Arkady
and
Boris Strugatsky,
authors of "Destination; Amaltheia", have
already several collections of SF stories to their credit. Arkady Strugatsky
(b. 1925) is a linguist and translator specialising in Japanese. Boris (b.
1933) is an astronomer and works at the computer laboratory of Pulkovo
Observatory. The title story of this volume is their second novelette
appearing after "The Country of the Purple Clouds" -about explorations on
Venus, First Prize winner in a best SF book competition.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. .. . Hydrogen phantoms, the strangest
and most enigmatic objects in the solar system. Enormous masses of hydrogen
and helium tinged by methane and ammonia. What is their structure? What
makes them rotate at such a frantic .speed? What is their source of energy?
We observe titanic changes on their surface. We see strips of clouds streak
along, broken now and then by giant whirls, streamers of gases erupt into
space in flaring bursts. What forces are behind these outer phenomena?
Thermonuclear reactions? But these giants have sub-zero surface
temperatures: -216°F on Jupiter and even lower on the others. What is then
the mechanism of these primaries? Perhaps it is some physical principle we
don't know yet and even do not so far dare to guess at....