Part of this prolific author's popular Terra-Human Future History series, the tale "The Edge of the Knife" takes place just prior to the devastating world war that occurs in 1973, wiping out much of humanity and leading to the ascendance of a new world order. The story focuses on a protagonist who is plagued by brief glimpses of the future. Many fans regard this story as a thematic touchstone that yokes together much of Piper's oeuvre.