Halley’s Comet, 1759. The comet veers and strikes the Earth with nature-altering force. The New World splits from the Old. A chain of mountains rises in the Mid-Atlantic. No ship from the New World can find a passage to the Old. Those who try . . . simply disappear. But the greatest change the comet has wrought is the dawn of real magic—and very real monsters. In this transformed land of magic, royal blood brings unexpected powers. Yet if a young English prince cannot master those powers, they may lead to his own destruction—and to a New World ruled by monsters.

It’s the depths of the Depression, and a mining town in Utah is shut down. Something has awakened underground, and now a monster roams the tunnels. Along comes Hiram Woolley. Hiram is a man with mystical abilities derived from the commonsense application of Scot-Irish folk wisdom and German Braucher magic. He possesses an arcane bloodstone that allows him to see a lie the moment it is spoken. Behind the played-out farms and failed businesses are demons, curses, sorcerers, and unatoned wrongs. Bags of groceries and carpentry won’t be enough this time.The job will take a man who has known sorrow. A man who has known war. A man of wisdom. A man of magic. The job will take a Cunning Man.

For half a century, Jerry Pournelle's name has been synonymous with hard-hitting, idea-driven, wonder-inducing science fiction. Now, for the first time, Pournelle's best short work is collected together in a single volume. Here are over a dozen short stories, each with a new introduction by editor and longtime Pournelle assistant John F. Carr. There is also a cornucopia of Pournelle’s imaginative and compelling essays as well as great remembrances by Pournelle collaborators Larry Niven, S.M. Stirling, and more!

Two novels set in Eric Flint's best-selling Ring of Fire series shine a light on the overlooked corners of the Ring of Fire universe, where small actions can have life-altering consequences. In The Flight of the Nightingale, down-timer Francesca Caccini is inspired by the arrival of Grantville to seek a different destiny from what would have been her lot in a future without the up-timer intrusion—that is, to die with a reputation as a brilliant composer and performer, but to later be essentially forgotten by all but the cognoscenti. And in Bach to the Future, Johann and his brothers commit themselves to preserve, protect, and promote their family's heritage from the future, even if in this future there will be no Johann Sebastian Bach!

The late Jerry Pournelle was a master of science fiction, as is evident to anyone who has read his work. This month, we’re celebrating his legacy with The Best of Jerry Pournelle. We know many of you have a favorite story or novel by the master, and we’d like for you to let us know what it is. Tell us the title in an email and you’ll be entered to win a copy of The Best of Jerry Pournelle.

Last month, we asked what figure from the Old West—real or fictional—you'd like to see face off against monsters from science fiction and fantasy for a chance to win a copy of Straight Outta Deadwood, signed by editor David Boop.

Read the winning entry here.

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