Contains two original stories: "The Needs of the Many" and "Challenge Accepted"

Hugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn presents an original collection of science fiction adventure stories. Some of the works here were previously printed in publications such as The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and Analog, or in themed collections, but have never appeared together until now . . .

The Shadow Stories

In "The Shadows of Evening," a seasoned warrior named Turek has dedicated his life to defending colonists from mysterious and debilitating Shadows on a hostile planet. Zahn elaborates Turek's story with two sequels, and now concludes the saga with the original story, "The Needs of the Many."

The Hive Mind Stories

Two Hive Mind starcraft observe Earth from afar and from a superior viewpoint in "The Challenge." They believe that self-destructive competition among humans will prevent this so-called fragmented race from achieving the technological level required to reach the stars. In two sequels, Zahn explores what would happen if humans found a different way to the heavens. Now, with the original story "Challenge Accepted," he brings the series to a climactic end.

Two more stories round out the collection. In "Star Song," humans find a unique way to fuel interstellar travel with music, while a diplomatic aide gets caught up in a plot of greed and destruction in "The Art of War."

Together, these ten tales promise action, adventure, humor, and more, all from the masterful mind of one science fiction's greatest authors.