A sky pirate armed with superior weapons of his own invention... An unseen dark sun aimed at ending civilization in our solar system... First contact with a dangerous alien race... These are just some of the challenges that test the skill and minds of the brilliant team of scientist-astronauts Arcot, Wade, and Morey. These initial adventures here are a classic of science fiction and first brought the name of their author, John Campbell, into prominence as a master of the inventive SF imagination.