The End of Man?

The End of Man? by Olof Johannesson (Hannes Alfvén)The End of Man front
Award Books, 1969
Price I paid: 90¢

Panic broke out. The computers had stopped working! There was no heat, no food, no communication. The death toll was long past the million mark.

No one knew what caused the breakdown. Was it human error, or a plot devised by the computers themselves?

Whatever the cause, when it was over most of the human population of the earth had perished. It was the dawn of a new era—when the computers ruled. And since the machines had learned to reproduce themselves without man’s help, there was no need for even a single human being.

So the nightmare battle began—between the few surviving humans and the super-being of their own creation—The Big Computer!

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The Legion of Space

The Legion of Space by Jack WilliamsonThe Legion of Space front
Pocket Books, 1977 (Originally published 1947)
Price I paid: 75¢

They were the Legion, the small body of fighting men that had been chosen to defend the new democracy after the overthrow of the despotic interplanetary Empire.

Now, in the 30th century, an alien solar system is about to invade the human planets and the golden age ends abruptly in an outbreak of terror, suffering, and—worst of all—deadly treason that has allied itself with the dreaded monsters of Barnard’s Planet.

Sworn to protect mankind, John Star and his band of legionnaires must find AKKA, the mysterious weapon that guards the solar system, and rescue the beautiful young woman who keeps the weapon’s secret inscribed on her flesh. To succeed, they will have to brave the dangers of the sinister Medusa World, the black spider-ship, and the Belt of Peril where death and madness lurk.

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The Pollinators of Eden

The Pollinators of Eden by John BoydThe Pollinators of Eden front
Dell Publishing Co., 1969
Price I paid: 90¢

Blond and beautiful Dr. Freda Caron had been waiting patiently for her fiancé, Paul, to return from The Planet of the Flowers. But Paul had unaccountably requested an extended tour of duty, and had sent in his stead his handsome assistant, Hal Polino, along with an exquisite new breed of talking tulip.

Freda, methodical scientist that she was, was not quite sure what do with either of them—especially when the tulip was as heterosexual as Hal.

That’s when she began the experiments…

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Doomstar

Doomstar by Edmond HamiltonDOOMSTAR front
Belmont Tower Books, 1966
Price I paid: 75¢

By mid-afternoon the brilliant intense sun shone on barren space. It had blasted each of its four planets out of existence.

SOMEONE HAD FOUND A WAY TO POISON A STAR!

Someone had to be found who could prevent the takeover or destruction of the entire universe by the madman who’d engineered the disaster.
The choice fell on Johnny Kettrick, banned from the Cluster World for space piracy. Now he was to be sent back there to search out the Doomstar—to find it before it burned out another world!

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The Penetrator #39: Cruise Into Chaos

The Penetrator #39: Cruise Into Chaos by Lionel DerrickThe Penetrator 39 front
Pinnacle Books, 1980
Price I paid: 75¢

Modern-day pirates in World War II U-boats are slipping stealthily through the peaceful waters between Los Angeles and Acapulco, attacking and robbing unwary cruise ships—completely eluding the Coast Guard. But Mark Hardin picks up the scent as he goes about demolishing one of the deadliest and best-planned Mafia scams of all time.

Once again it will take more than the impossible to daunt the Penetrator as he strikes out to prove that he too has the power to make waves.

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The Night of Kadar

The Night of Kadar, by Garry KilworthThe Night of Kadar front
Avon Books, 1978
Price I paid: 95¢

After roving through space for centuries, a starship unburdens its cargo of human embryos on a harsh new world. They quickly grow to maturity in the ship’s artificial womb. A lifetime of Earth memories is programmed into their dreams.

But before their indoctrination is complete, an alien intruder infiltrates and destroys the system…and the reason for their odyssey is never learned.

Now, on a verdant island surrounded by quicksand, Othman, wanderer, dreamer, and self-proclaimed leader of the Earthling band, builds a mighty bridge to span the ocean of molten mud that keeps them from the world beyond.

He has to face the deadly toll his quest will take on the delicate ecology of the planet—or the revolt of his beautiful, strong-willed wife, Silandi. And he has yet to discover the hidden knowledge locked deep within their hearts.

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The Mind Brothers

The Mind Brothers by Peter HeathThe Mind Brothers front
Prestige Books, 1967
Price I paid: 90¢

Jason Starr, genius, found himself the focal point of a complex Communist plot against America…and as a thoroughly discredited scientist, there seemed to be nothing he could do about it.

Not until he was joined by Adam Cyber, that is. Adam Cyber: last man—or superman—to survive in that bleak future; and Jason Starr’s Mind Brother. Cyber returned through millenia to try to change Earth’s course. And when the Mind Brothers met, computers went crazy, all predictions were worthless—and a new kind of spy was born!

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The Mountains of the Sun

The Mountains of the Sun by Christian LéourierThe Mountains of the Sun front
Berkley Publishing, 1973
Price I paid: 75¢

Berkley’s International Science Fiction program is proud to introduce France’s premier young s-f master with an adventure in Earth’s future. After the catastrophic death of civilization, human colonists of Mars return to “the mother planet” to discover a primitive society operating in bloody conflict with nature. The planetwide adventures of this group of colonists—grown soft and decadent in the artificial, low-gravity colonies on Mars—is one of the most exciting adventures of today’s international world of science fiction.

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Warlord of Ghandor

Warlord of Ghandor by Del DowDellWarlord of Ghandor front
DAW Books, 1977
Price I paid: 75¢

The fighting men of Ireland were gathering to repel Cromwell’s invasion—and with them marched the Dowdalls under their brave young chief Robert. Master swordsmen of Europe, he had returned to lead his kinsmen’s steel against the invaders. And then—to the confusion of history—he vanished.

Here at last is his story—the story of Robert of Eire who marched to fight an Earthly foe only to find himself in desperate combat against the beastmen and alien warriors of another world, another Earth, but not the one on which he had been born.

This is a novel in the grand tradition of John Carter, of Dray Prescot, of Tarl Cabot. Here is one man against a world, one man to save princess, one man to fight, to lead, to conquer or to die.

Everyone who loves high heroism on a distant planet will thrill to the mighty adventures of Robert of Eire on Ghandor.

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Mars Is My Destination

Mars Is My Destination by Frank Belknap LongMars Is My Destination front
Pyramid Books, 1962
Price I paid: 90¢

There was trouble brewing on Mars—bad trouble. Two giant industrial empires fought for control there, and their struggle imperiled the whole Mars colony. Civil war—atomic civil war—could break out any second, leaving Earth’s only foothold in Space a mass of radioactive rubble.

But both antagonists were too politically powerful for the Colonization Board to take a direct hand. One man was needed to take charge—one man  who could act fast and decisively, brutally if he had to.

Ralph Graham got the job.

And then people started dying around him…

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