Forbidden Worlds #99

Henry Varnis, a dying man, purchases a mysterious mirror from an Oriental shopkeeper that grants him one wish—restoring his failing health to its prime. But the mirror comes with a strict cost: he can only look into it three times, and he's already used his first glimpse. As Varnis builds a new life of wealth and power through ruthless dealings, temptation gnaws at him to use the mirror again, and fate conspires to test whether he'll heed the dark warning that comes with each reflection.

Philadelphia engineer Howard Reeves discovers a captivating science fiction novel called "The Invasion of Mars" at his local library—a book that describes humanity's colonization of the red planet in 2615 with startling technical detail. When he tries to learn more about the author, Reeves uncovers a series of bewildering mysteries: the library's central catalogue has no record of the book, the publisher's imprint bears a future date of 2634, and neither the Library of Congress nor any publishing company has any trace of it anywhere. As the puzzle deepens, Reeves becomes increasingly determined to understand how he came to possess what may be the most impossible book in existence.