This novel had its genesis in a much shorter story called "Graveyard of Dreams" (Galaxy, 1958) Piper expanded it to book length, and it appeared in 1963 as Junkyard Planet. Ace later renamed the book The Cosmic Computer for its paperback appearance. This edition returns the book to Piper's original title, Junkyard Planet.

Conn Maxwell returns from Terra to his home world of Poictesme, dubbed "The Junkyard Planet" because of all the military equipment left behind after the last war. Conn claims he has found the location of Merlin, a military super-computer rumored to have been left behind. But is Merlin real, or just a myth? And will Conn's knowledge of the computer save Poictesme -- or tear his world apart?

When the whole ornery state of Texas took off for a new planet more to their liking, New Texas was the result: a rough-and-tumble world where everyone packs a gun and it's legal to shoot politicians (if they deserve it)! But now these rugged and independent space pioneers are the targets of an expansive race of aliens. Is the Solar League's new ambassador tough enough to steer them back to Earth's embrace?

This volume collects all 6 of Piper's short stories and novelets set in the Paratime universe. Included are these classic tales: "He Walked Around the Horses," "Police Operation," "Time Crime," "Last Enemy," "Temple Trouble," "Genesis."

"ZNIDD SUDDABIT "

So the Ulleran challenge begins, with the rantings of a prophet and a seemingly incidental street riot. Only when a dose of poison lands in the governor-general's whiskey does it become clear that the "geeks" have had it up to their double-lidded eyeballs with the imperialist Terran Federation's Chartered Uller Company. Then, overnight, war is everywhere.

How it will end is in the (merely) two Terran hands of the new governor-general, a man shrewd enough to know that "it is easier to banish a habit of thought than a piece of knowledge." The problem is, the particular piece of knowledge he needs hasn't been used in 450 years....

"ZNIDD SUDDABIT "

So the Ulleran challenge begins, with the rantings of a prophet and a seemingly incidental street riot. Only when a dose of poison lands in the governor-general's whiskey does it become clear that the "geeks" have had it up to their double-lidded eyeballs with the imperialist Terran Federation's Chartered Uller Company. Then, overnight, war is everywhere.

How it will end is in the (merely) two Terran hands of the new governor-general, a man shrewd enough to know that "it is easier to banish a habit of thought than a piece of knowledge." The problem is, the particular piece of knowledge he needs hasn't been used in 450 years....

This novel had its genesis in a much shorter story called "Graveyard of Dreams" (Galaxy, 1958) Piper expanded it to book length, and it appeared in 1963 as Junkyard Planet. Ace later renamed the book The Cosmic Computer for its paperback appearance. This edition returns the book to Piper's original title, Junkyard Planet.

Conn Maxwell returns from Terra to his home world of Poictesme, dubbed "The Junkyard Planet" because of all the military equipment left behind after the last war. Conn claims he has found the location of Merlin, a military super-computer rumored to have been left behind. But is Merlin real, or just a myth? And will Conn's knowledge of the computer save Poictesme -- or tear his world apart?

When the whole ornery state of Texas took off for a new planet more to their liking, New Texas was the result: a rough-and-tumble world where everyone packs a gun and it's legal to shoot politicians (if they deserve it)! But now these rugged and independent space pioneers are the targets of an expansive race of aliens. Is the Solar League's new ambassador tough enough to steer them back to Earth's embrace?

There's some reaction these days that holds scientists responsible for war. Take it one step further: What happens if "book-learnin'" is held responsible...? A startling science fiction novel by H. Beam Piper (author of the classic LITTLE FUZZY) and John J. McGuire!

Included in this volume are five novelettes from the last decade of Piper's career. The title story, "Ministry of Disturbance," appeared in the December 1958 issue of "Astounding," (where Cambpell blurbed it, "Sometimes getting a job is harder than the job after you get it -- and sometimes getting out of a job is harder than either!"). Also included are "A Slave is a Slave," from the April 1962 issue of "Analog" ("There has always been strong sympathy for the poor," said JWC, "meek, downtrodden slave -- the kindly little man, oppressed by cruel and overbearing masters. Could it possibly have been misplaced. . . ?"); "Oomphel in the Sky," from "Analog," November 1960 ("Since Logic derives from postulates, it never has, and never will, change a postulate. And a religious belief is a system of postulates . . . so how can a man fight a native superstition with logic? Or anything else. . . ?"); "Omnilingual" from the February 1957 issue of "Astounding," ("To translate writings, you need a key to the code -- and if the last writer of Martian died forty thousand years before the first writer of Earth was born . . . how could the Martian be translated. . . ?"); and last though hardly least, "The Keeper," from "Venture Science Fiction," July 1957 ("Evil men had stolen his treasure, and Raud set out with his deer rifle and his great dog Brave to catch the thieves before they could reach the Starfolk. That the men had negatron pistols meant little -- Raud was the Keeper. . . .")