The book contains eighteen gems. Four of them were written by Card himself and deal with various aspects of the universe he created in the Ender series of novels. "Mazer in Prison" is the what happened to our hero after the victory tale. "Cheater" is all about choosing the best children for the IF Battle School, as is "Pretty Boy."  "A Young Man With Prospects" is a story about a young woman and her teenage daughter in the days following the destruction of the Formic race.

There are fourteen other stories, on various subjects, written by a variety of authors. One, "Fat Farm," was based on a story by Orson Scott Card. It’s presented in comic book style, and is a chilling story of the consequences of easy weight loss. All of the stories are illustrated beautifully by various artists.

There’s something for everyone here, from pure fantasy to hard science fiction, or a combination of both. "The Mooncalfe" is purest fantasy, as is "Kats Off." "In the Eyes of the Empress Cat" is the story of a sorcerer veterinarian who is called upon to heal the empress’ ninth and lost cat. If the cat dies, so does the empress. This story successfully combines the science of medicine with the fantasy of sorcery.

These are only a small sampling of what this book contains. All the stories are well written, with fascinating characters, settings and plots. In my opinion, there’s not a bad story in the bunch; I like them all. Pick up a copy of Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show and visit the online magazine. You’re in for a treat.