i t OF VENUS by Randall Garrett , HEPCATS Amazing JOKE’S on EARTH... There iieier teas a slran<^er Imtllc than the one between the Blaek Fleet from the stars and the Bine Globes from sixiee. Raljdi Kennedy, exlraterrestri(d jisyeholoi^ist . stood with the rest of the world and watehed this eerie war and he eouldn't help wondering,: Was this some eosinie joke':’ Conid it be the produetion of a Galaetic UoUywood'.-’ Mark Clifton reveals the weird answer in his nne novel. PAWS OF THE BL.\CK FLEET W’liat was tlic sfcic’t of tlio — AND . TOWERS OF 'ITTAN that laid stood loi' oons. hoaminu; power drawn from some unknown source.'' PLUS: I' act fic tion: I Ills M \HS SNOOPER—how a new kind (if space craft can stiuK Mars. All in the January issue of AMAZING NOW ON SALE-Only 35< LANTASTIC, Stories of Imagination, Vol. 11 No. 1 January, 1962, Is published monthly by Ziff-Da VIS Publishing Compony at 434 South Wobosh Avenue, Chicago 5, Illinois. Subscrip- tion roles: U.S. ond possessions S3. 50 for 12 issues; Canado and Pan American Union Coun- ‘ries $4.00; oil other foreign countries $4.50. Second Closs postage poid at Chicago, Illinois ond at additionol mailing offices. THERE are some things that cannot organization) an age-old brotherhood be generally told — things you ought to of learning, have preserved this secret know. Great truths are dangerous to wisdom in their archives for centu- some — but factors for personal power ries. They now invite you to share the and accomplishment in the hands of practical helpfulness of their teaching. those who understand them. Behind Write today for a free copy of the the tales of the miracles and mysteries book, "The Mastery of Life.** Within of the ancients, lie centuries of their its pages may lie a new life of oppor- secret probing into nature's laws — tunity for you. Address: Scribe N.YX their amazing discoveries of the hid- send fHIS - den processes of man’s mind, and the COUPON N.Y.Z. I mastery of life’s problems. Once shroud- 1 Scribe The ROSICRUCIANS , (AMORO ed in mystery to avoid their destruc- | I San Jose, California tion by mass fear and ignorance, these , Please send me the fret book. The Mastery { facts remain a useful heritage for the e/Is/r, which eaplains how I may learn to I | I faculties thousands of men and women who pri- nse my and powers of mind. i vately use them in their homes today. Name i [ THIS FREE Address ' BOOK [ City The Rosicrucians (not a religious I ^ ! SBe Rosicrucians (AMORC) SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. 3 JANUARY 196^ VANTASTIC Volume 11 Numb«r I STORIES OF lAAAGINATION REG. PAT. OFF U. S. mVELETS ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANT HEPCATS OF VENUS William B. Zllf, Chairman of the Board By Randall Garrett 10 (1946-1953) William Ziff, President THE HUMAN ZERO (Fantasy Classic) W. Bradford Brings, Executive Vice By Earle Stanley Gardner 32 President THIS Hershel B. Sarbln, Vice President and IS YOUR DEATH General Manager By Albert Teichner 84 M. T. Birmingham, Jr., Vice President and Treasurer Robert P. Breeding, Circulation Dl* SHORT STORiES rector Charles Housman, Financial Vice RAT RACE President By Paul Dellinger 77 ATONEMENT By Jesse Roarke 112 Editorial Director NORMAN M. LOBSENZ THE EMPATHIC MAN By Gordon Browne 117 Editor CELE GOLDSMITH FEATURES ACCORDING TO YOU 6 Ziff-Davis Publlshlni Company EDITORIAL 8 Editorial and Executive Offlee One Park Avenue COMING NEXT MONTH 76 New York 16, New York ORegon 9-7200 Cover: LLOYD BIRMINGHAM Advertising Manager, Martin Gluekman SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: All subscription corre- spondence should be addressed to FANTASTIC, Cir- Midwestern and Circulation Offioe Department. 434 434 South Wabash Avenue culation South Wabash Avenue, Chi- cago, Illinois. Please allow at least six weeks ,for Chicago 5, Illinois change of address. Include your old address, as well as WAbash 2-49J1 new—enclosing If possible an address label from a recent Issue. Western Offlee EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS must be accompanied 9023 Wllshire Boulevard by return postage and will be handled with reasonable Beverly Hills, California care; however publisher assumes no responsibility for CRestview 4-0265 return or safety of art work, photographs or manuscripts. Copyright O INI hy Ziff-Oovlr Publishing Company. All rights reserved. 4 . — Books that make science B IPP^ as absorbing and exciting I science fiction . SCIENCE IN SPACE REALITIES OF SPACE TRAVEL Edited by LLOYD V. BERKNER Selected Papers of the British aod HUGH ODISHAW Interpl^etary Society 439 pages, 6 x 9, 106 illustrations Edited by L. J. CARTER and tables, $7.00 U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station Today*s advances in space knowledge at Inyokem . tomorrow’s and almost limitless 431 pages, 6 x 9, 92 charts, tables, potentialities for experiment and re- and illustrations, $7.50 search in ail areas of space science . In this book 16 astronautics experts dis- are authoritatively presented in this unique volume. Many of the world’s cuss in 24 articles how far man has progressed in space travel leading scientists—including two Nobel and what he in the Prize winners—explore the interests and will accomplish near and distant needs of research in physics, astronomy, future. The authors cover the history of geology, geophysics, and the biological astronautics, types of satellite vehicles, sciences. physical and biological problems in space flight, types of propulsion systems, what it will take to achieve interplane- SPACE FLIGHT tary flight, the ultimate possibility of mankind establishing colonies on other Sotellltes, Spaceships stellar systems, and much more. Space Stations, and Space Travel THE By CARSBIE C. ADAMS ASSAULT ON UNKNOWN * President, Notional Research and The International Geophysical Year Development Corporation By WALTER SULLIVAN 364 pages, 5^/a x 8, 50 Ulus., $6.50 460 pages, SVs x BVa, This exciting book presents a wide-range 38 photographs, $7.95 view of the science of astronautics—its This incisive book is a chronicle of the achievements to date and its goals for International Geophysical Year—a de- the immediate and distant future. In it finitive report on the success of the you will learn about^che important con- greatest world-wide scientific project in tributions made to space flight by such history. It is a saga of brave men, cele- allied fields as astrophysics, communica- brated and unsung, and of dedicated tions, geophysics, materials, space scientists and explorers with one com- medicine, and chemistry. mon goal: Knowledge. .......... 10 DAYS' FREE EXAMINATION - — McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 330 West 42nd Street, New York 36, N. Y. Send me book($) checked below for 10 days’ examinotion on approval. In 10 days I will remit for book(s) I keep plus few cents for delivery costs, and return Name unwanted book(s] postpaid. (We pay delivery costs if you remit with this coupon —same return privileges.) Address Berkner & Odishaw—Science In Spoco -$7.00 n Adams—Spoee Flight—$6.50 Carter—Reolitles of Space Trcnrel— City Zone «••• State $7.50 Sullivan—Assoult on the Unknown— Available in U.S, only $7.95 FAN-1 3. According to you... Dear Miss Goldsmith: most part, heaved a sigh of re- I seem to have started some- lief when Moderan and its tin thing when I criticized David can war faded into oblivion, as we Bunch and his less than appeal- hope. However, the change of ing literary attempts. That was- pace exhibited by “A Small Mira- n’t really my intention—I only cle of Fishhooks and Straight wanted to try to influence you to Pins’’ was very little improve- put those pages to more interest- ment. ing use for us, the readers. In I missed Mr. Greco’s leap into fact, I really didn’t expect to see the “Battle of Bunch’’ in the my letter in print, and your edi- September issue, but dug it out torial comment after it left me to see what it contained when I with the thought that although flipped through the last few pages a “Bunch of rain’’ may have fall- of the November issue and un- en in my life in the past, it did expectedly came upon my name in not need to do so in the future. Mr. Turner’s defense, for which Realizing, though, that I have I wish to thank him. I don’t al- been enjoying the rest of the ways read the letter column, con- magazine so much that I would sidering it also a waste of pre- be “cutting off my nose to spite cious story space, but I will ad- my face’’, as my grandmother mit that it can become interest- would have said, if I failed to re- ing at times. new my subscription on Mr. I cannot conceive any compari- Bunch’s account, I decided that son between Eugene O’Neill, he wasn’t worth the sacriflce. Thornton Wilder and David I know we readers, for the (continued on page 123) 6 Written by experts and dealing with every aspect of transportation and communications. Each volume is fully illustrated with line drawings and 12 pages of photographs. FAMOUS AIRSHIPS OF THE WORLD, Comdr. D. P. Capper $3.00 FAMOUS RAILWAY STATIONS OF THE WORLD, E. F. Carter $3.00 FAMOUS LOCOMOTIVES OF THE WORLD, C. Hamilton Ellis $3.00 FAMOUS RAILWAYS OF THE WORLD, Wilson & Day $3.00 FAMOUS AIR ROUTES OF THE WORLD, by Harold Champion $3.00 FAMOUS AIRPORTS OF THE WORLD, by John Stroud $3.00 FAMOUS BAHLESHIPS OF THE WORLD, Cmdr. D. P. Capper $3.00 FAMOUS BRIDGES B TUNNELS OF THE WORLD, H.