A tale of blackmail, and of murder leading out of blackmail, which is realistic, hard as nails in spots, but also gentle, whimsical, and tolerant of human frailties. Originally published in 1942.

PI Jake Cardigan is on the run from a mysterious assassin in this sci-fi thriller from the iconic Star Trek actor and New York Times–bestselling author. Jake Cardigan has just returned from Mexico, where he fell in love, nearly died, and broke up the infamous Hokori cartel. But the drug kingpins whose fortunes rest on pushing Tek are still trying to do away with this devilish private eye. During a routine trip to the mall, a well-dressed man tries to stab Cardigan through the heart. After a quick scuffle, the would-be assassin is dead on the floor, and Cardigan is the one who winds up in handcuffs. The dead man was an executive at a hydroponics company—an ordinary worker drone with no apparent reason to kill the detective. An evil mastermind has learned how to make innocent civilians obey his commands, and he will sacrifice an army of zombie assassins if it means getting a clean shot at Cardigan. To stay alive, and out of jail, Cardigan will have to learn to steer clear of the mindless killers of Greater Los Angeles. This ebook features an illustrated biography of William Shatner including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

The first three volumes of the bestselling detective series set in the twenty-second century by the legendary actor who played Captain Kirk on Star Trek In the twenty-second century, mankind has expanded the horizons of science and technology. But some want to go farther. Tek takes them there. It’s a bio-digital microchip more powerful and mind-altering than any other drug ever known. For those who become addicted, it’s out of this world . . . and straight into hell. And only one man can stop it. TekWar: Four years ago, Greater Los Angeles lawman Jake Cardigan was framed for dealing Tek, losing his badge, his good name, and his freedom. When he’s released from cryo-prison early, his search for answers takes him to Mexico, where a rogue scientist is attempting to rid the world of Tek. Aiding this quest is the right thing to do, but for an ex-con, doing good can be the most dangerous decision of all. TekLords: After taking down a powerful Tek cartel, Cardigan finds himself targeted by assassins and stonewalled by authorities who refuse to see the looming danger of a lethal computer virus that threatens not only technology, but humanity as well. An evil mastermind has learned how to make innocent civilians obey his commands, and he will sacrifice an army of zombie killers if it means getting a clean shot at Cardigan. TekLab: A brutal murder on the streets of Paris appears to be but one of a string of killings around the world connected to the Brazilian wars of the past decade. But Cardigan soon discovers that the true motive behind the slayings isn’t war but profit for the drug kingpins known as TekLords. As international peace hangs in the balance, he must stop the bloodshed before his old nemeses can exact the ultimate revenge.

Providing fast-action science fiction novels, Startling Stories was established beginning in January 1939 as a sister publication to Thrilling Wonder Stories. Publishing 99 issues in all, and combining Fantastic Story Magazine and Thrilling Wonder Stories with its ninety-seventh issue, it finally suspended publication in Fall 1955, one of the last of the pulps to fold. Leon L. Gammell, an avid reader and collector of that period, views that era's stories with both nostalgia and objectivity; his incisive critiques will provide interested readers with numerous guideposts to a wealth of exciting fantasy and SF reading.

The term pulp fiction has always had a certain resonance; but it is the artwork--bold, energized, dramatic, garishly colorful, and frequently grotesque--that has made pulp magazines memorable to so many people. Pulp Art is the groundbreaking--and ultimate--book on one of America's most important and spectacular forms of illustration art. At last, preserved in this volume are most of the still-existing originals created for the pulp covers, never before seen in all their sharply focused, vibrantly colored brilliance. Robert Lesser, a pioneering collector of this work and an expert on American popular culture, has assembled a gallery of these now-priceless originals. The dynamically pulp-flavored text is a complete historical survey of the pulps and their most important cover artists--Virgil Finlay, J. Allen St. John, Rafael de Soto, Hannes Bok, George and Jerome Rozen, Frank R. Paul, and many others. Also offered are critical discussions of individual paintings, as well as the major themes of the pulp magazines.