New Worlds Science Fiction No. 26

About this issue

New Worlds, Volume 9, No. 26 (August 1954) features the opening installment of Wilson Tucker's three-part serial "Wild Talent," supplemented by short fiction and critical commentary. Tucker's protagonist Paul Breen, a figure hunted by the FBI since age thirteen for possessing an undefined psychic ability, is confined in a heavily guarded Maryland mansion with his fiancée. Officials have decided to eliminate him; Colonel Johns arrives from Washington bearing orders to execute the decision. The narrative employs a military strategic problem—Robinson's paradox of two deadlocked ships—as metaphorical framework. Additional contents include short stories: "The Last Weapon" by Robert Sheckley, "The Minus Men" by E.R. James, "Bitter the Path" by Kenneth Bulmer, and "The Firebird" by Alan Barclay, plus an article titled "Interplay" by Laurence Sandfield. Editorial features and book reviews complete the issue. Edited by John Cornell; cover and interior illustrations by Quinn and Lewis.