"The Donald E. Westlake Sci-Fi Collection: Five Early Stories" presents five imaginative tales from a pioneering voice in science fiction. These stories long precede Westlake's later triumphs in the genre of crime fiction and provide an early glimpse of Westlake's unique genius.

In "The Risk Profession," ordinary work takes on extraordinary dangers as human ingenuity meets the unpredictable. "Meteor Strike!" turns a cosmic catastrophe into a tense struggle for survival, courage, and quick thinking. In "They Also Serve," Westlake explores duty, sacrifice, and what humanity owes to those who protect it.

Together, these early stories reveal the wit, invention, and sharp social imagination that became hallmarks of Westlake's writing. The collection offers a vivid snapshot of a developing talent, blending classic pulp adventure with thoughtful ideas about work, risk, responsibility, and the future, while showcasing the enduring curiosity of science fiction's golden age.

These stories are presented in their original and unabridged formats.