They named the planet Chaos X, because one hemisphere was not in this universe - and no one who ventured there would ever return.

They named the other universe Ultra, because it was beyond the laws of the Milky Way galaxy. It was only by means of Ultra's non-Euclidean physics that men could travel the starways.

They named the ruler of that "immobile" planet Fury, because that was the effect of his power on people.

But they were afraid to call Craig Star Gazer by any other name, because he was the space captain who was going to cross into Fury's domain and wrench his loved one from Ultra's power - and this was something that no one had ever done before except the legendary Orpheus.

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The Blackside of Chaos X is in the ultraverse where hte starships go to be free of the restrictive laws of physics. In ultra these so-called laws are mere irrelevancies. Ultra belongs to the star wanderers.

They it was who discovered the ways to the stars -[ for distances and directions are not the same in ultra as in space. they it was who ventured from system to system, galaxy to galaxy, not for exploration or for gain, but for experience.

It is perfectly possible that the star wanderers who made the ballads about the pioneers and the star wanderers they wrote about may be living still in some distant part of Ultra. In Ultra there is no death, save destruction. To the blackside of Chaos X any man may go who wishes to live beyond his death. It is not easy. There is only one gateway, and were it is only three men know.

The fourth man who wanted to learn how to come and go through that gateway was Craig Star Gazer, star captain, space wanderer with a mission. This is his story - it is like no other science fiction novel you have ever read.