The Moon That Vanished

David Heath has already paid the price for going too far. Once a daring Earthman captain on Venus, he now survives as a wrecked shadow of himself, marked by rumors of the Moonfire—a radiant mystery beyond the Upper Seas that few have seen and none have mastered. When pursuers, priests, and desperate companions force Heath back toward that forbidden light, the past he fled becomes impossible to escape.

Set against the lush, perilous oceans and swamps of Venus, The Moon That Vanished blends alien landscapes, obsession, and forbidden knowledge into a tense voyage toward transformation. Leigh Brackett builds a world of beauty and danger where love, power, and belief collide, and where the greatest risk is not death—but losing what makes you human.

Leigh Brackett was one of the most influential voices in classic science fiction, celebrated for her vivid planetary romances and emotionally driven storytelling. Her work helped define the pulp and post-pulp era with rich prose, dangerous worlds, and deeply human characters.

Beyond her fiction, Brackett was also a legendary screenwriter, contributing to films such as The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, and the first drafts of the script for The Empire Strikes Back. Her ability to combine sweeping adventure with psychological depth made her a trailblazer in science fiction and a lasting influence on generations of writers.