Alexander Mirer is an outstanding master of modern science fiction. A superbly structured plot, non-trivial ideas, a refined style, and a depth of understanding of the images rightfully place Mirer the science fiction writer in the forefront of domestic, or rather world, science fiction. The author’s one-volume book “The Obsidian Knife,” which opens a new series of Russian science fiction, includes all the works of A. Mirer, created in this genre, with the exception of the “children’s” story “Submarine “Blue Whale”” and some short stories. The novel “House of Wanderers” immediately after its release became a bestseller, and it is almost impossible to find it on bookstores and library shelves. For the first time, the full version of the novel “I Have Nine Lives” is published, which tells about an expedition to the Combined Spaces and the tragic fate of the biological civilization discovered there. Also, the story “The Island of Madagascar”, written in the genre of a fantastic detective story, has not been previously published. The volume concludes with the stories “Rain in the Face” (printed in a greatly abridged version under the title “It’s Gonna Be a Good Day”), “The Obsidian Knife” and “The Equal Sign.”