The Nail and the Oracle

This book contains ten major stories by the master of science fiction, fantasy, and horror written during the 1960s. The controversial " If All Men We re Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?" shows the author's technique of " ask the next question" used in a way that shatters social conventions. " When You Care, When You Love" offers a prescient vision of the marriage of deep obsessive love and genetic manipulation, written long before actual cloning techniques existed. " Runesmith" constitutes a rare example of Sturgeon collaborating with a legendary colleague, Harlan Ellison. Included also are two other rarities: two detective stories and a Western that showcase Sturgeon's knack for characterization and action outside his usual genre. " Take Care of Joey" has been read as an allusion to the complex personal relationship between Sturgeon and Ellison, while " It Was Nothing, Really!" hilariously skewers the mores of the military-industrial complex. As always, these stories demonstrate not only Sturgeon's brilliant wordplay but also his timeliness, with " Brown-shoes" and " The Nail and the Oracle" standing out as powerful commentaries on the use and abuse of power that might have been written yesterday.