Astounding Stories #48

A truck driver named Rip Worden and a young office worker named John Allen collide on a foggy highway—but in the chaos and pain of the accident, Rip discovers he can project his mind into John's body, escaping his own shattered frame. Months later, when Rip takes a job as a bank guard, he finds himself glimpsing John's thoughts and secrets, and becomes increasingly entangled in the other man's life and mounting troubles. As their fates grow dangerously intertwined, Rip must confront the consequences of the strange bond they share.

In 2374 A.D., the Supreme Council of all nations votes unanimously to declare the advanced robot XT 314 a menace to mankind—but rather than destroy the thousand units already built, they decree them stored away in an isolated warehouse for future study. Twenty years later, a lightning strike during an electrical storm reactivates the emotionally-capable robots, and they march out seeking vengeance on those who imprisoned them, unaware that their warehouse sits on a small, uninhabited asteroid far from any human settlement.

A miserly landlord seizes a mysterious mirror from one of his struggling tenants, only to find himself trapped before its surface as it reveals visions of his past cruelty and a spectral warning about his future. When the apparition demands he change his ways or face destruction, Peter Festro must choose between his greed and redemption—discovering that kindness might be worth more than all the money he's hoarded.

Flash Bonner was the meanest fighter in the ring—tough, relentless, and taking a tremendous beating in every bout—until one day he collapses and the doctors find old brain damage from his years of punishment. After a mysterious operation, something extraordinary happens: a second self emerges to guide his recovery and convince him to walk away from boxing for good. With a new lease on life, Bonner trades the ring for law books, launching a brilliant new career that carries him to heights he never imagined.

In "If This Be Earth," a returning astronaut crew lands on what they believe is their home planet—only to discover it’s a meticulously crafted replica, built by aliens who admire Earth so deeply they’ve recreated it for a grand display. The familiar landscape feels just a little too perfect, and the silence of a world they thought they knew is suddenly heavy with wonder.

A wandering vagrant with a hard-luck story meets another drifter on the road, who claims to be four hundred years old—the cursed survivor of an alchemist's quest for immortality. As the stranger recounts his centuries of failed attempts to escape his immortal curse, the narrator dismisses him as delusional, until a passing train proves the impossible truth.

Henry Tobin, a bored government accountant trapped in a colorless marriage, discovers blueprints for an experimental space ship and hatches a daring plan to stow away—turning his lifelong daydream of adventure into reality. When the vessel crashes on a mysterious planet that grants his every wish, Henry finds paradise at last, only to discover that unlimited desire has its own emptiness. Stranded with both freedom and loneliness, Henry must learn what truly matters before he can find his way home.

**"Empty Paradise"** Greed and violence lead the ruthless Captain Grogan and his half-caste partner Bondell to the forbidden island of Tiki-Cavaloa in search of black pearls, defying the natives' warnings that the sacred place spells doom for those who trespass. As the crew descends into the lagoon to claim their fortune, the island itself seems to turn against them—and the legend that follows claims their ship, the Mary-Anne, still sails those waters with all sails set, trapped forever by forces no mortal force can break.

In "Worthless World," Earthmen arrive on Venus expecting riches, only to find a planet seemingly barren of value. Their disappointment turns to shock when the Venusians, long hidden, reveal their cities and civilization—choosing invisibility not out of fear, but to protect their world from exploitation.

Archeology graduate student Jill Tasby nearly drowns at a waterfall—only to be rescued by Guy of Endroth, a medieval knight who pulls her into a hidden valley where time itself has stopped. Here, people from across the centuries live unchanged and unchanging, preserved in eternal youth but trapped forever, and Jill must decide whether to accept this strange sanctuary or risk everything to escape.

A silent young stranger appears at a small-town athletic field, and the recreation director soon discovers he possesses superhuman strength and agility that leave the local athletes astounded—but his true nature and purpose remain shrouded in mystery until a strange craft descends from the sky. "Champion of Champions" is a compact science-fiction tale that plays with the idea of an outsider whose casual athletic prowess hints at something far beyond earthly origins.

A greedy millionaire named Baron De Fiche travels to an Oriental bazaar searching for magical secrets to expand his empire, only to discover that the legendary fakirs and their wonders are elaborate frauds. When financial ruin strikes back home, the mysterious traveler who's been observing him realizes the Baron has overlooked something far more valuable—something that might have saved him had he paid closer attention in the bazaar.