Vernor Vinge may be the most brilliant science fiction writer of the past 20 years, most recently earning two Hugo Awards for his novels A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) and A Deepness in the Sky (1999). His earlier ground-breaking works, such as True Names (1981) and Marooned in Realtime (1986), won him a wide readership. Now Vinge presents a feast of great SF sure to delight. From his earliest stories in the mid-1960s, to his longer works of the 1970s and '80s, these pieces display Vinge's sense of wonder. Those who love his novels will find his short fiction even more impressive. In such classics as "The Ungoverned" and "The Blabber", Vinge shows the form that has garnered him numerous Hugo and Nebula Award nominations. And in this chronologically arranged showcase, there's a final treat - an original novella found only in this collection.