In a multiverse filled with universes, there's plenty of space and outer space for multiples, contingents, and alternates. Where does alter ego meet alternate ego? How many repeated extraterrestrial invasions does it take to stir Earth's defenses to action? Can a man full of life really investigate his own murder? The latest Ifscapes installment, Perennials of Paradox explores these questions over and over in a brand-new collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories. In this volume of Ifscapes : - rush home for a weekend job unlike anything else in one universe - visit the far-away reaches of the alien kingdom Asteregal - join detectives and lively victim hot on the trail of a mysterious murderer - hide away from the mystery and mayhem of alternate self, selves, and more selves - witness the astounding saga of self-deceptive atomic fractalization - find out what interrupted the orchestra's performance on October 30, 2038 Persistent reruns, chronic replicas, and endless repetitions are the order of the ages in these episodes of If. How many monsters make for an epic planetary apocalypse? Do mercenaries get paid extra in non-parallel or possible worlds? Do fractals make it easier or harder to talk to yourself? And would real sleuths come anywhere near this case of eye-witnesses and "I?" The multiverses keep coming back for more in Perennials of Paradox , Volume 6 of the adventurously inveterate Ifscapes series.