A potpourri of poetry and amazing tales that cross genre borders, between fantasy, horror, noir, science fiction, and more, from the legendary Poul Anderson and his wife, Karen Anderson

Lyrical and beautiful, enchanting and strange, exhilarating and horrific, this extraordinary collaboration between science fiction–fantasy luminary Poul Anderson and his equally creative wife, Karen, almost defies description. Combining their extraordinary talents, the Andersons have produced a sumptuous feast of the written word—stories that delight, move, and disturb, mixed with rich, sumptuous poetry that soars.

A truly stunning collection, The Unicorn Trade transports readers to places at once uniquely strange and strangely familiar—magical fairy realms, the far reaches of outer space, and the twisted minds of madmen. Stories of love, loss, and self-discovery are met with soaring verse that celebrates the human spirit and the wonders of the universe. Here are unforgettable bounding leaps of the imagination, where detective noir is ingeniously reimagined, and tales of Edgar Allan Poe–like suspense stand side by side with poignant tributes to the men who led us to the stars. Real treasures are to be found here—a hungry Olympian god’s interactions with a divine computer, a murdered man’s shrewd revenge, an Earthling’s con game on an unsuspecting Martian visitor, and other such flights of inventive fancy—in a sterling compendium of stories, poems, and science fiction haikus (scifaiku) as bright as starshine and more magical and enduring than fairy gold.

Science fiction stories portray encounters with alien beings, a Greek god, elves, and other strange creatures

9 • The Unicorn Trade • (1971) • poem by Karen Anderson

11 • Fairy Gold • novelette by Poul Anderson

54 • Ballade of an Artificial Satellite • (1958) • poem by Poul Anderson

56 • The Innocent Arrival • (1958) • novelette by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson (aka Innocent at Large)

86 • Six Haiku • (1962) • poem by Karen Anderson

88 • Haiku for Mars • (1982) • poem by Karen Anderson

89 • Think of a Man • (1965) • poem by Karen Anderson

91 • Dead Phone • [Trygve Yamamura] • (1964) • novelette by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson

120 • Bela Lugosi 1883-1956 • (1982) • poem by Karen Anderson

121 • The Kitten • (1976) • novelette by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson

157 • Apollo 1: January 27, 1967 • (1982) • poem by Karen Anderson

160 • Planh on the Death of Willy Ley: June 23, 1969 • (1969) • poem by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson and Tim Courtney

162 • Murphy's Hall • (1971) • shortstory by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson

186 • Single Jeopardy • (1958) • shortstory by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson

200 • In Memoriam: Henry Kuttner • (1958) • poem by Karen Anderson

201 • Cyril M. Kornbluth • (0000) • poem by Karen Anderson

202 • A Feast for the Gods • (1971) • novelette by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson

228 • Theoretical Progress • (1964) • poem by Karen Anderson

228 • Investigation of Galactic Ethnology • (1964) • poem by Karen Anderson

229 • Look Up • (1965) • poem by Karen Anderson

230 • The Sky of Space • (1963) • poem by Karen Anderson

231 • Cosmic Concepts • (1961) • poem by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson

233 • Extract From the English Edition of a Guide Michelin • (1973) • shortstory by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson

237 • Robert A. Heinlein • (1976) • poem by Karen Anderson

238 • Treaty in Tartessos • (1963) • shortstory by Karen Anderson

246 • A Philosophical Dialogue • (1971) • shortstory by Poul Anderson

251 • Professor James • (1965) • poem by Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson

254 • Landscape With Sphinxes • (1962) • shortstory by Karen Anderson

259 • Alpha, Beta • (1982) • poem by Karen Anderson

260 • A Blessedness of Saints • (1962) • essay by Poul Anderson

266 • Origin of the Species • (1958) • poem by Karen Anderson

267 • Conjunction (Venus and Jupiter, February 1975) • (1982) • poem by Karen Anderson

268 • Adonis Recovered • (1982) • poem by Karen Anderson

269 • The Piebald Hippogriff • (1962) • shortstory by Karen Anderson

277 • The Coasts of Faerie • (1982) • shortstory by Karen Anderson

283 • Shanidar IV • (1982) • poem by Karen Anderson