A fairly bad issue, the writing of most stories is aged and bad.
The Touch of Your Hand • novella by Theodore Sturgeon
A man who lives on a planet with apparently only farming technology has found the remains of an earlier technological civilization. He wants to recreate it and commands the other people to start building a tower which would be a symbol for his rule and beginning of the new start. The others surprise him, though. The point and background of the plot are delivered in a literal lecture a few pages long, which seemed like a pretty clumsy way of exposition. Otherwise a pretty well written story. ***+
Worrywart • shortstory by Clifford D. Simak
Some very unlikely events happen: a serious plane crash with no casualties, a dog escaping a ditch by himself where he has been stuck for days in spite of all rescue attempts, and an almost certain war is avoided. A newspaper copyreader notices those happenstances, and tries to find what has caused them. He finds a man with no formal education who has been crippled since childhood, and who has been healed mysteriously. He seems to be able to bend reality. The ending didn't really work and it was left too open. ***-
Problem on Balak • shortstory by Roger Dee
The aliens have captured a crew of a space ship. They will be released only if they are able to distinguish a real human (who has been captive for years) from an alien who resembles the human completely and has all of his memories. There is a solution, a little too easy solution. A very simple and not too good story. ***-
Far from the Warming Sun • novelette by R. D. Nicholson
A former dictator of earth escapes to Titan. There apparently is a colony of displaced former leaders. That is about all the story there is. There is a LOT of exposition as discussion - as extremely boring and badly written exposition. Every single character is an annoying prick. Not to mention the most badly written female character ever. A very bad story. *
New Hire • shortstory by Dave Dryfoos
People star their work career after their 40th birthday. A man leaves his family for his first real workday. He has understudied under an older man who he is replacing. As the first task, he kills the 75 years old he is replacing. A short story with nothing really captivating, writing was below average. **
Half Past Alligator • shortstory by Donald Colvin
Aliens with no initiative at all, learn to take things to their own hand by playing baseball. Exactly as bad story as it sounds. *½
Delayed Action • novelette by Charles V. De Vet
A planet has a unique tourist attraction, a real Moebius strip where gravity behaves strangely. Even though it is a popular travel spot apparently no one has ever studied at all, and no one has even walked on it for more than a little distance. A man follows another to bridge further than anyone before and finds that he is transported in time. He has lost his memory, finds a job and lives his life until he almost robbed. A pretty bad story with less than stellar writing. **-
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