Moon-Face and Other Stories

Jack London was one of the most prolific American writers of the early 20th century, and remains one of the most beloved, but while his novels have remained continuously in print for a century, his short stories have been much harder to find. London liked to experiment with diverse subject matter and literary techniques. In this collection, originally published in 1906, he is successful on all counts. These eight stories are well-crafted, vividly descriptive, and suspenseful. A few of the stories explore the psychology of murder, and show the influence of Edgar Allen Poe, as does the closing novella "Planchette", which deals with the supernatural. "The Minions of Midas" is a tale of terrorism that's years ahead of its time. "The Shadow and the Flash" is pure science fiction, incredibly imaginative for its time and still exciting over 100 years later. The only wilderness adventure story in this book, "All Gold Canyon", is one of London's absolute best.