Charlie Chan Megapack*

  The Craig Kennedy Scientific Detective Megapack

  The Detective Megapack

  The Father Brown Megapack

  The Girl Detective Megapack

  The Jacques Futrelle Megapack

  The Anna Katharine Green Mystery Megapack

  The First Mystery Megapack

  The Penny Parker Megapack

  The Philo Vance Megapack*

  The Pulp Fiction Megapack

  The Raffles Megapack

  The Victorian Mystery Megapack

  The Wilkie Collins Megapack

  GENERAL INTEREST

  The Adventure Megapack

  The Baseball Megapack

  The Cat Story Megapack

  The Second Cat Story Megapack

  The Third Cat Story Megapack

  The Third Cat Story Megapack

  The Christmas Megapack

  The Second Christmas Me
gapack

  The Classic American Short Stories Megapack, Vol. 1.

  The Classic Humor Megapack

  The Dog Story Megapack

  The Doll Story Megapack

  The Horse Story Megapack

  The Military Megapack

  The Sea-Story Megapack

  SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

  The Edward Bellamy Megapack

  The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack

  The Ray Cummings Megapack

  The Philip K. Dick Megapack

  The Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Second Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Edmond Hamilton Megapack

  The Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Second Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Martian Megapack

  The Andre Norton Megapack

  The H. Beam Piper Megapack

  The Pulp Fiction Megapack

  The Mack Reynolds Megapack

  The Science-Fantasy Megapack

  The First Science Fiction Megapack

  The Second Science Fiction Megapack

  The Third Science Fiction Megapack

  The Fourth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Fifth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Sixth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Seventh Science Fiction Megapack

  The Eighth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Robert Sheckley Megapack

  The Steampunk Megapack

  The Time Travel Megapack

  The Wizard of Oz Megapack

  HORROR

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The Second Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Second E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Algernon Blackwood Megapack

  The Second Algernon Blackwood Megapack

  The Cthulhu Mythos Megapack

  The Erckmann-Chatrian Megapack

  The Ghost Story Megapack

  The Second Ghost Story Megapack

  The Third Ghost Story Megapack

  The Haunts & Horrors Megapack

  The Horror Megapack

  The M.R. James Megapack

  The Macabre Megapack

  The Second Macabre Megapack

  The Arthur Machen Megapack**

  The Mummy Megapack

  The Occult Detective Megapack

  The Vampire Megapack

  The Werewolf Megapack

  WESTERNS

  The B.M. Bower Megapack

  The Max Brand Megapack

  The Buffalo Bill Megapack

  The Cowboy Megapack

  The Zane Grey Megapack

  The Western Megapack

  The Second Western Megapack

  The Wizard of Oz Megapack

  YOUNG ADULT

  The Boys’ Adventure Megapack

  The Dan Carter, Cub Scout Megapack

  The Doll Story Megapack

  The G.A. Henty Megapack

  The Girl Detectives Megapack

  The Penny Parker Megapack

  The Pinocchio Megapack

  The Rover Boys Megapack

  The Tom Corbett, Space Cadet Megapack

  The Tom Swift Megapack

  AUTHOR MEGAPACKS

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The Edward Bellamy Megapack

  The B.M. Bower Megapack

  The E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Second E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Algernon Blackwood Megapack

  The Second Algernon Blackwood Megapack

  The Max Brand Megapack

  The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack

  The Wilkie Collins Megapack

  The Ray Cummings Megapack

  The Guy de Maupassant Megapack

  The Philip K. Dick Megapack

  The Erckmann-Chatrian Megapack

  The Jacques Futrelle Megapack

  The Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Second Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Anna Katharine Green Megapack

  The Zane Grey Megapack

  The Edmond Hamilton Megapack

  The Dashiell Hammett Megapack

  The M.R. James Megapack

  The Selma Lagerlof Megapack

  The Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Second Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Arthur Machen Megapack**

  The George Barr McCutcheon Megapack

  The Talbot Mundy Megapack

  The Andre Norton Megapack

  The H. Beam Piper Megapack

  The Mack Reynolds Megapack

  The Rafael Sabatini Megapack

  The Saki Megapack

  The Robert Sheckley Megapack

  * Not available in the United States

  ** Not available in the European Union

  OTHER COLLECTIONS YOU MAY ENJOY

  The Great Book of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany (it should have been called “The Lord Dunsany Megapack”)

  The Wildside Book of Fantasy

  The Wildside Book of Science Fiction

  Yondering: The First Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories

  To the Stars—And Beyond! The Second Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories

  Once Upon a Future: The Third Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories

  Whodunit?—The First Borgo Press Book of Crime and Mystery Stories

  More Whodunits—The Second Borgo Press Book of Crime and Mystery Stories

  X is for Xmas: Christmas Mysteries

  BREATH’S DUTY, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

  DELGADO

  Leafydale Place

  Standard Year 1393

  In his youth, fishing had bored the professor even more thoroughly than lessons in manners, though he had more than once made the excuse of fishing a means to escape the overly-watchful eyes of his elders. Over time, he had come to enjoy the sport, most especially on Delgado, where the local game fish ate spiny nettles and hence could be hooked and released with no damage to themselves.

  It was an eccentricity his neighbors, his mistress, and his colleagues had come to accept—and to expect. Periodically, the professor would set off for the lake region and return, rejuvenated, laden with tales of the ones that had gotten away and on-scale holograms of the ones that had not.

  So it was this morning that he parted comfortably from his mistress, tarrying to share a near-perfect cup of locally-grown coffee with her—the search for the perfect cup and the perfect moment being among her chiefest joys—and with his pack of lures, dangles, weights and rods set off for the up-country lakes.

  The car was his other eccentricity—allowed however grudgingly by the collegiate board of trustees, who were, after all, realists. The work of Professor Jen Sar Kiladi was known throughout the cluster and students flocked to him, thus increasing the school’s treasury and its status.

  The car was roundly considered a young person’s car. While fast, it was neither shiny nor new; an import that required expensive replacements and a regimen of constant repairs. Its passenger section had room enough for him, occasionally for his mistress, or for his fishing equipment and light camping gear. Not even the board of trustees doubted his ability to drive it, for he ran in the top class of the local moto-cross club and indulged now and then in time-and-place road rallies, where he held an enviable record, indeed.

  The local gendarmes liked him: He was both polite and sharp, and had several times assisted in collecting drunk drivers before they could harm someone.

  His mistress was smiling from her window. He looked up and waved merrily, precisely as always, then sighed as he opened the car door.

  For a moment he sat, absorbing the commonplaces of the day. He adjusted the mirrors, which needed no adjustment, and by habit pushed the trimester. The sun’s first rays slanted through the windshield, endowing his single ring with an instant of silvery fire. He rubbed the worn silver knot absently.

  Then, he ran through the Rainbow pattern, for alertness.

  The car rumbled
to life at a touch of the switch, startling the birds napping in the tree across the street. He pulled out slowly, nodded to the beat cop he passed on the side street, then chose the back road, unmonitored at this hour on an off-week.

  He accelerated, exceeding the speed limit in the first few seconds, and checked his mental map. Not long. Not long at all.

  He grimaced as he got out of the car—he’d forgotten to break the drive and now his back ached, just a bit. He’d driven past his favorite fishing ground, perhaps faster there than elsewhere, for there was a lure to doing nothing at all, to huddling inside the carefully constructed persona, to forgetting, well, truly, and for all time, exactly who he was.

  The airfield was filled to capacity; mostly local craft—fan-powered—along with a few of the flashy commuter jets the high-born brought in for their fishing trips.

  On the far side of the tarmac was a handful of space faring ships, including seven or eight that seemed under constant repair. Among them, painted a motley green-brown, half-hidden with sham repair-plates and external piping, was a ship displaying the garish nameplate L’il Orbit. The professor went to the control room to check in, carrying his cane, which he very nearly needed after the run in the cramped car.

  “Might actually lift today!” he told the bleary-eyed counterman with entirely false good cheer.

  As always, the man smiled and wished him luck. L’il Orbit hadn’t flown in the ten years he’d been on the morning shift, though the little man came by pretty regular to work and rework the ship’s insides. But, who knew? The ship might actually lift one day; stranger things had happened. And given that, today was as good a day as any other.

  Outside the office, the professor paused, a man no longer young, shorter than the usual run of Terran, with soft, scholar’s hands and level shoulders beneath his holiday jacket, staring across the field to where the starships huddled. A teacher with a hobby, that was all.

  An equation rose from his back brain, pure as crystal, irrevocable as blood. Another rose, another—and yet another.

  He knew the names of stars and planets and way stations light years away from this place. His hands knew key combinations not to be found on university computers; his eyes knew patterns that ground-huggers might only dream of.

  “Pilot.” He heard her whisper plainly; felt her breath against his ear. He knew better than to turn his head.

  “Pilot,” Aelliana said again, and half-against his own will he smiled and murmured, “Pilot.”