Ten stories of wonder and imagination by an author named Grand Master
by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
In the collection's title story, Frederick Gray is closing in on seventy
and has outlived his usefulness as a professor of law. He has no family;
his best friend, fellow faculty member Ben Lovell, has recently died.
Before Gray moves into a retirement home, he takes a final canoe trip to
a favorite fishing spot he and Lovell had visited many times, only to
find that someone has built a house on the remote riverside. When an
accident leaves Gray stranded and in pain, he returns to the shelter
seeking aid and instead finds a new reason for living.
Nine additional tales showcase Clifford D. Simak's talent for spinning
stories that allow us to glimpse the possibilities of life beyond Earth
as well as expand our wisdom of what it means to be human.
Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor
of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this book.