May 2026

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

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The novel “The Broken Sword” by Poul Anderson was published for the first time in 1954 and in a revised edition in 1971.

Orm kills a witch’s family to take over their lands. In revenge, the witch allies herself with the elf Imric and helps him kidnap Orm’s newborn son. The child is exchanged for Valgard and taken to the land of the elves, where he grows up under the name Skafloc.

The switch has significant consequences for the growth of the two children, whose destinies become part of events larger than their own. A war between trolls and elves and plans advanced by gods unfold, with a sword broken—for good reason—by Thor as a potential tipping point.

Prelude to Space by Arthur C. Clarke

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The novel “Prelude to Space”, occasionally published as “Master of Space” or “The Space Dreamers”, by Arthur C. Clarke was published for the first time in 1951.

Preparations for the launch of the Prometheus mission have begun. This is a historic moment because it will be the first mission to land astronauts on the Moon, so historian Dirk Alexson is tasked with watching the events and gathering testimonies from the people working on it.

One of Dirk Alexson’s goals is to recount what scientists and engineers working on the project told him in a way that ordinary people can understand. To provide the full story, he follows the various phases of the project, first in England and then in Australia, where the launch will take place.