THE WHEELS OF IF
turned—and Allister Park spun from our own New York through a dizzying succession of alternate worlds to New Belfast... biggest city in the Bretwaldate of Vinland, the country that might have been if some historical crises had turned out the other way
Park's frantic efforts to get back to his own if-world turn Vinland upside down—and create a marvelously inventive and entertaining classic of SF.
In addition to this famous novel, this collection includes "The Gnarly Man," "Hyperpilosity," and four other stories in the inimitable De Camp manner.
L. SPRAGUE de CAMP was born in New York in 1907. After working for a correspondence school and co-authoring a standard book on inventions, he became a star of the golden age of SF with his stories in Unknown and Astounding. Of recent years he has been more active in nonfiction and historical novels, and has edited several fantasy anthologies. SF fans who utter the war-cry "Yngvi is a louse!" at odd times are often unaware that it comes from a de Camp story.
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THE WHEELS
OF IF
And Other Science-Fiction
L. SPRAGUE DE CAMP
A BERKLEY MEDALLION BOOK
PUBLISHED BY BERKLEY PUBLISHING CORPORATION
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To my valued colleague, collaborator and friend
FLETCHER PRATT
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Copyright 1949 by L. Sprague de Camp
All rights reserved
Published by arrangement with the author
BERKLEY MEDALLION EDITION, OCTOBER, 1970
SBN 425-01893-8
The Wheels of If, copyright 1940, by Street & Smith Publications, Inc., for Unknown Fantasy Fiction, October 1940
The Best-Laid Scheme, copyright 1941, by Street & Smith Publications, Inc., for Astounding Science-Fiction, February 1941
The Warrior Race, copyright 1940, by Street & Smith Publications, Inc., for Astounding Science-Fiction, October 1940
Hyperpelosity, copyright 1938, by Street & Smith Publications, Inc., for Astounding Science-Fiction, April 1938 The Merman, copyright 1938, by Street & Smith Publications, Inc., for Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1938
The Contraband Cow, copyright 1942, by Street & Smith Publications, Inc., for Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1942
The Gnarly Man, copyright 1939, by Street & Smith Publications, Inc., for Unknown, June 1939
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