Unusual Tales #47

For years, Earth and the planet Ceaurz have endured a tense cold war in space, but when Ceaurz kidnaps the leaders of United America, Afrasia, and Euro, Earth's patience finally breaks. With a brutal ultimatum and only twenty-four hours to act, Commander Etna and Earth's military strategists must devise a desperate plan to neutralize their enemy without sacrificing the captured presidents. It's a race against time to execute a dangerous gambit that could either save Earth's leadership—or plunge the world into total war.

When a boy insists his handmade snowman can talk, his skeptical parents dismiss it as pure fantasy—until a mysterious fire breaks out in his bedroom and the impossible becomes undeniable. Eddie's faith in his peculiar friend is tested in ways neither child nor snowman could have anticipated, leading to a moment of sacrifice that proves some truths defy explanation.

When Commander Greg learns that two hostile alien forces—Zev and Jexni—are launching simultaneous invasions of Earth, he and Col. Anval on satellite Boros brace for catastrophe. But as the alien fleets converge on the planet, an unexpected turn of events unfolds that gives humanity an unexpected reprieve. It's a clever bit of cosmic irony that buys Earth precious time to prepare for what may come next.

In a forgotten corner of the world, a gold statuette forged by the long-dead King Babaru holds a dangerous power: three wishes, but a fourth—born of greed—will send the wisher to the inferno. When a homeless man stumbles upon the relic in the present, his desperate hopes quickly spiral beyond what he ever imagined.

From the thought-provoking narrative "Yesterday Today and Tomorrow," this science fiction tale traces humanity's bold leap from the ridicule of early flight, through the conquest of space, to an imagined future where extraterrestrial contact becomes reality. As mankind progresses through these eras—from laughter to achievement to the unknown—the story presents a vision of how far our species might venture and what wonders (or warnings) await us beyond Earth.

Steve Teller inherits a remote house on the Scottish moors, but a car accident forces him to shelter there during a storm—only to discover the mansion exists across multiple centuries simultaneously. Trapped between time periods and pursued by mysterious forces, he must uncover the secret of the house and find a way to escape before he becomes trapped forever as its unwelcome guest.