Five Fantastic Stories

Algis Budrys (1931–2008) was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, where his father served in the Lithuanian diplomatic corps. The family came to the United States when Budrys was five years old. A Renaissance man, he wrote stories and novels, and was an editor, critic, and reviewer, a teacher of aspiring writers, and a publisher. In the 1960s Budrys worked in public relations, advertising products such as pickles, tuna fish, and four-wheel-drive vehicles. His science fiction novels include Rogue Moon, Hard Landing, Falling Torch, and many others. His Cold War science fiction thriller Who? was adapted for the screen, and he received many award nominations for his work. Budrys was married to his wife, Edna, for almost fifty-four years.

Robert Sheckley lives in Portland, Oregon. He is one of the great living writers of SF and fantasy, and is well-known as an author of detective fiction. He is distinguished by a bright, witty, pyrotechnic prose style and a portrayal of humorous absurdities in his fiction. He has been writing since the 1950s, and is the author of more than forty books, many of which have been translated worldwide.