DORSAI SPIRIT is the posthumous omnibus reprint of two science fiction classics. "Dorsai!," a stand-alone, full-length novel, is the story of Donal Graeme, a super-general from a mineral-poor planet whose only export is its outstanding mercenary forces. Donal's intuitive skills surpass even the most gifted Dorsai—he is the first evolved super-super man.

"The Spirit of Dorsai" is composed of the novella "Amanda Morgan" and a short story, "Brothers." While the Dorsai warriors are off-planet, their women stay behind to protect it. In "Amanda Morgan," the eponymous heroine defeats an invasion force by being willing to die for victory. In "Brothers," twin brothers Kensie and Ian Graeme fall in love with the same woman. When Kensie is killed, Ian blames himself. Darkness threatens to overwhelm Ian until he finds peace with his Dorsai spirit.

Dickson's military science fiction is as fresh as when it was first published in the late 1950s. He captures the essence of the warrior to protect, sacrifice and lead, with robust character development and setting. (Mar., 432 pp., $15.95)

—Kelly Rae Cooper