The Hole in the Moon and Other Tales by Margaret St. Clair

American science fiction author Margaret St. Clair (1911–95) wrote more than 100 short stories as well as eight novels. Many of her stories appeared in such pulp magazines as Fantastic Adventures and Startling Stories, some under her own name and some under the pseudonyms Idris Seabright and Wilton Hazard. Introduced and edited by horror fiction great Ramsey Campbell, this newly assembled anthology is the only collection in print featuring short stories by the pioneering science fiction writer.
Seventeen tales showcase St. Clair's ironic sense of humor and explore social and philosophical themes: "The Gardener," a condemnation of careless tree-felling and a seminal example of ecological science fiction; "The Island of the Hands," a voyage to a mysterious place that embodies the peril of wishes come true; "The Little Red Owl," a fable of supernatural horror offering a study of domestic abuse well ahead of its time; "Piety," a reflection of the haphazard nature of scientific progress; and other stories of compelling strangeness.

Contents

Introduction by Ramsey Campbell
1. Rocket to Limbo (1946)
2. Piety (1947)
3. The Hierophants (1949)
4. The Gardener (1949)
5. Child of Void (1949)
6. Hathor's Pets (1950)
7. World of Arlesia (1950)
8. The Little Red Owl (1951)
9. The Hole in the Moon (1952)
10. The Causes (1952)
11. Island of the Hands (1952)
12. Continued Story (1952)
13. Brenda (1954)
14. Stawdust (1956)
15. The Invested Libido (1958)
16. The Autumn after Next (1960)
17. The Sorrows of Witches (1979)