About this book
Pat Travis, a seasoned spacer with a reputation for beating the odds, finds his legendary luck thoroughly tested in Conquest Over Time by Michael Shaara. His mission is straightforward: arrive at newly-contacted alien worlds before competitors and secure lucrative commercial contracts. But when Travis touches down on Diomed III, he discovers a civilization that makes every critical decision based on astrology—and he's arrived on one of the most inauspicious days in their entire history.
This classic science fiction story, originally published in Fantastic Universe in 1956, pits Travis against far more than bureaucratic red tape. The inhabitants of this strange world inhabit Dickensian-style houses, rely on horse-drawn carriages, and operate under a belief system that treats celestial alignments as absolute law. As Travis navigates this bizarre culture to negotiate his contract, he uncovers startling secrets that threaten not just his mission, but his very survival.
Written by Michael Shaara before he won the Pulitzer Prize for The Killer Angels, this tale captures the Golden Age of science fiction with sharp wit and imaginative worldbuilding. Perfect for listeners who enjoy thought-provoking speculative fiction that blends commerce, culture clash, and cosmic mystery, Conquest Over Time explores what happens when human ambition meets truly alien ways of thinking.
