About the book: year / From the author's preface: “Once upon a time, an editor who didn’t like science fiction (and me along with it), but adored my big circulation, accepting the annual boys' novel from me, grumbled that what she really wanted was for someone to write stories for girls. "Great! - I said. — I will write a story for girls. When do you need it? “She was amazed. She was offended and, at the same time, amused by the ridiculous and presumptuous assumption that an ordinary man could write stories for girls. And so Paddy was born: I started writing girls' stories in the first person...I became so attached to Maureen that I ended up helping her lose weight, renaming her Podcane, and taking her to Mars (along with her insufferable brother). And from time to time she unexpectedly appeared under other names in other science fiction stories." "Cliff and Maureen": Stories for Girls (1949-1951) (the entire series).