Moonrise: The Golden Age of Lunar Adventures

Ashley (Adventures in the Strand) delivers a robust collection of 12 short science fiction classics representing the era when the moon was the center of the fantastic literary imagination. Included are such science fiction stalwarts as H.G. Wells (“First Men in the Moon”) and Arthur C. Clarke (“The Sentinel”). Entries include the poetic yet soporific (“Sunrise on the Moon” by John Munro), the action-packed (“Lunar Lilliput” by William F. Temple and “Nothing Happens on the Moon” by Paul Ernst), and the tragically poignant (“Dead Centre” by Judith Merril and “Whatever Gods There Be” by Gordon R. Dickson). This anthology is a must-read for lovers of classic science fiction, but the endless rhapsodic descriptions of the barren lunar landscape may limit its appeal. (Sept.)