First published 1977
Ross thought he was taking on a simple field assignment, a casual business trip through space. The routine job transforms into something far more dangerous as he finds himself traveling between worlds that have evolved in disturbing directions. He encounters a utopian society where elderly rulers have made youth itself a crime punishable by law. On another world, violent Amazon warriors have created a civilization where men face persecution simply for existing. Ross discovers a mechanized wasteland where citizens must pay coins for basic functions and conformity has become the only acceptable way of life. As he moves from world to world, Ross realizes he has become humanity's representative in a cosmic marketplace. The stakes grow higher with each alien society he encounters. His mission evolves from simple exploration into a bargaining session for the future of the human race.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, alternate-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: bargaining-for-humanity, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Space, Utopian Society, Mechanized Wasteland
Period: Future
165 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam Books