Showing results by author "H. Beam Piper" in All Categories

"There are incredible things still undiscovered; most of the important installations were built in duplicate as a precaution against space attack. I know where all of them are. But I could find nothing, not one single word, about any giant strategic planning computer called Merlin!" Nevertheless the leading men of the planet didn't believe him. They couldn't - the search for Merlin had become an abiding worldwide obsession. Merlin meant everything to them: power, pleasures and profits unlimited.

In this volume of the series of short science fiction stories we discover assassins, the dangers of centralisation, escapes through time, evolving AI’s and the depths of reality. The stories in this collection were written by J. F. Bone, H Beam Piper, Fritz Leiber and Fitz-James O’Brien.

"Omnilingual" is an unusual sci-fi story as it focuses on archaeology on an alien culture. An expedition from Earth to Mars discovers a deserted city, the remains of an advanced civilization that died out 50,000 years before. The human scientists recover books and documents left behind, and are puzzled by their contents. Earnest young archeologist Martha Dane deciphers a few words, but the real breakthrough comes when the team explores what appears to have been a university in which the last few civilized Martians made their last stand...

The Edge of the Knife, by H Beam Piper is one of the pivotal not felt was by Piper in his "Terra-Human Future History". Piper wrote this novella in 1957 at the height of the Cold War between the Soviet Union, and the United States of America, and seeing into the future could get you locked up in the sanitarium for dissolution all thinking. The protagonist, Charmers, a modern history professor has just such a problem.

The planet Fenris has an extremely slow rotation rate, causing days and nights lasting 1000 hours each! This makes its population live underground but for sunrise and sunset. The story unfolds around a conflict between corrupt local politicians and the equivalent of earthly whale hunters. A robust and action-packed sci-fi tale by H. Beam Piper, published in 1961.

On the planet Zarathustra, a sunstone prospector named Jack Holloway has a mysterious small, "fuzzy" alien show up at his door and make itself at home. Jack names it "Little Fuzzy" and the creature's whole family soon joins them. Hardened prospector Jack is transformed into their "pappy" and chief protector and his life is changed forever.

In this volume of the short story series, we present five more exciting classic science fiction tales. World wide pandemics, missing battleships, super scientists, spies, and the settling of a new world. The stories are: 'A Question of Courage' by J. F. Bone, 'Genesis' by H. Beam Piper, 'Pandemic' by J. F. Bone, 'The Mercenaries' by H. Beam Piper, and 'The Misplaced Battleship' by Harry Harrison.

Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author who wrote many classic short stories and several novels during the "Golden Age" of science fiction in the USA. In this story, a soldier of the future, wounded badly in battle during World War III, loses consciousness. When he opens his eyes again he findsthat he is back in his boyhood past but with all the memories of his adult life intact!

"Lone Star Planet" is a science fiction novel by H. Beam Piper. It presents a world on which the assassination of politicians is accepted practice. After a political gaffe, our hero Stephen Silk is assigned to be the Solar League's new ambassador to the people of Capella IV, New Texas. The position is open because the previous ambassador, Silas Cumshaw, was assassinated. On the starship taking him to his new posting, Silk meets his secretary/bodyguard, a native New Texan named Hoddy Ringo.

Benson is the leader of the secretive military unit Benson's Butchers, and is leading the group behind enemy lines. Having planted the explosives and destroyed the ammunition dump, his team disperses and attempts to get back to the United Nations lines and safety. When a strange blue mist envelopes Benson it's the start of a strange adventure that will change his life for ever.

In the far future the ruler of the world is losing as the rebels fight their way into his palace. He retreats upwards to the room where his newly developed time machine sits waiting. His plan is to jump back in time to recruit an unstoppable army which he’ll use to take back the entire world. Of course, plans don’t always come off without a hitch.

In this story a galactic empire of thousands of planets has been at peace for hundreds of years. Production all across the empire is regulated to keep markets and economies stable. With this kind of system in place, why is there suddenly a plot to overthrow the current emperor, and who is behind it?

In this volume of the series of short science fiction stories we discover robot lawmen, psionic aliens, evil scientists and alien super weapons. The stories are: 'Arm of the Law' by Harry Harrison, 'Graveyard of Dreams' by H Beam Piper, 'Survival Type' by JF Bone, 'The Black Lamp' by SP Meek, 'The Bluff of the Hawk' by Anthony Gilmore and 'Third Planet' by Murray Leinster.

Dr. Martha Dane is the linguist in an archeological expedition of an ancient Martian city. She is dedicated to the monumental task of understanding the meaning of the wall writings, despite the discouragement of the other team members. With nothing solid to refer to, finding a "key" is paramount to the success of her mission. When the team uncovers an ancient university building, they discover more than just a Martian Rosetta stone.

"Last Enemy" is a science fiction story written by H. Beam Piper, and is a part of his "Paratime" series. The title is a reference to 1 Corinthians 15:26, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (KJV) It made its first appearance in August 1950, in Astounding Science Fiction magazine (now Analog). The story begins at a dinner party given by Garnon of Roxor. The party is a voluntary discarnation feast, or suicide party.

There has always been strong sympathy for the poor, meek, downtrodden slave - the kindly little man, oppressed by cruel and overbearing masters. Could it possibly have been misplaced? A classic science fiction novelette by H. Beam Piper, first published in Analog Science Fact-Science Fiction in 1962.

H. Beam Piper's "Time Crime" is part of his series of alternate history stories which concern the Paratime Police, a law enforcement outfit from a parallel world which has learned how to move between timelines. They jealously guard the secret, even as they mine other worlds for their resources. Notably, it appears that humans are in fact Martian refugees who escaped a calamity on their home planet and migrated to Earth!

Since logic derives from postulates, it never has, and never will, change a postulate. And a religious belief is a system of postulates...so how can a man fight a native superstition with logic in order to save the inhabitants of an entire planet? A classic science fiction novelette by H. Beam Piper, first published in Analog Science Fact-Science Fiction, in 1960.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

FNH Audio present an unabridged reading of The Keeper. Raud is the Keeper, the holder of a sacred duty that has passed to him down through the generations since the sky was filled with starships. When men from a distant planet come to visit Raud, his life changes forever, and his duty calls him to take up his rifle and hunt his fellow man.