A sky pirate armed with superior weapons of his own invention . . .

First contact with an alien race dangerous enough to threaten the safety of two planets . . .

The arrival of an unseen dark sun whose attendant marauders aimed at the very end of civilization in this Solar System . . .

These were the three challenges that tested the skill and minds of the brilliant team of scientist-astronauts Arcot, Wade, and Morey. Their initial adventures are a classic of science-fiction which first brought the name of their author, John W. Campbell, into prominence as a master of the inventive imagination.

* One of the greatest names in science fiction is that of John W. Campbell. Famed as the editor of "Astounding Science Fiction" -- now "Analog" -- John. W. Campbell was earlier known for his exciting, imaginative novels of super-science, which placed his name alongside such greats as Edward E. Smith and Edmund Hamilton.

"The Black Star Passes" is such a book, narrating the adventures of the Earth scientists Arcot, Wade, and Morey, as they fight at first for the freedom of their planet, and then for the safety of the entire solar system. For cosmic scope, daring concepts, and sweeping adventure, it has never been surpassed.