
A weary night‑shift reporter at the San Francisco Times is pulled from his routine by a grizzled, bronze‑skinned stranger bearing a Secret Service badge. The man, Bill Johnson, speaks of a strange case out in the Mexican desert—an old gold‑and‑thorium mine owned by Ellen Vernon, whose father, Doc Vernon, is obsessed with a dangerous new weapon. Suddenly, odd radio chirps and squeaks echo from the nearby Mocolynatal mountain, and red, stubby‑winged aircraft have been seen flying overhead, hinting at a secretive operation beyond ordinary warfare.
Drawn into the mystery, the reporter teams up with Johnson, a veteran of clandestine missions, and prepares to fly the experimental “Camel‑back” plane into the rugged terrain. Their goal is to uncover who is using the mountain as a transmitter, what the mysterious cargoes from Japanese tramp steamers conceal, and whether the feared death‑ray device truly threatens the world. The adventure promises a mix of daring aerial exploits, shadowy espionage, and speculative science that feels both vintage and oddly prescient.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (61K characters)
Release date
2024-06-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1908–2006
A pioneer of modern science fiction, he wrote for nearly eight decades and helped shape the genre from the pulp-magazine era to the 21st century. He is often remembered as one of science fiction’s great elder statesmen, with a gift for big ideas and adventurous storytelling.
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by Jack Williamson

by Jack Williamson

by Jack Williamson

by Jack Williamson

by Jack Williamson

by Jack Williamson

by Jack Williamson

by Jack Williamson