A fateful encounter between star-roving races by the author of the bestselling Dragonriders of Pern series! After the first human contact with the Siwannese, that entire race committed mass suicide. So the Terran government made a law—no further contact would be allowed with sentient creatures anywhere in the galaxy. Therefore Doona could be colonized only if an official survey established that the planet was both habitable and uninhabited. But Spacedep had made a mistake—Doona was inhabited. Now the colonists' choice was limited. Leave Doona and return to the teeming hell of an overpopulated Terra. Or kill the catlike Hrrubans. Or learn, for the first time in history, how to coexist with an alien race.

The first humans to arrive on the beautiful, unspoiled planet of Doona drew up an intricate cohabitation contract with the alien, cat-like Hrrubans, who had settled there first. Now, after 25 years, the contract is due for renewal. Anne McCaffrey is a past winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards.

The peace between humans and cat-like aliens on the unspoiled planet Doona has been hard won. Now a new race of aliens arrives, bringing with them promises of new technology and trade. But the devastating accusation that these newcomers once destroyed life on another planet puts the residents of Doona in peril.

Andre Deutsch, 1981. British hardcover with dustjacket. Omnibus collection of three McCaffrey "Decision at Doona" (1969); "The Ship Who Sang" (1969); "Restoree" (1967).

Space. The feline frontier. It has been said (by Mark Twain) that "if man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat." In this volume we explore the many and manifest reasons why humans should voluntarily accord first place in space to their feline brethren. From Robert A. Heinlein's "Ordeal in Space" in which the merest kitten confers the gift of courage on his human, to Cordwainer Smith's "Ballad of the Lost C'mell," which answers the very question of what would be the outcome of the melding of human and cat, we offer here 16 reasons why cats are Number One in our book. Contents: The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith Mouse by Fredric Brown Ship of Shadows by Fritz Leiber Schrodinger's Cat by Ursula K. Le Guin Tales of a Starship's Cat by Judith R. Conly Who's There? by Arthur C. Clarke Bullhead by David Drake Ordeal in Space by Robert A. Heinlein Space-Time for Springers by Fritz Leiber The Tail by M.J. Engh Well Worth the Money by Jody Lynn Nye Chamur's Homecoming by C.J. Cherryh Duty Calls by Anne McCaffrey Black Destroyer by A.E. Van Vogt The Pride by Todd Hamilton & P.J. Beese The Ballad of Lost C'mell by Cordwainer Smith The Man Who Would Be Kzin by Greg Bear & S.M. Stirling

Anne McCaffrey's tales of the Dragonriders of Pern have been international bestsellers, as well as Hugo and Nebula Award-winners. Here McCaffrey fans will delight in a massive compilation of her fiction never before collected in one volume, including an all-new short novel of Pern. Illustrated. 1 The Girl Who Heard Dragons 2 Velvet Fields 3 Euterpe on a Fling 4 Duty Calls 5 A Sleeping Humpty Dumpty Beauty 6 The Mandalay Cure 7 A Flock of Geese 8 The Greatest Love 9 A Quiet One 10 If Madam Likes You... 11 Zulei, Grace, Nimshi, and the Damnyankees 12 Cinderella Switch 13 Habit Is an Old Horse 14 Lady-in-Waiting 15 The Bones Do Lie

For the first time in one volume—two complete novels set on the remarkable world of Doona, by two of the most acclaimed literary imaginations. More than twenty-five years ago, the first humans came to the unspoiled planet of Doona. They ignored one important They were not alone. Doona was the home of the catlike alien race of Hrrubans. And so began an experiment in cohabitation that lasted for a quarter of a century. Their contract is now up for renewal. Now, the wild planet they tamed, the home they fought for, and the delicate alliance they share could be destroyed forever as a new threat looms. The Gringgs are not the first alien visitors to the planet, but they are the first to offer friendship—and a proposal for a prosperous future. But not everyone trusts the new guests. Not everyone believes in their motives. And as a battle of diplomatic unrest ensues, Doona once again falls under the dark shadow of uncertainty—and self-destruction. “An excellent read.”— Locus “\[McCaffrey and Nye\] blend their skills effectively to produce a brisk, well-told…tale. Fans of either author, or both, will have fun.”— Booklist