These are 2 hardcover books edited by Grand Master of science fiction Brian W. Aldiss: "Galactic Empires: Volume 1" and "Galactic Empires: Volume 2." These are book club editions that were purchased in or around the late 1970s (after having originally been published in 1976). The 1950s and 1960s were a time in which the field of science fiction developed significantly, and one of the manifestations of the development was the imagination of huge empires that could span a galaxy. In these 2 volumes, Mr. Aldiss brings together several of the authors who originated the genre by being among the first to conceive of galactic empires. The volumes include stories from Isaac Asimov, Fredric Brown, Algis Budrys, Poul Anderson, Arthur C. Clarke, and many more. Both volumes include an introduction by Mr. Aldiss. As an epilogue to the second volume, Mr. Aldiss provides an excerpt from "Star Maker" by Olaf Stapledon. Artwork for the dustjackets was created by Karel Thole. Mr. Aldiss died in 2017.