Wings of Joy

In Wings of Joy, author, scientist, musician and artist Anne Harlan Prather introduces readers to the Starmasters—her contribution to the long tradition of stories about pilots with mysterious abilities. Like Cordwainer Smith's go-captains, Frank Herbert's Guild steersmen and Ann Aguiere's Jumpers, the Starmasters move starships at hyperlight speeds through the mysterious Beyond by means of a rare gift. But their gift is constrained by stark limitations. Not for these pilots are the consolation of retirement, the relief by copilots, or the stability of a home planet. Even the long life afforded others by rejuvenation treatments is denied them—unless they bow to their gift and fly. The eighteen stories in this innovative anthology are infused by Prather's scientific background, her 35+ years of teaching, and her love of history. This is character-driven science-fiction that explores all the dimensions of the kind of piloting gift that has captured readers since Mark Twain wrote Life on the Mississippi.