'Up to the Sky in Ships is published to commemorate A. Bertram Chandler's appearance as Guest of Honour at Chicon IV, the fortieth world science fiction convention. This book contains seven undeservedly obscure stories, including Chance Encounter, the first story in which John Grimes (Chandler's most famous character) appears, and A New Dimension, set in an alternate world in which Ned Kelly uses unusual tactics to win Australia's war for independence' (Up to the Sky in Ships).