Eight of these nine stories were published between 1951 and 1955, years when Jack Vance wrote for the pulp magazines. Even in this early work, the voice of the future SFWA Grandmaster may be heard.

Jean Parlier is the first of Vance's strong female protagonists. Captivatingly amoral, Jean seeks her fortune in Abercrombie Station, providing a gravity-free paradise for the obese. In Cholwell's Chickens, she sets out (like Madouc, nearly 40 years later) to find her pedigree.

Before Gold and Iron and Komeitk Lelianr-there was Lurulu, another gold-skinned Lekthwan. Sole survivor of a spaceship crash, The Golden Girl is stranded on Earth, only of her kind. She is lionized, fêted and courted by a fascinated public, but pines for home.

Meet Miss Universe introduces 23 contestants from throughout the galaxy, some human, some monstrous. The winner will be judged by standards of beauty from her home world. She will choose her own prize, and the organizers must fulfill their obligation!

Alice Tynnott is The Insufferable Red-headed Daughter of Commander Tynnott, O.T.E. (originally published as Assault on a City). After spending the first seventeen years of her life on rural planets, Alice visits urban Earth; attractive and self-assured, her confidence inspires men to think she is naive and vulnerable-but this is not the case, and scoundrels will learn a memorable lesson.

The Golden Girl and Other Stories is Volume 25 of the Spatterlight Press Signature Series.Released in the centenary of the author's birth, this handsome new collectionis based upon the prestigious Vance Integral Edition. Select volumes enjoyup-to-date maps, and many are graced with freshly-written forewords contributedby a distinguished group of authors. Each book bears a facsimile of theauthor's signature and a previously-unpublished photograph, chosen from family archives for the period the book was written. These uniquefeatures will be appreciated by all, from seasoned Vance collector to new reader sampling the spectrum of this author's influential work forthe first time. - John Vance II