The book includes previously published stories and short stories (“The Well”, “Legion”, “On the Question of the Phenomenon of Doppelgangers”), and the first-published stories “The Road to Habitation”, “One of Many on the Roads of Darkness...” and a novel "The escape". Elizaveta Manova’s themes are striking in their diversity: the insane militaristic hell of “Legion”; the coexistence of intelligent races that do not find mutual understanding in the “Well”; the mystical secrets of the sinful soul of a certain immortal - and a thousand times dying super being in “One of Many...”; compatibility of human ethics and the collective intelligence of a distant planet; space detective (novel “Escape”). But in all cases, Manova’s heroes evoke the sincere sympathy of the reader - they are so skillfully written, their desires and thoughts are so humane and close to us, regardless of where the action takes place: in the afterlife, a magical dimension or in an unknown galaxy...

The gloomy Middle Ages and deep space, black magic and pure science, parallel worlds and religious fanatics - the variety of novels and stories by E. Manova captivates with its humane attitude to life in all its manifestations. When we pick up a book by this author for the first time and open it, it seems like a betrayal to abandon a novel or story halfway, without knowing whether “Escape” ended successfully, where “Legion” came out and where “one” ended its endless existence of many on the roads of darkness..."Contents: Legion. Story c. 3-54.One of many on the roads of darkness. Story c. 55-126.Road to Sobitanie. Story c. 127–216.Well. Story c. 217–260. On the issue of the phenomenon of doubles. Story c. 261–284.Escape. Roman c. 285–478.