The Ultimate Invader and Other Science Fiction

 

"The Ultimate Invader" (aka "Design for great-Day") by Eric Frank Russell * This is Russell at his very best. While space opera is the right classification, much of the story feels like one of the Russell's favorite themes - a single smart alec making a planetful of bureaucracy squirm. We know he's not alone or powerless, & rulers are not quite the despots, but it's still very entertaining. (Variety SF)

Malcolm Jameson's "Alien Envoy" is about mankind's first interaction with intelligent alien beings. Up to the point at which the story begins, every contact has resulted in battle. Then a ship comes to Earth carrying one of the aliens, who is extremely different physically from humans. Will they be able to communicate? 

Murray Leinster's "The Malignant Marauder" (aka "Dead City) takes us face to face with a terrible danger from humanity's near past.

Frank Belknap Long's "The Temporal Transgressor" (aka "Bridgehead") spans the entire course of human history to throw a boomerang into the very dawn of life.