"Martin H. Greenberg - The Diplomacy Guild vol. 1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Greenberg Martin H)

Published by arrangement with the editor
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 89-92473
ISBN: 0-380-75751-6

All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or
portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S.
Copyright Law. For information address Avon Books.

First Avon Books Printing: April 1990

AVON TRADEMARK REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES, MARCA
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Printed in the U.S.A.

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 Contents

Introduction by Isaac Asimov A
They Hide, We Seek by Robert SilverbergI
The Diplomacy Guild by David Brin56
Myryx by Robert Sheckley 77
The Burning SkV by Poul Anderson 137
Island of the Gods by Harry Turtledove 221
About the Authors 259
 Introduction

INVENTING
A UNIVERSE
ISAAC ASIMOV

WHY HAVE I GONE TO THE TROUBLE OF INVENTING A
universe for other writers to exploit?
No, it isn't the money or the fame. Most of the royalties and all of the
fame will go, as they should, to the authors who actually write the stories
in this book and (it is to be hoped) in later companion pieces. My own
return is, as it should be, miniscule.
But there are other reasons and I would like to explain them at some
length, for among other things, they involve my feelings of guilt. Now
guilt (for those of you who have never experienced the emotion) is a dread-
ful annoyance, souring one's life and making one unable to enjoy properly
any renown or riches that come one's way. One is bowed down by its weight
and is rendered fearful of the (usually imaginary) accusing eye of public
disapproval.
In my case , it came about this way. I hadn't been writing for more than
ten or fifteen years when I began to have the uneasy suspicion that I was
becoming rather well known as a science fiction writer. In fact, I was even
A
 Iftoduction vil