"Rites of Passage" gathers four long stories, one of which is original to the collection. "Bartholomew Burns and the Brain Invaders" features a Victorian London facing the threat of alien invasion and the mysterious 'Guardian' who saves the day. "Guardians of the Phoenix" is set in a near-future, post-apocalyptic world where water is in short supply and roaming bands will do anything to obtain it, while "Sunworld" is about a strange world where the sun is fixed eternally overhead and Yarrek Merwell makes a discovery that will change everything. The longest story in the collection, "Beneath the Ancient Sun" has never appeared before and is set on a far-future Earth where giant crabs and a swollen sun threaten humanity's very existence.
Eric Brown's stories combine memorable characters, fascinating settings, and a passionate concern for story-telling that has made this BSFA award-winning author one of the leaders of the field.
"Brown sketches a complex world full of bitter idealists and fantastic landscapes where nothing is as it seems" "Publishers Weekly"
"Eric Brown spins a terrific yarn" "SFX"
"This is the rediscovery of wonder" Stephen Baxter on "Helix"
"SF suffused with a cosmopolitan and literary sensibility" Paul McAuley
"Brown's spectacular creativity creates a constantly compelling read" "Kirkus Book Reviews"