Six stories from 1936,37,38,40,46,52. Favorites:
“The Men And The Mirror” (1038 novelette) – Third story in the collection featuring Lt.Jack Colbie of the Interplanetary Police and Edward Deverel who is a pirate on the Martian canals. They’re friendly enemies as Colbie’s been assigned to bring him in. This time they’re on a runaway planet named Cyclops. The name comes from a million years old giant mirror on the surface. The two get caught on it and may not escape because the surface is frictionless.
“The Bottled Men” (1946 novelette) – Could have been another Colbie-Deverel story but the cop and robber here are Lt.Marc Strum and Gull Norse. Strum let him get away and that’s held against him to the point where he is denied permission to marry his girlfriend who outranks him. He’s determined to being Norse in. He finally captures him only to have their ship forced to land on Vulcan, a planet near the Sun. Strum isn’t giving up.
“And Then There Was One” (1940 novelette) – Six corporation heads decide to corner the food market for themselves. During their meeting a voice comes out of nowhere. Now they’re on a planet with three days supplies of food, a sword and a loaded gun each. Only one will be left as they plan to kill each other off for their food supply.
Is it worth finding? I really enjoy the cover (strangely perhaps) and need expand my knowledge of 40s SF.
It’s not worth going out of the way for but if spotted at a library sale or used book store it’s a good one to pick up.