Of Men and Monsters

In science fiction circles, the work of William Tenn is noted, oddly enough, for its scarcity. (Among other things, we hasten to add.) Perhaps this has been because each succeeding story was hailed with such rare delight that the legend of scarcity became self-reinforcing. In fact, over the years, Mr. Tenn has been reasonably prolific, consequently we are able to bring a group of five volumes containing the best of his published works -- a remarkable and happy occasion all by itself. But in addition, and in delighted triumph, Ballantine books presents this six volume, completely original, and so far only full-length science fiction work by William Tenn. In Of Men and Monsters, he manages to weave a fine sense of the dramatic into an overall theme which exemplifies Tenn at his ironic best -- a clear eyed tribute to the audacity, shrewdness, stupidity, courage and ultimate ineradicability of the human pest.

William Tenn (1920-2010) was the pseudonym of Philip Klass. Although he was born in London, he spent most of his life in America, teaching writing and SF at Pennsylvania State College from 1966. He began writing after serving in the Second World War and published his first story, 'Alexander the Bait' in ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION in 1946. Stories like 'Down Among the Dead Men', 'The Liberation of Earth' and 'The Custodian' quickly established him as a fine, funny and thoughtful satirist. In 1999 William Tenn was selected the Science Fiction Writers of America's Author Emeritus.