Strange Worlds #5

An anthology of science fiction and mystery tales. "The Stardust Queen" follows Gordon, a wealthy young man recruited to pose as a traveler aboard a spaceship carrying the beautiful Nadine Grail, daughter of Earth's president, on a visit to Venus; the ship encounters a wreck, and Gordon is assigned to guard Nadine while the crew investigates, though only Nadine and space captain Grant know his real identity. Another story depicts a jewelry store owner in Gansonville who encounters small alien creatures spawned from a purple light, which invade his shop after closing time and overwhelm him despite his attempts at resistance. A third tale involves the mystery of Professor Carson, whose laboratory exploded and whose body was never found; his twin children Philip and Brenda, now nineteen years old, are reported missing, prompting Captain Wilks of the Star Queen to launch an investigation through the Interplanetary Detective Bureau.