Imaginative Tales, September 1957

Imaginative Tales, September 1957

This issue features five science-fiction stories. The lead novelette is Alexander Blade's "The Cosmic Destroyer" (20,000 words), following spaceship captain Sam Barron, whose attempt to trade at Esha in the Pleiades results in sudden violence—crowds of locals and armed amazon women attack his vessel, the STARLADY, forcing his escape. Port Authority cryptically declares "the Pleiades are closed" to Earthmen. Additional stories include Warren Kastel's "The Dead World" (5,500 words), Robert Moore Williams's "Monster in the Night" (5,400 words), Randall Garrett's "Killer—First Class" (5,000 words), Robert Silverberg's "Outpost Peril" (4,000 words), and Ivor Jorgensen's "New Year's Eve—2000 A.D." (2,000 words). The issue also includes editorial columns, letters, and advertisements for Melvin Powers's hypnosis instruction books.