Publication History

In Poul Anderson, Trader To The Stars (New York, 1966) (see image), the publication history on p. 4 informs us that the contents of this book had previously appeared in:

Astounding Science Fiction, 1956;

Analog Science Fact-Science Fiction, 1961, 1963, 1964 -

- and that "Margin of Profit," quoted, had appeared in:

Un-Man and Other Novellas, 1962.

Astounding changed its name to Analog and can be referred to under either title as ASF.

We have just referred to Un-Man and Other Novellas here.

The contents of Trader To The Stars are:

"Hiding Place," ASF, 1961;

"Territory," ASF, 1963:

"The Master Key," ASF, 1964.

"Margin of Profit" was originally published in ASF, 1956.

Thus, we manage to unravel the publication history and can also identify an early Nicholas van Rijn trilogy of sorts:

"Margin of Profit" in Un-Man...

The Man Who Counts/War Of The Wing-Men

Trader To The Stars

That could have been a complete series! It ends with van Rijn no longer travelling through space but wallowing in a lounger and solving a problem by thought alone in one of his modest penthouses back on Earth and also pronouncing his contemptuous verdict on the bulk of mankind. (In fact, van Rijn's series, as well as those of his trader team and of the Polesotechnic League, eventually culminates when he makes a speech into the sunset at the end of Mirkheim.)

In fact, of course, other things happen. Between "Territory" and "The Master Key," van Rijn initiates his first trade pioneer crew/trader team which we see in action in "The Trouble Twisters" and "Day of Burning." And so on.