Here are nine tales of Henghis Hapthorn, foremost freelance discriminator of Old Earth in the planet's penultimate age, just one epoch before Jack Vance's Dying Earth. Included are the six stories that ran in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, leading up to the events that begin the first Hapthorn novel, Majestrum, plus three more. "Hughes has made a name for himself as heir apparent to Jack Vance." Booklist "A tremendous amount of fun." George R. R. Martin "Hughes has been the best-kept secret in science fiction for too long: he's a towering talent" Robert J. Sawyer "Superlative. A droll narrative voice, dry humor, and an alternative universe that's accessible without excessive exposition" Publishers Weekly "Matthew Hughes is one of those writers whose witty, wry writing style is as enjoyable as the story he's writing about. His Archonate universe is a wonderfully compelling far future that mixes fantasy and science fiction." Kirkus Reviews