Book detail for The Martin Missile

Cover tagline

Pawn of the Space Invaders

Back cover text

Part of an Ace Double: The Atlantic Abomination

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Interior text

The Man Who Rode the Sputnik

The dying Martian said, "I am the bearer of a message. It is written in molecular charges on the bone of your left arm. Nobody can read and remove that message but my people. If you do not deliver it, you will die painfully. Your only hope of avoiding that fate is to deliver the message."

That was Kermit Langley's reward for rescuing this space creature from his crashed ship. Like any other man, Kermit wanted to live — and the only way he could would be to try to carry out the Martian's command.

Only how can you get to Mars — and beyond — when the year is now and the best that the Earth has in space-rockets are unmanned Luniks and one-way miniature Discoverers?

What Kermit did and how he did it is a breathless adventure in interplanetary hitch-hiking.

Cast of Characters

The Earthman
Whatever his personal reasons for staying out of sight, his meeting with a spaceman made him a master of the art.

The Martian
Death was no barrier to this determined messenger from outer space.

The Jovians
Their motives were so obscure, it would take humanity a million years to understand them.

The Altaireans
They came to start a colony on a new star-system, but there was another customer already on hand.

The Thubanease
They has a method of warfare which would baffle any foe, but they planned too far ahead for safety.

The detective
He tried to put his hands on a shadow.