From "a tremendous force in science fiction," a collection set on the high-gravity planet of Mesklin, and an essay by the author on Mesklin's creation ( Poul Anderson, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of The Broken Sword).Discover MESKLIN—Gravity: 3g at the equator, 700g at the polesHal Clement is a Grand Master of SF, and the one most associated with the subgenre of hard SF. From his classic stories in Astounding magazi...

A team of scientists are sent to Mercury aboard the Albireo to find out why it's developing an atmosphere. A series of events force the scientists out of their ship and onto the surface of Mercury, where only their courage and intelligence can keep them alive. Clement paints a tense and completely believable image of Mercury. He was simply one of the best hard science fiction writers the field ever produced.

A scientist's excursion to a treacherous ocean planet leads to more dangers than just pirates in this adventure by a Science Fiction Grand Master."Clement skillfully weaves together challenging science, a unique familial society, and an encounter with a "lost" city in a narrative that allows the reader to puzzle out Mike's questions along with him." — BooklistHal Clement, the dean of hard science fiction, has writt...

With degrees in astronomy, chemistry and education, it should come as no surprise that Harry Clement Stubbs - better known to SF readers as Hal Clement - produced some of the field's most compelling, scientifically literate work.This omnibus contains the clever alien-planet-with-a-twist novel ICEWORLD; the ground-breaking CYCLE OF FIRE*,* with its 40-year-long seasons; and CLOSE TO CRITICAL, from his celebrated Mesklin sequence.

About two centuries from now, the human race on Earth is in trouble, perhaps even facing extinction, because of the rapid evolution of diseases.A crew of young men and women travel to the moons of Saturn, to Titan, to investigate the biochemistry of the pre-life conditions there in the slim hope of discovering something that might save Earth. Nearly half of the crew die on the way. They have to do most of their exploration in virtual-reality machinery. The whole story runs at high ...

Light on Bottom...The light was artificial. Believe it if you can. I realise that for a normal person it's hard. Wasting watts to light up the outdoors is bad enough. Spending the world's limited power to illuminate the sea bottom, though - well, for a few moments I was too furious to think straight. My job has brought me into contact with people who were careless with energy, with people who stole it, and even with people who misused it; but this was a brand-new d...

In about two hundred years, the human race on Earth is perhaps facing extinction due to the rapid evolution of disease. A crew of young men and women travel to the moons of Saturn, to Titan, to investigate the biochemistry of the pre-life conditions there in the slim hope of discovering something that might save Earth. The whole story runs at high-speed, as they race to find answers across the surface of an alien landscape with death close behind . . . and gaining.At the Publisher's...

The story centers on an alien species living on a distant planet, where the environmental conditions are drastically different from those on Earth. The plot follows a human astronaut who arrives on the planet and encounters the alien inhabitants. The unique physiology and culture of the aliens challenge the astronaut's understanding of communication and interaction.As the astronaut navigates this unfamiliar world, he realizes that the aliens perceive and interpret their environment—and eac...

"The Green World" is set on a distant planet, characterized by its rich and vibrant green landscape. The story follows a group of human explorers or scientists who are sent to investigate this strange and alien environment. The planet’s ecosystem is highly complex and, at first glance, seems lush and hospitable, but the explorers soon discover that it presents unexpected dangers and challenges.As they delve deeper into the mysteries of the planet, the characters encounter various forms of ...

Hal Clement was a renowned science-fiction writer.In this collection, you'll find the following stories :AttitudeHot PlanetThe Green WorldThis collection of three short stories has the same length as a full novel, and will please every lover of science-fiction classics.

THE HARD-CORE SCIENCE OF HAL CLEMENTThe supreme practitioner of "hard" science fiction, Hal Clement combines ingenious problem-solving with suspenseful drama and action. These ten stories show the mastery of science and fiction that Clement has displayed in such favourites as Mission of Gravity, Iceworld, and Needle.UNCOMMON SENSEIf your back's to the wall, even a deadly predator can be useful.ANSWER"Know thyself" is great advice...if you don...

Moon dust that comes alive in an attempt to destroy the invaders from Earth . . .A diabolical snare set on a fiery star for a desperate inter-galactic fugitive . . .An alien 'primitive' life form that has the last laugh on condescending space-men . . .This is a perverse Pandora's box of startling surprises and deadly perils - nine breakthrough stories by one of the most exciting and imaginative talents of SF