This classic novel was published in 1939 in the magazine, 'Unknown Worlds', and was never issued as a book publication. It is a unique work in the genre, a dark, Faustian satire that may also be taken seriously about a man who matches wits with the Devil himself. With this first book publication, Gateways Retro Science Fiction revives a legendary and influential masterpiece of the SF/Fantasy genre.

There has never been a collection of stories quite like this. It was originally published 1955 in America, and 1965 in Great Britain. Since then, it has been a highly treasured rare book in the collection of connoisseurs of Silver Age and Golden Age classic Science Fiction. As a collection of SF stories, this book is excellent in its own right, but its added attraction -- a unique feature -- is the author's editorial notes on each story, taken from his working journal. These notes constitute a 'how to do it' on writing science fiction stories, from one of the pioneers of the genre. The stories themselves are taken from about fifteen years, during which H L Gold wrote for many editors and edited the most widely read SF magazine in the world: Galaxy. The author has compiled many collections and written many stories but this anthology is unique not only within his own work, but also in the world of Science Fiction in general. For the aspiring author, and for the seasoned, professional writer alike, these short stories and sharp commentaries have been a treasure of inspiration for half a century. This book is an excellent resource for every class in creative writing.

Perhaps best known for editing the popular post-World War II magazines "Galaxy Science Fiction" and "Beyond Fantasy Fiction," Horace L. Gold also wrote comic-book scripts for DC Comics and penned numerous pulp adventures and science-fiction stories. "Perfect Murders," a collection of seven of these stories, captures the timeless emotions evoked by pulp and science fiction for the twenty-first century. Though the main character is always called Gilroy, his identity shifts from story to story: the horserace handicapper fighting for his dame, the private eye sussing out the murderer, or the hard-boiled journalist exposing the mad scientist. And though Gold uses the traditional genres--time travel, Armageddon, science gone awry, murder, extraterrestrials--"Perfect Murders" is nothing less than a horrific, page-turning, fictional thrill ride engineered by one of the leading science-fiction writers and editors of the mid-twentieth century. The Bison Books edition is introduced by Gold's son, E. J. Gold, offering a new perspective on these classic stories.