" ▁by ▁L ocus ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁poll ▁of ▁subscri bers . ▁Similarly , ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁final ists ▁for ▁the ▁Best ▁Nov el ▁" Ret ro ▁Hugo " ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁when ▁the ▁World ▁Science ▁F iction ▁Society ▁provided ▁ 5 0 th ▁anni versary ▁recognition ▁for ▁a ▁publication ▁year ▁without ▁Hugo ▁Awards . ▁ ▁Cont ents ▁ ▁All ▁six ▁stories ▁were ▁original ▁to ▁the ▁collection . ▁ ▁" T ur jan ▁of ▁Mi ir " ▁ ▁" M azi rian ▁the ▁Mag ician " ▁ ▁" T ' s ais " ▁ ▁" L iane ▁the ▁Way far er " ▁ ▁" U lan ▁D hor " ▁ ▁" Gu yal ▁of ▁S f ere " ▁ ▁Setting ▁ ▁The ▁stories ▁are ▁all ▁set ▁in ▁an ▁undefined ▁far ▁future ▁Earth , ▁when ▁the ▁sun ▁is ▁near ing ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁its ▁life . ▁The ▁sky ▁ranges ▁from ▁p ink ▁to ▁deep ▁blue , ▁lit ▁by ▁a ▁dim ▁red ▁sun , ▁and ▁many ▁strange ▁plants ▁and ▁animals ▁exist . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁is ▁set ▁within ▁the ▁for ested ▁country ▁of ▁As col ais , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ru ined ▁cities ▁that ▁dot ▁the ▁landscape . ▁ ▁The ▁setting ▁is ▁marked ▁by ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁un account ably ▁ancient ▁ru ins ▁and ▁other ▁fragments ▁of ▁now - dec ay ed ▁civil izations . ▁The ▁human ▁population ▁is ▁shr inking , ▁and ▁most ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁remaining ▁structures ▁built ▁long ▁ago