A shapeshifting beast struggles to find its place among humanity in this classic science fiction adventure, a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Novel.

No one, not even the beast itself, knows where it came from or what it is. Witnesses’ descriptions vary. A big dog, a wolf, a lynx. A cross between a gorilla and a bear. A fiend out of hell . . .

Roving the American Midwest in the midst of the Great Depression, it hunts in the dark, finding prey where it can. Then, one night it is trapped in a hayloft by a farmer with a shotgun. Sensing the man’s fear, the beast transforms . . . into a five-year-old boy named Robert Lee Burney.

The boy finds happiness living with the farmer and his wife, and enjoys learning about their ways. At night, he allows the beast to get out to hunt and play, but a terrifying attack on the farm changes everything in a moment . . .

On the run, the beast strives to understand the confusing and dangerous world in which it now finds itself. It must also search for a new home and figure out what—or who—it is. The first book in a trilogy for fans of Clifford D. Simak and Ray Bradbury.

Praise for Robert Stallman

“Stallman reminds me of Ray Bradbury . . . A big talent.” —Peter Straub, author of Ghost Story

“A vision of the perilous coming-together of a man-soul and monster-soul in us all. The result is an exciting blend of love and violence, of sensitivity and savagery.” —Fritz Leiber, author of Swords and Deviltry

“The Orphan is frank, violent, and at times erotic in jarring, unexpected ways. The bottom line? Highly recommended.” —Black Gate