Another strong collection of stories from the man who has become one of my very favorite authors, this one covering about one year's worth of work (a year that also saw the publication of Sturgeon's famous novel More than Human). Of these twelve stories that were published between February 1953 and March 1954, all but three were new to me. The stories offer great variety and inventiveness, and Sturgeon's trademark empathy is well in evidence. Editor Paul Williams' story notes offer helpful insights. "The Education of Drusilla Strange," a story about an alien criminal sentenced to live on Earth, remains one of my all time favorites. Other exceptional stories here include: "Mr. Costello Hero," which was inspired by Joseph McCarthy but brought to my mind Karl Rove; "The Clinic," a simple tale that packs an emotional wallop with a dash of the alien; the unusual first contact story "A Saucer of Loneliness"; a unicorn story titled "The Silken-Swift"; and "The Dark Room," a Djinn story with a couple of twists. "The World Well Lost" is notable for being the first science fiction story to offer a sympathetic portrayal of homosexual characters. ( )