Free Novel Read

The Second Fritz Leiber




  Contents

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  The MEGAPACK® Ebook Series

  A PAIL OF AIR

  WHAT’S HE DOING IN THERE?

  APPOINTMENT IN TOMORROW

  KREATIVITY FOR KATS

  A BIT OF THE DARK WORLD

  THE DREAMS OF ALBERT MORELAND

  COMING ATTRACTION

  NICE GIRL WITH 5 HUSBANDS

  YESTERDAY HOUSE

  A BAD DAY FOR SALES

  TIME IN THE ROUND

  THE LAST LETTER

  BULLET WITH HIS NAME

  THE BIG ENGINE

  RECOGNITION OF DEATH (poem)

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  The Second Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK® is copyright © 2016 by Wildside Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

  * * * *

  The MEGAPACK® and MINIPACK ebook series name is a trademark of Wildside Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

  * * * *

  “A Pail Of Air” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, December 1951.

  “What’s He Doing in There?” was originally published in Galaxy Magazine, December 1957.

  “Appointment in Tomorrow” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1951.

  “Kreativity for Kats” was originally published in Galaxy Magazine, April 1961.

  “A Bit of the Dark World” was originally published in Fantastic Stories of Imagination, February 1962

  “The Dreams of Albert Moreland” was originally published in The Acolyte #10 (Spring, 1945)

  “Coming Attraction” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, November 1950.

  “Nice Girl with 5 Husbands” was originally published in Galaxy Magazine, April 1951.

  “Yesterday House” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1952.

  “A Bad Day for Sales” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1953.

  “Time in the Round” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, May 1957.

  “The Last Letter” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1958.

  “Bullet with His Name” was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1958.

  “The Big Engine” was originally published in Galaxy Magazine, February 1962.

  “Recognition of Death” was originally published in The Acolyte #10 (Spring 1945)

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  Fritz Leiber (1910-1992) has long been a favorite author of mine. As a teenager, I thrilled to the adventures of his sword & Sorcery heroes, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. And his science fiction. And his fantasy, and his horror stories. Was there nothing beyond his talents?

  Unfortunately, his work is largely forgotten these days. Wildside Press released a collection of some of his classic fiction, The Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK®, about a year ago. Here is a follow-up volume with 14 more (plus a rare poem), including two of my favorites: “A Pail of Air” (a global disaster story...to say too much would spoil it) and “Kreativity for Kats,” one of his “Gummitch” series (Gummy is also the hero of “Spacetime for Springers” and several other great tales).

  Enjoy!

  —John Betancourt

  Publisher, Wildside Press LLC

  www.wildsidepress.com

  ABOUT THE SERIES

  Over the last few years, our MEGAPACK® ebook series has grown to be our most popular endeavor. (Maybe it helps that we sometimes offer them as premiums to our mailing list!) One question we keep getting asked is, “Who’s the editor?”

  The MEGAPACK® ebook series (except where specifically credited) are a group effort. Everyone at Wildside works on them. This includes John Betancourt (me), Carla Coupe, Steve Coupe, Shawn Garrett, Helen McGee, Bonner Menking, Sam Cooper, Helen McGee and many of Wildside’s authors…who often suggest stories to include (and not just their own!)

  RECOMMEND A FAVORITE STORY?

  Do you know a great classic science fiction story, or have a favorite author whom you believe is perfect for the MEGAPACK® ebook series? We’d love your suggestions! You can post them on our message board at http://wildsidepress.forumotion.com/ (there is an area for Wildside Press comments).

  Note: we only consider stories that have already been professionally published. This is not a market for new works.

  TYPOS

  Unfortunately, as hard as we try, a few typos do slip through. We update our ebooks periodically, so make sure you have the current version (or download a fresh copy if it’s been sitting in your ebook reader for months.) It may have already been updated.

  If you spot a new typo, please let us know. We’ll fix it for everyone. You can email the publisher at wildsidepress@yahoo.com or use the message boards above.

  The MEGAPACK® Ebook Series

  If you enjoyed this ebook, check out Wildside Press’s MEGAPACK® series…

  THE GOLDEN AGE OF SCIENCE FICTION

  1. Winston K. Marks

  2. Mark Clifton

  3. Poul Anderson

  4. Clifford D. Simak

  5. Lester del Rey (vol. 1)

  6. Charles L. Fontenay

  7. H.B. Fyfe (vol. 1)

  8. Milton Lesser (Stephen Marlowe)

  9. Dave Dryfoos

  10. Carl Jacobi

  11. F.L. Wallace

  12. David H. Keller, M.D.

  13. Lester del Rey (vol. 2)

  14. Charles De Vet

  15. H.B Fyfe (vol. 2)

  16. William C. Gault

  17. Alan E. Nourse

  18. Jerome Bixby

  19. Charles De Vet (Vo. 2)

  20. Evelyn E. Smith

  21. Edward Wellen

  22. Robert Moore Williams

  23. Richard Wilson

  24. H.B. Fyfe (vol. 3)

  25. Raymond Z. Gallun

  26. Homer Eon Flint

  27. Stanley G. Weinbaum

  28. Edward Wellen

  29. Katherine MacLean

  30. Roger Dee

  31. Sam Merwin

  32. Frederik Pohl

  33. Kris Neville

  34. C.M. Kornbluth

  35. Keith Laumer

  THE GOLDEN AGE OF WEIRD FICTION

  1. Henry S. Whitehead

  2. George T. Wetzel

  3. Emil Petaja

  4. Nictzin Dyalhis

  5. David H. Keller

  6. Clark Ashton Smith

  SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

  The First Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Second Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Third Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Fourth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Fifth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Sixth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Seventh Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Eighth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Ninth Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The 10th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The 11th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The 12th Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The A. Merritt MEGAPACK®*

  The A.R. Morlan MEGAPACK®

  The Alien MEGAPACK®

  The Avram Davidson Science Fiction & Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The King Arthur MEGAPACK®

  The Andre Norton MEGAPACK®

  The C.J. Henderson MEGAPACK®

  The Charles Dickens Christmas MEGAPACK®

  The Darrell Schweitzer MEGAPACK®

  The Dragon MEGAPACK®

  The E. E. “Doc” Smith MEGAPACK®

  The E. Nesbit MEGAPACK®

  The Edgar Pangborn MEGAPACK®

  The Edmond Hamilton MEGAPACK®

  The Edward Bellamy MEGAPACK®

/>   The First Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®

  The First Theodore Cogswell MEGAPACK®

  The Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Frank Belknap Long Science Fiction Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Fred M. White Disaster MEGAPACK®

  The Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®

  The Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK®

  The Second Fritz Leiber MEGAPACK®

  The Gismo Complete Series MEGAPACK®, by Keo Felker Lazarus

  The H. Beam Piper MEGAPACK®

  The Jack London Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Lloyd Biggle, Jr. MEGAPACK®

  The Lost Worlds MEGAPACK®

  The Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®

  The Mad Scientist MEGAPACK®

  The Martian MEGAPACK®

  The Milton A. Rothman Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Miss Pickerell MEGAPACK®

  The First Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  The Second Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  The Third Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  The Olaf Stapledon MEGAPACK®**

  The Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®

  The Second Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®

  The Plague, Pestilence, & Apocalypse MEGAPACK®

  The Pulp Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®

  The Second Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®

  The R.A. Lafferty Fantastic MEGAPACK®

  The Ray Cummings MEGAPACK®

  The First Richard Wilson MEGAPACK®

  The Robert Sheckley MEGAPACK®

  The Science-Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The Sydney J. Van Scyoc Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Space Opera MEGAPACK®

  The Space Patrol MEGAPACK®, by Eando Binder

  The Second Space Patrol MEGAPACK®, by Eando Binder

  The Steampunk MEGAPACK®

  The Stephen Vincent Benét MEGAPACK®

  The Time Travel MEGAPACK®

  The Second Time Travel MEGAPACK®

  The Third Time Travel MEGAPACK®

  The Utopia MEGAPACK®

  The Willam P. McGivern Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The First Willam P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Second Willam P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The William Hope Hodgson MEGAPACK®

  The Wizard of Oz MEGAPACK®

  The Zanthodon MEGAPACK®, by Lin Carter

  WESTERN

  The Andy Adams Western MEGAPACK®

  The B.M. Bower MEGAPACK®

  The Max Brand MEGAPACK®

  The Buffalo Bill MEGAPACK®

  The Burt Arthur Western MEGAPACK®

  The Charles Alden Seltzer MEGAPACK®

  The Cowboy MEGAPACKc

  The Edgar Rice Burroughs Western MEGAPACK®*

  The George W. Ogden Western MEGAPACK®

  The Leslie Ernenwein Western MEGAPACK®

  The Lon Williams Weird Western MEGAPACK® The Western MEGAPACK®

  The Second Western MEGAPACK®

  The Third Western MEGAPACK®

  The Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Second Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Third Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Fourth Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Fifth Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Sixth Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Seventh Western Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Western Romance MEGAPACK®

  The Zane Grey MEGAPACK®

  YOUNG ADULT

  The Bobbsey Twins MEGAPACK®

  The Boy Scouts MEGAPACK®

  The Boy Detectives MEGAPACK®

  The Boys’ Adventure MEGAPACK®

  The Bryce Walton Boys’ Adventure MEGAPACK®

  The Dan Carter, Cub Scout MEGAPACK®

  The Dare Boys MEGAPACK®

  The Dave Dawson War Adventure MEGAPACK®

  The Doll Story MEGAPACK®

  The G.A. Henty MEGAPACK®

  The Girl Detectives MEGAPACK®

  The Gismo Complete Series MEGAPACK®, by Keo Felker Lazarus

  The Miss Pickerell MEGAPACK®

  The E. Nesbit MEGAPACK®

  The Penny Parker MEGAPACK®

  The Pinocchio MEGAPACK®

  The Rover Boys MEGAPACK®

  The Sandy Steele MEGAPACK®

  The Second Carolyn Wells MEGAPACK®

  The Sky Detectives MEGAPACK®

  The Space Patrol MEGAPACK®

  The Tahara, Boy Adventurer MEGAPACK ®

  The Tom Corbett, Space Cadet MEGAPACK®

  The Tom Swift MEGAPACK®

  The Wizard of Oz MEGAPACK®

  The Young Adult Award-Winners MEGAPACK®

  SINGLE-AUTHOR

  The A. Merritt MEGAPACK®*

  The A.R. Morlan MEGAPACK®

  The Achmed Abdullah MEGAPACK®

  The Algernon Blackwood MEGAPACK®

  The Second Algernon Blackwood MEGAPACK®

  The Anatole France MEGAPACK®

  The Andre Norton MEGAPACK®

  The Anna Katharine Green MEGAPACK®

  The Arthur Conan Doyle MEGAPACK®: Beyond Sherlock Holmes

  The Arthur Leo Zagat Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Arthur Machen MEGAPACK®**

  The Avram Davidson Science Fiction & Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The B.M. Bower MEGAPACK®

  The Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson MEGAPACK®

  The Bram Stoker MEGAPACK®

  The Burt Arthur Western MEGAPACK®

  The C.J. Henderson MEGAPACK®

  The Charles Alden Seltzer MEGAPACK®

  The Charles Dickens Christmas MEGAPACK®

  The Darrell Schweitzer MEGAPACK®

  The Dashiell Hammett MEGAPACK®

  The E. Hoffmann Price Spicy Story MEGAPACK®

  The E. Nesbit MEGAPACK®

  The E.F. Benson MEGAPACK®

  The Second E.F. Benson MEGAPACK®

  The Edmond Hamilton MEGAPACK®

  The Edgar Pangborn MEGAPACK®

  The Edward Bellamy MEGAPACK®

  The Erckmann-Chatrian MEGAPACK®

  The F. Scott Fitzgerald MEGAPACK®

  The First R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®

  The First Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®

  The First William P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Fred M. White Disaster MEGAPACK®

  The Frederick Douglass MEGAPACK®

  The Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®

  The Second Fredric Brown MEGAPACK®

  The George Barr McCutcheon MEGAPACK®

  The Guy de Maupassant MEGAPACK®

  The H. Beam Piper MEGAPACK®

  The H. Bedford-Jones Pulp Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Harold Lamb MEGAPACK®

  The Henri Bergson MEGAPACK®

  The Jacques Futrelle MEGAPACK®

  The Jane Austen MEGAPACK®

  The Johnston McCulley Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The Jonas Lie MEGAPACK®

  The Katherine Mansfield MEGAPACK®

  The Lloyd Biggle, Jr. MEGAPACK®

  The Lon Williams Weird Western MEGAPACK®

  The M.R. James MEGAPACK®

  The Mack Reynolds MEGAPACK®

  The Mary Fortune Mystery & Suspense MEGAPACK®

  The Max Brand MEGAPACK®

  The Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  The Second Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  The Third Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®

  The Second Murray Leinster MEGAPACK®***

  The Philip K. Dick MEGAPACK®

  The Rafael Sabatini MEGAPACK®

  The Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®

  The Second Randall Garrett MEGAPACK®

  The Ray Cummings MEGAPACK®

  The R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®*

  The Second R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®*

  The Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®

  The Second Reginald Bretnor MEGAPACK®

  The Robert Sheckley MEGAPACK®

  The Saki MEGAPACK®


  The Selma Lagerlof MEGAPACK®

  The Sydney J. Van Scyoc Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Stephen Crane MEGAPACK®

  The Stephen Vincent Benét MEGAPACK®

  The Talbot Mundy MEGAPACK®

  The Third R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK®*

  The Virginia Woolf MEGAPACK®

  The Walt Whitman MEGAPACK®

  The Wilkie Collins MEGAPACK®

  The William Hope Hodgson MEGAPACK®

  The William P. McGivern Fantasy MEGAPACK®

  The William P. McGivern Science Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Zane Grey MEGAPACK®

  HORROR

  The 2014 Halloween Horrors MEGAPACK®

  The 2015 Halloween Horrors MEGAPACK®

  The Horror MEGAPACK®

  The Second Horror MEGAPACK®

  The Achmed Abdullah MEGAPACK®

  The Second Achmed Abdullah MEGAPACK®

  The E.F. Benson MEGAPACK®

  The Second E.F. Benson MEGAPACK®

  The Algernon Blackwood MEGAPACK®

  The Second Algernon Blackwood MEGAPACK®

  The Cthulhu Mythos MEGAPACK®

  The Devils & Demons MEGAPACK®

  The Elliott O’Donnell Supernatural MEGAPACK®

  The Erckmann-Chatrian MEGAPACK®

  The Ghost Story MEGAPACK®

  The Second Ghost Story MEGAPACK®

  The Third Ghost Story MEGAPACK®

  The Fourth Ghost Story MEGAPACK®

  The Fifth Ghost Story MEGAPACK®

  The Sixth Ghost Story MEGAPACK®

  The Gothic Terror MEGAPACK®

  The Haunts & Horrors MEGAPACK®

  The Lon Williams Weird Western MEGAPACK®

  The M.R. James MEGAPACK®

  The Macabre MEGAPACK®

  The Second Macabre MEGAPACK®

  The Third Macabre MEGAPACK®

  The Arthur Machen MEGAPACK®**

  The Monster MEGAPACK®

  The Mummy MEGAPACK®

  The Occult Detective MEGAPACK®

  The Penny Dreadfuls MEGAPACK®

  The Darrell Schweitzer MEGAPACK®

  The Uncanny Stories MEGAPACK®**

  The Vampire MEGAPACK®

  The Victorian Ghost Story MEGAPACK®

  The Weird Fiction MEGAPACK®

  The Werewolf MEGAPACK®

  The William Hope Hodgson MEGAPACK®

  The Zombie MEGAPACK®

  MYSTERY

  The First Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The Second Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The Third Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The First Mystery Novel MEGAPACK®

  The Achmed Abdullah MEGAPACK®

  The Anna Katharine Green Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The Arthur Train Crime & Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The Boy Detectives MEGAPACK®

  The Bulldog Drummond MEGAPACK®*

  The Carolyn Wells Mystery MEGAPACK®

  The Charlie Chan MEGAPACK®*