A short story collection, this book contains mysterious tales such as the man who discovers a book that tells him everything that will happen to him for the rest of his life, including his death date. In another, the super-race of the Valveren are busily colonising Jupiter but they also have plans to reshape humanity. In "Per Ardua" the Martian colonists wish to break free of Earth but is it necessary to destroy the home planet in order to achieve that?
Also includes "The Valley of the Shadow"—the chilling short story which is the prelude to the novel "Hideous Night."