Alliance Space

Two Alliance-Union novels, Merchanter's Luck and Forty Thousand in Gehenna, bound in one omnibus volume for the first time!Merchanter's Luck—His name was Sandor and he was the owner and entire crew of a tramp star-freighter that flew the Union planets under false papers and fake names. Her name was Allison and she was a proud but junior member of the powerful family whose mighty starship, Dublin Again, was the true queen of the spaceways. They met at Viking Station, she seeking a night’s dalliance, he desperately in search of a spacer assistant. Their fateful meeting was to lead to a record-breaking race to Pell Station, thereby catching the calculating eye of the grim commander of the Alliance battlecraft Norway, and a terrifying showdown at a deadly destination off the cosmic charts. Forty Thousand In Gehenna—When forty thousand human colonists are abandoned for political reasons on a planet called Gehenna, and re-supply ships fail to arrive, collapse seems imminent. Yet over the next two centuries, the descendants of the original colonists survive despite all odds by entering a partnership with the planet’s native intelligence—the lizard-like, burrowing calibans.

Praise for the novels of Alliance Space:"Merchanter's Luck is a story of transformation, not magical or mysterious but accomplished slowly through hard work. It is also about the power of misunderstanding and the courage of trust.... Filled with background details, customs, and a past, Merchanter's Luck is another exceptional C.J. Cherryh novel." —Science Fiction Review"Cherryh's talent for inventing fully realized and detailed societies improves an already good adventure." —Library Journal"Well worked out, fun and well worth your money. Enjoy." —Analog"Cherryh tantalizes our minds with these enigmatic aliens, captures our hearts with her characters, and involves us completely with her mix of broad and narrow views of a culture's rise. Once again, Cherryh proves herself a consistently thoughtful and entertaining writer." —Publishers Weekly"When Cherryh is writing at her best, there are few in the field who can touch her, and this is very close to being her very best.... One of the most thoughtful novels of the past few years." —S. F. Chronicle"In the guise of crisp, science-oriented speculation and adventure, [40,000 in Gehenna] proves to be a wider exploration of alienness, sexual roles, and humanity." —Locus

C. J. Cherryh planned to write since the age of ten. When she was older, she learned to use a typewriter while triple-majoring in Classics, Latin, and Greek. With more than seventy books to her credit, and the winner of three Hugo Awards, she is one of the most prolific and highly respected authors in the science fiction field. Cherryh was recently named a Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America. She lives in Washington state. She can be found at cherryh.com.