Changewar

Fritz Leiber's *Changewar* plunges readers into a conflict waged across the entirety of history, a temporal battlefield where the "eternal present" serves as the staging ground. This isn't a war of conventional armies; its warriors are ordinary individuals, thrust into a desperate struggle to rewrite the past and, by extension, seize dominion over the future. The collection's title story, "The Change War," along with "The Oldest Soldier," "Damnation Morning," "When the Change-Winds Blow," and "Knight to Move," exemplify Leiber's mastery of this unique concept, exploring the consequences of tampering with causality and the existential dread that accompanies such meddling. *Changewar* is a quintessential Leiber work, showcasing his signature blend of imaginative, high-concept science fiction with a deep understanding of human psychology and the fragility of existence. His ability to craft compelling narratives within intricate, paradoxical frameworks, as demonstrated in these tales, is a hallmark of his genius. The collection further solidifies Leiber's reputation as a foundational figure in speculative fiction, offering a thought-provoking exploration of time, consequence, and the very nature of reality, making it an essential addition to any list of his best books.