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"A rip-roaring collection of amusing and beguiling &#8220;what if?&#8221; speculative fiction tales from science fiction humorist and droll storyteller extraordinaire Christopher Anvil.A generous volume of cunning and humorous science fiction from a master storyteller Christopher Anvil. First, Anvil&#8217;s tale of the consequences for civilization&#8212;and humanity itself&#8212;on The Day the Machines Stopped. &nbsp;Next, a gambler is captured by aliens who are investigating the Earth as a possible target for colonization. The aliens have science and technology far in advance of humans&#8212;but, unfortunately for them, they have never developed the human art of bluffing. And finally, for the first time in book form, Anvil&#8217;s&nbsp;stories of universal troubleshooter and paradox-resolver extraordinaire Richard Verner.&nbsp; Need to know why the government&#8217;s missiles keep falling from the sky?&nbsp; Whether a judge has been kidnapped or gone into hiding to avoid a dangerous ruling?&nbsp; Who that dead body belongs to that interrupted a perfect vacation?&nbsp; Verner&#8217;s on the case.About Christopher Anvil:&#8220;Droll and exciting. . .&#8221;&#8212;Houston Chronicle&nbsp;&#8220;. . .a delightful pleasure. . .I&#8217;ve always loved Anvil&#8217;s, ah, peculiar sense of humor.&#8221;&#8212;New York Times best-seller and military SF master David Weber&nbsp;&#8220;. . .rousing adventure. . .SF fun.&#8221;&#8212;Locus"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://books.simonandschuster.com/The-Power-of-Illusion/Christopher-Anvil/9781451637601>