Cat's Cradle

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Robert A. Heinlein

Science-Fantasy novel by Robert Heinlein, famous American writer known for 'hard' Sci-Fi. Glory Road represents his unique venture into Sci-Fan ahead of its time; first serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction & then published as hardcover in 1963, & in 1964 it was nominated for Hugo Award for Best Novel. E.C. "Oscar/Scar" Gordon recovering from a combat tour in Southeast Asia reads an unusual ad in the newspaper Personals that seems to describe him (well mostly)--brave, tall, proficient weapons, engineering & math, speak French/English, travel, high pay, great adventure, & of course danger. He answers the ad, meets the beautiful girl who has many names but says he can call "Star" which later seemed appropriate for the empress of twenty universes. Space adventure, sword-play, sorcery, & more.

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James H. Schmitz

HIS LUCK HAD FINALLY TURNED... ... and for the worse. Unlucky at love, unsuccessful in business, unable to win friends and influence people, Pausert thought he had finally found his niche: captaining the stout old tramp starship VENTURE and her odd-lot cargoes around the fringes of the Empire. He'd even taken to performing the odd noble deed, such as freeing three poor little child-slaves from their abusive masters. Strange, though, how eager those sadistic bullies had been to let them go, and even stranger how quickly those adorable little girls made Pausert the mortal enemy of his fiancee, his planet, the Empire, the Sirians, the Uldunians, the dread pirate chieftain Laes Yango -- and the Worm World, the darkest threat to mankind in all of space. It was all very mysterious -- until Pausert realized that he was dealing not with a trio of underage slaves, but three of THE WITCHES OF KARRES!

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H. Beam Piper

Little Fuzzy is the name of a 1962 science fiction novel by H. Beam Piper, and is now in public domain. Synopsis: One day Jack Holloway, prospector on the planet Zarathustra, finds what seems to be a small monkey with golden fur; these new introductions (for the first brings a family) are tiny hunters, and prove to be curious and capable tool users. Why is this so important to the new human settlers? - Because a planet inhabited by a sapient race cannot be monopolized by the Zarathustra Company. Little Fuzzy is generally seen as a work of juvenile fiction. It was nominated for the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Novel. More on Wikipedia at

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Iain M. Banks

The Business is a celebrated work by Iain M. Banks (British Science Fiction Award Winner), recognized for masterclass storytelling and lasting literary resonance.