This is a new release of the original 1955 edition.

This early work by Fletcher Pratt and Irvin Lester was originally published in 1928 and we are now republishing it as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Octopus Cycle' is a short story about towering octopuses that walk out of the sea and into the jungles of Madagascar.

A jagged beam of flame, intenser than the hottest furnace leaped through the air, struck the green globe and reached the earth in a thousand tiny rivulets of light. Mr. Pratt is well known for his Reign of the Ray, and The War of the Giants where in both stories he showed his excellent knowledge of warfare, and what a future war might be like. In The Onslaught from Rigel he combines that knowledge with a vivid and fertile scientific imagination to construct an interplanetary story that marks a new triumph. We know that many scientists believe that life may originally have come to earth in the form of spores, from other solar systems and other universes. We therefore might really have had our home dim ages ago, on worlds distantly removed from our earth. The ability to travel the interstellar spaces, however, might also be possessed by other creatures-creatures driven by fear, necessity and by the will to conquer. And if they come, in mighty waves, with scientific powers far beyond us, to dominate the earth, a terrible time will face the puny human race. And in this story they do come, and provoke some of the strangest and most exciting adventures that have yet been recorded.

Onslaught from Rigel is Fletcher Pratt's classic tale of interplanetary warfare. Mankind struggles to defeat a foe far more powerful than itself, the Lassans from the Planet Rigel. Will life on earth ever be the same? Fast paced and inventive Pratt's reputation rests secure . . . Everett F. Bleiler

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

The Fletcher Pratt Naval Wargame was one of the most successful naval wargames of the 20th century. The straightforward rules, based on the innovation of estimating the range in order to hit, have an enduring fascination as a simulation of the 'big gun era' 1900-1945. As a result of extensive research, this book brings together previously unpublished material into a comprehensive guide to these classic rules, including: The full rules, with previously unpublished amendments by Fletcher Pratt. Optional rules as agreed by Fletcher Pratt. The previously unpublished strategic game. Solo wargaming rules. Guidance on how to play the game. Updates for the rules as suggested by Donald Featherstone. A sample scenario by Fletcher Pratt, The Action off Murmansk. An in-depth evaluation of the rules versus naval reality featuring contributions from experts such as James Dunnigan, Commander Bothwell, Fletcher Pratt and Phil Barker.