A long time from now in a galaxy we call home... It is the twenty-third century and scientists, dreamers, crooks and believers have bridged the vast cosmos, staking their claims where distant suns burn fierce in the sky. Yet for all of humankind's technological marvels, life for many is far from a wondrous fairytale.
A petty thief is offered riches to steal a very special device, but has he let the genie out of the bottle? Can a poor, down-trodden kitchen slave find her prince in the shape of a young, dashing space captain? A priest is rescued after a quest to find the mythical alien home world ends in disaster, but who is the mysterious stranger wearing his boots? A man caught up in a war wonders if he can go on, but can a hologram hope to convince him by showing the greatest blunders of his life? It is supposed to be the season of goodwill! This collection brings together the 'prequel' seasonal short stories from the space-opera worlds of the Hollow Moon series.