
audiobook
by H. L. (Horace Leonard) Gold, Floyd C. Gale
Len Mattern drifts through the uncanny veil of hyperspace, where reality twists into its opposite, and lands in the bustling Golden Apple Bar on the distant world of Erytheia. After years of longing, he finally spots Lyddy, unchanged in the glow of alien lights, and the surge of old affection overwhelms the fatigue of his journey. The bar’s alien patrons and the hum of distant stars frame a reunion that feels both inevitable and fragile.
With a curt greeting, Len pushes past the cluster of men surrounding Lyddy, demanding the attention he’s craved for so long. Their conversation is a delicate dance of half‑remembered names and quiet uncertainty, as Lyddy’s sharp blue eyes assess the man before her while a lingering sensation of being watched gnaws at the edges of the room. The pair arrange a private meeting, hinting at deeper currents of duty, desire, and the strange darkness that seems to follow them.
As they retreat to a modest chamber high above the bar, the atmosphere tightens with an unspoken promise and a growing dread that something—perhaps a hidden observer—won’t let their tentative peace go unchallenged. This opening blends classic sci‑fi intrigue with a pulsing, personal quest, inviting listeners to follow Len’s struggle between past vows and the mysterious forces that now shadow his every step.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (119K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Apr 23, 2016
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1914–1996
A pioneering science-fiction editor and writer, he helped make Galaxy Science Fiction one of the genre’s most influential magazines. His sharp, socially aware stories—including “Trouble with Water” and “The Old Die Rich”—show the wit and imagination behind his editorial vision.
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1918–1997
A sharp-eyed science fiction critic and writer, he became a familiar voice to Galaxy readers in the 1950s and early 1960s. Writing under the name Floyd C. Gale, he reviewed books, published stories of his own, and helped shape conversations around the genre during a lively period in its history.
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