Search Worlds Without End

By 1980 the world had shrunk even smaller, the laws becoming numberless. The few remaining newspapers confined their reportage to "human stories", gossip about film and stage stars, food and clothes and the various forms of amusement.

Abalt Barca was a telepath. Stranker was a convicted murderer. Neil Markan, Desmon Pess and Maen Dtrin were revolutionary students. They shared one desire. They believed in life. Captain Stevon was a space commander whose existence was ruled by one fatal error of judgement. Rise Azni was a sycophantic journalist. Professor El Strongo's obsession with science obliterated all else. Gret Kober was a noted astronomer with a questionable private lifew. These four were cowards, thinking life cheap, but death cheaper.

These nine had been consigned to travel millions of light years to the edge fo the universe and back. The Venturi XV was to complete the trip n one month with every moment of the voyage recorded in complex mempory banks. The programme included the certain death of the human cargo. From the outset it was apparent that their own self-hatred and distrust of each other would lead them to attempt to annilihate each other. But without warning they underwent a torturing physical and mental experience. In the aftemath they realised they had only two options left: to struggle for life, no matter how vainly, or to face the worst of all unknowns--death.

A cataclysm greater than the shattering Atomic Disaster of 1990 threatens the citizens of the 21st century. The world is living in fear of the wanton youth bands roaming the vast cities and terrorizing without purpose. There's no protection from the malicious homicide, the savage violence or the senseless suicide that is being committed. The World Government Committee is being pressed to immediate action by the corrupt and the honest. But it is the Keymen -- a group of Telepaths who consider themselves humanity's custodians -- who're fully aware of the urgency and implications of the worsening situation. A top Keyman, Coman is sent on the dangerous mission of persuading an influential member of the Committee to sanction the formation of a extraterrestrial area for the confinement of those ravaging the world.

Failure in this mission could mean his and the gradual disintegration of all the ideals that have advanced humans to the interplanetary flight age, robots and incredible glass cities. Coman is accompanied on his fateful trip by the two women with whom he lives. In his attempts to shield the women from danger, he places them in an explosive situation with possible drastic consequences.

Venture into a mystery planet - and the darkness of men's minds.

They were forty men and thirty women; some were adventurers, most were criminals. They had been sent by Earth's corrupt and cynical government to colonize the mysterious planet Sacron. Their fight for survival would be carefully studied - but Earth's rulers had already estimated that their chances were nil.

Among the outcasts was Claus Coman, the most gifted of Earth's telepaths. He was the only hope of this foredoomed group - and he put his own life on the line to lead these damned people.

A DAZZLING NOVEL OF FANTASTIC FUTURE WORLDS BY THE WINNER OF THE ATLANTIC LITEARY AWARD

The bitter refugees from the conquered and looted planets of Earth's early explorations were ripe for revolution. With the homicidal Cannus Mond as their leader, the nonviolent telepaths were ear-marked for distinction.

Claus Coman, Earth's most gifted telepath, must supress the rebellion, but without bloodshed. He must use his unperfected technique for exploring men's minds, though its powers could destroy them all...