Customer Reviews (3)

An excellent read!
H. (Henry) Beam Piper was one of the most interesting science-fiction authors to come out of the 1950s and 60s; sadly his suicide in 1964 robbed the world of what could have been one of the giants of the industry. This book is a collection of ten short stories that show off Piper's wonderful talent.

1) In Time and Again, a dying soldier is given the chance to return to his youth and change history. 2) The Mercenaries tells the tale of a 1960s, where scientists and the new condottieri. 3) Dearest tells the tale of a man who finds himself in psychic contact with a disembodied entity. 4) Hunter Patrol is one of the most interesting of the stories, it is a time travel story in which a man travels through time to change history and be changed by it. 5) Flight From Tomorrow is the story of a tyrant from the 100 Century of the Atomic Era, who flees into the past - 1950. 6) Operation R.S.V.P. is a story of nuclear brinkmanship with a surprise thrown in. 7) Genesis is one of the few stories in this book that fits in with Piper's Terro-Human History and Paratime stories, telling the story of the disaster that overtook the first human settlers of Earth. 8) The Answer also fits in with Piper's History, explaining the genesis of the atomic war that devastated the north hemisphere of the Earth. 9) In Crossroads of Destiny, a group of passengers on a train discuss alternative histories, and find out that one of them knows more than he's saying. 10) The final story is Day of the Moron, which shows the danger a self-reliant man faces in a world where everyone is interdependent and dependent on morons.

These stories make for an excellent read, and if you are a fan of H. Beam Piper, then this book is definitely one you should get. I highly recommend this book!

Genesis of the Paratime civilization.
Consists of "Time and Time Again", "The Mercenaries", "Dearest", "Hunter Patrol", "Flight From Tomorrow", "Operation RSVP", "Genesis", "The Answer", "Crossroads of Destiny", and "Day of the Moron".

Provides valuable background information for the Terro-Human Future History, including the Paratime stories.

"Time and Time Again" introduces Allan Hartley, who also appears in the background of "The Mercenaries" and "Day of the Moron".

"The Mercenaries" explores how a Free Scientist team would operate in the real world. Incidentally, the Sugihara effect in the story led, in that history, to the development of collapsium; this is the only story that discusses it in detail. (Try Andre Norton's The Stars Are Ours! for another story of Free Scientists.)

"Hunter Patrol" and "Flight from Tomorrow" are both time travel stories, but not Paratime stories; instead, they deal with the consequences of trying to use time travel to alter the future or the past. (Paratime travel involves travelling to alternate universes, where history played out differently; "Crossroads of Destiny" falls into this category).

In the Paratime universe, humans emigrated to Earth from Mars 75000 years ago. (See "Omnilingual" in Piper's book Federation for background on Martian civilization). On the Paratimers' First Level, colonization was completely successful. On the other 4 Levels, disaster either prevented colonization completely (the Fifth Level) or cut off the colonists from Mars prematurely, and left them to settle Earth with varying degrees of success. "Genesis" presents the story of the disaster that struck the first colony ship, leading to what the Paratimers call the Fourth Level version of history (ours).

"The Answer" covers the historical period just after World War III, when the northern hemisphere has been completely wiped out...but nobody knows why the first strike was directed at Auburn, New York. "Operation RSVP", on the other hand, deals with two nuclear powers who are heading for the brink, but are in for a sharp lesson....

Thus it begins
Piper's Terro-Human Future History (THFH) begins here.

From the first colonization of Earth, to the events occasionally mentioned in the later volumes and detailed here, the ground work of the THFH can be found here. Right down the very minute that the otherwhen of the THFH begins with the"rebirth" of Alan Hartley in his own adolecent body.

If youare a fan of Piper, find a copy of this volume.It's worth it. ... Read more

Product Description
To upset the stable, mighty stream of time would probably take an enormous concentration of energy. And it's not to be expected that a man would get a second chance at life. But an atomic might accomplish both-- ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook collection contains the complete Federation series by H. Beam Piper: ULLER'S UPRISING, FOUR-DAY PLANET, THE COSMIC COMPUTER, and SPACE VIKING.The four books tell the story of future history of barbarism where human civilization has collapsed into feudalism and anarchy.

This ebook is DRM free and includes an active table of contents for easy navigation. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Science Fiction / Adventure; Fiction / Science Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / General; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The Indian Mutiny in outerspace
At times I enjoy going into by stack of books and picking one of the "oldies" out and re-reading them.Recently I was in the mood for a good space opera and while browsing thru I bumped into the Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper; score!!!

Uller Uprising is Mr. Piper's futuristic retelling of the Indian Mutiny (1857 CE for those that are interested).As with India in 1857; Uller is a corporate world where the native (silicon based life with four arms and looking like a lizard) is "guided" by the Uller Corporation.The similarities between Uller and India circa 1857 include Pax Terra, the use of a corporate military to protect the company's interest, and the natives not being as advanced as humans and the relationship between humans and Ullerans.

I'll open up by saying this is a solid 4.5 book (sorry if you're a fan of Pipers and like this one, there's others he did that I prefer and I tend to factor that into my ratings a little).While parts of the story are dated a little; particularly the technology and human social structure, this takes nothing away from the story.Focus is on telling the Human/Uller relationship and the uprising of the Ullerans against the humans.This was done outstandingly by using the Indian Mutiny and manipulating it for a space opera.What makes this more amazing is Mr. Piper developed this story at an age when he couldn't access the internet to pull his "history" together but rather by knowledge or by educating himself.When you merge this with his light coating of politics you have a plot that few can beat (for those not familiar, most Piper books discuss politics in various forms.In my opinion Mr. Pipers works became the foundation for most modern political science fiction).The characters are interesting but not dominating or "memorable".Von Schllichten is a stereo-type hero in many ways with good foils to work with.Btw, for those not familiar, there's a young Major Falkenberg mentioned in here.As a tribute to his appreciation of H. Beam's work, it's reported Mr. Pournelle reused the name for his main character.Having written this and knowing rating systems don't permit half stars, I'll round down to 4 stars because none of the characters were as strong as I like and the fact that I'd rather read Space Viking, Four-Day Planet, or the Lone Star Planetby Mr. Piper.

Uller Uorising
This is my second copy of this book as I have worn out the first copy from rereading so many times.It is classic SF but it holds up very well in todays world.

classic science fiction
Classic sci-fi story loosely based on actual historical events which is an H Beam Piper speciality

Sci-Fi history must read
ULLER UPRISING
This is a must-read for anyone interested in how SF came to be the way it is today. Beam Piper is one of the first major talents that laid the ground for all future generations of SF writers.
That said, I found the middle portion of this book somewhat repetitive and mired in military details. So, only 4 stars. It's not Piper's best work - if you just want to pick one book by this author, then read "Little Fuzzy", "Cosmic Computer" or "Space Viking" instead.

Alien Revolt - Piper's first Future History yarn
With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Aegypan Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude.This short novel was the first story written in Piper's Terrohuman Future History.Sentient natives on the planet Uller are unhappy with rule by the Terran Federation's Chartered Uller Company and have been plotting revolution.When the uprising comes it's left to General Carlos Von Schlichten, Federation Army veteran and commander of the Company military forces, to stop the revolt and prevent the human settlers from being slaughtered.Inspired by the historical Sepoy Mutiny against the British East India Company, this is a novel of counter-insurgency that rages across the entire planet.Short on characterization but long on action this story introduces many of the ideas that Piper would use subsequently throughout his Future History.

Originally published as part of The Petrified Planet, a series of three novels written in the same setting, this reprint includes an introduction by Dr. John D. Clark that describes the environment of the planet Uller and neighboring Nifflheim, a hellish world where Terrans and their Ulleran assistants use nuclear weapons as mining tools!

This book uses the cover art from the February 1953 issue of Space Science Fiction in which the novel was first serialized, an odd choice because this is _not_ an illustration from the story.

Also recommend from Piper's Terrohuman Future History are Four-Day Planet, Little Fuzzy, The Cosmic Computer, and Space Viking. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / General; Fiction / Media Tie-In; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Adventures in Social Engineering
These stories are from the time when computers were huge and stupid, when you took your DNA the way you found it, when we were sure there were a bunch of aliens waiting to be met, and you could engineer a culture the way you engineered a bridge. In other words, these stories are all about fifty years old, and you have to make some mental allowances for when, say, characters drag out that ancient bit of technology - the photostat.

If you do that, you'll be entertained by one of the great practitioners of adventure science fiction, the man who created the popular Little Fuzzy series.The stories in this collection are set in the same universe, Piper's TerroHuman Future History, specifically during its early days.Aliens are central to most of the stories whether it's deciphering their history, attempting communication with them, or manipulating their culture.

Piper was a great student of history and often makes specific allusions to the historical event inspiring a certain story.But the plots come off as credible and still readable instead of shoddy analogies with the past.

"Omnilingual" is perhaps Piper's most famous short story.Its account of finding a Rosetta Stone to decipher the language of dead Martians is mixed with evocative accounts of their ruins and final struggles."Naudsonce" is one of those alien puzzle anthropology stories.Here the puzzle is whether an alien race is telepathic or just has an astonishingly inconsistent language.The solution is credible and lies in the aliens' physiology.This is perhaps the only story in the collection not inspired by some bit of history.

"Oomphel in the Sky" seems inspired by what anthropologists call "revitalization movements" similar to the American Indian's Ghost Dance of the late 1800s.The aliens of Kwannon start murdering and burning out human colonists in preparation for the Last Hot Time, an anticipation of the planet approaching perihelion with one of the system's suns.In the grand manner of an Astounding story of the time, our hero fixes their culture and fixes the problem.He also has to contend with neo-Marxists in the Native Welfare Commission who are hostile to his plan and the general efficiency of the military and private enterprise in providing for the Commission's native charges.While sympathetic to Piper's side of the debate, this story, in some ways, seemed to me the most dated in the book.If the story were written now, the bureaucrats would not be denouncing the influence of Kwannon priests (a la a 1950s Marxist denounciation of religion holding the masses back from their inevitable destiny) but celebrating their diversity - whatever its effects.It's Piper's hero that is most respectful of the aliens' innate abilities if not their specific beliefs.It's all about working with and accepting "social forces", alien or human, rather than working against them.

"Graveyard of Dreams" is a melancholy story with a hopeful end that has a bit of the air of cargo cults about it.Poictesme's residents try to hold off their economic decline by scavenging the huge amount of military hardware left behind after a Federation civil war.Their ultimate quest is for a huge, sophisticated battle computer, the alleged key to Federation victory.

"When in the Course - " is something of an anomaly.Never published in Piper's lifetime because Astounding's editor John W. Campbell rejected the story and its implausible element of parallel evolution, half of it was cannibalized to become part of Piper's Paratime series, specifically part of the novel Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen.The flavor of the story is similar to that novel with also something of L. Sprague de Camp's Lest Darkness Fall.A group of humans land on Freya, their last chance to get a profitable colonial charter.They introduce all sorts of innovations - like secret police and propaganda as well as gunpowder production - to the natives so they can get a treaty for their company and the natives can throw off a local religious tyranny.

Piper's work is all in the public domain and freely available online.However, this collection is worth buying for Carr's attempt to piece together Piper's future history with its cycles of war, barbarism, expansion, and decline.It was a vast project Piper planned and, unfortunately, since many of his papers vanished after his suicide, the chronology of the series is not always obvious.

A great book, a must-have!
H. Beam Piper (1904-64) was one of the premier science-fiction authors of the 1960s, and should rightly be considered one of the all-time greats in that field. This book is a collection of his Terro-Human Future History short stories, all set during the time of the Terran Federation. First off, the book begins with a smashing introduction by John F. Carr, which discusses Piper the man and Piper the author. I found this introduction to be every bit as interesting as the stories themselves!

The following stories are included in this book:

Omnilingual (54 pages) - This is the story of the first team of Terran scientists set out to examine the desiccated remains of the long-dead Martian civilization. Dr. Martha Dane is struggling to decipher the Martian language, but there is no "Rosetta Stone" which translates Martian into a known language...or is there?

I have always found this to be one of the most fascinating science-fiction stories I have ever read. It has mystery and science, adding up to a fascinating story!

Naudsonce (56 pages) - In this story a Terran exploration company discovers a planet with sentient life. Well, people have dealt with this before. But, in this case, physiology might just be destiny.

This is another one of my all-time favorite science-fiction stories! In this story, Mr. Piper presents a people with a certain physical difference that makes them different from humans in fascinating ways.

Oomphel In The Sky (58 pages) - This story examines the effect a man can have in influencing the future of a whole world. With the government unable to stop the natives of Kwannon from attempting to bring on the end of the world, Miles Gilbert needs to understand their psychology, and give them a future worth working towards.

This is a great story that includes the first appearance of Foxx Travis, the "Napoleon" of the System States War (See the novel, The Cosmic Computer).

Graveyard of Dreams (27 pages) - The people of Poictesme have invested all of their hopes in finding Merlin, the mythical computer that had almost single-handedly defeated the rebels during the System States War. Life will be so grand once Merlin is found, so why work on things now. And so it is up to Conn Maxwell to find the computer the computer that doesn't exist...but perhaps he can use Merlin without even finding it!

This is a great story, and will come as a surprise to those who have read the novel, The Cosmic Computer. It is something of an alternate universe, the same and yet different.

When In The Course (84 pages) - When a Terran exploration company discovers an inhabited planet, they are shocked at how totally human the native look. The natives are under the thumb of an oppressive pseudo-religion that controls the secret of gunpowder. Well, the Terrans need an alliance with a local government, and there is a monopoly that need to be broken!

Once again we see another alternate reality. This is the world of Kalvan of Otherwhen, but in this story it is not an alternate Earth, but the planet Freya, "where the women are more beautiful than those of earth." Any fan of Piper will love to see how the master turned this story from his Paratime milieu to his Terro-Human Future History one!

This is a great book; in fact it is probably my favorite H. Beam Piper book every published! I don't think I go too far to say that this book is a must-have for any science-fiction fan!

A great book, a must-have!
H. Beam Piper (1904-64) was one of the premier science-fiction authors of the 1960s, and should rightly be considered one of the all-time greats in that field. This book is a collection of his Terro-Human Future History short stories, all set during the time of the Terran Federation. First off, the book begins with a smashing introduction by John F. Carr, which discusses Piper the man and Piper the author. I found this introduction to be every bit as interesting as the stories themselves!

The following stories are included in this book:

Omnilingual (54 pages) - This is the story of the first team of Terran scientists set out to examine the desiccated remains of the long-dead Martian civilization. Dr. Martha Dane is struggling to decipher the Martian language, but there is no "Rosetta Stone" which translates Martian into a known language...or is there?

I have always found this to be one of the most fascinating science-fiction stories I have ever read. It has mystery and science, adding up to a fascinating story!

Naudsonce (56 pages) - In this story a Terran exploration company discovers a planet with sentient life. Well, people have dealt with this before. But, in this case, physiology might just be destiny.

This is another one of my all-time favorite science-fiction stories! In this story, Mr. Piper presents a people with a certain physical difference that makes them different from humans in fascinating ways.

Oomphel In The Sky (58 pages) - This story examines the effect a man can have in influencing the future of a whole world. With the government unable to stop the natives of Kwannon from attempting to bring on the end of the world, Miles Gilbert needs to understand their psychology, and give them a future worth working towards.

This is a great story that includes the first appearance of Foxx Travis, the "Napoleon" of the System States War (See the novel, The Cosmic Computer).

Graveyard of Dreams (27 pages) - The people of Poictesme have invested all of their hopes in finding Merlin, the mythical computer that had almost single-handedly defeated the rebels during the System States War. Life will be so grand once Merlin is found, so why work on things now. And so it is up to Conn Maxwell to find the computer the computer that doesn't exist...but perhaps he can use Merlin without even finding it!

This is a great story, and will come as a surprise to those who have read the novel, The Cosmic Computer. It is something of an alternate universe, the same and yet different.

When In The Course (84 pages) - When a Terran exploration company discovers an inhabited planet, they are shocked at how totally human the native look. The natives are under the thumb of an oppressive pseudo-religion that controls the secret of gunpowder. Well, the Terrans need an alliance with a local government, and there is a monopoly that need to be broken!

Once again we see another alternate reality. This is the world of Kalvan of Otherwhen, but in this story it is not an alternate Earth, but the planet Freya, "where the women are more beautiful than those of earth." Any fan of Piper will love to see how the master turned this story from his Paratime milieu to his Terro-Human Future History one!

This is a great book; in fact it is probably my favorite H. Beam Piper book every published! I don't think I go to far to say that this book is a must-have for any science-fiction fan!

Why *do* these books go out of print?
Consists of "Omnilingual", "Naudsonce", "Oomphel in the Sky", "Graveyard of Dreams", and "When in the Course --"

"Omnilingual" -- as archeologists excavate the ruins of Martian civilization, how can they hope to decipher its written records without a Rosetta stone? (This story, by the way, fits into the Paratime historical framework in regard to the Martians).

"Naudsonce" - how can you make successful contact with the people of an alien planet, when neither side can manage to grapple with the other's language?

"Oomphel in the Sky" - the Terrans have tried to get along with the Kwannons; but are inadvertently knocking the foundations out from under their religion...

"Graveyard of Dreams" is an alternate version of _Cosmic Computer_ (a.k.a._Junkyard Planet), providing more information about the System States Alliance and its part in the downfall of the Federation.

"When in the Course -" provides our only glimpse of Freya, mentioned only in passing in other stories (Paula Quinton in Uller Uprising is of Freyan ancestry). See also Piper's novel _Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen_ for a longer, very similar version of this story.

Excellent wish it was back in print
Federation is a great group of short stories. The first Piper book I read,and was the start of a great chunck of reading. Wish all his works whereback in print. He can be a little bit dull in character development, attimes. But the future histories he created ranks up with RAH.

I recomendbothering your local used SF bookstore (if you have one) to get all hisworks. And if that doesn't work, take a hint from Piper and overthrow thetyrant.

I think Piper would laugh a bit at the author would liek toreview this book, if he could. He is dead.But then again, he did hint atchanneling lsot souls.

Rich ... Read more

Product Description
5 of the best Science Fiction novels in one:

Little Fuzzy, by H. Beam Piper,
Space Prison, by Tom Godwin,
Adaptation, by Mack Reynolds,
The Cosmic Computer, by H. Beam Piper,
The Aliens, by Murray Leinster

(With a table of contents) ... Read more

Product Description
A classic tale with far reaching symbolism.Fuzzies are small furry humanoids that are childlike in behavior and live on the planet Zarathustra. Their sapience threatens to remove the power, influence and economy from the Chartered Zarathustra Company, which operates on the planet.Treachery, enslavement, double-crossing on the part of humans is offset by the love and trust of the Fuzzies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Little Fuzzy....gives Big Fuzzies
Read other reviews for synopsis of book....When you read this book, you will keep the copy forever and reread it over and over.You wont give up your copy, but buy other copies for everyone else.Amazing story and characters.

A Squandered Opportunity
Anyone could tell from reading the reviews here or simply glancing at the cover that "Little Fuzzy" is an onslaught of cute.The story, after all, is about a rugged outdoorsman, Jack Holloway, who digs for gems on the planet of Zarathustra.One day he finds his home invaded by a foot-tall being that quickly captures Jack's heart with a bunch of adorable antics: emptying wastebaskets, building tools, watching TV and so forth."Little Fuzzy", as Jack affectionately calls him, soon brings in an entire family and things are going swimmingly until the evil corporation that runs the planet gets wind of it.Problem is, if the planet is inhabited by intelligent beings, then the company loses its charter and its profits, according to interplanetary law.

Now this seems like a good setup for a novel.I was expecting lots of clever action sequences in which the fuzzies with their primitive tools took on the incompetent servants of the wicked corporation villains.Instead, however, the story devolves into a courtroom drama.Yes, it turns out to be mostly about lawyers arguing the definition of sapience.Worse yet, it never even really brings the slightest bit of suspense.The judge is clearly on the side of the good guys from the start, and frankly the bad guys are so heavily beaten down that one almost feels sorry for them.It's certainly true that Piper was a talented writers with a good eye for detail, especially the little things that make characters believable, but there just isn't enough to make "Little Fuzzy" worth reading.

Enjoyable, but simplistic
I did enjoy this book, but it is rather two-dimensional. The only complexity offered by the book was in regards as to how sapience is defined.
I didn't find much mystery or adventure in this story.It's the kind of story that is so sweet and simple that, when you are done, you feel like you're on a sugar high.I just like my sci-fi with a little more complexity.But, despite all of that, it is a quick read and an occasionally sweet/simple story isn't that bad :-)

Great First Contact Story
Jack Holloway works alone in Zarathustra's wilderness, mining rare sunstones and looking after himself.Soon he finds himself looking after a tribe of newly discovered "Fuzzies" as they encounter humans for the first time.Things become interesting as Jack's new friends' appearance threatens the charter of a powerful corporation--and Jack shoots one of its employees defending them.The action moves from the jungle to the courtroom as everyone argues about whether to recognize Fuzzies as sentient beings.

This book is a classic and the first in a series of Fuzzy books written by H. Beam Piper and others.A good tale in its own right, "Little Fuzzy" also explores the overlapping boundaries of practical, scientific, legal and emotional definitions of intelligence.As a sometime psychology instructor, I have encouraged students to read this fairly brief book to stimulate discussion of how psychologists define intelligence.Such discussion also prepares students to understand how scientific psychology and the law have different conceptions of insanity and personal responsibility.

I read this book years ago and recently re-enjoyed it as an audio download.The audio experience highlighted the large number of supporting characters that crowd into the latter half of the story.It seems harder to track and distinguish between them in the audio version.This does not interfere with enjoyment of the story, but is slightly unsettling.I'd advise reading rather than listening for this one.

HooRaa for Little Fuzzy!!!
"Little Fuzzy" is one of my top ten science fiction stories of all time.Since I have read a couple of thousand sf novels and more thousands of short stories and novellas, that is a pretty big compliment!

The book is an excellent read.Jack Holloway is a gem hunter.He is working his claim on a far distant planet when he comes across a small species of alien.This cute creature creates big problems.It appears to be intelligent.Then, another fuzzy is killed.If fuzzies are sapient, that is murder and the Zarathusta Company has just lost a heck of a lot of claims to the planet.The book moves quicly and entertainingly, through the series of adventures that follow, to a satisfactory ending.

Gues what?More books based on Little Fuzzy followed.What fun!

Buy the book.You will be hooked! ... Read more

Product Description
Last Enemy is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by H. Beam Piper is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of H. Beam Piper then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Free SF Reader
Dalla Hadron has been doing a little bit more scientific meddling than she should.As such, she has blown a fair holes in a certain society's theory of Statistical Reincarnation. i.e. that it all balances out in the end.

Given that this culture has a Society of Assassins as part of normal business practices she has a few problems.

Luckily Verkon Vall comes back, and is pretty handy with the old weapons himself.

Politics and action, quite entertaining.

Exciting and yet philosophically interesting
Hadron Dalla, once (and future!) wife of Verkan Vall, has gone to the Akor-Neb alternate reality sector to study their breakthroughs in studying reincarnation. However, with her superior knowledge of medicines and hypnosis from other sectors of the multiverse, she has produced a colossal breakthrough. Cause for celebration, no? No. Dalla has now completely thrown the Akor-Neb view of reality out the airlock, and civil war is right around the corner. Now, it is up to Vall to rescue Dalla and keep the Paratime secret safe.

This story was first published in Astounding Science Fiction (Vol. XLV, No. 6), in August of 1950. Like all of H. Beam Piper's (1904-64) Paratime stories, it is exciting and filled with adventure, and yet is philosophically interesting with Piper's trademark self-reliant man. Also, as always, the author was an expert at creating fascinating milieus that give the story so much interest. Overall, I found this to be a great story, one that is sure to please any fan of great science-fiction.

The Politics of Reincarnation
With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Aegypan Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude.This short novel is an interesting introduction to Piper's Paratime series.It concerns an alternate world where people believe in reincarnation.The discovery that a "discarnate" individual has control over the time and place of his reincarnation leads to political turmoil, putting an undercover Paratime researcher in jeopardy.The hero of Piper's Paratime series, Paratime Policeman Verkan Vall, must step in to save the imperiled researcher--who just happens to be his ex-wife!The action is non-stop as hired assassins on all sides battle it out, fearless in their confidence that they will be reincarnated.

Other recommend works in Piper's Paratime series are the short novel Time Crime, the collection Paratime edited by John F. Carr, Piper's only full-length Paratime novel Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, and its authorized sequels Great Kings' War, Kalvan Kingmaker, and Siege of Tarr-Hostigos by Carr and Roland Green. ... Read more

Product Description
This novel had its genesis in a much shorter story called "Graveyard of Dreams" (Galaxy, 1958) Piper expanded it to book length, and it appeared in 1963 as Junkyard Planet. Ace later renamed the book The Cosmic Computer for its paperback appearance. This edition returns the book to Piper's original title, Junkyard Planet.

Conn Maxwell returns from Terra to home world of Poictesme, dubbed “The Junkyard Planet” because of all the military equipment left behind after the last war. Conn claims he has found the location of Merlin, a military super-computer rumored to have been left behind. But is Merlin real, or just a myth? And if Conn does have access toMerlin, will the computer save Poictesme -- or tear the world apart? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

H. Beam Piper - Great Author
Junkyard Planet (Cosmic Computer) is one of H. Beam Piper's best works.Would have liked to have seen more based in that universe.

One of Piper's best novels
With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Wildside Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude. This novel, set in Piper's Terrohuman Future History (and oddly issued under its original title--Piper preferred The Cosmic Computer), is one of his best. Poictesme (pronounced "pwa-tem") is a backwater planet, its economy crashed in the aftermath of an interstellar civil war, its surface dotted with known and unknown installations from the war. Conn Maxwell, freshly returned from computer studies on Terra (the non-miniaturized technology here will make some readers stumble), leads an exciting search for the fabled lost supercomputer, Merlin, that helped to win the war. In an adventure that takes us across the planet and into the local solar system Conn and his colleagues encounter pirates, Merlin-worshippers, wayward robots, and saboteurs before discovering a long-kept secret that threatens all of interstellar civilization! This is an exciting, tightly-written story that showcases Piper's storytelling at its complex and intricate best.

Other Terrohuman Future History works by Piper include Four-Day Planet, Uller Uprising, Little Fuzzy, and Space Viking.

An excellent mix of adventure and suspense!
Conn Maxwell was raised on the planet of Poictesme, home base of the Third Fleet-Army Force during the System States War. After the war, the soldiers went home, leaving the planet dotted with abandoned bases and equipment. However, one piece of equipment has yet to have been found: Merlin, the military's rumored super-computer--a computer so powerful that it could solve any problem. Life will be good once Merlin is found.

And so, Conn is sent to Terra to study computers and learn the location of Merlin. Well, Conn's back with the knowledge: Merlin only ever did exist in rumor. But Poictesme is rotting away, its inhabitants apathetic, sitting and waiting for Merlin to come along and solve their problems for them. So, Conn needs something to get Poictesme moving again, he need's Merlin!

This book is another masterpiece by that under appreciated master of science fiction, H. Beam Piper. The story is great, with an excellent mix of adventure and suspense. In fact, the surprise ending will throw anyone for a loop. I really loved this book, and I highly recommend it to everyone!

I must admit one thing, though. The author did somewhat date the book, with computers that only communicate in taped-in machine code, and scientists who use slide-rules. But, if you are willing to suspend disbelief a little extra, you will be rewarded with a great read. So, get this book! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A must-read
When a wandering red dwarf star enters an established solar system, it splits a giant planet in half and creates two sister planets upon both of which intelligent life evolves. One planet gets most of the water, and its humanoids evolve to be religious, hierarchical, socialistic, and sneaky. The other world is dry, and its humanoids evolve to be atheistic (to the point of having no concept of gods), individualistic, capitalistic, and honest. Once contact is established, can two such different species get along, and if not, then what will be the cost?

Mr. H. Beam Piper is probably one of the most underrated science-fiction authors. He was a master of presenting unique milieus in a fascinating and understandable manner. First Cycle, succeeds in being both thought provoking and spellbinding, and is (in my opinion) one of Piper's best stories ever. As always, the worlds herein are unusual and presented in a scientific manner that makes them seem so very real. This is one book you really must read!

A Cold War warning transposed into Science Fiction.
A good answer to the question of who wins an atomicwar. Finished after Piper's death from a manuscript. Written just after Uller Uprising, and probablyabandoned as other projects came up.Still, agood philosophical tale in the standard Piper manner:you never realize that you're being preached to. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. ... Read more

Product Description
The Edge of the Knife
Omnilingual
Four-Day Planet
Uller Uprising
Naudsonce
Little Fuzzy
Oomphel in the Sky
Graveyard of Dreams
The Cosmic Computer
Space Viking
A Slave is a Slave
Ministry of Disturbance
The Keeper
... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Science Fiction / Adventure; Fiction / Mystery ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Free SF Reader
The Paratime Police have a tougher job than The Time Patrol types in other books, in that there are other realities they have to worry about, as well as other times.

Chasing down miscreants into other possible pasts is just a bit more problematic. Here, the Paratime Police are given their reason for being, as they have to solve a case.

Piper's most interesting Paratime novel
With the transition of much of H. Beam Piper's work into the public domain publishers like Aegypan Press have finally begun to bring Piper's work back into print and for that fans of Piper owe them a debt of gratitude. While Piper's novel Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen is perhaps the most well-known of Piper's Paratime yarns it is Time Crime that gives us the most extensive insight into the "First Level" civilization that guards the Paratime Secret of a multitude of parallel worlds while simultaneously exploiting them for its own gain. In this novel the Paratime Police discover a cross-time slavery ring run by the Wizard Traders, a shadowy organization with ties to powerful interests in First Level society. Led by Verkan Vall--known by Lord Kalvan in his undercover role as "Trader Verkan"--the Paracops seek to discover the hidden base of the Wizard Traders while the mysterious crime syndicate's allies seek to erode political support for the Paratime Police at home. Part crime drama, part political intrigue, and all sci-fi action this novel is a great introduction to Piper's Paratime stories and to his work more generally.

Also recommended from Piper's Paratime Chronicles are Last Enemy, The Complete Paratime, and the authorized Lord Kalvan sequels Great Kings' War, Kalvan Kingmaker, and Siege of Tarr-Hostigos. ... Read more

Product Description
Over 170,000 Words of SF Masterworks by Piper! Tales of the Time Patrol, the Federation, and more, from the creator of Little Fuzzy. This giant omnibus eBook edition contains the Hugo Award nominee "Last Enemy," his all too probable novel, Null-ABC, Piper's legendary, "He Waked Around the Horses," plus "Naudsonce," the complete novel "Ullr Uprising,' and more. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / General; ... Read more

Product Description
This collection includes: Omnilingual, Oomphel in the Sky and A Slave is a Slave ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Every bit as good as the first book!
In this excellent sequel to Little Fuzzy, all of the people involved in the first book begin to settle into their new lives. For Victor Grego, head of the now Charterless Zarathustra Company, things get complicated when a Fuzzy walks into his high-security apartment. Somebody is kidnapping Fuzzies, but why? So, as Ben Rainsford runs the new colonial government, and Victor Grego runs the company, both try to keep an eye on each other, an eye on Hugo Ingermann who runs the criminal underworld, and an eye out for the Fuzzy-nappers...this is going to get complicated!

This book was written in 1964, a mere two years after Little Fuzzy, and is every bit as good! (It was originally issued under the title The Other Human Race.) As with the first book, this one starts off somewhat slow, lulling the reader, but without you even noticing, it speeds up, until it is simply impossible to put down. H. Beam Piper, though little remembered now, was one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. He writes simple, realistic stories, showing people in another place and time acting just as you could easily imagine them acting. This is a great book!

Every bit as good as the first book!
In this excellent sequel to Little Fuzzy, all of the people involved in the first book begin to settle into their new lives. For Victor Grego, head of the now Charterless Zarathustra Company, things get complicated when a Fuzzy walks into his high-security apartment. Somebody is kidnapping Fuzzies, but why? So, as Ben Rainsford runs the new colonial government, and Victor Grego runs the company, both try to keep an eye on each other, an eye on Hugo Ingermann who runs the criminal underworld, and an eye out for the Fuzzy-nappers...this is going to get complicated!

This book was written in 1964, a mere two years after Little Fuzzy, and is every bit as good! (It was originally issued under the title The Other Human Race.) As with the first book, this one starts off somewhat slow, lulling the reader, but without you even noticing, it speeds up, until it is simply impossible to put down. H. Beam Piper, though little remembered now, was one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. He writes simple, realistic stories, showing people in another place and time acting just as you could easily imagine them acting. This is a great book!

Every bit as good as the first book!
In this excellent sequel to Little Fuzzy, all of the people involved in the first book begin to settle into their new lives. For Victor Grego, head of the now Charterless Zarathustra Company, things get complicated when a Fuzzy walks into his high-security apartment. Somebody is kidnapping Fuzzies, but why? So, as Ben Rainsford runs the new colonial government, and Victor Grego runs the company, both try to keep an eye on each other, an eye on Hugo Ingermann who runs the criminal underworld, and an eye out for the Fuzzy-nappers...this is going to get complicated!

This book was written in 1964, a mere two years after Little Fuzzy, and is every bit as good! As with the first book, this one starts off somewhat slow, lulling the reader, but without you even noticing, it speeds up, until it is simply impossible to put down. H. Beam Piper, though little remembered now, was one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. He writes simple, realistic stories, showing people in another place and time acting just as you could easily imagine them acting. This is a great book!

Not enough fuzzy, too much politics
The cover is really cute and cuddly, but the story is surprisingly dull.Whole chapters are devoted to guys arguing about the political and social implications of the fuzzy critters, and very little thought was put into the stuff that makes a scifi novel a scifi novel.In other words, too much "tell," and not enough "show."Harry the explainer is the center of attention, rather than the fuzzy critters that the title derives from.

Every bit as good as the first book!
In this excellent sequel to Little Fuzzy, all of the people involved in the first book begin to settle into their new lives. For Victor Grego, head of the now Charterless Zarathustra Company, things get complicated when a Fuzzy walks into his high-security apartment. Somebody is kidnapping Fuzzies, but why? So, as Ben Rainsford runs the new colonial government, and Victor Grego runs the company, both try to keep an eye on each other, an eye on Hugo Ingermann who runs the criminal underworld, and an eye out for the Fuzzy-nappers...this is going to get complicated!

This book was written in 1964, a mere two years after Little Fuzzy, and is every bit as good! As with the first book, this one starts off somewhat slow, lulling the reader, but without you even noticing, it speeds up, until it is simply impossible to put down. H. Beam Piper, though little remembered now, was one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. He writes simple, realistic stories, showing people in another place and time acting just as you could easily imagine them acting. This is a great book! ... Read more

Product Description

This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically and chronologically. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clutter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography.

Table of Contents

The Answer
The Cosmic Computer
Crossroads of Destiny
Day of the Moron Illustrated
Dearest
The Edge of the Knife Illustrated
Flight From Tomorrow
Four-Day Planet
Genesis
Graveyard of Dreams
He Walked Around the Horses Illustrated
Hunter Patrol
The Keeper
Last Enemy Illustrated
Little Fuzzy
Lone Star Planet
The Mercenaries Illustrated
Ministry of Disturbance Illustrated
Murder in the Gunroom
Naudsonce Illustrated
Null-ABC Illustrated
Omnilingual Illustrated
Oomphel in the Sky Illustrated
Operation R.S.V.P. Illustrated
Police Operation Illustrated
Rebel Raider
The Return Illustrated
A Slave is a Slave Illustrated
Space Viking Illustrated
Temple Trouble Illustrated
Time and Time Again Illustrated
Time Crime Illustrated
Uller Uprising
Ullr Uprising Illustrated

Appendix:
List of Works in Chronological Order
H. Beam Piper Biography

Customer Reviews (1)

Great collection!
Works of H. Beam Piper. Illustrated. Space Viking, Little Fuzzy, Uller Uprising, Oomphel in the Sky, Ministry of Disturbance, Omnilingual and more (mobi)

"Little Fuzzy" is possibly Piper's most famous novel. It was the first Piper book I ever read, and I have been a fan ever since. Piper blends solid characters, action, sentimentality, humor and a rich fictional future world to tell solid stories with a bit of a twist. The Fuzzies are warm and cute without being maudlin. The human characters are people you wish you could know in real life. I don't know how many authors could successfully combine gunplay and Fuzzies, but H. Beam Piper does it. Piper's stories are great fun in their own right, and for the reader who likes large complex future societies, reading his other stories opens up a whole new wide world. ... Read more

Product Description
CONTENTS:
The Answer
Dearest
The Edge of the Knife
Flight From Tomorrow
Genesis
Graveyard of Dreams
He Walked Around the Horses
Hunter Patrol ... Read more