CATASTROPHES!

edited by

Isaac Asimov,

Martin Harry Greenberg,

and Charles G. Waugh

Foreword and Notes by Isaac Asimov

FAWCETT CREST *   NEW YORK

CATASTROPHES!

Published by Fawcett Crest Books, a unit of CBS Publica­tions, the Consumer Publishing Division of CBS Inc.

Copyright © 1981 Isaac Asimov, Martin Harry Greenbergand Charles G. Waugh.

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 0-449-24425-3

Printed in the United States of America

First Fawcett Crest printing: July 1981

10  987654321

The editors and publisher are grateful for permission to re­print the following:

"No Other Gods" by Edward Wellen. Copyright © 1972 byMercury Press, Inc. Reprinted fromThe Magazine of Fantasyand Science Fictionby permission of the author,

"The Wine Has Been Left Open Too Long and the MemoryHas Gone Flat" by Harlan Ellison appeared inUniverse 6(edited by Terry Carr) and in the author's collectionStrange'Wine.Copyright © 1976 by Harlan Ellison, Reprinted byarrangement with and permission of the author and the au­ thor's agent, Robert P, Mills, Ltd., New York. All rights re­served. Excerpts from"The Chart" by W.S. Merwin appear­ing in "The Wine Has Been Left Open Too Long and theMemory Has Gone Flat," which originally appeared inThe New Yorker, are reprinted by permission of Atheneum Pub­lishers, from the bookHouses and Travellers by W.S. Merwin.Copyright © 1977 by W.S. Merwin. Used with thanks,

"Stars, Won't You Hide Me?" by Ben Bova. Copyright © 1966,1973 by Ben Bova. Reprinted by permission of the author.

"Judgement Day" by Lloyd Biggie, Jr. Copyright © 1953 byKing-Size Publications. Reprinted by permission of the au­thor and his agent, Kirby McCauley.

"The Custodian" by William Tenn. Copyright& 1953 by the Quinn Publishing Company, Inc. Reprinted by permission ofthe author.

"Phoenix" by Clark Ashton Smith. Copyright © 1954 by Au­gust Derleth. Reprinted by permission of the agents for theauthor's estate, Scott Meredith Literary Agency, Inc., 845Third Ave., New York, NY 10022,

"Run From the Fire" by Harry Harrison. Copyright © 1975by Robert Silverfaerg and Roger Elwood; reprinted with per­ mission of the author.

"Requiem" by Edmond Hamilton. Copyright©1962 by Ul­timate Publishing Company. Reprinted by permission of theagents for the author's estate, Scott Meredith LiteraryAgency, Inc., 845 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022.

"At the Core" by Larry Niven. Copyright © 1966 by theGalaxy Publishing Corporation. Reprinted by permission ofRobert P. Mills, Ltd.

"A Pail of Air" by Fritz Leiber, Copyright © 1951 by GalaxyPublishing Corporation. Reprinted by permission of Robert P. Mills, Ltd.

"King of the Hill" by Chad Oliver. Copyright © 1972 byHarlan Ellison. First published inAgain, Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison. Copyright assigned to Chad Oliver 1979. Reprinted by permission of Chad Oliver.

"The New Atlantis" by Ursula K. Le Guin. Copyright© 1975by Ursula K. Le Guin; reprinted by permission of author andher agent, Virginia Kidd.

"History Lesson" by Arthur C. Clarke. Copyright © 1949 byArthur C. Clarke; copyright renewed. Reprinted by permis­sion of the author and his agents, Scott Meredith LiteraryAgency, Inc., 845 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022.

"Seeds of Dusk" by Raymond Z. Gallun. Copyright © 1938by Street & Smith Publications; copyright renewed. Re­printed by permission of Robert P. Mills, Ltd.

"Dark Benediction" by Walter M. Miller, Jr. Copyright ©1951 by Walter M. Miller, Jr., renewed 1979. Reprinted by permission of the Harold Matson Co., Inc.

"Last Night of Summer" by Alfred Coppel. Copyright © 1956

by A. Wyn, Inc. Reprinted by permission of The Lescher

Agency.         

The Store of the Worlds" by Robert Sheckley. Copyright ©1959 by Robert Sheckley. Reprinted by permission of Abby Sheckley.

"How It Was When the Past Went Away" by Robert Silver-berg. Copyright © 1969 by Robert Silverberg. Reprinted bypermission of the author and his agents, Scott Meredith Lit­erary Agency, Inc., 845 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022.

"Shark Ship" by C. M. Kornbluth. Copyright © 1958 by C. M. Kornbluth. Reprinted by permission of Robert P. Mills,Ltd.

Foreword                                                     9

Part I - Universe Destroyed                                   11

The Last Trump IsaacAsimov                 12

No Other GodsEdward Wellen              27

The Wine Has Been Left Open

Too Long and the Memory

Has Gone FlatHarlan Ellison                 33Stars, Won't You Hide Me?

Ben Bova                                                  42

Part II - Sun Destroyed                                          56

Judgement Day     Lloyd Biggie, Jr.              57

The Custodian      William Tenn                    67

Phoenix     Clark Ashton Smith                     86

Run from the Fire     Harry Harrison            96

Part III - Earth Destroyed                                    127

Requiem     Edmond Hamilton                     128

At the Core     Larry Niven                         145

A Pail of Air     Fritz Leiber   ...