Damon Knight

“Shall the Dust Praise Thee?” is a short story by Damon Knight, published in 1967 in the anthology Dangerous Visions. The Day of Wrath has finally arrived: the heavens open, trumpets sound, and the throne of God appears, wreathed in fire, to preside over the Last Judgment. Seven angels descend upon the Earth to carry out their missions on the Final Day; however, something prevents them from doing so. The world is not what they expected to find.

“To Serve Man” is a short story by Damon Knight, published in November 1950 in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine. Aliens called Kanamites arrive on Earth with the promise of using their advanced technology to eradicate hunger, war, and disease. Although their grotesque appearance arouses suspicion at first, lie detector tests seem to confirm their sincerity. Amidst the general enthusiasm, a skeptical translator decides to study their language, convinced that there is a hidden motive behind such altruism.