Planet of Dreams

by James McKimmey, Murat Ukray (Illustrator), Paul Orban (Illustrator)

He stood watching while George Atkinson spun around, dark eyes flashing, hair tousled. There was a two days' growth of beard darkening Atkinson's face."Why, George," Loveral said, swiftly examining the litter of metal and wood which was spread over a table behind Atkinson. There was a home-made hammer in Atkinson's hand. "What have we here, George?""Something for you," Atkinson said, tightening his fingers about the handle of the hammer.Loveral grinned his famous Loveral grin. "That's fine. What could it be?""None of your damned business.""George," Loveral said, his smile still white but his eyes narrow and quick.The woman was behind them. Her voice screeched. "George, I told you. Why didn't you listen, George? You should have listened to me. You—"Loveral held up a hand, still watching Atkinson. "Now tell me, George, what is it you're making for me?"Atkinson raised the hammer slightly.Loveral stood very still. "That's a nice hammer, George."Atkinson's eyes were black beneath his thick brows."You made that, didn't you?" Loveral asked."Yes, I made that," Atkinson said. "I made that and I made something else. Another minute and I'll have that finished, too.""George," said Loveral, stepping quietly forward, "I don't like to say this, of course. You've been one of our very best members. But nobody works here, George. We can't allow that. You know the rules." "I know the rules, all right.""Well, then," Loveral said, extending his hand toward the hammer, "we'll just destroy this and whatever else you might have been making. We'll just forget it ever happened. We'll get along real fine that way, George. We'll just be such good friends.""We'll just go to hell," said Atkinson, snatching his hammer away.Loveral's smile disappeared. "I'll tell you, George. I have to mean business with this. You know the reasons. If we allow anybody to work here, then there's going to be trouble. That isn't our plan. We're here to grow within ourselves and expand culturally. Not to commercialize a beautiful world like Dream Planet."

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

24 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1953

About the author

James Earl McKimmey, Jr.

Reviews

[IngeT (inge1970reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

James McKimmy Jr Planet of Dreams Be careful what you wish for. It is not always best. 3.5⭐️

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you think would happen if a group of people labored away to scrape up enough money to find a new life? The perfect life that they always wanted. A life where everything is given to them on a silver platter, and where every day has no obstacles for one to overcome. A life where doing any work for oneself is forbidden.

A pleasant little short story that I found amusing.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is not of the exact version of the story listed on Goodreads, but rather on the story as it appeaed originally in the September, 1953 issue of the magazine If: Worlds of Science Fiction. My comments are excerpted from my review of that issue.


In "Planet of Dreams" by James McKimmey, Jr., Daniel Loveral has become the head of a colony on a small planet, the Dream Planet, in which everyone except Loveral himself may have "a life of constant comfort and ease, so that they might dream and think as they wander through the flowers and the leaves, their thoughts cleansed of worry about work and responsibility." A life where work is not necessary...or allowed. I strongly doubt that the dwellers in the Dream Planet would actually have taken the action that occurs in the story, and I also doubt that a man with no tools could have manufactured the item used to resolve the situation.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

What we say we want and others interpertations of what we want can be quite different and the act or conflict of those makes this story very interesting easily extended if we follow any of the rabbit holes that seem to present itself in this little short story.

[Timothy Morrison]

I guess the take home message is that hard work brings meaning

[Louie Sosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminded me of the governor from the walking dead, and all the issues that could rise from the “perfect” community — in space.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfection is sterility and the lack of work is Hell.

[Cassandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry I have no comments on this book.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this.

[Beatrice Drury · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are given a life in which you had all the time you wanted for meditation, rest and no more reason to work what would you do? How would you feel? How would you react? This story answers those questions.