Only the mysterious Starmen can cross the immense distances between worlds-but Michael Trehearne is determined to uncover the secret that keeps ordinary humanity confined to the stars it already knows. For generations, the Vardda have controlled interstellar travel and guarded their knowledge with ruthless determination. Trehearne, an ambitious and resourceful Earthman, refuses to accept humanity's confinement. His search draws him into a dangerous struggle involving hidden identities, ancient bloodlines, political conspiracies, and worlds where outsiders are forbidden to tread. First published in the early 1950s and later reissued as The Starmen of Llyrdis, The Starmen is a vigorous space opera filled with galactic intrigue, exotic planets, and the restless desire to break humanity's boundaries. Leigh Brackett combines pulp adventure with questions of identity, power, evolution, and who has the right to inherit the stars.

About the Author: Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright whose fiction often explored ambition, class, regional identity, and the enormous social and economic changes transforming the United States. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, she began her career as a newspaper reporter before turning to fiction. Ferber achieved national prominence with novels including So Big, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Show Boat, Cimarron, Come and Get It, Giant, and Ice Palace. Her stories frequently centered on strong, unconventional characters confronting changing communities and entrenched social expectations. Ferber also collaborated with George S. Kaufman on several successful Broadway plays, including The Royal Family and Dinner at Eight. One of the most popular American writers of her generation, she combined broad storytelling, sharp social observation, and an enduring fascination with the people and places that shaped modern America.