A space opera set on Mars by one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant—and neglected—science fiction and horror writers, whom Stephen King called “the best writer of science fiction that England has ever produced.” What if alien life-forms included autonomous, conscious machines? An international prize is offered to the first man to complete an interplanetary journey. For British pilot Dale Curtance, it is the ultimate challenge; he must build a ship, assemble a top-notch crew, and beat the Russians and the Americans, too. Soon the Gloria Mundi heads for Mars. There’s only one problem: a stowaway named Joan Shirning. At first, the men resent Joan’s presence. But they come to realize that she is the only one who has firsthand knowledge of the Martians—or at least the intelligent beings that will one day replace them. . . .