Named after the first story about a couple that tries in vain to uphold an intensely idealistic romance against the erosions of time and the inconstancy of human nature the collection explores themes for which London became famous: the struggle for survival in the midst of hostile environments, human nature's most elemental drives, and worker abuse in industrialized society. In The Apostate is a grim story about a young man who is brutalized by the subhuman working conditions in a textile mill, yet achieves a kind of liberation in the end. London's fascination with primitive male characters is evident in Just Meat, a story of two thieves who plot each other's demise in a selfish grab for a hoard of recently stolen jewelry. Here are a marvelous selection of Jack London's short fiction, including: When God Laughs * The Apostate * A Wicked Woman * "Just Meat" Created He Them * The Chinago * Make Westing * Semper Idem * A Nose for the King The "Francis Spaight" * A Curious Fragment * A Piece of Steak