Earth for Inspiration

The twentieth century's so-called golden age of science fiction produced many great writers, yet none is greater than Clifford D. Simak, named Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America. His bold visions of and ingenious speculations about humankind's future, always enriched with empathy and a deep understanding of human strengths, foibles, and failings, have stood the test of time, remaining powerful, affecting, and relevant. This sterling collection of fantastic stories by the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning master showcases some of Simak's finest short fiction, from his earliest published tales to his later masterworks. In the wry and wonderful title story, a science fiction writer of the far future returns to a nearly abandoned Earth in search of inspiration-and finds that the dying planet holds more wonder than he bargained for. The interdimensional invasion Simak imagines in "Hellhounds of the Cosmos" displays a conceptual ingenuity not typically seen