The Best of C. L. Moore

A collection of stories edited by Lester del Rey.

Had Northwest Smith been able to forsee the future, he would not have shielded the frightened, scarlet-clad girl from the wild mob pursuing her through the streets of Lakkdarol, Earth's latest colony on Mars. "Shambleau! Shambleau!" the crowd cried with loathing and disgust, but Smith drove them off and took the exhausted girl to his quarters. There was no hair upon her face - neither brows nor lashes; but what lay hidden beneath the tight scarlet turban bound around her head?

One of the strangest, and surely one of the most imaginative stories ever written, Shambleau was acclaimed by readers, authors and editors as the debut of a truly gifted talent in the field of science fiction. C. L. Moore was to live up to expectations when she followed Shambleau with other stirring and beautiful tales - the best of which are presented in this exciting volume. Included are:

Black God's Kiss - a unique saga which describes Jirel of Joiry's strange adventures in another dimension, a nightmarish land that lies far below the dungeons of her defeated castle. In search of a weapon to wipe the taunting from the face of her conqueror, Jirel travels to the shore of a black lake filled with sparkling fallen stars; she passes over an invisible bridge into a forbidding temple where her quest ends in a dramatic and chilling fashion.

The Bright Illusion - Dixon looked down at the alien city below him and reeled with horror. The entire metropolis was a collection of blinding colors and impossible angles. But even more repellent were the inhabitants - writhing, one-eyed snake beings that filled Dixon's mind with revulsion. From his vantage point in space, the view was terrifying enough; but soon he would have to set foot on that hellish planet. How could Dixon have realized he was headed for one of the greatest love affairs the universe has ever known...

The publication of The Best of C. L. Moore is an event that SF readers have been demanding for many years. It is a rich, colorful collection of ten fantastic tales - including such classics as No Woman Born, Black Thirst and Greater Than Gods - that will send the mind to new heights of imagination.

Contents:

• Introduction: Forty Years of C. L. Moore by Lester del Rey
• Shambleau (1933)
• Black Thirst (1934)
• The Bright Illusion (1934)
• Black God's Kiss (1934)
• Tryst in Time (1936)
• Greater Than Gods (1939)
• Fruit of Knowledge (1940)
• No Woman Born ( 1944)
• Daemon (1946)
• Vintage Season (1946)
• Afterword: Footnote to "Shambleau"... and Others by C. L. Moore