What if? That simple question is the spark behind the ideas in this collection of early works by Science Fiction Grand Master Robert Silverberg. The novel 'Starman's Quest' asks: What if astronauts traveling at near the speed of light really did age more slowly than people on earth? When Alan Donnell and his identical twin brother Steve are separated, six weeks of time for Alan turns into nine years for Steve. Finding Steve and finding a way to undo the difference in their ages becomes Alan's personal mission. Along the way he discovers that life on earth is not as wonderful as his fellow starmen might think. This collection also includes the short stories 'The Happy Unfortunate,' 'The Judas Valley,' 'Postmark Ganymede,' and 'The Hunted Heroes.'
What if? That simple question is the spark behind the ideas in this collection of early works by Science Fiction Grand Master Robert Silverberg. The novel 'Starman's Quest' asks: What if astronauts traveling at near the speed of light really did age more slowly than people on earth? When Alan Donnell and his identical twin brother Steve are separated, six weeks of time for Alan turns into nine years for Steve. Finding Steve and finding a way to undo the difference in their ages becomes Alan's personal mission. Along the way he discovers that life on earth is not as wonderful as his fellow starmen might think. The story 'The Happy Unfortunate' asks: What if humans who travel in space and those who remain on earth evolved into two very different races? Could a 'Spacer' ever rejoin the 'Earther' world? Spacer Rolf Dekker finds his own answer to that question. The story 'The Judas Valley' asks: What if all of your fellow crew members suddenly turn against you for no apparent reason? Captain Peter Wayne has to figure out quickly how to fight his buddies and fight for their lives at the same time, on a hostile planet. The story 'Postmark Ganymede' asks: What if, after years of excellent service, a warrior becomes a postal carrier? Hal Preston suddenly finds himself transferred from Space Patrol Service to Postal Delivery. Will he be able to adjust to the change? Finally, the story 'The Hunted Heroes' asks: What if the industries of Earth became dependent on uranium, but then the uranium started to run out? Forced to search for the precious metal on other worlds, what would we find? Ron and Val, a husband and wife team, never expected to find – a man in a wheelchair. These works represent five excellent examples from the Golden Age of Science Fiction.
