Scheming to take over the starship Enterprise and ultimately the entire galaxy, the infamous Harry Mudd paralyzes the galactic economy by creating a monopoly on the most valuable fuel source in the universe—dilithium. This book consists of adaptations of two Star Trek episodes ("Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd") and an original novella featuring Mudd and the Enterprise crew ("The Business, as Usual, During Altercations"). It is the thirteenth installment in the Bantam TOS series. The original edition was printed in 1978 by Bantam Books, and later reprinted by Titan Books and Spectra.