Table of Contents
Book I: Star Well
INTRODUCTION
1: "The universal soil is not uniformly fertile."
2: "Of all the known objects in the Flammarion Rift, Star Well is the largest."
3: "Of all the irrelevant qualities that men have chosen to cherish, immensity is perhaps the least worthy."
4: "You can call the Empire a fiction if you like."
5: "Man once thought fire to be the wrath of the gods unleashed."
6: "I find it hard to believe in Inspector Generals."
7: "Most customs are foolish in themselves. . . ."
8: "Imagine yourself in a duel. . . ."
9: "When managers of illicit traffic meet, their biggest plaint is the employment problem."
10: "There is a good old expression down home—
to cut and run
."
11: "Will you admit that you have fears so breathtaking . . . ?"
12: "Adams bade his farewell to Alice at the end of Phibbs’ counter. . . ."
Book II: The Thurb Revolution
1: "Night is irregular."
2: "Successful robbers must be sturdy mature men in peak physical condition. . . ."
3: "Yagoots and their otherwise-named brethren are a historic commonplace."
4: "Within the bounds of the Nashuite Empire there are many worlds. . . ."
5: "The empire is a gallimaufry of cultures of which the so-called High Culture is only one."
6: "The Nashuite Empire is vast."
7: "Earth meditates, air questions, water dreams."
8: "There is a long-standing split among philosophers on the subject of names."
9: "Learning, playing and loving, and combinations thereof, are a good way to spend a lifetime."
10: "The human animal’s most distinguishing characteristic is his need to manipulate objects."
11: "I’ll bet you never had an adventure in your life."
12: "Night is irregular."
13: "Villiers said goodbye to Finch, Kuukkinen and Guillaume at Shiawassee Spaceport."
Book III: Masque World
1: "Castle Rock rises above the town, out of the town, a massive block, a monolith."
2: "In these days when any man can comfortably dance naked in a snowstorm. . . ."
3: "There are those who honestly believe in the superiority of the High Culture."
4: "Given the right premises, any desired conclusion can be reached, automatic as addition."
5: "Monism promises only one thing: to make you very very happy."
6: "Do places dream of people until they return?"
7: "If my mother’s advice were taken as widely as she would give it. . . ."
8: "The amoeba only knows as much of the universe as it can touch. . . ."
9: "Holidays are no pleasure for anyone but children. . . ."
10: "Nothing is immortal, not even the universe."
11: "The very best parties in all the world are unscheduled, unheralded, and unrehearsed."
12: "Lord Semichastny’s entertainment was held to be a great success. . . ."