A Swordsman of Mars

Начало книги

During July and August, when the heat and humidity make living in the city somewhat less than pleasant, I am accustomed to renting a cabin in the woods around Lake Carlopa in upstate New York. I simply carry along food and cigarettes, plenty of books to read, and my favorite dog, a bull terrier named McGurk. We explore the woods and swim in the lake, and enjoy the rustic solitude and the scenery, which is spectacular.

The nights grow chilly, regardless of the month, so after dinner I build a fire in the big fieldstone fireplace and stretch out with a book, while Gurk basks on the hearth, dreaming his doggy dreams.

On this particular occasion I had brought along several new books I had not yet read, and a few old friends with whom I wished to familiarize myself again—Jack Williamson’s Legion of Time, Van Vogt’s The Book of Ptath, Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle, and some volumes of verse.

Читать дальше →