Classic science fiction from Osamu Tezuka, the Godfather of Manga, now in English! Originally published between 1971 and 1975, this tapestry of seven-page short stories and novellas depicts an Earth where birds become the dominant class. A fatal fire in the countryside escalates into incineration of cities by swarms of pyromaniac magpies. An avian leader with psychic power demands a brutal reduction in the human population. Homo sapiens descends into a subservient role but manages to land some counterpunches. The birds' quest for equality is derailed by conflict between carnivorous species and those that eat insects. What jump-started the wild leap in ornithological evolution? What will be the fate of humans?

Classic science fiction from Osamu Tezuka, the Godfather of Manga, now in English! Originally published between 1971 and 1975, this tapestry of seven-page short stories and novellas depicts an Earth where birds become the dominant class. A fatal fire in the countryside escalates into incineration of cities by swarms of pyromaniac magpies. An avian leader with psychic power demands a brutal reduction in the human population. Homo sapiens descends into a subservient role but manages to land some counterpunches. The birds' quest for equality is derailed by conflict between carnivorous species and those that eat insects. What jump-started the wild leap in ornithological evolution? What will be the fate of humans?