# BEYOND Fantasy Fiction, May 1954
This issue contains five stories across fantasy and science fiction genres. The novella "Sine of the Magus" by James E. Gunn (pp. 4–139) features a private detective named Casey who accepts a mysterious thousand-dollar assignment from an elderly woman to identify a nameless man. Casey tracks his quarry to an exclusive, invitation-only gathering called a "covention" (deliberately misspelled) in a hotel's Crystal Room. The event appears to involve supernatural or occult elements—Casey's name card mysteriously appears in his pocket, invisible barriers bar entry, and the attendees include unusually beautiful women. The story combines noir detective conventions with mystical themes.
"Bottled in Russia" by A. J. Greenwald appears as a novelet (pp. 140–onward). The issue also includes short stories: "The Afterlife of Reilly" by Richard Deming, "Heads You Lose" by William Morrison, "High Man, Low Man" by R. Bretnor, "Illogistics" by Stewart Kaser, and "I'd Give a Dollar" by Winston Marks, spanning pages 70–125 with specific page designations for each.
About this artifact
- Date
- May 1954
- Rights
- Public domain — free to view, share, and reuse.
- Restoration
- Digitally restored and hosted by comicbooks.com.
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