"Conspiracy seems to be as much a part of our times as it was in the times of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Hence it finds frequent reflection in all branches of fiction, including science fiction. Yet, as in life, something new has been added, the most gigantic conspiracy of all, the human conspiracy against conspirators. Which makes for a fine stirring story in this short novel of the future by Mr. Anderson, one of our best young authors." So the editors of Fantastic Universe wrote when they published this tale in January 1954. But there's more to be had from Anderson himself -- his tone is quite different from the editor's -- and more inviting as well: "The Mermaid Tavern had been elaborately decorated," he wrote, beginning the tale. "Great blocks of hewn coral for pillars and booths, tarpon and barracuda on the walls, murals of Neptune and his court -- including an outsize animated picture of a mermaid ballet, quite an eye-catcher. But the broad quartz windows showed merely a shifting greenish-blue of seawater, and the only live fish visible were in an aquarium across from the bar. Pacific Colony lacked the grotesque loveliness of the Florida and Cuba settlements." Picture the world he's describing! Imagine a world like that!

Author Biography

Poul William Anderson (1926 - 2001) was an American science fiction author who began his career during the Golden Age of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels and a prodigious number of short stories. Poul Anderson was one of the most popular authors in SF. He began his career in the 1950s and was a regular contributor to Astounding SF magazine (later Analog SF) edited by John W. Campbell. His work encompassed science fiction and fantasy, including the Polesotechnic League series and the Terran Empire series featuring Dominic Flandry and the fantasy Kingdoms of Ys series, written with his wife Karen. He received seven Hugo and three Nebula Awards and a SFWA Grandmaster Award among other honors.